Tuesday 31st March

Very tired legs yesterday and this morning after the weekend so no pilates this week or swimming yet, unfortunately.

Tempo cycle session tonight - 11.5 miles in 42 mins (started to get a bit dark so I cut it short) Hit around 19mph for about 3 miles of this then took the speed down again. Getting there...

Sunday 29th March

35.4 mile cycle today on tired legs with windy conditions for a good bit of it. Time for a rest tomorrow!

Saturday 29th March

Larne Half Marathon today in very, very windy conditions. Very nice course but not a very nice performance by me. Ran it in 1.59 which is about 6 minutes off my pb. Felt terrible after the run too - really sick. That's what you get for eating too early and not taking a gel on board. I think my sporadic running and the injury had something to do with that. Need to get back on track somehow...

Friday 27th March

1200m early morning swim in an infinity pool in Slieve Donard Hotel. Relaxed for a bit in the amethyst steam room afterwards - you could get used to that amount of luxury!

Thursday 26th March

Very scenic 45 minute early morning run in Newcastle, Co Down - mountains, sea and a long beach - really lovely!

Wednesday 25th March

45 minutes early morning steady session on turbo. Was supposed to go running this morning but could not find my running mojo - not good!!

Tuesday 24th March

Very good turbo session this morning - high cadence with a bit more resistance added on this time.

Monday 23rd March

Pilates class tonight - whole class based around exercises for runners (specially for me!) which was great.

Sunday 22nd March

17 mile cycle in very windy conditions - hit 26mph on the flat for parts of the first half then used all my gears to get back in the second half!! Still averaged just under 17mph for the whole cycle which is good (for me).

End of a very good week's training - time for a rest (apart from pilates) tomorrow.

Saturday 21st March

Great hilly run today - 10.5 miles through Belvoir Forest (exploring the trails!), Hill of Horror and Lagan Meadows - very little done on tarmac. Legs felt strong and not too much pain - they just tired a bit at the end. Very good average pace despite the hills!!

Friday 20th March

Half hour early morning high cadence turbo session

Evening swim drills - 400m w/u, 10 sets of 80m flat out with 20secs rest and 400m c/down. Very good but a lot of work to be done...

Thursday 19th March

1200m early morning swim in 21 minutes- note to myself - GET MORE SWIMMING SESSIONS DONE!!

Very stiff back and leg today after yesterday's run unfortunately - thought I had got away with it last night...

Wednesday 18th March

Very good fast 8.25 mile run with the club tonight. Pain level only about level 4 which is great. Nearly remembered how much I like running tonight!! Feeling strong and fighting spirit coming back again...

Tuesday 17th March

Happy St Patrick's day!! Out for a 16 mile cycle on Willi today - really enjoyed it - good mixture again of hills and flat. Pleased with average speed of 15mph despite the hills and the traffic & road junctions. Getting there - very slowly :)

Monday 16th March

Pilates class tonight using resistance bands - very good. Spoke to instructor who is willing to give me some pilates personal training to develop some short core sessions for me to do at home :)

Sunday 15th March

40.4 mile cycle today on Willi today. Very good route with a mixture of hills and flat road. Longest cycle ever for me. It was good to put the bike (and me!) through its paces. Only another 16 miles and that is me up to Half Ironman distance.

Here's a photo of Willi and I before we set off this morning!

Saturday 14th March

12 mile run along the tow path. Pain level about level 6 which is a bit better - concentrated on more fore foot striking and on relaxing my arms which helped - as did the massage last night, I think.

Friday 13th March

Good tough turbo session at lunchtime

Sports massage tonight - one word summed it up, aweough!!

Thursday 12th March

4 mile easy run this morning in 36 minutes - enjoyed it and now I have pinpointed the sore bits for my massage tomorrow!

Wednesday 11th March

Half hour fast turbo session this morning

Tuesday 10th March

Half hour early morning turbo session on the new bike - fast legs and heavier resistance. Turbo seems to be more effective now - can use gears with the resistance setting!

Swim drills tonight - 1600m total - 400 w/up with 10 sets of 80m flat out with 20secs recovery between each set - 400m c/down. Very good session!!

Monday 9th March

Pilates class tonight- very good as usual

Sunday 8th March

Today's outing was a 10k race to celebrate the opening of the Westlink upgrade in Belfast. We ran along the dual carriageway (which was completely closed to traffic) in very cold strong wind with sleet/snow showers. Very good event, well organised and I ran it in 52 minutes which is just under 2 minutes slower than my PB. Not too bad considering the injury and the fact that I haven't run for two weeks now.

Saturday 7th March

Well, a new addition to the family arrived today- Willi the Wilier Espace Mirage bike :). What a difference a bike that fits me actually makes! So pleased with it - it feels much more responsive than my last bike. Had a good 20 mile cycle on it this afternoon through rain and wind. Now I have no excuses!!

Friday 6th March

Half an hour of core work, stretching and roller massage. Got some bad news about my back - 2 discs are degenerating. This has knocked me back a bit but I think I need a second opinion and also there has to be something that can be done to help with the pain and stiffness in my lower legs. I need to refocus and get an event to aim for - two half marathons coming up in the next 3 weeks so I'll try for one of those.

Hopefully going to get a new bike tomorrow. I am so hoping that a bike that fits me properly will help also to reduce the soreness and stiffness (slightly paranoid now!). I may have to lay off using tri bars though.

I need to get my training back on track again next week and I am going to come up with a more focussed plan to get my discipline back...

Wednesday 4th March

Half hour turbo session this morning. So hard to get up early still!

Tuesday 3rd March

Half hour turbo session this morning with high cadence. Staying off the aero bars to see if that helps my knees. Hopefully I will get a new bike this week -:)

Monday 2nd March

First session back after a week in Slovenia for work. No time or opportunity to do any training except for some core work while I was there unfortunately. Anyhow, 1200m early morning swim in 22 minutes. Funny how doing nothing for a week sets you back...

Pilates class tonight. Very good as usual. Nicely stretched out!!