Friday 2nd July

Decision made, I am going to go for it and take part in the Europeans. Wili is showered and lubed and ready to go. I'm not though! Never been so unfit or unready for a race before but don't want to miss the opportunity to take part. Athlone here I come....

Thursday 1st July

Half an hour of sea swimming tonight in very big waves - even the jellyfish were surfing...

I have to tomorrow morning to make up my mind whether I am going to do Athlone. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. I was in Birmingham for the day yesterday and I suffered quite a bit with back stiffness and pain in my glutes. If I feel ok, I'll do a lot of stretching and foam rollering before the 3.5 hour drive on Saturday. Race is on Sunday - got my Ireland trisuit all ready to go - even though it arrived with a hole in the leg!

Tuesday 29th June

19 mile easyish cycle tonight with a reasonable pace. My back held out ok - just a few twinges.

Monday 28th June

Physio has cleared me to compete at the weekend but only at 85% effort and I am to pull out if I have any problems at all with my back. She wants me to taper from tomorrow and do lots and lots of stretching and work on the foam roller. My taper will have been longer than my training for the last month! This is good news but I am still very afraid of injuring myself again.

I tried a very slow and steady 4 mile run tonight - fine apart from a little stiffness in my hamstring afterwards. I then went on to my pilates class. I couldn't do a couple of the exercises as I felt it in my back but had a good stretch out. My hamstrings are very tight. So frustrated with all of this....

Saturday 26th June

14 mile cycle this morning to test out my back. It twinged a couple of times but generally ok. I kept the speed very steady and didn't push it, deliberately chosing a pretty flat route. I felt the reduction in my fitness with not training for nearly three weeks.

No hip tightness or tightness in my glutes afterwards either, possibly due to the new saddle position.

Tortured now by indecision and worry as to whether I should attempt Athlone next weekend. I really don't want to miss it but yet I don't want this muscle to tear again. Scared to train again really. Just a total nightmare at this stage of the season - very down about the whole thing.

Physio tomorrow morning - so let's see what she has to say about Athlone...

Friday 25th June

I met a friend from the triathlon club this evening to check my bike set up. Turns out, according to his calculations that my saddle is approx 1.5 inches too low.... and too far forward. He adjusted this and we went for a gentle 4 mile spin to test out the new position. It feels much better and I have more power in my legs. My back was ok with this too.

Thursday 24th June

Approx 1500m sea swim tonight. My back felt fine although I didn't push for any speed.

Wednesday 23rd June

A day's rest again due to a little stiffness then I tackled a 1200m swim tonight with no pain. Onwards and a little bit upwards....

Monday 21st June

A bad two weeks later, my blog starts up again. Never again do I want to go through the pain and disability I have suffered due to a torn back muscle! Physio is pleased with my progress though and has allowed me to start light training this week. So first session was a pilates class which I took very carefully and slowly. Still no pain during the class and the stretching has helped me a bit.

Saturday 5th June

Crooked Lake triathlon today. Everything started well, got down there and set up and went back to my car for a cup of tea and something to eat before the race. When I stood up again my back was stiff. I tried stretching it out and got some physio on the trigger points in my glutes. I didn't know whether to start or not but then decided to go for it and pull out if things got worse. I had a very good swim (15.22 nice and steady and I got a good line in the lake)(16.07 last year) a not so quick 1st transition (3.11) although it was a very long transition area, a very good bike (37.06)(38.56 last year) during which I felt very strong and then a not so quick transition 2 (2.44) due to me not being able to run in my cycle shoes. I then headed off to the run and my back was very stiff so with two big hills in the run I decided to walk the hills and try to run the downhills and the flat bits so I did that and still got 25.55 (24.33 last year) for the 5k. Finishing time of 1:24:20 (1:25:07 last year)which I was very pleased with despite the walking bits in the run.

Afterwards my back, glutes and hip have seized up very badly. Nightmare of a drive home due to the pain. I immediately got ice on it and am on anti-inflammatories. Very, very worried.

Sunday update: my back is very bad today and I can't stand upright. Continuing with ice and high doses of anti-inflammatories. The pain is very bad and is making me feel quite sick. I have an appointment with the physio on Monday so I just hope and pray she can sort me out. 4 weeks today to Athlone. Just very upset and very worried. My training has been going so well and I felt my strength coming back yesterday with being able to attack the triathlon. My back has not been bothering me much either. I just don't know what has happened - whether this has been building or whether I did something working in the garden on Friday. Fingers crossed that my physio can fix me....

Thursday 3rd June

Approx 1600m sea swim last night with the club. Nice conditions - warm and sunny, no waves and the tide was in for once :-)

Wednesday 2nd June

I took a rest day yesterday - didn't really want to but thought it was more sensible to double up today and have yesterday clear.

1600m swim in 30.35 minutes this morning. I really felt that - not used to the non-stop distance after doing so many swim set sessions. I will need to build more of these into my training plan to build up endurance.

Speed session on the bike tonight - 10 sets of 5 minutes flat out with 2 minutes recovery between them. 3 miles total of warm up and cool down, covering 26 miles in the whole session. Very good - I managed to maintain around 19.5 - 20 miles per hour for all of the 10 sets. Legs are a bit knackered now!

Monday 31st May

53 mile cycle on the bike today. I started off with very tired legs from yesterday but shook that off and probably had the best cycle so far of the year. I could have gone on and certainly could have run after it. Average pace of about 15.5 miles per hour for the 53 miles. The route was hilly in places and we had quite a head wind for parts of it. I feel a bit happier about things after today.

Sunday 30th May

No cycling yesterday due to rotten weather....

Liam Ball triathlon today up in Derry. Finished in 1:35:14 (official time )although I clocked it at 1.31:0 - and there was no finishing time for me in the first lot of results and then I was given that time... strange but very disappointing. I had a good swim - one of the first few out of the pool in my wave and transition was going well until the race director told me that my stuff was in the wrong place and made me move everything. This wasted at least 1 - 2 minutes. I wasn't happy with the bike but had a good run which should have been quicker than the 27 minutes time I was given. So not a happy bunny overall.

Friday 28th May

5 mile easy run this morning. Few niggles still from my glutes and my calves are very tight possibly from the Newtons. Think I might need a sports massage pretty soon. My plan is just to train up to Sunday and take the race as a B race and concentrate on Crooked Lake the following week as an A race. Well that's the outline plan anyway!!

Thursday 27th May

Sea swim last night - very very cold - I think we covered about 1200m. Lots of waves and jellyfish too!

Wednesday 26th May

Hill session again on the bike last night over 16.5 miles with approx 13 miles of climbing and descents. Very good - we added another hill on to the hill we were climbing last week to give us a longer pull. My glute is still bothering me but seems to be settling. Hopefully it will be ok for Sunday.

Monday 24th May

Speed running session tonight with the running club. Very good - we covered 5.5 miles overall but I have pulled one of my glutes :-(

Sunday 23rd May

In view of the 26c weather and my need to get the cycle miles in, I decided not to do a 10k race today but instead headed out with North Down CC again for a 31 mile cycle. Tough enough at the start on tired legs but I loosened up and was fairly pleased with how I got on including some biggish hills thrown in around Newtownards. Still an awful lot to do though.

Saturday 22nd May

Out for a 41 mile spin today with North Down Cycle Club. The first half was fairly sedate but the return to Bangor was much quicker. Good route - quite undulating for parts of it. A nice tea and scone half way too:-) I have so much work to do to improve my cycling. Really frustrated...

Friday 21st May

6 mile easyish run along the seafront from Holywood in 21c and sunshine. Summer seems to have arrived! First proper run in my Newtons. Calves feel a bit tight now so need a good stretch.

I bought Wili a mini lock and some new cleats today and me a cycle top and a pair of gloves :-)

Thursday 20th May

Approx 1200m sea swim tonight - so much warmer than last week!

Wednesday 19th May

16 mile cycle tonight with 6 x 1.8 mile hill repeats in it. Found a good hill to do this on. A lot more sessions like this needed! Good though....

Tuesday 18th July

Very tough half hour slog on the turbo this morning.

2250m of swim sets with the tri club this evening.

Monday 17th May

One hour speed training run session with the running club tonight. We covered 5 miles in total on the pitches. Quite a good wee session - tough but hopefully it will do me some good!

I have been notified by Triathlon Ireland that I have been selected for the Irish team for the European Age Group Championships (olympic distance) in Athlone on 4th July. Horribly excited and nervous already!

Saturday 15th July

Roe Valley Triathlon today. I was very disappointed with my cycle but the swim and run was fine. Transitions rubbish as usual! I thought I was a lot slower than last year but it turns out I was only about 30 seconds behind. I just don't feel fit at the moment but I suppose it was not too bad considered my sporadic training over the last couple of months. Let's hope for a better performance at Liam Ball in 2 weeks time.

Thursday 13th May

First open water swim of the year in Strangford Lough. It was baltic!! I couldn't run after it as I couldn't feel my feet....

Wednesday 12th May

23 mile cycle tonight - good undulating ride with one very big hill. The pace was slow though with the rest of the group.

Tuesday 11th May

Half hour turbo session in the morning and 2600m of swim sets tonight with the club.

Monday 10th May

A week of no training - no good but I feel a bit better now. Turbo session for 45 minutes followed by a pilates class

Monday 3rd May

I took part in the third leg of the Belfast Marathon relay - 7.1 miles in 1 hr 4 mins. Chest still bothering me a lot. I think I had better suspend training until it clears.

Saturday 1st May

9 mile hilly run today - I have got some sort of chest thing so found it very tough.

Thursday 29th April

1600m swim at lunchtime in just under 31 minutes. Maybe the 50m pyramids are helping after all!

Wednesday 28th April

25 mile cycle with a girls cycle group tonight organised by the Bikedock Belles. Good mix of flat and a few hills towards the end. GREAT to be out cycling in a group and good fun too - really nice bunch of girls and very good cyclists too. Contemplating, maybe, doing the Maracycle with them at the end of June :-)

Tuesday 27th April

My legs are still sore after Saturday which messed up training on Sunday and Monday :-( Working at home this week so a chance to train a bit more thankfully. 15 mile cycle at lunchtime with a good average pace despite the traffic.

2000m swim tonight with the club - still doing 50m pyramids which should help my speed but not my endurance...

Saturday 24th April

I did a 13.25 mile run through the Mourne Mountains today as a training run for the Mourne Way Half Marathon in June. It was a mixture of running, trotting, and walking depending on the terrain which varied from easy track, to bog, to straight uphill! Very tiring but very good. I need to buy some trail shoes as my trainers were not up to the job today. No back pain but my legs are a bit sore now.

Thursday 22nd April

Another half hour on the turbo at full pelt. Workload not getting any better and I am totally stressed with both it and not getting time for training this week. Not good when my first triathlon of the season is 3 weeks away....

Tuesday 20th April

Half an hour on the turbo this morning flat out in a heavier resistance. Work levels getting extreme this week so no swimming tonight :-(

Monday 19th April

Pilates class tonight - tough but good...

Sunday 18th April

More sinus problems today so no cycling - getting fed up with these headaches as they make you feel rotten. Just went for a 1600m swim instead in 31 minutes. Very frustrated with my training at the moment - one step forward and two back....

Saturday 17th April

I ventured out today with North Down CC for a 37 mile ride. Starting speed was around 20 to 21 mph - I hung on for the first 10 miles and then started dropping back a bit and another wee group kindly formed to go a bit slower for me although slower was still around 18mph for a good bit of it. I was soooo nervous at going out with them that I couldn't sleep last night. It was the first time I ever cycled in a group (approx 40 cyclists) too so much learning today! We stopped for tea and scones and then headed back to Bangor. My legs and the rest of me are very tired now but it was a very good cycle. I intend to keep this up with them. Contemplating another run out with them tomorrow morning but I'll see how my legs feel first!

Friday 16th April

Half hour tough spin class this morning followed by a two mile brick run at 8.30 minute miles. Good session

Wednesday 14th April

Early morning spin class - good mix of climbing and sprints - 12.7 miles in 40 minutes.

7 mile run with the club tonight - a bit of flat but a lot more hills! I managed to run the last mile and a half on the flat at under 8.30 minute miles which is great - my speed is returning at last:-). My right hamstring and glute is a bit tight tonight - foam roller treatment required.

Tuesday 13th April

2050m of swim sets with the club tonight. Mainly 50's and 25's with not a lot of rest! Bit concerned that we are doing shorter fast stuff - would like a few longer sets in the session.

Monday 12th April

Pretty fatigued today after the weekend but no pain thankfully. Pilates class tonight using bands - was hoping for an easy class but no chance!

Sunday 11th April

First part of todays training was a good fastish 12.5 mile cycle. Lovely weather - shorts on today :-)

Need a good stretch before the race this afternoon. I am just going to take it as a training run.

Part two of today's training now complete - Titanic Quarter 10k. So much for a training run! Started off too fast but managed more or less somehow to keep it up. Delighted to finish in 57.40. Way off my pb but the fastest I have run in a long long while. I almost felt like my old self!! Don't know where the speed came from but it looks like the hill training is helping. Legs are tired now but my back is ok :-)

Saturday 10th April

I have had a bad week between insomnia and not feeling too hot so the training took a hit - scundered with that. Back at it again today with another 7.5 mile run of hills in Belvoir Forest and Lagan Meadows. I found it tough but we actually ran about 3 mins faster than last week and there was less flat stuff. My back was a bit sore after it but hopefully will settle for the 10k tomorrow.

Monday 5th April

The weather is just too bad to cycle outside, unfortunately - wind and rain...

So I did a 45 minute challenging spin class - a lot of climbing and sprints followed straight off with a 2 mile run on the treadmill (first brick of the year) at my fastest speed since I got injured last August :-) Still feeling good despite the recent hike in training levels.

Sunday 4th April

Happy Easter! My hilly weekend continued today with me going in search of hills on the bike. 34 miles of mainly hilly cycling! Great cycle - felt strong once I got over the first monster. Discovered a whole new cycling area too on country roads at the back of Ballygowan and Saintfield. I can feel my strength and fitness coming back at last which is great. Just got a bit tired in the final 4 miles coming back home. Very pleased with how I got on - vast improvement on the last cycle...

Saturday 3rd April

7.5 miles of hills and more hills in Belvoir Forest and Lagan Meadows this morning. Very good but tough. My back twinged a little bit but I feel fine now. Not a lot of speed but could feel strength coming back into my legs.

The Race over the Glens was cancelled today unfortunately due to the snow storm earlier in the week - the whole forest park is closed as the paths are too dangerous. Very disappointing.

Friday 2nd March

Early morning spin class on the new Keiser M3 spin bikes in the gym - very good workout.



No cycling outside today as planned due to totally rubbish weather - rain and strong winds...

So instead I did a 2 mile run on the treadmill in my new Newton Lady Isaac guidance trainers to test them out (very strange but good) and then an 800m swim in 15 minutes.

Wednesday 31 March

5.6 mile run tonight with the running club. Bit of a quicker pace than usual for me which is good and we threw in a big hill at the half way mark which I did manage to run up! My ITB's on both sides are very tight and I could feel my back pulling a bit as a result of it. I need to get them loosened off. I have entered for Race over the Glens on Saturday - a 5.5 mile off road race at Glenariff. Looking forward to it (I think!)

Tuesday 30th March

I braved the atrocious weather conditions to make it to Ards pool for the session tonight - 2000m - mainly 100m, 50m and 25m sprints again. Big sluggish tonight for some reason.

Monday 29th March

Went to a 45 min mad spinning class tonight - decided that I need to up the ante for cycling and hope that spin classes will improve my strength and speed on the bike. My gym has just got new spin bikes with wattage and rpm display and electronic gears. They look like a time trial bike and are very smooth to use.

Pilates class tonight as well - good class using hand weights.

Sunday 29th March

Very tired legs today and still very windy so I wimped out of cycling outside and hit the turbo instead for an hour and a half.

Saturday 28th March

28 mile cycle today - sunny but quite windy. Reasonable pace but the few hills I went up nearly finished me off! Quite tired after it. The turbo is no substitute for wind and hills...

Thursday 25th March

Half an hour blast on the turbo this morning

Tuesday 23rd March

2000 swim sets with the tri club tonight. Very fast session - lot of sprinting. Unfortunately my back didn't like it too much and is very stiff and a bit sore now. Big stretch needed....

Monday 22nd March

Pilates class tonight - good tough session and a lot of stretching as well :-)

Sunday 21st March

Very sore legs today after yesterday and my ITBs are so tight they are clicking! Had a big foam roller session this morning to iron out my legs and then chickened out of a cycle outside in case I did any damage and just did a steady 45 mins on the turbo. My legs feel better after doing this.

Saturday 20th March

Larne Half Marathon today - lovely conditions for running - sunny and pleasant temperature. I got through the first 10 miles - with a little walk at the half way mark to take off my jacket and repin my number - but the wheels came off the trolley after that and I struggled over the last 3 miles. I was glad to be running with a friend of mine who kept me going. Very, very tough for me. My lack of running fitness really came to the fore. I finished it in 2hrs 20. Pretty rubbish time considering my pb is 1hr 50. But I got round in one piece with no pain running which is a great result considering where I was at the beginning of January.

Friday 19th March

45 minutes sweaty grinding on the turbo this morning at high resistance.

Larne HM tomorrow - should be interesting....

Thursday 18th March

1600m swim sets tonight with the club. Good wee session with a bit of craic too.

Wednesday 17th March

St Paddy's day turbo session - a tough 45 minutes :-)

Tuesday 16th March

Not being well and family stuff messed up my training big style this weekend....

Back at it today with half an hour flat out on the turbo this morning and a 2550 meter swim tonight with the club. Good session - longest yet and my swimming is coming back together again.

Friday 12th March

1600m continuous swim this morning, alternating 200m normal and 200m with the pull buoy. Speed steady and I didn't fade. My back is not brilliant after this. I MUST contact the physio...

Thursday 11th March

5 mile run this morning - very enjoyable and a good pace for me at the moment in 47:47. I am going to use this as a little time trial to see how much I can get that down over the next number of weeks.

Tuesday 9th March

2250m swim with the tri club tonight. Much better than last week. I only faded towards the end. Good session with a range of drills and distances.

Monday 8th March

Pilates class tonight - different instructor than usual and a heck of a lot tougher!

Sunday 7th March

17 mile cycle today in very nice conditions. Good speed and strength on the few little hills I encountered. Wanted to go on but just building up again slowly with the training overall. Legs and back felt fine after yesterday's run which is very encouraging. Just need to get the weekly training hours up now.

Wili is now washed and gleaming and ready for the next outing:-)

Saturday 6th March

Well, big progress today - 10mile run! Very slow but sure and no pain or stiffness which is excellent. First lovely warmish (10c) day we have had in a long time too! Feel fine now - just a bit tired. Onwards and upwards :-)

Still not sure whether to do Larne HM though....

Friday 5th March

800m early morning swim. First non stop swim for a long time in approx 15 mins. I have lost a lot of pace. My back and shoulder are stiff now - need to get to see the physio asap.

Thursday 4th March

Half an hour on the turbo this morning.

Got my half iron-man lined up for this year - Cologne 226 half in September. Very excited now at the prospect. This gives me a great goal to work towards :-)

Wednesday 3rd March

40min tough session on the turbo this morning.

Tuesday 2nd March

1800m swim with the tri club tonight. First swim in weeks and weeks. My swim fitness is now rubbish as well. I have a lot of work to do!

Monday 1st March

5 mile run this evening followed by pilates class.

So behind in my blog, training, etc ,etc. Need to sort myself out big style!

Got entries sorted now for the first two triathlons of the year and am working on the rest of my race plan for this year. Waiting for confirmation of a half ironman event in September which I would like to do.

Saturday 27th February

Terrible 5 mile run - no strength or stamina. Had aimed to go longer but cut it short. Came back and went on turbo for half an hour for punishment!

Friday 26th February

One hour on the turbo this evening

Sunday 21st February

1.5 hours on turbo

Saturday 20th February

One hour turbo session today - too much snow to run...

Sunday 14th February

9 mile mountain hike today down in the Mourne Mountains - very enjoyable

Saturday 13th February

One hour on the turbo today

Wednesday 10th February

Half an hour on the turbo this morning in very heavy resistance - grindy session. I had intended to go for a run but didn't sleep very well so I couldn't summon enough energy for it. Good old turbo fallback!

Tuesday 9th February

Half an hour on the turbo this morning - legs a bit fatigued

Monday 8th February

3.7 mile very enjoyable run after work tonight. Working on technique and not worrying about my speed (which is rubbish at the moment anyway). Calves and achilles a bit tight from changing my running technique. No pain in back so all good.

Raced home, had tea and out to pilates class which was tough but good. Ready for bed now - nicely tired :-)

Sunday 7th February

2 hour turbo today - lighter resistance but kept up high cadence for the two hours. Feel fine after it and no after effects from yesterday's run (apart from a sore achilles from trying to land properly). Scotland v France kept me from getting bored - pity France won!

Good week's training on the whole - gradually starting to up the endurance side of things. Just need to get my swimming back on target now - think I am subconsciously avoiding it for fear of my back deteriorating a bit. Need to get into the pool and start working on technique - goal for next week :-)

Saturday 6th February

I RAN 8 MILES TODAY! How good is that! Longest run since the end of August when my back fell apart. It was great running along the tow path again and just being outside - no more treadmill :-) My pace wasn't exactly brilliant but I didn't stop and really enjoyed myself. My back felt a little bit stiff at the start but eased off as I got into the run - probably due to the cold and damp. I had no pain at all the whole run. My legs feel a bit stiff now but that is hopefully just due to my lack of fitness and building up again. Worked hard on my technique - it is going to take a bit more time to perfect that - old habits are hard to break! So wish I had enough money for a pair of Newtons - just finished reading Born to Run and barefoot/forefoot running just makes sense.

Friday 5th February

One hour good pace on the turbo medium resistance.

Thursday 4th February

4 mile easy run on the treadmill tonight - around 9.30 minute mile pace. I hate running indoors - I just get far too hot! Outdoors next time :-) No pain during run - so every run lately has been pain free which is great.

Tuesday 2nd February

1 hour on the turbo this evening - steady pace in big ring

Monday 1st February

Double session today - starting with 1.5 hours with physio - 45mins of conditioning work in the gym working on specific patterning exercises for my weak areas - very good. I had 45 mins of physio after it. She is very pleased with my back and has confirmed that I have issues with my shoulder and that these are contributing heavily through swimming to my back problems. She has taped my shoulder with kinseo tape to restrict movement and I have to work at restricting the hyperextension in the water. So I have to cut back the length of my swim sessions and work on technique to try to settle it. She is also going to work with me on sorting out the strenghth and mobility in my shoulder.

Pilates class in the evening which was very tough but good.

Sunday 31st January

Last day of January today - thank goodness! I took part in a charity 5k today to raise funds for Haiti. Very well organised race through the ice in Ormeau Park. I took it very steady and trotted in in 28mins 30 secs which was fine for a my first run outdoors since Boxing Day. No back pain or anything - just lack of running fitness! Getting there slowly....

Saturday 30th January

Not a good week's training this week - very stressed and tired due to my ridiculous workload in work.... 2 hours today on turbo at medium resistance steady pace in the big ring. Too icy to cycle outside today

Tuesday 26th January

Half an hour medium resistance tough turbo this morning - very sweaty now :-)

Monday 25th January

Back to pilates tonight - I haven't been for a while. Either the class has got a bit tougher or my core has weakened a bit! Enjoyed the session.

Sunday 24th January

One hour on the turbo today in medium resistance in the big ring so a bit of a grind! Too tired to do any more unfortunately. My back and everything is fine after the run yesterday which is very encouraging. Not a bad week's training considering I was sick for half of it.

Saturday 23rd January

6 mile run today on the treadmill in just under an hour - the furthest I have run since the end of August - so good progress! No back pain or leg stiffening during the run - I just found it very tough due to my lack of running fitness. Feel fine now and had a good stretch.

My QL and hip were tight this morning so there is definately some sort of correlation with swimming and my injury. I have been in contact with my physio and going to see her later this week to get to the bottom of it.

Friday 22nd January

Another half hour on the turbo this morning - feeling a bit better now :-)

1200m swim tonight. I am almost sure now that my back problems are coming from poor swimming technique - QL muscle and hip sore now after the swim. Hopefully the physio will be able to sort out what I am doing wrong.

Wednesday 20th January

Half an hour on turbo this morning - high resistance. Been in bed for last day and a half with sinusitis. Not a good start to the year this year - so many things going wrong....

Things got worse today but went to treadmill to run it off. 5 miles in 48mins - longest and quickest run in 5 months(ave 9.36 minute mile) - again with no back pain, just a mild stiffening in my hamstring which is hopefully due to lack of running fitness. Big stretch and felt good after it :-)

Big goal now is to up my mileage and see how my back reacts.

Sunday 17th January

One and a half hours on the turbo today resistance level 5 and in the big ring. Lovely day outside but sinus pain too bad to contemplate the cold so turbo it was instead, unfortunately... Watched a good film to pass the time though. My QL muscle in my back is still sore today after swimming yesterday and quads a wee bit tight after the run which is just due to lack of running fitness.

Hope my sinus thing clears up so I can get a good week's training in next week.

Saturday 16th January

45 minute run on the treadmill this morning covering about 4.5 miles and still running the sets of 3 mins normal pace and 2 mins slow. No back pain at all (great!) and still working on my technique. The treadmill is good for technique as you can actually hear if you are landing wrong with your foot strike - recommended tip! Set the incline to 1.5% but found the run tough today - heart rate up and got very warm. Hopefully this is due to the cold/sinus thing I have had this week which has washed me out a bit.

Went into the pool and did 400m before my back/hip started to hurt. This has got me wondering if swimming is part of the cause as my major back problems started when I took up swimming for triathlon a year and a half or so ago. I am going to talk to the physio about this. Gave up the swim after the 400 just in case and went into the sauna instead :-)

Long way to go before Larne HM (a marker as to whether I can do another half ironman this year) but a start at least....

Friday 15th January

Half an hour flat out on the turbo on medium resistance this morning.

Wednesday 13th January

Another half hour on the turbo.

I need to give myself a kick up the backside and get some motivation sorted out. Feeling quite under the weather - tired and a bit of a cold on me so totally out of sorts. I haven't swum for ages and no running for over a week.

Ok - have entered for Larne Half Marathon on 20th March as a goal to aim for. Better get back to the physio!!

Tuesday 12th January

Half an hour on the turbo this morning - exciting!

Saturday 9th January

Half an hour quick burst on the turbo this morning

Followed by an hour in the afternoon using higher resistance and the big ring. Back feeling ok still

Tuesday 5th January

Half an hour on turbo this morning

Sunday 3rd January

Totally behind on my blog posts - motivation levels are very low at the moment which is not good.

Anyhow - half an hour running on treadmill today - 3mins at 8.5 to 9 minute miles, and dropping down to 12 minute miles for 2 mins - 6 sets of these. Covered 5k in about half an hour. Working very hard on my running technique. No back pain after this. Good stretch to cool down.

Friday 1st January

Happy New Year! 45mins grind on the turbo today - high resistance. Still tired even though I have been getting lots of sleep recently - strange...

Thursday 31st December

Half an hour fairly easy on the turbo today - very tired at the moment