As always, time for a new blog for the new year.
http://kevinmorice2018.blogspot.co.uk
Tuesday 2 January 2018
Monday 1 January 2018
End of Year Review
So the most obvious place to start is with the targets I set for the year way back in January. That complete post can be found here.
The simplest way to look at them is just to cut the final block of targets and colour them accordingly, but that gives an awful lot of red. So I felt it necessary to annotate them.
Targets by numbers
Represent GBR age-group at an international event. - ETU Aquathlon Bratislava.
Take part in a GBR age-group qualifying race for the 2018 European or World Sprint Champs.
Swim 124 miles. - 134.1 miles
Swim 124 miles. - 134.1 miles
Swim under 6:15 minutes for 400m. - 6:29 at Alford.
Swim under 12:00 minutes for 750m. - 12:04 at Turriff (760m) and Loch Lomond (Open Water).
Swim under 26:00 minutes for 1,500m. - 26:26 at Huntly Standard.
Ride 2,332 miles. - 2,302 miles.
Ride a 10-mile TT in under 26 minutes. - 26:23 Drumoak.
Ride a 25-mile TT in under 1 hour 14 mins. - 1:10:58.
Ride a 25-mile TT in under 1 hour 14 mins. - 1:10:58.
Run 802 miles. - 814.5 miles.
Run a 5k in under 19:10 or 10k in under 41 mins. - 39:58 Elgin 10k.
Run another 5k in under 19:20 or 10k in under 42 mins. - 19:31 North Champs 5k.
80 Yoga sessions - 65.
80 Yoga sessions - 65.
52 & 52 Core & weights sessions. - Not even close.
Stretch Targets
Qualify for the GBR Age-group team for the 2018 European or World Sprint Championships.
Race a qualifying event for any other 2018 European or World Championship event.
Swim 142.6 miles.
Swim under 6:00 minutes for 400m.
Swim under 11:40 minutes for 750m.
Swim under 25:45 for 1,500m.
Ride 2,798 miles.
Ride a 10-mile TT in under 25 minutes.
Ride a 25-mile TT in under 72 minutes.
Ride a 25-mile TT in under 72 minutes.
Run 906 miles.
'Run my age' for 10k. - 39:58 Elgin 10k.
Run a 5k in under 19:00 or 10k in under 40 mins. - 39:58 Elgin 10k.
And so to the great long text bit where I try to make sense of all of that:
Swimming
134.1 miles this year. Over 30% more than any other year, and the effect of that, - almost nothing. My turns are now clean an consistent and I am using them all the time. I am regularly swimming 2 or 3 times each week, and yet I am not actually getting any faster against the clock.
I did miss out on outdoor swimming this year. My job in town just makes it impractical for me to get to Knockburn and I still haven't been brave enough to get suited up and get in the River Dee yet.
I missed my 750m 12:00 target, but this was even more annoying. My first swim of the year at Turriff I did 12:04 for what is a 760m swim. It is normally a slightly faster swim due to the extra turns for the short pool but I really thought I could turn that into a sub-12 through the season. I then did 12:04 again at Loch Lomond for what felt like a poor swim in open water. Those are still both PB swims though so I can't really complain.
My 400m swim time of 6:29 at Alford was slow again. I am going to blame their pool a bit for that one. It is definitely not a quick pool, and there was a bit of overtaking going on that interrupted it as well. I felt I could go faster and had planned a time trial between Xmas and New Year to see if I could sneak it.
My 1,500m swim time of 26:26 at Huntly was another disappointment. It was a pool swim PB so I shouldn't be upset by it, but I was just shattered going in to that race after a long season. Three times through the year I have gone through 1,500m splits in under 27 minutes during longer pool swims.
I am happy enough with this year in the pool. It would have been nice to have some more greens on the targets but I can live with how close I was to them and that if I had managed my races a bit better I think I could have gotten more out of 2017.
Biking
The bike is more difficult to measure this year. Almost all of my cycling has been done as commutes to work. So I have logged as many miles as recent years, and I have done almost all of those miles in short bursts which should mean I can put in a sensible amount of effort.
If I hadn't broken my leg with a week to go I would have easily managed the remaining 30 miles to meet my target for the year.
The race targets weren't great measures either. I didn't have good conditions for any of this year's TT series. I did a 10-mile PB in cold and slight showers, but it wasn't as fast as I had wanted. I did a 25-mile PB but it didn't actually feel like a particularly good ride.
Running
I don’t really know what to write about running this year. I did plenty, but didn’t really work hard at it and didn’t particularly enjoy much of it. Most of my running this year was out of habit or out of the necessity to commute.
Also almost all of my running this year had been done on my own. I haven’t actually been through every session but it wouldn’t entirely surprise me to find that outside of races and Dexter I might have been on my own for the rest of the 800 miles that I covered this year.
I was pleased enough with my run at Elgin to dip under 40 minutes again, but none of my other runs stand out. I did too many miles jogging to work and back and not enough useful training.
Triathlon
The only triathlon targets I set were around getting in to GB teams. I actually made a bit of a mess of the targets I set but have ended up being selected for both ITU and ETU Aquathlon Champs anyway. Whether I can get back to a competitive level in time for those events is another challenge.
I also went to the Scottish Aquathlon Champs at Loch Lomond and came away with a fourth place.
Others
I started the year again with lots of yoga, and binged my way through January. Then I got ridiculously lazy again.
With the weights and core sessions I was better in Q1 than in previous years but from there I basically just sopped.
----------------------
Other, Others
I was rubbish at monthly reviews. I don't think they really added anything to my planning either so I am going to drop them.
And my 2018 plan will need a total rewrite. I am not likely to do anything in January, possibly not February either if the more pessimistic of the surgeons have their way. If I have to get screws removed that might take out March as well.
Swimming
134.1 miles this year. Over 30% more than any other year, and the effect of that, - almost nothing. My turns are now clean an consistent and I am using them all the time. I am regularly swimming 2 or 3 times each week, and yet I am not actually getting any faster against the clock.
I did miss out on outdoor swimming this year. My job in town just makes it impractical for me to get to Knockburn and I still haven't been brave enough to get suited up and get in the River Dee yet.
I missed my 750m 12:00 target, but this was even more annoying. My first swim of the year at Turriff I did 12:04 for what is a 760m swim. It is normally a slightly faster swim due to the extra turns for the short pool but I really thought I could turn that into a sub-12 through the season. I then did 12:04 again at Loch Lomond for what felt like a poor swim in open water. Those are still both PB swims though so I can't really complain.
My 400m swim time of 6:29 at Alford was slow again. I am going to blame their pool a bit for that one. It is definitely not a quick pool, and there was a bit of overtaking going on that interrupted it as well. I felt I could go faster and had planned a time trial between Xmas and New Year to see if I could sneak it.
My 1,500m swim time of 26:26 at Huntly was another disappointment. It was a pool swim PB so I shouldn't be upset by it, but I was just shattered going in to that race after a long season. Three times through the year I have gone through 1,500m splits in under 27 minutes during longer pool swims.
I am happy enough with this year in the pool. It would have been nice to have some more greens on the targets but I can live with how close I was to them and that if I had managed my races a bit better I think I could have gotten more out of 2017.
Biking
The bike is more difficult to measure this year. Almost all of my cycling has been done as commutes to work. So I have logged as many miles as recent years, and I have done almost all of those miles in short bursts which should mean I can put in a sensible amount of effort.
If I hadn't broken my leg with a week to go I would have easily managed the remaining 30 miles to meet my target for the year.
The race targets weren't great measures either. I didn't have good conditions for any of this year's TT series. I did a 10-mile PB in cold and slight showers, but it wasn't as fast as I had wanted. I did a 25-mile PB but it didn't actually feel like a particularly good ride.
Running
I don’t really know what to write about running this year. I did plenty, but didn’t really work hard at it and didn’t particularly enjoy much of it. Most of my running this year was out of habit or out of the necessity to commute.
Also almost all of my running this year had been done on my own. I haven’t actually been through every session but it wouldn’t entirely surprise me to find that outside of races and Dexter I might have been on my own for the rest of the 800 miles that I covered this year.
I was pleased enough with my run at Elgin to dip under 40 minutes again, but none of my other runs stand out. I did too many miles jogging to work and back and not enough useful training.
Triathlon
The only triathlon targets I set were around getting in to GB teams. I actually made a bit of a mess of the targets I set but have ended up being selected for both ITU and ETU Aquathlon Champs anyway. Whether I can get back to a competitive level in time for those events is another challenge.
I also went to the Scottish Aquathlon Champs at Loch Lomond and came away with a fourth place.
Others
I started the year again with lots of yoga, and binged my way through January. Then I got ridiculously lazy again.
With the weights and core sessions I was better in Q1 than in previous years but from there I basically just sopped.
----------------------
Other, Others
I was rubbish at monthly reviews. I don't think they really added anything to my planning either so I am going to drop them.
And my 2018 plan will need a total rewrite. I am not likely to do anything in January, possibly not February either if the more pessimistic of the surgeons have their way. If I have to get screws removed that might take out March as well.
Training Review - Week 52 - Dec 25 to 31
Bugger!
Santa brought me lots of good triathlon stuff. Which is all going to be stuck in a box for a couple of months.
I am in for surgery on Wednesday. I may update this again during the week depending on how out-of-it I am on post-surgical medication. And whether or not my surgery goes ahead on schedule.
---------------
So the update is that the surgery is done. they have had to put a couple of screws in to secure everything and I am in a cast for at least the next 6 weeks. Here are some progress photos.
Initial break comparison of swelling and temporary cast for Xmas week.
Post surgery.
Post surgery lightweight cast.
Actuals - Swim 0 miles (0 m). Bike 0 miles. Run 0 miles.
0 short core, 0 short light weights and 0 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 134.1 (125.0) [143.8],
B 2,301.8 (2,332.0) [2,798.4],
R 814.5 (809.0) [914.2].
Santa brought me lots of good triathlon stuff. Which is all going to be stuck in a box for a couple of months.
I am in for surgery on Wednesday. I may update this again during the week depending on how out-of-it I am on post-surgical medication. And whether or not my surgery goes ahead on schedule.
---------------
So the update is that the surgery is done. they have had to put a couple of screws in to secure everything and I am in a cast for at least the next 6 weeks. Here are some progress photos.
Initial break comparison of swelling and temporary cast for Xmas week.
Post surgery.
Post surgery lightweight cast.
Actuals - Swim 0 miles (0 m). Bike 0 miles. Run 0 miles.
0 short core, 0 short light weights and 0 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 134.1 (125.0) [143.8],
B 2,301.8 (2,332.0) [2,798.4],
Monday 25 December 2017
Training Plan - Week 52 - Dec 25 to 31
Last week of the year, and as always it is going to be lots of running with Dexter and some trips to the pool when it is open.
I also need to get out on the bike or at least set it up on the turbo trainer for an hour purely to make my target numbers of the year.
Target totals - Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Training Review - Week 51 - Dec 18 to 24
Monday swim session turned out to be a bit of a non-event. I got a lane to myself and no plan so I decided just to do a steady swim.
Tuesday I had my first trip to Kirkhill with Dexter for this holiday. We did a bit of sliding and a bit of jogging and he was generally pretty well behaved. From there I went to the pool with a plan to do a set of 100m reps on 2 minute starts. I managed 7 in 1:34-1:36 before running out of gas. Fairly similar to this time last year.
Wednesday Dec and I went out to Kirkhill again. We went for a bit of adventuring off the main tracks to try and avoid the ice, and made some new friends (a vizla called Lucas who kept following us and escaped his owner twice in the process). Towards the end of the run I decided to take the route down through the box park since the rest of the biking tracks had all been clear of ice. And about 20 meters later I was lying in a heap on the ground and I had to straighten my leg out. After I stopped screaming, I managed to fish my phone out of my bag and call an ambulance and for at least the next 6 to 13 weeks my blog now takes a massive segue.
First up I am going to have a bit of a rant about the ambulance 999 central call room. I had to spend 7 minutes trying to explain to them where Kirkhill Forest was and then because it still wasn't in their computer. I eventually resorted to telling them "That is fine, I will just lie here and die because you can't use fucking google!" at which point he resorted to getting his supervisor, who was as equally fuckwitted. They eventually settled on Kinellar which is about 4 miles away, and the other side of Blackburn (which doesn't exist according to the ambulance control room). But they agreed to give my version of the directions as a note to the local driver.
I then phoned Mrs M to update her as calmly as I could.
Dexter meanwhile kept poking me and wondering why I was lying around on the trail being lazy while he wanted to get on home for his lunch.
The NHS then changed gear as the ambulance arrived at the Kirkhill car park. They were very fortunate to bump in to a couple of mountain bikers in the car park and asked them if they had seen me. They had not, but they both voluntarily set off back up the hill in search of me and luckily one of them found me within a few minutes.
I am hugely grateful to them as their help meant the ambulance crew were able to find me within about half an hour of my call rather than waiting for the mountain rescue crew to arrive and search the entire hillside for me. If anyone reading this knows a mountain biker with a pink Orange 5 that was out on Kirkhill on December 20th, buy him a drink for me, or give me his details and I will send him something nice for Christmas.
They were also able to bring Mrs M up from the car park so she could get Dexter and my car keys.
The ambulance crew then called in their special access team and their very cool little 6-wheeler off-road truck to come and get me while I went through an entire canister of gas and air and their entire supply of morphine.
Fraser, Grant, Chris and John, from the ambulance service you are heroes and I can't thank you enough for getting me safely and relatively comfortably off the hill. For all that the central control room were crap, the local ambulance team were absolute stars.
On arrival at the hospital the NHS went back to a more sedate gear. After getting x-rays took about an hour, I was then put in a cast, and eventually the Registrar rocked up. I explained to him that it was definitely broken, I even pointed to where I thought the breaks were. He dismissed me as if I might know nothing of what was going on and went in search of the X-rays, only to return 5 minutes later and tell me I definitely had broken both tibia and fibula and that those breaks were exactly where I told him. He then told me he was off to talk to the Consultant about the way forward and then returned to tell me I was going to surgery the next day so they could investigate my ankle and probably put some screws in it.
So I got shipped to the Orthopaedic ward and tucked away in a single room, where I was interrogated for about the 7th time about my birthdate, age, address, allergies, etc. (Dear NHS, sort this out and you can cut your waiting times in half!). Then the Consultant showed up early evening to say actually I wasn't going to get my surgery for a week, and I could go home. Only for the nurse to point out that they had all spent so long asking me questions that the physiotherapist and pharmacist had left for the day and I wouldn't be able to get crutches, instructions, or drugs to take home with me. So I was staying overnight until they could sort all that in the morning.
At least by this time I was back to getting some good drugs, and I didn't really mind that I was going to be overnight. Up until that point I had expected to be in overnight so that they could operate in the morning anyway.
Mrs M arrived back with a change of clothes and some food which got me back to feeling a bit more human.
So my 2017 End of Year Review blog can be written a fortnight early. That will give me something to do this week. And my 2018 Plan will need ripping up and starting again.
Target totals - Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles.
1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga.
Monday - Swim with TPT 2,800m in 53 mins.
Tuesday - Run at Kirkhill with Dexter 3.5 miles in 51 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 900m in 20 mins.
Stretching session.
Wednesday - Run at Kirkhill with Dexter 4.6 miles 68 minutes.
Thursday - Fucked!
Friday -
Saturday -
Sunday -
Actuals - Swim 2.3 miles (3,700 m). Bike 0 miles. Run 8.1 miles.
0 short core, 0 short light weights and 1 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 134.0 (123.0) [141.5],
B 2,301.8 (2,276.0) [2,731.2],
R 810.1 (795.0) [898.4].
Saturday -
Sunday -
Actuals - Swim 2.3 miles (3,700 m). Bike 0 miles. Run 8.1 miles.
0 short core, 0 short light weights and 1 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 134.0 (123.0) [141.5],
B 2,301.8 (2,276.0) [2,731.2],
R 810.1 (795.0) [898.4].
Monday 18 December 2017
Training Plan - Week 51 - Dec 18 to 24
Dexter arrives today for his Xmas holidays. That is the only excuse I need to go out and run more this week.
I only have two days at work this week. I might manage to run in on Thursday, if the weather holds, but then it is the works Xmas night out so Friday is likely to be a hungover commute on the train rather than getting some bike miles.
I do need to get on the bike some time this week. If I don't manage a commute then it will have to be the turbo.
Target totals - Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles.
1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga.
Training Review - Week 50 - 11 to 17 Dec
Monday I did an easy jog around Inverness in the morning. Mostly just jogging between shops as I did last minute shopping for Mrs M's birthday card, present and cake. That took me through 800 miles for the year. I would need to do another 43 miles between now and year end for this to be my longest running year ever. Since I have had to give up on my swimming stretch target after missing so much last week, this is really the only numerical target I still have to aim for by year end. It will still be dependent on my groin injury and Dexter's grumpiness but it is possible.
Tuesday was a travel day back from our holiday. I considered going for a jog once we were home but my groin problem is still not completely cleared up and the pavement surfaces in Dyce were appalling and not worth the risk.
Wednesday was back to work. I didn't fancy the road or pavement conditions at all so I decided to stick with the train. My groin problems are improving slowly, but not enough to risk sliding about on the ice.
Thursday was back to the doctor again. I got the all clear from my infection and was told I could go back to proper training. That was enough of an excuse to go back to the pool in the evening. The next couple of weeks are likely to be horrible as I try to build back from a fortnight off.
Friday I started another stretch of holiday with a run at Kirkhill. I say run but there was a lot more walking and sliding involved than actual running.
Saturday I did some stretching in the morning and then went for an easy jog around Dyce.
Sunday I went for a steady swim at bucksburn just to have done something.
No huge surprise but my first week back was a bit rubbish. The icy conditions haven't helped but a chunk of this was just getting back in to it.
Target totals - Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles.
1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga.
Monday - Inverness jog 2.1 miles in 34 mins.
Tuesday - Travel day.
Wednesday - Sick day.
Tuesday was a travel day back from our holiday. I considered going for a jog once we were home but my groin problem is still not completely cleared up and the pavement surfaces in Dyce were appalling and not worth the risk.
Wednesday was back to work. I didn't fancy the road or pavement conditions at all so I decided to stick with the train. My groin problems are improving slowly, but not enough to risk sliding about on the ice.
Thursday was back to the doctor again. I got the all clear from my infection and was told I could go back to proper training. That was enough of an excuse to go back to the pool in the evening. The next couple of weeks are likely to be horrible as I try to build back from a fortnight off.
Friday I started another stretch of holiday with a run at Kirkhill. I say run but there was a lot more walking and sliding involved than actual running.
Saturday I did some stretching in the morning and then went for an easy jog around Dyce.
Sunday I went for a steady swim at bucksburn just to have done something.
No huge surprise but my first week back was a bit rubbish. The icy conditions haven't helped but a chunk of this was just getting back in to it.
Target totals - Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles.
1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga.
Monday - Inverness jog 2.1 miles in 34 mins.
Tuesday - Travel day.
Wednesday - Sick day.
Thursday - Swim at bucksburn 1,000m in 24 mins.
Friday - Run(?) at Kirkhill 3.3 miles in 50 mins.
Saturday - Stretching session.
Run Dyce 2.8 miles in 29 mins.
Sunday - Swim at bucksburn 1,050m in 20 mins.
Stretching session.
Actuals - Swim 1.2 miles (2,050 m). Bike 0 miles. Run 8.2 miles.
0 short core, 0 short light weights and 2 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 131.7 (121.0) [139.2],
B 2,301.8 (2,220.0) [2,664.0],
R 806.6 (781.0) [882.5].
Saturday - Stretching session.
Run Dyce 2.8 miles in 29 mins.
Sunday - Swim at bucksburn 1,050m in 20 mins.
Stretching session.
Actuals - Swim 1.2 miles (2,050 m). Bike 0 miles. Run 8.2 miles.
0 short core, 0 short light weights and 2 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 131.7 (121.0) [139.2],
B 2,301.8 (2,220.0) [2,664.0],
R 806.6 (781.0) [882.5].
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