Single Sport Vs Multi Sport

Having just come off a pretty intensive couple of seasons where I have been focusing on Triathlon (Swim, Bike & Run), I have now narrowed my attention to just one element of the Triathlon, the bike. Considering that I was injured recently, and off the bike for the best part of 7 weeks, during which time I lost a lot of muscle mass and a bit of fitness (mostly endurance and strength), I can now admit that a fairly well structured 5 weeks of training has almost got me back to the point just before I got injured.
So what is the relevance of the Triathlon intro? Well I do recall how frustrating to be only doing 3 or 4 sessions of each discipline per week, while trying to fit in Weights sessions (3-5 per week), stretching, and core stability, not to mention the more important issues such as family and work. It is almost imposible to get sufficient rest and recovery as a age-grouper with the above commitments. Thus, I say frustrating because I was trying to get myself to the standard of a very good road/TT cyclist, a very good marathon runner and a very good long-distance swimmer, and then be good at putting it altogether, none of which I think I did too well. Okay I am being harsh on myself. I did really well at the swimming, and the biking, and the running let me down somewhat, at least in IM Switzerland that was the case. So what is the noicable difference this year, well I truly believe (yet to do some testing - that joy comes in 3 weeks time!!) that I have made huge gains on the bike over the last 5 weeks simply from the amount of time spent in the saddle. I acknowledge that I need to get in the long 5-6hour rides from now on, but that will come. And the fact that I am commuting to work 3-4 days a week really helps, especially if I throw in an extra loop on the way home to clock another 10-20 miles. Now clearly my swimming and running have gone completely to pot, and the focus is on the RAAM, and I accept that....for the moment!!

My goal at the end of the Tri season this year was to improve on the bike. I can safely say that I will be feeling really strong and fit by the end of the 2010 season, at least on the bike. Throw in a few long distance Sportives, some TTs, and a some racing and I will be in great condition. Prehaps there is a cyclist in me yet!Then the frustration of having neglected the swim and run sets in!!! Aaaaargh!!! Oh to be a full-time athlete!!

A Sobering Thought For RAF Team Survitec Epic

RAAM 4-Person BLOG
A highly contested field of racers battle for supremacy with such a large field (at time of this update 17 teams) the winners will be those that are fast in the saddle and supported by seamless crews who set-up each rider exchange without delay. If you stop moving forward all other teams are gaining 1 mile on you on an average of every 3 minutes. Feck!!! So no stopping for Margaritas and sunbathing then!!!???

Nothing new for us as a team. In other words the RAAM is going to be uber tough for all concerned, not just the riders!!

Single Leg Spinning

No it is not the latest episode of Strictly, and well done to our Sports Man from the BBC for winning BTW. And it is not about figure skating either. Today Pedro was back on the Turbo again!!! It was snowing outside and too icy and slippery on the roads to consider venturing out, so confined to the garage once again to consider the possibilities of injecting a lot of creativity into the session to make sure I did not die of boredom in there! Having sustained 3 crashes on the bike this year, I have had my fill of gravel rash for the moment!
The Tunes were on, however given that I have done about 6 hours on the turbo this week, I am getting to the end of my 'Training Playlist' and may have to resort to listening to the 'mad' (That's....Mike Alpha Delta) Michel Thomas teaching me French!! So non!! Single leg spins (SLS) of between 20-60 secs each after a good warm up, followed by 3mins of steady spinning averaging 190-220W and HR 135-141BPM. I had not done the SLS since my turbo season last year when I was training for Ironman. So I found that the 60sec efforts were pretty tough, and no matter how much I concentrated on a smooth pedalling action, I could still hear the odd 'clunk' as I forced the pedal over, identifying some deadspots in my technique.
So having taken 7 weeks of in Oct/Nov due to injury sessions like these are still part of the rehab process. It is reckoned (Source: Peak Performance Online - not sure how reliable that is as a scientific journal either)that for every week off with injury, it typically takes around 3 weeks for an athlete to regain the form and fitness he had pre-injury. So for me it is slowly slowly and lots of patience to build up the smaller tissues at the muscle insertion points, the ligaments and tendons wherever possible; then I will start to generate some power (I hope!!).
Forecast is that the snow is here for a few more days, so I could easily see myself in the garage before Wed!!! Bring it on he says, and here's to Michel Thomas!!!

Sat Evening Sweet-Spot Spinning Session

Have managed 2x1hr sessions on the turbo each one doing 40min at 'sweet spot' power which I guesstimated on RPE (very crude and unscientific I know). Held an average of 230W for the AM Session, and 238W for the evening session. I know that the real indicator of performance on the bike is the pwr/wt ratio and I am working on reducing the winter plumage, or rather I am reducing the autumn plumage first then I will start on the winter excess!!! Legs are feeling remarkably strong, despite only coming back from injury a month ago. The strength and conditioning work is starting to pay off even though I am not doing any power work just yet.

It is great to be able to do the split sessions and train with tired legs. That is something we are all going to have to deal with on the RAAM. Next week will see an slight increase in the 'sweet spot' times to around 45-50mins. A small increase on a weekly basis is key to ensure that the adaptation process works effectively. For some reason I am still having issues with the Heart-rate monitor and the power meter being able to pick it up quickly and effortlessly from the start of the session.

Latest Sports Psychology

This week I have been reading about Self-regulated learning and also deliberate practice in the context of sport and also aircraft pilots. I will be focusing my research in the coming months on the concept of self-regulatory learning and also one other variable (yet to be determined) in a military context. All is looking good for the background of the study and the findings should prove wholeheartedly that the organisation involved needs to include Mental Skills Techniques into its training programmes to ensure that the most effective learning strategies are adopted as they will improve a whole host of interpersonal attributes. I have been in contact with Barry Zimmerman who has kindly shared his research with me. Thank you Barry. More to follow as the Research unfolds and the literature review takes shape.

More Developments for Team RAF Survitec Epic

Only 175 days to run now until the start of the world's toughest bike race. It is looming slowly upon us. All steam ahead with the training for us all. Gordy reports symptoms of over training and has been forced by yours truly to rest up!! Gordy we need you fit for the start of the race, now is the time for base stuff. JC managed a mere 260miles!!! Good on ya, that is spectacular. I have managed 7 hours so far this week, with the potential to get in another 8+ over the weekend weather permitting.
I suspect Duffy will be on it big time as per usual, so he needs little publicity.

Oh how we wish the snow would feck off and find somewhere else to fall. It confines us cyclists to the inner sanctums of our garages, conservatories (so they actually have a use!!) and the bedrooms to take to the horrendous monster of pain that is the turbo trainer. However what does one think about when facing the brick wall of a garage or staring out the conservatory window as the scenery does NOT pass one by??? Well, check out the picture at the top of the blog for inspiration!! No seriously the turbo is a great place to refine one's mental skills which include self-talk (what do you say to yourself to motivate yourself to when the legs are screaming??), visualisation and imagery (using sensory information from ones past to recreate images of success and achievement, or finishing particular stages of a race etc... all of which can be modified with some simple training techniques which I can help you with). BTW Mental skills encompass a lot of other aspects than the ones above and I will blog about those in later entries.

The turbo is also a great place to practice your distraction control to ensure you remain focused on the task in hand, and are not busy focusing on the non-essential tasks that you will tend to after the training session. One must stay in the moment and focused on the present. Some of the greatest golfers talk about distractions and the temptation to think 2 or 3 shots ahead. This strategy is not relevant at that time, rather the focus on the one task that you have to deal with is the key to success. One must also consider the process and the performance goals that you may have and think about these at the appropriate times. More to follow on goalsetting and their importance and significance in the context of performance.

Other than the joys of the turbo, Team Survitec Epic has been putting the finishing touches to the team strip/jerseys/shorts. There have been many debates and changes to the original design and I think we are almost there. The decision has been made that 'white will be the new "Black"' for the team.

We now have a doctor on the support team. His addition and inclusion will give the team the dynamic and support that we have been missing. With him we will be better equipped to deal with minor and serious incidents that may affect the health and well-being of the riders and the support team. We are waiting on EPIC to decide if they wish to take our offer of one of their employees joining us. We also have to choose the last remaining member of the support crew. That is likely to be another sports therapist. We are grateful for the offers of help and support that have been incoming for the last 3 weeks. We will be able to finalise those last few slots after Christmas.

I had a trip to Survitec to meet up with the Survitec Group Technical Director Stew Gregory. Stew was a great host and showed me round the factory in Birkenhead. It was a very insightful visit to find out what exactly goes into the back-end of the all the survival equipment that I used to use in the RAF. It was also amazing to see the 150-man dinghy and escape systems in use with the large liners around the world. Maybe Stew willl set up for us to experience the 'helter-skelter' escape chute that the big ferries use!! Only kidding Stew, you are welcome to keep it for those bags of water that you exchange for humans!! Many thanks for all the help and support from Survitec. Without your interventions we would not be able to achieve this challenge.

I was also contacted by Stephen Auerbach who was responsible for making an incredible documentary called Bicycle Dreams which features the Solo riders in the RAAM. We look forward to working with Stephen to assist him to promote his movie in the UK. It is a privilege to be able to connect with one of the solo champions from the Race Across America. Check out his website by clicking on the link for this blog entry or go to www.bicycledreamsmovie.com for details.

In the interim between the day-to-day stuff (ie work), family, training and some business development work which has been ongoing, I have been focusing on my dissertation for my Masters in Sport and Exercise science. I have had some quality dialogues with my University supervisor in which we outlined the way ahead, and some areas that I should look for inclusion in the project. I will be calling on Multi-engine pilots in the not too distant future to help me and provide some data for the research I will be conducting. All looking good to write up a really great project and get it published.

Phew..... condemned to the turbo for tomorrow and Sunday due to snow and icy roads...so we will get acquainted some more I am sure!! I reckon a few sessions of one in the morning and another in the evening to simulate RAAM conditions!! Bring it on!! See you next time!

A tribute to Sir Terry Wogan!!

Terry Wogan said his final farewell to BBC Radio 2 and it was a momentus day in the depths of the BBC studios as Terry bid adieu to all his fans after 35+ years of broadcasting. Lots of wonderful memories of him recounting tales of Janet & John and corpsing with laughter on air and not being able to finish the punchlines for the tears of laughter. He has kept me amused even since the days when I used to constantly try to turn him off, for the groovy tunes of Radio 1, when I was in my teens on the way to school with my dad. We should also recall the wonderful work that Terry has done for Children in Need and the millions of pounds that he has raised to help children less fortunate than mine. Terry you are a legend and good luck to you for your future ventures and the new show! Slainte!! :)

Sports Psychology

I had a great meeting this morning with Jon Finn from the Carnegie Institute of Sport and Exercise. We discussed the possible focus areas that my Masters could take and settled on writing up the Mental Skills and Applied Sports Psychological Work that I have been implementing into the Royal Air Force for almost 2 years now with outstanding success (even if I say so myself :)).

Check out some of Jon's recent work:

An Introduction to Performing Beyond Potential from Performingbeyondpotential on Vimeo.

Jon is in the process of finishing off his PhD in Sports Psychology looking at the coping strategies of athletes in transitions in Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer, and Cricket. His results from a recent paper should go to press over the Christmas period for publishing in early 2010. Jon is continuing his applied work with great success.

Juggling With Too Many Balls

I have had a really easy training week this week for lots of reasons. I had a big weekend last weekend where I did not get a lot of sleep and as a result I came down with a cold. I managed to get to the gym a couple of times to do some strength and conditioning work and I also had a couple of commutes on the bike. The weather has been atrocious in the SHIRE, wet, muddy (yes this is the heart of agricultural England) and full of debris as the farmers are kindly cutting back a lot of hedges at the moment, leaving sharp shavings in the road. Great for bike tyres....NOT!!!

I have also been adding a little more to the MSc Thesis, which does not seem to be taking any shape of forming any coherent structure at present, and the pressure is on to submit a preliminary report by next Fri. I am looking at Attention Control and Self-regulation and trying to design a methodology to conduct a study comparing trainee and experienced pilots in a simulated environment, with the outcome being that hopefully there may be some sort of insight that we gain into the mental strategies of trainees and those of experienced pilots. Time will tell, and I will keep the blog updated on the progress.

The folks are over from 'Belshaft' and it is great to see them. The kids are really enjoying their company, and the wine supplies of Lincolnshire are taking a hammering by Mr McCrory Snr!!

A late weekend addition

I have just had the weekend of a lifetime I reckon. It all started on 'Thirst Thursday' when I managed to cycle into work, had a lunchtime spin with Ali Glendinning for about 80mins and then I cycled home again in the evening, totalling 3.5hours in the saddle RAAM stylie too. By that I mean intervals of approximately one hour of riding followed by some rest, repeated 3 times.  Rachel's parents came up to LincolnSHIRE to visit the Christmas market and  we all headed out to the pub for a drink and then I walked home with the kids who were having great fun playing with torches in the woods.  I have to confess to having 2 beers that evening and a glass of vino tinto when I got home. By that stage I had been without alcohol (I am Peter and I am not an alcoholic by the way!!) for over a week, and I had stayed away from refined sugars and sweets too. That left me 3 kilos lighter, and I was eating as much as I could eat without the usual cravings caused by peaks and troughs of sugar consumption. I had also cycled 10hrs from Monday morning, I had swum for one hour, and I had been to the gym to do some strength and conditioning work 3 times. So all told I had trained for 15hours which was fantastic.  The effects of the beer and wine kicked in almost immediately and I have to confess to feeling a little tipsy about an hour after getting home from the pub.  We all had a lovely dinner of spicy chilli and rice, great for protein and carbohydrate recovery at the same time.  That was all topped off as Father Ted's Mrs Doyle would say "with a wee cuppa tea".

 

            I cycled into work first thing on Fri morning on a pretty cold day. It was sunny for the first time in weeks and the view of the rising sun across the Lincolnshire Fields simply made the start of the day magnificent. I took some video footage whilst cycling, a little dodgy I have to admit as the phone camera was not secured to anything, so the slightest bump and it could have been tumbling and smashing its way down the road. In the interests of Health and Safety, I ensured that I only did this on a very quiet country road when there was no traffic or pedestrians around!!  The cycle to and from work is great 'head space' time for me. I relish in the opportunity to think through my day, work out what went well and what could be better. I think about the relationships with people I have met in the day and reflect as to whether I feel I have done enough to make that person feel like I have done what I could for them, and/or I have been a good listener for them. 

 

Fri afternoon was just hectic. I had to make a decision on a job offer that I had been sitting on for some time, thanks to the organisation that shall remain nameless. I had gone for an interview way back in September in Edinburgh with an organisation that is nationally responsible for the development and delivery of a sport. It had been my first interview that I had had since joining the RAF. Typically we tend to get 'posted' to jobs in the Services, without so much as a job interview, based on what our typical career profile might need at the time. So that whole experience of reading up on the job and the organisation, thinking about why I anted the job, what I could bring to the party, what value I could add etc was a great experience for me and a kindly reminder that I would soon be entering the 'normal' world of corporate life where you have to work for a living as we say in the RAF. There is a commonly held misconception in the RAF that life outside is 'harder', I think it is due to the fact that we do not have to go out and win business in the Services, thanks to people starting wars around the world, our business tends to be created for us out of the chaos of the world in which we live.

The Race Across America

With the Triathlon season almost over I set about finding a few reprobates from the local area that would be keen to join and make up a 4-man team to compete in the Race Across America. That way I would not be doing another Ironman...at least next season and I could focus on the bike phase almost whole heartedly!!

Anyway aas soon as I mentioned it to some of the likely lads in VC Lincoln, Messieurs Steve Duffy and Gordy Muir where the first to put there hands in the air to be counted. "You are in" I hailed!! (Ha, ha!! Suckers or what!!) Do they really know what they are letting themsilves in for??? As it transpired they did and to their credit they had mentioned that they had previously thought about doing it before!! Boy oh boy I am behind the times!! Is this RAAM thing already a bit '5 minutes ago'???

Then in the gym (not talking about knees) ann old pal and triathlete from the RAF Triathlon team got interested when I mentioned to him about the RAAM!! He was in the team before he had a chance to inhale and re-consider!! Yes another one! Caught!! And so the team was formed. Team RAF Epic Survitec.

More to follow on the progress of the planning for this event.

Back again!!

I have re-discovered the ability to blog!!

I realise that I have not blogged since April and that a lot has happened since then. I competed in Ironman Switzerland in July which was not the race of a lifetime, although it felt like a lifetime and a painful one at that!! I vowed that 'never again' (yes yes I sound a little like Mr Iain Paisley when I say those immortal words and I am sure my dad would be rolling his eyes right now!!) would I compete in another Ironman. So with that in mind I set myself another wee task!! To race across America!!!

The seed had already been planted before IM Switzerland when someone dropped in the idea of competing in the Race Across America (The RAAM - said with a long Texas drawl to make it sound like it will be 3000miles long too!!). Before getting the planning under way I raced on home soil in Ireland for the first time since my school boy mentor Kev Morgan (legend in triathlon in the 80s and 90s) first introduced me to the sport. I was up against one of my old swimming buddies Alistar Duffield, himself an accomplished Ironman of many races!! Needless to say the clocks were well and truly turned back, and the placings had not changed since the olden days of Leander when Alistar used to kick my ass!! He crossed the line in first place and a fitting tribute to the sheer fitness of the man, with myself a few minutes down in second place.

A-Z of Peak Performance

Check out this Presentation on:

peak performer

View more presentations from Li17 .

Injury Management!!!

Following a rather epic bike crach last Thursday in Slovenia, where the guy in front of me touched wheels with the guy in front of him and then came crashing down with me on top of him(!!), I have had a slight hiccup in training and had to focus on injury management. I came off the worst out of the two of us for sure, with two severely swollen and bruised patellas, and him with a bit of a cut on his finger!!! However the forced rest enables you to focus on the other aspects of the training that have a tendancy to get overlooked when training for IM as an amateur athlete.

Notably the issue of mental skills training has been at the forfront of my mind (excuse any pun) and I have used the time to rethink and review the current mental skills that I have been using up until now, and also tweaking where required, any skills that I think need adjusting to ensure that I am operating at peak performance. There is lots of empirical evidence to suggest that a period of 'forced rest' through injury enables an athlete (depending on his perspective and outlook) to come back mentally stronger than what he/she was prior to the injury.

Some of the techniques I have been using involve meditation to focus on the areas that are injured, to improve and encourage blood flow through the injured areas to assist the healing process. I find this technique whilst icing the area a fine mix of contemporary and holistic interventions to aid recovery. The side effects from the meditation are also worthy of a mention, which can be an increased ability to focus, or rather avoid distraction, of which I will be using during the race in Zurich. It is all too easy to let the mind drift to where it wants to go, rather than taking control and being able to focus on the key aspects of the race. Now clearly it could be very hard to focus entirely on racing for the whole period of the IM, however if we become aware of the times when the mind starts to wander then we can regain control be engaging in simple focusing techniques like those mentioned above.

Well I am off back to the ice machine for another re-fill to keep the swelling down.

Slovenia

I am currently in Slovenia for the week with some trainee pilot students. The plan is to do some MTB in the Julian Alpes for 4 days. Some great off road stuff to be had with some fantastic scenery and challenging climbs.

The only snag is that I have damaged my ribs following a bizarre skiing fall 2 weeks ago in Norway. The Dr reckons it is intercostal muscle damage which may toke upto 8 weeks to cure. I am hoping for far less as this will really blow my IM plans out of the water (so to speak!!), at least it will for this year.

So here's to taking it relatively easy tomorrow with the guys and a speedy recovery.

Am still smiling :-)

02 Apr 09 - DIary

Lunchtime Run:
Warm up - 10mins
Stride session - 6-8 x 20sec strides on a medium hill. Walk back down to recover then go again. Focus on form, quick and powerful strides.
Zone 1 recovery run back to cool down - 15mins. Total time 40mins

Evening workout:

10min warm up
40-60min aero position at SS Pwr setting.
5min cool down.