Pretty in Pink?

Kinesio Taped up earlier by Helen the Physio.

Lovely pink tape! I think I would have looked better in the electric blue version. What do you think reader?

I will go for a mile run tomorrow to test the sprained ankle and strapping out. Just nice and slow.

Training today: One hour on the rollers. If no reaction - flu-wise - again tomorrow morning training will start again with a vengence.


Kia Kaha

Neilly G

Bike Pjorn

OMG...

(Breaking the glass on the credit card!)

New Years Day Challenge

Rapha cc have taken on a 500km challenge on their website. Professional triathlete, Hillary Biscay has her 100x 100m on something ridiculous like 1.20 (ouch) all the way, every birthday.

Following on from elite endurance athlete, Hywel Davies' C2 row of 10x 10k in a day last week, I'm going for a 10x 30km New Years Day Challenge. Any spare time in each hr is taken rest. 300k is not so bad some might say but indoors alternating between the rollers, Computrainer and PowerCranks is going to be tough mentally. IM is 10hrs of discomfort so I will suck it up and build the mental toughness from here to Roth in July.

Fun I think, you might disagree but if it wasn't painful, difficult, hard, or long (take your pick) it wouldn't be a challenge, would it?

Having recovered from man flu and with the ankle almost ready for a test run this was my training today: 2hrs on rollers bottom of zone 2; 45min in pool with 10x 200m on 3:10 with 60s RI.

Kia kaha

Neilly G

... Comes in Threes

1. Chopping off a finger on a chain ring (deep cut) - check.
2. Breaking an ankle off-road running (sprained ankle) - check.

and now
3. Man Flu!!! (it's worse than 'Bird' Flu, ladies) - check.

I daren't show any more of myself with man flu in the picture, it would be too distressing for any younger viewers.

Merry Xmas

Neilly G

Hero of the Year

Chris Solinsky. Why? I'm not from the US and am well and truly English so no parochial nationalism here. He could be from Bhutan for all I care.

He has broken 13mins (12:55min) for 5k and 27min for 10k (the new US NR of 26:59min and first non-African runner to break 27min). Brilliant times, world class yes, but 31 athletes (pretty much the whole of the Kenyan National Champs 2010 10k race for example, ok I'm exaggerating here they all broke 30min!) have broken 27mins as well. What makes Chris special is that he is 1.85m (6ft 1in) and 72-75kg. Now the stats for the power output and VO2 max this guy puts out certainly must be incredible (please go to sportsscientists.com for greater analysis). If you look at all the other athletes from around the world who perform at the same world class long distance levels they are all very small men. It really doesn't appear to be related to where you are from per se, altitiude, running to school each day (so did I - 2 miles each way - it made me who I am today!) blah, blah, blah and all the other cultural cliches that are trotted out by commentators at major champs - it's how big/heavy you are.

Not really rocket science when you say it matter of factly. The Science seems to indicate that your body governs the speed you can hold for a distance based on its ability to maintain the correct core temperature. The bigger you are mass-wise (height, musculature and % body fat, all in one), the harder it is for your body to release heat and cool itself down. The body adjusts itself to allow appropriate cooling to take place. Hence, Spring big city marathons are quicker than Summer championship ones. World class distance runners are around 6-8% BF so speed at the world class level almost becomes related to that dreaded insurance statistician's key nmenonic BMI.

Gathering the data seems to show that if you want to be a world class distance runner you need to be around 56kg. Haile Gebrselassie is 5ft 5in (1.65m) and 56kg for example and the numbers of similar sized athletes running at this level suggest this to be more just than a rule of thumb. Kenenisa Bekele is 54kg; the biggest athlete to break 27min I could find was Paul Tergat at 63kg. Chris Solinsky is around 15kg bigger than the norm with a similar 6-8 BF%. This means that he must have an incredible 'engine'. Next time he's running take a look at the contrast between him and the other athletes in terms of size.

Chris Solinsky, for anyone with access to the full gamut of healthy foods growing up, is an inspiration.

Sporting Hero of the Year - Chris Solinsky.

Kia Kaha

Neilly G

Cycling Product of the Decade

Another terrible day for me training-wise yesterday - woke up feeling under the weather (sneezing, coughing, all muscles aching) so opted out of the planned long roller session later in the day (3hrs - just like on the road when done on Inside Ride E-motion Rollers System).

These rollers truly are brilliant. If you live in an area affected by poor weather, lack of day light, or outrageous traffic. There are others similar, as the patent has been sold to another company (I believe) but I would buy these again in a heart beat. I could eulogise about my other favourite racing or training products: Polar HRMs, PowerCranks, SRM Powermeters, Computrainers, Keywin pedals etc, etc, etc... (in no particular order) - and yes, I was single when I bought them. Well ok this is my joint top with the Computrainer and SRMs but those 2 have been going for over a decade so I will disregard them. I have had one for 4 years now and I wouldn't be with out it. Sprinting, standing, variable magnetic resistance up to 1000W, one legged pedalling, no hands, you name it if it's cycle training related I've done it on this system in my garage (Turbo Dungeon).

Cycling Product of the Decade - Inside Ride's E-motion Rollers.

(No I wasn't paid to say this - I'm not good enough. :-) )

Neilly G

Villian of the Year

The sporting villian of the year has got to be Alberto 'Clenbutador', and I say this as someone who used to be a fan. Eventhough the race up the mountains in this year's TdF seemed reasonably fair (and no I wouldn't have waited for Andy Schleck either) compared to some of the Pantani etc outrageous EPO aided W/Kg ratios of the past (ie plus 6W/Kg). It looks like his steak was tainted, just like he was on the beach rather than the docs table prior to the Giro a couple of years ago (sarcasm!). (By the way, I sincerely hope this opinion turns out not to be fact.)

Villain of the Year - Il Pistolero.


Training today - 30mins on the rollers so I don't go stir crazy whilst I get over this man flu.

Kia Kaha

Neilly G

White Out Wipes Me Out

Training killed today again. The walk to and from the shops followed by clearing the drive of snow ruined my ankle so I couldn't move after I got back in to the warmth. Hence, no bike again today.

Neilly G

Keyser Soze

Having sprained my ankle nastily the other day, I decided to test it with some swimming. Fitness is movement & movement is fitness etc.

It stood up quite well to all the flexion involved but I didn't kick at all. (Used a band.) Had a classic Keyser Soze/'Verbal' limp moment going on though whilst walking to the pool.

Swim today:

2x 6x 50 Drills 0n 10s RI
2x 7x 100 FC at 1.32 on 60s RI

Neilly G

Turbo Dungeon

My ankle is still awful but you've got to HTFU haven't you? No? Waiting out on the injury.

Bike for the day - nothing, a tidy of the Dungeon is required.

(Was going to do: 2x 30min @ top of zone 2. RI 2min.)

Looks like I could be off to the hospital in the morning to see if I've fractured anything, or booking the local Physio for some serious Kinesio Tape action next week.

Neilly G

Rabbit Holes

Well what can I say 40mins in to my 1hr off-road run (see trainers for evidence), I stumble in a leaf covered hole and turn my ankle really badly. One of those, is it anatomically possible to turn that far over without breaking bones jobs. Fingers crossed nothing permanent. Could be swimming only for a bit if I wake up and it's still very painful or worse tomorrow. Ouch!!!

Neilly G

Training for the new season begins

Today's training:

Str & Cond (30min)

Bike - CP Work (65min)
2x 15min just below threshold. RI 5min.

As well as keeping a log of what I actually do I will endeavour to add regular pics to keep things more interesting.

Neilly G