Swimming technically done!

Had a swimming lesson today, which brings me to my 3 - 5 hours of swimming tuition. 

Today's lesson consisted of me trying to reach the bottom of the pool and swim across the bottom and various swimming drills.  Trying to swim across the bottom of the pool sounded easy.  In reality getting to the bottom of the pool was hard enough!  After much giggling from the instructor I came to the conclusion that this wasn't going to happen!  So imagine my surprise when it was then suggested that I try a forward roll under water!  This,as predicted, didn't go to plan but provided some highly amusing entertainment for the other swimmers!

Towards the end of the session I had a breakthrough.  I swam a hole length (25m) front crawl unaided with correct breathing and technique.  This for me is a mile stone and a great achievement.  Look at the early posts and you will see the poor swimming ability I had in front crawl.   However this provided me with a slight dilemma.  At what point does it count that I have learnt to swim?  Do I have to do a length properly, or a set distance or what?  After careful consideration I decided that as I can now do 25 metres, and only stopped because the wall was there, I can now swim front crawl.  Swimming section of my challenge now ticked off.  I'm still going to have some more lessons though to work on my technique and to try and get triathlon ready as soon as possible. 

3 sections complete, 7 to go!

Double training day, why do I do it?

Its been a while since I updated this training blog.  I've decided that unless there's something of interest to write about, I'm not going to update every time I do something, but will do a weekly update.

So, today.  As usual for a Sunday Boot Camp this morning for an hour.  As usual, hard work and very tiring but worth it.  It would appear that the local council have decided that in an effort to save money they wont cut the grass in hells bowl.  This meant the grass was far too long and wet for us to safely do any PT on, so we used the field nearby.  This presented a new element to boot camp as it would appear that this particular area is used a lot by dog walkers that don't believe in clearing the dog "waste" up.  This made for great entertainment in the dog poo sweep before doing any PT! 

Boot camp finished at 1030am.  At 430pm I was in the gym for a 1:1 PT session with the fitness guru.  This meant approximately 45 minutes doing various weights working on chest (now sore) shoulders (now ache) and triceps (didn't know they could hurt, but they can).  This didn't just involve free weights, but also body weight exercises.  These body weight exercises incorporated a new(ish) piece of kit called TRX suspension cables.  Essentially these are straps that are attached to the wall one end, and have handles the other end.  Now most of the exercises were okay using this.  Then we came to the triceps part.  It was demonstrated by the trainer, then it was my turn.  Okay I can do this I thought, so started the 10 reps requested.  I got to 9 reps, looked at the trainer and pointed out confidently that they weren't that hard.  The reply came back, "There not if you do them wrong"  and I was shown again how to do it.  On second try I can confirm it was really difficult!  Mrs L who had come into the gym was on a CV machine at this point laughing!

Next came the CV section.  Level 8 on a static bike for 1 mile in under 2minutes 50 seconds.  I started and blasted the bike section in 2:22 seconds.  28 seconds to spare, I was chuffed!  Then I got a minute rest before being placed on a cross trainer.  Again, level 8 and this time 1km in 3 minutes 22 seconds.  Easy I thought. I can do that.  I started, and wished I hadn't.  I hate the cross trainer at the best of time.  I truly believe it is a torture instrument designed by the devil himself!  I got to 1 minute and wished I had taken that extra 28 seconds on the bike!  Sweat every where, cussing under my breath, hair gel in my eyes, it hurt!  It now became apparent that I have a competitive streak, I was not letting the machine beat me!  3 minutes 11 seconds in total and I had done my 1km!  Get in there!!!!  I then got off the cross trainer and struggled to walk.  I was walking like Mr soft!!!!!!!!

Off for dinner now!

Progress at last.......

Just returned from my swimming lesson.  Might not sound that great, but managed 3/4 length front crawl unaided and three overtakes along with navigating the on coming swimmer when I took over the down lane swimming the wrong direction!

Its getting there.

Updates and a fundrasing increase

So, its been a while since an update.  Thats mainly due to my internet connection going on leave for a week!

This week I have been swimming a couple of times, boot camp on Sunday and circuits yesterday evening.  That pretty much brings you up to date so far on the progress.

On the money side of things, the unit Curry and Quiz night happened on Saturday evening.  This was a HUGE success and all profits are going towards my sponsorship total.  I aimed to raise £300 in total, and on Saturday alone we raised £380!  This means that a new total is needed.  I am now aiming for £600.

Thank you to all the company's, staff and supporters for making this evening so successful.  Photos will follow later.

Off to get my swim stuff sorted for this evening now.  Another swimming lesson booked.
 

Proof that i'm slightly unhinged if that hadn't been proven already.

It was bank holiday Monday evening. My leg still hurt a bit, there was very little on TV and I had nothing to read as the triathlon magazine I read came out today.

The average person at this point would chill out, might find something to do. What did I do.  Start researching half marathons.  I have now payed for a place at a local (barns green, its kind of local) half marathon on the 30th October.  This caused me great concern afterwards as I thought I had booked it on the same day as the rugby world cup final, and should England get to the final could I finish a 1/2 marathon, get showered and get to a watering hole, for soft drinks of course, before the start of the game.  This caused me great anguish for the whole afternoon until I realised that the final is the weekend before.  Panic over.

More impressively Mrs L and another sea cadet instructor have agreed to train with me and do the race, and another instructor looks likes she will also do it. Result! Team Gold Challenge is growing.   The fact that Mrs L thinks that daily exercise is walking to her car and driving to work makes me wonder how much shopping she did actually do when her and her mum went to Portsmouth recently.  I shall await the credit card bill....

End of a week, and I'm well and truly tired!

So, now then.  Its the end of the week and I haven't updated the blog at all since the pain of the double training session! 

So this week, after the double training session I had to take a few days off training.  However I did manage a swim session during the week for about 45 minutes.  This was one of the first sessions I have done with out the safety blanket of my swimming instructor.  The session went okay, and again I could see improvement in the drills I have been given to do, although I do still feel stupid swimming with a float when I can swim!

This past week was also boot camp training yesterday.  There were 4 of us, so no hiding!  Pushed myself a little bit too hard, and now my thigh hurts!  Not the end of the world, but still hurts.  As a precaution circuits tonight fell by the way side in exchange for a doughnut in front of the TV.

This week is a 3 day week at work for me, so I'm planning a couple of swimming sessions and also the bike may come out to play this week., along with a weights session and a boot camp session on sunday to burn off the left overs of the curry night on saturday night (fund raising for the unit)

The rowing/sailing part will hopefully be completed by the end of June, leaving me 1/2 way through the challenge.

This week my running vests also arrived, so I now have no excuses at all (although I am trying to think of some) to not start to run and plan the 1/2 marathon section.  Damn it I dislike running (unless its chasing some one at work) nearly as much as swimming.

I nearly died in the gym (okay, so that may be an over reaction!)

Today, in a moment of insanity I decided it was a good idea to do a boot camp session in the morning followed by a personal training session in the afternoon.

I don't quite know what made me think this was a good idea, but after a hard boot camp session (which was very very enjoyable) the personal training session was even harder!  Halve the weights I normally use and that's what I was managing to lift today.  Top this with a 8 section tabata on the rower.  Essentially, for a tabata you have 20 seconds high intensity exercise, followed by 15 seconds rest (one section) then repeat it.  I managed an average of over 90 metes per 20 second section for the whole 8 sections.  The fact I enjoyed this was enough to warrant questioning my mental stability even if I did feel a little sick afterwards.

Now to my near death experience.  I'm lying on my back on a weights bench using free weights when my left shoulder, my weaker one, decides at a crucial moment that it fancies going for a shower and doesn't want to be in the gym any more.  It stops working, the weight comes crashing down and, luckily, bounces off the left side of my chest.  Lets put this into perspective.  I'm a bloke.  This is traumatic.  There is NO WAY I can do any ironing this evening as I need counselling for my near death experience.  Mrs L, however, is less then supportive in this hour of need  referring to the fact that I have no shirts for work tomorrow and she's not ironing them. 

The training continues....

Once again , Sunday morning has arrived and I found myself in Hells Bowl taking part in Boot Camp.  This morning was, once again, tiring but well worth while.  Every time I do this I seam to find something that either I can do or that I can't.  Today was bunny hops up a slope.  It was a race between 6 of us.  All we had to do was hop up the slope and then sprint back down.  Sprinting I can do.  It would appear though hopping I can't.  Apparently, if rabbits hopped in the style I was, it would be far too easy to catch them, and this may explain why the space hopper (earlier post) went so wrong!  On a plus side though, the sprinting was easy and down hill, what more could you want.

Got a PT session in about an hour, so will put a FULL update after that.

Swimming.

Another swimming lesson done.  There were high and low points today.  High point number one was almost 1 length of the pool front crawl (about 1 metre off).  I know this doesn't sound much, but for me its a mile stone! 

Been given my homework to do (learn how to relax in water) and booking my next session. Progress is slow but positive!

Canoe photos

Okay, forward is easy, where's the breaks?  WALL!!!!!!!

Yes, I fell out in 4 cm of water!