Triathlon 2012

The Event

On  26 May, 2012 along with my partner Kim, the founder of Climb Any Mountain, and a group of 8 friends, we will compete in a sprint triathlon in Nottingham. Our objective, apart from challenging ourselves with this immense race, is to raise £5000 for Climb Any Mountain.

This weekly blog will track our training and preparation as well as our fundraising progress over the next 10 weeks as we get closer to the big event.

The event itself is made up of three core disciplines in the following order; a 750m swim in open water, a 20km bike ride and a 5km run. Having no triathlon experience, after committing to participate I have to say I’m a bit apprehensive.

Running 5km doesn’t worry me too much to be honest but the last time I was in a swimming pool I spent most of my time executing running bombs at the deep end when the life guard wasn’t watching. The last bike I rode for any length of time was my BMX after school, 20 odd years ago.

Weeks 1 and 2 – The Training Plan and the Beep Test!

Armed with a 12 week “Triathlon Geek” training plan, Kim and I start to diarise our exercise regime for the next few weeks. We thought it would be great to get a sense of our fitness levels so headed to Clapham Common to conduct the “Beep Test”. We took a 20m length of wool to the park and did the shuttle run test together. The test is used by various organisations if a certain level of fitness is required!

The idea is to run back and forth over 20 meters to keep up with a series of beeps that get progressively faster. As soon as you tire enough to miss 3 beeps in a row the test is over. There are 23 levels in total and completing the whole test is David Beckham and Lance Armstrong territory!

Kim got to level 7 and I manage to make it to level 10. This means we both only need to improve by a couple of levels to be able to join the British Army!!

In terms of the training during the first 2 weeks we both completed 3 swimming sessions (averaging 800m per session), 3 bike sessions (40-50 minutes) and 4 runs of about 5km. This is on top of a couple of weights sessions each week to build strength.

Next week things start to get more interesting as Kim and I gear up for our first Swim/Cycle at the gym this Saturday! I’ll let you know how that goes next week!

Weeks 3 and 4 – Kim Powers on and Neil’s Hamstring Tears!

Our training in week 3 goes fairly smoothly. Kim’s swimming prowess is becoming more and more evident as she is regularly swimming 1000m in the same time that I manage 700m. I’m beginning to improve my technique by watching the master, and learning it’s all about the breathing. If you get that right, you can do more strokes per breath and automatically move faster through the water.

Then on Sunday morning of week 3 disaster strikes! While surging down the right wing, playing football for my local team, I experience a sharp pain in my right thigh. The dreaded hamstring has been torn and I limp off the pitch 5 minutes before the end.

I have to say I was really gutted immediately afterwards. The last time I tore my hamstring I was about 13 years old and was out for 3 weeks, so I’m already thinking my training schedule is will be severely impacted. I make my way home for some sympathy and expert treatment. Kim’s skills as a trained physiotherapist are legendary and after the initial examination followed by 3 days of intensive care some expert prodding, ice, strapping, more ice, more prodding, shaved leg hair and sticky tape, I’m ready to resume light training again this week.

So week 4 meant Kim powered on with her training program (2 swims, 2 runs and a cycle), while I was reduced to working at my desk in shorts with an ice pack never far away. The treatment has really made a difference though and this week I have a 5 day program that involves swimming with just my arms, rowing in the gym, a bit of weight training and a lot of hamstring stretching.

I should be back in full training next week. I just hope I can keep up with Kim!

Weeks 5 and 6 – Neil and Kim versus the elements and rather confusing subway exits!

With my hamstring well and truly back to full strength, it’s great to be back in full training. I have to acknowledge Kim for her expert care and advice which has lead to a speedy recovery. With the race getting closer and closer Kim and I decide it’s time to start exploring the great outdoors to help us prepare for the race proper.

We get the bikes ready with a plan to ride on Sunday morning. It’s about a 10 mile journey to my sister’s house in Chessington so we decide to cycle over, have a cup of tea, and then cycle back. It was a great training session and we ended up feeling really good after completing the journey. Not only did we manage to cycle the full distance, but we also dealt with the horrendous weather! We had to battle through the elements the whole way. I also managed to somehow get us lost twice, after choosing the wrong subway exits and we probably added 5 extra miles to the trip!

We are both really starting to notice the improvement in our general fitness levels. Kim is swimming really well and I’m starting to feel comfortable on the runs. I’m confident investing in some sort of padded shorts will have us take our cycling to the next level too!

Weeks 7 and 8 – South Africa, high altitude and that hill!

Weeks 7 and 8 coincide with a holiday in South Africa we had planned at the turn of the year. We were both really excited about the holiday but were determined to continue our training schedule and work on all our disciplines whilst away.

We spent the first week or so in Howick, Kim’s home town, before moving to the coast and on to a game park for a couple of days. We managed a couple of 5km runs whilst in Howick. The 1,000m altitude different created a real challenge and we both found it tough to complete the training sessions, but were hopeful it would really improve our fitness levels!

Whist at the game park we had to put a lid on the training for a couple of days… apparently a hippo can run 40km an hour and exerts 7 tonnes of pressure when it bites down! That said the extra motivation of the local wildlife on our tail would have probably worked wonders on our running, cycling and swimming times!

After the game park we stop briefly in Durban for a day and fit in a swim in the sea followed by a run down the promenade. We found a buoy that was 100m out to sea and did a few shuttle swims out to it and back to the shore. I felt a bit nervous swimming out to sea but was found my confidence boosted by the new found lung capacity and energy we both seem to have.

We then drive inland to spend a few days in a place called Bulwer. Kim’s family have the use of a lovely farm cottage and we manage to fit in quite a bit of training in between spending time with the family!

Bulwer doesn’t really do “flat” and every training session is up and down fairly extreme hills. The toughest session was a 10k bike/run. We started by free-wheeling about 2.5km down a really steep hill then riding back up to the farm.

It took us 10 minutes to get down and 30 minutes to climb back up in first, or “granny” gear. We both managed it without stopping then dumped the bikes and went straight out on a 5km run. Suffice to say with the altitude and the steep hills we looked a little worse for wear at the end!

After Bulwer Kim and I head down to Johannesburg for a few days. We do a couple more 5k runs and seem to be getting used to the altitude. The last part of the holiday is spent on the coast, south of Durban. Kim has a couple of good friends who own and run a crocodile farm and we use it as a base to take advantage of the beach!

We do a couple of swims and runs and really push ourselves. The highlights include Kim managing to swim 1km in an incredible 19 minutes while I managed a 9km run in just under an hour!

Now we’re in England for the final 3 weeks of training before the big race!!

Weeks 9 and 10 – Open Water Swimming and The Final Big Push!

The start of week 9 saw the Triathlon team complete their first open water swimming session. Heron Lake near Heathrow was the destination! A 6.00am start saw Chloe, Siobhan, John, Richard and myself make our way through the quiet streets of London, arriving at the lake soon after 6.45am. The lake is open on a Sunday for swimming until 8.30am. After that they let the water skiers on, so we thought it best to get out the water before that.

We hired our wetsuits for the session and after a 20 minute battle to get them on gingerly got into the water. The lake has a 1km circuit that we all managed to complete in different times. Siobhan was the stand out performer and had finished the round, gotten out and changed before I even finished.

The experience was invaluable though. Swimming in a wetsuit was a new experience for all of us but once you get used to the sensation it’s actually easier to stay flat in the water because of the added buoyancy! I am it bit worried about getting out of the thing on race day though. Apparently some sort of lubrication is a must!!!

According to the triathlon training plan Kim and I have been following, the last week before the race should be spent resting and completing light training sessions. Unfortunately, that meant week 10, our last week of training, was an intense one! We both really pushed ourselves this week. Kim did a 2km swim and really pushed herself running 6km! I managed to bike 20km in less than 35 minutes – a personal best – and then ran 10km in 55 minutes (not on the same day I hasten to add)!

The training has been really rewarding and we are all excited about the big day! It’s an amazing feeling to be taking something new on for the first time, and I really acknowledge the whole team for giving up their concerns and just getting on with it.

At the heart of our journey was the intention to raise £5,000 for Climb Any Mountain. Kim set the NGO up after a long, heart-breaking search for suitable residential accommodation for her sister Cara (who has both intellectual disability and mental illness). I met Cara for the first time 2 weeks ago while on holiday with Kim in South Africa, and like Kim, am inspired by how she faces challenges every day with such courage, her commitment to have a voice in the world and to live a life she loves, and one that is not bound by being in ‘institutional care’.

As part of the Climb Any Mountain Team I have seen us make great strides in the past few months identifying a suitable partner organisation in South Africa, and with a team of leading experts, we are finalising our business case to build the first-of-its-kind supported accommodation in South Africa for people with intellectual disability and mental illness.

The response from our friends and families has been amazing! As I write this blog our fundraising has generated nearly £3,000 so we still have a bit to go to reach our target. Thank you to everyone for your support and keep pledging to help us take the first step in transforming the way South Africa provides a fulfilled life to thousands and gives them the opportunity to climb their own mountain!