Thrown In At The Shallow End

Posted on June 14, 2013 by James Clay

So after the initial excitement of agreeing to do my first triathlon with Chobani, came the reality that I cannot swim.

I posted a while ago about this and declared I was going to do something about it…I didn’t. I mean I tried, I went to the pool and got in the water, I did what I thought was swimming, I ingested half the pool, I panicked and swallowed a load more, I clung on to the side for twenty minutes, got out, put my goggles away and forgot the whole silly idea.

Now I’m faced with a 300 metre lake swim, not once but twice in the same day, I have no choice but to get serious.

So I dragged my good friend Greg along with me on Tuesday morning, gave him the simple instruction “stop me drowning, make me swim” and got in the pool.  The issue had always been my breathing. In the past my swimming had been a frenetic cross between doggy paddle and front crawl, with my head up out the water, chest acting like a brake, which I could only sustain for a few metres at a time.

We started discussing the theory of front crawl and broke it down in to easily remembered bits. As Greg talked through the mechanics it started to make sense, but there was suddenly so much to think about my first few attempts ended up with me a spluttering mess at the poolside either having forgotten to breath in, or out, or tried to take a breath with my mouth underwater. The pace was still frantic as I just wanted to get from the safety of poolside across to another handhold as soon as possible.

By the end of this first session though I was getting the hang of timing the breaths better. Having tried various breathing patterns with none of them feeling comfortable I had settled on a 4 stroke technique that was just about getting me through the water.

Before our second session on Thursday I gave serious consideration to what had worked and what hadn’t. I realised that on 4 strokes I was actually completely emptying my lungs each time which meant if I messed up the breathing in I was finished. I was also struggling to time the change from the pursed lips of exhalation to the Elvisesque one-sided snarl of breathing in. It’s a simple process, but when you are conscious of your every movement and trying to remember 15 new instructions at once it can get confusing.

So I got in the water on Thursday with a new plan. I was going to exhale through my nose, which naturally slowed the breath down and took less concentration. Then I was going to breath on every third stroke, which meant if I did get it wrong I could always correct it on the next stroke without being completely out of air. Finally I had to slow down the whole process. I was waving my arms and kicking my feet so hard my heart rate was rocketing every time I swam and that was making breathing even more crucial.

So I put those three things together and by the end of the second session I was much happier. The timing all felt more natural, I was more buoyant and more relaxed. I was still making a few mistakes but now I wasn’t panicking, I could afford to miss a breath or take on a mouthful of water knowing I could correct it before I got in to trouble. I was still only swimming the 15 metre widths of the pool but I was starting to string them together now, I was starting to swim.

Which brings us to tonight, Friday night. I should be in a pub, or at the food festival, or enjoying a Dominos meat feast on the sofa with a can of Dr Pepper and trash telly. Instead I’m going to the pool, and I’m getting in the lanes with the other swimmers, and I’m putting together what I’ve learned so far in to a series of 25 metre lengths. If I do get in to trouble there will be no pool side to cling to so it will be a case of stop, correct, refocus and go again. I’m told this is perfectly acceptable during a triathlon and the wetsuit actually helps you float while you get your breathing sorted or spit out the 3 gallons of lake you’ve inhaled.

My aim for tonight is to swim 12 lengths. I’ll be doing them one at a time, slowly, but by the time I get home I’ll have swum 300 metres for the first time ever. At least that’s the plan…

Tomorrow morning I’m off to Parkrun and hunting a PB. The introduction of swimming has messed with my planned training but I’m going all out, no excuses, PB hunting tomorrow.

So, that’s two goals in 12 hours. Wish me luck, keep your fingers crossed for me, pray if that’s your thing, do whatever it is you do to help me survive the pool and dominate the park. Looking forward to reporting a double success tomorrow.

Posted in Events, Juneathon, Training, Triathlon | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Wait, massage doesn’t HAVE to hurt?!

Posted on June 13, 2013 by James Clay

To me, massage has only ever meant two things.

In my earlier years it was a thinly disguised excuse for touching girls. I had no formal qualifications, very little experience, but that didn’t stop me offering my magic hands to young ladies whenever the opportunity arose. I expect it comes as no surprise to learn I still have no qualifications and very little experience.

Since I’ve started running though massage has taken on a whole new meaning. They call it “sports massage” but what they mean is “sticking elbows in your thighs until you scream” or “pushing thumbs so far in to your calves they’re stroking your tibia from the back”. Sometimes they do make you feel better, sometimes they stop you walking for a few days, but they are always always painful and approached with a sense of impending agony.

So imagine my surprise when I learned that there is a third type of massage, a nice one. It makes sense I guess, girls have been raving about spa days forever and it can’t be because they get beaten up and bruised on the massage table.

I’ve just enjoyed a complimentary swedish massage with Rachel Fargher, in the treatment room at The Gym on Cheltenham’s Lower High Street, and I haven’t felt this relaxed in a very long time! I had no idea what to expect, but Rachel instantly put me at ease and after a quick chat (about trail running more than anything!) it was up on the table and away we go.

It started with a gentle face and head massage, during which Rachel told me to relax. I thought I was relaxing, but it was quite telling that at one point she pushed my shoulders down and back on to the bed and I realised how tense I’d been! The next 45 minutes felt like hours, I was barely breathing I was so at ease. My arms, legs and back were warmed and wobbled and teased and all the worries of the world disappeared. I’m now a convert, I completely understand the appeal and I will definitely be enjoying another one soon.

An unexpected result was that a few little niggles and aches I was carrying have disappeared. Had tired legs after today’s swim/run combo and now I feel fully refreshed and ready to train hard again tomorrow. Lovely to know that gentle manipulation is enough to straighten out some of the minor issues and that a full on agonising sports massage isn’t always necessary!

My massage was with Rachel Fargher who uses a room at The Gym or offers a mobile service. She is trained in Swedish, deep tissue and Indian head massage and is very good. You can contact her on 07896 837648 or via her website www.farghers.com. Go on, treat yourself!

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Opportunity Has No Need To Knock…

Posted on June 12, 2013 by James Clay

…my door is always open.

I’ve commented before about the problems I get in to saying yes to friends who ask me to do events. It’s led to conflicting training schedules, running 10k races and 40 mile bike races in the same weekend and a diary so full of events I haven’t had a decent drink in months! In fact the only thing I’ve turned down in the last twelve months are the constant requests to do a triathlon. I have a friend training for his first Ironman who can be very persistent, a great trait for an Ironman but increasingly difficult to resist when talking triathlons! I’d been managing reasonably well, when all of a sudden…

An offer came via Twitter this week. One of my favourite tweeters @Liz_Goodchild (fabulous blogger and organiser of Write This Run) messaged me to say “fancy doing a very easy triathlon, sponsored by Chobani (all kit for free)?”. and in doing so discovered my weakness. Even the dreaded word ‘triathlon’ can be trumped by the words ‘kit for free’!

So I’ve just spoken to Chobani (responsible for some quite incredibly delicious strained yoghurt) and I’m now on a team of 4 first time triathletes taking on the Jenson Button Trust Triathlon on 14th July!

There will be much more on this to follow, as I try progressing from doggy paddle to dolphin in the pool and practice transitions in the garden, plus I’ll be sharing the nutrition advice and recipes from Chobani and updates on the kit they send (which was always one of the reasons I swerved triathlons, so one less excuse).

Check out the short clip below of last year’s event, it looks awesome, can’t wait to give the 300 metre drowning a go!

Posted in Diet, Juneathon, Kit, Training, Triathlon | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Walking In The Shadow Of Giants

Posted on June 11, 2013 by James Clay

The 10th time I stood on Snowdon’s summit I swore I wouldn’t come back unless it was to bring my own (as yet unborn) children to the top of Wales sometime in the far future.

On Saturday, as I sat at the top for the 20th time, I mused over my reasons for returning so often to the hustle and bustle of the busiest piece of mountain rock in the British Isles.

It’s always revolved around opportunity and other people. It’s easier to convince someone to chip in for the petrol if you’re going to Snowdon. Mountain virgins are more readily lured by the charms of Snowdon than some unpronounceable Welsh rock elsewhere. Then there’s been the trips to assist the Scouts or bagging an invite on someone else’s ascent. Every time I say “never again” and every year I’m back twice at least.

This weekend though I had a very valid reason for tackling the 1085 metre behemoth, once again other people had provided the opportunity but those other people were a little bit special…

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I’ve been reading Trail Magazine for quite a while, each month getting a shot of mountain porn through the letterbox with photos, ideas, advice…in some small part it makes up for the long pauses between mountain trips. So when I spotted in the magazine a few months ago that they were heading to Snowdonia and readers were invited, I was on the phone to the campsite within seconds.

The view from our tent...I could wake up to this every morning!

The view from our tent…I could wake up to this every morning!

And so it was that on Saturday morning I joined 50 other people setting off from the Cwellyn Arms for an ascent of Eryri (one of two Welsh names for the mountain) via the South Ridge.

This has long been my favourite route up the mountain. Much quieter than the routes on the northern side with a mix of old slate mines, stunning vistas, lung busting climbs and even a few short scrambling sections. What made this trip special though was the company. I feel in with Graham Thompson, gear reviewer for Trail Magazine for over two decades. It was fascinating to hear his story of how he got involved with the mag, the way an issue is pulled together, the changes he’s seen in kit and getting his opinion of what works. What was even better than his banter though was his excitement! After several decades of walking the mountains to see him still excited about a stunning view was infectious, it made me realise how often I focus on getting to a mountain summit without thinking about the journey. There’s a deep philosophical message in there, but I’ll let you dig it out for yourself.

Gear genius Graham "GT" Thompson

Gear genius Graham “GT” Thompson

On the summit I had the honour of lunching next to mountaineering legend Alan Hinkes. The only Brit to summit all 14 of the planet’s mountains over 8000 metres. A typical no nonsense yorkshireman he gave a fascinating insight in to big mountain guiding, the advantages of a block of cheese over tube of primula and why we should never complain about the crowds on Snowdon. I learnt so much from him in 10 minutes, if I ever win the lottery I hope he’ll be my guide someday.

A mountaineering legend...and an aspiring one.

A mountaineering legend…and an aspiring one.

Talking of winning, that night there was a quiz organised by the Trail guys in the pub. I somehow ended up in a team with a guy who fell out the door drunk after round 2 (he’d had too many of “those 1084 beers”. The beer was actually called 1085, the height of Snowdon in metres. The fact he couldn’t even get that right suggested he was no great loss!), but myself and my remaining team mate perservered and we came….fifth. Luckily the teams that came third and fourth had already left and so we still got called up to choose a prize from the Trail gear cupboard, so I was able to give a very nice OMM jacket to my mountain buddy Claire, result! I did win on the raffle, a lovely Snowdon paperweight, which has pride of place amongst my race and challenge memorabilia.

Sunday saw another great group walk, although with a few less of us. Tackling Y Garn and part of the Nantle Ridge I walked a lot with Dan, feature writer for the magazine, and we discussed how they get approval for trips and what ideas work. Was fascinating to hear what goes in to creating a few pages of copy, and he very politely received my ideas although I’m sure they’ve all been done before somewhere in the magazines history!

Part of the Nantle Ridge

Part of the Nantle Ridge

After another stunning day in the hills, this time with some proper scrambling thrown in, it was time for home. This weekend was a timely reminder of how amazing our mountains can be and just how accessible they are. I will be making the effort to see them more often, but if you ever hear me talk about going up Snowdon again, shoot me!

The gang on top of Y Garn

The gang on top of Y Garn

Posted in Events, Juneathon, Mountain | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Write Off

Posted on June 10, 2013 by James Clay

Exercising every day is surprisingly easy. 

The weekend’s activities were taken care of for me, with two big mountain walks to enjoy.

Today I knocked out some training right here in my front room, following a programme of squats, lunges, press ups, planks…all the usual suspects. Just enough to get a sweat on, feel the burn and all that jazz. Back to running my kilometre sprints tomorrow.

Because you can do the same work out over and over again. You can run the same route, do the same class, push the same weight…but you can’t write the same blog post.

And today I have struggled, not because I have nothing to write about but because my weekend was so big trying to get it down in writing is proving very tough. 

When I embarked on Juneathon I never thought it would be the writing that was the tricky part, but I’ve exhausted all the drafts and blog ideas I had saved and now each day I have to find a new topic and try and make it appealing to read…and I know I’m failing! Usually an idea gets jotted down, work around, planned, written, left for a day or two, revisited, reworked and eventually posted. Turning them around in a day is messing with my system!

So, if you have anything you can suggest as a topic please do. Any question you want a far from expert opinion on, ask. Send me anything and I’ll turn it in to a blog post!

Thanks.

Posted in Juneathon | 2 Comments