During the winter, I have been cycling exclusively on the little ring.

I figure that cadence rises when resistance is less and since the skill of cycling is pedalling, doing more pedal revs will be better in the long term.

Anyway, during a spot of bike cleaning (yes, I know, the shame of it), I put the chain onto the big ring.

Out cycling yesterday and climbing the hill away from my house, I was thinking

“hmm this feels hard, maybe I haven’t recovered from running on Saturday?”

I carried on and when I looked down to get my drink bottle, there is was, the chain on the big ring staring back at me…

Dohh!

Not published any of these for a while but here is a session that will make you concentrate for the whole time.

400 warm up - mix strokes if you want

400 drill - what ever drill you want but “drill” going up and swim normal coming back.

Swimming ladder

1 length

2 lengths

3 lengths

4 lengths

5 lengths

6 lengths

7 lengths

6 lengths

5 lengths

4 lengths

3 lengths

2 lengths

1 length

Have a few seconds at the end of each “rung” to catch your breath but try to go faster than you would prefer (especially on the shorter rungs).

400 cool down

Probably about 2400 metres

The triathletes training bible is big. The 3rd edition is almost 400 pages (and none of it fluff..)

Aimed fairly and squarely at the self trained athlete, the 3rd edition comes 10 years after the first and during that time, the author acknowledges an explosion of interest in triathlon as being a major factor in the updating.

Most beginner triathletes will jump straight onto their bikes and get going – but it’s more (extremely more) complicated than that.

Joe Friel takes the reader through a journey starting with the philosophy and principles of training, fitness testing, tactics for racing…. and covers a lot.

This isn’t a book to sit down and read from cover to cover – although the sections on fitness testing and planning training need to be studied pretty closely to get the most from them. It’s a book to have on the shelf and dip into when you need help or advice.

Need some stretches to do? page 262, need a DIY recovery drink? Page 324, coaching juniors?, page 276. You get the idea.

Not all of the work is Joe Friel’s, though. He sensibly borrows sections (with permission) on pose running, total immersion swimming, ironman nutrition and others.

This is no mutual backslapping of the “celebrity” coaches though. There are 8 pages of references to the scientific literature and academic journals to keep the most enthusiastic “anorak” web researcher happy along with templates to photocopy to keep athletes on the straight and narrow.

If I have one small comment, it is probably that for the complete beginner, the book is too complicated. If someone was considering triathlon as a hobby and picked the triathletes training bible up in a book store, it would probably scare them and they would put it straight down.

But that’s probably the attraction of triathlon for many – the geek factor. And with no shortage of tables and charts, The triathletes training bible certainly gives you that with both barrels.

UK readers can buy direct from the distributor - cordee.co.uk

On a recent family short break, I took my bike with a view to getting out and about. I managed a couple of short trips and a long one.

On the long one I saw a couple of strange things.

The first was at a T junction waiting to turn onto a main road. Approaching on the main road were a group of about 6 or 7 cyclists. I turned onto the road before them and thought it won’t be long before a group of 6 or 7 pass me by myself.

Sure enough, they did pass me one by one.

(Not that this makes any difference but) they were a group of exclusively black guys who passed the time of day as they went passed.

A couple of them had ipod/headphones hanging down and RAP MUSIC playing while they were cycling. JayZee & Public enemy anyone?

The second odd thing was later on in the ride.

As rides go on, I sometimes find myself “dozing” off or thinking about other things. Looking at the cadence monitor is dull after a while.

What woke me up was a young man on a touring bike (complete with panniers) who tore past me at such a pace that it gave me a shock. His legs were turning at the sort of speed that a child would use to try and escape from you before giving up 100 yards down the road.

I didn’t give chase as such, but tried to just keep him in my sights.

The truth was I couldn’t, he just carried on away from me into the distance, legs still churning and he easily dropped me.

Respect to all rappers and touring cyclists.

You can now follow us on twitter - http://twitter.com/uktriathlete and we will follow you right back…

One post Beijing spin off is that local councils in the UK are being encouraged to offer free swimming for under 16’s & over 60’s from April 2009. One the face of it, this is a good thing.

However, if the public lane swimming that I go to is anything to go by, it might present a problem for people who want to swim.

People returning to swimming have found that it is actually quite hard work (or harder than they remember from their youth…)

As a result, after 20 minutes or so, they tend to congregate at the end of the lane for a breather and a chat.

Because the lanes are blocked, it has the effect of moving everyone up a lane or 2 meaning that people who swim in the faster lanes aren’t necessarily faster swimmers - they just don’t stop.

As a result, faster swimmers have to turn constantly part way down the lane to get clear water…

The human being is a creature of habit - people talk about “getting outside the comfort zone” - but this would be mentally exhausting if it were constant.

The truth is that we like our comfort zone - because it’s easy and we don’t have to think…

Triathletes are no different and most of us have a “best pool” which we like to swim in. (After all - you definately need to avoid having to think at early morning swim sessions..)

Most of us have a best pool where we swim. It might be a masters club, public lane swimming or whatever. It is familiar to you.

You know how much is costs to get in, what the locker deposit is, where the showers are etc etc

Call it a human failing but the other day, I went swimming at a new pool (for me anyway).

Will I accidentally walk into the ladies changing room? Will I try to go out the in door when I have finished? Will there be a lane of suitable speed for me? or will I have a wasted journey and get stuck behind someone r-e-a-l-l-y slow (or worse - hold some really fast people up..)

All of these and a million other questions make swimming in a strange pool a curious experience. How is it for you?

After being accepted for ironman uk, I have spent some of the holidays working out a training program.

For family reasons, I have one, possibly two evenings not available. (Family swimming & kids athletics session).

This cuts down on evenings & means flexibility is limited.

However, I am looking at the Don Fink “Intermediate plan” - This looks do able (for the first few weeks at least…)

On swim/run days, running the 2 miles to the pool AM, swimming & running back means that evening can be spent elsewhere.

Flicking forward though, I note that the format is long bike Saturday & long run sunday.

I have always been a decent runner but struggled with anything over 5-8k off the bike.

The lack of running long off the bike worries me but the truth, as they say, is out there…

Still no start list for Ironman UK.

The website looks a little bit scratchy and if it wasn’t the ironman brand, I probably wouldn’t have entered.

This is what happened to me.

Saturday 13th December - entered (got a phone call from my credit card company - I suppose spending a few quid here and there via paypal for christmas presents and the £275 with an entertainment & ticket website was always looking a bit dodgy). Got a blank “eticket” back via email.

Monday 15th December - Noticed the website had changed. Email them to say “am I in”

Thursday 18th December - No reply.

hmmm - presumably, they just don’t reply to any emails until the start list is posted…

Just a quick heads up for a new site www.triathlonblogs.com to list your triathlon blogs.