Focusing on my swimming

I have always loved the water.  Thanks to my mum, I was introduced to swimming lessons when I was 4 years old and I progressed well as a club swimmer.  My 'racing' stroke was breaststroke and I was always a pretty rubbish front crawl swimmer so years later when I took up triathlon and got back in the pool I died off after one length. 

Swimming is all about technique.  You have to get in the pool regularly,  as in a minimum of three times a week, to improve and maintain it.   It has taken hours and hours both in the pool and in open water, and while it has paid off there is always room for improvement.

I had a swim analysis in January in an endless pool which included a video analysis that critiqued my stroke and basically showed that I needed to improve my body position, stop my arms crossing, slow down my arm cadence, improve my kick,...and god so many other things but anyway I took away the report and after a couple of months gradually saw my swimming pace get significantly faster from around 2.15 / 100m to around 2.00/ 100m in the pool and a bit faster in open water when helped by the buoyancy of a wetsuit.  I completed my 3.8k race swim in 1.21 and was really happy with that.  

However, this month I realised despite all my efforts my speed had stopped improving.   My coach Paul offered to get in the pool with me and take a look.  That one hour session was really helpful.  He immediately identified that while my body position was fine in the water I was not getting a good enough catch and pull to my swim.

The catch and pull technique is something that has been explained to me before by swimming coaches but generally quite hard to understand.  That is maybe because they have been explaining it usually while standing above me at the side of the pool and not in it actually demonstrating what they mean.  

Essentially, it is all about getting a good entry point for your hand and keeping a high elbow through the pull phase as well as engaging your lats.  www.swimsmooth.com has a really good explanation of this.

I also found this short film by Olympic Chloe Sutton one of the best ones that explains how to get a good catch and pull https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1OY_yQBiXM&t=452s

Since the session with Paul I have been in the pool working on specific drills that will help my technique and while it still feels a bit unnatural to swim this way I am already seeing improvements in my time.  My lunchtime swim today was 1.56 / 100m.

So my advice for anyone keen to make some improvements would be to find an experienced coach to preferably join you for a swim and look at your swim technique, then get some drills to correct your stroke incorporated into your pool sessions so that you can maximise swimming throughout the off season.

Happy swimming!

Lx

Finding a cycling spirit

A sobering thought for this time of year is that most fatal cycling accidents occur in the dark, with the most dangerous hours for a cyclist reported as between 8.00am-9.00am and 3.00pm-6.00pm.  While these facts are unlikely to inspire more people to ride bikes during the darker months, it raises questions on how we can improve road safety generally. 

Sustrans suggested safety is linked to building more segregated on-road cycle routes when it published a survey this week showing significant public support exists for them.  That is all well and good where there is space to do so, but in Bath and many other towns and cities, there is very little room to change the road infrastructure. Yet cycle friendly cities exist elsewhere, even in densely populated places with busy roads and where they have similar challenges to Bath. Osaka in Japan is an interesting example. It does not have miles of bike lanes, nor does it have a modern infrastructure or a bike sharing system but it is considered to be one of the most bike friendly cities in the world because the Japanese culture has instilled a cycling spirit in its 2.6 million residents. 

This makes me think that simply looking to spend money on cycling infrastructure is approaching the problem the wrong way.  Whatever we introduce to improve cycling safety will only work if we collectively as road users are prepared to change our behaviour.  We need to find a way to shift the “them and us” attitude that exists between cyclists and drivers, we need to make better decisions as road users and we need to rid our roads of rage.  Finding our cycling spirit in Bath is surely worth striving for and investing in. And right now, we need to invest in being visible to one another. Even when there are streetlights cyclists are often not easily seen.  Ride 

with your lights on day and night and wear some bright high visibility gear and drive cautiously and keenly. 

Road safety is the responsibility of both drivers and cyclists and to sensibly adjust to the road conditions, not least at this dark time of year.     

Keeping motivated this winter

With the days getting shorter and chillier I am getting back into the swing of indoor cycle training.  I know many people enjoy cycling outside throughout the winter months but personally I prefer to mainly stay inside.  It’s not that I am averse to training in the cold, in fact I love to run on a bright cold day, but when it comes to cycling I now choose to avoid the roads if there is a chance of ice and slippy conditions. This means I have dusted down the turbo and to keep me motivated I have committed to riding my bike on my turbo for a minimum of 30 mins a day during the month of November.  There are a group of riders taking part and some other aspects to the challenge, but essentially it is free and open for all to take part in, all you need to do is register.  Find out more by using the hashtag #turbovember.

There are lots of challenges designed to help keep you motivated during the winter.  Running Heroes is another free initiative I would recommend you look at.   You simply link up your running app to your personal Running Heroes account which then awards you points for each mile your run.  In doing so you can win entries to various running events as well as other running and fitness products. There is a lot more to this so the website is certainly worth a look.

Exercising with friends and trying new fitness activities are both great ways to keep up the momentum of the fitness you have built from summer training, however, for me by far the best way is to always have a goal and a training plan.    I have already set my two key goals for next year and one of them is early in the season which means I have a great incentive to train over the winter.  I also have new training plan in place designed to help me monitor and hit my targets on a weekly and monthly basis.  It is rewarding to track your progress and by continuing to train through the winter will only make your summer stronger.  Happy training!

@lindatodd74

Kona inspired viewing

On Saturday I spent a few hours glued to my TV watching the Ironman World Championships take place live in Kona, Hawaii.   This year, Bath was represented by Paul Ransome, Head Coach of Team Urban Endurance and former Olympian Heather Fell, who lives, works and trains in the City.  To get an entry to the race is beyond difficult.  To put this in perspective, during the last 12 months 85,000 people have raced Ironman events around the world with only the top age group winners from each race gaining one of 2,400 places at the World Championship. While just making the start line is hard enough, the race itself is brutal.  Conditions are extremely hot and the island is notoriously windy, unsurprisingly it is known to break even the pro athletes.    From my seat on the sofa however, the conditions looked beautiful, the sea blue and clear for the swim, long stretches of empty road for the bike and huge crowds cheering on the run route.  It was an inspiring event to watch, some incredibly fast performances from both Heather and Paul who finished strongly, not to mention GBR’s Lucy Charles and David McNamee being on the finishers podium.

Considering we are a small nation, sport in our country really punches above its weight.  We consistently produce World Champion and Olympian sports men and women, develop professional football, rugby, rowing and cycling teams, and boast some of the best racing car drivers, golfers, cricketers, jockeys and snooker players on the circuit and yet we are massively underinvested in funding athletes and facilities. 

Living in Bath you would not think this is the case, we are extraordinarily lucky to have access to world class facilities at the Uni, a new multi-sports facilities at Odd Down and a Sports centre that, once it’s refurbishment is complete, will give more people access to better facilities.  We also have numerous gyms, fitness classes and plenty free running groups and cycling clubs in the city to pick from.  With so much on the doorstep to take advantage of, it is important we keep on encouraging our young people into sport as well as finding more ways to support and fund our inspiring, professional athletes.

@lindatodd74

Why increasing your distance is all in your mind

Yesterday, endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont completed the challenge of cycling round the world in under 80 days.  In doing so he rode on average 240 miles a day, cycling 7,031 miles in a month.  An incredible challenge which he completed in 78 days and 14 hours.  While many of us can’t comprehend cycling those distances, increasing your distance whether on the road, in the park or in the pool is achievable with a little training and the right mindset.  When I first started cycling I remember thinking 30 miles was a flipping long way and 100 would just blow my mind.   

I find by visualising the distance in small sections, just like you do if you are out of a run or a swim, increasing the mileage becomes a much more manageable and achievable goal.  Also, when I am training I tend to operate in time rather than distance.  For example, if I am going for an ‘out and back’ 30 minute run, I think about it being only 15 mins each way rather than thinking I must run for 30 mins or for a distance of 5k.  When you start to increase the time say to 40 mins and then 50 mins etc the out and back section increases but if you think in time and split it up, then it feels easier than working in kilometres or miles.  It may not work for you but give it a try, I find it really motivating.

Last week, I was forced to ease off my training after picking up a nasty virus from swimming in a river.  I was unlucky but not helped by swimming after heavy rainfall, which is apparently the worst time to do it since all the muck off neighbouring fields and the banks get swept into the river.  It was an organised event and from what I have read since I am not the only one to have suffered so while swimming outdoors is lovely do be careful of dipping in the river after major downpours.  I have to admit I have been very happy to get into a chlorinated pool this week!

Running with the kids

On Sunday, I introduced my two daughters to Junior parkrun.  If you are familiar with the parkrun format then the Junior one is the same, except it is a 2k run as opposed to a 5k run.  It is free and it takes place every Sunday at 9am, at the Odd Down Sports Ground.  Children aged from 4 to 14 can take part and you can run with your child.  All you have to do in advance is register your kids online (www.parkrun.org.uk) and then turn up.  

Lots of people run a bit and then walk a bit and there are also people running pushing buggies.  It’s really fun and inclusive and the emphasis is firmly on being active and having a great time not on how fast you can run.  Running with your kids is a great way for mums and dads to begin running too particularly if they are not confident and don’t feel like they can manage the longer adult distance.  There are lots of park runs all over the UK and you can go to any of them once you have registered.  We chose to run at Lydiard Park in Swindon and about 70 kids turned up, of all ages.

I love running but while my girls like to take part in sport, such as swimming and badminton they rarely (never) go for a run.  It seems their secondary school PE is a lot less focused on running than in my day so I thought parkrun be a good way to get them introduced to running, as well as out of their beds slightly earlier than midday on a Sunday!  And, happily I was right.  Despite both of them getting a stitch half way round they pushed through and finished with a good sense of achievement.  

A 2k run may not sound far to you but it is far enough particularly if you have not done any running.  I am so pleased they enjoyed the experience and they are both keen to go again to better their times as well as go running more regularly.  I hope they discover the absolute joy of running.  It is one of those activities that is so easy to do wherever you are, as long as you have your trainers and a pair of shorts packed.  Best of all the whole family can do it without it having to cost a penny.

@lindatodd74

Race report: Ironman Zurich 30th July 2017

Race report:  Ironman Switzerland 30^th July 2017

Having suffered from terrible nerves the day before, I woke up on the morning of the race feeling surprisingly calm.  I had managed to get a good night sleep, and although it was 3.15am I ate my breakfast of porridge, a banana and downed a strong coffee.  Before long it was time to get the minibus from the hotel to the race start.  The mood on the bus was quiet and while I was still feeling a bit nervous, I was at the point that I just really wanted to get on with it.  

When I got to the race village it was a hive of activity, people running around with bicycle pumps, and generally getting organised.  I had a good look over my bike, put on my bottles, nutrition, felt my tyres and then decided to just leave it alone, to be honest I had no idea what everyone else was doing tweaking this and that and I could think of nothing else I needed to do. I walked over to the changing tents and got into my wetsuit.  I then slowly walked towards the start line with my partner Adrian who was also taking part.  He appeared really calm and just kept whispering in my ear to check I was okay and trying to keep me calm and focused.  

We took advantage of getting in for a quick warm up swim, which was good to just get in and do something.  The water felt lovely and I could feel myself actually starting to get excited. The announcement for athletes to get into their swim start pens finally came and we gave each other a hug. I could feel myself welling up a bit but I had no tears as after months of training I was determined to get on the start line, with a smile and to enjoy the swim and hopefully the whole race.

The swim was a rolling start which means they let 8 people enter the water every 5 secs, this also means you get in to clear water ahead of  you to start with. I had seeded myself in the middle of the 80-90 min box which was actually quite empty, it seemed most people were seeding themselves up the front which was fine by me.  I spoke to other athletes around me, everyone smiling, nervously and encouraging each other. It was really a good experience. We gradually inched forward until there just one or two rows to go.  I got my googles in position, and I looked forward to spot the first buoy.  The beeps counted down 5, 4, 3, 2,1 and I then was off.  

The first part of the swim was as good as the organisers promised, clear water to get going in, however by the time I got to the first turn it was absolutely manic. Bodies and arms flying everywhere.  I had to do a bit of swimming around people and there was a lot of jostling but I was not at all bothered by it, I was enjoying the swim, I found it hard at times to sight the buoys particularly as the sun came up but I just kept following the feet in front of me.  

In the end, I must have seeded myself about right as I found I mostly had space to swim and although I did get occasionally clunked on the head by others passing me it was really nothing to worry about and I ended up swimming past a few people too. The water was warm about 21 degrees and beautifully clean.  Not so clear on the day as the practice swim I had two days previously but only because there were another 1700 people swimming and churning it up around me, but not a bit of weed in sight.  The lake is huge and was flat calm to start with only getting a little choppy on the far side of the swim.  It did feel like we were swimming for ages before the final turning buoy appeared and we were swimming back towards shore.  As I exited the water, I felt a sense of relief that part was over and also surprisingly fresh.  The two guys either side of me said “great job” which was really nice.  The crowds were fantastic too, cow bells ringing and loads of clapping, it was brilliant.   I had no idea what my swim time was at that point as I had decided to leave my garmin on my bike in case I got it knocked off, so I was so pleased later when I heard I had done 1.21 for the swim as that was bang on my target.

I managed a straight forward quick transition and was off out on the bike lap before I knew it.  The first lap was great, beautiful, and the scenery breath-taking all the way round.  The first part takes you along the side of the lake and I remember just feeling so excited that I had done the swim and was on my way that I did a whoop out loud to myself a few times, which sounds crazy but I just couldn’t help it I was so enjoying the moment.  After about 25k you start to reach the climbing on the route. The bike course is about 1400m elevation overall, a mixture of flat and rolling hills which take you through lots of little villages where the support was great, more ringing of cow bells, people hosing you down and cheering ‘Superb’ and “Hupp Hupp Hupp” it was an atmosphere like no other I have experienced. The ride has three noticeable climbs but nothing I was worried about.  The main climb is known as The Beast mainly because it is long, it twists and turns and you think you have reached the top and then realise there is another summit ahead.  But on the first lap I was passing people, thinking this is nothing at all to worry about at all but in doing so I was pushing harder than I should have been to reach the top however at that stage I was not thinking about it, just enjoying the ride.  I was focusing more on keeping fuelled and taking on little bits of food all the way round which I did keep religiously on top of as I knew from experience I did not want to face a dreaded bonk on the bike.  

I noticed lots of riders passing me on the long downhill from The Beast, which was a bit demoralising but I am simply not yet confident enough to stay down on my aerobars at high speed however, I was enjoying the views and a bit of leg rest.  As we dropped back down into Zurich the streets were lined with supporters and I headed towards the final climb of the lap called Heartbreak Hill.  This hill has got to the be the highlight of my race.  It’s short and sharp and the final part of it is lined with supporters.  You get a sense of how the pro cyclists must feel in the Tour de France as the crowds are standing all over the road cheering and then part as you cycle through them.  I could hear the announcer mention my name and number over the tannoy and saying “she is even smiling” I can’t describe how fantastic I felt.  I shot down the other side and before I knew it had completed the first lap and was onto lap 2.  I remember thinking I was bang on track for a sub 7 hour bike time as I had done lap one in 3hours 20 mins but I am afraid lap 2 got a bit harder and a lot hotter . There is a lot of flat on the first part of the course and while that is good I think my temptation to push too hard got the better of me and as soon as I came off the flat to the climb I started to feel fatigued, as well as hot as hell.  The sweat started to pour out my helmet, and I can honestly say even when I have cycled in the heat in Lanzarote that has never happened to me before.  I had to make a stop to put on extra sun cream and I kept drinking as much as I could but when I reached the "Beast" for a second time I knew I must have pushed too hard for my ability on lap one as second time up I was absolutely crawling. The aid station at the top was a god send. I stopped for a hose down and spoke to one of the water guys who offered to put some salt in my water.  Although I lost time by stopping I felt so much better when I set off to finish the lap.  

As I got back into Zurich I could see lots of people on the run and actually spotted Adrian running – I cheered at him and we waved.  (He said later he was really worried how I was feeling as I was much further behind on the bike than I had planned but as I was smiling he figured I was okay)  Heartbreak hill round 2 was less exciting but still good support. Anyway, by the time I got off the bike I had done my 112 miles in 7.24 and while I am now disappointed with that time as I know I can do better, on the day I was so chuffed to be off the bike with just the run to go I was ecstatic! 

Relatively quick transition from bike to run although I faffed about trying to find the flipping exit to start with (race brain doh!) and as I was off again.  As I started the run, I tried to work out what my finish time might be.  I was hoping I had swam in 1.30 and so figured I was probably somewhere between 9 and 9.5 hours into the race.  You have 16 hours to finish Zurich so I knew I had plenty time to get my run in and hoped I could finish inside my personal target of 14 hours.  Given my track record of running 10k off long bikes I thought a 5 hour marathon would be about right.  The first 10k took me about 1 hour 10 which is not great, but equally not bad as I was getting my legs back and I had ran all the way round that first lap.  The heat was something else, at that point I think it was over 30 degrees which, for a Scottish lassie who likes to run in drizzle, was a bit of nightmare.  Thankfully I had a cap on and just kept filled it with ice at each station, there were wet sponges as well and they worked really well at keeping me cool.  They hosed us down too if we wanted it but in hindsight my feet got a bit soggy so it was not the best plan.  At the start of second lap it was getting very tough for me.  I ran with another guy for a bit who was doing a run 4 mins walk 1 min strategy and that helped me get some food in and compose myself and half way round that second lap I started to just run continuously again.  Each water station was about 2k apart and they had ice, cold sponges, hoses, and all the food, gels and drink you needed.  On most of my laps I walked through each station and then ran on again. By the third lap I was feeling good again, and had taken on so many gels my feet just kept going and going, I did not feel any aches or pains in my knees which I had a few issues with in training.  So I was happy, importantly I felt really positive and telling myself to keep going. One of the best tips I had from Adrian in training was to consciously breath in and out of my mouth and get a rhythm going that you can pace to, and it worked a treat for me on race day.  Again I could not believe the crowd support on the run it was something else.  Adrian and I passed each other on the second lap of my run and he stopped to kiss me which drew a huge cheer from the crowd!  By the time I got my last band on and the knowledge I only had 10k to run I was in my zone and on a mission.  I loved that last lap, I thanked all the volunteers who had been amazing and when I got to the last 6k point the volunteer who had seen me three times previously cheered at the crowd it was my last lap and they did a huge Mexican wave for me, it was so cool, I will never forget it.  I was just smiling and loving it.   

Running down the finish line was brilliant, the cheerleaders and supporters all going mental and then the words "You are an Ironman" being roared at you as you cross the line.  An absolutely brilliant feeling like no other.  When I turned around and saw the clock said Linda Todd 14.14.52 I remember feeling pretty pleased with myself.  Adrian, who had finished more than two hours before me, was there waiting for me in the athletes garden with a non -alcoholic beer in hand and equally ecstatic as me that I had finished in good time and one piece!

Overall, Ironman Zurich was the best race experience of my life.   Will I do another one? Absolutely.  Will I train harder? You bet I will.  Can you do one?  With the right support, focus and determination I will say yes, anything is possible!

Lx