6 weeks and counting!

It's only 6 weeks till we make our war to China to race. I am really looking forward to traveling, but we've got bits and bobs to do before we leave, visas, a couple of 180km rides etc! It will fly by and soon the race will be upon us and I'll be stood on the start line - pooing my pants (again). I scored sponsorship with Blue Seventy again this year, once again I am soooo happy to work with this company they simply are the best and I'm so saying that as they are flowing me kit, they really do make the best product on the market for wetsuits etc.

Thanks to Blue Seventy, Guy and Naomi.

Up date on the foot injury - still quite poor but I am just trying to run through the pain to be honest. My plan for this month is not as hard or should I say intense as I thought it would be honest, but the sessions are more about quality. My coach is hoping to keep me fresh and ready for battle in China. An interesting note was that last week I eat a load of crap to you the truth - pizza hut. If I'm honest my training was crap too and I really struggled with motivation. To give you an example of this I struggled to put a ride together pushing an average of 34kmph, where I can normally hit 36/7kpmh! It just showed my how important the fuel that I put into my body is. Equally, things have been full on at work, what with inspections (which was ok) and sports days coming up, its all a little serious and while I'm not afraid of hard work (I do Ironman for goodness shake!), I equally like to work with a smile on my face and for the past couple weeks this hasn't been the case. It's just not me, I don't like it.

This weekend I've got a time trail of 100km bike and then a 10km run. Coach wants me to hit 40kmph (2hr 30mins) on the bike and then a 43min run*. I think I'll be more happy with a 2hr 45min bike and a sub 40min run.

We'll see, I'll keep you posted.

Right, I'm going to slope off to bed to catch soon shut eye. I promise I'll put some new photos up soon too

Train safe, as always.

Ed

*Update, yea I killed the session, 80kms in 1hour 57mins and 12km in 44mins - sweet!

Inspection time, training and the F.A. Cup

Right first of all, lets get it out the way, yes Arsenal have been dumped out of the cup for another year by Stoke, yes Stoke! I mean bloody 'ell! Do I not like that!

On a more pleasant note (yea, right!) Repton School Dubai, where I teach is being inspected at he moment, which is nice. It's ok really, apart from a few hiccups, just like a normal week of teaching then and I'm still getting the training in. I'm starting to feel like I'm peaking ready for China in 6 weeks time. I'm feeling strong on the bike, last Saturday after a (from me) crap swim, Ali, Roy, Clint and myself flew out to Johan's Junction and killed a quick 100kms. In parts we were pushing 40-45kmph. Then on the way back with the wind we knocked off 50kmph average, it was beautiful and I felt great. I did a BIG weekend of training, something like 14 hours in total.

Right, thats it for now. Good luck to the guys heading out for the camp this weekend at Al Ain I wish I was coming out with you for the big weekend, but some of us have to work, as I've touring cricket team coming to stay.

Train safe and take care,

Ed and Sarah :-)

Big Toe, 10kms and the sun again!

Well we've back in Dubai (home) for about three weeks and I'm really getting into the training. It's hard to motivate myself at times, but it's for a number of reasons, mainly my big right toe, which has been giving me some pain for a while. I decided to go to the doctors as last year it had been diagnosed as a Morton Neuroma and I was given a shot of pain relief.

However on my visit this time it turned out not to be case and I certainly would not be a shot. The doctor order a X-Rays and an MRI scan. It turns out that my big toe is not at all flexible in the joint and therefore I over load my poor other toes esp my second one, which has really started to hurt. I've been to see the man who is fitting me with orthics, but this will take time to get used to, but fingers crossed we are on our way to getting it sorted.

On a top note, Sarah and I did the Dubai 10km last Friday just gone gone. Sarah did really coming in just over the hour. I was so proud of her and we've put her medal by the TV in the apartment. I race well placing 28th overall, out of 6ooo, in 37.12, 3RD Brit over the line, but I do feel I could have gone faster if I had sarted at the front. I would have got with the runners group and then been pulled along with them. However, considering I have not been training for the 10km and going way longer it was a pleasing result, but then again I'm never happy.

It is great to be back in the sun. It just makes training so much easier and I've been able to get some top session in with Marc, who is doing Ironman New Zealand and Clint, who is gunning for a sub 10hour Ironman in Roth.

Right thats it from me, I promise to update this more often, it's one promise I'm going to keep from the New Year.

Train safe and take care, always.

Ed and Sarah

December time, sun, sun and a bit of rain, but it's really cold in the UK

It's been a while since I posted on here and this has been for a number of reasons, firstly work has been super busy and life in Dubai has been just as! But I have to report that training has been going well, apart from a week where I had a touch man flu.

I'm fully entered into Ironman China on March 14th next year, training has been ramped up over the last month and I'm getting in some big sessions. Every Friday, I'm bagging at least 160kms on the bike and then I'm hitting the 4kms of swim sets on a Saturday down at the beach by JBR. My body is holding up pretty well, but I have started to pick up a couple of niggles esp in my foot and left calf, which I need to get looked at in the New Year.

I've raced a couple of times now with my new team. I came second in the first sprint and then first in the second. It felt great to have a big hit out and I felt strong. We also had a training camp near to Al Ain, it was good to get together with the team just before they all travelled out to either Phuket Triathlon or Ironman Western Australia. All the guys did super well, sep Roy who came second in his age group in Phuket and Carl who came 5th in his in Oz.

In the coming twos months I've got the Dubai 10km, Wadi Bi Race and the Saucony RAK half marathon, where I'm looking to go quite quick, around the 1hour 20 mark. In training I've running well, even though I'm been focusing on it. Last week in training I had 2 hour run set to do where I covered 34kms. This is great not only, because it's good for my racing, but also, because I've scored a sponsorship deal with Saucony U.A.E. Tony has been great supplying me with kit, trainers etc and I'm super looking forward to getting my new racing Saucony Fast Twitch 4 in the New Year for all my races in 2010.

Thanks Tony and Saucony, U.A.E.

Well, I think thats most of what I've been up. I'm in U.K. at the mo celebrating Christmas with family and family, oh my life it's cold. But it's really good to see our dog Jack, we really miss him and it's the best Xmas pressie in the world to spend some time him. I'm back home on the 5th Jan and looked forward to getting my teeth back into my biking and swimming as well as my running that I'm doing in the cold at the mo.

My New Year's resolution is to post on here more often, honest!

Take care in the snow or in the sun, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

Train safe.

Ed

It's Kona time, October and it's still sunny here in Dubai.

Hello to everyone in the cheap seats - the UK that is. I've heard the weather has been great there of late, but I'm sure that over the next couple of weeks things will turn and those Sunday morning rides are going to harder and wetter. Here, it's just starting to get nice, it's cooling down, which means mid 30s during the day time, sweet.

I've got together with a group out here and I've been on a couple rides/sessions with them. The first was a nightmare, I blow BIG stylie. It was an easy 3 hours session and after 1 hour /I'd made the front pack and I rode hard, but not that bad if I'd been in better shape (6 weeks the Europeans and loads of enjoying life etc). Which we hit the last 10kms it was game on and racing, however I just fell of the back and my made my way back from doing 37kph on the front, to rolling home at 20kph! I learnt a HUGE lesson that day. Still, I made up for it two weeks later by killing them all and finishing of topping out at 50kph! Beautiful!

Well, this weekend it's Kona, Ironman World Championships. My new coach (who is good friends will Crowie) spoke to him last weekend, he's good shape and looking forward to it, however he's feeling the pressure what from sponsors etc. Whereas Macca is feeling cooling cool and he seems to be just enjoying it. It'll all come clean in the wash on Saturday, best of luck to everyone racing from Pros (esp Chrissie) and Age Groupers alike.

Hopefully next year I'll be there to race too.

Take care and train safe.

Ed and Sarah in the Desert

Hitting the hard stuff

Sarah and I have joined the Aviation Club in Dubai. It's beautiful to be honest, the gym is great loads of free weights and cardio machines. Downstairs there's swimming pool with real lanes, a steam room etc all the toys. It's great to go there after work, put in a big session and then chill and have a nice meal with friends.

I have never had this sort of treatment after training so hopefully it can some way to improving my performances during sessions and more importantly during races. We have joined it with some friends that we've made out here. It's always good to have people around you that you get on with and I believe it's even more important in a strange country.

Training has started well for the season after having some time off to move etc. I'm now concentrating on simply cardio stuff as I mentioned last time and light weight training in prep for last years Ironman China in March 2010, so it's game on, tampon!

Cheers all, peace.

Ed

It's Dubai baby! But it's hot, hot!

We out here in the sand and it's hot! Well, actually it's really hot over 40 everyday! I've been out running a number of times during the day time and it's meant that I'm now getting used to the heat when walking round, but I'll tell you it's hard work the train during it at the moment.

Sarah and I have started the new job and the guys we're working with seem really nice and I'm looking forward to having a good crack with them. The apartment is pretty cool too and we've been really lucky to be placed in one which has two bedrooms, nice. I'm hoping to make contact with a couple of guys reference to racing out here and esp bike training near Nal a Sherba.

It was great to see Gil and Nat last week on their way back to UK from Kenya and we had a wicked time at Wild Wadi. Some of the slides were cool and it was super fun.

All our boxes have arrived last night. It was great to see them again. I gave the bikes a quick over and they seem okay, even if one of the bike boxes have been damaged, so I think I'm going to claim for that. But the new Bike Box Alan stood up fine and I was pleased with it's performance.

It's Wednesday here today and that means that we've only got Thursday left before the weekend. It's going to be odd having a whole weekend off as well as finishing work at 2pm each day as it's Ramadan at the moment. I'm going to post some more pictures etc later on.

Right I've got to get on with some work.

Take care.

Ed