Runs, bikes and obsessive compulsive disorder

So, when I said I was going to post everyday, I clearly didn't mean EVERY day! Actually, I did you a favour not posting yesterday as not a great deal went on.

Yesterday was the last day proper of my easy week. As there weren't any morning sessions during my easy week, I had a lovely lie-in until 7:30 and then got up to do 45 minutes of my chiropractor exercises. Although my back is still problematic and can certainly be painful, it seems to be less painful more often since I've been doing these exercises two or three times a week. Also, as a direct result of the chiro exercises, I've started to work regularly on flexibility through my hamstrings and the strength of my glutes – it's hard to tell if this is making a difference to either my bike or run, but I'll hopefully see the gains when the regular tri season starts here again at the end of September.

Yesterday evening was a 1 hour run set as 20 minutes easy, 20 minutes tempo, 20 minutes easy. I decided to see whether my long sleeve 2XU compression top actually achieves the amazing sweat-wicking, cooling effect it claims. The answer, in a word, was no. To be fair, 40°C and 65% humidity is quite a tough test to put it through and it performed no worse than any of my other gear – I guess once it reaches a certain burning heat, you just have to face up to the fact it's going to be uncomfortable. My pace reflected that, as I held 6mins per km for the first 20 mins, 5:15 for the next 20, then dropped to around 5:55 for the final 20. About the best I can hope for in this heat and I also had to consider my long ride the next morning.

Which was this morning. Up at 4am, some porridge and a waffle, and on the road by 4:30. I rode the first 25k or so solo until meeting up with the weekly Roadsters ride at Lime Tree Cafe. The early stuff was great – it was pre-dawn so we could drink openly (remember it's Ramadan) and relatively speaking, it was a bit breezy and overcast, so tolerable. By the time we hit the halfway point though, the sun had come out and temperatures soared. The second half was very hot – the last 10k almost unbearable as we were back on fairly busy roads and couldn't be seen drinking. My programme asked for 150k today and I did 152, which is great. I dumped my bike at home and, as my gym is closed mornings for Ramadan (yes, Ramadan is a bit of a pain as far as IM training goes – maybe more so than the summer temperatures, tho both combined..!) and that's where I usually do my brick run after a ride, I instead just found a shaded spot in a car park to do three quick sets of shuttle runs.

I mentioned recently how much my attitude to training has changed over the years; much the same has happened to my organisational skills. In the past, I was lucky if I turned up to swimming with a pair of trunks, goggles and a towel, whereas now I feel that attention to detail is one of my strengths as a triathlete – from making lists to ensure I don't forget anything on race day, to scoping out a bike course on Google Earth before the race to know what to expect. To be fair, I think most triathletes have a spot of OCD about them, it goes with the territory. This morning, for example, I rode my bike exactly how I'll ride it for Ironman. I don't mean with pedals – I used the wheels I'll use on the day, I placed on all the same hydration aids and bottle holders I plan to use on the day etc too. This is important to make sure it all works – triathlon is the finest example of the 'best laid plans' rule. You can have great intentions to go fast and buy new gear that's  sure to cut seconds off your PB and then, on the day, you'll find that some tiny thing you didn't think of has destroyed your plans. That new gel flask you've velcro'd to your seat post looks great and is really aero, but you can't reach it while you're cycling...

I'm happy to report that everything went to plan and it's now locked in. As, I think, is my nutrition and hydration plan, but I'll take you through all that another time.

The only good thing about training through Ramadan (and a Ramadan that falls in the middle of summer, for that matter) is that everything stops. Nothing's going on at all. A lot of people try to get away. Those that don't just shut themselves away with several boxsets of DVD. Therefore, I've nothing to feel guilty about missing; when I got back from my ride/run this morning, I had a lovely little nap. I watched a couple of films lying on the sofa and then had a read in the bath. I spent most the rest of the time eating – in my defence, my total burn for the day will be around 10,000 calories (to put that into context, what the average healthy, active man would burn in four days), so I think I'm allowed a lot of eating!

A little later, I'm heading out for a slow and steady 10k run, then it'll hopefully be a relatively early night as I'm planning on heading out for the Bab Al Shams coffee ride tomorrow morning. The last couple of tough weeks of Ironman training have definitely now begun – 37 days and counting! 

Tri Ramadan

So, Ramadan has arrived. For those who’ve never lived in an Islamic country, you may well wonder how it affects the lives of us non-Muslims living here.

Initially, I have to admit, my first Ramadan was a bit of a culture shock but once you’ve been through it once, it makes very little difference. In fact, it’s like many things in Dubai – people back in the UK often ask me what it’s like: ‘Hey, is it true you’d be arrested for walking down the street with a can of lager?’ Well, yes, but how many times do you walk down the street with a can of lager in the UK? Unless you’re a student or a tramp.

What I mean is that all the things you need to consider for Ramadan seem consequential, but they rarely make that much of a difference. Essentially, non-Muslims can’t eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours. So, most cafes and restaurants are either closed or have a giant blind they pull down. Our workplace is pretty western (as are most here) and, therefore, we allow water and coffee to be drunk at desks but ask that people eat in the kitchen area…as they do all year! At home, do what you want – fill your boots.

Bars and restaurants can’t serve alcohol until sunset. Although, to be fair, that happens at around 7pm…if you can’t wait till 7 for a drink, again, you’re probably a student or on your way to a life on the street. Bars can’t play music or entertainment during Ramadan which makes the atmosphere a little odd, but then it’s the height of summer and hardly anyone goes out at this time of year anyway.

But Ramadan does, of course, affect the active. Gyms are fine – it’s understood that it’d be dangerous for people to workout without fluids and, so, these are simply sort of ‘no go’ areas for Muslims during daylight hours.

But what about me? I like to do as much of my training as possible in the great outdoors. Well, evening sessions are fine – it’s dark by the time I get home from work and head out, so it’s (sweaty) business as normal. Mornings are more problematic, as sun-up tends to happen around 5.

Swimming is the easiest discipline to deal with. Even though the water is cooled you definitely still need to drink during the session. Even in water, swimmers lose about half a litre of fluid in sweat during a one hour session. But my masters club is pretty western and, like the gym, it’s a case of don’t come if you don’t like what you’ll see. Cycling and running are less easy though, as they happen out there in the real world, so you can’t control who’s looking.

For the weekly long ride, it’s a case of hydrating beforehand and then grinning and bearing it until we get out of town, then it’s pretty safe to drink away as normal until we head back into civilisation…unpleasant, but doable.

Running needs to be cannier – and I’ll probably head to Safa Park to do laps. It’s around 3.5km around the outside of the park and there’s public toilets on either side – I’ll carry my drinks bottle and just have to dive into the toilet quickly each time I pass to take a swig! Which won’t look dodgy at all.

I also think the gym will be seeing more action when it comes to the shorter bike/run stuff. On the positive side, once this week is over (I’m really busy in work) it’s down to Ramadan hours (9-4) which means more relaxation, visualisation, stretching and prep time…or maybe more time lying on the couch watching Spaced DVDs.

Racing and resting

I've got a race tomorrow! And what a fun race it should be - organised by my swim club, it's taking place at Wild Wadi - one of the giant, state-of-the-art waterparks we have in Dubai. 

The race itself is two laps (800m) of the Lazy River going the 'wrong way' around, i.e. against the water flow!

Friday mornings are obviously usually reserved for my long ride and in normal circumstances an 800m swim wouldn't be worth bumping my ride for. However, there are three reasons I'm keen to do this swim.


Firstly, due to the flow of the water, organises say this will be like a 1500m swim; and as the sea is about the same temperature as your average lava flow here at the moment, this is about the closest thing I'll get to practising in open water.


Secondly, it looks fun. Since I've been in Dubai I've taken part in the Swim Around The Burj (the Burj al Arab is Dubai's famous sail-shaped hotel which stands on its own island) and a Vertical Marathon (56 storeys up the stairwell of a tower block). They're the kind of events I won't get to do when I leave Dubai, so lap them up, I say!


Finally, yes it may only be our swim club and a few other keen swimmers taking part, but it's a race and I love racing. Even if bragging rights are all that's at stake, racing gets my competitive juices flowing and helps me to refocus on training. After Ironman, the triathlon season will just be kicking off here in the UAE, and there's already a packed calendar with sprint and Olympic triathlons, running races, marathons, aquathlons (swim/run) etc every weekend...and I'll be doing all of them if I can. What's the point of all this training if you don't race?


Actually, there's another reason for swimming rather than cycling tomorrow - I'm knackered. My run this morning was a bit sluggish and the past few mornings, for the first time, I've had to really drag my ass out of bed when the alarm has gone off at 5am...a sure sign of fatigue. Luckily, next week is my easy recovery week and I intend to follow it to the letter - I think a massage and a couple of ice baths will also be on the cards. So, after the swim, I'll take the rest of the day off and make it up with a hard 150k ride (mainly on my own) on Saturday instead.

Ramadan starts here this weekend. While that provides one set of problems training-wise (can't eat or drink in public between sun up and sun down), it also means a manic period of work should be over and, for the last couple of weeks before I head back to the UK, we'll be working reduced Ramadan hours (8-3 or 9-4) which obviously allows an extra hour or two per day for relaxing and recovery too.


I'm still 6 weeks out from IM - well too soon to start a taper - but equally I'm going to pay extra attention for the next three weeks that my sessions are about quality and I'm getting enough recovery (sleep, fluid, quality food, rest, massage) so I turn up in Tenby knowing I've the miles in the legs but also that I'm rested and raring to go.