Things I Like…….

I thought I would put together a page of links to things that I find along the way and that  I think are worth sharing.  Feel free to click through or just ignore this page altogether.  Your choice.

TRAINING

Swimming

Swimming is quite difficult but at least I have done it since I was a kid.  No matter how far the distance that you are training for step one has to be technique.  There are loads of websites and coaches recommending different techniques but the great thing about the swim smooth website is you can see Mr Smooth and get some idea what a stroke should look like.

Biking

The Tour de France is my favourite way of spending July.

I feel like we are all part of the same company so it was only fair to put my colleagues on the blog.  Team Sky.

 Running

Runners World has a great forum where you can get all sorts of advice – whether wanted or not….

You can plan your routes and get mileage at mapometer. 

Triathlon

Tri 220, Tri Juice and Slow Twitch all have good online resources including great triathlon equipment reviews.

The home of Ironman.

Coach Gordo has has a great blog and includes a lot of pages of free tips.

Chrisse Wellington is the best triathlete (and possibly athlete full stop) in the world bar none.  And that rare thing – a British three times world champion and ironman world record holder.

Cat Morrison is the best duathlete in the world ………and Scottish!

The Pirates is a virtual group of triathletes and ironmen that hang out at the runners world forum.  I will be doing Regensburg as an apprentice cabin boy on the Pirate Ship of Fools - PSOF (say it quick!).

Stretching

I have suffered from leg injuries since I started running – firstly IT Band issues and then achilles and calf problems.  I didn’t really have a strategy for stretching pre and post training so I have found active isolated stretching a bit of a revelation.

Nutrition

Ironman goes on for a long time and if you don’t eat and drink effectively you won’t finish.  Powerbar are  the sponsors of a lot of IM events and I just added this because I think this article is quite a good summary.

BLOGS

I like this guy’s blogs – DC Rainmaker – he covers everything from in-depth reviews of triathlon equipment and events and even does a review of his holidays.

IronHolgs is a Pirate and keeps a blog here.  If you like his writing he has written a book which I can wholeheartedly recommend that follow the trials and tribulations of an ordinary bloke training to do an Ironman.  The book cover links to amazon.

EVENTS

Ironman Regensburg is my main event this year.  Route maps etc are included.  This was the start of the 2010 race.  Frankly terrifying.

The Maratona di Roma is the best marathon in the world.  Well, it is based on the sample of marathons that I have done – which is one.  But any run that takes in the colloseum, pantheon, vatican, piazza navona etc must be worth a jog around.

I have only run it once (and it caused me a serious run injury) but the Forth Bridge 10k is the best race in Scotland with great scenery and the best after race spread that you can possibly imagine.  If you are already imagining a really good buffet I can assure you it is even better than that.

Open water swimming is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK.  The Great Run people have organised a series of events but because of blue-green algae had to cancel the Great Scottish Swim last year.  I have been know to organise my own great swims if forced to.