Fresh start + 1 week

Still healthy! I started the week pretty easy, doing barely an hour a day, coughing up half my lungs as soon as I started working at all. I had no strength what so ever, and got over-taken by some old dear carrying her weekly tesco's shop, this didn't deter me, I was in the fresh air and healthy! By Friday I was out with Richard Stannard and Clayton Payne on the bike as in the good old days, I certainly wasn't going to challenge them up the hills but I didn't want to get off and walk and no old ladies with shopping baskets went past me.
I also started my new swim push, Glen Walker reviewed my underwater video analysis and gave some great advice in the pool on Tuesday, taking things totally back to basics. Howard Vine from my club BTS backed up all of Glens findings (which was reassuring) and gave similar clear advice on drills to do. I have a long way to go, but at least now I am bringing my Lat's into play (they certainly ache after each session!). I need to by Richard a beer tonight when we go for a curry (by the way it's my birthday) to get him to video me again next week! Maybe if I advertise his site richardstannard.com it will help me?
As for running, I have been stretching religiously, doing my 10 mins a day cross training on stepper, my physio at Care for Health will be so proud of this post! Today I did my first run, a huge 20 minutes. No pain from my knee so far.
Things are looking up on all fronts. Motivation is back, roll on next week and proper training! Firstly, I got a date with a bottle of kingfisher lager tonight, out of here. Sammy G.

Fresh Start Monday

What's been in the press of my year so far has been really positive. However, if the truth be known since Saipan and Guam things have been less than great. On return to the UK I had a lot of extra shifts to catch up on at work, which left me tired on top of the jet lag. I then got a chest infection, missed a week of training, started back too soon, and got ill again. On top of this is have been trying to clear up some nagging patella tendonitis on my right knee. In the end I quit training for the last week to work on decorating my house, which was yet another niggling 'to do' stopping me from training properly. Moral hit rock bottom, to the point of almost tears! I need to rule a line under this 3 week period and Monday is the day!! Chatting to Richard Stannard at his birthday BBQ, we decided this and the following day filmed my swim stroke under water for the big swim push. On Monday I am collecting my posh new Cannondale System6 bike, starting work with my new swim coach Howard Vine. Motivation is coming back, health is improving and my buddy Clayton Payne will be back training after his Atum22 launch www.atum22.com on Tuesday. The training group of Richard, Clayton and myself will be once again be reunited and back on track! I am thinking of missing the European champs now in Italy because I don't think i will be back to fullform, decision to be made in 3 weeks time. Signing out, Sammy G.

Saipan and Guam

The Saipan and Guam trip was great in term of race results and publicity, but has left me quite tired and run down and with a slight knee injury. I am looking to resume running today after 2 weeks rest. I am also in the process of changing swim coaches and look forward to working with Julie Dibens and Glen Walker.