Run (x3), swim, turbo, walk, ride (plus big plants, French and how to avoid repeated stuffing)

The Dayton Hawk, second from the camera got an outing (but just a short one)

The ultra training plan makes no concession for Sunday’s triathlon, so back into it with a run on Monday morning – 8.7km (5.4 miles) round the old Badbury hill fort. No aches or pains but tired legs.

Swim doctor class in the evening. My training partner deserved a gold star for his triathlon swim and I merited detention for mine. I have much work to do before September’s olympic distance race – at the moment a 1500m open water swim feels rather daunting. I’m hoping that the answer is more down to me getting happier with the (still) alien environment of the lake than anything else. Wishful thinking?

There’s a vey nice chap in his 30’s who comes along to the swim doctor sessions (and swims very well). Talking to him last night, we find that he has done 11 full Ironman triathlons. Sort of puts you in your place!

I was planning a long run on Tuesday but, luckily, it rained so I postponed it and got on the turbo later – but I found that the rear tyre was completely flat. I pumped it up and rode for 30 minutes @ 28.2kph (17.5mph). It was hard from the outset but by the time I finished it was becoming very tough – not surprising as I found that the tyre was rapidly emptying itself of air. Just a 30 minute session, but with a fairly high training value.

The training plan has 55km for this week, with a long run of 35km. I’m 115km ahead of the plan over the first 14 weeks and have done a long run of over 32km (the plan’s longest run has been 25km) so although I’m keeping score against the plan, I’m not really following it.

In that spirit I went out on Wednesday morning, on completely unrested legs. With an oat bar for breakfast, two gels during the run and a bit more water than last week, I proved to myself that having a first drink at 20km is too late as the weather gets warmer and the runs longer.

I ran for 36.6km (22.7 miles). I took the first sign of impending cramp in the calf muscles as a good reason to stop but looked for some decent hills late in the run to practice the ultra marathon recommended approach of walking up the big hills and running the rest – that seemed to work well. I creaked for the rest of the day but managed to pick up our younger son from the station as he comes to spend a few days with us during his half term break from his teaching studies.

On Thursday morning everything was working pretty well which was handy as we had agreed to a dog walk with friends, followed by a pub lunch. A bit over 10km, and it was lovely but the legs were tested. I tried the Garmin again – this time 3h 15 minutes used only 18% of the battery which suggests more battery life than the last test – it’s confusing.

No bike shop on Friday because of the Bank Holiday, so I dipped out of the gym session to get an early start to drive down to Bournemouth, to try to miss the Bank Holiday traffic. I did both lawns (which were looking rather meadow-like) and then went for a run – over 10km to meet the week’s target – along the busy seafront, beyond Boscombe Pier and back. Then I mowed the front lawn again to bring it rather more under control.

Bournemouth, Bournemouth, so good I mowed it twice.

On Saturday I dusted off my 1946 Dayton Hawk and cycled in to Faringdon to take part in the cycle club’s vintage bike ride to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. When I say to take part in the bike ride, I really mean ‘turn out at the start to boost the numbers and then cycle home because of the need to get ready for the village’s Jubilee lunch (which was held at the Tithe Barn and was very well attended and very enjoyable).

Another day off exercise on Sunday as e drove to London to take our son back. Rather apprehensive about the traffic heading back into London – it’s terrible most Sundays but the four day weekend might have helped to smooth the return of people to the capital and it was fine.

A strange week with Bank Holidays on Thursday and Friday, no gym and no lake swim – although my friend and training partner smashed a swim on Friday. His ankle seems to be cured – as he gets back to running, I am looking down the barrel of a good beating in September’s triathlon.

100k corner (an occasional place for ultra news, worries and plans)

Week (of 20)	Event’s training plan (km)	My actual (km)
15	55	56
Cumulative total	529	645

Interesting stuff this week

1. African wise words: A happy man marries the girl he loves; a happier man loves the girl he married

2. BBC News website: Turkey rebrands as Türkiye

Turkey will be known as Türkiye at the United Nations from now on, after it agreed to a formal request from Ankara.

The State broadcaster TRT was quick to make the change as soon as it was announced last year, explaining that among the reasons for the image rebrand was the association with the bird traditionally associated with Christmas, New Year or Thanksgiving. It also pointed out the Cambridge English Dictionary’s definition of one of the meanings of the word as “something that fails badly” or “a stupid or silly person”.

“Türkiye is the best representation and expression of the Turkish people’s culture, civilization, and values,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in December.

Do I now have to have Türkiye at Christmas?

3. BBC News website: The largest known plant on Earth

A seagrass of about 200 sq km (77 sq miles) – roughly three times the size of Manhattan – has been discovered off the coast of Australia.

Using genetic testing, scientists have determined a large underwater meadow in Western Australia is in fact one plant which is believed to have spread from a single seed over at least 4,500 years.

4. BBC News website: Language watchdog promotes French gaming terms

The Académie Française (created in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, and the official custodian of the French language) says “jeu video de competition” should replace “e-sports”, and “streamer” should become “joueur-animateur en direct”.

France’s culture ministry told the AFP news agency that Anglicisms were “a barrier to understanding”. France regularly issues warnings of the “debasement” of its language through imported English words.

Sacré bleu

5. BBC News website: Firm unveils plans for Taser-armed drones

Arizona-based company, Axon, says that the high-tech solution is necessary amid a “fruitless” debate on gun policy in the US and that it has formally begun developing a miniature, lightweight Taser that can be deployed on a drone or robot.

According to the company, “targeting algorithms” will assist operators to aim the device safely and all use-of-force decisions will be made by an authenticated and authorised human operator “who has agreed to take on legal and moral responsibility for any action that takes place”.

Why am I not properly reassured?