April....snow what! 25m tt PB!

Now as we all know April has been rather mixed, cold, snowy, wet, windy, sunny. I have no idea what to wear when training, when to go out or when to sit at home with a cuppa and look longingly out of the window. Okay the later isn't quite what I do ever, but you get the idea

April has been a month of running progress, cycling frustration and training insight. I have been listening to a podcast called cup of tri, it's amazing! The show is fantastic and some amazing insight. The interviews are so real and with a range of people to aspire to be like and look up to. I highly recommend it and will I am on tenterhooks every week waiting for the new editions to come out. 

Racing in April has been hard and but then when is a race not hard? 

I raced the Nationals at the 12 stages and man alive my running is far from where I want it to be, but after 3 months out what can you expect, so now we build to my first ever 70.3 in early June. I was able to knock 30 seconds off my time from two weeks prior, so I was happy. But it was a fast race. But the 12 stages are great races and fantastic fun days out! 

I have also competed in what has to be one of the Hardee's time trails in the country! The CCT little mountain 39.5. 

The race is crazy hilly and hard to get into a rhythm. But you just have to keep pushing. All the way! Now the race wasn't quite what I expected and actually went slower by 20seconds than last year, but my power avg was 20watts lower. So the silver lining is I'm much more aero than last year, but still frustrating to go slower. Just tired from a training week I guess and needed more rest before the event. 

25m Walsh championships

Now this was one heck of a wet race, it was cold, dark and gloomy. But felt fresh and determined before the race started. The drive to Wales was a little halted by some navigation problems, but still arrived with just enough time to pin up warm up and shape up! 

This course is designed for a PB. Although race conditions were not great due to the rain, the wind was okay and everything about my prep was good. Race started fast, watts were holding well, I was fulled up and felt good. I hit the strange and unfortunately confusing Turing point in good time (although lost about 20/25 seconds trying to figure out how to navigate the roundabouts...potential for time saving next time! 

I headed back on the limit and if I'm honest I should have saved a bit more, but hah Ho! I put everything in and was feeling a bit spent....but kept pushing! I hit the finish after a horrid last mile and hr a 25m PB of 57.17! Very happy but Defo room for improvement.

I really needed a result like this....winter has been good and I've now found out that when fresh there is no excuse! 

Date, nut and oat slices.

These bars have become a staple since i have changed my nutrition, they are easy to make and taste great. High gi, but with added protein and carbs. Perfect for fuel on a long ride, and for that instant hit after a session, to kick start recovery. 

They can take on any flavour you want to add, I like to add some high quality dark chocolate to mine for that bitter sweet kick. 

The base of the bars it dates and Brazil's. 

Ingredients 

100ml boiling water 

300g dates 

200g almonds 

200g oats 

Extras - 

Honey

Dark chocolate 

Coconut 

Cinnamon

  

Instructions-

Start by boiling the kettle, and turning the oven onto 170. Also line a baking tin with baking paper. Then place the Brazil's and dates into the food processor. Pour the boiling waster over and leave them for 2 mins to soak. 

Once they have had a little time to soak, whiz the dates and Brazil's together. Watch out because the water likes to escape. Once combined add the oats and the added extra ingredients if you want to. 

Whiz up again till all combined well. To look like this. 

Pour into the lined baking tray and smooth out. Then place in the oven and bake for 10-15mins until a little firm in the middle. Then the oven off and leave it in the oven for 5 mins. Take out and leave it in the baking tray until cool. Then remove, and place onto a cooling rackets the baking paper still on. Once completely cool remove the baking paper and cut into what ever shapes you like. 

First tri of 2016....how not to race a tri! its been a while. Plus Road relays WAC

HALESOWEN SPRINT TRI 10/4/16

How not to race a triathlon....

Rather a long story....

Swim went okay, felt good. Time not quite there but paving was good and just need to work on my speed. 

Transition was so so so so slow, due to the 2 degree temperatures at 8am I had to put a jacket on....and that cost me a lot of time....90 seconds ish to be exact! 

Finally get Into the bike. Watts were good for me. Felt good, energy levels good. Caught only other man on the course after 10mins (who later beat me into transition). Hilly course and climbed well. And the plot thickens, got lost on the way back into town and if I'm honest it was due to poor marshalling and them not being ready for me as I was the first bike back.....cost me around 5/6 mins! Nightmare. Not good enough, but live and learn. 

Finally get back and run went well, felt good. Energy levels good. Speed not quite there as its only been 4 weeks of running, but still happy! 

All in all crap total time, but very happy with effort levels and how I felt....season looks promising.....if I can not get lost! 

However it was also amazing to see how my coach smashed it up and came 2nd! Well done Matt Bottrill! 

Road relay Worcester AC 2/4/16

Well this was actually my first real race of the year and man alive it was a strange experience trying to run fast again. Let's just say I didn't, although I did try! And I also ran 8 seconds fast than last year....but after 3 months out and 6 months of not running in the past year....what can I expect I guess. Although I wanted more that's for sure and I will be able to get a chance at this on the 16/4/16 on the same course in the national road relay championships. 

France trip, perspective.

France for Easter was amazing. But tiring! I had a blast and saw loads, Paris is a wonderful place and how can Disneyland not be fun....

Two weeks on from my last post, and how times can change. I am tired from my France trip and need to make sure I don't over reach, especially as I have my first big race of the year in June. 

I find that in the world of endurance sports you find that one goal can be another mans breakfast! If you get what I mean. To someone a goal can be something that they have aimed for and built towards but this same goal can just be another day in the life of someone else. But you should make sure that you never compare goals with others. Make sure that goals are yours and no one can take them away....

My goals this year are to stay healthy, race consistently and race well. These are things I have not been able to do in the past 12 months. After having 6 months off running in the last 12 months this is now a place I can build from! 

I have my first race tomorrow at the road relays, this is the first running race of the year and literally my first competitive race in 2016, although it is part of a team. I also have my first triathlon of the year the next weekend, and if I'm honest I am scared and worried, but also excited. I also have a trip to the Lake District cycling which is an amazing place. 

I Do hi we're find that the world or multisport is cruel and unforgiving...so I am going to be ready this year! 

It's been a good winter...

The winter is a time to reflect, decide and devote some time to what you want and aim to achieve for the year. This winter, well since around October I have been making some changes that will hopefully prove critical this year. I have decided to rave longer distance this year and aim for 70.3 races as the main goes of the year, but I have also aimed to make sure I look aftermyself, make better decisions and do things for a reason and perpus to follow a plan and make decisions to ensure that 2016 is a good year. 

I have changed my diet, lifestyle and training to suit the demands of the sport that is triathlon and ensure that I am the best athlete I can be. I have started strength and conditioning again and now I am recovering better, it actually sinks in. I keep my glycogen stores high and this allows me to recover and train hard again. Something I was not doing and have not been doing very well for the past 12 months! 

I have had a good winter and this has allowed me to cycle well during winter reliability rides. Most recently the http://www.echeloncycles.co.uk reliability. It was a 68mile ride taking in Malvern,Tewkesbury and Brendon with some serious climbing. I was happy that I was able to race well and I was able to stay with the front group....just about, through the climbs. Felt very happy with the effort and made me realise that the winter may have been a good one. 

My live for baking is still very high and I have and always will continue to bake recovery and energy fuel for my training. 

Above is a great protein cake recipe, which will be up soon using some great produces form 

http://www.pulsin.co.uk/.

This one is a great banana and choc chip polenta cake. So delicious and perfect for  a post training (although needs to be a tough session) glycogen booster! 

Back to running......

Not this just hurts, I'm slow and it's annoying. But I do see light at the end of the tunnel. I am trying hard not to over do things and make sure I come back stronger, but my legs are certainly fighting back and are not quite expecting the same as my brain would like. But I must be patient and we will see what happens! 

Just a quick one to get the ball rolling......Running again, Sunrise HILLLLL

Its about time I caught up and sent out a blog, although I have to be honest I haven't wanted to due to another run injury taking a lot longer than I wanted it to.....not fun!

SO HAPPY IM RUNNING AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I must say a huge thank you to Mindy at 206phyiotherapy http://www.206therapy.co.uk/  for the best physio work I have had, it was a long road to getting me back running, but we got there and now feeling as though I am over the worst of it and ready to start my year properly.



Turning a negative into a positive is very important, and I had to do this as I wasn't running so I diving (literally) both feet into swimming, and have not become a stronger swimmer than every before. I am entering 70.3 races this year, I have 2 on the cards and in the calendar and now the builds can begin. I am swimming and cycling better than ever, I have to now just concentrate on my running and not make any mistakes.




Over the winter I was able to do some blogs for Pulsin....have a look.

http://www.pulsin.co.uk/blog/fitness/top-tips-for-running/



Banbury 23m Hilly TT

Well what can I say other than, what a hill! literally 19miles in you hit this huge till 16% average...man alive it just goes up and up. This was the first real race of the year and it as a very fun race to have a go at. Started off into a huge head wind and to be honest if I wasn't feeling good I would have struggled, as I hate head winds. Watts were good and really enjoyed it, flying down the hill was great fun but the thought of coming back up it was not good. Hit the turn around point and headed back with the hill in the back of my mind the whole time. I hit the hill and it was tough, dragging a disc up the hill was really hard but also good practise for Little mountain TT in a few weeks.

The race was great fun, a little cold but happy with how it went. Felt good, and have recovered well, which is also a great plus. Need to make sure I stay fit and strong this year and have a solid season.

Riding for Echelon team rotor http://www.echeloncycles.co.uk/ is going to be a huge honour this year and cannot wait to start performing and racing consistently and racing to a high standard.

 

 

 

 

I couldn't resist but get a little bit of baking in here! I will be updating the recipes in my blog soon, I have decided I am certainly not gluten, wheat and dairy free, but do watch my intake of all closely. So new recipes will be coming soon watch this space.  http://danielgeislertri.blogspot.co.uk/p/recipes.html.

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU! Getting the balance right.....hard I know!

Its been a little while since I wrote a blog and I think I needed the break from reflecting! 


I firstly wanted to say a thank you to Matt Bottrill http://www.mattbottrillperformancecoaching.com my coach who has been fantastic for me for almost a year now!

Also my sponsors Pulsin http://www.pulsin.co.uk/, Velotec http://www.velotec.co.uk/ (who have now launched a new amazing website) and PWR http://www.pwrsport.co.uk/ for the constant support.




I had a strange year in 2015 with more than the usual ups and downs, so searching for the formula to allow myself to train, race, improve and be happy is something of a priority now. I have been working at this for a few months now and have in listed the help of different professionals to help with different areas within body and mind.

Training and racing is something that I love, in-fact it is probably the most loved thing in my life. I love the feeling of getting up early, training hard and feeling like you have cheated the day. I love every kind training, the hard sessions the easy sessions, group rides, solo runs, whatever it may be. But last season I lost this feeling and was always searching for something, what that was I don't really know. But what I did realise towards the end of last year was that I wanted the good feeling back, but I had taken my body into places I did want to be and it wasn't going to be a quick fix.

Fantastic sponsor and looking forward to working closer with them in 2016!

http://www.pulsin.co.uk/

I realised that I had been in calorie deficit lmost every day for around 12 months and this had been putting a huge stain on my body, not allowing me to recover or train most days as I have wanted. This had to change and food need to be normalised.....so I am working hard at that and have inlisted the help of a nutritionist.

Looking forward to racing for Echelon-Rotor. 

http://www.echeloncycles.co.uk/

I also started to realise that I had terrible bouts of chronic over training syndrome and this was partly due to the lack of nutrients in my body. This resulted in poor health, poor gut health and poor mental health (no I didnt go mental, but certainly felt like it sometimes). So I am now using different ways to test that my body is responding correctly to stresses of training with Heart Rate Variability monitor.
 (HRV)

All this has been imputed to bring a balance into my life, I must understand just how much I need to feed my mind and soul and be happy with everything that I do and happy with my life, yes this can be very hard work, but very important if you want to succeed. Knowing when to back off and to go for it is something that I have never ever got right and certainly wont be getting spot on quite yet, but I will give it one hell of a go this year.....

Now onward to 2016 season!

 This book is fantastic, what a read.