Tony: So have the mind games begun?
….David turned up with these and said they were too small for him.
He got them for free but do they work ?
or perhaps do they turn into lead weights after 10k……
Mind Games
01 Saturday Feb 2014
Posted in Tony
Tag Archives: Cancer
Team Summary for dry January
31 Friday Jan 2014
Posted in Tony
So as we say goodbye to January we have just the three months and a little bit of tapering until the big day.
However things are well underway….the group seems to have split in two with the oldies putting in the km’s and the younger members of the team going for the high intensity approach. I have reviewed this approach and have decided that with two knackered knees and a shoulder if I attempted a high intensity approach to my training I would line up in May missing vital parts of my body as they would have dropped off and this would then make the event even tougher……
We have seen Peter get pissed off with British rail and start training twice a day, David is now cycling quicker than the British cycling team, Andy has begun to realise taking on the Russell’s is perhaps a little dangerous, and an apology was almost evident in his last message and Dan, well all I can say is his desk at work must have eaten him…..having secured a massive deal he is having to deliver it, well that’s is in between drinking with his mate Robbie who is visiting.
So with just six week to go before we take on the Brownlees in Abu Dhabi training will have to sharpen up…and some good news, while the team have been training, admin has been working hard as well and has arranged for Dan and I to meet both Alistair and Jonny before the race in AD…..should be good and who knows we might even get them involved.
The fund raising stuff also needs to begin and we are meeting this coming week to see how we can encourage you all to part with your money, so any ideas please let us know.
And finally it’s very important to know that all the money we raise goes to Headcase, and I mean ALL….in addition over 98.2p (£1.05 with giftaid) in the pound then finds it’s way to the research programme, Colin Spiers who set up and runs Headcase takes nothing from the money at all, that is a true charity…..isn’t it ?
Training update
28 Tuesday Jan 2014
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
Peter: New training routine today. Running this morning – 6K in the time I had, felt OK actually – then work – then on the bike tonight when I get home, maybe I’m doing too much but time will tell. I must fit in a days work .. Who cares it’s for a great cause
A hard week’s training
26 Sunday Jan 2014
Posted in Tony
The weather has been absolutely dire, over 100 flood warnings in the UK, and that would be added to by the sweat produced by Team Russell and their hard work clocking up kilometres put in on bike, in the pool, on the treadmill (and in the buggie!)
Not quite sure how deep the sympathy pot will be for a pretty poultry training figures for the week Mr Russell senior.
Who is going to win? – the science
17 Friday Jan 2014
Posted in Editor's Posts
Andy only took up endurance racing 2 years ago, Tony has been racing for… well probably longer than Andy has been alive! David is 8 years younger than Tony and 6 younger than Peter. (So if Dan cycles in an easterly direction how tall will Peter be at 4pm)
Only Dan and Tony have done the full Ironman thus far, but Andy has completed the cycled length of France and David across the UK. There are a fair smattering of pre existing conditions the Health Insurance Industry would probably decline to cover but drive and commitment is palpable.
So how have they progressed over the last 4 years at the Sprint distance:
750m swim, 20km cycle and 5k run.
However this is the shorter of the distances normally undertaken. For the uninitiated there is the Olympic distance which is basically double the distances, then the Long Course of half Ironman 70.3 and the big mamma The Ironman.
Combine the fact that different courses will generate different times due to conditions and course difficulty. So the first comparison would not reflect the stamina and endurance required for the longer distances. Here the experience of preparation, tapering, training balance of endurance and core strength will be influencing factors. SO cross comparison is not really clear cut.
Then again we have little in the way of statistics to work on above distance this except for Tony:
So we need a more scientific way of evaluating the likely outcome of the Team Russell podium.
Football! Well I am told it is the answer to everything… so lets see.
On the current Premier League results:
Dan would head the premiership of the four with strong performance in all three disciplines, David in Second feeling the away part of the game impacting his performance and Tony third with lack of direction during training from ever changing Managers and Peter feeling sick as a parrot.
but the season is only half played,
So more science is needed… last year. This would have seen David top the league with Tony in his wake but keeping his lead after a strong swim leg over Dan, and Peter feeling sick as a parrot.
It could be that this science has some merit, after all if we were talking about 2010/11 Then we would have seen Tony the experienced (fanatical) competitor steeling the lead with David on his heals with barely a whisker between them and Dan chasing, and with Peter feeling sick as a parrot.
But there is respite for the most interesting season 2011/12 and here we see David, Dan and Peter whipping the experience with youthful exuberance, and Tony left for dust.
So what will it be? Training hard work, preparation, nutrition, kit and conditions or the “science” of football?
1 down 3 to go…
28 Sunday Jul 2013
Posted in Blog, Three Peaks
Tags
So we’re now on our way to Scafell Pike, having just kicked Ben Nevis’s butt! We started at 4pm as scheduled and completed the highest of the 3 peaks in 3hrs 54mins. I don’t think any of our legs have felt quite so painful but it’s a great feeling to already be a hour ahead of schedule. We met a guy up on the mountain who sponsored us there and then after telling him about Headcase Cancer Trust and Colin’s story. Thank you to all your support and to those who have sponsored us. If you still want to give to this great cause then its not too late. Go to http://www.justgiving.com/tonyanddanironman
Check out the video below too…
OMG its only 2 weeks!
10 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in Blog, Three Peaks
Tags
Whilst out on their weekly run around Hatfield, Paul and Nick suddenly came to the realisation that the challenge is now just over 2 weeks away! It’s definitely come around quicker than we thought! However, this must have spurred them on as they clocked their quickest time yet for 4 miles, at just under 30 minutes! That’s around 7m 30s a mile!
James has been back home in London for the last 2 weeks, so not too sure what training he’s up to at the moment. Daniel, it seems, has taken a break from training and been enjoying the sun a bit too much, if his red face and panda eyes are anything to go by!
Climbing has taken a bit of back-burner for Nick since that lovely hand injury a couple of weeks ago (thanks Paul for stealing the picture from Facebook!). Nick has actually been exercising most week nights (in addition to the weekly runs with Paul) for the last month, with the aim of doing some cardio work each evening. He has also been doing a lot of swimming to improve general fitness, having been swimming 1-1.5 km at least 2-3 times a week. He even managed to swim a 16 minute km just over a week ago!
So training is going well and we all can’t believe that the challenge is now only just over 2 weeks away! But we’re all excited and very much looking forward to it!
A massive congratulations to Tony and Dan for completing the Ironman challenge a couple of weeks ago. It really is a super-human feat and the training and effort they both put into completing it is remarkable. Respect to you both!
Thank you for your continued support for us and for Headcase Cancer Trust!
24 hours to go
22 Saturday Jun 2013
Posted in Blog, Colin's Blog, Dan, Editor's Posts, Tony
In 24 hours the Support team with have escorted the competitors to the beach, distracting the nerves. Tony and Dan will have lined up with over 2000 other insane nutters, Considering the best method to cover the 2 or 3 meters of very uncomfortable stones and launch themselves into the waves to commence a race of a life time.
The walk back from the Pasta Fest last night covered topics such as the metal boredom of straight road run, the merits of setting a time goal for each stage vs being delighted just to complete it and the issues over pre-race preparation involving the bathroom!
The 5k walk, rather than waiting for the hot and overcrowded bus was an opportunity to calculate the view around the bay that will appear on each of the three circuits, and the hope that there will be as little wind as possible to battle with.
The guys talk of flick flacking between nerves and excitement and the desire to just get it started now. But in reality the last day of essential training involves doing very little, and resting, perhaps taking in the rugby, but definitely feet up, until they announce, “perhaps a little swim in the morning would be a good idea, oh and a small run later on” But for now it is a question of mental calm and biding the time to the start.
It is not clear where the live results are to be posted online, if we find out we will pass the information on through a blog post. But the start is 6:30am, remember Nice is a hour ahead, so obviously we hope everyone will be up bright and early at 5:30 to be thinking of them at their start line.
7:30-7:50 they hope to be exiting the swim., hopefully fending off any kicks to important parts of the body, and dodging the jelly fish.
Then the bike, a bit of an unknown really and with some pretty eye-watering inclines the challenge is immense:
The race is not possible to view en route unless you are residing in one of the mountain villages as lots of roads are closed and the thought of taking a car or taxi up to station yourself to see them wizz past but increase the chances of being the cause of a collision with a competitor in some freak accident is not worth it.
So after thy have done the journey they will return to the seafront. It is thought anytime from between 2 to 4pm local time.
Then the run, four times up and down the Promenade de Anglais.
Support crew on hand if required, mainly in full voice to cheer as loudly as possible, and post any and all news as live as possible.
Expected finish time, nothing firm and no expectations, but vaguely any time between between 7 and 9pm, But we will keep you posted.
Lloyd’s the Musical – A night we will never forget
25 Saturday May 2013
Posted in Editor's Posts, Events, Uncategorized
The 23rd May 2013 will be seared into the minds of many. in fact for those that have any memory at all it will we hope have been logged as a great evening of fun, surprise and fund raising.
We already knew we had raised £2100 in donations to secure a place which has been collected on the Just giving site.
but on the night we also raised – £810 from the Prize draw, plus dances with cast and peanut retrieval escapades (don’t ask!) and £1000 after expenses for the event sponsorship then the auction items totaled £6950
meaning the evening raised £10,860
Less what has already been listed leaves £7,950 still to log bringing the total as of today to £23,536
This is mind blowing really but also tantalizing close to the big “30” it would be absolutely fab to get there by 23rd June, that is just 29 days away!
So if you feel you can throw in another £10, £20 or £50 out of this month’s pay, or have any pending fundraising ideas you can throw into action.
A big thank you to:
- Paradise Park, Cohort for a feed the cats experience www.pwpark.com
- Insider Magazine for two subscriptions http://www.insuranceinsider.com/
- Cohort Film Services for a behind the scenes trip http://cohortfs.co.uk/
- A years subscription to www.luxury-briefing.com
- Denning Solicitors www.denningsolicitors.com
- Royal Wimbledon Golf Club courtesy of Chris Gems
- Spa Fabulous Organics www.spafabulousorganics.co.uk
Without whom we would not have had such an amazing result.
Another Trophy!
20 Monday May 2013
Tags
So another season over and another trophy in the cabinet…not too shabby. Oh and another manager destined for the scrap heap !
Our final pilgrimage to the Bridge saw us visit the Prince of Wales, our normal drinking hole before games, so armed with wheelchair, the boys from Baldock managed to get Colin there in one piece.
As Helen said, how he has done it I just don’t know. After the excursion to Amsterdam, where we went a straight 24 hours before ending up in Colin’s room at 3.30am on the Thursday morning, (having won the Europa Cup) eating all the sandwiches Helen had made along the way, grabbing about five hours sleep and then back on it, well just amazing.
Yesterday saw us end the season in third place beating off our London rivals and securing Champions league for next season…more European fun, in fact we are already looking at the Prague trip in August for the Super Cup against the Germans.
Special mention to Bootsie (head carer) what a job he has done, take a bow !!!!!
So now we have a break however fund raising is still in full swing, we have the Insurance night on Thursday: Lloyd’s The Musical, and the famous waxing this weekend. We have also enlisted four guys who are going to do the three peaks in July and adding their funds to our cause….great stuff.
So as we approach the second half of our challenge we are still looking at more events so anything you can think off please let us know,
Finally, and now that the money is on the JG site I felt I must point out to Faye and the girls that whilst their event and total was amazing it wasn’t quite up to the boys total !!!! Not that this is a competition (much), but with the Photograph money raised on the night we raised over £1300, I’m sure as you said Faye ‘girls should be running the world’ but let’s keep the finances with the boys !
(Trusting the editor will not use editorial licence and accidentally omit the final paragraph!)
Headcase Ironman 