Wednesday Training...and July conclusions...

Double session on Wednesday night.

Out with the Plumstead Runners early doors for an easy paced 7 miler then straight off to the Gym...

A brand new route for me. Along the river shuttle. Most of the run out to Avery Hill Park and beyond was off road then from Falconwood back to the club was on the pavements. Seriously humid, was soaked with sweat by the return.

Then it was off to the Gym...

A really good session in the Gym tonight. The usual upper body routine with some extra chest presses thrown in (not marked on the chart as I've only just remembered but as I only religiously record the duration of the sessions, it really doesnt matter!) I dont some additional work on the quads, increasing the leg presses up to 90kg which was more than sufficient.

If I'm honest, the knee was sore tonight. Not overly but enough to notice it. It felt particularly sore running on the further part of Avery Hill Park but I dug in and got home. I'm fortunate that I've got three rest days coming up as I've got Izzy staying with me.

Right, we're at the end of the July. I'm still feeling reasonably fit but the knee "injury" has really set back my plans of competing in the RideLondon100 and as of 5 minutes ago, I'm now officially withdrawn and I have deferred until 2014. An annoyance but not the end of the world.

In line with my training programme discussed with Chandra, I'm now planning to cut the cardio work I have been doing and I will be concentrating my efforts on muscle building for a good 3-4 months then we'll see where I am.

However, if you check out the workload tab, you'll see my July workload has been much more focused on Gym work. I'm pleased that it appears I'm putting in more hours again as it has felt recently that my efforts have been wavering.

Tuesday Training

In from work at 5.45pm. Back out at 6pm. In the Gym by 6.20pm. Back home by 7.45pm. Talk about organised.

Firstly, the 2 mile run to the Gym...

(Insert Garmin dump here)

2.5km on the treadmill then the usual weights routine...

Then the 2 mile run home...

(Insert Garmin dump here)

Another great session. The knee felt reasonably good, even with 80kg loaded through the quads on the leg press.

Monday Training

After two days off with Izzy, Monday was about getting back in routine again.

The plan was to run to the Gym for the warm up, work out and then run on to the parents house afterwards so I could say hello to some other relatives that had popped in...

So the warm up...

Then my workout which consisted of a quick 2.5km burst on the treadmill then into the weights room...

Then the cool down run back to the parents...

It was a great work out. The knee felt a little sore on the warm up run but was fine on the treadmill and during the weights session. I've now upped the dumbbells to 7kg and upped the leg press by 10kg to 80kg so am moving in the right direction.

Friday training

Had a day off on Friday so I hit the Gym at lunchtime to work the quads again.

I made a conscious effort of cutting down on the cardio today and concentrating on the strength/weights work.

Click to expand...

Warm up was limited to one 2.5km run on the treadmill.

12 reps of my normal upper body/core routine, sandwiched between 2 sessions of leg extensions to build the quads.

 

Thursday Training

Another session in the Gym tonight.

The usual 5km warm up is now split into 2 lots of 2.5km, with some stretching in the middle.  Straight into the weights then another 2.5km to cool down.

Click to expand...

 

I guess I'd better start being an Athlete now then?

Look what came through in the post today...

I guess I'd better start doing some proper races now to make use of it!

Wed night training...

I always look forward to running with the Plums on a Wednesday evening but I have to say I was a bit nervous as to how the knee would react so I opted for the shorter, slower run. Ended up having a nice 5.5 mile run and chat with the ever-so-lovely Mary.

Thankfully, the knee reacted ok. No reactions, no mumurs as such. So the plan then was to hit the Gym and do some work on my quads, which Ally the Physio told me needed some further strengthening which in turn would reduce the tension in and around the patella tendon.

Gym work out details (click to expand)

My normal warm up is 5k on the treadmill but given I'd just run 5.5 miles, I set myself a modest 2.5lm target, run in 0.5kmh increments every 0.5km, starting at 10.5kmh.

Once I'd warmed up, I hit the weights room. 5 sets of 5 reps x 25kg on the Leg Extension machine. Then 3 sets of 10 reps x 70kg on the Leg Press. My quads were positively burning afterwards and had very little left in them. However, the knee still felt ok.

By means of recovery, I headed upstairs and done my usual upper body and core workout. Instead of doing the usual 7-8 reps, I cut back to only doing 5. Once done, I headed back to the treadmill and ran another 2.5km for cool down. The knee again felt ok.

It was a really good evening. I'd literally come in my front door at 5.45p, had left by 6.10pm then didnt walk back in until gone 10pm and unsurprisingly, I felt absolutely shattered. I had eaten at 12noon but then wasnt eating again until gone 10pm. Its good to know I'd burned a calorie deficit and I'd started to eat into my glycogen stores.

The plan is to head back to the Gym on Thursday evening and do similar but will do a minimum 5km warm up. Then I may well run Friday lunchtime. If not, I wont be doing any exercise again until Sunday evening at the earliest because I have got Izzy with me all this weekend.

Self-massage for Patella Tendonitis

24 hours later, I'm glad to say the knee has settled down again but its still not sure and its definitely not 100%. This will now be my 7th consecutive day of taking Ibuprofen. I have ordered some more Kinesio tape so I'm able to strap up the Patella tendon like Ally showed me last week.

With some research, I discovered a self-massage video which shows you how to massage the Patella tendon.

I was unsure whether this would work but I gave it a go and I can honestly say it did provide a little relief.

I'm going to attempt to run with the Plums tonight then maybe hit the Gym for some low impact work afterwards. I am feeling very frustrated (no, not like that!) that I'm currently unable to even think about cycling. I'm going to give it another few days then I have to make a decision whether to attempt the RideLondon100 or not.

Back on the saddle but not good news...

After exactly a three week lay off, I got back on my bike last night.

Met up with my old pal Rich W and we set off on the regular Gravesend & Higham training loop.

 

It was a good tempo ride, around 17mph (only dropped to 16.9mph once we got caught by the traffic lights at Welling Station on our trip to the pub for post-ride carb-loading of the Stella/San Miguel variety) and was thoroughly enjoyable.

However, the ride left me with one nagging doubt. My knee. It is still not right. Not by a long chalk. I didnt feel it for the first 15 miles or so but then it kicked in. A dull ache. I got through the ride but the pace dropped because of the knee. We would have been up around 18/19mph had I not had to back off the pace on the small number of climbs when the discomfort increased.

Having slept overnight and now on my second dose of Ibuprofen since the ride, I can still feel the knee. It feels stiff although it isnt. Very uncomfortable indeed.

I'm 12 days away from the RideLondon100 and I feel as though I've got no choice now but to withdraw. I'm absolutely gutted. I'm going to give it a few more days to settle down and see where I'm at then but I think my chances of attempting the RL100 are diminishing by the day now.

AVB & Baldini's search for a striker hots up

With AVB and the Spurs first team squad in Hong Kong for the Barclays Trophy (first game sees Spurs come up against Paolo Di Canio's Sunderland on Wednesday morning), the whereabouts of Tottenham's Technical Director has come into the spot light.

ITK has suggested he was in Spain.

As it appears, late last night, there was hard evidence to prove he was there...

Baldini in Spain...apparently with the President of Valencia

The guy behind the lens says Baldini was with the President of Valencia.  This would tie up with the ITK that Spurs are interested in Spain international centre-foward Roberto Soldado.  Obviously the ITK stuff needs to be taken with a huge sack-load of salt too but after missing out on Villa and Benteke, it is plainly obvious for all to see that Spurs need to make their move shortly.

Whilst in Hong Kong, AVB has confirmed Spurs' interest in Soldado...

"At the moment, he's just one of the players we are interested in...

It's not a lie to anybody that we've been looking for a striker to strengthen our squad and to have more strength in depth...

Roberto is one of the players we have been following and his career speaks for itself. He's a great striker...

But there isn't a deal being struck at the moment, it's just interest and conversations..."

So "conversations" pretty much confirm talks are in progress and the picture above.

Roberto Soldado...heading to WHL?

It is common knowledge that Valencia have huge financial problems at the moment and we all know that Levy does like to take advantage of a deal.  It is also common knowledge that Soldado has a €30m (£25.8m) buy out clause so Spurs would need to smash their transfer record, the sum of £17m which was paid for Brazilian international Paulinho only a few weeks ago.

The one alarm bell for this deal would be the fact that he is 28.  That rather goes against the grain of Levy's transfer policy of bringing in young players with a potential sell on value.  If Soldado signed a 4-5 year contract, that would take him to 32-33, the potential twilight of his career.  There is no way Spurs could ever recoup the £25.8m buy out clause but of course, it could be argued that if he scores 20+ goals in a season, it would put Spurs in a very good position for qualifying for the Champions League and could be seen as an astute investment.

Soldado's scoring record makes for interesting reading...

Soldado scoring record (Source: Wikipedia)

In the last 4 seasons he has scored 20, 25, 27 and 30 goals.  Thats impressive.

I have to say I personally dont know much about Soldado.  I think I'll do some research on You Tube very shortly.   However, first impressions are Soldado could be exactly what Spurs are looking for.  The key question for me is whether Levy is willing to meet the buy-out clause.

Ooooh, another signing?

Welcome to Tottenham Hotspur Nacer Chadli (subject to medical and personal terms!)

Who? I hear you ask.  Good question, I know absolutely nothing about him.

Nacer Chadli...at last some competition and back-up for Lennon

The Guys that do know about him are impressed.  Signed from FC Twente for a rather modest sum of €7m, we've got a two footed winger on our hands, finally some competition and back-up for Aaron Lennon.

Not much to go on but as always, the first thing to do do is get on to You Tube and check out the obligatory highlight videos.

This will do nicely.  Definitely got two feet, can take a free kick and knows where the goal is.  Looks good.

Oh and he played for FC Twente against Spurs in the Champions League a few years ago and scored...

So he definitely knows where the goal is...splendid.
Good work Levy and Baldini, surely its just a centre-forward (or two?) now?

The Ashes - 2nd Test - Days 3&4 Lords

Call me lazy, I'm going to quickly summarise Days 3 and 4 of the 2nd Test. England stuffed Australia out of sight. England batted throughout Day 3, resuming on 31-3, Joe Root went on to score 180 in the 2nd innings, England declared on 349-7, a lead of 582, with Australia needing to bat for almost the entirety of 6 sessions to get a draw, let alone the victory. England ripped through them, the Aussie's batting letting them down again, bowling them out for 231, giving England the victory by 347. Again there was some DRS controversy. Agar was unlucky to be given out for an edge behind with no visible hotspot shown on the replay. Smith caught Bell at Gully and appeared to get both his hands underneath the ball but the 3rd umpire gave it not out. I almost felt sorry for the Australians, they certainly havent been getting the rub of the green in the first two tests.

Day Three Highlights:

Day 4 Highlights:

The Ashes - 2nd Test - Day 2 Lords

This test series is getting ridiculous now.

The second day of a Lords Test is traditionally the easiest time to bat, 16 wickets fell.

Bresnan went first ball of the day but England's tail wagged and Broad and Swann took England up to 361ao, a 1st innings total which looked below par but you can never judge an innings until you've seen the other team bat.

Australia hit the self destruct button.

Watson and Rodgers started brightly until Watson was LBW on the last ball before lunch. Rodgers went soon after lunch LBW to a filthy full toss which slipped out of Swann's hand but then Australia capitulated to a horrendous 128ao with Swann taking a 5 for.

With the game only 5 sessions old, England didnt enforce the follow on but decided to bat again to rest the bowlers and bat the Aussie's completely out of the game.

Peter Siddle gave the Aussies a slight sniff of a chance taking 3 before stumps when England were 31-3 with Root and nightwatchman Bresnan seeing England to the close.

Man vs Bike...

So does having an expensive superbike really make a difference???

The Ashes - 2nd Test - Day 1 Lords

Another fascinating day.  Australia started like a house on fire, taking 3 wickets in the opening 30 minutes.  England fought back, putting on over 200 for only for loss of Jonathon Trott but an insired move by Clarke to bring on part-time leggie Steve Smith turned the day back in the Aussies favour as he ripped through the middle-order, taking out the well set Bell, who has smashed a third consecutive Ashes century in three tests, Bairstow with a filthy full toss and Prior caught behind.

England sent out night watchmen Jimmy Anderson and finished at stumps on 289-7.  The England tail really needs to wag on Day 2 as this really is a 400-450+ batting surface.

Fair play to the Aussies though.  They've come right back at England, nothing less than we would expect...

 

Injury update

24hrs after last night's run with the Plums, my knee feels absolutely fine.  Not even the remotest little twinge having now been on the Ibuprofen for 48 hours as instructed.

However, really unlike me, I've spent most of this evening asleep.  Hopefully, its just down to the heat.  One of my wisdom teeth is sore too as its cutting through the Gum as well so may be related.  Spent nearly 90 minutes asleep in the bath and then fell asleep again on the sofa for nearly 45 mins during the second half of the England Ladies v France Ladies match on BBC3.  I cant remember the last time I fell asleep indoors before bedtime.

Anyhow, the knee feels good enough to cycle on now for the first time in over three weeks.  So thats the plan for tomorrow night.  Nothing too far or over the top, just a nice ride at half decent pace out into the lanes to ensure I've got the cleat positions correct and am going to adjust my saddle height too, raising it a fraction to take some more pressure off the knees and hopefully give me a little more power.

Roll on tomorrow evening!

Hot and Sweaty Plums

24 hours after seeing the physio, I was back out on the road with the Plumstead Runners.  A gentle run down to the club then a slow 10k and a bit out to Oxleas Woods and back.  It was seriously warm last night and was a real test.

After only 2 miles of the 8, my legs felt totally drained...

 

Only 8 reasonably slow miles but blimey, it felt much much longer than 8 miles. It was a huge struggle for me and I havent felt as destroyed as I did last night after a run for quite some time.
Not sure whether I'm coming down with something or whether it was just the heat and I only ran with water rather than an energy drink. The good news is that the knee held up reasonably well. It was a little sore on the inclines but that was to be expected with the quads loaded with pressure. This morning, the knee still feels reasonably good.

Injury progress...

Thanks to Ally, my former brother-in-law, I woke up this morning without soreness or pain in my left knee for the first time in about 4 weeks.  What a transformation!

I can look forward to things getting back to normal and increasing my training hours again.

I've got a huge smile on my face this morning, am so relieved.

Dont self-diagnose injuries on the internet...

I learnt a valuable lesson this evening.

Dont self-diagnose injuries on the internet as you're 99.9% likely to be wrong.

Tonight, I was lucky enough to been seen by my ex-brother-in-law who is actually one of the Physios on the Ars*nal back-room staff.

After a quick examination and manipulation of the knee, he confirmed there was no damage to the knee and the pain was very much typical behaviour of tendonitis of the patella tendon.  Typical behaviour as it would hurt during exercise but it would be bloody sore afterwards.

So, its a case of dosing up on Ibuprofen until it settles down and I've got some exercises to do to strengthen the quads which will take pressure off the patella.

Oh...and now I'm taped up too, to further reduce the pressure on the tendon...

Oooh, taped up like a footballer ;)

 Fingers crossed the tendon settles down ASAP.

The knee again...

As at 6pm tonight, my knee felt absolutely fine again.

When I left work at 4.30pm, it the knee felt stiff and was sore to touch.  By the time I'd stood up on the train home and then walked from the station back home, it was fine.

Done some stretches and rolled the quads on the foam roller then set off out for a slow 1 lap loop of the Plums cross country course.

 

It was very warm out there tonight. I wore a cap to keep the sun of my head but it was absolutely drenched by the time I got back. Now the good weather has dried out the course, its actually a lot harder to run. The tree roots are much more prominant and the ground is much more uneven.
Although a slow pace, it was a good work out. The knee felt fine throughout the run. 3 hours later as I write this, the knee is a little sore. Again, the main test will be how it feels tomorrow morning after 6-7 hours of inactivity.

With tonight's run, I passed another milestone. 500 miles for 2013...

500 miles not out...

 

Frank Bruno and Bipolar Disorder

Most people will know the reasons behind my decision to ride London to Paris to raise money for Mind, the mental health charity last year.

I've just read a very interesting article on Frank Bruno here and is well worth a read.

Really must remember to set the Sky+.

The Documentary is screened on BBC 3, Tuesday 23rd July, 9pm.

 

The morning after the night before...

Am currently sitting at my desk in the office and I can feel the knee.  Its sore.  I'm frustrated beyond belief now.  I cant afford to be taking any more time away from running or cycling as I know my weight will start going up again.

 

The Ashes - 1st Test - Day 5 Trent Bridge

Get in!

Holy mother of God.  If this test match set the tone for the four remaining in the 2013 home Ashes series, I seriously dont think my heart will take it.

This was an absolutely amazing test match and a similar nailbiting climax to what we experienced at Edgbaston in 2005.

After Anderson had picked off Agar, Starc and Siddle, Australia were rocking at 231-9.  Veteran 'keeper-batsman Brad Haddin was still at the crease, already on 50no with Pattinson.  The pair made an amazing last stand of 65, including Haddin taking 15 off a single Finn over and Pattinson smashing Swann for a huge six over mid-wicket against the spin.

Needing just 15 to win, Anderson run in again to Haddin and he got the slightest nick on the ball through to 'keeper Prior.  Not out said the umpire, England reviewed.  Hotspot showed a tiny spot on Haddin's bat.  Third umpire asked for the audio.  The audio was consistent with the nick on the bat.  Umpire crossed his arms and up went the finger. Haddin was out and England had won by 14 runs.

Thats as good as Test Cricket gets.  Stunning game.  To think we've got four more tests in this series and then 5 more in Australia in the winter, I'm not sure I can cope with the drama.

Jimmy Anderson was rightly MOTM for his 10for (5for in both innings).

The second test starts at Lords this coming Thursday.  In terms of changes, Australia's Ed Cowan is under pressure after two failures with the bat and I fancy him to be replace with David Warner.   For England, Steven Finn looked out of form and is a prime candidate for change but given Lords is his normal home ground with Middlesex, he may get a reprieve.  Otherwise, I'd expect to see him replaced for Tim Bresnan, which would also bolster England's batting line up.
 

Weekend update...Izzy...the knee...and the cricket...

I had a cracking 24 hours and a bit with Izzy this weekend.  Chilled out in front of the tv last night and we hit Crook Log at 7.30 on Sunday morning for some swimming.

26 lengths of the 20m teaching pool = 520m in the bank.  For a 7 year old, thats a cracking effort.  It was a bit of an effort for me to keep up with her if the truth be known.

The good news is that the knee reacted well afterwards and during the day, so I cut the 7 day of complete rest by a day and headed out on the road after Top Gear this evening for a relaxed pace 5k.

 

Nothing miraculous, just down to the Plums club house, turned left and looped back on myself, just about spot on the 3.1 miles back home. I didnt feel the knee throughout the run and I havent felt it in the hour since being back. I ensured I stretched properly, rolled both quads and IT bands on the foam roller and I guess it helped that I walked down to the corner shop to grab a can of Diet Coke to sip while I soaked in the bath.

So far so good but tomorrow morning will be the ultimate test to see how it reacts to not moving and possible stiffening over night.

Oh and not forgetting the weekend was topped off by the brilliant climax to the Test Match. Will post up my thoughts shortly.

Training & Injury Update...

Thought it is about time I should update the blog on the current injury situation.

As its stands, I can still feel discomfort in the knee and it is minimal.  However, its comes and goes.  I'm absolutely convinced it is PFPS as when I start to feel it, if I stretch out the quad muscles on the roller, it soon disappears.  I still feel minor discomofrt behind the knee cap though.

My research on PFPS indicates that I need to work on strengthening the quads to avoid the problem, so I'll be concentrating on this in the Gym in the upcoming weeks.

In terms of training, the last time I run was last Monday so I'm now into my 5th day of completely resting the knee from cardio work, both running and cycling.

I've done some upper body and abs strength work this week and it is beginning to show in my month workload now...

Click to expand...

I think its the first time since January that the strength work has dominated over running and cycling.  Not a bad thing though.  Its a good thing to cross train.

I'm still not even thinking about doing any cardio for another 2 days to give the knee a complete 7 day rest and then I will reassess and see where its at.

The Ashes - 1st Test - Day 4 Trent Bridge

Another totally compelling day of cricket.  It swung one way, then another, then another.  This is what test cricket is all about.

England closing in on victory?  Its going to be a nail biting finale.

This test has vision of Edgbaston 2005 the way the momentum is shifting one way then another.

England started the day positively.  Broad flashed at a wide one and the ball flew between 2nd and 3rd slip to reach his 50.  Thunderous standing ovation.  Bell made his century but once Broad edged behind (and walked this time ;), Australia closed out the tail, bowling out England for 375, leaving themselves a large but getable 311 for victory.

The Aussies started tremendously well.  They put on 84 before losing their first wicket, Broad capturing Watson leg before.  Cowan made a scratchy start but fell for a modest 14 then Rogers went just after tea, Anderson bowling a leg cutter which Rogers chipped up to the covers.

Then the turning point.  Aussie skipper Clarke edged behind, huge noise as the ball passed the bat, he followed the ball into Prior's gloves and didnt walk.  Blatant edge.  Umpire gave it out.  He immediately referred it but snicko spotted the edge and that was his wicket confirmed.

End of over.  Swann at the over end ripped one out of the rough into the legs of Smith, huge appeal for lbw and it was 2 in 2 balls.  No referals left, he was gone.  England were looking null and void for a spell but 3 wickets after tea gave them momentum.

Hughes fell lbw to Swann not long after and Australia closed on 174-6.

Its a simple calculation.  Australia need another 137 runs to win.  England need 4 wickets.  England have to be favourites but with Brad Haddin still in with Agar, both results are still possible.  The Australians never give up so it could be an absolute nail biter again.

The Club that Bill Nich made...

The Ashes - 1st Test - Day 3 Trent Bridge

 

Day 3 turning point...Broad edges to Clarke but doesnt walk...

Another absolutely enthralling day of Test Cricket.  I was plonked on the sofa and didnt move all day.  Was lovely to have the company of my brother for the majority of the day too.

Australia needed early wickets, England needed a solid start.  Cook and KP battled well to see out the second day at stumps and it was essential that they saw out the first hour whilst increasing the scoring rate.

KP batted positively.  His intentions were clear in the first over he faced.  He looked to hit a fullish ball through midwicket only for the ball not to come through as he expected, got a thickish leading edge and it went for four through the covers.  Cook at the other end started slower.  The pair saw out the first hour but then Australia stuck.  KP chopped onto his stumps from a wide ball and Australia's debutant hero Agar claimed the scalp of Cook with a ball that leapt out of the rough and popped up to slip.

In came Bell.  He was a due an innings and he delivered.  At stumps tonight, he remains 95no having batted for 5hr 30mins.  It was epic.  He played straight.  He left everything wide.  He kicked the spinner away from outside leg stump in the rough.  He was magnificent.   He was manfully supported by Matt Prior and later Stuart Broad.  Prior batted positively and was looking in great nick before he toe-ended a short ball to mid wicket.

When Broad came in at 218-6, England led by around 150.  Clearly not enough with two days and another session to come.  Both him and Bell were extremely patient and played every ball with its merit.

The psychological turning point came as England led by 232.  Agar got one to bounce out of the rough to the left-handed Broad and it went straight to Aussie skipper Clarke.  Up they all went in glee...but Broad, for whatever reason, didnt walk.  He walked down the track, done a wee bit of gardening with his bat and went for a chat with Bell at the non-strikers end.  Umpire Aleem Dar remained unmoved and didnt raise the finger.  Did he not see it?  Surely he must have done.  There was a clear sound on TV and Steve and I both knew at home that it was out but Dar somehow didnt give it out.

Howzzaaat?  Not out :)

Unbelievable. Tbh, I'm surprised Broad didnt walk.  Ok, its against the Aussies I know but when you get a massive nick like that, I was brought up to walk.  Had I not walked playing for a club, you can imagine the reaction I would have got.  Having said that, my own team mates would give me stick for walking too.

You cant beat a bit of controversy in an Ashes test.  Some will argue that had the third umpire given Agar out stumped and given Trott not out last night, England would have already amassed a lead of 350 and Australia would have already been out of the game.

At stumps tonight, England lead by 261.  The record 4th innings run chase at Trent Bridge stands at 284-6 when England beat New Zealand in 2004.

For the sake of the game, England need to start Day 4 well and try and get the lead up to 300 and beyond.  With Anderson's reverse swing and Swann's spin, England are just about on top right now.

Absolutely no doubt that the Aussies will still be absolutely livid in their dressing room right now.

I will post up the Day 3 highlights when available.

The Ashes - 1st Test - Day 2 Trent Bridge

On Wednesday, I posted on FB who the hell was Ashton Agar.  Well we all bloody know now.

Anderson ripped through the Australian tail in the first hour of Day 2 and Agar game to the wicket at 117-9.  The 19 year old debutant showed both sides exactly how to bat on the surface and hit a record 98 for a debutant at No.11.

Absolutely insane.  For the record, he was incorrectly given Not Out by the third umpire for a stumping chance off the bowling of Swann.  Had that been the case, England would have gone into the second innings with a lead of around 90 but instead they were chasing a deficit of 60odd instead.

You win some, you lose some.  Agar should rightly take all the plaudits.  It was a stunning innings.  I hate to admit it but I felt gutted for him when he fell two short of what would have been a debut century.  Fair play to the lad, he's got a very big future in the game and one thing is for sure...we all know who he is now and he certainly wont bat at No.11 ever again.

Agar put the England bowlers to the sword on Day 2...

 

The Ashes - 1st Test - Day 1 Trent Bridge

Today was the beginning of the biggest sporting theatre of them all.  The Ashes.

Does any sporting contest get any bigger than England v Australia.

Memories of test series after test series of being totally dominated by the Aussies with bat and ball come to mind, the hurt finally ended by the 2005 Ashes series.  Has there been a greater test series?  I doubt it.

Anyhow, after the build up which seems to have gone on forever, the day was finally here.

On a dry abrasive pitch, Alastair Cooke won the toss and opted to bat first.

A mixture of a cracking spell of bowling from Peter Siddle who took a 5for and some poor shot selection from the England batsman saw England lose 6 wickets from a position of 178-4 to 215 all out.  Disappointing wasnt the word.

Click to expand England scorecard

However, you can never judge one innings without seeing the opposition have a bat on the same track.  An inspiration spell of two wickets in two balls from Finn and a world class outswinger from Anderson, pitching on middle and hitting the top of off stump saw both openers and captain Clarke back in the hutch at 22-3.  Australia recovered to a position of 75-4 at stumps.

Click to expand Australia scorecard...

At stumps, you could possibly say that England are still in the strongest position as they've got the runs on the board with the Aussies still140 in deficit, knowing they'll be bowling last on a very dry pitch where reverse swing and Graeme Swann's spin into the rough foot holes will play a major role in determining the result.

Without question, England need early wickets on Day 2.  The weather forecast is of sunshine and good batting conditions, so the last 3 top order batsmen need to be removed quickly before Anderson & co can attempt to clear the tail.  One overnight worry is the fitness of Stuard Broad, who got hit on the shoulder by a short pitched Pattinson delivery which stopped him bowling tonight.  Hopefully, he'll be able to bowl tomorrow otherwise England may struggle.

Absolute key for England is coming out on top in the morning session tomorrow.

Time to listen for a change...

I'm well known for being stubborn.

I've now been suffering from this knee niggle for 8 days.  In them 8 days, I've done one Gym session on the treadmill and I've run a 10k and 5 miler.  Not exactly resting.

My fitness guru Chandra has been on at me for months about taking an entire week off from exercise and I've pretty much ignored him, thinking I know best and that the occasional 1-3 day rest periods would be enough.

No matter how much ice treatment, Voltarol and Ibuprofen I've used, I'm still feeling a significant amount of discomfort so I've taken on board the valuable advice I've been given and am now 24 hours into an entire weeks rest, in the hope it clears this knee niggle up once and for all.

If it doesnt, I will be pulling out of the RideLondon100.

Fingers crossed the rest does the trick.

ITK update on Villa

Hot off the ITK press from Spurs Community...

Gutted that this didn't come off. Don't blame Levy or Franco this isn't their fault and along with Andre have all put a lot of effort in making this deal happen, we thought we had done enough and had put a very good deal on the table to both the player and the club and believed we had done everything we could to make it happen, confidence was high. Effectively the player has chosen to stay in Spain for his last few years, you could say he has bottled coming to the Prem for not stepping out of his comfort zone or label it with something else. It is disappointing the manager hasn't been able to get his number one target in the striking position. This however isn't the first or will be the last time this has happened. Work has now begun on option two, wheels are in motion- however this doesn't mean you will see someone holding up a shirt in the next 24 hours- be patient we will get a striker this window.

POTL

So there you have it.  POTL is one of the more reliable ITKers.  Whether its true or not, you have to take all ITK with a huge pinch of salt.

Does make sense though.  Why up sticks from Spain at the age of 32 when you can stay in Spain and play CL football. 

Supposed target Benteke submits transfer request

Is Benteke coming to give AVB a big hug?

Following the annoucement of Villa's move to Atletico Madrid yesterday afternoon, the Spurs boards were whipped up into a frenzy.

Who are Levy's transfer targets?

Well, around 11pm last night on the SSN breaking news ticker...Aston Villa's Benteke has handed in a transfer request.  Villa's statement confirmed the request but stressed they'd consider offers which matched their valuation of their 22 year old striker.

I'd read reports earlier this week that Villa has put a £25-30m valuation on his head to scare of potential suitors.

Do I think he's worth that money?  Not a chance.  More importantly, does Levy think he's worth that money?  I doubt it very much.  To spend a hefty fee on a youngster with only one year of playing in the Premier League would be madness.

Does anyone remember Michael Ricketts?

Having looked at the Spurs boards this morning, there are rumours that a young forward has recently visited the Spurs training ground.  Makes you wonder whether Levy has been in his ear...

Missing out on David Villa...a blessing in disguise?

Villa...hitching a ride to Madrid...

Around 4pm today, another significant move in the transfer window affecting Tottenham Hotspur.  The ITK sources had been suggesting for some time, even as far back as May that Daniel Levy and the Spurs hierarchy had been in touch with Villa's representatives in an attempt to get him to agree a move to London.

No such luck it appears.  My old buddy Chandra reported through FB that SSN had just run a story that Barcelona has agreed a deal in principle to sell David Villa to Atletico Madrid.

Cue every Spurs message board going into the usual meltdown...

How could we miss out on him?
Why is Levy so bloody tight, Atletico are only buying him for £4.1m?

...and so it went on.

Lets not forget.  Villa turns 32 in November and is already on wages of over £100k per week at Barcelona. Signing him would be a major shift in policy where by Levy's successful business model see's Spurs bring in players with sell on values or if experienced players were brought in, the transfer fees would be minimal.

Now ok, its clear Villa would bring a huge deal of experience to a faltering Tottenham forward line.  There's little doubt that the front line was the key reason why Spurs failed in their main aim of CL qualification last season.  However, he broke his foot last year and was out injured for almost 8 months.

So, whether Spurs went in for him or not, I'm almost relieved that we havent signed him.  I'd much rather us bring in a younger player.

May be coincidence but Ars*nal allegedly have had a bid of around £30m turned down by Liverpool for Luis Suarez today.  Ars*nal have been quite openly in talks with Real Madrid of Higuain in recent weeks.  Now you wonder why all of a sudden that Ars*nal have shifted their attentions elsewhere.  What is going on with Higuain.  Surely Ars*nal knew that Liverpool would turn a £30m bid down without question?  Are Ars*nal trying to force Real Madrid's hand?

Its common knowledge that Spurs have a high level special "relationship" with Real which was part of the Luca Modric transfer.  Spurs fans have been wondering for a while how Spurs would actually benefit from this relationship.  Maybe we may see some fruit now?

In other news, Everton have signed striker Kone from Wigan Athletic today, reuniting him with Roberto Martinez.  I think that is an excellent signing for Everton.  Kone was one of the bright lights in a very poor Wigan side last season.  

In conclusion, now Villa isnt happening, it does beg the question what are Levy's attacking transfer targets?  All we can do it wait in anticipation...and secretly prepare ourselves for the disappointment we usually feel the day after the transfer window closes!

Foam roller revelation

As you'll know from my posts over the last week, my knee injury has been concerning me.  I've identified the cause (the misalligned cleats on my cycling shoes) and the diagnosis was "runners knee", tendonitis of the patella tendon in the knee, the central anterior tendon/ligament.

Having done some research during my lunch hour today, it appears the main treatment for this is strength work and massage for the quadricep.  So, I had the brain wave of using my foam roller on my quad to see if it would help. Having googled specifically for foam roller exercises for inner thighs (I'm trying to target the tear drop part of my quad, nearest the knee), I found a great little article on mens health for foam roller exercises, which I've linked on the other fitness links to the right (over here >>>>>)

A quick ten minute session on the thighs before and after tonight's run seem to have done the knee the absolute world of good.  Dont get me wrong, it hasnt cured the problem completely, there still is a little discomfort in the knee but it is nowhere near as bad as it was previously.

Anywhere, here's tonights run, a short 1 lap loop of the Plumstead Runners Cross Country course...

I have to admit the knee felt really uncomfortable through the first mile but after that it settled down.

Came back home after the 5 miles and done an equivelent Gym weights and Swiss Ball routine before stretching out on the foam roller.

An hour later, absolutely minimum discomfort in the knee. Here's hoping the rolling of the quad is the cure.

Knee update...

Well the knee seems to have reacted as expected over night.

Its a little sore but not too bad.  The major test though was when the usual 07:39 Welling to Cannon St crawled into Welling station at 07:43 which meant the normal 6 min wait between trains at New Cross was scuttled down to about a minute (taking into account the usual faffle cause by the signals and other trains at Lewisham) which meant ensuing chaos on the two stairwells between the two platforms which ultimately saw me sprint both at full pace to ensure I got my connection.  The knee reacted ok but I have to admit its a little sore.  I can certainly feel it.

Not sure what course of action to take this evening.  Usually I would be training but I may have to take the low impact route.  Swimming?  Maybe hit the treadmill in the Gym and see how it reacts.  Still not confident enough to get back on the bike as that seriously aggravated the knee last time around.

Testing the knee...

After dropping Izzy home to Clare (the ex-wife), I decided to give the knee a test and run a medium pace 10k.

Knee felt ok throughout. Not 100% but more a nagging doubt in the head rather than a nagging discomfort.

Ran to the We Anchor in Hope for a pint with RW. Knee felt a bit sore after 30 minutes or so, so grabbed some ice from behind the bar and used a tea towel to make a makeshift icepack and kept it on the knee for about 20 minutes as a precautionary measure. Will have to see how the knee reacts tomorrow morning.

Knee update

Its now almost 6 days since I injured my knee and I have to say its is still nowhere near 100%.

I thought I was clever giving it a test on Thursday in the Gym but I'm not sure now whether it was the best thing to do. Once I changed my cleats over on Thursday evening, I was in so much discomfort on the bike in only 1.5 miles, it was clear it was no where near right and it still seems to be the case.

As it stands, depending on what way I hold the leg, I can feel it. Its not a pain, its a discomfort. Its difficult to describe but its certainly nagging away at me. For me to have 5 days off training out of a possible 6, you know it is significant. I'm going to take it easy today and give it one more day and see how I feel tomorrow. 

I have to say, I'm concerned. I've got less than a month until the RideLondon race and I really would like to be able to ride 2 or 3 decent length rides before I tackle it but time is beginning to run out.

Looking back in time

In life, you get watershed moments. Those moments that live with you forever, for good reasons and bad. The data below is from a ride I had with Seeds Cycling Club in October 2010...

Dare I say it, I felt ill on that ride. It was my first time out with Seeds' Saturday group and I was almost left for dead. I couldnt keep up on the flat, I was getting dropped...badly...on the hills. Never have I hated a ride more.

However, that ride motivated me more than anything to get myself in shape. I enjoyed cycling but I never wanted to be humiliated like that again. From a ride point of view, a length of 30 miles and only 1,400ft of climbing doesnt even touch the sides these days. An average speed of 11.5mph too. Embarrassing doesnt even come close. Just goes to show how far I've come in a very short space of time.

Similarly, check out the data on the run below...

I couldnt even manage to run 5 miles in an hour. The HR data is significant. The troughs in the graph indicate I was slowing to either a stop or walking pace. Can I ever imagine myself being as unfit as that now? No chance...

Onwards and upwards!

Paulinho = Done

Welcome to WHL Paulinho.

As per the Spurs website...

"We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement for the transfer of Paulinho from Corinthians after the Brazil international successfully completed his medical.

The box-to-box midfielder has enjoyed great success since joining Corinthians from Brazilian Serie B side Clube Atlético Bragantino in 2010. He has made a total of 86 league appearances, scoring 20 goals while helping the Sao Paulo-based club to the Brazilian Serie A league championship in 2011 as well as the Copa Libertadores and FIFA Club World Cup a year later.

His fine performances at club level have also seen him twice named in the Serie A Team of the Year in 2011 and 2012.

The 24-year-old, capped by Brazil 17 times, helped his country to FIFA Confederations Cup success last Sunday with victory against world champions Spain and also scored the equaliser against England in the 2-2 draw at the Maracana last month."

If your name doesnt end in "inho"...you're not coming in...

Paulinho: Hands up if you hate Ars*nal...

After weeks of rumours of will he or wont he, SSN sources report that Brazillian midfielder Paulinho is having a medical in London ahead of his proposed £17m transfer to Spurs from Corinthians.

The transfer will be the first under the reinstated Sporting Director structure since Franco Baldini's appointment last month.  We are led to believe that although Daniel Levy still has his hands controlling the purse strings, his day-to-day role of runninng of the football-side of the club will now be handed to Baldini, allowing him to attend to more personal matters on the other side of the Atlantic, notably his wife's current ill health.

Anyhow, getting business done early in pre-season is a real statement of intent by Levy.  No doubt bitterly disappointed at not achieving the ultimate fouth place in the Premier League and Champions League qualification, the snippets coming out of WHL during the close season indicates Levy wants Spurs to hit the ground running this season, especially with the visit to deadly rivals Ars*nal coming so soon at the end of August.

The imminent arrival of Paulinho suggests that AVB will be looking to play a more fluid 4-3-3 system, as opposed to the 4-5-1 which was enforced by the most part last season on key injuries.

A midfield trio of Paulinho alongside the technically gifted Belgian Dembele and the Brazillian workhorse Sandro is a mouth-watering prospect.  Until Christmas and the New Year, Spurs were flying last season.  The key turning point was the serious knee ligament injury suffered by Sandro against QPR which ruled him out for the rest of the season.

Parker replaced Sandro but didnt have the same telepathic understanding with Dembele and sadly lacked the class of the young Brazillian.  Dembele lost his freedom to play further up the pitch and his role in the side became a deeper, withdrawn one, although the tactical move did free up space for Bale centrally.  One only has to think back to the opening 20 minutes of Tottenham's last trip to Old Trafford when Sandro and Dembele orchestrated a first away win at OT for the first time in decades.

I think everyone would admit that midfield really wasnt the priority this pre-season.  The forward positions are.  I still believe, like many others, that Levy's faliure in January 2013 to bring in a forward was a key reason why we failed to achieve the coveted Champions League qualification.  Fingers could be pointed at the mundane performances of Adebayor, the unfortunate injuries to Defoe and Bale at key times but the front positions are definitely what Levy and Baldini should be focusing on.

Rumours persist that Barcelona's David Villa is available and talks have taken place between Levy and the Nou Camp hierarchy.  If the ITK is to be believed, a deal is done and will be announced shortly.  I'll believe it when I see it.  Although he is a quality player, although now the wrong side of 30, is he the right man to lead the line?  I'm not sure he is.  He's a goal scorer but he doesnt lead the line.  When you think of the way Barcelona play, Villa always drifted left or right, creating the space in the middle for Messi.  Can Spurs utilize Bale in the same way?  Would 4-3-3 work in the Premier League?

Can I suggest an alternative?  Its difficult.  As much as I want Spurs to progress, I also dont want to see Spurs break the bank and risk the club's long-term future.  The press has suggested the likes of Aston Villa's Benteke.  He's had one season in the Premier League and a transfer fee of £20m in being talked of.  He could be a one-season wonder but then thats the risk you take as a football club.  I really wouldnt like to be in Levy's or Baldini's shoes.

 
 

 

Rest day...knee update...and congratulations Mushy & VP

The knee feels sore today. Nowhere near as bad as it has been but sore nonetheless.

I was originally planning a 50 mile tempo ride with RW today but sensibly made the decision last night to give it a wide berth as I didnt want to further damage the knee, especially ahead of tonight (will come on to that shortly).  So its a rest day today.

Lastly, I'd like to wish one of my good mates Yatin (aka Mushy) all the best on his big day today as he finally gets wed to VP.  Such a perfect couple - without doubt the Posh & Becks of Docklands.  I will be headng to London shortly to join the celebrations :)

Knee update and Gym session

The knee feels better.  So much so I spent this morning in the Gym.

Rather than doing my usual 5km treadmill pyramid warm up, I done 2 x 2.5km pyramids.  The first starting at 10km/h, incrementing my 0.5km/h every 0.5km, making sure I stretched both legs out properly in between the first two...

So even after all that, the knee felt reasonably good.  As I type this at nearly midnight, the knee feels a little tender but there's an explanation for that.

A conversation with my cycling buddy RW suggested I ought to check the cleats on my cycling shoes.  I knew they were due for replacing so I had ordered a new set and they arrived today.  As I looked at my shoes, it was clear there was a problem with my left cleat.  The top bolt had been lost and the cleat had rotated out of its normal position.  No wonder I felt discomfort on Monday!

After taking a chunk out of my finger with the alun key, I eventually managed to change the cleats and a quick test spin of a mile was all it needed to confirm that was what caused the original injury.  The knee still felt very uncomfortable but I'm putting this down to the discomfort of the original injury rather than new damage being caused.   Looking at my position on the bike, my feet are touching more of the floor than they ever have before, which tends to suggest that either my saddle has slipped downwards or that my legs are getting longer from the cycling.  I'll need to spend some time in the upcoming days before my next ride to ensure I get the correct position then hopefully once this knee niggle settles down, I'll be riding again in complete comfort.

New cleats...with the inflicted war wound...