Countdown

Thursday 10th 5th May 2012
Running 00:37:48 - 4.02 Miles (09.24 per mile / HR Zone 4 / 93% Max)

Flipping Heart Rate monitor was going weird again today.  There is no way that running at 9.24 per mile was putting my HR up to 93%.
Another fairly short easy run and it felt OK. 
Just a short ride tomorrow morning to make sure that the bike is in good shape and all functioning properly. Then it is all set to go. .5.4.3.2.1 Go!

You know you are slow when . . . . .

Wednesday 9th May 2012

Swimming

01:06:12 - 2500M

Last swim before the event on Saturday.  Went well, if a bit slow but I was not out to kill myself this morning.

Cycling
00:43:06 – 11.48 Miles (16.00 MPH / HR Zone 3 / 82% Max / Cadence 85rpm)

This was meant to be a little Brick session but it just turned in to a short bike ride.  Happy enough with how it went and in particular the relatively high cadence.
It struck me that you know you are slow on the bike when I am steaming away in the aero position and a guy with a backpack and wearing track bottoms rides past me with a "How's it going mate?"  Clearly not as well as you MATE!!
How to make a guy feel crap or what?  Maybe he was a semi-pro just on his way home from work to train for the Olympics.  I hope so but it is unlikely.  I am just slow!

When I did get up home I spent so long talking to my neighbour the time window and interest in doing my Brick session had passed.

BUT - that wasn't the end of it - I took Ben down to the swimming pool as he wanted to practice his swim because he has a Kids Triathlon next Friday and he has to Swim 75M / Bike 1000M / Run 400M. He was concerned about his swim but he did well tonight and covered the swim  distance - somewhat of a struggle but he was very determined.  Good on him.

Ear Ear!

Tuesday 8th May 2012

 

Cycling
00:31:52 – 6.15 Miles (11.60 MPH / HR Zone 3 / 89% Max / Cadence 77rpm)

Only 2 sets of Hill reps this morning as I am on the taper ahead of the race this weekend.  Felt OK even if HR was a bit elevated.

Running
00:54:29 - 6.00 Miles (09.05 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 81% Max)

Just 6 miles tonight and I stopped a bit short of the 1Hr mark.  Felt really comfortable throughout.
I stopped at about 5.5 miles to talk to a friend and whipped out my earphones.
When I started off again I couldn't find the ear bud from the end of the ear phone. ( the little rubbery bit.) I had a look around the ground and couldn't see it.
This was really annoying as I had just changed the earphones for these new ones as the old ones packed in.  I don't get more than about 6 months out of them as I think the rain, sweat and general abuse kills them pretty quick.

Back home for a shower. I was rinsing out my ear and noticed a funny feeling - the bloody ear bud bit was stuck inside my ear!  Lucky I found it and lucky it did not get lodged further in to  my ear.  That could have been nasty.
Keara said I shouldn't have worried as it would have fallen out the other ear anyway!  Ha bloody Ha!

TW3 IMFF Week 28

Monday 7th April 2012

Week 28 completed

Hours Trained: 16H 20Mins
Swimming: 3.8K (2.4 Miles)
Cycling: 141 Miles
Running: 33 Miles

Another pretty big week in terms of volume and time spent training. Nearly 9.5Hrs of cycling.  I only missed one session this week which was a 2.5K swim because of my stiff neck and shoulders - so all in all a pretty solid showing.

I am feeling pretty good on the bike these days and fairly comfortable holding a steady (but not fast) pace.

The week coming will feel a bit strange as the volume of sessions remain similar, but the time decreases as this is a bit of a taper week ahead of my Half Iron distance race on Saturday at Tri an Mhi.

I would love to achieve my A-time of 6H 30 Mins - broken down by:
 Swim 40 Mins / Transition 5 Mins / Bike 3Hr30Mins / Transition 5 Mins / Run 2Hr10 Mins. 
The reality of this may be somewhat different and to be truthful a time close to 7Hrs may be more realistic - but it is important to have a goal time in mind.

Wish me Luck!

Dromara Coastal Cycle

Sunday 6th May 2012

Cycling
05:20:22 – 80.19 Miles (15.00 MPH / HR Zone 2 / 77% Max / Cadence 80rpm)

Long ride was the Dromara Coastal Cycle organised by Dromara Cycling Club.  This was a great event with about 200-250 rider tacking the rolling 60 or 80 mile route.  Jim (Heaney) and I opted for the 80 mile route. 
The weather was very king to us and we stayed dry pretty much the whole way and at times the weather was really beautiful.

We had a lovely lunch stop at Strangford at about 35 miles, and loaded up on Sandwiches, traybakes and donuts. We had gone really well through to Lunch and were averaging almost 17mph.  Once out of Strangford we headed towards Comber but along the coast, and it is really gorgeous with lots of little inlets and bays along Strangford Lough, but a few tight hills to just catch us out.

once near Comber we turned back inland and towards Saintfield, Ballynahinch and home to Dromara.  The last 5 miles back to Dromara had a 2 mile climb and that was pretty tight and it was good to have company from another cyclist in his 60s who had done over 100 miles as he cycled to the start from home.  It is always good to be as good as a pensioner with 300 miles in his legs this week!!

I am really pleased with the way things went and i felt comfortable throughout and definitely could have gone on to do another 30 miles or so, and could have got off the bike and had a decent run.

Really pleasing and great day and company from Jim.  Rest Day tomorrow.

Don't forget to eat.

Saturday 5th May 2012
Running
02:52:09- 17.00 Miles (10.08 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 78% Max)
Long run day again! Decent weather and not too much wind today.  I decided to take it easy on the run today and keep the heart rate really low and subsequently the pace as well.
It all felt very comfortable and under control the whole way and I tried a couple of stints at a walk-run approach, which is what I will be doing on the Ironman.
After about 10 miles I did a few sessions of running 2 minutes at 10 min mile pace and then walking 1 minute at 17 minute pace. This felt a bit weird but it definitely helped to keep me fresh.

I am constantly forgetting to eat enough on the run and will have to sort this out as it could be a real disaster if I get that wrong on the day.

The Iron Swim.

Friday 4th May 2012

Swimming

01:40:06- 3800M

Iron Distance Swim - DONE!.  My plan said to do 3750M today, but I just couldn't go that close to the full distance and not do it.  It felt OK but I must admit that I did start to tire a bit between 2800 and 3300M - then I got a bit of a 2nd wind and felt reasonably well up to the end.  It was nice to hit this milestone.
Running
01:00:00- 6.36 Miles (09.25 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 84% Max)
I decided to take it nice and easy on the run tonight as I have a 3Hr run tomorrow and did the big swim this morning.

Stiff in the Sun.

Thursday 3rd May 2012

Cycling
01:56:47 – 31.00 Miles (15.90 MPH / HR Zone 2 / 73% Max / Cadence 82rpm)

First night of riding in short sleeves and it felt great to be enjoying a bit of heat for once.  It makes such a difference and makes the ride so much more enjoyable.

I focussed on spending a bit more time in the aero position and I think this helped the overall average speed go up a bit.  It did have the side effect of stiffening up my neck which the Physio had spent 30 minuntes loosening up earlier in the day.  Money well spent!!

Chicked.

Wednesday 2nd May 2012

Brick Session

Cycling
01:16:07 – 21.00 Miles (16.60 MPH / HR Zone 2 / 789% Max / Cadence 83rpm) 

This ride was a story of being "Chicked." That is where one is stuffed by a female of the species.

About 2 miles in to the ride I turned in to a road at the same time as a lady on her road bike too.  She took off a bit ahead of me and I COULD NOT catch her.  She sat about 150M ahead of me for 5 miles and I just could not catch up to her at all.  Every time I put a bit of a push on - so did she.  Maybe she thought I was a lycra clad perv!

I am pleased with the ride and the average pace.

Running
00:30:00 - 3.28 Miles (09.09 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 80% Max)

This run felt remarkably good and very comfortable.  Pleasing.

On a separate note - I am making a trip to the Physio tomorrow to get him to sort out my neck / top of spine.  It has been getting more painful and stiff over the last few days - I think it is the increased volume of cycling that is doing it.  My foot is also a bit sore and I just think that the volume of training is starting to take a bit of a toll on the old body now.  I am almost 40 after all!!!

Chrissie Wellington and me.

Tuesday 1st May 2012

 

My new book arrived from Amazon today and I can't wait to read it, it should be really inspirational and Chrissie is one of my favourite athletes- in fact one of the greatest ever to have competed in any sport and sadly under recognised for all of her achievements both in and out of sport.

 

 

 

Cycling
00:45:09 – 8.95 Miles (11.90 MPH / HR Zone 3 / 86% Max / Cadence 76rpm)

The usual Tuesday morning jaunt up the hill.  Only 3 times up and down today as the wind was hell and of course it had to be in to me going up.  As if it is not hard enough anyway.  Then on the way down I had to take it easy as the wind was pretty dodgy when travelling at speed.

Running
01:00:00 - 7.21 Miles (08.19 per mile / HR Zone 3 / 90% Max)

Enough of the going slow and maintaining Heart Rate - Sod that - let's have a bit of a push and see what happens.  Giving it a bit of Chrissie!

Over 7 miles in the hour is what happens!  Now, that might not sound all that impressive but it is a lot faster over a sustained distance than I have run in about 7 months.  It felt OK surprisingly and I honestly felt like I could have held the pace for another mile or two.  Pretty pleasing and especially so as the uphill miles were actually faster than the downs and flats.  How did that happen?

This was not really part of the training plan but what the hell - let's live dangerously. (although it is hardly being a real rebel is it?)