Running (00:41:59 / 5.27 Miles / 00:07:58 per mile / HRZ 2)
Friday lunchtime run with the boys at work, and the anticipated "easy" run turned out to be a wee bit quicker than anticipated. They literally can't help themselves!
We slowed it down a bit and settled in to a steady pace until they decided to put the foot down with over a mile to go and started to chase each other down.
Being Captain Sensible, I decided to keep my steady pace and not get sucked in to it.
I am pleased with the average pace and the lower HRZ. Nice one.
Saturday 15th March 2014
Running (01:00:07 / 7.03 Miles / 00:08:35 per mile / HRZ 2)
OK I admit it! Sometimes I baffle myself by being stupid.
I've struggled a bit recently with my long run. Not the actual running but more the feeling of just not being arsed to get out and run for a long time. So I thought it would be clever to do a two loop route from home so that I could aim for a very even paced run on both loops.
in the words of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, " Big mistake, Huge!"
Four miles in to the run I already had myself talked in to quitting at the end of loop one at 7 miles as my legs were feeling pretty heavy.
So what did I do. I quit after 7 miles of course.
Heavy legs and a complete lack of willpower were the story of the run. Not planned but these things happen.
Sunday 16th March 2014
Cycling (03:58:11 / 62.10 Miles / 15.60 MPH / HRZ 2 / Cadence 84)
Time to break out the big miles again. The usual wind emerged just to ensure some additional suffering.
I have to apologies to Nelson for messing him around on the arrangements.
We were at a friends house on Saturday night and I got home to bed at 2.30 AM feeling very much worse for wear. I sent Nelson a text saying I would not make the ride the next day as I knew I would be a bit peaky in the morning.
Strangely I woke up at 7.45AM feeling fine and decided that I really should get my arse on the bike and get out as planned. So after another text to Nelson and ruining his lie in as he thought the ride was off, I hit the road to meet Nelson and Ian at Lurgan.
The whole way to Lurgan was hell. Straight in to a dreadful headwind and I crawled my way to Lurgan.
Once I met up with the Guys our route was to head through Portadown to Armagh, then through Tandragee (the home of Tayto crisps) to Gilford and back though Lurgan and home.
I haven't ridden with Ian for quite some time and I hadn't realised how he just effortlessly looks like he is grinding out a big gear. It was great to watch and left Nelson and I in a bit of awe. He shall forever be known as 'Big Ring Pollard.'
if I thought the earlier wind was bad, the road from Portadown to Armagh made it seem like a summer breeze. More than once I felt like packing it in. I genuinely am getting sick of the wind.
Thankfully once we turned off at Armagh, we got on to smaller roads and got a bit of wind behind us, or at least not killing us in to our face.
We hooked up with Nelson's girlfriend Jenna in Tandragee and headed for home.
After Ian dropped off at home and the other guys left me at Moira I hit the Moira Road in the hope that I would get a full on tailwind. I wasn't disappointed. I averaged 22.5mph the whole way along the road and it was fantastic to feel like I was really moving at speed. It nearly made the pain of the earlier headwind worth it. Nearly!
I'm delighted with the performance on the ride and although I struggled in to the wind, I still rode well and handled the hills well enough when the appeared.
Week 18 Summary
10H 58 Mins
Swim 4000M
Bike 100.96 Miles
Run 18.50 Miles
This week was another slight step up in the time logged and it was a decent week on the bike in terms of mileage. The swimming came back up again and the running wasn't bad quality but just a bit light on mileage this week.
The body is feeling pretty good and I have a sense that the strength is building. I remember this from the last batch of Ironman training and it's a good feeling when it's there.
Next week is a bit of a funny one as I have the Sufferfest-ival next Saturday. More to come on that this week but it is going to be horrific.
No comments:
Post a Comment