This Year

cunnins4

Exams are over so it's time to get going again. I haven't trained properly in 3 months so I wanna start a log just to keep a good eye on my progress and get advice from anyone that can help!

I did my first triathlon in 2006 - Dublin City Tri, came in at 399th, not too great, but I just wanted to get through it. Second was the 2007 Dublin City Tri, came 177th, a nice improvement and my third was the Loughrea Triathlon in 2007, I came 50th.

I'm a decent cyclist and runner, although I tend to put too much emphasis on the former, so this year I want to make them even. Unfortunately I swim like a brick, so that's gonna take a lot of work. The three triathlons I've done consisted of 1500m of the dreaded breaststroke despite hour after hour in the pool trying to get better at front crawl. Like I said, a brick!

Aims for the year are:

Bupa 10k in April: PB 44mins or so, this year I wanna hit 40mins. I've done 10k in 41 in training before so this will hopefully be achievable with adrenaline on the day.

Dublin Duathlon Series: 4 Duathlons in the Phoenix Park throughout the summer. These will be more like tough training sessions, but I would like to get more practice at going from bike to run and going as hard as I can, so I think these will be a good idea. Haven't done them before, so we'll see how that goes.

Wheelworx Aquathlons: As with the Duathlons I want to get more accustomed to open water swimming and swimming in a wetsuit. If anything lacked the last two years it was open water swimming-I really didn't do enough (maybe 4 sessions each year, including the races!:o) These should help

Dublin City Triathlon, 30th August: If I can improve on my swimming and level out the bike and run segments, I should be able to hit the 100-120 mark if I work hard. Aims: Swim 32mins Bike 1hr9mins Run 44mins (Assuming the current and wind aren't bad on the day!)

Loughrea Triathlon, 13th September: As with the Dublin Tri I want to level out the bike and run segments. I really neglected running for the few weeks in the lead up to this race and I suffered on the 11k run on the day. The hills really killed me and took at least 15 places off me. I was excellent on the bike as it was rolling hills and I really took off. If I can repeat that performance on the bike I'll be happy. Swim as above: DON'T SINK!

I'm not sure how my studies are going to go and my exams are at the end of May/early June, so earlier races won't be easy. I might try the Fingal Triathlon if my exams permit-it's only a sprint and might be a nice lead into the season for me. I'm hoping to do the Wicklow 200 in June so I may not be ready for triathlons so I'll have to see.

I want to do a sprint and another olympic in July and August to give me a good summer of racing altogether and make my Triathlon Ireland membership worth it!;) I've yet to decide though. Maybe Tri-Athlone, it seems to be a good one. Dunno what else just yet.

Soo.... that's the plan, now the easy part-the training!!! I've no training plan set just yet. I'll give it a couple of weeks and see how my free time and study's going then I'll work on scheduling regular sessions.

Yesterday:

Quick spin over to the GF, 30k all in, nothing special.

Today, did a bit of splashing around in the pool, just 20 lengths to get me going. Gonna try to splash around as often as I can. I've outlawed breaststroke! I'm very good at it, but I have to force myself to swim properly.

I'll get out on the bike tomorrow hopefully.

cunnins4

Hit the pool for a bit after college:

40 Lengths -
4x50
1x100
4x150
1x100

Nothing special but I felt better than yesterday. There were two lads talking Triathlon in the lane beside me and I was wearing my DCT Hat - they must've been looking at me absolutely puzzled as to how i ever finished that race! Splash, Splash Splash! Gonna buy a new swimming cap so people don't expect any better of me!

Gonna try to get out on the bike this evening or go for a run for a bit.

cunnins4

30k on the bike today in an hour. Legs felt like shíte for the first half, but much improved on the way home. Would've done a lot more only I had to get to work.

Meant to go for a run when I got home but had a splitting headache so I'll do that tomorrow.

cunnins4

Lunchtime today:
Pool, 1250m:
4x50
1x100
4x200
1x100
1x50

Felt better again today. Hopefully things'll keep improving in the pool.

8pm: 9.3k run, 50mins. Didn't wanna go too hard since it was my first run in ages, die and have to walk a long way home.

Feckin great to get out running again. Roll on tomorrow!

cunnins4

"Roll on tomorrow"^^ What was I thinking?!!! Legs're pretty sore today! Might do a short run later to loosen them up.

Pool: 1150m

3x50
1x100
3x250
3x50

Was just too tired to finish the 50 Lengths. My lunch was too small earlier and I was just knackered in general.

This time a year ago I couldn't swim 2 lengths without being absolutely wrecked so I'm glad that I've made progress and hopefully in a few weeks I'll be lashing out length after length and I'll be able to work hard on technique and speed thereafter.

cunnins4

Today: 47k on the bike, TCD to Howth and back, collected my gear and back home. What a great day for training.

No running or swimming today, too feckin tired.



(and lazy)

cunnins4

Nothing today, too much college work to do.

cunnins4

Had a busy day in college yesterday and was out with the missus last night so I got nothing done.

Just back from a 30k cycle, first 15 took 40mins, second half 30mins. Was quite tired heading out and now I feel a bit dizzy! Oops!

Staying in tonight, hopefully I'll get to the pool before work tomorrow.

cunnins4

9.3k run, about 50mins, didn't time it, but i left at about 8.30 and got in a few minutes ago.

I really have to start looking at my diet-i'm burning out way too easily and getting dizzy.

cunnins4

Lunchtime today:

1250m Swim -

5x50m
3x250m
5x50m

Technique's really, really sh1te so I'm gonna start throwing in a session of drills each week.

cunnins4

Tried a few drills today instead of just length after length. Shock horror, i suck at drills too!

5x50 Warm Up Frontcrawl Easy - Consistently 15 Strokes per length, slow and not too smooth!
4x25 Kicking on my side, alternating each length. This went well, more of this should help.
4x25 "Shark Fin" - Loada balls. I really am a brick. Gonna have to examine this drill more to pull it off properly
4x25 "Thumb to Thigh, Shoulder & Head". Ended up more like high elbows, but I definitely felt the benefit of these. More of these in future.
4x25 "Thumb to Thigh". Meh....more like the previous one. Not gonna bother with this too often.
4x25 "Catch Up" As with "Shark Fin"....a loada balls, although I can see where the benefit is in this. Needs more practice, should help in the long run
Then came the ULTIMATE BÁSTARD - Vertical Kicking!:mad: Jesus these were absolutely horrible.
Did 4x30 seconds and I honestly thought I was going to vomit on the second one. I'll admit that i was sculling with my hands too, but I wasn't using a float. I can definitely see the benefit of these and I will be doing more of them, but I certainly won't be looking forward to them!
3x50 Warm Down Breaststroke. Heart was pounding after the vertical kicking so breaststroke was the obvious thing to do to get me back to normal.

This was a very tough session, tougher than normal swimming. Gonna try and incorporate one or more of these into my training each week for the next while and try to improve. I'm happy enough managing 15 strokes per length, but I'd like to do it easier and quicker. Here are some of the drills I was trying out.

Hopefully I'll get out for a run tonight. My running and cycling seems to be okay for a winter off, so my emphasis is really on swimming at the moment. I'll up my running and cycling as the evenings get longer.

cunnins4

Feeling absolutely poxy after yesterdays "drills". Swallowed a lot of water through my nose and now my throat and sinuses are in bits. Nothing today, just sneezing and watery eyes. Gonna buy a nose clip for drills-don't care how stupid they look.:cool:

cunnins4

Yesterday: 800m swim - head cold was still pretty bad. Tried to keep technique as good as I could. The high elbows the other day seemed to help. Gonna keep at them for another week or so.

Inspired by Bossarky I hit the gym after lunch today. Not gonna post up my panzy weights, but I did a few sets of squats, bench, dips (assisted :rolleyes:), pullups (assisted :rolleyes:) and crunches. Legs're like jelly. As with bossarky, I tried to focus on form in the squats and not weight. I went nice and deep and kept the back straight. It felt good to get back in the gym, now for the stiff legs tomorrow!

cunnins4

DOMS.:eek::eek::eek:

paulksnn

How are the legs today?
Also, you've done other triathlons, but have you ever had a problem with heat retention in the 4-6 hours after a major session? I cycled 40k yesterday and couldn't stay warm afterwards. Bordering on getting the shivers!

cunnins4

Hey Paul, legs're sore-ish today, but much better than yesterday.

I've only ever had "the shivers" like you said a couple of times, the first was after a 65k spin having never exceeded 40k before and didn't bother taking enough water, any food or even any money to buy something. Came home white as a sheet, felt absolutely DREADFUL for about 3 hours afterwards and couldn't stay warm. Took a load of chocolate, water and basically anything i could fit in my mouth to get my energy back and then i felt a bit better-and warmer. The other time was over xmas when i did a 40k spin having not been out in months and once again, didn't take enough food with me (just a banana) only brought water (normally bring a diluted energy drink) and was feeling hungry before I went out too. It was also only about 3 degrees out which really made me cold. Same story as before: came home pale, freezing, felt sick and couldn't get warm for hours afterwards. I posted a thread here after that time thinking it was just the weather, but sense prevailed and I just had to admit I wasn't fit enough for the distance, and very underfuelled.

Sooo... in summary, I've had it twice and it seems to be down to over doing while being under fuelled! Did you eat on your 40k? What about water/energy drink? Pre training food? I know you've been hitting the bike hard in the gym, but outdoor cycling is quite different so that might've been a big factor. What sort of weather were you cycling in?

Hope that's of some help?

cunnins4

Lunchtime today: Swim 1000m

5x50
1x100
2x150
1x200
3x50


After College: 4k slow run. One of the lads in college wants to "get fit" so i said i'd take him for a run. Nice and slow, suited me down to the ground as my legs are still rather sore from the squats the other day!

cunnins4

6pm Swim-1350m

5x50
1x250
1x100 - These two were supposed to be another 250 but I had to change
1x150 - lane as they took two of the lanes away for an aquatics class.
1x100
1x350
3x50

This was a good session. I can definitely feel improvements overall in my swimming. I'll do some drills tomorrow again-hopefully they'll go better than last week. I'm relaxing more and my shoulders are adapting and not tiring as much. Lots done, feckin loads to do though! Hopefully I'll reach a decent level in the next few weeks and can drop one swim session a week for a long cycle/run because I'm finding it tough to fit in college work, training and everything else!

cunnins4

Hit the gym for a bit yesterday, same as last time except I threw in a few bicep curls and chin ups. Didn't do any squats as I need my legs for tomorrow and saturday for work (requires a lot of running!).

Starting Strength arrived today, seems pretty good although it might be a while before I get to read it as I'm very busy in college at the moment. Have a deadline for Monday and loads to do for it, so training may be on hold until then.

cunnins4

Bike: 42k - to Dun Laoghaire and back. Weather was shíte, bike lanes on the N11 are also shíte, and it's just too much hastle to get through town so I'll stick to Howth for now. Might try out to Ashbourne next time though.

College stuff still pretty hectic so that'll probably be it for the weekend.

cunnins4

Managed to get out for a run, happy days, or so I thought-fcukin asthma kicked up. Felt it after only 300 yards, should've just turned around and got my inhaler, but no, I had to try to "break through it". Had to stop and walk for a bit after 2k and ended up cutting my planned 9.5k to 4. This is very unlike me. My asthma flared up this time last year too, so I'll just have to get used to using my inhaler more often. The doc prescribed me a preventive inhaler as opposed to the normal blue dilator so hopefully if I'm back in the habit of taking that everyday this will be a one off occurance.

Disappointed with that today, was really chuffed to be getting out. Registered for the Bupa Run in 5 weeks time, so I'll have to put a lot of effort into my running over that time, asthma or not.

cunnins4

College project finished yesterday, back in the pool today: 1000m, just got through it, nothing magical, although i've never swam more than 300m front crawl in one go without breaking to do breaststroke and today I got to 375, but wasn't wrecked after like i'd normally be, so I'm happy enough. I can definitely see an improvement in my swimming, although I'm still slow as hell, I'm not half as wrecked as I used to get after a session.

Small steps......

Evening: 30k on the bike over to the GF and back. Averaged 29.8kmph on the return leg. Fcukin speedo stole that 0.2k from me! Bastid! this took 30:30 in good conditions. I want this down around the 28minute mark all things being equal by the time the dublin tri comes around......hopefully!

cunnins4

Lunchtime today: 9.3k run~50mins Brought the inhaler this time, although I didn't need it, typical! This run was harder than usual, legs felt quite heavy, but good to get out running and not wheezing the whole way, hopefully i'll keep up the inhaler.

cunnins4

Woke up with my sinuses killing me and a really sore throat yesterday. Was on the way to the pool, but just felt like shít so I gave it a miss.

Feeling better today, so I hit the pool, did 1500m:

5x50
1x250
1x500-this was a small victory for me, I've never swam this distance solely frontcrawl so I'm pretty chuffed. As I said before, small steps!
1x250
2x100
1x50

Felt great after this session. Although I'm slow, the distance is building up. Gotta focus on my technique more though.

cunnins4

Back to the pool today, technique session this time. Lost count of the number of lengths as I only did singles ~30 lengths doing high elbows, focusing on full rotation and leading my finger with my elbow and touching my thumb off my armpit. Did a few kicking on my side also.

This went really, really well. Lowest stroke count for 25m was 12, max 16, averaged 14. Only timed myself once, 26 seconds for the 25m in 14 strokes at normal exertion(I don't like timing myself at the moment as I tend to just bash out the length as fast as possible and gain nothing but a higher heart rate and empty lungs!). Not lightning, but happy enough. Hopefully focusing more on technique in sessions like this will reflect in the longer sets on other days.

Will head out for a run this evening weather permitting.

Working all day tomorrow and heading away for the week with college so sin é pretty much until next weekend. I'll take my runners and swim gear with the best of intentions though:rolleyes:...........