This stuff is kinda addictive ...

RubyK

Wow, that's fantastic work DustyBin! Fair play!

DustyBin

Saturday 9th Jan

Run
9.5 miles easy pace
1:26:01 = 9:03 pace
141 avg hr

Nice easy run with the lads, couple of hills thrown in on the route to keep us honest.
It started snowing just before we set out so fresh snow gave a bit of grip underfoot but not good with it blowing into our faces - why does the wind always blow into your face?


Monday 11th Jan

Run
5.63 hilly miles on very slippy slush
51:14 = 9:06 pace
142 HR

Oh the downside of a garmin!
Before Christmas this was a 5.7 miler, now I've lost a whole 0.07 of a mile!!
Early morning run with head torch, these mornings actually seem darker than before Christmas? - doesn't make sense
Looks like that's the end of the snow for now at any rate - need to start clocking up a few runs at faster pace now


Tuesday 12th Jan

Swim
650 meters f/c in about 45 mins

Set out with goal of 650 to haul myself off the bottom of the swim table on MCOS's challenge thread - was not going home without it!!
Tough work again, but did manage to nudge 50 meters past TFBudendorfer - for how long?

DustyBin

Thursday 14th Jan

Run
6.16 pace miles - very icy with poor grip (pitch black & lonely)
48:10 = 7:49 pace
154 avg hr

Have had lots of slow miles over the past few weeks due to the weather so wanted to do this at a fair clip.
Grip was really poor, road totally covered in ice. Difficult to spot the really bad patches on pitch black morning with head torch. Couple of hairy moments but managed to stay near upright throughout. Forced to step gingerly at times.
Got to 3 miles in 7:24 pace before the hills started and the ice got worse.
Happy with overall time all things considered - want to do this run again soon on a dry surface, want to bring pace below/near 7:30 if I can.
Temp in car on way to work an hour later was -2.5c.

BTW, this was 6.25 miles before I got my Garmin :rolleyes:

DustyBin

Thursday 14th Jan - pm

Swim
700 meters f/c

Swimming lessons tonight and hung around afterwards to do a bit of extra work topping off at 700 meters. First lesson back after an extended Christmas break, and another different instructor!! Really not liking this swapping instructors malarky but this lady seemed to be the best of what we've had so far.

Felt good tonight, and even felt at some stages that I was managing that whole slicing through the water thing that the people who can swim are able to make look so easy! - well only at some stages.

DustyBin

Saturday 16th Jan

Run
11.09 hilly miles
1:29:56 = 8:06 pace
157 avg hr

I obviously felt like punishing myself on this one :rolleyes:. Took a new route and really felt the pain hitting home on the climbs throughout. Roads are in sh*te after all the rain. I've never seen them this bad, I was actually putting imprints in the tarmac in some parts!! The soil beneath the road has washed away making the road all squishy, and on occasion the road itself was part washed away too - it's gonna take the council a while to clean this mess up.
I took no water or no gels with me, if this run was before Christmas I would have had both. I did feel fairly shattered around about mile 9 alright but will continue not to use them for this sort of distance.


Monday 18th January

Run
6.14 miles @ pace
45:05 = 7:21 pace
154 avg hr

Same route as Thursday 14th only in reverse direction. Came in under my target of 7:30 pace so happy with that. Covered first 3.5 miles in under 7:00 pace, then died on the hills coming home. Got to get used to running up hills.
Start and finish of run was in a really dense fog, couldn't see the ditches left and right at times, never mind keeping an eye out for potholes! Running in the dark, in a fog ain't good.


58 miles in 2010 so far

DustyBin

Tuesday 19th Jan

Run
8.01 miles - hills @ easy pace
1:05:25 = 8:10 pace
147 avg hr

New route this morning, took my normal hilly route and added a loop through a local village.
Unfamiliar road in the dark - it was a bit silly of me to go out with weak batteries in the torch :rolleyes:
Enjoyable though and will probably do again on Thurs / Fri
Almost went over on my ankle in one of our brand new potholes only 3 mins out from the house :mad:

kennyb3

Is our dual still on for the 14th?:D Your run on the 18th has me worried and tells me it will be very close!

seriously though, great consistency lately, hope to see you at the start

DustyBin

Is it on?? - course it's on!!

Reading a post of yours yesterday I thought that you might have been switching out to the Cupid's Dash instead - I presume that your gonna stick with My Sport so?

That's fair auld mileage you put up last week - fair play. Just remeber not to overdo it and set yourself back any. Also, I don't want you making excuses when I'm waiting for you at the finish line in the My Sport!

kennyb3

DustyBin wrote: »

Is it on?? - course it's on!!

Reading a post of yours yesterday I thought that you might have been switching out to the Cupid's Dash instead - I presume that your gonna stick with My Sport so?

That's fair auld mileage you put up last week - fair play. Just remeber not to overdo it and set yourself back any. Also, I don't want you making excuses when I'm waiting for you at the finish line in the My Sport!

id imagine i ll do the my sport alright. i'd better start thinking up excuses so!

hmm, wanting me to rest, i wonder why?....

ah no i ll prob take 2 days rest this week instead of one as there is a long year ahead and races in january and feb wouldnt be a major priority.

RubyK

You're doing great work there DustyBin, well done! Lots of miles being put in, in great times.

DustyBin

Wednesday 20th Jan

Swim
650 meters f/c
approx 35 mins

Still taking big rest breaks, but this morning I did feel as though I could have kept going at any rate.
Swam quite slowly, trying not to lose my breath.
My hips felt heavy and low in the water for a lot of it.
Not much leg kicking going on.

Worst / funniest part? - forgetting to bring my towel!! I had to use my jumper to dry off after shower - not the same really

catweazle

What brought a big improvement in my swimming was the kickboard and a pair of fins (I think you can get the fins for 10-12 euros on Wiggle), I am not doing MCOS's 1000m of agony drills but I have done a couple of 500m efforts that the legs were burning after.

It has now got me into the habit of kicking half decent which brings the lower half up much higher in the water which seems to make everything easier.

Have you limewire?? I have the Total Immersion DVD I might stick it up on that if you want it

DustyBin

Thursday 21st Jan

Run
4.36 miles – hilly
36:36 = 8:23 pace
144 avg hr

Uneventful run to clear the head after a few pints the night before

Friday 22nd Jan

Swim
900 meters f/c
Completed in approx 45 mins

Early Friday evening – pool full of kids, meant that I had to get into the only roped off lane and share it with a young lady (maybe 16?) who swam rings around me!! Every now and then she would stop to let me finish a length and then set off again, with me telling her to just “keep going, I’ll get out of you way”. Towards the end though she did stop to let me have the honour of overtaking her once, and then she passed me back out a couple of lengths later!!

Saturday 23rd Jan

Run
6.15 miles
44:55 = 7:18 pace
152 avg hr

Didn’t have time to go with the lads on the long slow run, so had to head out early and squeeze in a fast 10k instead (fast for me). Same route as Mon 18th.

Sunday 24th Jan

Run
13.17 miles total

6.32 miles
1:04:19 = 10:11 pace
123 avg hr

6.85 miles
1:01:09 = 8:56 pace
138 avg hr

Did first 6.32 miles with Mrs DB, then continued on my own to clock another 6.85 miles. Decided in my infinite wisdom that I had ate late enough the night before and was in a rush to be back so I’d manage the run with just an apple for breakfast – wrong.
First 11 miles or so were grand, then my leg muscles just seemed to run out of fuel. Pace slowed considerably over the final 2 miles and legs clashed off one another on occasion. Not nice, and I’ll be sure to have something a bit better than an apple in future. Had no water on run either.


Wednesday 27th Jan

Run
7.51 miles
59:06 = 7:52 pace
146 avg hr

Following Sundays run I had a very busy day and night resulting in 4 hours sleep Sunday night (no drinking I promise), this was followed with another poor nights sleep on Monday night, so figured I was better off waiting till Wednesday morning to go running again.
Grand enjoyable run not exerting any great energy on the way round and good to be able to complete it in what felt an easy-ish pace. Last time I did this run I was giving it socks and unable to get near the hour mark so happy days.

DustyBin

catweazle wrote: »

What brought a big improvement in my swimming was the kickboard and a pair of fins (I think you can get the fins for 10-12 euros on Wiggle), I am not doing MCOS's 1000m of agony drills but I have done a couple of 500m efforts that the legs were burning after.

It has now got me into the habit of kicking half decent which brings the lower half up much higher in the water which seems to make everything easier.

Have you limewire?? I have the Total Immersion DVD I might stick it up on that if you want it

Thanks for that catweazle - I really appreciate the advice. My swimming is cack and I need all the help I can get.
I don't have limewire, but I do have the TI book (not read in a while), and sure I can look up Youtube for a few videos to check out kickboard exercises also.
Reckon I'll give the kickboard a shot alright.
Do you think would I need to use fins though?
Or would I get a decent workout with just the kickboard?
Cheers

catweazle

You would get more than a decent workout without the fins...........I used to do it without them and it would take me an hour to do one length. The fins give you a bit more enthusiam more than anything else as a good few lengths are possible then whereas it is soul destroying getting about half way across after the push off from the wall and then running out of any forward momentum and struggling to breathe. That being said I see the kids without fins flying along with the kickboard during their lessons but these kids are exceptional swimmers. All in all though I think the few drills I do with the fins have improved me greatly and they are cheap enough to purchase. These are the ones I got

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/swim/9/Aqua_Sphere_Zip_Fin_AW09/5360011316/

Total Immersion is more about getting the technique right and learning to be more streamlined in the water. I know Tunny has mentioned it should only be used when you are starting out swimming and you should move on to better stuff then, but for our level it improved me hugely from what I was. I downloaded it from Pirate Bay a while back before eircom started to block it, I can see them on youtube alright but they are clips and its hard to know which is which, leave it with me I will find some way to get it to ya. In fairness to you, you see a lot of people in here moaning about how bad their swimming is and how they need to improve but at least you are trying to do something about it by swimming regularly

DustyBin

catweazle wrote: »

You would get more than a decent workout without the fins...........I used to do it without them and it would take me an hour to do one length.

em ..... guess I'll be getting some fins then!! That would be soul destroying.
I'll pop into town tomorrow and see if I can pick up some fins, if not it'll be Wiggle.
I was checking out the Mr Smooth programme there today. MCOS posted a link to it a few months ago, and it is great to look at it a fresh every now and again picking up one or two new things about technique.

DustyBin

Thursday 28th Jan

Swim
800 meters breaststroke
450 meters f/c

Covered the front crawl tonight and turns out that it's much easier than I thought. Much less demanding on the lungs and less fatiguing all round - could use this as backup mid swim in open water if needed.

Topped out at 1,250 meters total - my longest yet in one session by some distance, covered in about 65 - 70 mins.

Happy things are starting to move in right direction with the swim.



Friday 29th Jan

Run
4.57 miles
36:23 = 7:57 pace
146 avg hr

Uneventful run, just getting out to keep things ticking over till Dungarvan on Sunday.
Did pass the 100 miles since Jan mark going past a neighbours house alright.

misty floyd

Going great yourself DB and best of luck in Dungarvan. 10m is a great distance for a race....I love it anyway. Well done with the swimming by the way. You must be chuffed with Thursdays swim.

Whats up after Dungarvan? Just saw your first post....still doin Connemarathon and would it be your first marathon?

DustyBin

Thanks
Na, not able to do Connemara this year as friends are getting married that day
Going to do Cork instead and that will be my first marathon - 18 weeks from Monday
Only started running in August so still lots of firsts - never done a 10 miler before tomorrow either
Next up is My Sport 10k in 2 weeks, then will prob try do one or two of the duathlons coming up
Would like to get a tri in early, and I really owe the swim in Eireman X a kicking following Septembers effort :rolleyes:, that comes around again in May
After that it will hopefully be a few sprint tri's, duathlons, and maybe an olympic tri if I can get my swimming good enough
Hope to then give DCM a lash in October

DustyBin

Saturday 30th Jan

Run
3.7 miles
37:28 = 10:08 pace
126 avg hr

Just a short easy run to keep the legs and chest moving

RubyK

Best of luck today DustyBin, you've been putting in the miles so deserve a great run Enjoy!

DustyBin

Dungarvan 10 miler - Race Report
Sunday 31st Jan

69:25!!!:D
Cannot believe it - over the moon with that result
I'd been thinking I could get in and around 72 - 73 mins, but 70 was a real stretch for me (ran Waterford Half in Dec with a 7:24 average pace). Nonetheless, I was determined to give 70 mins a real shot.

Lined up at the start, full of nervous energy bursting to get going and shot out into a pace close to 5:25 min miles :eek: Got myself in order, but it was a tough effort to slow down with all the excitement.

Clocked 6:58, 6:47, 6:54 & 6:54 to get to mile 4 and Showry. Started to struggle after this, and thought that I'd definitely gone off too fast and sure maybe I could still hold on and get myself 72 - 73 mins. Through the water station clocking 7:03 for mile 5. Real struggle now to hold onto the pace but sure I had to keep trying. Miles 6, 7 & 8 went by in 6:56, 6:51, & 7:01. I fell in with another runner at the water station at mile 7 and running together he really helped get to about 8.5 miles in decent time (thanks Lar) but I had to let him go heading up that hill. Finished mile 9 with a 7:12, then heading into a fairly strong wind for the final mile I managed to overtake Lar again with a 6:50 mile 10 and a finishing time I had only dreamed of.

Met Showry before the race, and eliwallach afterwards. Showry done a sterling job on the sambos whilst eliwallach wore his boards singlet to make things easier!

Stuffed myself afterwards, deciding I'd have to test all of Showry's sambo's, and I also needed 2 slices of brack just to be sure village runner was right about it being the best (he was & it is). 2 tempting looking slices of madeira rounded things off nicely!

Great race, very well organised, will hope to be back.

10 miles
1:09:25 = 6:57 pace
165 avg hr

(1 mile warmup - but nothing in the legs to warm down)

kennyb3

super runnning yourself, great to get under the 70 and very consistent pacing throughout. your flying now.

showry

great run DB, well done sham

Sosa

well done Dusty...great to push the boundaries out and achieve something you thought was out of your reach...well done

eliwallach

Nice time Dusty.
Must feel good to break 70min .

Was a bit distracted with the kids yesterday, but nice to put a face to the username.

catweazle

Great running Dusty you are putting in some excellent times, if you can get the swimming nailed down you will be appearing up at the front of the tri's. Although with those times it will be enjoyable for you to go past a lot of people in the run.

Have you done a 5k yet this year, you will have to be running sub 20 there almost handily at this stage the way you are going.

RubyK

Wow DustyBin, that's a fantastic time :eek: You must be delighted!! All that hard work paid off for you!

Brilliant stuff!

DustyBin

Thanks for all the nice words

@ eliwallach, likewise - good to put a face to the name, and thanks for wearing your boards top, makes life a lot easier. Not like when I had to ask Showry before the race 'Em, sorry, but do you post on boards??' - thankfully he said yes :cool:

@ catweazle, thanks but I think perhaps your over-egging it there a bit talking about the front of the tri's!! If I can get up the field a bit in a few duathlons I'd be delighted, but haven't been on my bike since September. Ran the Jingle Bells 5k pacing Mrs DB - my only 5k to date. Doing the MySport 10k in 2 weeks - bit of a race-off with kennyb planned for that one

kennyb3

DustyBin wrote: »

Doing the MySport 10k in 2 weeks - bit of a race-off with kennyb planned for that one

God i was having a bit of friendly banter now im worried - no pressure on me so. thanks DB:D

DustyBin

kennyb3 wrote: »

God i was having a bit of friendly banter now im worried - no pressure on me so. thanks DB:D

No pressure, like you said just a bit of craic

DustyBin

Decided to switch to metric units, so here goes...

Monday 1st Feb

Run
8 KM
50:11 = 6:18 min/km pace (or 10:09 in old money)
130 avg hr

Bit of a woddle around town to work out yesterdays run, legs were very heavy.
Covered almost 5 km on concrete footpaths and could feel the difference on tired legs.

DustyBin

Tuesday 2nd Feb

Run
7.7km
approx 5:07 min / km
Don't have full stats now - will edit later

Another gentle run to keep the legs turning over, felt fresher & better after the run and especially after the 10 mins stretching that followed. Got soaked in a few of the new council swimming pools that pass as potholes as well.


Wednesday 3rd Feb

Swim

500 metres (400 f/c, 100 b/s)
approx 30 mins

A really horrible swim this morning, coordination all over the shop, everthing felt really laboured, I just didn't want to be there after the first 100 meters. Was so bad I left to go into work early!!

Set out and did 100 f/c ok. Followed up with 100 b/s (was tougher than it should have been) to keep me moving and give lungs a little rest. Then just fell apart? Was a real slog to get to the 500m, but had been looking for 800m - 900m.

Very disappointing morning

shotgunmcos

Hey be easy on yourself there dude that fantastic run, as great as you felt nailing it like that, needs recovery time. Probably wise to bin the swim session if it was that bad and you were getting nothing from it. Sessions must have a purpose or they are just junk and the junk tiresd you out for the more important stuff.

Excellent run on Sunday, well done on that!

DustyBin

Wednesday 3rd Feb - pm

Run
11.3 k
1:05:49 = 5:48 /k pace
136 avg hr

Local Fit4Life group started up so is good to have decent excuse to go out and run in the evenings.
Met up with some of the lads and did our own short run (25 mins) before hand and then came back in time to meet up with the Fit4Life group and went out again.

DustyBin

Thursday 4th Feb

Cycle!!!
29.4 k
1:12:12 = 24.4 kmph avg
129 avg hr

Yes, your eye's are not deceiving you, I did actually make it out the door for my first cycle since September!!
Fitted lights last night, and really needed them this morning. Out the door at 6:45am, had to take it easy going down our road making sure not to hit any potholes in the dark. Was able to pick up the speed a bit after that, but had to wait until the main road to get the best out of it.
Pissing rain, cold & dark - it felt great
May get out a bit earlier in future though as I was cutting it fine at the other end trying to get out the door to work.
Haven't got around to fitting my computer yet, so will hopefully have cadence stats in future.

DustyBin

Thursday 4th Feb - pm

Swim
1,000 meters (700 f/c, 200 brst, 100 back)
approx 50 mins

Much better session, felt quite strong on the f/c, do need to follow catweazle's advice and get some leg drills going. Feel that the shoulders and chest are now much better, and form has improved a lot, but they're still dragging my hips and legs through the water. Did pay better attention to my kick this evening but needs work.

Found myself sinking a fair bit between breaths on the breast stroke.

Form on back stroke is horrible, but not too worried about this.

DustyBin

Saturday 6th Feb

Run
21.31 km
1:51:56 = 5:15 pace
142 avg hr

Nice run today with plenty of hills thrown in.
Went with some of the lads and got out dead early to avoid sharing the roads with too much traffic.
Legs felt a bit heavier than they should have done when we were not even half way round, but lads were the same so must be a residue of last weekends race?
Anyway, legs cleared out after that and finished the run feeling very strong and could have kept going for another few miles anyway.
Early start (7:30) meant that there was no way I was gonna get up an hour and a half earlier to have brekkie, so took care of everything last night by hydrating very well and also getting my porridge just before I went to bed. Seemed to do the trick as I was starving with the hunger after the run alright, but I was definitely not running on empty and still had energy afterwards.

DustyBin

Saturday 6th Feb - pm

Cycle
9.8k

Short slow trundle out in the evening helped to clear out the legs from the mornings run



Wednesday 10th Feb

Run
9.6k
45:29 = 4:44/k pace
144 avg hr

After an enforced layoff from training for a few days it was great to be able to get out again.
I found myself with some self doubt before heading out this morning which is just plain silly cos I was out runnning over twice this distance on Saturday:rolleyes:
Anyway, nice to be back, feeling my left hamstring a little bit alright though - hopefully will go away later today.
Always seems that I get these untypical tapers before races??

DustyBin

Thursday 11th Feb

Cycle
31.41k
1:18:31 = 24 k/h
120 avg hr

Out in the dark again this morning - cold but dry.
Took mostly the same route as last week. Did the outbound bit at little over 26 k/h avg, but must have got lazy on the return to drop to 24k/h overall avg.
I had taken maybe 3 sips from the water on the way out, but after I turned back for home and about 40 mins into it tried again but only a dribble coming out as though there was dirt in the nozzle. Put the bottle down and thought no more of it until I got home and found a big lump of ice floating in the water, and the nozzle frozen solid. Didn't think it could do that in 40 mins.
Looking forward the a bit of warmer weather appearing from somewhere

catweazle

Its like a plane Dusty, you were travelling so fast on the bike the tempeture drops to well under -40.

Fair play to you though, I have yet to venture outside this year let alone at all hours of the morning

kennyb3

Looking forward to the warmer weather myself but even more importantly less wind for running and cycling. can only admire you tri guys with the amount of different sessions you have to fit into a week and between trying to get out cycling in the winter and getting to the pool in the mornings i dont envy you's. Im a warm weather cyclist myself, i ll do some duathlons in the summer!

DustyBin

Catweazle I'm sure your missing an aul or or something up there

I was like a child though afterwards showing off to Mrs DB how cold it was on the cycle.
I don't have a turbo so no choice about having to get out into it then.

After lots of farting about I finally bought those fins you recommended yesterday so hoping to see improvement in my kick


Kennyb, don't be calling me a 'tri guy', lads like catweazle might be getting offended. Strictly sprints and duathlons only, though maybe an olympic at the end of the season if the swimming comes good. Are you going to dip your toe into the tri-water this year?

kennyb3

DustyBin wrote: »

Are you going to dip your toe into the tri-water this year?

Maybe the following year. to be honest im a useless swimmer and dont have the time for it. Im barely managing to fit in 30miles a week running. cycling i can do to work in the summer and a little at the weekend. but i would have to sacrifice running for some swimming which i just wont do - i love running and i want to see how good i can be. if i get bored with it tho you never know

shotgunmcos

Good man getting out on the bike! It has been cold alright the last few mornings.

At least doing pre work sessions gets them out of the way and you feel good about yourself in the morning... until the 4pm slump hits that is.... :rolleyes:

DustyBin

I'm loving the early morning stuff, lets me get out for guilt free training and evenings free to spend with Mrs DB, also not having to worry about juggling dinner, training, telly (Sky+ is the business)

I have these cycling shoes with lots of aeration - great for the summer, crap for cold weather. Bought a cheap pair of Altura overshoes (since discontinued) on wiggle for €16 - does the job

catweazle

Good man, I need to practice what I preach, my wife has borrowed (Commandeered) my fins for about the last month. She does wax lyrical about them so I let her off, anything that gets her back into doing a few tris this year I can live with as I will get the benefit in the long run

She still hates the bike though, so hopefully when the weather improves and I introduce a bit of romance into the cycle, weekend away somewhere scenic with a leisurely cycle thrown in maybe?

shotgunmcos

catweazle wrote: »

.... so hopefully when the weather improves and I introduce a bit of romance into the cycle....

Nothing like ridin' on your bike for that

couldn't resist

DustyBin

Hmmm, catweazle's romantic cycling break??
I'm trying to picture it but the only thing that comes to mind is La Marmotte

catweazle

Christ I was more thinking of Westport