This stuff is kinda addictive ...

DustyBin

Thursday 11th Feb - pm

Swim
800 meters (500 f/c, 150 brest, 150 back)
about 60 mins

Lessons tonight, a few adjustments to my f/c which helped me move faster through the water, but really seemed to take more out of me.
Calf muscles cramped up very bad on the back stroke making me stop twice - didn't get to do any stretches after my cycle this morning.
Hoped to get another couple of hundred meters out of it but was tired and left it at that.

DustyBin

Friday 12th Feb

Run
9.68 km
48:20 = 4:59 pace
142 avg hr

Struggled to get out of bed first and then struggled around the run
Had intended doing 15-16 km but wasn't up in time
On the plus though I did look super cool in my new €9 nike running tights:cool:
Have done very little running so far this week, but after a busy week in the real world, and both a cycle & a swim yesterday I'm not too down beat about it

RubyK

You're flying Dusty! Fair dues to you.

I really don't know how you tri-guys and gals do it!

DustyBin

Friday 12th Feb - pm

Run
8.29 km
48:52 = 5:54 pace
132 avg hr

Night time trot out the main road and back, pretty uneventful, heavy legs near the end


Saturday 13th Feb

Run
9.18 km
1:02:38 = 6:49 pace
124 avg hr

Lovely run through the forest, along the road, and across the beach. Mrs DB was with me - I wasn't thanked for picking some of the tougher routes to run.
Really enjoyed it though, both of us well satisfied afterwards.
Felt fresh at the end, better than last night.

DustyBin

Sunday 14th Feb – am

Rowing
Hooked up with the rowing club again after a long layoff. Was good to get out on the sea again, but my hands have grown soft in the meantime and I paid for it afterwards with lots of lovely welts and blisters!
OK, this might be taking it a bit far but I decided that I might as well take my Garmin out with me:
4.95k
34:54 = 8.5 k/h avg
What does that mean? – not sure but it’s a benchmark at any rate. The boat has four oarsmen and a cox, so obviously lots of things to affect speed like fellow rowers and also tides & winds.
On the plus though I have found at least one use for activity ‘other’

DustyBin

My Sport 10k – race report
Sunday 14th Feb – pm

41:01 & a new PB
4:06 pace, 167 avg hr

Met up with kennyb on the start line, asked about the ankle, he reckoned was grand but that he’d back off if he felt anything. We got talking targets and kennyb mentioned 42 mins, I agreed I’d be happy with that too, but sure feck it, I was gonna attack the 40 min mark. In hindsight I think we maybe should have swapped targets :rolleyes:
Spotted Eoin Ryan on the start line and made a mental note not to let him beat me.
Start gun went off and I lost kennyb, like some kind of greased eel he had worked through the crowd out to maybe 20 meters in front of me, whilst I got stuck behind a couple of different groups running together and running 3-4 abreast!!
Maybe 1.5 k into the race caught up with both kennyb and Eoin and pushed on past them. Clocking in at just under 4:00 pace at this stage on a long gentle uphill so happy enough with that. Kept the foot to the floor and passed out a few other runners along the way round then we got to the steep downhill section heading for the river and off with the handbrake, lengthen the stride, and away I went. Felt great and picked off another couple of people here. Got to the bridge and passed the first tail ender from the walkers. Unfortunately what goes down has to come up – what a savage hill, but I was happy enough with the pace I managed to maintain going up. Just about then kennyb caught up with me and we hit a sneaky second hill that I managed to stay on his heels for.
Onto the main road again and into the headwind, kennyb started pulling away and my head just went down. I knew that I had gone out too quick and was not able to stick with him. Ran a lonely kilometre when up comes these two guys beside me, ‘not gonna get by me’ I say to myself and I push on. The lads catch up again only this time I notice Eoin Ryan is with them – ‘absolutely not going to happen’ thinks I about Ryan.
Anyways, the four of us pushed each other fairly hard from there until just before the 9k mark when the 3 lads pull ahead and I was wasted.
I was in a bad place now and no longer pushing it, 40 min target was gone (unrealistic), beating kennyb wasn’t gonna happen (my day will come), Eoin Ryan out paced me on the final k (last minute goal, but was still gutted). Coming into the last couple of hundred meters I felt someone coming up hard on my shoulder, it was a lady I’d passed back around the 3k mark. I found speed from somewhere ‘go on, give it a lash’ she roared – thanks .

Came in with 41:01, previous pb was 44:45, so well pleased with that. It’s a very tough course, so reckon that with more prep, and a flatter course I should get the 40 mark next time round

Got to chat with Eoin afterwards – nice guy and will defo beat him the next time
Kennyb – you lulled me into a false sense of security and then kicked my ass!

1.6 k warm up & 1.5 k warm down

kennyb3

great report dusty, pretty much how i remembered it too. as for lulling you into a false sense of security? if id have known i was capable of that pace i would have ran the first half a bit faster. i very unusually (for me) ran negative splits. in hindsight gutted i missed sub 40 due to lack of confidence in my own ability. had to laugh at the greased eel comment. your some man running down them hills you were flying. the between 6.5 and 9k was the hardest, i got completely stranded alone into headwind up the hill. felt like forever. we ll have to have a re-run next year. savage progress from you since crookstown.

shotgunmcos

DustyBin wrote: »

Sunday 14th Feb – am

Rowing
Hooked up with the rowing club again after a long layoff. Was good to get out on the sea again, but my hands have grown soft in the meantime and I paid for it afterwards with lots of lovely welts and blisters!
OK, this might be taking it a bit far but I decided that I might as well take my Garmin out with me:
4.95k
34:54 = 8.5 k/h avg
What does that mean? – not sure but it’s a benchmark at any rate. The boat has four oarsmen and a cox, so obviously lots of things to affect speed like fellow rowers and also tides & winds.
On the plus though I have found at least one use for activity ‘other’

It means it was a pretty short slow session for a 4+ Yeah the 'other' activity seems cool, means you can take it skiiing and record your tucked downhill speed! I was down at the ULRC boathouse recently and just being in that top notch facility chatting with a few old heads made me miss it...

Well done on your 10k... nice pb for you!

catweazle

Nice one Dusty, what has poor Eoin Ryan done to deserve such unrelenting determination though. Well done on almost 4 minutes off the pb

DustyBin

E=catweazle wrote: »

what has poor Eoin Ryan done to deserve such unrelenting determination though.

ha ha - nothing. You know the way you like to give yourself mini targets as you go along in a race? - that's all

My fins arrived today so will get down to the pool during the week to check them out. Reckon between the fins and the kickboard all I'll need will be the armbands to complete the look!
My social alienation down at the pool will be laid at your door catweazle, however anyway resulting improvement in my swimming will be credited to me alone

catweazle

Yes the fins can be very intimidating. Can be very handy, if the pool is busy and I come in with the fins, pull buoy, paddles, water bottle,triathlone swim cap (not to mention the tight swimming togs these days). The people in the lane i get ready to go into,either leave it to go to another lane or just head off to the jacussi area. They must be expecting Michael Phelps

They are soon looking at me with disgust as I plod along at 2 minute pace with bad stroke and technique, bet they are all thinking jesus whats with all the equipment sure i am better than him.

RubyK

Congrats on the 10K Dusty, that's some great running you're doing!

misty floyd

Nice report Dusty, well done.

shotgunmcos

so did ya get outa the bed for a run this morning or wha

DustyBin

shotgunmcos wrote: »

so did ya get outa the bed for a run this morning or wha

Nah
It was my last morning to use the snooze button and I just kept hitting it!! - t'was heaven
Have already arranged with Mrs DB though that Desperate Housewives = running tonight

DustyBin

Tuesday 16th Feb

Run
17.65 k
about 1hr 35mins

Set out on a beautiful crisp evening, soon turned frickin freezing!!
Was in a rush to get out the door, so went without gloves - hands got an awful dose of the cold. Most of the run was on quiet country roads with little or no traffic, no moon, just me and my breathing for company (and my miners light). Spent about 6 k in the middle of the run on a mixture of main road and through the back streets of the town.
Called into shop for bottle of water in my full combat tights, hi-viz, ski hat & head torch to be met with laughter from the lady behind the till.
Took a small detour on the way home to put me over the 300k mark for the year so far.



Wednesday 17th Feb - am

Swim
650 meters (550 f/c, 100 breast)
35 mins

Down to the pool this morning, under pressure timewise so didn't bring my new fins or kickboard - also forgot my feckin googles & hat so had to shell out for a crappy new set :mad:
Got through the swim ok, felt strong, could have pushed myself harder really, feeling like I need something now to push on from where I'm at.
The group lessons that I do are OK only, but at least it's a regular bit of swimming once a week. Next set are tomorrow, need to find out how many are left - might look into a couple of 1-1's?
Talking to a guy at the weekend, looks like he'll be organising weekly group open water swims from April onwards

catweazle

I was thinking that myself, when I am going to brave the open water swims this year. I have some nice swims around my area so i am looking forward to them, April might be too soon for me. Last year I went out with the club in May, a terrible experience with the cold, didnt brave the water again till July.

But it would be nice to just swim and not be turning every 20ms

DustyBin

Thursday 18th Feb - am

Run
7.52k
39:57 = 5:19 pace
134 avg hr

A nothing of a run really. Felt a bit of a niggle in right knee so cut short and ran slow



Thursday 18th Feb - pm

Swim
1,000 m (550 f/c, 425 breast, and bizzarly 25 butterfly!)
1 hr
Lessons last night. Just lots of cruising up and down making corrections to technique - apparently my kick is not my problem anymore? Still v hard work at any rate. Instructor got into pool with us and on plus side looks like I at least have better endurance
It was fairly quite with very few people there so asked to be shown the butterfly. After a bit of face pulling the instructor agreed but only if I promised to do a full length of it (25m) - unreal tough going but got it done!

DustyBin

Friday 19th Feb

Run
9.61k
47:56 = 4:59 pace
141 avg hr

Legs felt heavy on this run, knee felt much better. Didn't want to be pushing things too hard as I've a 13 miler hill run arranged with the lads for tomorrow morning - lovely.
Checking back through my training notes there yesterday I've 450 miles put up on my Mizuno's now - will try to pick up another pair tomorrow. Will be either the Mizuno Wave Inspire 6 or the Nike Lunarglides I reckon. I find the Inspire 5 to be great but might just try on the Lunarglides to see what all the fuss is about? Showed a picture of the Lunarglides to Mrs DB 'they look a bit gimpy' was her assessment :)

DustyBin

Friday 19th Feb - pm

Swim
500 meters (300 f/c, 200 breast)

Really only went down for the steam room:D
Thought that I'd better do a little bit of a swim to 'earn' it, but into jacuzzi and steam room for a bit of a wind down.
Jumped in under the cold shower outside the steam room just so that the other people would think I was hard - grrr...!!!
(didn't last very long)



Saturday 20th Feb

Run
24.85 km
2:16:39 = 5:30 pace
140 avg hr

Tough run this morning with the lads over a very hilly course on forestry trail. Took a bottle of water and a gel with me - took the gel about 15k mark. Extremely cold, but there had been no rain or snow so only frozen puddles to deal with. Glad that ground wasn't covered cos it was fairly rough and stoney in lots of parts. About 10k total on tarmac. Hit km's of 4:23, 4:15, 4:19 & 4:44 from 19 - 23 km. Nice to get a bit of speed in towards the end.
Beautiful morning to be out running in the countryside.

DustyBin

Sunday 21st Feb

Cycle & Run brick

68.44 k cycle
2hrs 50mins = 24.16 k/h avg
115 avg hr

Found the outbound part of this grand, but really struggled on the way home. Quite a low avg hr so that wasn't the problem, more a combo of sore bum, tired legs, and tired mind!!
Had attempted to round up a couple of lads to maybe do it with me but they all planned on having hangovers so that left it to me to do on my own. I did find it tough going on my own tbh.
Got to halfway with an average speed of 25.3 k/h, which isn't great in itself, but the return home pulled it down to a 24.16 avg overall.


3.29k run
18:04 = 5:29 pace
141 avg hr

Got home from cycle on with the runners and straight out the door for a little shuffle up the road and back. Didn't find the transition from bike legs to running legs as bad as I thought it would be after a few months with no bricks. Still though up to no great shakes with legs dead after the cycle and also the run on Saturday - ran from memory only, no great feel for anything.

Tough weekend for me, rounding off a week that saw my highest weekly swim distance, my highest weekly cycle distance, and also my highest weekly run distance this year - all in the same week

catweazle

Fair play Dusty you are going well, I see you have Blacksod down in September on the wish list. Are me and Griffin 100 going to be the Eoin Ryan lambs to the slaughter at that race :eek:

DustyBin

catweazle wrote: »

Fair play Dusty you are going well, I see you have Blacksod down in September on the wish list. Are me and Griffin 100 going to be the Eoin Ryan lambs to the slaughter at that race :eek:

lambs to the slaughter me eye! If I managed to hold onto you till the run maybe, but not a chance across the swim or bike.
Looks like I'm probably not going to get to do it anyway as Blacksod and Eireman X are on the same weekend - did Eireman X in Sept and is great craic, plus it's about 10 mins from my house (Blacksod 5 hrs?)
Would love to make a weekend of Blacksod alright though so won't say no just yet - want to check it out with some of the lads around here.
Fair play on your 20 miler at the weekend - you're into the real gnarly stuff for Connemara now!

DustyBin

Monday 22nd Feb

Run
6.74k
41:42 = 6:11 pace
133 avg hr

Met up with the fit4life gang for a recovery trot around the town. Nice new route. We had a group photo for one of the local papers as well - say ch:D:Dse!!


Tuesday 23rd Feb

Run - LT session
14.21k w/ 6k @ LT
1:09:09 = 4:52 avg pace (total)
26:14 @ LT = 4:22 pace (LT)
150 avg hr @ LT

Gonna have to find a different way to present the data above as is a bit of a mess?
Anyway, first time doing a proper LT session, sure sorta had to with all the talk of it on the main forum the past week or so. I had a route in mind that I knew was about 14k, with a few small hills at the start, and a long uphill drag near the end, but was fairly flat in the middle. For a fiinish decided to try a 4k warm up, 6k @ 4:20 pace, then run in the finish at an easy pace.
Didn't know what to expect during the 6k LT, so ran the warmup fairly cautious at 5:08 pace. Buzzer went off on the Garmin to signal the start of the 6K LT and I shot off like I was in a race, clocking 3:29 at one stage, before settling back down and running 4:22 for the distance, shuffled home the final 4.2k picking up speed as I went, running my fastest on the final k for an avg 5:20 pace.
Delighted I done the session as I now have the first one over with and already thinking about the next, was fairly daunting last night though putting the programme into the Garmin as I wasn't sure what pace to use, what would happen as I was going around or how I would react to it (can get lazy pace wise when on my own on a run)
Happy out now, defo up for using the training programmes facility more often

catweazle

Belmullet is a nice scenic place to make a weekend of it with Mrs Dusty but its in the arse end of nowhere, used to be a member of the golf course out there called Carne, best course I have ever played.

Why not consider Swinford 1/2 in late July instead. The difference between olympic swim of 1.5k and 1/2 Ironman of 1.9k is minimal. You are well able for the run already!

That Trylouisburgh Olympic in early july would be in a great place too, very near Westport, however both are brand new events

DustyBin

catweazle wrote: »

Belmullet is a nice scenic place to make a weekend of it with Mrs Dusty but its in the arse end of nowhere, used to be a member of the golf course out there called Carne, best course I have ever played.

Why not consider Swinford 1/2 in late July instead. The difference between olympic swim of 1.5k and 1/2 Ironman of 1.9k is minimal. You are well able for the run already!

That Trylouisburgh Olympic in early july would be in a great place too, very near Westport, however both are brand new events

Thanks catweazle, problem is my swim.
I had picked out Blacksod partly because we've got friends up that way, but mainly because I might manage an olympic distance swim by September - July might be a bit too soon?
I'll see how the swimming goes over the next few months and make a few decisions then, but would like to do an olympic tri somewhere this year

DustyBin

Wednesday 24th Feb

Swim
1,200 meters (100 f/c, 100 breast, 1,000 kick drills)
45 mins

Finally got down to the pool with my new fins & kickboard. Walked into the pool area with fins and board in hand, no lanes set out, and the pool fairly busy for a weekday morning.
I was barely in the water when one of the lifeguards walks over to me 'will I put in a lane for you?'. 'No, no' says I. 'Are you sure? It's no bother, I'll put one in now'. Christ he thinks I'm some form of super swimmer come down to tear up the place with my fins!! 'Nah, it's grand, honestly, I'm not good anyway'.
So with that start it could only get better.
50 breast, 50 f/c to get started, then put on the fins and got the board, 250 two hands on board head up, 250 one hand, head down, swap hands when breathing, 250 one hand on boards head down, swim on side. Was going to go on my back at this stage but the pool was still fairly busy and didn't trust my steering not to run into someone, so did my own version on a flipper IM, 100 two hands head down, 75 single arm swap when breathing, 75 swim on side.
50 f/c & 50 breast to round things off.

Very happy that I've got that monkey of using fins & board for first time off my back now. My poor little ankles didn't know what hit them though, and my legs in general got a right roasting.

First 25 of f/c afterwards felt mechanical and out of sync on my upperbody, but my legs were zipping along without the resistance of the flippers, second 25 was better controlled and more relaxed.

DustyBin

Wednesday 24th Feb - pm

Run
6.7k
41:00 = 6:07/k pace
130 avg hr

Recovery run with fit4life group


Thursday 25th Feb - am

Run
14.3k - hills
1:13:10 = 5:07/k pace
139 avg hr

Fairly hilly run, happy enough with the pace, not meant to be anything flash. Still got a bit of a low ache in my right knee, not painful and doesn't restrict my movement at all.

catweazle

Ha Ha Very good dusty, there is something about fins that earn you instant respect whether its deserved or not.

DustyBin

catweazle wrote: »

Ha Ha Very good dusty, there is something about fins that earn you instant respect whether its deserved or not.

I had another guy who came in afterwards asking me if I had an outboard motor attached - funny guy