Run for your life.

Oryx

Monday:
Sea swim: 750m approx, a bit stop start but my most productive week yet. Still a lousy swimmer tho.
Did a run afterwards, 5k. Didnt time it, it was just an easy one to loosen the legs up. This week was the first time I could run with just the trisuit. Hooray for summer weather!

Tuesday:
Half hour on turbo. Was a little unmotivated.

Wednesday:
Meant to run today, but my lack of motivation continued. No training. Im twitchy.

Oryx

Thursday:
An hour on the turbo while watching eurovision. Fun.

Friday:
Flaked out yet again, I think my mojo is on holidays or something

Saturday:
In spite of feeling rotten, forced myself out in the rain for a four mile run. Slow, but not as deathly as I expected. Am beyond tired out since though. Last weekend finally caught up and mugged me.

Am planning an early morning bike/swim or run/swim depending on the weather tomorrow. Fingers xd for sunshine....

Oryx

Sunday:
Well, the sun shone, it was a fab morning. Bit stuck for time, so got out on the bike and did 21miles, in about an hour 20. Was a lovely ride tho.

Monday:
Didnt swim yesterday, so got in for a dip this morning. Lost count of lengths but was swimming pretty consistently for 45mins.

Monday pm, went to circuits for the first time in ages. Squats, crunches, weight exercise I cant name, ball throw, rope whip, another ball exercise I cant name that involved chasing a swiss ball around, more crunches with a ball throw, lunges, weight exercise for the obliques using a weight bar. Did 4 circuits in 45mins. Plus some evil pushups and sit ups thrown in in the middle.

Then, just for the hell of it, did the kettle bell class too. Practice sets of squats, deadlifts, press, get ups, swings. Then 3 and a half minute supersets of all of them thrown together. Get your heart beating it does.

I dont half know I did all that today. Everything hurts. But sure I love it.

Oryx

Tuesday:
No real training, just a loosen up for a half hour on the turbo. Legs are killing me.

Wednesday:
Rest day, god I fupping ache. Note to self: when you do weights for the first time in over a month, for gods sake dont overdo it.

Thursday:
Half hour run. Legs still not right. Approx 6k.

Oryx

Saturday:
Out for an early run, four miles. 34 mins approx so slow but wasnt loving it anyway.

Sunday:
Only had time for a swim. 60 lengths, and am still pausing at the end of each length, but am able to focus on drills now rather than just staying afloat.

Oryx

Monday:
Off to wicklow for a recce of my leg of the WWR on Saturday. Its a big ol hill, but ok past halfway, cos your going down! Didnt push it at all, will save it for the race. 95 mins. 12.?kms.

Oryx

Tuesday:
Just a wee loosen up on the turbo. Few stretches, crunches, nothing much really.

Wednesday:
Four mile run this morning, was pretty warm, sweat running down my back, at 8am! 34mins, not wonderful, but not a horrible run, either.

Oryx

Saturday:
Did leg 5 of the Wicklow Way Relay today, as part of the desperate hillrunners team. Gohardorgohome took off at the same time as me, but left me standing, I saw his back for the first 500m and then never again! Felt dodgy as f**k for the first bit up to the waterfall, but once I got a few kms done it was better. It was a hard slog to the top of the hill then an untidy run back down again with wobbly legs. Days like today remind me I may be able to run, but I sure cant run uphill. 85 mins. Slower than I would have liked, but 10 mins faster than the recce run on Monday. No idea how our team did yet!*

*edit. We came 10th. Happy. Happy. Happy.

Slogger Jogger

Not sure I want to see leg 5 again. Its a rollercoaster of emotions and a real battle. In my case I didn't see a single runner from start to finish so it was a real mental battle to perservere. Well done.

Oryx

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Not sure I want to see leg 5 again. Its a rollercoaster of emotions and a real battle. In my case I didn't see a single runner from start to finish so it was a real mental battle to perservere. Well done.

The stretch after the last turnoff seemed to go on and on, wrecked my head! I didnt see a soul either, but only had one moment where I thought I was lost.

Well done on the win!

RacoonQueen

Well done oryx, you should be on the boards team next year. :pac:

Woddle

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Well done oryx, you should be on the boards team next year. :pac:

At least 4 teams for next year.

Oryx

Saturday 9pm:
First spinbike session, part of a 24 hour challenge for charity. 1 hour. Handy enough.

Sunday 7am
Second spinbike session. 1 hour. Still a handy number. Good laugh too!

Sunday 12 noon
Third session. 1 hour, legs are fine but Im beginning to dislike the seat

Sunday 3pm.
Final spinbike. 2 hours. Everyone tired but in great form, so lots of fun. Only thing that is bugging me is the damn seat which feels like concrete. Bravo to those who did more hours!

Oryx

Monday:
Swim in the morning. Just a quick dip for 25 mins. Didnt count lengths. Have booked a coaching session for later in the week.

This evening did circuits. Deadlifts. Crunches. Ball throw. Rope whip. Shuttles. More crunches. Lunges. Weights. Pushups. And a nice plank to finish.

Now, Im tired.

Oryx

Tuesday, bit of spinning on the bike. Wednesday is my day of rest.



Right, Im entering stuff all over the place, I need to keep track.

27th June - Strawberry Half Marathon -entered
4th July - Multimarathon (half mara) -undecided
17th July - Carrig on Suir tri. -entered MY FIRST TRI. :eek:
1st Aug - Tri795, Bunclody - entered
21st Aug - Race Series 10 mile - entered
29th Aug - Dublin City Triathlon - entered
18th Sept - Race series Half Mara - entered
25th Sept - WAR Glenmalure - entered

Not marathon training this year, as the focus in on triathlon. With luck I should get strong enough to do olympic distance next year!

Oryx

Thursday:
Swim coaching. Half hour session, my first. Wow, what an eyeopener. I have so many things to adjust and work on, it's unreal. My stroke wasnt long enough, or technically right, my kick just wasnt happening, I need to learn to breathe both sides, (which I knew and was trying) and I need to go longer without stopping and work out pace. Swimming is complicated!! Another coached session next week.

Friday:
Stuck for time so did a short brick session. 10mins turbo, 3 min run x3. Was baking hot, even at half seven, I love summer.

Oryx

Saturday:
Got out for a run, almost 8 miles, took a little over an hour. Have a mild hamstring injury, but it was ok, the bike seems to irritate it more. Am still slowing down though. I seem to have mislaid my determination somewhere.. Have a half mara next weekend and I doubt my time will be much to shout about.

Oryx

Sunday:
Bike ride today. 31 miles. Tried to keep the cadence up as thats what I need to work on to get more speed! 2 and a half hours.

Then went for a short swim, and with all the changes to how I swim it was exhausting. Only did about 20 lengths before I got dizzy tired from getting the breath all wrong. So I quit and went home and sat in the sun all day. Start again tomorrow!

Oryx

27th June - Strawberry Half Marathon -entered
4th July - Multimarathon (half mara) -undecided
17th July - Carrig on Suir tri. -entered MY FIRST TRI. :eek:
1st Aug - Tri795, Bunclody - entered
11th Aug - Hellfire, Wicklow - entered
21st Aug - Race Series 10 mile - entered
29th Aug - Dublin City Triathlon - entered
18th Sept - Race series Half Mara - entered
25th Sept - WAR Glenmalure - entered

I forgot Hellfire.

shotgunmcos

Wow tough schedule there! But then, you are a tough guy afterall Train smart Oryx and best of luck with the inaugural Tri adventure

Oryx

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Wow tough schedule there! But then, you are a tough guy afterall Train smart Oryx and best of luck with the inaugural Tri adventure

Havent figured out the train smart bit yet. Not marathon training this year which I hoped would reduce the pressure, and am feeling ok so far (apart from my niggly hamstring. grrr.) All well and good till I do the first tri. That will show whether Im good for all this or not! Fingers crossed, but am bricking it.

Oryx

Monday:
Sea swim, first one in weeks. It was flat calm and relatively warm, which was a nice change. Havent a clue on the distance, and it was a bit stop/start, but roughly 1k I would say. Towards the end I was beginning to settle into it, though steering is a big problem!

Then did a nice brisk 5k run. Forgot to time it, and towards the end, had tummy troubles, but a good run, cos the guys with me kept telling me to slow down,:) and at least my dodgy leg felt good.

Oryx

Tuesday:
Easy peasy spin on the bike (indoors). Then just a few stretches and crunches and pushups. Nothing much, really.

Wednesday:
Got caught up watching the insane 9hr tennis match on tv, and didnt get on the turbo till quarter to ten. Did about an hour, low intensity. Stretches.

Thursday:
Half hour run, between 5 and 6k, felt grand. But boy, was it hot and humid. Plus someone had spread slurry, and it stank. Its actually hard to run and breathe hard with a smell that bad around.

Got swim coaching too, with a different coach, who was more chatty and less of a slave driver. But it was still hard. I cannot swim two lengths continuously without running out of puff. Cannot figure what Im getting wrong, but it feels like Im not getting the breath into my lungs properly for some reason, Im only breathing to the 'top' of my chest. And three weeks till I have to swim 750m continuous. Dear god.

Oryx

Yesterday was the Strawberry Half Marathon. A brilliant event, flawlessly put together. But I knew going into it that I was underprepared, I just havent been doing enough running miles. I started fine, felt nice and relaxed, but did yet again go out way too hard. 7.13 at points during the first 3k. Stoopid! Eased off to 7.55 or so for the next few kms but the damage was done. The first half dragged, with hills that killed me. At 7k I was running on empty. Took a gel to see if that would help my legs come back. I hadnt a clue how Id get around the rest. At the hill at 9k I had to actually fight my body, which kept trying to stop and walk, it was weird but if youve ever felt like that youll understand.

Part of the problem was in my head I felt all wrong. Was caught by the pacers (donothoponpop was one) at 10k and they gradually crept away over the next few kms. The straight back to town was long and hot and painful. Finally and gratefully got to the finish in the worst condition Ive ever finished a race, with a chip time of 1.45.55.

Twas a lesson in the need for training and proper pacing. But of course, Ill be back for more.

Oryx

Im still recovering from the half on Sunday with some mildly stiff legs, but the niggly injury I had in my leg last week seems to be gone, how weird is that? Did a swim yesterday, just a short dip, practising my breathing. Have a coaching session tonight so Ill see if Im getting anywhere, but it doesnt feel like it yet.

Oryx

27th June - Strawberry Half Marathon -completed!
4th July - Multimarathon (half mara) -undecided you can get too much of a good thing. Im being sensible.
17th July - Carrig on Suir tri. -entered MY FIRST TRI. :eek:
1st Aug - Tri795, Bunclody - entered
11th Aug - Hellfire, Wicklow - entered
21st Aug - Race Series 10 mile - entered
29th Aug - Dublin City Triathlon - entered
18th Sept - Race series Half Mara - entered
25th Sept - WAR Glenmalure - entered

Oryx

Tuesday:
Half hour run in the nice warm evening sun.
Followed by swim coaching. It was good, but every time I finished a length I got something new to correct. By the end I couldnt remember it all, but had a eureka moment when he got me to change how I rotate my body/head to breathe. Made everything much easier.

Weds/Thurs: Rest

Friday:
Half hour run. Tried to run relaxed, shoulders down, legs loose. I have developed a tendency to run stiffly, it even shows in my photos, and Ive also had it commented on. So needs work. The run was definitely easier than recent training runs, and faster, if anything.

Saturday:
Not much, just half hour on turbo and some core work.

Oryx

Sunday:
Had planned a run/bike/swim combination, but high winds and pouring rain at 8am meant a change of plan, I didnt want to risk the bike in that weather, Im rattly enough on it. So did a 10 mile run, followed by a swim. The pool was booked for a tri, so time was limited. Did 40 lengths in less than a half hour, which is an improvement for me.

Monday:
Got out on the bike in the morning, short cycle, 13 miles. It was a lovely spin. Sea swim in the evening, flat calm and sunny. Im still really useless at going for any decent distance, I have to stop loads. But did my 750m. All the way out and back across the strand Im thinking... Jesus Ill never manage this in two weeks, what am I thinking??? But Im entered in Carrig on Suir and its gotta be done.

DustyBin

You don't hold back Oryx do you!!
Another packed schedule for you coming up
Looks like we'll be doing some of the same races, I'm entered for Carrick, Tri795 is my club's triathlon so will be involved someway on the day and also considering doing Glemalure

You're putting me to shame on the brick session you're doing, I get fairly lazy and just do one activity at a time :rolleyes:
You've inspired me to at least make an effort to get out of the bed a little earlier to go for a short trot before my OW swim tomorrow morning - lets see how that goes!!

Keep up the good training, everyone is telling me that the swim in Carrick is dead easy with the current - even if we just float we should get a good time There's a good crowd from our club heading down so keep an eye out for the red/black/gold tri suits - I'll be the devilishly handsome one if you want to say hi :rolleyes:

Oryx

Thanks for the encouragement. Im trying to double up on some training days just to get used to switching from one to another.

Im depending on the river carrying me down for that swim! Ill be in a black/grey trisuit, but youll pick me out as Ill be last out of the swim. Prob throw a Wexford Triathlon singlet on top for the rest, so you should spot me. (Am from around your neck of the woods too, I think).