Quick Beat; Slow Feet

catweazle

Thats a serious run time coming from the bike, fair play you are getting in a good mix of the three

Macanri

Thanks CW, I am happy enough with my running, could always be improved upon , but I feel I need to build up the base on both the cycling and the swimming.

Tues 22 Dec. 10:00

Swim (25m pool)
150m FC, 100m FC, 150m FC, 100m BS
150m FC, 100m BS, 150m FC, 100m BS and 50m FC

Tot 1050m

Well I found the 150m stints very exhausting, gasping for breath.
I am happier with my breathing though, breathing on every third stroke, and have discovered that if I turn my head up more (looking at the roof) that I get more time to take a deeper breath - not exactly rocket science, but I never really copped that I wasn't turning up enough.

Macanri

Wed 23 Dec. 15:00

Cycle: 19.5 miles (31.3km) 01:09:00 Avg 17mph. HR 158avg 175max. Got a set of pedals and straps so was able to get a bit more power than up to now.

Then met the lads in my home place last night - had a good night - and about 5 or 6 pints. Left my car in the village as I planned to run from my Ma and Da's in the morning and collect it. Woke this morning about 8:30 pounding headache. Back to bed woke at about 9:30 took an Ibuprofen and was ready to go shortly.

Thurs 24 Dec. 10:30

Run: 6.8km (4.2 miles) 29:12 Avg pace 6'57/mile. HR 169avg 178max.

Happy Christmas Boardsies! Have a Great One.

Macanri

Sat 26 Dec. 11:00

Run: 13.2km (8.2 miles) 59:55 Avg pace 7'18/mile. HR 167avg 174max. Lovely morning for a run. Did part of it on Dollymount Strand.

Macanri

Mon 28 Dec. 15:00

Cycle: 33.1 miles (53.3km) 02:10:00 Avg 15.3mph. HR 150avg 174max.

Went north through Swords, headed towards Asbourne, then back in the N2 and across Griffit and Collins Ave to home. Took a wrong turn near Asbourne and when I turned the bike on an unused section of road I came a cropper, bike went straight from under me, one fott came out of strap the other remained with the bike! Hurt me hand, but that won't stop me from either cycling, running or swimming:p, so I got off lightly enough.

Macanri

Wed 30 Dec. 17:30

Run: 9.7km (6 miles) 40:24 Avg pace 6'54/mile. HR 176avg 186max.

There was a strong NE wind out which literally pushed me along the section by the coast. Two bad weather days - waiting for it to stop raining didn't happen, so had to bite the bullet and head out. Give me the cold and frost any day.

christeb

You got out today? Fair play. I'll start dropping you more texts (and feel free to do likewise) - I could have done with a decent push / kick today

Macanri

Yea christeb, I had to do one of the three disp. way too windy too cycle and missed my swim session as it is hard to plan with the family life, so just have to go when I get the chance. So ended up getting the run in. The wind definately gave me a push:D.

Will text you before my next run and try to give as much notice as I can.

Hoping to get a swim in later, maybe cycle tomorrow and run on Sat or Sun.

Macanri

Thurs 31 Dec. 17:00

Swim (25m pool)
75m Warm up, 100m FC, 100m BS, 100m FC, 50m BS, 100m FC, 100m BS, 100m FC, 75m FC.

Tot 800m

Not the best ever session. Was talking to a man who was coaching his grandsons (one was a 10 year old who can swim 2 miles non stop!!!). He gave me a few pointers which I will concentrate more on next swim session. One tip was to keep my head in the water as much as possible. So in the last swim post i was saying about turning my head up more to get a good breath, but he was saying to barely get my mouth out of hte water which would stop my opposite shoulder dropping and slowing me down. I find it difficult to do though.

Sat 02 Jan 2010. 11:00

Run 0.5km warm up then, 16.1km (10 miles) 01:16:10 Avg pace 7'37/mile. HR 172avg 182max. Most of it was on Dollymount beach strand.

Macanri

Sun 03 Jan. 13:30

Cycle: 29 miles (46.7km) 01:54:10 Avg 15.2mph. HR 160avg 173max.

Same route as Monday last there were a few icy stretches to contend with, other than that a grand day for it just a light east breeze.

Week Total: Swim: 800m, Cycle: 100km, Run: 26.3km. Need to do more swimming.

Macanri

Mon 04 Jan. 21:00
Swim (25m pool)

Aim of the session was to practice doing flip turns (which I have read are the more beneficial way to swim lengths of the pool). So started into that trying a few flips then doing a few lengths and combinin with the flips. Didn't know which part of the pool was up, down , left or right for some of them, but towards the last few I was more aware of which way I was orientated. Had to stop doing them half way through as my legs started to cramp up all over the shop. So just swam 75, 100 and 125 m stints after that.
Breathing was better.

Total done 850m.

christeb

Fancy doing the IMRA race in Howth on Sunday morn? Obviously weather dependent....

Macanri

christeb wrote: »

Fancy doing the IMRA race in Howth on Sunday morn? Obviously weather dependent....

Thanks for the offer christeb, but I think I have signed up for a few too many races in the next few weeks already, I have the Raheny road race series, the Raheny 5 mile, and then my first taste of Tri related races in the Alive Outside Duathlon series in the Park. Plus I don't fancy doing too much in this cold snap. Excuses excuses excuses.:D

christeb

Macanri wrote: »

Thanks for the offer christeb, but I think I have signed up for a few too many races in the next few weeks already, I have the Raheny road race series, the Raheny 5 mile, and then my first taste of Tri related races in the Alive Outside Duathlon series in the Park. Plus I don't fancy doing too much in this cold snap. Excuses excuses excuses.:D

You're right not to do too much. I'll see you at the Duath next wk and the Raheny 5 though so. Maybe some intervals next week if you fancy it - hopefully the roads will clear up soon....

Macanri

Tues 05 Jan. 21:00
Swim (25m pool)
Similar session to last night. Did various stints of 50, 75, 100 and 125m mostly FC, the odd set of BS recovery. Flipped on all lengths, bar the BS ones. Flips went a bit better but it is quite disorientating doing the flips, hopefully it will get less so. No cramps tonight.

Total done 1200m.

Macanri

Fri 08 Jan. 17:00

Run: 9.4km (5.8 miles) Avg pace 7'34/mile. HR 175avg 182max. A few niggles in the legs. Achilles given a bit of pain (very slight) left calf soreish, and just getting over a cold. Had a go at making the "screw shoes" - they worked out alright.

Macanri

Sat 09 Jan. 10:30

Run: 8.4km (5.2 miles) Avg pace 7'41/mile. HR 160avg 177max. Ran the perimeter of St. Annes with christeb, with the fresh snow from the night before it made for some picture postcard scenery around the park. An enjoyable run, but my Achilles was 'at' me. I think I'm going to have to ease off the running for a while.

Today I went for a spin around the area on the bike to see how the achilles acted with that. Unfortunately it is also affected by the cycling, bummer. I am going to go and see a physio near where I work during the day tomorrow, to see what I can do to heal it asap.

Sun 10 Jan. 20:00

Cycle: 12.4 miles (20km) 49:00 Avg 15.2mph. HR 147avg 167max.

Week Total: Swim: 2050m, Cycle: 20km, Run: 17.8km.

Macanri

Well I went to see the Physio near work today. She said its Achilles Tendonitis (not the worst case ever). She worked on it and it was fairly sore but helped for a couple of hours. So I can't run on it until it doesn't cause me any more pain - a few weeks she said. She told me to stretch it 3 times a day, put Voltarol on it and rest it. She said I could continue cycling and swimming though - so not the end of the world.

So:
Mon 11 Jan. 21:00

Cycle: 15.1miles (24.3km) 00:54:45 Avg 16.5mph. HR 165avg 182max.

Nothing like cycling down dark roads and dogs barking to get your HR up.

Enrolling in swimming classes for intermediate swimmers in the local pool from tomorrow night. 10 lessons €100. So hope to improve on technique and breathing.

Macanri

Wed 13 Jan. 21:00

Swim (25m pool)
Found it tough. Did various stints of 50, 100 mostly FC, the odd set of BS recovery. Flips were a bit tough to do. The breathing was not great.
Looked on the tri ireland website results for a sprint tri. Times for 750m swimm range from 9:xx to 20 mins. I am defo at the lowest end of that. I reckon I swam 75m in about 2 mins so that would be 20 mins if I could do 30 lengths in a row. I have a lot to do swim wise!
Total done 1050m.

Macanri

Thurs 14 Jan. 20:30

Cycle: 26km 01:06:00 Avg 23.6km/h. HR 168avg 184max.

Macanri

So Fri 15th went to pysio again and because the achilles is still at me and was agrevated during the cycles she told me to lay off the cycling now as well as the running. So swimming OK. Mrs M out with friends on Fri nigth and down the country with her Ma on Sat meant no training as I looked after the kids. Felt a cold coming on on Sat. On Sun all aches and pains in me joints, pain in the head and shivers. Monday a bit better.

Tues 19 Jan The swimming lessons started tonight due to water shortages last week. Absolutely stoked. There was about 18 people there, 3 coaches. So in our group there was just 2 of us, so really 1 on 1 coaching. What I learnt in 1 hour would take weeks of feeling for it myself and asking people questions. Am very happy with the first lesson. Swam widths of the pool, but lots of them. She instructed on the Front crawl, back stroke, mixed them together, breast stroke, and butterfly. A lot to take in in an hour. Never did lessons before .. but after that I really should have. Have to work on ironing out bad habits and trying to stretch on the stroke and pull through the whole body.

Nothing tonight, still have the pain in the head. Really want to go to pool tomorrow evening, but will see how the flu is going first.

Going back to pysio on Fri. I think its nearly there and should be able to ease back into a few slow 2 to 3 milers.

Macanri

Fri 22 Jan. 20:00

Swim (25m pool) Was late so just got 35 mins done 750m. 100m FC warm up, then 75m FC, 25m Bk St, 100m FC x 2, 100m BrSt, 100 FC, 50 BrSt, 100m FC.

Tried to keep to proper technique, hard to change bad habits.

Macanri

Tues 26 Jan

Swim Lesson No 2. A different coach tonight. He focused on the Breast Stroke. Pull, breathe, kick, glide. Have to keep my fingers closed, was swimming with my fingers spread apart!!! Did about 400m? maybe more.

On Fri physio said to give it another week as I can still feel the Achilles. She wants to wait until I can't feel it anymore and then build up the running from very low milage. So back to her next Mon.

Macanri

Ended up going to the doc on Thurs. He told me I have a chest infection and some form of broncial something or other. Put me on antibiotics. When I started taking them I seemed to get more wheezy. went back to the physio with the achilles yest (Mon 1st) she has told me that I'm near there I can cycle whenever the chest allows and I'm to continue stretching and have to go back to her in two weeks, with the view to starting back running slowly. She said it will be walk run walk scenario for a few days!

Back to the doc today as I was still wheezing away (feckin doc bills since the new year have been nuts!) S he put me on two inhalers to clear up the wheezing. Had slight athsma as a child but that cleared when I was 12 or 13. He said the antibiotic might have triggered it?? He said it should clear in a few weeks (It feckin better) And that no training this week. If I feel better next week then away I go. The inhaler was instant relief.

Tues 02 Feb

Swim Lesson No. 3
Heeding my doctors advice (seen as I wasn't wheezing anymore and I paid good money for them lessons) I went along to the swim lesson.

Did 50m warm up while waiting. I timed the 50m at 1:13. Then the coach had us practicing our diving at the start. Rocket position, head down between arms, toes over edge, knees bent, lean forward and push off. In to water at less than 45 deg, two dolphin kicks and up to surface.

Then we swam front crawl doing widths using the pull bouy (didn't know what a pull bouy was 'til now - I tought it was like some form of ball on a rope attached to your legs that you pull along after you!!). So practicing the stroke: catch, sweep and recovery. Thumb and index finger into water, stretching out, pulling through water down by body out past the shorts and then through the air.
Have to watch the breathing too. Lifting my head a little too much out of the water.
We then included kicks, he didn't speak much about the kicks as he wants to concentrate on the stroke and breathing first.
we then had to do 3 x 100m in under 15 mins! So did first set then took about 30 sec rest, then next set and about 1 to 2 mins as we were talking about stroke etc. and then 50m as we talked again and then the final 50m. Total time 13:14. rests were prob about 3 mins in all. So 300m in 10 mins! So all in all about 600m maybe more.
I have to remember to kick my legs more, I currently really only kick when taking a breath every third stroke!

My plan for next swim session will be to do 100m WU, sets of 50m in around 1:15 or 1:20 and rest for 20 - 30 secs. Then 100m CD.

interested

good luck with the swimming lessons chief - and fair play to you for actually having a go at tumble turning. I know lots of triathletes at the pointy end of races that never bothered to learn to do it when they were starting and now dismiss it entirely. It'll help you get used to swimming continuously.

Good luck for the season and when you do get to your first triathlon put the swim in context ... it wont kill you, most people around you are as nervous as you are, the worst of it will be over before you know it and you'll be on your bike and most importantly ... we've all had to do much worse in life than swimming 750 metres ...

Macanri

Cheers interested, yea I'm going to continue at the tumble turns. I suppose from being wiped out when surfing and being thrown upside down and pinned down by a wave is a lot more disorientating than an odd tumble turn.

Training going slow at the minute but hopefully get going at it more over the next week or two. Hope to do a few duathlons followed by Try Loias on 10th April. And then try a sprint distance end April early May. So hopefully my swimming comes on a good bit by then.

Macanri

Tues 09 Feb
Swim Lesson No. 4

Did 50m warm up while waiting.

We started with doing widths of front crawl and half way over flipping over and into a back stroke.

Then we did a few knee dives, where you kneel on one knee and lean in pushing with your other foot.

We then swam 200m in lengths. And finished with seeing how far we could travel underwater on 1 breath.

So all in all about 500m maybe more.

Felt my kicking was a bit better on the front crawl. But having done nothing the last few weeks is showing. I was wrecked just doing the few lengths. Very nearly over the chest infection so hope to get something done the weekend all going well.

Macanri

On a feckin go slow for too long now. Embarrassed writing up these logs now at this stage as I have done nothing in so long. I cannot seem to shake this chest. I am thinking of starting back into it tomorrow evening and seeing if the the excerise brings up the mucus.

Tues 16 Feb 20:15
Swim Lesson No. 5

We were late getting the kids to bed, so I was 15mins late.

When I arrived I did a length as a warm up and then we did two pyrimads 25, 50, 75, 100, 75, 50 and 25 with about 20 sec rest at each 'rung' then 25, 50, 75, 50 and 25 with 20 sec rest. As I have been doing nothing I felt wrecked on the first one during the 100.

Few comments made were to: kick more, close my fingers and keep my head in water when breathing when tired.

So 650m

Macanri

Well I went out last night for my first run in what must be a few weeks! I went to the physio last Fri and gave the all clear to get back into it gradually once the chest had cleared. So as instructed i did 10min walk to warm up (HR 115avg, WTF and thats only walking!) Into the house to stretch. Then handy 10min run - 2.1km (4:46/km, HR 175avg!), 5 min walk (HR 125avg), turn around and handy 10min run - 1.9km (5:16/km, HR 180avg!) and 6 min walk and in the door to stretch.

The pace was easy enough on the legs but my HR was quite high, guess in the few weeks have lost what bit of fitness I had, plus not watching what I was eating didn't help. Lent will help with that. I was doing a bit of coughing during the run, coughing again this morning but not too bad over all. Will see how it goes.

I bought a bathroom scales as we have none in the house. It's a Salter, and it gives body fat, water, muscle mass, and few others (yea weight). I think it's trying to flatter me as it says I'm 74.3kg (11st 10lb). Last I weighed myself in my motherinlaws I was about 12.5 stone. Any way going to keep to the lighter scales and record each week in the morning.

Wed 17 Feb 20:30
Run 4km/2.5miles
73.6kg, BF 21.2%, MM 39.6%, BMI 24.9

shotgunmcos

I always wondered how accurate those BF scales could be... BMI yeah but thats a false indicator give weight of muscle mass. However with BF so much more needs to be taken into accuont + age ... be interesting to compare with a caliper check for reliability