Quick Beat; Slow Feet

christeb

Hey M - I'm thinking of driving up to Howth tomorrow evening for the IMRA race - interested?
It's 8.5k on the hills, supposed to be good for IMRA noobs though

Edit: have the all clear from work to head off in time, so let me know if you want the lift out

Macanri

Sorry Christeb I'm going to have to turn down your offer. Mainly because I want to be fresh for my first swim coach session on Thurs morning at 6:30! Thanks for the offer though, I appreciate it.

Macanri

Tues 20 Apr 20:00
Bike 31.9km 01:06:00

A bit of a wind heading out the coast to Portmarnock and Malahide. HR 154avg 170max, happy with the HR. Avg Speed 29km/hr.

The Lidl bike computer gives 32.4km whereas mapmyride gives 31.4km so I split the difference!

Macanri

Thurs 22 Apr 06:30
Swim NAC 1st Coached Swim 1900m

I had planned to go to the pool yest eve but ended up not going so Wed was a rest day. No harm - in bed for 10:30ish and up at 5:40.

Was a little aprehensive of joining this group who are being given specific swim coaching geared towards an olympic distance tri. Felt good in the pool so settled in fairly quickly during the first WU set which was 6 x 50m easy with 10 sec rec. He had the 6 of us swimming in a group as close as possible to gain draft of the leaders. The leaders changed on each 50m. Next up 8 x 100m with 15 sec rest. First 3 were to be done just above easy and the 4th fast, then repeat 3 above easy and 8th fast. I was glad I was able to stay with the group which knid of split into 3 faster lads and 3 slower lads (me included). Next was 3 x 200m with 20sec rest. First 2 sets of 200 were to be 50m easy, 50m 'quick feet' (ie arms still going easy but kicking quickly), 50 easy, 50 quick feet. The last 200 was done 50 easy, 50 'quick arms', 50 easy, 50 quick feet. Didn't feel to bad at the end of these 200s as we had a slight break at the wall each 50 due to waiting for the lad in front to get a few strokes ahead. Then 100m backstroke WD.

Finally we did 2 small exercises: 1. Clearing goggles if water in them. Swam 5 or 6 strokes then flipped onto the back keeping legs going and assimilated pulling goggles from your eyes to let imaginary water out then flip back and continue with the front crawl out to the middle of the pool and the same exercise back. 2. Turning the bouy. Swimming F/C flipping onto back between stokes and continue momentum going with backstroke for a few stokes and then flipping back to F/C between strokes and out to the middle again and repeat on the way back.

All in all I found it toughish but not to bad and am delighted now with the session done. During the 100m back stroke I was thinking to myself that it was like been back at school and being 'promoted' from playing with the small kids to playing with the older kids! - maybe I've written too much!

Next week he's going to do drills so I have to buy a float, pull bouy and pool fins. Now I have to figure out how I expain the need for these to the boss! Anyway, I think the group swims will help me alot and am looking forward to the next session already.

catweazle

Some interesting drills there, I would never have thought of backstroking while clearing the water from the goggles. I had awful problems with my goggles in Loughrea last year and I was given a few choice words by people swimming over me as I was floundering around emptying them.

You can get fins and pull bouys cheap enough on wiggle but you would want to order them today to get them in time....get them posted to workplace to avoid Mrs M cost interrogation

interested

catweazle wrote: »

Some interesting drills there, I would never have thought of backstroking while clearing the water from the goggles. I had awful problems with my goggles in Loughrea last year and I was given a few choice words by people swimming over me as I was floundering around emptying them.

All sounds good. Flipping onto your back can be handy to sort out your goggles (and actually sort yourself out if like me you suffer from sea sickness) but this can be kinda hard in bad swells - but since most triathlons generally go for safety at all costs - its unlikely that'll be a problem.

Getting used to taking sighting strokes in the middle of your sets isnt any harm at this time of the year either.

Im sure it was mentioned during the session, but some techniques will work to varying degrees based on the amount of people you find yourself with when swimming or turning around a buoy during a swim.

Macanri

catweazle wrote: »

Some interesting drills there, I would never have thought of backstroking while clearing the water from the goggles. I had awful problems with my goggles in Loughrea last year and I was given a few choice words by people swimming over me as I was floundering around emptying them.

You can get fins and pull bouys cheap enough on wiggle but you would want to order them today to get them in time....get them posted to workplace to avoid Mrs M cost interrogation

Cheers CW, Yea an interesting one that one. I have been caught out a few times in the pool with the googles filling up. A good one to practice for future google inundations! WRT Mrs M I think honesty is the best policy ... I usually end up hanging myself otherwise. I'll just have to do the ironing for a week or something!:D Sure aren't I saving a fortune by staying out of the pub more!

Macanri

interested wrote: »

All sounds good. Flipping onto your back can be handy to sort out your goggles (and actually sort yourself out if like me you suffer from sea sickness) but this can be kinda hard in bad swells - but since most triathlons generally go for safety at all costs - its unlikely that'll be a problem.

Getting used to taking sighting strokes in the middle of your sets isnt any harm at this time of the year either.

Im sure it was mentioned during the session, but some techniques will work to varying degrees based on the amount of people you find yourself with when swimming or turning around a buoy during a swim.

I watched a video on the net about sighting during breathing and have tried it once or twice with not bad success. Will try it a few times alright coming up to the first OW tri (TriAthlone for me).

I think I know what you mean re techs working to varying degrees based on the amount of people. He didn't mention it (got it hard to hear him a bit!) Thanks again for the push in the right direction in your last post, I'm delighted now that I have took the step.

interested

Macanri wrote: »

I watched a video on the net about sighting during breathing and have tried it once or twice with not bad success. Will try it a few times alright coming up to the first OW tri (TriAthlone for me).

I think I know what you mean re techs working to varying degrees based on the amount of people. He didn't mention it (got it hard to hear him a bit!) Thanks again for the push in the right direction in your last post, I'm delighted now that I have took the step.

No worries at all. Glad to hear your enjoying it.

And while I think of it ...
Typically dependent on day of week, available time and tides I tend to swim in the OW around Dublin from next month on - I can stick a note into my swim related log about the whens and wheres if anyone wanted to come along.

Macanri

interested wrote: »

No worries at all. Glad to hear your enjoying it.

And while I think of it ...
Typically dependent on day of week, available time and tides I tend to swim in the OW around Dublin from next month on - I can stick a note into my swim related log about the whens and wheres if anyone wanted to come along.

Brilliant, I'ld be on for that for sure. I only have a surf wet suit at present, but it would suffice for now.

PS You can swim around Dublin - I'll just stick to the one beach:D:p

Macanri

In a moment of madness today I went to Staggs in Lucan on my lunch break and bought a Kellys road bike and all the trimmings. Spec below, can't post a picture? Mrs M took it well. I will be getting it through the cycle to work scheme.;);)

frame Aluminum alloy triple butted
fork KELLYS DYNAMIC Carbon/ alloy steerer (28.6mm)
head parts RITCHEY Logic Zero integrated
crankset SHIMANO Sora 3450 compact (50x34T)
shifters SHIMANO Sora 3400 Dual Control
f/derailleur SHIMANO Sora 3400 (31.8mm)
r/derailleur SHIMANO Sora 3400
brakes SHIMANO Sora 3400
hubs SHIMANO Tiagra 4500 (32 holes)
rims KELLYS Spark 622x15 (32 holes/ 2 eyelets)
tires SCHWALBE Lugano - Puncture Protection 700x23C
saddle KBIX ARC PRO-Comp

catweazle

Good man Macanri...you tell her!

All the other purchases from now on will be small change compared to the bike anyways

Dont forget to post the picture of it at some stage!

DustyBin

brilliant, when do you get to pick it up?

which of your children is the favorite now? - one of the real ones ... or ... your mega cool shiny new bike??

shotgunmcos

Well wear with the new steed! You are running well too by the looks of your log recently good work.

Macanri

catweazle wrote: »

Good man Macanri...you tell her!

All the other purchases from now on will be small change compared to the bike anyways

Dont forget to post the picture of it at some stage!

I tried to post a picture a few times but being brain dumb in relation to anything more technical than typing doesn't help!
Small change, small change.... What will she say when I tell her I have to now buy a car to transport the bike to and from the various tris? Only kidding, obviously!

DustyBin wrote: »

brilliant, when do you get to pick it up?

which of your children is the favorite now? - one of the real ones ... or ... your mega cool shiny new bike??

Hehe no favorites... but I will have to move convert one of the kids bedrooms into a bike store, sure I couldn't be leaving it in the shed. mmmm I wonder would the kids bed fit in the shed?:D

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Well wear with the new steed! You are running well too by the looks of your log recently good work.

Cheers dude. I can't wait to get out on it. I even bougt a wireless computer which gives a cadance reading also, so I may be asking for your knowledge on cadance training, if you have any tips.
Congrats on the top 20 finish in Nenagh, some result and it not even an A race for you, hats off man.
Edit: I will be pacing the Limerick Half Marathon 1:50 group with no other than cunavalos himself! So I will probably wreck his head with all my cycling questions!:) He'll probably forget all about the pacing and run a PB trying to get away from me.

Macanri

Fri 23 Apr 06:30
Swim NAC 2200m

Prepared a plan yesterday for this morning.
4x50m WU
50 (10sec rec), 100m (15s rec), 150 (20s rec), 200 (25s rec), 250m Then a minute or two and back down the ladder 250, 200, 150, 100, 50 (same rec times).
No watch plan was to just swim them comfortably. Felt comfortable on the ladder up and was contemplating on the 250 to keep going and see how far I could go, but decided to stick to the plan seen as last week was very aimless. Struggled on sections of the ladder down, but concentrated then on the stroke.
Plan was 3 x 100m (in 50m or 100m stints) but I decided to do 500m as I had the time before leaving the pool.

So again well happy with the session, stuck to the rest times more or less. so that's two quality swim sessions in two days. A good swim week, so hopefully next week won't be a bad swim week! Plan to do another swim on Sat or Sun in the 25m pool. And Wed will be my rest day from now on so I'm ready for the Thurs morning swim coach session.

Fri 23 20:30 Brick (Bike/Run)

When the wee lad eventually settled down and fell off to sleep I got out on the MTB 33.5km in 1:06:54, Avg 30km/hr which is the first time on the MTB to achieve this and was a target from a while back. Max speed 51km/h, HR 167avg, 183max. I wasn't planning on sprinting it but I just couldn't help myself. A bit of wind coming back from Malahide to Raheny all along the coast. Then change into the 2140s and out the door (trans about 2 mins). Did the first 2km in 4mins each and had to ease off a bit. The right calf felt fairly tight and my knees seemed sore? 8.4km(5.2mls) in 36:10 but I will take 40sec off that as I stopped to give a lady directions to the GAA Club in Raheny, so 35:30 say, 4:14/km or 6:48/ml HR 165avg, 172max. A good brick and happy enough with the pace on both bike and run. I'm interested to see how much quicker I will be able to do this on the new road bike.

Macanri

Sat 24 Apr 07:00
LSR 23.8km (14.8mls)

Following discussions with the boss last night this was my only available slot for today. I made up a pace band for 1:49 Half Marathon and memorised the mile markers from mapmyrun. So the aim was to do the first half at the required 1:49 pace of 8:19/ml and pick it up a bit from there (I had promised to be home for 9:00!!!)
I hit the mile markers at the required pace as best as I could guess due to memorising the markers, so that was a worthwhile exercise and I have a good feel for tht pace now. Mile 8 was hit at 1:06:25 (should be 1:06:33). So final time for the total distance was 1:58:45, so the last 6.8miles took 52:20, 7:42/mile. Total including warm up 24.8km (15.4mls). The calf and knees were fine but the legs will know all about it for the rest of the day. The longest run and time on my feet since training for DCM09. Glad to do over the 1:50 time on my feet as this should make it more comfortable tomorrow week.

El Director

Fair play Mac, you seem to be really putting in the hours and miles! Were you home for 9 by the way? That balance between training and the love life is important and can be touchy at times! Important to have an understanding better half.....I always say though "sure I could be doing worse things!"

Macanri

El Director wrote: »

Fair play Mac, you seem to be really putting in the hours and miles! Were you home for 9 by the way? That balance between training and the love life is important and can be touchy at times! Important to have an understanding better half.....I always say though "sure I could be doing worse things!"

I was home for just after 9 and in time to give a hand to get the kids out of the bath and dried. Don't get me started! Mrs M is very accommodating really, but I don't think she'll ever fully understand why I'm doing this! Yea we could do better things I'm sure, but we could also be doing much worse. Cheers. I see you hae posted in the OW swimming. Where you based? I'm in Raheny.

El Director

Ya thats what I meant, there are much worse things thats lads are at, drinking etc.....
I'm based in Blanchardstown. I was onto interested about this too. Don't like the idea of going out on my own though.

Macanri

Sun 25 Apr 08:45
Cycle 34.8km 01:11:50

All time would allow for was this distance, had planned to do a bit more. Stiff enough wind on the return home. 28.6km/hr avg, HR 150avg 172max.

W/ending 25.04.10
Swim: 4100m (2 sessions)
Cycle: 100.2km/62.3miles (3 sess - incl 1 brick)
Run: 44.6km/27.7miles (3 sess - incl 1 brick)

Macanri

Mon 26 Apr 06:25
Swim 2500m NAC

Set out a plan for this morning last night on a bit of paper. WU 6 x 50m (10sec Rec), 10 x 100m (30sec Rec), long swim (as much as I could) then CD no. of lengths depending on long swim distance.

WU and 10 x 100s went according to plan. Had a bit more than the 30 sec on the 7th as I met Bjorn (the coach) in the lane next to me and said a quick hello. Started the long swim at 7:07, was feeling good and not that apprehensive so I went through each 100 and knew after doing 300 that I was feeling good to do at least 600m (previous longest distance) So then I started to think whether I would disrupt my flow if I looked at the clock on 750m to see the time (the distance was what this was all about to me, the time didn't matter - but I still was interested in the time). I looked at the clock so on 750m 07:24:12 (so 17:12 for 750m - PB(No1)) continued on and came through 1000m in 07:30:06 on the clock, minus the 7mins giving (23:06 for 1000m - PB(No2)), I then said to myself that I would do another 100 to prove to myself that I could do more than 1000m - looked at the clock but can't remember the time now!, but 1100m straight - PB(No3) Did 100m CD then to bring me to 2500m, the most swum in a session yet. Feckin delighted with that. Was in the water for a bit over the hour and slightly late for work.

750m in 17:12, 2:18/100m
1000m in 23:06, 2:19/100m (so last 250m done in 2:22/100)

El Director

Savage stuff Mac! I couldn't even drag myself out of bed this morning (what is it about monday morning!) 3 PB's, that will give you great confidence. Actually I am going to make up for not swimming this morning by going tomorrow morning to the NAC for a session. I just noticed my gym membership is up in 3 weeks in Westmanstown so I am thinking of joining NAC, 50m pool and all! It is cheaper too! So well done again.

Macanri

Cheers El D. Well happy with the swim this morning alright. Tues morning is out for me as Mrs M is in work so we have a busy morning getting the wee ones ready and up to their grannies. Planning on swimming Mons, Thurs (coached) and Fri mornings for a while if possible. It's a matter of getting to bed early too though.
Enjoy tomorrows swim.

Macanri

Mon 26 Apr 20:00
Run 15.2km Howth cliff

I had planned on doing a tempo run but before I headed out I was having read of Christebs post re the run around Howth hill along the cliffs, and seeing as he had a map and the whole shebang I decided I'ld do that this evening for a change. So cheers for that Christeb:). Took a few wrong turns and eneded up running back to Sutton Cross, so a few more kms than expected. There are some serious inclines and decents but they are short all in all. The view was fantastic but you couldn't look out to sea for long as I was weary of where I was putting my feet. There was a lovely sweet smell from the yellow flowers on the furze bushes. Mrs M always says they smell like 'Nice' biscuits!
Time for 14.2km was 01:13:15, 5:10/km or 8:18/km. HR 156avg, 180max.

christeb

Macanri wrote: »

Mon 26 Apr 20:00
Run 15.2km Howth cliff

I had planned on doing a tempo run but before I headed out I was having read of Christebs post re the run around Howth hill along the cliffs, and seeing as he had a map and the whole shebang I decided I'ld do that this evening for a change. So cheers for that Christeb:). Took a few wrong turns and eneded up running back to Sutton Cross, so a few more kms than expected. There are some serious inclines and decents but they are short all in all. The view was fantastic but you couldn't look out to sea for long as I was weary of where I was putting my feet. There was a lovely sweet smell from the yellow flowers on the furze bushes. Mrs M always says they smell like 'Nice' biscuits!
Time for 14.2km was 01:13:15, 5:10/km or 8:18/km. HR 156avg, 180max.

Haha, glad you enjoyed it. Yeah the ol' temptation to let the eyes wander out to see for too long is there constantly, pity you need to concentrate on the trails ahead for fear of twisting knee / ankle. Good going.

Macanri

Tues 27 Apr
Double Bike 23km + 31.9km

Picked up the new bike in Stagg Cycles today and cycled it home the 23km in 45mins, 30.7km/hr, HR 154av, 170mx. The lads in the office had a great laugh at me heading out in my cycling gear. One of them was even taking photos, no doubt they will be emailed to anyone how didn't see me! Work must be dull for some, eh! Happy with the bike, moved the saddle back and up a bit and the tri bars forward a fair touch.

Went out again at 20:30 for the 31.9km portmarnock and malahide loop, 1:00:10, 31.8km/hr, HR 157av, 173mx. I went round a round a bout on the tri bars and nearly creamed myself off the opposite kerb as I couldn't get the bike turned enough and then a few minutes later this 'Luadder' pulled straight out in front of me and then turned back into where they came from. So escaped twice in the space of a few minutes. I have to go back for the computer as they didn't have it in stock, so time and distance from HRM and mapmyride.

Have to cycle back to work in the morning as the car is there now! Supposed to be a rest day, so it will be a handy one.

Macanri

Weds 28 Apr 06:45
Bike 23km

23km into work, 51mins, 27.1km/hr, HR 151av, 217mx (spike?). No showers in work so the baby wipes had to suffice.

Macanri

Thurs 29 Apr 06:30
Swim NAC 2nd Coached Session

The plan was to do 2 x (100m FC, 100m kick with board)
Then 10 x 200m 15 sec rec. Each 200m was to concentrate on a different part of technique - long stroke, fast legs, breathing keeping head low (ear against shoulder), finishing stroke (hand to shorts) then our choice. Then repeat again.

This was my first time trying the kicks with board. I struggled big time. There were times I was actually not moving in the water. Stopped half way up the first 50m and told to turn and come back. Managed to do the 100m on the second set. I was wrecked at the end of that. So started after every else on the 200s after the second 200 we had to stop as the pool was booked for the American Juniors from 7:00. We then went into the 'lazy pool' - and did the same session around the 'channel'. So the total was around the 1450m mark. i don't know was it only getting 6hrs sleep on tues night and about 7hrs last night or whether I was wrecked after the kicking, but I really struggled through the rest of the session.

Macanri

Fri 30 Apr 06:00
Swim NAC 1950m

Early start this morning as the pool was closed to the pblic at 7. Rough plan again, it was 6 x 50m WU. 100, 200, 300, 300, 200, 100 - Rec 10, 20, 30, 20, 10. Then a few 100m.

All went to plan. I decided to do a bit of speed (this word used loosely in my case)-work on the last 100s. I was pleaseantly suprised to come in on 1:55 for each of the 3 x 100s. I then did 100 + 50 CD.