Raising the bar a little...

tunguska

Abhainn wrote: »

Dec 26th - Streets of Wicklow 5k
March 3rd - Kinvara Half Marathon
March 24th - Wicklow Half Marathon

Will be doing streets of wicklow myself so I'll see you there. In regards to march, the lack of Ballycotton stands out. You're a divil for the triathlons Joe. Would be interesting to see how you'd do if you focused on running on its own.

Dory Dory

You've promised me a drink or two in Boston, so I'm holding you to it!!

Pronator

Well done Joe. Its been a great year for you. Looking forward to doing battle with you in 2013.

TRR

Super stuff Joe. Will definitely bump into you at a few of those races. Hope the back gets sorted and training for Boston goes well. It's epic you'll have a ball and have the strength to run a pb on that course if things go right for you.

Pronator wrote: »

Well done Joe. Its been a great year for you. Looking forward to doing battle with you in 2013.

+1 looking forward to putting the two of you muppets back in your boxes next year

Abhainn

pgibbo wrote: »

When will you decide between Copenhagen and Vichy?

Hopefully it will be Copenhagen. And I want the family with me. But
it’s dependent on the OH and a work commitments event. I hope a decision is made on that in early Jan
Still Vichy might be a bad choice as it will host the official ETU Long Distance championships. Been on Sept 1st will also mean a wet suit swim

Kurt Godel wrote: »

I hope to still tow you around Wicklow harbour next year;), they were the standout training swims this year.

Looking forward to it again. It means longer days as I hate this dreaded time of year

tunguska wrote: »

Will be doing streets of wicklow myself so I'll see you there. In regards to march, the lack of Ballycotton stands out. You're a divil for the triathlons Joe. Would be interesting to see how you'd do if you focused on running on its own.

Ballycotton yes but is too far there and back in a day
Eoin I the variety has worked for me. If I had focused totally on running to now I had have probably gone a bit mad and maybe picked up some injuries on the way

Dory Dory wrote: »

You've promised me a drink or two in Boston, so I'm holding you to it!!

Hadn’t forgotton! We are staying close to finish so I assume there is a good watering hole or two in the area.

TRR wrote: »

+1 looking forward to putting the two of you muppets back in your boxes next year

Just bring it on young lad;)

Abhainn

Thought Id share some info

Summary of sessions (incl races for 2009-2012)

Summary 2009-2012 2012 2011 2010 2009
# Training & Race sessions (Run, Bike ,Swim) 395 326 288 263
Week Avg 7.9 6.5 5.8 5.3
Duration (hh:mm) 506hr 01 min 340hr 40 min 316hr 19min 298hr 20min
Week Avg 10:08 6:49 6:20 5:58

Runs
Year Distance (miles) 2,286 2,209 2,001 1,789
No of sessions 242 253 229 204
Total time 255hr 30min 251hr 05min 238hr 43min 218hr 16min
Week avg distance (miles) 45.7 44.2 40 35.8
Session length avg (miles) 9.5 8.8 8.6 8.7
Avg Pace / mile 6:42 6:49 7:09 7:19

Bike
Year Distance (km) 5,746 1,927 1,937 1,850
Total No. of sessions & (turbo) 79 (9) 39(15) 38 (8) 36
Total time (road & turbo) 190hr 24 min 66hr 07min 67hr 45min 62hr 58min
Session length avg (road,km) 78 63 59 55
Session length avg (turbo km) 31.2 28.5 25.8 n/a
Avg Pace / km (& turbo) 30.2kph (30.9) 29.2kph (31.1) 28.6kph (32.1) 29.3kph

Swims
Year Distance (km) 179 47.9 39.5 52.5
No of sessions 74 27 25 29
Total time 60hr 05 min 16hr 59 14hr 12 min 20hr 01min
Session length avg (km) 2.4 1.8 1.6 1.8
Avg Pace /100m 2:00 / 100m 2:07 / 100m 2:09 / 100m 2:17 / 100m

Calc based on 50 weeks / year

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

That is some progression, glad to see i am not the only one who tracks lots of stats:)

Abhainn

Back again for a bit, I said I wouldn't but I only update this periodically


Where am I at now?
Good news - The back injury that has been at me since late Oct seems to be finally improving. Well the last few days have been good.
MOJO is coming back too.
Only took one day off from Dec 18th to Jan 2nd. Long runs, run intervals bikes, swims. Still managed to put on fat:mad:

Bad news – I picked up a groin strain from a XC race on Sunday. The area was slightly tight coming into the race but got sore in the hrs after. An easy run to get rid of it on Mon didn’t work so taking 2 days rest and then review again. I was hoping to get in a good 2.5 week training before Dungarvan 10 mile. Any fast targets set for that seem to be gone now.

Been getting in some long bikes (up to 3hrs) and feck all swimming.

Race update:
Ran a 5k club handicap in early Dec in 17:34. Ran ok for 3k then calving for the last 2k in windy conditions. 30 secs outside last years time
Mid Dec I ran senior Wicklow XC 10k in muddy conditions. It was the worst race of my career so far. Now the 10 pints I had at a work Christmas doo 2 nights before or the 8 mile course recce with Krusty the day before might now be the best for fresh legs but then Krusty was miles ahead of me. He drank more pints than me too.
The Wicklow 5k on the 26th showed more promise and even though conditions were inclement I managed 8th in 17:11. Last year I ran 16:48 on a mild day.
Then last Sunday it was the turn of the Wicklow master XC 6.2k. Same venue as the senior weeks before with underfoot conditions better. I did ok till about 4k but didn’t finish as strongly as I would have wished. Managed 2nd place,in a time equivalent to about 15-20secs slower than last year. The extra couple of kg’s were definitely a factor.


What IM race for 2013?
As they say I was hymming and haawing about Copenhagen or Vichy. Turns out my preference been the former is no go officially – family can’t come and also Vichy for the same thing. I forgot young sun starts school the day we would be flying out!
So yesterday it looked that Barcelona was back on the cards again. The only negative with Barca is the lateness of it been Oct 6th.
Then last night FB alerted my to the new Challenge Almere-Amsterdam for Sep 14th . Ok might not be as scenic as some of the european races but it ticks many boxes.

This year will be exta busy outside "keeping fit".
But if I can get into similar shape as 2012 I'll be chasing a 9:3X in Amsterdam.

catweazle

Abhainn wrote: »

Then last night FB alerted my to the new Challenge Almere-Amsterdam for Sep 14th . Ok might not be as scenic as some of the european races but it ticks many boxes.

Certainly without looking at the course profile I would think it will be as flat as an ironing board.

Might be one for me in 2014 - cheap and easy to get to and I know plenty of places in Amsterdam to relax after

Abhainn

catweazle wrote: »

Certainly without looking at the course profile I would think it will be as flat as an ironing board.

Might be one for me in 2014 - cheap and easy to get to and I know plenty of places in Amsterdam to relax after

John yes actually finishes below sea level;)
Apparantly a well run long course tri for years now. Wind can be a problem. though.
Do they still allow tourists sample the good stuff in the cafes? I remember my 30th birthjday bash there, it was something else

catweazle

I am not so sure - I know they are putting a stop to it but I am not sure when! Had some great times on a few stags over there as a young lad but if I had to go now I would be terrified - hadn't a care in the world back then but the older you get the more paranoid that stuff makes you.

Some spot for a 30th - all I got was a meal out

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Or IM FF opens back up for entries on the 12th or 13th of this month:)

Abhainn

Celeste Rotten Tile wrote: »

Or IM FF opens back up for entries on the 12th or 13th of this month:)

No not this year, not sufficient time to prepare from April 17 to July 7th
Hopefully an IM dot event 2014 after an earlier Spring marathon.

pgibbo

They're some stats Joe!!! :cool:

I like your goal for this years IM. No bother to you.

Hope the injury is clearing up

Abhainn

On Stop

Last week should have seen me doing 65 – 70 miles running.
Instead it consisted of 2 runs of 11 miles that were easy but not very comfortable.
I also got 2 bikes in. The first one was close on agony.

I had soreness after an easy run on Monday and I could barely walk the evening of the Thurs run. So for the first time in 6 years I had to take rest days due to a sports injury - Tues, Wed and Fri in the hope the groin stain was only a niggle and would improve quickly.

I decided to keep off the running Sat and using KT tape for some support went out for a 2hr easy bike.
Straight away my glutes tightened up, the left one far worse than the right. Then the pain moved into high area of the left high hamstring. As usual with my stubbornness I biked on through the discomfort, taking a number of time outs to stretch the pain out. It did improve as the bike progressed though groin felt a bit weak

I headed out on a bike again Sunday. This turned out much better after the first 5k was covered.

So I then went out on and easy slow short run yesterday to see how things were progressing. No pain, no discomfort but not very confident.
Headed out again today but had to turn back after a mile. Fcuk.

8am Wed - First time I’ll be at a physio to sort a sports inflicted injury

In these situations you have to look for some positives. Last week they were:

• Started flexi time at work. Lunch runs are back and biking to work is feasible again.
• Lost 1kg.

13 weeks to Boston marathon
35 weeks to IM Challenge Almere

Dory Dory

OMG....only 13 weeks to Boston??? :eek:

Kurt Godel

Sorry to hear of the injury Joe. Don't let your stubbornness or the Boston date allow you to ignore it (they shoot cripples our age;)). The pool can sometimes be as good as the physio, I've found.

Abhainn

Physio session was encouraging. Nothing serious. Need to work on strengthening the area
Biking, swimming should be ok. Will be back easy running again Sat / Sun.
Will build it up gradually from there.

I love a challenge, if the result is then acheived it makes it even more satisfying.

TRR

Abhainn wrote: »

I love a challenge, if the result is then acheived it makes it even more satisfying.

That's good news. Love that attitude, while uninterupted training for a big event is ideal a couple of missed days/weeks through injury can have it's advantages. I find it really focuses the mind and you put more in and get more out of your training once you get back into the swing of things. Anyway better to pick up a minor injury now than in another couple of weeks. Best of luck

Abhainn

Update:

Bike: Going well. Getting in at least 3 x Turbo (on the TT) & road per week. TT feels good again.

Swim: Started back last Thurs with coached swim session which was very top notch.
Hoping to make good progress.

Run: Last week Run total => 18 miles
Previous week Run total => 8 miles
Progress? No progress. ****e

Groin injury is showing no real signs of improvement. 27 days of crap.
On any attempt to get back I run ok for a couple of miles without pain or discomfort. Then it starts to tighten up and gets sore, have to stop and stretch.

All reasonable time goals for Boston are off now. Might just turn up, walk the 26.2 miles, get a good gawk of the Wellesley college girls, collect the T-shirt to say I completed the Boston marathon. Major 3 out of the way, great man I am.

A different physio tonight, not expecting much though.

Dory Dory

Abhainn wrote: »

Update:

Bike: Going well. Getting in at least 3 x Turbo (on the TT) & road per week. TT feels good again.

Swim: Started back last Thurs with coached swim session which was very top notch.
Hoping to make good progress.

Run: Last week Run total => 18 miles
Previous week Run total => 8 miles
Progress? No progress. ****e

Groin injury is showing no real signs of improvement. 27 days of crap.
On any attempt to get back I run ok for a couple of miles without pain or discomfort. Then it starts to tighten up and gets sore, have to stop and stretch.

All reasonable time goals for Boston are off now. Might just turn up, walk the 26.2 miles, get a good gawk of the Wellesley college girls, collect the T-shirt to, have drinks with Dory, say I completed the Boston marathon. Major 3 out of the way, great man I am.

A different physio tonight, not expecting much though.

Fixed that for you.

Dory Dory

....oh, and fingers crossed you get that groin sorted.

Abhainn

Dory Dory wrote: »

Fixed that for you.

Ha ha nice one Dory.


At least I have a very good idea of the root cause of the injury is now.
May not run for up to a week but whats a few days here or there at this stage
Onwards

pgibbo

Was the new physio better Joe? Hope you get sorted soon.

Abhainn

pgibbo wrote: »

Was the new physio better Joe? Hope you get sorted soon.

Paul I suppose most physio's have expertise in various areas so it would be wrong to say he was better than the previous one. Though I have little experience with physio really
As the same time he is very interested in triathletes in general and he spotted the root cause for my injury almost straight away.

Last night it was my 3rd swim of 2013 and 2nd coached swim session
Like Kurt I felt this session. Definitely the hardest swim session I've ever done.

After the 400m warm-up The 4x(50m kick, 50m swim) I found very difficult
First time doing any kick lengths and my heart was racing and legs were jelly
at the end.

The main set was 4x (4x50m off 60, target in on 50; 2x100m off 2:00, target in on 1:50, 60 sec rest).
The targets were a bit soft for me for the first 3 sets (46-48 for the 50 & 1:40-1:45 for the 100's) but by the 4th I was hanging on for the 50's while 100's was about 1:48's.
But I really enjoyed these. In a sick kind of way I'm looking forward to next week.
The hr flew by and having a target like Kurt Gobel is great for me.

Off to Doonbeg for the weekend later.
I'm hoping the OH won't have a canary when she sees me loading my bike into her car when she collects me from work later.:rolleyes:

interested

Abhainn wrote: »

After the 400m warm-up The 4x(50m kick, 50m swim) I found very difficult
First time doing any kick lengths and my heart was racing and legs were jelly
at the end.

Id know idea it was your first time champ ... if you've have said Id have been so much more gentle ... Fair play, you certainly didnt look like a kick-virgin.

The targets were a bit soft for me

Awesome, things all coaches love to hear ... Ill fix all that for you next week champ

TRR

Abhainn wrote: »

Off to Doonbeg for the weekend later.
I'm hoping the OH won't have a canary when she sees me loading my bike into her car when she collects me from work later.:rolleyes:

classic, I think we can all guess her reaction

catweazle

TRR wrote: »

classic, I think we can all guess her reaction

Wait till later in the year Joe when you have to propose leaving early and cycling to Doonbeg

Abhainn

Fri 1st Feb
Nothing – 5 hr trip to Doonbeg due to some muppet causing a fuel spill on the main N18 road

Sat 2nd Feb
54k bike (27.5kph). From Cliffs of Moher and around Doonbeg.
Even well after 2pm my head was still killing me from the excess wine from the night before. Though it was some beautiful day and surroundings in west Clare
Hr 119

Sun 3rd Feb
55km bike
Thankfully trip back was without effort (though still 320km is a long way).
Within 45 mins I was out for a good bike at an honest 29kph.
HR 124

Mon: 4th Feb
Swim 2k
Very busy lanes even at 7am
Mon 7:10am. Both lanes congested.
500 WU then 10 x 100m off 2:00 in avg about 1:47. Then time just for 500WD

Tues: 5th Feb
Evening Turbo.
Turbo is becoming less of an ordeal. I am making good progress and finding it easier getting on it because of that.
1 x 17 min @ 205, 2 x 21min @ 212 & 225 approx. Interval wattage is est..
Detail –
Distance 41km
Avg pace 32.9kph
Cad 88,
HR 125

Wed: 6th Feb
6.4 mile run @ 06:43 / mile :D
First run in 10 days. Legs were bursting to let rip.
Groin felt good overall, though I found a slight tightness mid way though and after I got going again after a brief chat with BB67 a mile later.
Fantastic running evening, stretched well after


Thurs: 7th Feb
Swim 2100 coached swim. I was looking forward to this. Couldn’t believe it when I heard 8 x 50 kick

200m wu (50m swim, 50m hip; ascending effort)
8x50m kick, 15sec between each – Torture
10x50 off 70, to come in 46-47; minute rest. Actual 45-47
10x50 off 60, to come in 47-48 minute rest. Actual 47-48
10x50 off 55, to come in <50. Actual 49-50
50m wd

Jesus I found the first 3-4 of the 8 x 50 kick so hard. I barely got through 4 last week but somehow I got through the whole lot last night. Hardest swim section I ever did. Coach I hope you are noting this.
I enjoyed the 50 sets and tried to keep it controlled during the last 10 but it was starting to fall apart.
6 weeks before Barca last year I did 3800m in the pool at avg 1:51 / 100m. Long way to go

Fri 8th Feb
Lunch run 7 miles @ 06:48 / mile.
Groin felt good. Enjoyable run again feeling comfortable. A slight tightness mid way through again but nothing alarming. Hopefully on the way back
9 weeks to Boston where I will hope to beat my Berlin 2008 Nemesis;)

It time now to think about building things up.

pgibbo

Great to sense the positivity Joe!!! :cool: