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Budapest, Hungary Sept 8-12
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Wednesday 28/07/10 pm: Turbo 80mins insert 2*20mins Z4
So, first shot at this FTP workout.
20mins warm up inc. 6*30sec spurts at interval pace
2*20mins at 280 watts (approx 90% FTP), 5 min rest at 150w max
15min cool down
Good session. The reps felt strong but sustainable. Breathing was relaxed throughout. No hrm so manual check of hr after each rep was 156 and 159 respectively. The second rep felt better than I expected but it did take some concentration and control. Kept it solid between 278-283 Rpm was on the lower side at 90. I can see why this is called sweet spot training. Any more intense and it may have required teeth gritting, any less and it would have been Z3. Pleased with it. Next week I'll drop the rest to 4 mins.
I wanted to go for a run later in the evening but a niggling 'dead/sore' spot in the middle of the left quad through doubt at me. I erred on the side of caution to give it another nights rest.
@ pgibbo - I have a Taxc Flow. Does the 'lots of winter cycling' indicate you may be going long next year ?!0 -
shotgunmcos wrote: »@ pgibbo - I have a Taxc Flow. Does the 'lots of winter cycling' indicate you may be going long next year ?!
LOL......much and all as I would like to I think I need to get my cycle and swims time in order before doing that. Plus Mrs G would have my bags at the door if she thought I was going long!A good winter of biking to get my cycling in shape and then build from there. I will be doing a HIM next year but want to get my biking sorted as it's a long way behind my running. Go long in 2012.....who knows
How about yourself? When you planning on going long and on what course?
Is this the model you have?0 -
Is [URL="http://www.chainreactioncycles.com
/Models.aspx?ModelID=9756"]this[/URL] the model you have?
Thats the model I have but from here0 -
Thats the model I have but from here
Cool thats the one I have, feel like I don't get the most out of it however and I am not sure if I have it set up properly....might get one of you guys to give me a quick tutorial before I take it out again for the winter (planing on 6 hours per week on it as well as a long cycle during the winter)
Shotgun you have continued using the turbo during the summer, is this a conscious decision or a time issue? If it is a conscious decision, why? I do see the benefits of it, it has made me a much better cyclist, evened out the 'dead spots' and so on and unlike most I actually look forward to turbo sessions. But during the longer days it hard to beat getting out side into the countryside. Missing my Thursday morning group spin today with the injury, depressing0 -
I must say I'm dreading the thought of a turbo trainer but it may be a must have for the winter.0
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El Director wrote: »Shotgun you have continued using the turbo during the summer, is this a conscious decision or a time issue? If it is a conscious decision, why? I do see the benefits of it, it has made me a much better cyclist, evened out the 'dead spots' and so on and unlike most I actually look forward to turbo sessions. But during the longer days it hard to beat getting out side into the countryside. Missing my Thursday morning group spin today with the injury, depressing
Seems as though we all have the same turbopgibbo sorry man should have included the link with my post. I got mine from Wiggle just before Kenmare last summer.
El D. Good question. Its both a conscious decision and a time contraint one.
I generally have my son every weekend so I don't make group spins. I collect him on Fridays so my window for heading out into the country side are usally mon to thurs evening. I have made a few of the wednesday group spins in the last 2 months and love them. Otherwise I have probably been out with the weekend group less than 10 times since I started Tri last year.
Last year I generally trained alone 95% of the time. I would do a 2 hour solo cycle easy either at the weekend or before work with lights on, 60-90 min medium on on the tri bars and a midweek TT league. To be honest as much as I liked getting out in all kinds of weather I was knocked off the bike once which was scary and did a fair amount of junk miles. That said though between the solo cyling and the weekly TT I managed to keep up with the pack.
With the turbo and the TT bike I have moved a bit closer to the fast lads in the club. I haven't done many miles or much tweaking with the TT bike so the progression this year is down to turbo and a bit more mileage.
I actually like the turbo. Its great for sessions of 60-90 mins with intervals, or steps or that sort of thing. Doing a couple of hours straight Z1-Z2 though is boring. I'd much rather be out with the group and have spent many a sunny sunday morning sweating inside wishing I was out there but thats lifeI do find a lot of the group spins I go out on easy though so I do more than my fair share at the front pulling it along. There is a faster and longer spin with the cycling club on Saturday mornings that I've been out with 3 times. Twice I've been dropped! The first time they stated they were heading out for 80km, after 105km I got hungry and bonked - Lesson 1. The second time I was fed and ready for a 4 hour spin but toasted myself on the 2 climbs - Lesson 2 (practise climbs and lose some weight!).
Group sessions are brilliant for learning and getting you used to group cycling but Triathlon is about cycling alone so I think you get more benefit specifically from cycling alone or maybe with 1 other who is a bit quicker!
This winter I intend to focus on cycling (last winter's focus was swimming). More mileage and more hills (not that I did any anyway). That means getting out with the weekend group 2-3 times a month and prioritising the tougher saturday morning spin. If I made 1-2 of those per month I'd be happy. Hill repeats I can do myself.
I'll do a bike race or two in the spring just for fun though and nothing else other than good training
Next spring I'll do more evenings out in the country side on the bike
@ nomadic and kennyb3, there are tonnes of cool workouts for turbo sets, the more variety the better. Also bookmarking your fav MTV station too helps0 -
shotgunmcos wrote: »nd did a fair amount of junk miles.
I found the same, looking over my winter log I had an awful amount of junk miles, since switching to the turbo a couple of months back every session has a very specific pupose. I do all my biking at the moment on the turbo apart from my 'long' sunday cycle. That said, if I splash out on a PM before October I won't rely on it as much.0 -
I found the same, looking over my winter log I had an awful amount of junk miles, since switching to the turbo a couple of months back every session has a very specific pupose. I do all my biking at the moment on the turbo apart from my 'long' sunday cycle. That said, if I splash out on a PM before October I won't rely on it as much.
To me i ll be riding steady over the winter getting the base miles in for 4 weeks, then adding an interval session for 4 weeks, then a second one for 4 weeks after that.0 -
Can i ask on this? Is there really such thing as junk miles over the winter, except for mainly doing stuff too intensly. And what exactly do you classify as junk miles exactly?
To me i ll be riding steady over the winter getting the base miles in for 4 weeks, then adding an interval session for 4 weeks, then a second one for 4 weeks after that.
Junk miles are mileage added to your training with no specific purpose other than just to increase your mileage. Ok they may contribute to fitness but riding at a pace too intense for a recovery or Z1 session is just wasting energy for a key session or one with a specific purpose. I did lots of junk miles last year. Just going out and riding 50km cause it was a nice round number. Yes as a novice getting out at all is good but its just not as good as doing every session with some specific purpose towards your goal. Instead of doing 50km, how about doing part of it at a certain zone. Get to know what your zones are through training, what your perceived effort is on any given day. The Munster rugby team rate each session and make sure that it corresponds to a certain load for the week. Junk miles usually arise when there is no set plan, an unrealistic plan or just poor discipline towards a plan.
When I began running in 2007 90% of my mileage was junk miles. I always wanted to beat my pb in training. Virtually all of my mileage was done at a similar band of pace. Easy workouts were too hard and hard workout not hard enough.
Its easy to confuse junk miles with endurance rides. I'm still guilty of it, most of us are. To make sure you are getting the most out of your training. Look at your plan like a scientist and explore. How does each session fit with your goal? Where is your body resting and rebuilding broken tissue from hard efforts? What are you learning from each session? Did you create the plan because its sound good, lots of tough sessions and loads of miles so it must be good right? Even bespoke session can have a purpose. If you head out for an unplanned run or are squeezing something in, ask yourself what purpose does it serve? How can I approach it so that it adds value to my journey and ultimately what I want to achieve. Yes its nice to get pbs in training, but on the rare all out efforts ie races are the best time to get them, no?
I'm still no expert here but I definitely train smarter now than I did 12 months ago and I hope I look back in 12 months time and think again how niaive I was!
Don't just train. Train smart0 -
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Thursday 29/07/10: Run, Swim, Yoga
2.5 hours mixed training and after the last post I better explain the purpose of it
Run 8km, 4km Z3, 1km Z4, 2km Z2, 1km Z1... purpose: to suss out the niggle in my quad. Easing into a comfotable Z3 stride, when it felt ok, increase the effort for a few minutes to see how it felt. It felt better. No need to continue the hard bit I was satisfied that it held up thus the wind down. Good run. It means I can do the LSR in the plan this week now
Swim 2,500m (main session), 1500m Z3 in 26:30, 5*200m Z4 off 4 in on 3:23, 3:20, 3:19, 3:19, 3:18 purpose: the 1500 was steady and made sure that I wasn't doing the 200s at target race pace (1:40/100) with fresh energy. Overall I was pleased with this swim holding the pace intended for the 200s and importantly not fading as I usually would. They were hard work though. The 1500 was good considering I had to navigate breast strokers and other traffic. I had intended a warm down but would have been late for Yoga if I did.
Yoga: 60 mins, really good class for core and flexibility. purpose 1: keep Caz companypurpose 2: work on my flexibility weaknesses. Its improving gradually thankfully
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Thanks for the detailed reply MCOS, have only recently switched to more accuarte training with endurance, hill intervals and recovery rides being my 3 main rides.
Like you mention before i was just doing 40k one night, 50k another all at the same pace.
Have a HRM so must look at using that over the winter and training even smarter.
Thanks0 -
Tanks for that MCOS. I found that my endurance was my biggest limiter last year and started doing 75k+ group spins. As I was doing them I would concentrate on a high cadence and an even pedal stroke as well as bike handling in a group. These spins where usually done in Z3. I found them very useful. You said not to confuse junk miles with endurance miles, which was i doing junk or endurance? I feel because I went out there with a purpose and because I needed endurance spins as well as the fact they where not too easy nor too hard then it was a good session. Perhaps one would be better however doing these sessions on your own?0
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Group spins
pros:
Plenty of mileage
Learning from experienced cyclists
Learning bike handling in groups
Safety in numbers
Encouragement
Support for punctures etc...
Social/Enjoyment etc..
cons:
Pace is set by the group could be too easy/hard or both
Distance, course consensus of group or set by most experienced
Spend lost of time coasting in the group, sheltered from headwind
Stop.start affairs with more mechanical faults etc..
Different agendas, some people shooting up climbs
The wind up/Race at the end
Not Triathlon specific
Time consuming
*of course the list is not exhaustive!
If you head out with a group or just follow for X kms chatting probably junk miles
I always have a little plan of my own for group spins (hence the different agendas in a group). For example in the last group spin I went on I really wanted to work hills. I was tempted to go off by myself for some hill repeats and may have still done that if they elected to do a flat easy course. I was happy that the plan was for some hills in the first hour. Problem was I would be at the front pulling it over rolling hills and we would be losing people off the back. I kept getting told by the older heads to reign it back or hold up or check the pace. It was a bit frustrating but I had to keep the group together. When we hit a climb it was a case of the group splitting up and everyone waiting at the top for the last person to come up. I got to the top first and didn't fancy waiting 10 mins so just drove on over the next few hills and waited for the group in the next town for the flat ride home.
Ok maybe I was being selfish but triathlon is an individual sport. I did more than my fair share at the front and my objective for the spin was to work on hills. So thats what I did. Sometimes the agenda is to maintain a heart rate zone despite hills and I get dropped. In those instances I have to let the group drive on and be content that I have a lonely cycle home.
For me group rides are seldom and so I want to get the best T can from them. Yes sometimes I just coast along and mark '70km with group avg xkmh' in the diary but it doesn't mean anything. Junk miles! Fun but pointless for triathlon that is. If you were bike racing 70km coasting along with a group is specific training.
One of our top guys commented to me recently that he didn't feel like he was getting a whole lot from the weekend group spin. Yeah for a while 3-4 hours at at fast pace and hills was a challenge to him but after doing it all winter he got to a stage where he felt like it was going through the motions. He started heading out by himself or with one or two other with the same plan...
Maybe this is why some cycling guys don't like triathletes heading out with them. We are too used to doing our own thing
This is just my 2c0 -
Thats cool MCOS, I guess I already knew the answer. As a cycling newbie last winter the group sessions were great and gave me the confidence that I could do the long spins that I'd never done before, and I would recommend them to anybody new to cycling.
However I am already formulating next years aims and I really know I will have to be out of my comfort zone a lot, luckily I really don't mind that. So lonely winter spins will be the order of the day with a group spin thrown in every now and again.
Thanks again dude, and good weeks training and glad the quad stood the test0 -
shotgunmcos wrote: »
Maybe this is why some cycling guys don't like triathletes heading out with them. We are too used to doing our own thing
Yeah you's are knobs. that will be all.:D
Nah only joking obviously, i think the key difference is that triathlete's have more to fit in, you only get 3-4 cycling sessions a week so you have to really make thm count.
I dont mind going round in group on saturday moring as im still at stage where it brings me along, and i try take my turns over the hills we do. Also as you say its a bit more specific too. However i have plenty of other time to do hill intervals, intervals, a second endurance spin etc. I think that is the key difference0 -
Lots of food for thought there MCOS. Some good reading. Cheers.
If your focused biking this winter yields the same results as it did for your swimming there'll be no stopping you next year! :cool:0 -
Well last week was the 3rd week of a 3 week base and it didn't exactly go to plan. Life and work kind of took priority but som R&R this weekend has me feeling fresh for the next 3 weeks of intense building. The dead quad lingered so I couldn't run last week and without the run focus it became a bit of a maintenance week. No long sessions at all. No training Friday and Saturday and just some fun stuff Sunday. OW swim and some Mountain Bike Hills (albeit up some 12-15% gradients). My bike handling off road is rubbish. Came across the most beautiful calm bay with turquoise water in Carrick-a-Rede in Antrim. It was so inviting but alas we were up on a cliff edge
Weekly Summary base week 3 of 3
2 runs: 8km, 8km
4 bikes: 30km, 35km, 46km all turbo, 30km mtb trails
2 swims: 2.5km pool, 1.6km OW sea
2 core: Yoga class and some home core/yoga
Total 9hrs30 inc stretching
Best session of the week: Mountain Bike in the forrest
Worst session of the week: Monday morning recovery run. Quad niggle meant no running for the week
Overall thoughts: Very short on the volume I had intended. I have more of the same Life stuff on this week so need to be realistic about what I can do. Just 3 weeks of speed and power stuff left until taper. DCT is at the end of the 3 weeks so that will be a good brick workout to get the juices flowing and practice my race plan. I have to be realistic with the running. With a flat 10k pb of 38:57 (:o) I can hardly expect to go 37 off the bike as stated at the start of the log. It was too ambitious. A 25 swim and 60 bike are possible but the run goal is now 39 off the bike. So sub 2:10 and a 39 run is the mission for Budapest.0 -
Monday 02/08/10 am: 15km Z3 run
Up and out early for a run from the B&B along the A126 by the Northern Coast. Felt great after a few days off and aweek of virtually no running. Very hilly in spots with an average of 7% gradient back out of Ballycastle for a couple of kms. Back to the B&B and my last unhealthy brekkie in about 67-68mins meaning approx 4:30/km pace for the run. Enjoyed the early cool air.
Tuesday 03/08/10 pm: Turbo 80mins inc. 2*20mins Z4
That was the planned session, same as last week but I wanted to progress slightly.
Actual session
20mins warm up including 6 30sec bursts at rep pace
20mins at 280 watts (90% FTP)
4min rest
25mins at 280 watts
11 min cool down
The first rep felt smooth, controlled and comfortable. I was holding 282w on the nose for most of it with a range of 279-286. HR hit 147 to finish and that was still low Z4 and lower than last week. The second rep was different. I wasn't as controlled and power flicked about from 277-288w. My quads started to feel it after 14 mins and burned a little after 16 mins. When I hit 20 mins I though I'd keep going for another 5mins and see how I got on. HR finished at 160 which is higher than last week and high Z4 Still within the sweet spot but any higher and I'd have been working too hard to hold. I will progress this again next week by dropping the rest to 2 mins. Tough session but felt good after it.
Wednesday 04/08/10 pm: Track 2km*3 tempo (sub 4/km pace)
I first had a detailed skinfold examination by some Sports Science PhD girls which was interesting.
Run was 12km total.
3.2km warm up in 15mins
2km*3 with 5mins easy jogging in between
1.2km cool down + stretches
2km reps in
7:21 avg 3:40/km - much too fast, I was wrecked
7:40 avg 3:50/km - out too quick on first lap made it a hard last 2 laps
7:41 avg 3:50/km - paced well from the start and finished better
Overall I was pleased with this session. First bit of tempo in ages and no niggles to report. All reps were under the target 4 min/km too but maybe too much so. I was nearly puking on the last rep, although it was the most controlled rep.
30 mins core and yoga later in the evening.
The skinfold was at 11 points, twice! Plus an ultrasound at 6 points. I'll get the detail in an email soon but I was dismayed to see my overall bodyfat at 14%. Arms and legs less than that but mostly lower torso. I got on the scale at 77.8kg. Encouragingly 64kg of that was lean which meand although I haven't done weights since the winter I have still got quite a bit of muscle mass. I remember the best shape I've been in Rowing in my early 20s and I was 10% but also 75kg. I reckon I could drop a max of 3kg and get to 11% withough losing muscle. Its down to being older too which was a sobering fact :rolleyes:0 -
Thursday 15/08/10: Brick 65mins bike, 15 mins run
Alarm went off at 6 and I hit snooze twice. Dangerously close to not getting up again and then I reminded myself that its the World Champs in 6 weeks, get your lazy @ass out of bed MCOS! So up I got. The plan was to have a spin on the TT bike as its been over a month since I was on it. I needed a feel for the handling ahead of the weekend. The brick part was just to get a feel for transitioning the bike legs to run legs and no more. It was not a run session!
Bike: Did the 35km route I have TT'ed twice before. To make sure I didn't overdo it I stayed off the big ring. Nice long drag to begin with and wide open course, hence no shelter from even a little wind. It was first thing in the morning too so the legs were both half asleep and feeling the track yesterday. Approx 33kmh for Z3 effort which was ok. Good work without mashing it.
Run: Basically a 300m hill outside the estate that I did 4 times at a constant pace. It was a nice brick session in that I felt the benefit of it withough torturing myself. The quads especially were not interested in any intensity this morning. The hill reps were a nice way to transition the legs I felt as it was more important to find a rhythm and by the second rep I had it.
4 days into a base week I had a lot more volume done but still felt there was more in the tank. 4 days into a build week and my quads are asking me to give them a rest. I must remember to get more protein on board for these 3 weeks as the muscle breaks down more with the intense workouts.
I hadn't planned on racing again until DCT but our top club man Colm Turner unfortunately broke some bones in a bike crash last week, and after about 5 or 6 Tri wins on the trot (inc HOTW and the BOTE :eek: both in record times) is out. A shame as I'm sure he would have set yet another course record. Alas an entry falls on my lap so I am now obliged to participate. I could hardly do the entry the justice that Colm would even if I had a 10 min headstart on the field :pac: So, it will be a fun one for me and a good training session. I haven't run up a mountain since I fell off one last summer so I won't be too ashamed if I'm reduced to a walk on Saturday
Its a tricky one for a sprint :cool:
http://brianborutrichallenge.com/site/content/course-maps0 -
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Good to hear that the track had no ill effects.
The power sessions on the turbo seem to be where it's at. Would you be tempted to invest in a PM or will you make do with the turbo?
I've never had the skinfold test done. The funny thing is I have a brother 8 years my jubior who does no sport and he recently joined the gym. They did the skinfold test on him and he came out at 10%. I know for a fact I'm at least 14 or 15. Sickening but sure what can you do?
Beautiful part of the world up around Ballycastle. We were up there in 2008 for a long weekend. Really enjoyed it.
I hear your old crew mates beat GRC to win the pot. They must be well happy.0 -
Good to hear that the track had no ill effects.
The power sessions on the turbo seem to be where it's at. Would you be tempted to invest in a PM or will you make do with the turbo?
I've never had the skinfold test done. The funny thing is I have a brother 8 years my jubior who does no sport and he recently joined the gym. They did the skinfold test on him and he came out at 10%. I know for a fact I'm at least 14 or 15. Sickening but sure what can you do?
Beautiful part of the world up around Ballycastle. We were up there in 2008 for a long weekend. Really enjoyed it.
I hear your old crew mates beat GRC to win the pot. They must be well happy.
Thats the thing with the skinfold in a gym. They generally check 4 points compare it to a chart and give you a figure. Sure my own lil' brother knows a bit about it as he once reduced his BF to 4.2% (he did look sick though). He has his own personal training business that is doing well. He checked me a few months ago and I was 11%, yet the scientist tells me I'm 14%. She did 24 checks whereas he did the industry standard 3 or 4. She has also checked 800 people in her current study. The first difference I noticed was how it was done. I've seen it done in many gyms and they pinch the flesh and check the calipers. The scientist felt for the fat layer under the epidermis and above the muscle and really pinched the lot before putting the calipers on. Interestingly on the 3 points a gym would generally check I was 10-14%. Obviously the ole pouch n love handles bring the average up in our grand age
Yeah the lads were chuffed with the win. I knew they looked great when I saw them a few weeks ago so I'm not hugely surprised. Still delighted for them. There are a couple of lads in that boat rowing 10 years and that was their first pot.0 -
shotgunmcos wrote: ».....I must remember to get more protein on board for these 3 weeks as the muscle breaks down more with the intense workouts.
Shotgun training seems to be going really well for you, you will be in the shape of your life for The Worlds. It will be a very interesting battle between yourself and Bambaata
The above quote got me thinking, I have already asked this in the 'recovery drink' thread but I am interested to see if you have a view on this.
Would this be correct: Protein (whey isolate) for after highly intense workouts and for low intensity high volume endurance workouts 4:1 carbs:protein (recommended ratio for endurance athletes). Just find this a bit of a grey area.0 -
El Director wrote: »Shotgun training seems to be going really well for you, you will be in the shape of your life for The Worlds. It will be a very interesting battle between yourself and Bambaata
The above quote got me thinking, I have already asked this in the 'recovery drink' thread but I am interested to see if you have a view on this.
Would this be correct: Protein (whey isolate) for after highly intense workouts and for low intensity high volume endurance workouts 4:1 carbs:protein (recommended ratio for endurance athletes). Just find this a bit of a grey area.
Jesus I don't know about that. He was 5 mins ahead of me at Joey. If I have a very good swim/bike we might hit T2 together but then he leaves me for dust. I have limited opportunities to train this week so I am making sessions count.
El D there is loads of stuff on the web about this, here is a quick article
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/3467010/THE-TRIATHLETES-ULTIMATE-GUIDE-TO-PROTEIN
The whey isolate is what the guys in the gym use as they crucify muscle tissue with resistance training reps, all max power stuff. For endurance workouts, even intense ones at least the 4:1 ratio of grams per kg of bodyweight will help the recovery. I know now after the DXA scan etc the other day that I have 64kg of lean mass meaning I need a fair bit of protein (about 0.75g per kg) daily. According to that article triathletes need somewhere between 0.5 and 0.8g of protein per kg of lean mass daily. Now I have had no reason to get too scientific about this until recently when I have looked back over my training diary and seen how slow my recovery has been from intense workouts. I'm just learning about this stuff but generally for me personally, within 30 mins of a tough workout I have a chocolate shake 4:1 made with milk and peanut butter and jam on toast. Does the trick nicely. Having a fresh organic salmon fillet with baby potatoes and lots of greens served to you would be even better :cool:
DXA Scan = x ray of the whole body0 -
I usually have a big glass of supermilk after every session. Today I made a lovely shake with supermilk , a banana and a spoon of nutella blended together which I think will become a regular fixture.0
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Friday 06/08/10 pm #1: Lunchtime Masters swim 25m pool
Short 100m warm up and chanced the fast lane as there were 4 other in it
Main set: 2 sets of 100m*4, 150m, 50m, 200m off 1:45/2:45/60/3:45 for 1st and 1:40/2:30/55/3:30 for second set.
I lead out the first 4 100s and despite hitting 1:30 or better for them I was holding the show up. Let 3 through and the lead girl stormed off at sub 1:30 pace for the rest of the session. I was working very hard to keep up. The second set was tough with thr dropped RTs. The last 200 was in on 3:06. I thought that was it so I had pushed hard on that 200. I asked what the cool down was and the decision was almost made already to do 4 more 100s off 1:40. Yikes. Worked my socks off to do those and eventually did 100 back stroke cool down. 2,200 m total and 2k of it done at 1:30-1:32 pace. I nearly needed a chair in the shower. I remember intrested once telling me that suffering in a lane of faster swimmers is much better than leading the mid lane. Maybe true but it hurts! Good session nonethe less.
Friday 06/08/10 pm #2: 8km run including 4km tempo
It was a heavy, humid, windy murky kind of evening
2km Z2 warm up
4km tempo
2km Z1 cool down
The tempo goal was to do it sub 4min/km pace. I felt wretched in that I was probably in Z5. The first km was up a slight drag and into the wind and just below 4mins I think (no garmin). But then I hit more shelter and had the wind at my back for the last 2km. Traget was sub 16 mins, came in 14:42. I thought it was wrong. Ok I was working hard but I though it was short. I only had a stopwatch so no other data. That was an average pace of 3:41/km. When I got home I mapped it immediately only to find it was actually 4.1km. No idea where that came out of but it was what it was. I have to pay £99GB to get a replacement Garmin which suck but I am really interested to see what the effect of running by feel for the last few weeks have had on pace and hr. Hopefully I'll have it for the last build week and I can guage the progress or lack of.I usually have a big glass of supermilk after every session. Today I made a lovely shake with supermilk , a banana and a spoon of nutella blended together which I think will become a regular fixture.
Thanks nomadic, straight away after reading this I made one for my 5 year old and had a taste myself. Deeelicious and smiles of approval from shotgun junior tooHi new favourite shake.
As for chocolate, I have had any for a week so I'm getting a dairymilk to dip into a hot chocolate. My sister said I look good but guant today, I must be getting fit0 -
Saturday 07/18/10: Brian Boru Tri Challenge 750m/22km/7km
Its a brute of a sprint but well run and one you have to do once. This was a training brick session for me as it was within a tough week. Usually a track or tempo run stay in my legs for a few days and I had done both within 3 days of the race. Hence I had no expectations other than to give the body a feel for a race again. On a quick warm up jog I noticed a niggle in my left hip that wasn't there during the week. The course is very hilly, extremely so on the run which is not exactly what I will face in Budapest. It just meant I was very relaxed and ready to enjoy it.
The swim start was sudden and I didn't hear the shout so I sprinted to get on some fast feet. The lake was choppy and there was a headwind after the first buoy. It made the swim that bit more challenging. I seemed to be too involved with a few lads tussling so I stayed left and swam my own course. I was happy with my sighting and lines in general. It was a bit frantic though until the second buoy but I then found a lovely long strong rhythm and passed a few. Out of the water in 13th in 13:00 it was either long or that wind really had an effect because I had a decent swim.
T1 was ok and the leap of faith worked a treat. The bike course was the toughest for a sprint yet. The first 2km were reasonably flat and I passed a few. Then off the main road and onto the climb for about 3.5km. It was narrow and had some steep ramps too. Baby ring stuff. The road quality was very poor so it was hard to develop momentum. I was passed by 4 at the start of the climb and wasn't passed again on the bike course. The first 2 that passed me were the eventual 1-2 in the race and they disappeared but the other 2 were pulling away slowly. I had to stand up a few times to stay focused. The descent was a bit dangerous in parts. Winding, narrow, wet, loose gravel, pot holes and ramps leading into sharp turns. Fund stuff! Hair raising too. I thought, to hell with it and even went down on the bars for a bit. I caught 2 but had to run wide on the second guy and very very nearly lost it on a left hander. My heart jumped but the 2 wheels stayed on the road. By the end of the descent and onto the main road I caught sight of a mate who I knew was strong so I chased. I caught him by the turnaround at Twoomgraney but the next but the next 5-6km were up hill on a series of drags and he out climbed me again pulling a 20sec gap out. The road surface was better and I finally had use for the TT bike. The last 7km were fast and back downhill into 2mile gate. I roped my mate in again passing 2 other in the process and arrived at the dismount line beside him. I was quicker on flat road and just to ensure I didn't overcook it, stayed on a gear less than I wanted forcing me to spin more. T2 would have been considered efficient but I ran out the wrong way and had to run back to the correct exit... duh me
I left T2 in 5th place. The bike was 39:44 and 3rd fastest on the day. Given the climb at the start and how hilly it was generally I am very pleased with that.
The run is fierce. The event suits strong runners as with a 7km run and a savage climb for 2km to start it, I knew the stronger runners could eat minutes off the rest. Having done a tempo run the previous day and done any hill running I knew I would fall back the field. With a minute gap back to the next guy I really did try to run up the hill but was reduced to a walk several times. The niggle in my left hip hurt after running on the steep mountain trail for a couple of mins and I had to walk a bit to ease it. Repeat that pattern to the top and I had already lost 3 places. At the top there is a 2km flat ish section (with one more drag where the hip gave trouble again) before a sharp descent. The view of lough derg from this vantage point was utterly breathtaking (more so than the flippin climb up to it!), an amazing view. Difficult to fully appreciate when suffering though. Thankfully I found some run legs on flatter ground. I wore no watch but would estimated that the 2km climb took me over 15mins. Shocking. I glanced back before the descent and it was clear. Ok give the last 3km a go. It was steep and more a case of not falling over than having a rhythm. I tried to stay loose and keep long strides. I used to love this part of mountain running last year before I injured myself badly. The hip seemed ok and I was having a descent fist of it. With 500m to go there was someone breathing down my next. He had closes fast but at 200m to go I thought I may as well attempt a sprint. Nothing. Legs were spent and he flew past. So 4 places lost on the run was less damage than I felt was going to happen as I walked parts of the ascent. 34:15 for the 7km. It means nothing but 28th on the run wasn't too bad all considered. The speed session during the week were encouraging so I expected nothing from a mountain run in a Tri. The fastest run of the day came from Wave 2, a recent 5-10k runner from our own club decided to give Tri a go recently. And after putting over 20secs into Bryan Keane in Kinsale he tore this course up in under 28min :eek: How someone could average 3:50 km pace over that is just beyond me :eek:
Overall 10th on the day out of 260+ and I'm happy with that. Ranks SBR 13/3/28 no complaints
Sunday 08/08/10 am: Bike 75km with group.
Beautiful day for a spin. 2.5 hours total. The first hour was climbing hills again, I took a back seat this time and rolled over them. The last hour was fun. I broke away and was alone for 10-15 mins when I was joined by 2 others. We worked well together and as the sprint line loomed it was interesting what the tactics would be. Down to 2 on the line and I just got a wheel ahead. I'm feeling better in group rides and enjoying the odd breakaway and race for the line. I'd like to give a proper race a go in the spring for sure
Weekly Summary build week 1 of 3
5 runs: 15km, 12km, 3km brick, 8km, 7km race
4 bikes: 47km turbo, 35km brick, 22km race, 75km
2 swims: 2.2km pool, 0.75km race
0 core: this will change next week
Total 11hrs
Best session of the week: Turbo FTP session
Worst session of the week: None, enjoyed every single session for a change. Hmm well maybe the 3*2k on the track sucked but it was a good workout
Overall thoughts: Very happy with this week, volume down but intensity up. Good speed sessions and the bike is going well. Next week I need to get some swimming done and bring Core back into focus. Should be same volume but progress turbo session and tempo run.0 -
Nice one on BB especially with the training you had done in the daysbeforehand.0
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Savage MCOS. Really impressive race, and always great to start a race with no expectations from time to time, you can really enjoy it.
You must be delighted with your swim, it really gives you a great platform to attack on the bike and get you up there with the leaders.
3rd on the bike, and by all accounts a tough course, must be very satisfying and again leaves you in a great position to challenge.
I suppose it is the run that makes this 'sprint' different. I really enjoyed my mountain running in the winter league at the beginning of the year (will be doing it again) but I know how tough it can be and if you have any little weakness or niggle the hills will soon sniff it out. Still 28th is excellent position.
Hope you haven't done much damage, it's hard not to get caught up in the race even if it is "only" a brick. I was actually grimacing when you were overtaking those two lads on the bike, glad you managed to stay upright
YOu were saying that you were going to concentrate on biking next year, it looks to me that there is nothing wrong at all with your biking. Why not concentrate on the running next year? Or have you a grand scheme where you will concentrate on - year 1 swim/year 2 bike/year 3 run?0 -
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Thanks ElD, yep there is a scheme to it alright
I specifically need to improve climbing on the bike.
Hope all the Budapest Boardsies are training smart and training happy!
Did up a specific plan for the last 4 weeks to Budapest and after the amount of brain space it took up yesterday and the beauty of the final document (I'm a nerd), its pinned on the fridge door and I'm hell bent on sticking to it 95% at least! I also set a realistic race weight target of 75.5kg. It will be the lightest I have been in 10 years. I've been much more disciplined about what, how and when I eat lately so I'm making satisfying progress on that. Last weigt check was last week at the DXA scan 77.8kg. Perhaps that is the edge to getme sub40 off the bike
Monday 09/08/10 pm: OW swim 3,000m, Run 5.5km
The swim was good. I hadn't been out in a couple of weeks and the water was lovely. Did 1km steady then about 10 mins race pace after someone suggested a game of 'tig'. When the lactic started to kick in we eased off and swam steady again. Its a nice long stretch of river which helps for longer swims.
The run was with a few lads around the town and a bit of river trail. Very enjoyable having a bit of craic while getting the session done. I much make a point of finding more regular training partners next year. The niggle in the hip still evident so I'll watch that.0
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