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Budapest, Hungary Sept 8-12
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Friday 20/08/10 pm: 5km Z1 run... or slow jog
Headed out with Caz hoping I could run. Legs in general felt horrible for the first 5 mins but were ok once warmed up. The ITB felt much better. There was still a slight ache, especially jogging down a hill but delighted that it held up for a super easy 30 min jog. On some anti inflammitories for a few days though so I'm still being very cautious.
Saturday 21/08/10 am: Bike 65km, run 5km
Lovely morning, so headed out early to meet the group. 3 of us Budapest bound were on TT bikes and had discussed doing some work in the sesison. Just rolled along and a nice pace for an hour into the headwind and then onto the bars and pushed on for 20 mins at race pace, rolled for 10 mins and did another 10 mins race pace. No climbs but some rolling hills and drags. Good spin.
I started the run very cuatiously at Z1 and felt fine, brought the pace up gradually to Z2-Z3 but stayed very comfortable. ITB felt ok again, just a little dull ache. I plan to do some core later and will roll it out some more.
Overall I'm happy enough where I am. Swimming is going well, fitness is good and 1:17 for 100m is way beyond the speed I thought I could achieve in water. Budapest is hot right now though so it looks ominously like no wetsuits
Cycling has been good this year. I didn't bother with the TT league or races or hills. The Budapest is as flat as a course I could hope for so should suit me. I've just relaxed the pressure of the run off myself. Whatever I get on the day is what I get. I'm just happy the injury is mending and the #1 priority is to get to Budapest healthy 
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Noooooo. Bambatta was saying that the other night alright. That'd be a bit of a disaster.shotgunmcos wrote: »Budapest is hot right now though so it looks ominously like no wetsuits0 -
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Sunday 22/08/10 pm: Run 60 mins Core 30 mins
The run was 4km Z2, 4km Z3+, 4km Z1. I was happy to be able to run for 60 mins with no pain. The ITB wasn't feeling fresh and the legs were generally tired but no flare up so some relief at that. The Z3 bit felt like an effort so I cut it after 4km and jogged easy. The 2 cycles this week really took it out of the legs but as it was supposed to be the last build week that is to be expected. Rolled the ITB out again and can feel it this morning but its definitely much better.
Weekly Summary build week 3 of 3
3 runs: 5km, 5km brick, 12km
2 bikes: 59km turbo, 65km road brick
3 swims: 3.5km OW, 3.2km pool LC, 2km pool SC
2 core sessions
Total 10hrs
Best session of the week: Hmmm hard to choose, most sessions were good quality but I'd have to say the Turbo TT. Hardest I've pushed myself on a bike ever
!
Worst session of the week: The run yesterday. On one hand it was good that I could run for an hour, the legs were dead though :cool:.
Overall thoughts: A good week and I'm feeling good too. I'm looking forward to giving the swim and bike a lash in Dublin and glad that the ITB is clearing up, albeit not out of the woods by any means. This week I'll begin taper on the bike. I'll give the running another week and try some very short stints of tempo. I'll bring in an extra session of core too and focus on getting closer to the target race weight. 76.9kg this morning, all good but need to maintain the discipline. Just 19 days to go Starting to give next year some thought also. 0 -
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You're lighter than me now ya fecker :P
Good to see the ITB is coming along! I gave mine a good rolling last night and it felt great!
Yeah but you are still faster :rolleyes:
Don't think I would describe the rolling as 'feeling great'.. more like 'hurts a lot' much yeah feel a bit looser afterwards. I don't roll too often as the muscle needs time to rebuild itself after a session and a good rolling
Just saw that you and I are in wave 2 this weekend, WTF :cool:0 -
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Wave 2 for me too lads so ye better watch out
Must remember next year when entering these tri's early in the year to enter the swim time that I hope to be doing at that stage of the season. It actually worked out for the best this time and im happy bout this as I want to just ease back, using the swim as a kind of warm up and going hard on the bike and then a nice comfortable pace for the run.
All this is depending of course how the Achilles holds up this week!0 -
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Monday 13/10/08 pm: Swim OW 2,500m + dodging swans
Not many down this evening and so I headed for a long swim alone. The swans were being protective and I watched one of them attack a dog as it swam too close to a beautiful jet black signet, so I stayed clear of their territory. After only 500m or so I was feeling it. The body was tired. I reduced the intensity to a relaxed stroke but it was difficult as I swam into a strong wind and the water was choppy. I found some shelter at the start of the regatta course, where the water calmed again and turned around to head home. 50m in front of me were 2 swans and they were drifting towards me. I had to swim a detour around them over to the opposite side of the river. They were probably just curious but after seeing the poor dog getting pecked back at the slip I was taking no chances and swam tempo for about 200m. It made the route back more arduous as A) I had to swim a longer course to avoid the swans (who were still 20m away from me drifting towards me after the tempo bit!) and
I was knackered. Normally I enjoy this Monday evening swim and it has been my steady long session over the summer, but tonight between the minor panic over the swans and the heavy sessions last week, it was a struggle. I eventually got back to the slip wrecked.
The good thing is that all of the heavy training is done and I'm starting to ease back now. I'll maintain some intensity but in small doses as the volume is coming down. Proper taper after Dublin this weekend.0 -
Tuesday 24/08/10 pm: Track session.. a brief one
It was lovely out but windy at the track. 3km warm up on grass easy + stretches.
6*400m with 60 sec rest in on 75, 75, 75, 77, 76, 75
4km cool down on grass in bare feet.
The purpose was to see how the ITB held up under some speed. It was fine. The reps themselves were good. Still without heart rate data as Garmin have still infuriatingly not sent the replacement device back to me. Ongoing saga since March now. Anyway, enjoyed the brevity of the workout too as I'm not sure if I would have been up for more reps. ITB has showed itself again this morning but just a little so the message there is race Dublin but back off at the slightest sign of strain.
Wednesday 25/08/10 am: Swim session at 50m pool
50m*12 warm up with one closed fist each length
150m*6 off 3 in on 2:26-2:30
200m*4 off 4 in on 3:16-3:20
100m*3 off 2 in on 1:38
200m cool down backstroke with fins
Total 2,800m
Felt great. Woke up before the alarm and was fresh as a daisy in the pool. Lead the lane out and held approx 1:40/100 pace for the whole lot. Very pleased with this as I was never more than Z3. The swim focus last winter has paid off. I set 1:40 as my target race pace for 1500 in the pool this year. Earlier in the season I got there but it was all out, but now I can hold it below the red zone 0 -
Wednesday 25/08/10 pm: Turbo 80mins inc. 3*10min FTP intervals
The session
20mins warm up easy
10mins 264 watts (85% FTP) + 5mins very easy recovery max 150w
10mins 280 watts (90% FTP) + 5mins very easy recovery max 150w
10mins 296 watts (95% FTP) + 5mins very easy recovery max 150w
15mins easy spinning
Good workout. Heart rate maxed out at about 156 after the 3rd rep so just into lower Z4. Nothing like the torture of last week. Had the Alp D'uez Triathlon recorded to watch during this session so it flew by. On the 3rd rep I just imagined what it must be like to cycle up those 21 turns. Last turbo of this season yay! At least a few weeks of a break from it anyway 0 -
Thursday 26/8/10 pm: Run 40 mins
4km Z2-Z3, 2km tempo Z4, 2km Z1
Enjoyed the run, felt good on tempo. Focused on cadence. 20 mins stretch afterwards.
Got Garmin back finally Bit late for this season now but will thankfully have it for Winter training. 0 -
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Took the day off completely on Friday and went out to dinner with Caz. DCT was a C priority so no need to be too picky about what I ate and drank Was staying with Bambaata for the event so we did a 2 lap recce of the bike course on Saturday and as its his training ground he had some great tips for it, as long as it stayed dry....
Sunday 29/08/10: Dublin City Triathlon, Irish Olympic Distance National Championships.
It was the last race before Budapest so a time to check things out. It was a C priority race so I wasn't bothered about the result or overall time. As such I was pretty relaxed about it all. The main plan was to push the swim and bike at target race pace and see how the legs felt. Specifically would the ITB hold up. The second objective was to try out 2 gels on the bike which I had never done in an OD race before. It was a good race very well organised by Piranha Tri and a very competitive field too.
The swim.
I headed straight to the front of the pack as it was wave 2 and I figured I might be one of the stronger swimmers in it. Spotted El Director behind me and Bambaata to my right. Everyone focused and ready to blast off. Normally my tactic is to sprint the first 150m after the faster guys to get some benefit off the wake of their feet before they vanish, then settle in clear water. This time I thought I'd do 20 hard strokes without looking up and stay long and relaxed. I generally swim straight thankfully so when I looked up I was not off line. There was madness going on either side of me though and I got a nice elbow in the lip. I initially thought the wave 2 was stronger than I anticipated but once I found a rhythm I got some space. I felt good and was in the lead pack. After the turnaround I was about third and catching the lead pair. I decided to just sit on their feet and get a lift back. I was a bit confused by the buoys as they were not straight and ended after 400m of the return thus we cut dangerously close to the oncoming wave. I certainly didn't feel any major flow pushing us back down the river and if anything it felt longer on the return. I wore mirrored lenses for the first time but with a cloudy sky it was all quite dark. I had a few hanging off my feet too and with 250m or so a couple of them started moving up passed me. The problem with that was that they were climbing all over me. I was relaxed enough at the stage so gave a few good kicks and pushed on. Exited the wave just behind the lead pair in 24:33 (o/a swim rank 42/440). I didn't know my time but I was happy with the swim and feel I could be more efficient for the full 1500.
So how am I feeling about the Budapest swim?
Pretty good. I think I can hit my season target of sub 25 comfortably and on the day maybe closer to 24. The 3 turns are sharp and the buoys could be messy so I have to focus on getting my rhythm back after each turn.
T1: Slow getting the wetsuit off on the run up to the bike but no issues.
The Bike
The leap of Faith was fine and I got motoring straight away. Thankfully even after a little shower during the race briefing the road was dry. It was also clear so I had a better transition than the lead pair from the swim. Bambaata's bike was still racked when I left so I wondered how long it would take for him to catch me and indeed how many more from my wave would catch me. The heart rate was quite high after the swim so the first lap up the Kyber road was tough. That was the only real hill though the rest of the course was a mix of bends and slow descents. I hit a nice stride on the first 2 laps attacking the bends. I started making ground into wave 1 (a lap ahead of me) at the end of the second. This was good as I passed the lead women and knew I was going well. Normally I'd only reach the lead woman toward the end of the bike. I remembered to maintain cadence and on a technical course like the DCT one gear changing is essential. I passed so many who were pushing too heavy a gear on inclines.
The rain came down heavy on lap 3 and the course suddenly took on a different manner. The bends were a lot more tricky and you had to back off a bit on 2 in particular. While I was making good of the course in general I kept getting dark right hander before the main descent wrong. Heading down the fast sweep towards the Kyber road again on lap 3 I very very nearly lost it. The back wheel slipped maybe 2 feet and gave me a shock. I thus delayed getting on the brake and hit the turn too quickly. I had to run wide to avoid hitting another competitor and had to brake hard. I heard a few 'ooohs' from the supporters with the lengthy skid but with some luck managed to stay upright. By lap 4 the road was now busy with other waves joining and I found that it was easier to spin up the hill passing loads than to do it alone. I was a bit cautious though after the skid. The roads started to dry out again so half way around the 4th lap I started to attack again. I knew I was eating into wave 1 so kept the foot down. Bambaata eventually caught me with half a lap to go. It was the only time I was caught on the bike and I didn't let him go either. Overall I enjoyed the course and liked doing laps instead of an out and back. However with the number of bikes on the course on lap 5 it was impossible to hold your line or any speed into the corners which was a shame. Bike 1:05:47 (o/a bike rank 16/440)
So how am I feeling about the Budapest bike?
I'm looking forward to it. A flat course with a good surface so less about bike handling and more about power. I'll focus on spinning at a good cadence to keep the legs for the run. Hopefully I'll be closer to 60 on the day.
The run
This was the uncertain part. The first km was uphill which never suits me. Bambaata flew past me out of T2 like he had stolen something and went on to have a stormer! I struggled mostly with getting my cadence up. I checked my diary during the week when I was reading JFs bible and noticed my cadence checks last winter and spring were 68-78 spm. No wonder I have had no leg speed all year! I should have been working on that back in the winter along with the foot strike. As a result getting up over 80spm especially off the bike was a struggle. Once I got around the 'field' section and into the trees beside the Kyber road I felt better. There was a steep run off a bank to cross a small road and another steep ramp up to the trail again that kind of jarred your knees. Shortly after it though you are on a straight solid path and coupled with a slight tailwind it was possible to lift the pace. I pushed on for about a km but noticed my left quad was not cooperating. It wasn't hurting so much as dragging. I backed off. I had told myself that the slightest sign of a niggle and I would do so. In the end I was happy with this decision and with my discipline. I kept running but just didn't push as hard as usual. I passed a few and was surprised that it took 7km before the faster runners from my wave came through. At about this time I was on the solid path for the second time and knew the finish was straight ahead. My legs felt ok and I was tempted to race it to the finish but kept steady. I was passed by a few and resisted the urge to chase. At 8km I got an almighty stitch that restricted my breathing for a few minutes. I had to walk for a bit and take some deep breaths to shake it. I expected my run to be about 45mins but it was 41:50 (run rank 110/440) so either it was a bit short or I made a better fist of it that I thought. I jogged over the line in 2:14:31. Overall 33rd and 9th in my AG. Overall I was pleased with that result as I beat a guy who was ahead of me at the Europeans and I was closer to a couple of guys who usually leave me for dust
So how am I feeling about the Budapest run?
Hmm I'm actually quite glad that I got through the 10k yesterday. I had a great massage from 2 girls, one of which almost made me cry when she dug into the left quad. As a result of backing off I have another week to stretch and roll it and get it right for Budapest. I believe I have 2 more minutes in me based on yesterday's effort. I will have to make sure I don't overcook the bike too. I'll try to maintain as a good a cadence on the run as I can but I plan to give it everything I've got. It seems like nearly every triathlon run I've done this year has had a hill to start. I'm hoping that a flatter first km will help me get up to speed quicker. I would love to get a sub40 off the bike first the first time there. I'm already making notes on what I have to work on this winter to improve my running.
Objective A: Finish, Enjoy the experience and give it a lash!
Objective B: Sub40 off the bike
Objective C: Sub 2:10 for a pb
Just 12 days to go.. taper time
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