Tri a bit of everything

nomadic

Friday
Rest. Badly needed, my legs were latic city.


Saturday
AM 22 km spin
Lovely morning so I had to get out for a spin. I hit the park and took it easy enough.


PM Tommy Brady Memorial
I was there early and ended up doing about 16km as a warm up just spinning around. This was an A1/A2/A3/A4 handicap race. The A3's and A4's got 1.30 on the 2's and 1's. 8 laps of a 8km loop. It was basically flat and fast as hell. I did a few turns at the front on the first lap to see could we get working but it wasn't going to happen so I took a few pops off the front, nothing stuck though so I sat at the back for a couple of laps waiting for us to be caught. An A1 got to us on his own so I followed him to the front and tried to get away with him. No dice again. The pace got fairly ferocious once the A1/A2 pack caught up. I basically tried to get as good a position as possible but the group was huge at this stage. Different breaks went and I tried unsucessfully to bridge a few times. Eventually a break with about 10 A1's and an A2 got away with 3 laps to go and stayed away.

I still had the unplaced A3 places to race for though. I was positioned fairly well on the last lap. I took a bad line to get around a bad bit of road in the last km and didn't have a wheel to suck for a while. I gave it a dig but I was too far back and ended up about 6th/7th A3. I need to get the hang of this bunch sprint lark, its coming slowly.

64.3km in 1.32.15, 41.8km/hr
HR avg 167, max 192 (I got a good workout anyway!)

nomadic

Sunday

2.5 hour club MTB spin
My first sunday spin with the club in months. We did most of the single track in Djouce, great craic passing a rave in the forest multiple times. Pity the place is in a total mess between the ravers and randomers camping everywhere and coillte butchering one of the best trails. You can't beat Djouce though.


Monday

68.5km spin in 1.56.15, 35.3km/hr
I did this at the usual tempo pace, the Summerhill-Kilcock route. I wanted to throw 2x10k's keeping the HR over 170 in. I did the first one just after Dunboyne and it was bloody torture. Seeing the HR drop to 169 while my thighs burnt was painfull as I tried to up it more.I struggled to get the HR up on the second effort and it slowly got up to 168 but didn't go higher, I only did 5k on the second effort. Maybe 170 is a bit high, probably go with 165 next time. My legs were full of lactic for the last 15km home.
HR avg 157, max 175

El Director

Hey dude. Have you any tips on getting your HR up? I find this difficult unless climbing. If I get out of my seat for a while it goes up but comes back down quickly again. I'd like to be riding in a particular zone but struggle to get into it especially on the flat. Might be a silly question but just curious.

pgibbo

El Director wrote: »

Hey dude. Have you any tips on getting your HR up? I find this difficult unless climbing. If I get out of my seat for a while it goes up but comes back down quickly again. I'd like to be riding in a particular zone but struggle to get into it especially on the flat. Might be a silly question but just curious.

Embrace the pain and push harder!

On a serious note I'd be interested in this too. I find it a lot easier to do on the turbo than on the road.

nomadic

pgibbo wrote: »

Embrace the pain and push harder!

That was basically it yea. I think I under estimated how hard it is to get the HR up on the flat. Hills I'd be 170's, 180's no bother. 170 on relatively flat road was pure pain hence I'm not doing that again:D.

nomadic

Tuesday

Mondello Race
I had sore legs in the morning but they were ok come race time. It was an hour plus 3 laps. A1/A2/A3/A4 handicap. I tried to do some work on the front but the A1/A2's caught us after about 3 laps. I was a bit active for the first halfish following good wheels but I knackered myself near the end and didn't have a lot left to try and contest it. It finished in a bunch sprint and I just rolled in at the back.
52.7km in 1.14.49, 42.3km/hr
HR avg 169, max 186



Wednesday
Rest. My legs badly needed some rest.

nomadic

Thursday
MTB Club League
Felt better again on the bike. It was a bit slick out so times were down but I'm getting better.


Friday
rest


Saturday
Mount Nugent GP
This was 10 laps of a 4.5km loop with a prime (Sprint prize) on each lap. There was only about 50 racing with most of the big guns busy with stage races this weekend. It was a nice little loop with a couple of really narrow roads but they were closed which was nice. The A3/A4's went off together with a handicap over the A1/A2's. The primes meant that the bunch didn't really do any sort of work together. I tried to get a jump on the bunch on the last corner before the prime on lap 1 but someone held my wheel so I was on the front with a km to go. Not ideal and I didn't bother contesting it. I tried the same thing on lap 2 and I got away after the corner and took the prime by about 200m. I sat up to let the bunch catch me but I changed my mind after seeing the big gap and gave it a bit of a dig. The bunch did catch me about half way around the lap. I did the exact same thing on lap 3 and again took the prime with a big gap. Lap 4 a break got a bit of a gap and we were caught by the A1/A2's. The pace pretty much stopped for a while then the winning break got away. I was caught in the bunch and didn't get near it. The stamullen and mulingar lads worked well to strangle any attemped counter break. I rolled in at the back of the bunch on the last lap.

Happy with my primes though. For once I got something for my early efforts. I was laughting with some of the lads afterwards that I got away with the same move on 2 laps.
44.7km in 1.10.48, 37.9km/hr
HR avg 166, max 185


Sunday

MTB spin with the club
We did a bit of a tour of 3 rock. I fell off a few times. I have a mount sorted for the computer on the MTB so I've a few numbers.
26.6km in 2.29.55, 10.6km/hr
HR avg 141, max 175

nomadic

Monday
5 Laps of strawberry beds
I had planned a big one but I was tired so just go out for a shorter spin. 2 laps at tempo pace. I finally figured out the lap function on the computer. 15.20 and a 15.42, both crap. I felt a big fatigued really.

Tuesday/Wednesday
rest. I was fairly tired, I've been coasting with nothing to aim for recently and I think it was catching up with me a bit. I have a 6 hour MTB race on saturday so I can count it as a taper too.

Thursday
Club League race
My first time with the computer for a club league race so interesting to see the data. I creamed myself on the last lap. Going ok apart from that.
9.2km in 39.58, avg 13.8km/hr - 36.3km/hr max
HR avg 180, max 189


6 hour MTB race on Saturday up in Dundalk. Should be interesting trying to pace it.

nomadic

Friday
rest

Saturday
Bull Raid, Bellurgan Park - 6 hour Half Bull MTB race
There was a 12 hour and a 6 hour option with a mixture of teams and solo efforts. I contemplated the 12 hour but thankfully went for the 6 hour option. It was an 11km loop of mostly single track, cracking loop if a little tough for an endurance event. We had to race until 6 hours passed and finish the lap we were on. 25 men lined up for the start of the 6 hour solo. A short run to pick up the bikes le mans style and we were off.

I took the first lap handy enough, I was blowing a little but not too much. High HR but what ya gonna do. Second lap similar, I had a big off on this lap but landed softly thankfully.
I was feeling great about half way through and felt like I could go on for ever. The next lap I felt like death and didn't know how I'd get around for another 2 hours. That faded a bit and I carried on with my stomach in bits and my body battered. I was glad to finish and was wrecked. I think I paced it ok and the nutrition was spot on. A bar and a gel ever lap with lots of water and electrolyte. The course gave the body a real battering over 6 hours. I couldn't have put up with that for 12 hours without a full sus.

Anyway I finished 3rd. The early leader Matt Adair hammered it way too hard and looked like death aparently when he pulled out about 4 hours in. I did swop places with 2nd place a couple of times but didn't have it in me to get close in the last 2 laps.

8 laps (89.7km) in 6.18.13, 14.2km/hr HR avg 154, max 185

Lap 1 : 45.56
Lap 2 : 46.18
Lap 3 : 45.50
Lap 4 : 47.04
Lap 5 : 46.31
Lap 6 : 49.33
Lap 7 : 49.50
Lap 8 : 50.23

ronanmac

Jaysus, nomadic, that sounds like one tough event... Congrats on finishing third!

El Director

That sounded BRUTAL, where only the very tough survive and the even tougher podium

Just wondering if you have any idea's on next year's goals? Will it be primarily biking again or will you make a multisport return? As we all know you are a savage runner too and with specific running training would only get better. Would you consider hitting the duathlon scene? You remind me of Cian Delaney (Irish National Duathlon Champ), there are plenty races throughout the year too.

nomadic

El Director wrote: »

That sounded BRUTAL, where only the very tough survive and the even tougher podium

Just wondering if you have any idea's on next year's goals? Will it be primarily biking again or will you make a multisport return? As we all know you are a savage runner too and with specific running training would only get better. Would you consider hitting the duathlon scene? You remind me of Cian Delaney (Irish National Duathlon Champ), there are plenty races throughout the year too.

Sorry, only saw this now.

I think the plan is to concentrate on cycling next year. Who knows I may change my mind (again). I'm definately going to run a fair bit for the next few months and probably do a duathlon and some running races before cycling season kicks off again. I'm moving to England on Sunday so life will be all change for the next while. The plan is to get a cyclocross bike ASAP and get stuck into the West Midlands Cross league.

kennyb3

El Director wrote: »

of Cian Delaney (Irish National Duathlon Champ),

Paul carroll afaik, think cian was second

nomadic wrote: »

Sorry, only saw this now.

I think the plan is to concentrate on cycling next year. Who knows I may change my mind (again). I'm definately going to run a fair bit for the next few months and probably do a duathlon and some running races before cycling season kicks off again. I'm moving to England on Sunday so life will be all change for the next while. The plan is to get a cyclocross bike ASAP and get stuck into the West Midlands Cross league.

Best of luck with the move dude, hope you ll still keep logging. Some cross race reports would be cool

catweazle

Best of luck over there

I am sure England will have plenty of options for you as regards racing anyways

nomadic

Time to wrap this log up I think. It's turned into a cycling log and probably shouldn't be here anyway.

I've been winding down over the last few weeks. Very little training and a few races. 2 mtb races, the last NPS where I had a bad race (too technical) and finished 15th and the Cooley Thriller mtb marathon where I was terrible again and finished 35th (4th expert). I also did 2 road races, the last Mondello race which I was happy enough with but didn't finish anywhere and an A3 race in Dunlavin on Sunday where I finished 4th.

It took me a while to get to grips with road racing but I think I'm getting there. Not an awful season but I only finished with 6 points which is a bit dissapointing. Results wise I got a 4th,5th and a 6th. I got a KOH prime and a couple of sprint primes too. The 5th place in the A1/A2/A3 race down in the curragh was definately my best result of the season. I really enjoyed the Ras Dhun Na Ngall and will hopefully be back next year.

The plan from now on is to get a cross bike and do some races. Run more and generally enjoy myself for a couple of months. Then its time to get started for next year. I want to get better at climbing. A few hilly stage races will probably be the major races for next year. I'll keep the MTB up too but its not really possible to concentrate on both the road and MTB so the road will probably win out again next year.

Cheers for all the advice and comments over the last year and a half.

El Director

Fair play Nomadic, I really enjoyed following your training and races. You are a strong strong cyclist and runner, you are right to enjoy the next few weeks, well earned. I for one hope to see/hear from you around these parts your advice and comment hold a lot of weight. Best of luck over there man I hope it's a happy and successful move.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Best of luck with the new job and a change of scenery. Pity about the log as i really enjoyed those cycling race reports.

Macanri

Sorry to see you finish the log - it was interesting!
All the best in England. Keep us posted how you're getting on.
Mac