Chasing the Kona dream and a Mai Tai cocktail

nomadic

Nice one on the top 20. I was disappointed with my bike split too but thats the way it goes. Best of luck tomorrow.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

I knew heading up this morning not to expect too much from the race as the body was tired, the weather miserable and was in no real humour to race. I met with dare2be from boards before the race and talked for a bit before we got called over to the start.
1st run
Settled in around the 3rd row from the front and headed off hitting the first km in 3.42 which felt a bit fast so slowed it down for the 2nd in 4.02 and hit the 3rd one in a very slow 4.36. I crossed into transition with 13:10 showing on the garmin which suprisingly was 10 secs faster than last time.
T1 - Slower than usual in getting away as i was fecking about with my helmet clip
Bike
Lost about 20 seconds mounting the bike at the start of the course and took a lump out of my right shin from missing the clip, bloody sore. Soon got into the big gear and passed about a half dozen in the first few kms. I was having my own personal dual with one of the Setanta lads. We passed each other a few times on the bike section, he would pass and i would have to back off and vice versa.
I noticed at the two turnaround points that there was two seperate groups ahead of me and they were clearly drafting. Each group had about 7/8 riders and all grouped within a few mtrs of each other. It is a bloody joke and i am sure there will be no penalties given out.
I dropped my chain coming down the road to the roundabout and back up to the hill for the last time and lost about several places/40 seconds having to hop off and get the chain back on:mad: I still picked up about 10 spots on the bike and finished it (garmin) in 32:23 which was poor but a minute and a half quicker than last time.
T2 - Better than the first transition and picked up 1 or 2 spots.
Final Run
With nobody really close by i decided just to plod along. Did see the Setanta guy in front halfway around the course so decided to up the pace and crossed the line before him. Second run was really slow, 14:40 and nearly a minute slower than last time around.
Total time: 1:01:22 (unofficial) and nearly a minute quicker than last time. Back to back races is too much for me and on fresher legs this could have been a much quicker time. I don't think i will bother with the one in April.

El Director

Tough weekend for you JB but well done in both races. These early season duathlons can be frustrating because you think with all the training you should be doing better. Truth is we are all still in our base phases and have damn all speed work done at this stage, so don't worry, it's better to struggle a little now and heap the rewards during the summer when it really counts. You thought you could do better yet you still finished top 20! Well done man, rest up now for the rest of the day.

mloc123

Aliya Wailing Bench wrote: »

I noticed at the two turnaround points that there was two seperate groups ahead of me and they were clearly drafting. Each group had about 7/8 riders and all grouped within a few mtrs of each other. It is a bloody joke and i am sure there will be no penalties given out.

Did one of these races last year, complete joke. Did they even give out numbers this year? No numbers last year, so they obviously didn't care about drafting.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

mloc123 wrote: »

Did one of these races last year, complete joke. Did they even give out numbers this year? No numbers last year, so they obviously didn't care about drafting.

No numbers given out which in itself shows they are not bothered about drafting. No results posted yet but I doubt there will be penalties.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

El Director wrote: »

Tough weekend for you JB but well done in both races. These early season duathlons can be frustrating because you think with all the training you should be doing better. Truth is we are all still in our base phases and have damn all speed work done at this stage, so don't worry, it's better to struggle a little now and heap the rewards during the summer when it really counts. You thought you could do better yet you still finished top 20! Well done man, rest up now for the rest of the day.

Yeah not going to worry about it as the real races are a few months away.

mloc123

Aliya Wailing Bench wrote: »

No numbers given out which in itself shows they are not bothered about drafting. No results posted yet but I doubt there will be penalties.

No numbers = no penalties. If the marshals have no numbers to note down etc..
After last year I said I would never do one of those races again, which is a pity because its a nice course.

dare2be

Good to meet you today JB. A good wends racing for you. Both you and I were pissed at the blatant drafting and group riding. Think I might give Fingal a try next time out. Seems to be a better organised race

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

mloc123 wrote: »

No numbers = no penalties. If the marshals have no numbers to note down etc..
After last year I said I would never do one of those races again, which is a pity because its a nice course.

Yeah no chance of catching anyone when there is no numbers to take note of. As you said it is a real pity as it gets a decent turnout and the road surface for the bike is good with the overall course being a good one.
Edit: Just looking at the bike photos on irish triathlon and there is a good few group photos up

dare2be wrote: »

Good to meet you today JB. A good wends racing for you. Both you and I were pissed at the blatant drafting and group riding. Think I might give Fingal a try next time out. Seems to be a better organised race

Yeah good to meet you, there was a huge difference between how the two races were managed. You would enjoy the hill you have to run up twice:pac: I am not sure but i think they may be running one more.

Sunday Evening LSR - 25km/15.5mile
I really really did not want to do this as i was tired but i knew it needed to be done with London lurking around the corner. Brought the gear to the sisters kids birthday party and decided i would run from Stamullen back home and add in a few detours to build the distance up.
I suppose it does no harm doing some of these LSRS on tired legs to get a feel for what it may be like on IM race day. I would not have been able to run another km tonight as the tank was well and truly empty when i got home.
Just a swim tomorrow morning and then relax for the rest of the day.
Distance: 25km
Time: 2:13:11
Pace: 5.19km/8.34mile
HR: 146/157

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Week 18 Summary
14th Mar - 20th Mar|# sessions|Time hh:mm|Distance kms
Total|15|19:18|366.4km
Swimming|3|3.13|9.1km
Cycling|6|10:21|298.1km
Running|5|4:59|59.2km
Conditioning|1|0:45|Strengthening Work/Core - Gym
Other|0|0:00|


Totals so far
15th Nov- 20th Mar|# sessions|Time hh:mm|Distance kms
Total|208|231:47|3912.3km
Swimming|41|37:43|111.6km
Cycling|62|97:44|2920.2km
Running|84|75:36|880.5km
Conditioning|15|13:30|Strengthening Work - Gym
Other|6|3:30|Swim coaching


Another good week put down. The long bike was probably the best session from the week but the most satisfying if a little torturous was the LSR last night as it needed to be done and i could have easily skipped it.
Running progress is still a little dissapointing but i hope to do about 70/80kms this week so hopefully that will kickstart things again.
Just about half way there with race week only 19 weeks away!!

Fergus McGrath

Thanks for the kind words about our Fingal duathlon glad you enjoyed it (even the hill x 2) Im afraid we only had 2 duathlons in the calender this year (new club and all) we will have our Sprint distance triathlon on the 28th of May Balbriggan summerfest triathlon so I hope to see you guys then
Fergus
Chairman
Fingal Tri

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Fergus McGrath wrote: »

Thanks for the kind words about our Fingal duathlon glad you enjoyed it (even the hill x 2) Im afraid we only had 2 duathlons in the calender this year (new club and all) we will have our Sprint distance triathlon on the 28th of May Balbriggan summerfest triathlon so I hope to see you guys then
Fergus
Chairman
Fingal Tri

No problem Fergus, pity about the triathlon date as it's on the same weekend as my half ironman. I may join up with you guys as you are only a short spin down the road.
Do you guys get out for group rides at the weekend? if so what pace do you generally head off at?

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Monday
Morning Swim - Technique Session
I left the kick drills alone as the legs feel like they have been filled with concrete.
300wu
8x50 one arm drills
10x100 pull buoy drills
8x50 fist drills
8x50 thumb to thigh drills
200wd
Distance: 2700mtrs
Time: 60mins

Fergus McGrath

Aliya Wailing Bench wrote: »

No problem Fergus, pity about the triathlon date as it's on the same weekend as my half ironman. I may join up with you guys as you are only a short spin down the road.
Do you guys get out for group rides at the weekend? if so what pace do you generally head off at?

We go out at 8 from lusk and there are a few groups advanced usually tick over at 25-30kph for about 70 km
We would need you to be a member of the club though alternatively swords cc head out from blakes cross from 8.30 on saturday morning
Good luck in your half ironman and hopefully we'll see you at our duathlon series early next year (most likely going to be 3 races)

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Fergus McGrath wrote: »

We go out at 8 from lusk and there are a few groups advanced usually tick over at 25-30kph for about 70 km
We would need you to be a member of the club though alternatively swords cc head out from blakes cross from 8.30 on saturday morning
Good luck in your half ironman and hopefully we'll see you at our duathlon series early next year (most likely going to be 3 races)

Cheers Fergus i will have a look at the website tomorrow regarding joining up with you guys. Do you have many in the group doing the full IM distance?

Tuesday
Lunchtime Easy Spin
Plan for the session was to get some life back into the legs so in that case the session was a success!!
Distance: 26.28km & 7km commute
Time: 57:41
Pace: 27.3kpmh
HR: 138/175

Evening Club Run - Speed Session
The plan tonight was a 2km warm up, 1 mile time trial, 3x800, 4x150, 1x600 and for me i done a 3km warm down. I surprised myself with a 5.57 in the 1 miler even though the dinner near came up. I think the fastest i ran a mile before was something like a 6.20 so that is my internal governor reset!! 800's done at 85% effort in 2.59, 3.00 and 2.56. 150's done at 95% effort in 21 secs, 19 secs, 19secs and 17secs. Last 600 completed in 2.01. Pretty tired at the end of the session but overall an excellent workout and a good kick up the arse which was needed on the running front.
Distance: 5.17km & (5k wu/wd)
Time: 18:37 (46 mins inc wu/wd)
Pace: 3.36km/5.47mile
HR: 171/184

shotgunmcos

Dude 17secs for 150m is bloody NIFTY!! I could do that when I was 18 but how you can have those fast twitch fibres after all the long slow distance stuff is mad!

catweazle

I did a double read myself when I saw the 17 seconds for 150m. Adding up 11 seconds and 5.5 seconds and getting 16.5 seconds :eek:

With your 10.8 for 100 I think it was shotgun and now this you lads should give up the long stuff and go for at least a rugby winger at that type of speed. Full back on the Irish team is up for grabs at the moment

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Dude 17secs for 150m is bloody NIFTY!! I could do that when I was 18 but how you can have those fast twitch fibres after all the long slow distance stuff is mad!

I gave the last one 110%:), they set the groups off with 5 secs in between and i near trampled on the group ahead of me:) Not sure where the pace has come from as my running has felt poor since Barca.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

catweazle wrote: »

I did a double read myself when I saw the 17 seconds for 150m. Adding up 11 seconds and 5.5 seconds and getting 16.5 seconds :eek:

With your 10.8 for 100 I think it was shotgun and now this you lads should give up the long stuff and go for at least a rugby winger at that type of speed. Full back on the Irish team is up for grabs at the moment

And i always thought i was more suited to the longer/slower stuff:pac:

Fergus McGrath

There are 2 guys in the club doing the full ironman a lot aiming for a half at the end of the season longest spin would be just over 70k feel free to come down for a trial spin see if you like the club ? we leave chapel farm copse at around 8 send me a pm if your interested and ill send you on my number

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Wednesday
AM Swim Session
I originally planned to do some fast paced 100's & 200's but there was a chap i bump into occasionlly and he was doing some 500's so jumped onto his feet. The plan was to do them off 10 mins. I was coming in on average 9.35 whilst he was hitting them around 9 minutes.
Need to work harder on my pull to get more out of each stroke.
300 wu, 6x500s, 200 wd
Distance: 3500 mtrs
Time: 1:13

Lunchtime Recovery Run
Left the garmin at home so just out for a short recovery run around work to loosen up the legs from last nights speed session. Legs feeling good again.
Distance: 5.7km
Time: 31 mins
Pace: 5.26km/8.45mile (this pace really feels slow nowadays)

Evening Spin - Hill Repeats
This is fast becoming my favourite weekly session although still struggling to find a lung busting hill. I tried the hills in Slane and completed 3 on the Drogheda side but these were easy and all in the big ring, tried the Collon side and that was just longer but not as steep so cycled on to Collon itself. Decent enough climb along the way out of Slane and about 2kms long so may do some repeats of this next time. Coming out of Collon into Drogheda i stopped off at priests hill and done 5 sets there, i managed to fall in front a group of teenagers as i was turning to go back up the hill.....bloody clips:o I finished off with 3 little hills beside the house.
I NEED BIGGER HILLS!!
Distance: 42.22km
Time: 1:39:41
Avg speed: 25.4kpmh
no hrm
Climbing: 532mtrs

Contemplating a 5am LSR in the morning as i am going to struggle to fit it in with other commitments later in the week. Starting to feel the family/work/training pinch again.

El Director

Fergus McGrath wrote: »

We go out at 8 from lusk and there are a few groups advanced usually tick over at 25-30kph for about 70 km
We would need you to be a member of the club though alternatively swords cc head out from blakes cross from 8.30 on saturday morning
Good luck in your half ironman and hopefully we'll see you at our duathlon series early next year (most likely going to be 3 races)

Dude those Swords CC spins are good spins of 80km plus whatever it takes for you to cycle there and then home. I used to go out on them but I drove there and home. The ave speed would be 28/29km per hour with a pick up usually after 50k or so averaging I'd say 35+km/h. I haven't gone out with them in ages, however I think KennyB still does. Also you do not have to be member of Swords CC to join in, officially it's just a bunch of cyclists meeting up for a spin.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

El Director wrote: »

Dude those Swords CC spins are good spins of 80km plus whatever it takes for you to cycle there and then home. I used to go out on them but I drove there and home. The ave speed would be 28/29km per hour with a pick up usually after 50k or so averaging I'd say 35+km/h. I haven't gone out with them in ages, however I think KennyB still does. Also you do not have to be member of Swords CC to join in, officially it's just a bunch of cyclists meeting up for a spin.

Cheers ElD, I will give them a try the week after next as the pace sounds about right. This weeks long bike will be bolted on to my first road race on Saturday as i am doing the Lucan/Staggs GP, not sure what to expect but will give it a lash.

Aimman

Aliya Wailing Bench wrote: »

I NEED BIGGER HILLS!!

It's always a good sign if you can tackle all the majors challenges around and need to up the ante.

El Director

Aliya Wailing Bench wrote: »

Cheers ElD, I will give them a try the week after next as the pace sounds about right. This weeks long bike will be bolted on to my first road race on Saturday as i am doing the Lucan/Staggs GP, not sure what to expect but will give it a lash.

Cool, was chatting to Nomadic about that race on Sat, he said it would be an ideal first road race, so I might see you there, I will decide on Friday.

kennyb3

Think the only place you ll find good consistent hills is by hitting wicklow. Dont think you really need them tho. Its just a case of a) going up your current ones faster and harder b) doing more repeats.

Also really hard flat intervals at threshold are meant to be just as effective.

Much more key for you will be being able to hold the TT position for 180km and pacing and nutrition to you can run a marathon. If you get caught up on going up hills fast, hitting xyz average speed in training you know exactly what will happen on ironman day - you ll get caught up then too and fry yourself. Just my 2c.

Are you following a plan by the way? or where is your training coming from?

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Aimman wrote: »

It's always a good sign if you can tackle all the majors challenges around and need to up the ante.

Yeah i have been driving/cycling around looking for tougher hills to tackle. Failing that i will move the family to Wicklow so i can do hill repeats of the Shay Elliot/Slieve Mann/Sallys Gap:)

El Director wrote: »

Cool, was chatting to Nomadic about that race on Sat, he said it would be an ideal first road race, so I might see you there, I will decide on Friday.

Cool might see you there, not sure what to expect and just jumping into A4.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

kennyb3 wrote: »

Think the only place you ll find good consistent hills is by hitting wicklow. Dont think you really need them tho. Its just a case of a) going up your current ones faster and harder b) doing more repeats.

Also really hard flat intervals at threshold are meant to be just as effective.

Much more key for you will be being able to hold the TT position for 180km and pacing and nutrition to you can run a marathon. If you get caught up on going up hills fast, hitting xyz average speed in training you know exactly what will happen on ironman day - you ll get caught up then too and fry yourself. Just my 2c.

Are you following a plan by the way? or where is your training coming from?

The hill sessions are really important for my IM race as the course is very hilly and by all accounts a tough course so the hillwork is essential. The trick for me on race day is to try climb whilst keeping the HR in Z2/borderline Z3 so i don't fry the legs. The hillwork i do now will pay dividends come race day as i hope to climb easier off a lower hr.
I agree on the threshold stuff and already have this built in to some of my sessions in the build phase.
On holding the position I am up to 3.5 hours already on the tt bike after my first long ride on it. For IM i will be forgetting about pace/avg speed and working off hr/perceived effort, afterall i do have a marathon to run after it:)
Nutrition is key and i am constantly working on nutrition plans by trial and error on my long sessions and hope to have this finalised soon.
The plan i am using is along the lines of the Don Fink Competitive Plan but i am tailoring some of the sessions to suit.
Thanks for the comments KB.

shotgunmcos

JB, have a look at the UKIM course profile
http://www.ironmanuk.com/2011/ironman-uk/race-details/courses/bike-course
I'm sure you have it downloaded already. Ok so best IM specific training practice for hills

a 400ft (121mts) climb followed by a 15-20km mostly dragging upwards to a 600ft (182mts). All in all about half of your 2,400ft of climbing per lap is on those 2 climbs. So, best hill reps in training would be on hills that match the length and/or gradient of those 2 climbs. Neither sprinting up shorter hills nor climbing Slieve Mann simulates either of those (I stand to be corrected by griffin100 as he has actully done it).

So perhaps look to find a 120m hill and do reps of that for one session. Find a 180m hill, another rep session on that (not same day!). If they are less than 20k (ideally rolling) apart than split your reps 50/50 between them

I've basically picked the 2 main hills out of the Roth course and I'll build up to doing no more than 5-6 reps of similar climbs that I can find. These will be specific hill reps and I'll incorporate 1.5 hrs of rollers into my legs before I do the reps too to ensure I'm not shooting up on fresh legs.

Now, for the most part my hill reps will be building towards these hills, eg 12x shorter faster ones etc.... The reps on the IM specific hills will be well thought out key sessions

kennyb3

I'm no expert but do like to read a bit on these things so hope you dont mind me pitching (even tho i ll never do an ironman). I admire the amount of training your doing but just a few thoughts for you:

- Why do 2 duathlons in 1 weekend?

i.e. I get the wanting to be on tired legs but psyhiology says you were only ever going to do worse in the second one. why dishearten yourself? what is the recovery cost of 2 races in 2 days? why spend fees on 2 races, when you could put them to that TT helmet or whatever else. Also what about the time wasted between getting there, signing on, setting up and after? Would another 3-4 hour bike have been better?

- Whats the purpose of doing this bike race (1hr) the weekend?

To improve 1 hour threshold? Again the time cost in driving down and back? Fair enough if you could cycle down and back. Also these are notoriously crashy (esp as its flat fast course and early in the season). what happens if you come off and break your arm and miss 6 weeks? Is sitting in a group beneficial to you?

Hope you dont mind me chipping in, i just dont think i ve ever seen anyone prep for an ironman with so many short sharp races. Recovery cost and jeopardising key sessions is a big consideration.