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140.6 deep breaths...

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,241 ✭✭✭ronanmac


    Hard luck, Mike. Best of luck with the recovery and the house, and I look forward to reading about the journey to those two targets!


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,137 ✭✭✭El Director


    A brave attempt Mike. The bitter really does make the sweet sweeter, bank it and let it push you on to even greater things in the future.

    Great report, great log. Take recovery and rest time seriously and see you back when you are good and ready.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,436 ✭✭✭Izoard


    Great report - could almost feel the pain onset myself...

    Really hard luck on the sub 3, but you know it is well within your compass, so that box will be ticked sooner or later.

    BTW, would it be total lunacy to contemplate a reprise at DCM?


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,137 ✭✭✭El Director


    Izoard wrote: »
    BTW, would it be total lunacy to contemplate a reprise at DCM?

    IMO 100% Yes, now is the time for rest and patients.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,741 ✭✭✭brownian


    IMO 100% Yes, now is the time for rest and patients.

    I hope it's patience he wants, and Mike's not hit the medical patient level just yet?

    Given that the quads are traumatised, I'd not be in a mad rush to encourage anyone to plan/train for DCM coming off the back of Berlin.

    Time to go build a house, rest the legs, relax the mind for a while, IMHO.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,137 ✭✭✭El Director


    Sorry, yes of course :o


  • Registered Users Posts: 810 ✭✭✭liamo123


    Great report.....We exchanged a few words at passport contol before boarding for Dublin ... Nice to meet u.... As the other posters have said take it easy for a while... Sub 2.50 is definately there for u at some stage in the hear future....


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,049 ✭✭✭Brianderunner


    Tough going by the sounds of it. Same thing happened me with the 3hr pacers at the start. Never got within 100m of them, until they sailed away into the distance. I wouldn't be downbeat in the slightest, you know your well able for it. See you at the DCM for the 3:45 job.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    Thanks again Guys n' Gals and yes I'll keep the log going smile.gif The legs are sore today but I know it will be shortlived since I didn't push all the way. DCM is in the balance too. I certainly won't be attempting any reprise and even the pacing is a dilemma right now. To be discussed with the Coach. I plan to take a real break for October though. We have officially handed notice to our Landlords and expect to be moving into the new house on the last weekend of October. So thats an altogether different target for this log biggrin.gif It means putting a real push on the final renovation stages in the next 2 weeks so that the external bits n' pieces can be done.

    The Gas is scheduled to be routed mid October and all of the Scaffolding must be down for that to happen. The external insulation boys in fairness have 90% of the work done in 2 short weeks. Just the Front door arch to be refitted and the dry dash rendered to the face of the house. We finally had our front door and rear bi-folding doors fitted after switching suppliers a few weeks back. It means the builder and plasterer can get cracking on the extension. Most of the house is plastered already. The tiler is back this week to get stuck into the little mountain of tiles now that 2nd fix mechanical is under way. Rads are being fitted. I'm having the new room wired for a home cinema set up biggrin.gif The TV, Receiver and speakers are on the way from the UK, bathroom ware on the way from the UK and the bath itself due for collection from a local supplier. We have colours selected for the outside of the house and the kitchen. Tommorrow we will put some testers up on the wall to pick a nice neutral for the internal walls etc.. We have to apply for the water to be reconnected today. Lots of testing and checking of 2nd fix electrical and mechanical to do next week. Our stairs was delivered at the weekend and our handy builder has a nice puzzle in that to assemble. He was a carpenter by trade at one stage though so should be a piece of cake for him. All in all its a busy time. I'll post a couple of pics of before, during and after shots to illustrate this journey once we move in. Its really coming together and we are delighted with progress. It can be fairly head wrecking at times and I suspect my mental state was rather fatigued for Berlin too which perhaps explains how quickly my motivation deserted me once the ghost of the 3:00 pacers was up.

    Right I have to go meet a guy and try and sell off the old Stanley super 90 to pay for the porcelain door knobs we ordered at a knock down price.. its all go smile.gif


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,236 ✭✭✭Abhainn


    Berlin is a great race, your experienced it and so did I and both of us missed our targets. But .. next time there will be no missing your target.

    Great log MCOS sir, I was big saddened for you seeing 3:19 but I did tell you many months back a sub 3 soon after Roth was way too early.
    Im sure its only a matter of a year before we see those two goals met
    Enjoy some weeks off and the new house excitement.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    You would think with the DIY that my hands would withstand a bit of the rowing machine. 6 feicin blisters later and there was my answer and it was just an easy 20 minutes too. I've just obviously gone soft. Triathlon has ruined me :rolleyes: Next up I hopped under the bench press for the first time in about 2 years or more. 45 reps of 50kg (3 sets) felt like a real effort. Jesus I remember when that used to be a warm up weight! I did a few more exercises staring at myself in the mirror to fit in. I worked in gyms when I was in my early 20s and still remember how to use weights properly. I was stunned how poor the general technique was around me. Anyway managed a very shaky and sweaty 4 minute plank amongst some other core stuff before hitting the pool for a cool down. After 300m I was wondering if the lifeguards were contemplating saving me? My arms were rather jelly like and I was literally flapping the water. Its been a while since I cross trained :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    Another 8am sleep in. I'm starting to get used to this. 8-9 hours sleep a night! I even watch the news having breakfast before work. My appetite has also taken a nose dive. I now only feel compelled to eat 4 or 5 biscuits instead of the whole pack :D

    On the training stuff: :confused: I may visit the gym later for some more of this cross training and if its not milling this weekend I might re-home the spiders who have taken up residence on my bike and take it for a spin. Thats about the size of the training load for now :)

    On the house stuff: The bathroom kit arrived this morning yay! The slylight lads were short 2 bits of glass to finish their job though boo! 28 days to go before we are either homeless or moving in... (lease up). The shed at the bottom of the garden is 60 years old. Very solid but its home to some sizeable creatures that won't be too impressed with my sweeping brush-in-hand presence...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,454 ✭✭✭hf4z6sqo7vjngi


    28 days to go before we are either homeless or moving in... (lease up). The shed at the bottom of the garden is 60 years old. Very solid but its home to some sizeable creatures that won't be too impressed with my sweeping brush-in-hand presence...

    Is the shed the back up plan to live in if the house is not ready:) Hopefully everything lines up in time before the lease is up.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭kingQuez


    Is the shed the back up plan to live in if the house is not ready:) Hopefully everything lines up in time before the lease is up.

    Nah, I bet he has it set aside for a man cave :)



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    kingQuez wrote: »
    Nah, I bet he has it set aside for a man cave :)

    Jaysus, I'm nowhere near that chirpy on the turbo. Nice set up though.. hmmm... Johnny Cash wouldn't exactly be my choice of toons for the turbo either!


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    My diet has been utter muck since the end of the IM. That changes tomorrow. The plan for October is simple.
    2-3 short turbos per week
    2-3 swim sessions per week
    3-4 half hour run-as-I-feel runs per week
    1 yoga class per week and plenty of core
    All in all tipping away at 8-9 hours.

    The short frequent sessions suits me as I can dot them around a busy life. I'm going to have a good think about 2012 and the race plan in the next week or two.

    I hit the pool today for a short swim, 1500m straight. I held about 1:38 pace for the first half steady and felt good but then my stroke shortened as I tired and the last few minutes were a struggle. I'm looking forward to feeling fit to swim again in a few weeks :rolleyes:

    I had planned a jog before the match in the morning but my head is pounding so all down to how I'm feeling. I may need the jog to settle the anxiety anyway!


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    Well that was the plan. Start the 2011/2012 season with an eager beaver early morning swim like El Director and Jackyback did! Alas, instead I rolled over and dreamed about being stuck on an empty bus on some mountain in Argentina with a random hot woman in cowboy boots. Ahem...

    After a monster 2 hour training week I should really be feeling rested and ready to go. On the contrary I feel sluggish and lazy. This was confounded with the 174lbs I weighed in at this morning :( I went for a short run yesterday that was pure muck and finished with a sore hamstring. It was a busy weekend on the house front though so maybe I just needed the extra kip. The lease is up in just 25 days. Its a critical week for the house really.

    Goals for the this week
    House: All plastering done. Main floor tiles started. Scaffolding down. Main services connected. Kitchen started.
    Training: Make it to an early morning squad swim session. 4 runs, 3 turbos and some yoga.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,741 ✭✭✭brownian


    TBH mcos, I'm not sure you shouldn't just leave the training for the 25 days, and focus on the house. Worst case scenario is you'll lose a little sharp edge, and put on a couple of pounds.

    But the house is clearly weighing on you, your body seems to be saying it can do with a bit of a break.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    Cheers brownian and good point. To Clarify, its essentially as good as a month off running. Easy short runs that I can fit into lunch breaks or get done befroe breakfast thatdon't ake anything out of me. Just enough swimming to not lose touch. The funkystuff happens on the turbo. I have a list of turbo sesions to complete building towards an hour of power at the end of the month. Yikes! Its all flexible though. I won't think twice about dropping sessions for more pressing life stuff.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    After the no show at the pool yesterday morning I sort of redeemed the day with a run in beautiful conditions yesterday evening. Dusk set in as I set off and descended to darkness by the end. The air was fresh and there was hardly a breath of wind. The Garmin is in hibernation for October so I plan to get to know my running self :confused: There is no set plan. Short runs as I feel. If I feel like belting it I'll do that. There was no belting it last night as my right hamstring still felt very tight. I ran easy to warm up trying to tuck my elbows in. Everytime I look at pics of myself running I see far too much swaying going on :rolleyes: I felt pretty sprightly to start with and my stride even felt loose and controlled. After 20 minutes I noticed little things slipping, like arms swaying again, knees dropping, stride shortening etc.. I was descending into plod mode! So I concentrated again and fnished as sprightly as I started. A nice run, woohoo :) I'm really looking forward to my run today and I can't remember the last time I felt like that with training. My usual lunchtime run is 40 mins but since I'm limited to 30 mins this month I might fill the gap with some running drills. It may look odd doing it in front of the office though so I'll wait until I'm out of sight..

    I have a list of turbo sessions to be knocked off this month and #1 is this evening. Our dining/bike room is small enough and is now full of new house bits n' pieces. I'll have to dig the turbo out and then migrate to the kitchen for a change. As the house fills up with more stuff I think I may be joining the gang of evicted spiders in the garden :rolleyes:

    The spiders are actually freaking Caz out. Just when we think we have evicted a big fella, we meet his brother or his father! They then go and prop up some spectular webs on the kitchen windows to remind us they are still there. I like spiders so I'm in charge of picking them up for a gentle eviction. I was out with the lads a couple of weeks ago and arrived home at 3am to find a note to evict the fella under the wine glass on the coffee table. I made a balls of it in my drunken stupor and spend god knows how long chasing him around the living room. I couldn't have him climbing up on her while she had she had her breakfast :D Anyway I'm talking about the spiders as I always consider it a sign that winter aint far away. They are climbing up the pipes and coming indoors for the warmth. Perhaps this is part of my newfound running glee. I love running in winter. When the temperature drops the air clears up too and its like having cleaner oxygen in your lungs.

    The weigh in yesterday was 170.4 lbs not 174 as I originally typed.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    Soaking #1
    First Turbo session after a few weeks off it. 50 mins of a sweatfest yesterday evening. Step ups in the 95-105% effort range and I was hanging on for the end. Nearly gave up but tied the knot and hung on. I have 12 turbo sessions planned for October and its a tasty menu of pain. 1 down 11 to go :)

    Soaking #2
    Easy 30 mins run at lunchtime up to the house to inspect the work of the mini digger in action scooping out the revolting existing driveway. It was wet and windy. That misty soak-you-in-seconds kind of wet. I was soaked to the bone upon my return to the office. The faces huddled in the smoking sed thought I was nuts. After reading how much use running folk around here get out of their shoes, I put on a pair of GT2160s that had 600km on them. The felt fine for the purpose so are back in action. The digger was making satisfying progress too.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,137 ✭✭✭El Director


    Soaking #1
    First Turbo session after a few weeks off it. 50 mins of a sweatfest yesterday evening. Step ups in the 95-105% effort range and I was hanging on for the end. Nearly gave up but tied the knot and hung on. I have 12 turbo sessions planned for October and its a tasty menu of pain. 1 down 11 to go :)

    Hi MCOS. Just a quick comment about the above. I was recently told how important it was to have a well defined off season, swim, bike or run as I feel if I feel. I was told to take 3 weeks off, even if it was completely off, for me that meant 3 runs, 1 bike and no swim (in the 3 weeks). And I didn't recently (or ever) do an IM and marathon and that's still what was prescribed. Let's not forget, you weren't just doing them, rather you went very very deep. I guess my point is why don't you just take a definite off season now? Isn't the 12 a bit too structured for now? And if you are doing sessions, shouldn't they be easy and not 'hanging on' ones? Just concerns I felt while reading your post dude, it'd be awful if you were just left demotivated for 2012 because it just felt like one long, continuous battle. I am now coming around to this thinking and I really enjoyed my down time with mates, family and books!

    In saying all that-you prob know what your doing and you have a coach now I must remember. Anyway 2c's and all that.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    Hi MCOS. Just a quick comment about the above. I was recently told how important it was to have a well defined off season, swim, bike or run as I feel if I feel. I was told to take 3 weeks off, even if it was completely off, for me that meant 3 runs, 1 bike and no swim (in the 3 weeks). And I didn't recently (or ever) do an IM and marathon and that's still what was prescribed. Let's not forget, you weren't just doing them, rather you went very very deep. I guess my point is why don't you just take a definite off season now? Isn't the 12 a bit too structured for now? And if you are doing sessions, shouldn't they be easy and not 'hanging on' ones? Just concerns I felt while reading your post dude, it'd be awful if you were just left demotivated for 2012 because it just felt like one long, continuous battle. I am now coming around to this thinking and I really enjoyed my down time with mates, family and books!


    In saying all that-you prob know what your doing and you have a coach now I must remember. Anyway 2c's and all that.

    Training for me is more than just training for races, its a way of life. Exercise at its basic form is deep rooted in my values. Its a form of stress relief for me. After a head wrecking day at work I'd rather a short intense workout than crashing on the couch. Its an important few weeks for the house as we have a deadline so I'm under pressure. Yes I could abandon training completely but I'd become a big ball of stress that way. Thats why I have no long bike or run sessions planned at all. Runs are 30 mins running as I feel, when I feel. The turbo sessions are the only intensity and spaced out enough to recover fully from. Swimming is optional and ideally set at 2 squad sessions per week. Realistically I'll make one.

    So, zero focus on swimming and running. I like the idea of turning my 3 short turbos a week into a list of 12 sessions to be done. All in all I won't bat an eyelid about missing sessions this month as I've more important things to worry about. I did no cycling last month hence its just enough work to maintain to prep my legs for some cycling focus over the winter. Ideally I will be able to pull out a similar bike split to Roth at Austria for less effort.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,137 ✭✭✭El Director


    As I said I'm sure you know what you are doing, better than me anyway thats for sure.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    Training:
    I'm getting the runs and turbos done but I've now missed 6 opportunities in the last 2 weeks to get my ass out of bed and join the group swim set. Twice I had to meet trades people at the house but the other times I just simple rolled over. If Caz wasn't waking me before she heads out the door for work, I reckon I'd be in deep sh!t with my boss by now. :o The positive is that I'm sleeping lots and I'm now eager to get back in the pool. Last night was turbo #2 of 12. A straight aerobic tempo hour. My quads just didn't want to know about it for the first 20mins so much so that I thought the Flow was way off. I checked the calibration. It was zero and I had the slope set to +1`. Nothing unusual there. I just got on with it and settled after a half hour. I started counting the minutes after that. An 83% FTP average, although within target, fet like a poor return for the energy expended on this one.

    The House:
    Woohoo the plastering is finished and radiators are on. We had the water connected too so we can fill the heating system up and fire it up as soon as the ESB push a pen. Apart from that we had the driveway scooped out and are now in a dilemma about surface? It slopes maybe 3% down to the house so may pose a problem when the freezing weather kicks in. I handed the Foreman a 10 point snag for yesterdays work, including a crooked rad and a bit of the external insulation that the mini digger shipped off. Its getting down to little things now...
    21 days to homlessness or moving in!


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    Right since I have started looking at 2012 I guess I'll take the opportunity to take stock of where I am, what was and what will be.

    2011 Review
    The Goals were sub10 for the IM and a sub3 Marathon.
    My best efforts were 10:07:26 and 3:00:20 respectively.

    I guess I can't call that a compete disaster. I expected the sub3 to come in Berlin but it didn't materialise. I spent myself early this year. I've even pulled out of the DCM pacing gig reluctantly as I need to back off for a bit. In truth I have had enough of marathons this year. I'll keep the review simple as all the detail is in the log already...

    The Highs
    PBs at 10k and half marathon in the spring off base fitness :)
    Connemara :D
    First podium in a triathlon in some wild weather :D
    Some really enjoyable OW swim training in Kilkee :)
    Surviving the i3 5k swim :)
    Sub60 swim at Roth and the first 9 of the 10 hours on the course :D

    The Lows
    8 minutes short :(:mad:
    DNF at the Limerick Marathon :o
    Berlin post mortem :cool:


    Onwards and upward...
    2012 the year of NO COMPROMISE (no silly spring marathon attempts!).

    I've decided to drop Marathons for the year. My next Marathon attempt will be spring 2013 and I'll deal with the sub3 then. 2012 is about the sub10.

    A Goal #1 IM Austria
    A Goal #2 Challenge Barcelona

    I think having the Marathon off my mind for the year will keep me focused on the sub 10.

    B Goal #1 Improve shorter race times. I've basically done more Marathons than I have 5k -halfs so I think a bit more experience of shorter stuff would be good. Basically building a little speed early in the year and then leaving it alone for the long stuff. Picking it up again toward the end of the year. Some good results in these will help my running confidence without taking anything out of me in terms of recovery cost like a marathon effort does.

    B Goal #2 Long OW swim event 5-10k. 10k if I can find one. I have a sub 3 in mind but its for a long swim rather than a marathon!

    C Goals - HIM in May and a selection of other shorter triathlons

    Fun Goal - Do a couple of IMRA races in the summer just for some variety.

    Once the IM sub10 is done I will be back to the Marathon in 2013 with a vengence!

    Winter training will kick off soon after we move into the new house :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,830 ✭✭✭catweazle


    A Goal #1 IM Austria
    A Goal #2 Challenge Barcelona

    A nice easy year so :D

    Your swim, cycle, run numbers will be off the chart next year :eek:

    Only two long swims local to me which might suit you timewise (wetsuit suit friendly) are the

    Late July
    13k
    http://www.facebook.com/galwaybayswim
    Sinead Roche and Ruadhri Geraghty have done it in previous years

    Early September
    8k
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lough-Mask-Challenge-2010/119325238117808?sk=info


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,454 ✭✭✭hf4z6sqo7vjngi


    Good man Mike on going long twice, If I have unfinished business in Roth I may see you on the start line in Barca :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,137 ✭✭✭El Director


    Well done this year MCOS and best of luck next year. Hopefully you will take care of sub 3 monkey in Roth and then the shackles would be off in Barca. Exciting times ahead and look forward to following with interest.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,469 ✭✭✭RedB


    B Goal #2 Long OW swim event 5-10k. 10k if I can find one. I have a sub 3 in mind but its for a long swim rather than a marathon!

    A buddy of mine based in Cork is into long OW swims. There's a link here http://sandycoveswimmers.com/calendar/ which has details of calanders and distances in Munster. Most are 1k-6k but there's a few longer (10k-16k). Dates may not suit your schedule though.


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