WW200 2011 - For a newbie

Oldlegs

OK - on the basis that even if I don't train I can still blog about what I wudda/shudda done, I will try to track my training towards next year's WW200.

The background.
Basically 40-something, with a reasonable level of fitness, but not competitive. Just getting out for a run or a spin is considered to have achieved my target for that day (or even that week). Been trying to get out on the bike a bit over the last 2-3 years but those hills just hurt too much. Finally realised that going out once a month does not actually help at all!
Upgraded my basic Halfords special to a Planet-X, thanks to boards.ie/adverts. Now I have to train so that I do not let the bike down :-)

Goal
WW200 in June 2011.

Training this week
Bank Holiday Monday. 65km Kilmac-Roundwood-Glenmacnass-SallyGap-LoughTay-Roundwood-Kilmac. Nice outing, but Lough Tay hills just killed me.

Tuesday - Karate (which I consider relevant as a part of core/flexibility training)
Wednesday - 7km Run. My Gawd, but that hurt. I blame after effects of Monday spin.
Thursday - Karate again
Friday - rest day (well actually did nothing, rather than being a planned rest day)
Saturday - Karate (with the kids) followed by 45km spin. Kilmac-Powerscourt-glencree-SallyGap-Lough Tay (:eek:my Nemesis, we meet again!)-Roundwood-Kilmac.
Sunday - 9km run in Marley Park.

Saturday's spin was the most enjoyable since I started getting back on the bike. Climb from Powerscourt up to Kippure was not good. But then the two young fellas with me started explaining about easier gearing and high cadence & using the breaks to spin out the legs before the next increase in incline. (Why did no-one mention this to me last week ).
Lough Tay hills were then taken on with a focus on cadence rather than getting the most out of each gear. VICTORY ! For anyone in the area on Saturday afternoon, that was me giving a manic shout when I reached the top having kept my pace and rhythm for the full climb.

Heading to Westport in 2 weeks for the Sea2Summit (short course) - but really just to have an excuse to drop in to Matt Malloy's in the afternoon.

May look to include a turbo-trainer in my Santa list as I am still a fair-weather cyclist (and saw too many spills in the "Chasing Legends" movie to have any confidence downhill in the wet).

General training plan for next 2-3 months is to keep level of fitness improving, get out for spins whenever work & weather allow and try to cut out the crisps'n'crap from my diet, although weight loss is not going to focus too much in the lead up to Xmas.

So if anyone does drop on to my blog, hopefully I will get to provide an update every so often. If anyone hears any other maniac shouts around the Wicklow Hills, it is probably me back out on the bike having beaten (or at least drawn with) another personal demon

g0g

Best of luck! Same goal as me, and I just started the log yesterday too! Fingers crossed we make that finish line next year!

Oldlegs

OK, the last week was more of a running week due to a) business trip and b) Westport Sea2Summit coming up this weekend.

Monday - 10km run (road and beach track)
Tuesday - Karate
Wednesday - 10km run (Hotel gym)
Thursday - Nothing due to Biz mtgs ALL day and evening:(
Friday - 6km run when I got home from airport
Saturday - Karate (should have run/cycled in the afternoon but v. tired after travels).
Sunday - 6km run in early morning. 45k ride up to Sally Gap later in the afternoon (light fading and getting very cold) and then run around Marley Park (c.4km) afterwards.

This week is just going to be some gentle running with (hopefully) a spin on the bike.

Down to Westport on Friday for event on Saturday AM. {Matt Molloy's Saturday afternoon }

Back to more mileage on the bike once I get back from Westport

Oldlegs

Having followed GoG's training schedule for the last few weeks I have been tempted to go quietly into the background. But that would make it too easy - especially during the dark, stormy months ahead (the weather that is, not the economy - different forum for that).

Nov - Week 2.
Target for the end of the week was the Westport Sea2Summit (Spirit/Short Course). My concern was that there was not enough cycling involved to offset my weak running. So just did a couple of easy runs & spins to keep myself moving. "Tapering" my training would be a bit of a stretch of the term

Friday afternoon - drove over to Westport in torrential rain, which did not bode well for the next day's ascent of Croagh Patrick.
Registration and race briefing following by some pasta back in the rented accommodation. "Too anxious to sleep" was the justification for a relaxing pint (well 2) in the bar next door before we decided to complete our bike checks in advance of of turning in.

Early rise (0630) followed by the usual pre-race eating, jitters and double checking. Then bikes down to T1.

Event starts at 0915 with a steep uphill run followed by a "gentle" run down to the harbour (T1). Then onto the bike. With the ride being so short c.10km there was nothing to do but get the head down and the legs moving. Made up a lot of time & placing on this leg (top-20 time).

Croagh Patrick was bloody awful. Beautiful mountain, but hell of a climb. Running back down was a cross between agony & adrenaline.

Back onto the bike for the return to Westport - again, no need to hold anything back for the run, as the run was going to be hell anyway. Top-15 time on this leg before the "adventure section" of the race.

100 m through ice-cold atlantic sea (calf muscles like lead) - 500m X-country trail, climb through tires & under nets etc. THEN - what was a gentle run down to the harbour was an awful, never-ending run back up which only ended at the top of a steep downhill run to the finish. I was thrilled when I hear the elite runners felt the same pain

Bottom-line - very happy to finish inside top 40 (out of 250+) but would have liked a longer cycle to make up for my poor running performance.

Now back to the bike ....

As a result work travel & the post-race pain, took an easy week.
Gentle ride-out on Sunday
Nothing Monday
6-hours delay in Heathrow on Tuesday put paid to my plans for spin-class.
Gentle run on Wednesday
Travel Thursday & Friday.
Gym & gentle ride-out on Saturday
Forest/hill run on Sunday.

Plan for the winter is to try to get 6-8 sessions a week (2 run, 2 swim, 2 bike + 2 Karate). Weather permittting - weekend cycle of 60-80km to include SallyGap or similar.

Turbo trainer on its way for Xmas, so looking forward to indoor sessions where necessary.

{BTW - Cannot recommend Westport S2S event strongly enough. Great location, event and perfect end to the season. 1000+ people all hitting Westport mid-November. }

g0g

Hope you've registered now!? No better way to commit!

Oldlegs

OK - OK - OK

Not that I was thinking of backing out.

Payment made.

Now if only this snow & ice would go I could start getting some mileage (kilometrage ?) under my bum again.

michael196

Oldlegs wrote: »

OK - OK - OK

Not that I was thinking of backing out.

Payment made.

Now if only this snow & ice would go I could start getting some mileage (kilometrage ?) under my bum again.

kilometerage , like it. what sort of weight are u?

2phat shamies

I am only starting to train now, have i left it too late?
i did it last year with little or no training, but paid the price for a couple of days after.
i am in Kildare so i have to travel to get some hills.

michael196

2phat shamies wrote: »

I am only starting to train now, have i left it too late?
i did it last year with little or no training, but paid the price for a couple of days after.
i am in Kildare so i have to travel to get some hills.

Left it too late ? No !!, get on with it, u have months, especially if u did it last year, u know what to expect,

get on the road , u can do alright, u know that from last year, just more fitness will help better recovery.

kildare, travel down to blessington or stratford as the start of wicklow hills: Wicklow gap, is near there.

I have provided you with no excuses !!!