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The Continuing Adventures of Catweazle
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I am tired and irritable and feeling sorry for myself. Two big fat coldsores duly arrived on tuesday and I am panicing that I must be run down! Weight is nearly back up to 80 kilos from 77 in little more than a few days and I am silently cursing Mrs C for filling the house with chocolate and muffins. 3 of her friends are staying here till friday and then I have to do a barbecue for her uncles that night..........does she not know I have an A race this sunday!!!!!
Ah now I remember why I don't like tapering, I have too much time on my hands
Monday Lunch: A very easy 5k, down to the bridge at the end of the lane and back, around 6.00 minute pace
Monday Evening: Having been nearly a week since I last swam I was desperate to dip the feet tonight, windy day so went to the pool. After a slow groaning warm up I began to feel a little better. Main set was 8 x 100 off 2.15 which got easier as I went along, all in low 1.50s and then I decided to shake things up a bit and do a 400m straight aiming to get in around 8 minutes. Was feeling strong around the 10th length so pushed the last 6 to come in at 7.25. Total 2000m
Tuesday Lunch: An easy cycle with Gibbo, who slyly stuck in a 6 x 30 sprint session at the end. After following along exhausted behind him, I gave the last one a good rattle and even drew ahead of him only to run out of steam and off he went but I gave him a fright! 28k
Wednesday Lunch: With me working in Limerick tonight I went for a quick run, I was going to do one k hard one easy but after the 1st 1k hard, I shut up shop and trotted around. I will save the hard stuff for the weekend. 8k at 5.17 pace.
Very little more planned, will do another OW swim either tomorrow or friday depending on weather, one more bike and one more run all at a snails pace0 -
always an entertaining read but on taper week - unmissable
Take it handy over the week - think about the volume and sessions you've done and what you can control before and during the race. Keep it handy all week - employ ear plugs and head to bed a little earlier and leave the girls at it and go out and enjoy the race at the weekend. After going through what you did last year, and trying to pack for a holiday at the same time, this year SHOULD be a different story and see you finish strong - and dont be afraid to push the pace a little early on during the swim - you're well able to up your game across the board but do it with control
Enjoy - the BBQ and the race eh 0 -
You might have given me a fright but more importantly it shows that if you were to structure your bike sessions a bit more you'd knock spots off your current cycle times.
No sleep walking now while all those ladies are staying over! 0 -
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griffin100 wrote: »Where can I get live updates of the Catweazle v Pgibbo bitchslap fest thats on the cards for Sunday:D
It looks like Kilkee will be our only head to head this year unless CW steps up and submits to peer pressure and does Barcelona too. I'm not doing Swinford this weekend. 0 -
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This taper hasn't been the best for the confidence. I have been feeling run down all week and MrsC put the cap on it this morning by commenting I look like sh1t. She lived to regret that loose comment as she was interrogated by a panicing Catweazle, in what way, is it my eyes, the coldsores not clearing up, am I pale looking, whats wrong with me?. So the planned short bike ride today has been binned and I am resting up knocking back Vitamin C tablets and watching Le Tour.
I am trying not to panic, my two tapers before my A races last year I was absolutely frothing at the mouth to get going and I still crashed and burned in both of them so we will see what happens tomorrow.
Plan for tomorrow all going well is
Swim: I think I am capable of a good swim, I was 38.50 last year which was my best swim of the year pace wise but I think I am well capable of getting in at under 2 minute pace for 100 metres. Going to go out easy like last year and Kilkee this year but maybe a little faster as I don't want to hammer it on the way back from the Island this year. All going well a low 37 minute swim or high 36 minute is the plan.
Cycle: As ever the crucial area of my race. I have done almost 3 times the milage leading up to this year than last for this race but have not seen much improvement in my times up to this. Definitely guilty of junk miles which I will address for next year. Given similar conditions as last year I should be capable of at least matching last years 3.05 pace but I will gladly take around the same time as this as long as I have running legs this year. Going to take it easy until after the Windy Gap which comes around 20-25k into it. After that there are no more hills and its fast so plan is to push it a bit harder at this stage. Last year I went hard from the start so hopefully some copious feeding and hydration early in the race will do me good later.
Run: In a perfect world I will get off the bike and come out of transition needing a 1.50 run to get in under 5.30 hours. I am well capable of running at that pace but it all depends on how the bike has effected me. I hobbled to a 2.26 last year so I am under no illusions about how difficult a time this will be for me but at least I will have given myself the chance. I am going to go with how I feel though, theres a nasty hill right at the start of the route which will tell me all I need to know no doubt
Target goals: Sub 5.30 is the target, set from the start of the log and I will be going for it, I do these for enjoyment though so while I will give my best I wont be losing much sleep if I don't get there. I will however be disappointed if I don't get under 6 hours. Its looking like it is going to be hot day tomorrow - but the forecasts have some rain in the west
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hammerheadjack wrote: »Fair play CW. You improved your times and thats what counts. Having failed miserably on that run myself yesterday, I reckon you deserve respect from all fellow mid packers for that time, in that heat, on those endless drags. While you are away, will you do up a plan for what i need to do to improve my run for Galway. One that involves my wife giving me a few lashes of a big stick to get me out for a few long runs might work best i guess.
You should have done a few long runs with FB dude! Well done at the weekend. I know your run was a disaster but you knew that was going to be the case beforehand though. Nice swim and bike though. That kick in the a$$ should see you sorted for September! :cool: 0 -
hammerheadjack wrote: »Fair play CW. You improved your times and thats what counts. Having failed miserably on that run myself yesterday, I reckon you deserve respect from all fellow mid packers for that time, in that heat, on those endless drags. While you are away, will you do up a plan for what i need to do to improve my run for Galway. One that involves my wife giving me a few lashes of a big stick to get me out for a few long runs might work best i guess.
You should have done a few long runs with FB dude! Well done at the weekend. I know your run was a disaster but you knew that was going to be the case beforehand though. Nice swim and bike though. That kick in the a$$ should see you sorted for September! :cool:
That was the plan P. Going to up the running now.0 -
hammerheadjack wrote: »While you are away, will you do up a plan for what i need to do to improve my run for Galway.
Nice and easy - get out and run 2+ hours each weekend and you will be fine, no need for any speed work you are fast enough as it is.
Great time all the same for you for a training race and just back from a holiday - is that a pb.
You would swear you were doing nothing from all the giving out you are doing - easily your best year so far - you are flying 0 -
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After a decent nights sleep, I woke up feeling fairly decent. Due to some good negotiating from the club members I didnt have to stay the night before in Mayo and could register early in the morning. Had my porridge and bananas, 2 cups of coffee and off I went. I had the HRM on in the car on the way up and I was a bit nervous with the readings, high 60's low 70's on the drive, usually in the 50s for me. I put it to one mind and blamed the coffee and nerves for the high heartrate. The first feel good signs was when i stuck on the iphone and played a few songs on the way up, I started to feel the emotion at this stage - I have had these songs during training all year and they were getting me well whipped up in the car. Taper blues over I was ready to get going.
Pulled in around 7.45 and the club mate Hammerheadjack was beside me in the next car, chatting to him and his missus and then went down with the gear and bike to register. I couldnt remember did I pump the tyres by the car, I had the pump out at the time.....they felt fine so i left it. Had a look around, recognised a good few lads. Most of the big local names had turned up again this year, Geraghty, Marrey and O Dowd were all here again and Donal Mahon another elite was beside me in transition, I was pleased for Swinford to see some more decent guys around as well, word had spread from last year no doubt.
Had a chat with Abhainn beforehand and then got ready, I was very much worried about nutrition this year so I had 4 or 5 gels stuffed into the saddle bag and I had three Nutrigrain for the back of the tri suit. At the race brief as usual I spent more time socialising than listening and I said hello to Marrey who wasnt feeling the love for the day as he has been struggling with injury I said hello to Mayoroadrunner who is one of the organisers but would be racing as well.
Anyways race briefing over and off we went to the lake.
I had one main objective today - if today went bad that would be the third long Distance A race that I blew up on. I was going to consider sticking to Olympic distance next year if that was the case, maybe I was not cracked up for the longer distances. So my main goal today was to get around this race in good shape.
The Swim:
Like last year the lake was as flat as a snooker table, its a sheltered lake with steep sides all round which must offer a great view of the race. I had decided to wear the dodgy Zogg Phantom Elites ahead of the Enduras, they have a tendency to leak but offer great visibility, I didnt think it would be as bad to have leaky goggles in freshwater. Of course they leaked, tried to readjust them but if they dont work first time they tend to not work at all. The horn went and off we go, I felt tired going out to the first marker, I was a little bit stressed about the leaking and my arms seemed heavy. Once we got around the first marker I saw a red Xterra wet suit and I assumed it was my club mate, balls....either he is flying it or I need to pick it up a bit. I decided to catch his feet and was behind him for a good while. The swim started feeling easier, I had adapted to the leaky goggles and I was beginning to enjoy it, the xterra suit in front started to go off course and I was sighting well so I let him off. I then was slightly behind a girl but from the side, I had remembered reading some post from Tunny that this was the best place to draft so i stayed there for another while. The mind wanders......why dont I do bilateral breathing any more, as soon as the training sessions from Interested called for faster time splits the bilateral went out the window and I have just got used to breathing to the right now, its not doing my times any harm anyways. Out and around the island now and we are heading for home, I am feeling great and trying to keep it controlled rather than starting to cane it.....its a long day ahead. The xterra suit comes up alongside me again but this time I see the guy has a goatee, ok Hammerhead is at least not getting a free draft off me. Up to the shore and I see 35.18 on the clock...........nice one! I go through into transition in 35.40, three minutes better than last year and I am the first of the club mates out. 3 more of the club mates come into transition while I am there.
Swim 2011 = 35.40 (48/138)
Swim 2010 = 38.50 (54/101)
Looking at the results after, like Kilkee the swim was my best split
Transition 1
A slow transition, I had so many nutrigrains and gels I didnt want to put them on under the wetsuit so stuffed them into the trisuit, put on some socks and grabbed another 2 gels. Coming out of transition I saw one of the girls from my old gym coming out just ahead of me. This sport is an awful leveller - this time last year I dont think she knew how to swim and now I realised that this was the girl I was drafting off - some achievement in a year!
The Bike:
My major worry all year. Mayoroadrunner said conditions were the exact same as last year so I had figured the tailwind would be on the long streches of the motorway like last year. Straight off on the bike I saw where I went wrong last year - my HR rate was in the 150's so this time I was going to get that HR down before I did anything else. My plan was to race to heartrate on the bike - I was going to keep it in the 120's all the way around and see what happens, based on previous efforts I reckoned I wouldnt be far off 3 hours with that plan and I would have some running legs. The Windy Gap and the first water stop was at 26k and the plan was to have one of the water bottles finished by then. Last year I had just water in my bottles this year I had an Orange concentrate/water/salt mix in the bottles. First impressions was this was ridiculusly easy - I was holding 32kph after 15 kilometres with the HR in the 120's, this was supposed to be the slowest section of the cycle. One of the club mates caught up to me here so I had a nice chat with him as we were moving along - he moved ahead then and I let him off, I wanted to take it easy till after the gap. Discipline was going well had my first nutrigrain at the 10k and was sipping the drink regularly, 1st gel at 20k. There is a small hill just before the Gap and this catches a lot of people out by going too quick up that and then turning into the Gap which is short at just over a k but its as steep a hill as I have come across cycling so far. Last year there was me and just a mountain biker at this stage but it was busy this time 6 or 7 bikers around me, saw a guy walking up it and trying to get back on and clip in, I felt sorry for him he kept falling off, no chance with this gradient of getting forward momentum he would have to walk it. The club mate was taking it on criss crossing the road, I went down to the granny ring and kept it on the saddle, HR rocketing up into the 160s but I was getting up it comfortably enough. Got to the top and I see the race photographer got a couple of nice shots of the two of us smiling in relief. Rolling hills for the next 10k but it is mainly downhill and fast which suits me so I pushed on from the clubmate, turned in Castlebar to head back out towards Swinford. This should have been fast but its wasn't - we had a slight headwind but in fairness it was a calm day so there wasn't much in it either way.
This was when the Garmin went on me.......too much data please delete history kept coming up on screen and a constant vibration. I tried to fix it while moving but I couldn't get the info off the screen to see what I was doing, it had crashed. I had to turn it off, so 2.06 minutes for 63k and off it went. I was fuming....why didn't i look harder around the house for the USB key. Flying blind now - I started it up again and just decided to run on the HR, keep it at 120's as planned and don't bother trying to delete data until I got to transition.
It was beginning to get harder - not so much on effort or legs but the back started to act up and the balls were killing me. A lad from Ennis pulled up alongside and we had a brief chat - he was worried he had gone to hard on the bike - he was hoping for a 1.35 on the run and he didn't know if it was on now. He went on in front but he was coming back to me on the downhills and going away from me on the drags.
Nutrition was going well, coming into transition I had three nutrigrains and 5 gels down me washed down with three waterbottles. I had no clue what my bike time was with no garmin
2010 Bike Time 3.05.30 (69/101)
2011 Bike Time 2.59.26 (73/138)
Transition 2
No idea of the time leaving transition but I asked a guy what was the time on the way out and he said 12.45, sh1t that meant i had to get a sub 1.45 to get in under 5.30 if the race started on time, a 1/2 marathon pb....no chance. So with banana and waterbottle in hand off I went
The Run:
I had another plan here - I wanted to keep my pace to low 140's HR for as long as I could, this I guessed would be around 5.30k pace, I couldn't face walking again this year so I wanted to get through this in one piece. Shortly into this I realised I needed a pee, I should never have read all those Ironman logs, lets do it on the run I decided. Hmmmmm no-one behind me and just two women sitting on a wall a mile ahead, go for it, my first thought was well I am certainly not dehyrated anyways, my second thought was I am coming up awful close to those women and no sign of it stopping, my third thought was what am I going to do here. So while the women are telling me well done and keep it going, I am cunningly pretending to pour water over my head while missing on purpose and pouring it over the groin, legs and feet area.
On I went and the Ennis lad overtook me and a few relay runners, the first hill on this is a ballbuster and I was really struggling now, I walked up this last year but I was determined not to this year. The Garmin goes off and the 1st K is 5.06, this makes me feel much happier....too fast, last year I was 6.45 up this, I can slow down a bit. I was going to wait till the aid station at 4k but i knock back my first gel now, when feeling good - eat. A lad goes by me, I saw him go by me a few times on the bike, a big guy and I was surprised at his pace. He starts to steady and I am behind him for a while until I draw alongside - a nice fella and then I move on. An aid station worker is counting out the positions, I was 72nd, I wasn't happy when I heard this, I began to question my bike time, was it slower than last year, I thought I would be higher then this. I started to get some nasty stomach cramps then around the 3k mark, I will ignore them and they will go away hopefully. Hitting low 140 HR still and 5.30 pace, feeling on the verge but ok, I take another gel with my water at 4k, might as well take them while I can I think to myself. 7k there was another hill here and I remember this is where I started to come apart last year - i am ok and I get a mental lift here going over that hill. The stomach cramps are killing me now, the landscape was breaking my heart all high bushes and straight road, nowhere to go for a number 1. I start to slow down 5.45/5.50 for a few k- i feel ok but I need to crap asap, no way was I trying another one on the go.
10k I finally find a small path off the road, I run down and drop the pants and then I realise I am at the front of a garden and there is a full scale barbecue going on just behind a few bushes. I try and keep quite a difficult task after 8 or 9 gels down me but I get the job done and tip toe out. A good few people had gone by me. I instantly feel better, the 10k buzzer goes off 8.48. :mad: Time to pick up the pace, I allow myself go into the high 140's, 11k 5.06 / 12k 5.04. I begin to hit the 150s HR, I ease off to bring it back into the high 140s, too early yet to start going into the red, I take another gel 13k/14k done in low 5.20's. I am now at 15k and finally I am seeing some blow outs on the long straights ahead. I decide its time to have a go, 6k left and I feel ok. I down another gel and start increasing the HR back into the 150s, 15k wasnt a great pace if I remember 5.17 I think. Lets forget about the HR altogether, a guy with an athletics top comes alongside me - we are on a long straight with loads of runners dotting the distance he gives encoragment, we are strong lets do some damage he says. Off we went 16k/ 4.55, 17k / 4.50, passing a few here but the pace starts to kill me and I let him off ahead. After just drinking water throughout the race I grab a coke and an Isotonic drink at 18k and down my last gel. I start to feel good again 18k 5.02. 19k I am steaming along now - the athletics guy had slowed and was running alongside the Ennis club racer who was dying, I had them in my sights, the 19k alert goes off on my garmin 4.42. As I was coming along beside them I contemplated running in with them, but they started roaring me on so i felt I better keep going. The next guy ahead was a good distance away but he was walking and he had a Tri Lakes trisuit on......oh you better believe I was gunning for him 20k - 4.22 pace. Last k I wasnt going to catch him he had started to run again but I said after what I went through last year I am going to keep this strong, 21k 4.14 pace. Beginning to buckle now - wheres the bloody finish line, I asked a spectator and he said about another 400 metres - ok keep it going I came around the corner and I saw the finish gantry, lets keep it rolling and I held the pace coming up to the line until the PA announces lets give a big cheer to "Catweazle" from Tuam....TUAM.....TUAM..... I laughed to myself, first time I ever thought of myself from Tuam but I suppose I better start getting used to it.
Over the line in 5.37.52 and a big hug from Mrs C, happy with that.
2010 Run: 2.26.07 (81/102)
2011 Run: 1.57.23 (63/138)
Overall
2010: 6.17.21 (78/102)
2011: 5.37.52 (61/138)
More important than getting the sub 5.30 was a feeling that I can survive these distances without calving like I have previously done. So it was a super mental boost to be sprinting home this year. Looking back on it now I learnt so much from last years nightmare, I had some type ofheartrate plan this year to try and keep things in check and I really focused on getting nutrition into me this year. The High5 gels of last year didnt seem to have the same beneficial effect as the SIS gels this year
As always with me I am never totally happy - I think a sub 5.30 may well have been on with a little more bravery on the bike and run but again I hope I will learn from this again and have a better idea of what I can hold for the next time.
No real plans for the rest of the year yet I may well try a couple of long runs and see how I then feel about knocking that 4.1x marathon down, I am disgusted with that time and i hate people asking me about it but I don't know if I have the motivation for all the long runs.
2012 Plans
I would usually time the following years race negotiations over the holidays with a couple of bottles of wine with Mrs C who is usually much more pliable with alcohol down. However she is five months pregnant so getting her tipsy isn't an option this year. I am now seriously considering going longer next year, I feel I can justify it to myself more than this year
The club are talking about a Challenge Barcelona outing, with Mrs C due in December I was thinking the earlier the better if I was going to do one and Roth was what I was looking at, but she mentioned last night due to timing and a good public service job she will be getting 10.5 months maternity No wonder the country is shagged but that gives me more options and it also allows me to do Swinford again next year - the best race on the triathlon calendar if you ask me and i will be looking for a 5.14.59 finish next year 0 -
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