Run Fat Boy Run - The lazy mans guide to Ironman and Marathon training.

griffin100

Coached swim session tonight and one of the hardest swim session I've ever done. Coach wanted to ramp up the effort with the tri season almost upon us! Water in the pool was boiling which didn't help!!

200m wu
400 mix of 40 catch up / 40 fc hard
80 kick x 7 hard with fins / 10 secs rest between
200 x 5 fc hard with fins / 15 secs rest between
120 x 5 hard / 30 secs rest between
120 cool down
Total 2,280

I was sharing a lane with one other swimmer of similar speed so we spent the entire hour racing side by side. It hurt .

griffin100

Saturday I managed to get a slow 10km run (5.25 km pace) in, the first run in ages where I've actually felt comfortable. Lugging this extra weight around really slow you down!!

Last night I actually got onto the turbo trainer :eek: The first time in about a year and the first time on a bike since Lost Sheep 2013. I'll do a few sessions before my first tri in a couple of weeks, not that I'll get any fitter but I just want to remind myself what bike legs feel like. 45 mins total split as 3 mins steady / 2 mins hard (out of saddle+big gear) x 9.

Yet another ear infection this week so not sure how much swimming will be done. That's the 4th or 5th one since last summer. Something not right me thinks. I have ongoing problems with my ears anyway so wondering if it's linked to this - maybe a new ENT consultant is required :rolleyes:

griffin100

Yesterday was really stuck for time so did a 5km run at moderate pace (HM effort) at munch time. Held 4.25 min/km easy enough which is around my HM race pace. This ended up being faster than the 5km 'TT' I did over the weekend :rolleyes: Hopefully that weekend run was an aberration.

So today into the pool, ear infection and all. Given some of the monstrous sets being out down by KG and MCOS at the minute decided to try and start upping the distances. Decided to do the IM Tester Set that I enjoyed from last summer. The set is:
4x400 rest 30
4x300 rest 20
4x200 rest 10
4x50 rest 5.
Total 3,800m
Take your total time from start to finish and deduct the rest period (4.15) which equals your IM predicted swim.

My aim was to hold 1.50 per 100m pace for as long as possible. This is a pace that I find to be comfortable and I can hold it for a while. This equates to a 1.09.45 IM time.

the 400's came in between 7.11 - 7.20.
the 300's came in between 5.25 - 5.35
the first two 200's came in at 3.42/3; the third one at 3.50; and the last one at 3.59 :eek:
the 50's were all in and around 55secs
IM Predicted time was 1.10.35.

Slightly slower than hoped for, but I'm ok with that. Apart from the last couple of 200's I was going well and holding decent form. I never put the hammer down so wasn't that tired at the end. That's my longest set since last summer.

griffin100

Thursday was one of my rare double days. 10km run at lunchtime @ 5min/km pace with an evening turbo - 45mins as 3 mins steady / 2 mins hard x 9

Friday lunchtime was an 8km recovery run followed by a coached swim in the evening - my second double day in a row!! Swim was:
320 wu
120 kick with fins x 6
400 x 3 as fins for first / easy effort for second / breath once every 4 breaths for third
40 x 6 sprint with minimal breaths
200 cd
Total 2,680

Saturday was one hr turbo, again as 3 mins steady / 2 mins hard. I alternated the hard parts as either on the tri bars pushing a bog gear or out of the saddle for the entire two minutes. Felt tired but good at the end.

Today was 16km run @ a very slow 5.44 min/km pace. Had the wee lad with me om his BMX for the first 5km to keep me company.

Overall my best week in a long long time - 39kms run / 2.5hrs turbo / 6,480 swim. Just over 8hrs in total. Nearly IM training for me!!!!!

griffin100

Monday's swim session included a 400m TT, which was 3 secs slower than February's one. I think I've reached a plateau of sorts in swimming, manly set by my inability to get consistent training done. I need to be hitting 8-10,000m a week I think to start driving the times down. I seem also to have developed some very bad habits, masked by improvements in other areas so that my times are not dropping. I've noticed that my post entry reach has started to develop a big flaw - I seem to be allowing my fingers / hand to drive upwards rather than keeping fingers below wrist below elbow - a big no no for a fan of swimsmooth.com Also my stroke has shortened and I'm not pushing back far enough - a rookie mistake.

200m wu
400m TT @ 6.37
50m x 8 kick (hard, I was p!ssed off after the TT)
100 x 3 off 1.55
100 x 3 off 1.50
100 x 3 off 1.45
one minute between sets, all repeats in around 1.40ish.

Today was a run on a stunning Irish spring evening, somewhat ruined by the eye watering, throat burning, stomach churning smell of the fresh slurry that was spread on the land around my house today.
1km wu
1km x 5 @ 5km race pace / 500m recovery (all in on 3.57-4.00mins)
Total 8km

griffin100

Not much doing this week, work and college assignments taking precedence (anyone here any good at building excel spreadsheet business models :rolleyes:). Short 8km easy run yesterday and I'll hit the pool at lunchtime today for a few 100's and 200's in advance of tomorrows first tri of the season.

For the first time since I started my very first tri I'm worried about my fitness for a sprint tri :eek: I've not been 'feeling' the water in my last few swims, I haven't been outside on any bike since last September and my additional padding is making fast running very very hard. This is my 5th time to do this race and I always looked enviously at those competitors who got to start in wave 7, the last wave and populated by the fastest swimmers, and always wondered would I ever be in that wave. This year with a swim prediction of 13 mins I'm in wave 7 . My happiness at achieving this personal goal was somewhat tempered by the fact that given my poor form in the other disciplines I may actually be the last person to finish the course as the rest of the wave race away from me Oh dear!!

Predictions........13min swim / 38 bike (it's 19km) / 22.15 run / 3 mins transition / Total: 1.16.15.

Dory Dory

Good luck Griffin!!! Just suck the gut in and fake it, you'll be grand. Can't wait to read your report.

griffin100

Haven't really had a chance to post much recently....or to do much training. Interest in being fit is starting to wane and a life as a fat fcuker beckons......

PortLaois Tri
I like this race despite the fact it's a pool swim. It has always been an ambition of mine to be placed in wave 7 which is the last wave and would be full of the good swimmers. This year with an estimated swim time of 13 mins I was in wave 7, the pinnacle of my tri career to date. It did mean 5hrs+ of waiting around for the race to start. There were a few from the club doing the race so the time passed quickly enough.

Six of us in the lane for the swim. Estimated times given placed me 3rd/4th, so I set off in third place. The first 2 dissaperared after a while (3D Tri, so trained by Interested). After 200m I pulled aside to let the guy behind me through. That left one lad sitting about 5m behind me and the last one well behind. Was swimming ok I thought. With a couple of hundred metres to go I lapped the last guy. With 2 lengths the lap counter normally taps you on the head but no one tapped me.....disaster....they miscounted my laps. I ended up doing 800m. Three of us ended up getting out of the pool together, despite the fact that two of us had already lapped the third guy No point in arguing with the lane counters. Spoke to one of thet other guys in tramsition and he confirmed an 800m swim. Spoke to the guy I lapped at the finish and he confirmed he swam 750m and was delighted with his time. My watch showed 13.50 for the 800m. I had been hoping to break 13mins for the swim and that time suggests I may have just crept under it. I was mightly peeed off though. Swim time ws 14.11 (23rd) when the long run into T1 was added.

T1 was my ususal long affair (1.57) and then onto a bike for the first time in 7-8 months. I pushed hard on a undlating course. One small hill but nothing major. Actually managed to spin out on parts of the course suggesting speeds of over 50kph hit. Was surprised to see that my time was a very poor 39.29 (including the 400+m of running between bike mount / dismount and timing mats). That was 54th overall. Cant really expect better though. I was nervous enough on the bike as (a) my tyres were in sh1t condition and I expected the side walls to go at any minute and (b) my handling skills were abysmal and I almost ended up in a ditch twice. That said on one caught me on the bike (there was only about 15 people or so behind me) and I caught 5-6.

Another long transition (1.42) and out onto a testy enough 5km run. Pushed hard the whole time. Caught 4-5 people and no one caught me. Finished the run in 22.07 (35th) and I'm happy with that.

Overall 1.19.36 and 39th place. About what I expected.


Have done no swimming since then and a small amount of running. Work and college assignments are taking over my life. I need to make a plan for the summer and set some goal races so I will train. Swimming is a problem now though, it's exacerbating an ear problem I have and its putting me off getting into the pool. Not sure how that is going to work out:(

Dory Dory

Hey Griffin! Tough luck about doing too many laps in the swim, but class that you didn't make a big deal about it to the lap counters - they are volunteers, and make honest mistakes. Not to say if you were in contention for an award that your shouldn't bring it to their attention...and perhaps they should know to try and prevent it from happening in the future to any of the participants. But, any way....:)

I'm not sure what kind of ear issue you are sporting, but in case it's related to swimmer's ear, a solution I've been using since I was a young kid (my pediatrician had recommended this to us) that works for me is a 50/50 solution of isopropyl alcohol and white vinegar. I'll even pop a few drops in my ears periodically after I've been swimming just to prevent a problem.

Nice report.

griffin100

I need to start logging more :rolleyes: Being doing a bit. Last week 4 run sessions covering 41km, including a nice 10km at HM pace (44.50) and some 5km race pace intervals.

I manageed to set two swims in last week plus another one today. Badly out of form but can feel a bit of it coming back. In partcular my hand entry has gone to pot!!

Last three swim sessions:

1. 200 wu / 100 x 6 kick / 400 balance drills / 800 steady. Total 2,000m. The first 750m of the 800m came in at 13.50 so not too bad considering.
2. 100m x 20 off 2 mins. First couple came in in the low 1.30's and then managed to steady the pace and did the next 18 or so at between 1.44-1.46 per 100m. Nice set. Total 2,000m.
3. Todays session - stuck for time so 100 x 4 off 2mins / 1 min rest / 100 x 4 off 1.55 / 1 min rest / 100 x 4 off 1.50 / 1 min rest / 100 x 4 off 1.45. Truth be told the last couple of reps missed the interval time by a second or two but no matter. Total 1,600.

I can start to feel some form coming back, but I need to get back to at least three swims a week. At the minute I'm not too bothered by distance, I'd rather swim shorter sets with decent form than longer sets with ragged technique.

griffin100

Managing to get a bit done this week. I reckon I've got one more mad week in work and then it'll slacken off a bit, hopefully allowing more time for training.

This week so far:

• Tuesday run 10km @ 4.58 km pace
• Wednesday run (500m all out effort / 500m recovery) x 5. 500m's in on around 1.45mins which I was very happy with.
• Thursday run 7km @ 4.50 km pace
• Friday swim - 200m x 10 off 4mins. Aiming for a nice steady pace and concetrating on form every one came in at 3.29/3.30. Very happy with that. Form began to suffer on the last one so didn't do any more, as said above at the minute it's about getting form back over doing longer sets. I feel like I'm sarting from scratch again :rolleyes:

I just realised that it's 16 weeks from the this wekend to Hardman 2014. Just saying like, that's a lot of time to get into a bit of shape

Dory Dory

griffin100 wrote: »

I just realised that it's 16 weeks from the this wekend to Hardman 2014. Just saying like, that's a lot of time to get into a bit of shape

:eek::eek::eek:

shotgunmcos

Dory Dory wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

You have noticed the title of the log right....

griffin100

Dory Dory wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

You have noticed the title of the log right....

Just thinking out loud about Hardman. I mightn't be scared of the IM distance but I do respect it and I know getting from where I am now to anything like 12hr IM shape in 16 weeks is a big ask. Unlike last time I dont have a large amount of residual fitness going into this. But that said I have a hairbrained half arsed training plan in mind that might just work :pac: Watch this space

Nice swim today, was determined to put at least 3,000m down and I did.
400m wu (7.10)
100 x 5 kick off 2.15 (in on 1.45-50)
100 x 3 paddles off 2.15 (in on 1.45-50)
100 x 2 balance drills off 2.15 (in on 1.50-55)
400 x 2 off 8 mins in 7.10 / 7.30
100 x 8 off 2.30 hard efffort - all in around 1.35-40.
Total 3,000m

I had hoped to finish with 400 x 4 off 8mins but the second of these showed how tired I was / unfit I am, so I did the last 800m as 100m repeats with a longer rest but a harder effort. Rationale for this was I think at the moment it's better to concentrate on keeping good form for shorter repeats rather than splashing my way up and down with poor form just to hit a particular distance.

griffin100

Tuesday and a tempo run of sorts. 2km @ 5.30 pace / 2km @ 5.00 pace / 2km @ 4.30 pace / 2km @ 4.15 pace. Total 8km

Wednesdays run was a simple 7km @ 5min / km

Short swim set today:
100 x 5 off 2mins (all in around 1.45)
1 min rest
100 x 5 off 1.55 (all in around 1.45)
1 min rest
100 x 5 off 1.50 (all in between 1.40-1.42)
1 min rest
100 x 3 off 1.45 (in on 1.38 / 1.42 / 1.46)
1 min rest
100 x 2 off 1.45 (in on 1.37 / 1.42)
Total 2,000m

Couldn't quite make the full 5 repeats off 1.45 without a rest after the third one - something to aim for.

griffin100

Speaking of doing an IM of feck all training I found this file floating around my laptop today:

IMUK 2010
Longest Week 18hrs
Average Week 8.5hrs
Training Plan 30 weeks - Fink Competitive


Swim: Total - 128,000m - Longest Session 3,800m - Race Time 1.16hrs
Bike: Total - 3,150km - Longest Session 180kms / 6hrs20mins - Race Time 7.20hrs
Run: Total - 960km - Longest Session - 3hrs / 20 miles - Race Time 4.40hrs
Finish Time 13.50hrs

Hardman 2011
Longest Week 14hrs
Average Week 7.5 hrs
Training Plan 30 weeks - Fink Intermediate


Swim: Total 120,000m - Longest Session 3,800m - Race Time 1.25hrs
Bike: Total 2,400kms - Longest Session 150kms / 6hrs10mins - Race Time 6.48hrs
Run: Total 1,100kms - Longest Session 3hrs11mins / 21 miles - Race Time 4.30hrs
Finish Time 13hrs 12 secs

Hardman 2012
Longest Week 14.5hrs
Average Week 10 weeks @ 12hrs + 2 week taper
Training Plan Spring Marathon P&D 55mpw / No cycling until May / No swimming until June / No set training plan / No IM training until ~12 weeks out


Swim: Total 60,000m - Longest Session 3,000m - Race Time 1.19hrs
Bike: Total 1,500kms - Longest Session 4.5hrs / 120kms - Race Time 6.28hrs
Run: Total 1,800kms - Longest Session 3hrs/21 miles - Race Time 4.29hrs
Finish Time 12.37hrs

shotgunmcos

Seems the feic all approach yielded the best result, but how much of that was down to the work of the previous 2 IMs?

Nice work on the 4x5x100m there. Bowed out at exactly the same point in the same session yesterday. Something to aim for indeed!

griffin100

Managed to get no training in last Friday / Saturday / Sunday. Firday was a mental day in work followed by a night on the serious lash - Sauturday I was so hungover I could barely see, talk or walk - let alone run Sunday saw the whole day spent at the Giro D'Itala. After a long time considering where to go I brough the two older kids to Malahide and it turned out to be an amazing day. The sun shone all day, there was a funfair, live music and my favourite thing in the world - a line of food stalls selling weird and wounderful food. Oh and the cycling was pretty amazing as well. One of the best days I've had in a long time.

Monday this week saw a short 5km run.
Tuesday was a swim and run double day. The run was 8k @ 4.50km pace.
The swim was:
400 x 5 off 8 mins
200 x 2 off 4 mins
100 x 6 off 2 mins
Total 3,000m.

A real eye openeer for me re. lack of swim fitness. This time last year I did 400m x 10 off 8 mins, yesterday I tried to repeat this and had to stop the 400m's after 5 repeats. I was dropping pace rapidly. I think I need to get back to some coaching somewhere, my technique is starting to fall to pieces. Not swimming enough doesn't help but hopefully in a few days work will calm down to allow this to happen :rolleyes:

Dory Dory

What sorts of weird and wonderful food did you have?

griffin100

Last week's training as usual tailered off poorly - juniors communion yesterday resulted in me eating me entire body weight in refined sugar :rolleyes: Sometimes I don't like having a wife that can bake like a pro :cool: Thats the last two weekends where I've done no training

Got in the pool today for a quick session of 1,200m. 1,000 steady in 18.50 / 200m cd. I suspect at the minute I'd have trouble getting around a HIM course

Dory Dory wrote: »

What sorts of weird and wonderful food did you have?

Perhaps more wounderful than weird but from what I can remember.......real kebabs of various hues, pulled pork / spit roast, various lentil and chickpea curries and other veggie indian dishes (fantastic), deep fried stuff wrapped in vine leaves, various samosas, some nice cous cous and hummus dishes, and of course the obligatory hot dog. Cant really complain about my weight can I?

Dory Dory

griffin100 wrote: »

Perhaps more wounderful than weird but from what I can remember.......real kebabs of various hues, pulled pork / spit roast, various lentil and chickpea curries and other veggie indian dishes (fantastic), deep fried stuff wrapped in vine leaves, various samosas, some nice cous cous and hummus dishes, and of course the obligatory hot dog. Cant really complain about my weight can I?

Dear god...please tell me these were itty bitty sample size portions you had. :eek:

Kurt Godel

griffin100 wrote: »

Perhaps more wounderful than weird but from what I can remember.......real kebabs of various hues, pulled pork / spit roast, various lentil and chickpea curries and other veggie indian dishes (fantastic), deep fried stuff wrapped in vine leaves, various samosas, some nice cous cous and hummus dishes, and of course the obligatory hot dog. Cant really complain about my weight can I?

Planning for non-wetsuit OW races, smart lad.

griffin100

Run last night - 400m sprint/400m recovery x 8: Total 6.4km

Short swim today. I'm trying to get a swim in every day this week (Monday - Friday) so I dropped into the pool after a day at a conference for a quick dip. 100 x 10 off 2mins hard effort, first 5 in on 1.35, drifted out to 1.40 for the last couple but the most comfortable I've felt in the water in a while. Having a former Olympian teaching kids in the lane beside me meant I had to concentrate, especially when he spotted me getting in. Felt very self conscious for the first couple of lengths.

8km run tonight @ 5.08min/km pace.

griffin100

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Planning for non-wetsuit OW races, smart lad.

No choice at the minute, don't think my wetsuit will go past my hips at the minute without the use of a lot of lube and some strong men

griffin100

Last night easy 8km at 5.10 min/km pace.

Nice swim set today.

100 x 22 off 2mins. I had hoped to get 30 done but was late to the pool so only managed to squeeze out 22. Aim was easy effort, concentrating on stroke, hopefully coming in between 1.45 and 1.50. Every one of the first 20 repeats came in at 1.46/47, nice pacing if I say so myself The last couple were 1.48 and 1.50. I'm happy with that, technique is starting to come back I think but fitness is still very poor.

griffin100

Another short swim today - 2,000m total
200m wu
100m kick with fins x 5 (15 secs between repeats)
100m x 2 paddles (15 secs between repeats)
100m x 2 catch up (15 secs between repeats)
100m x 2 blance drills (15 secs between repeats)
100m x 2 sculling drills - first time in a year (15 secs between repeats)
400m steady
100m cd
Total 2,000

A decent swim session tomorrow should see me break 10,000m for the five days so fingers crossed I get to the pool early enough to get a full session in.

griffin100

I had planned to do my favourite IM swim test set today and get to over 10k swimming for the week but after the first 2 400m repeats I had to bail, my time for the second - third 400m's had crept out to 8min pace :eek: I felt tired and was taking it very easy but that's still very poor. I did manage to salvage the session but I dont know whether it was swmming every day this week had caught up on me, I really am that unfit, my technique is brutal - or a combination of all 3.

200m wu
400 x 2 (30 secs between)
300 x 1 (pulled up when my 100m times were hitting 2 mins)
100 x 3 off 2.00
Rest 1 minute
100 x 3 off 1.55
Rest 1 minute
100 x 3 off 1.50
Rest 1 minute
100m x 3 off 1.45 (just about made the last repeat)
Total 2,500m

Total swim for the last 5 days 8,900m, the most swimming I've done in a week in about 8-10 months.

griffin100

Kids swim lessons on Saturday so I snuck in a quick 100m to take the weeks tally to 9,000m As the smllest swimmer is now getting more confident and has moved into a new group there's no need for me to 'mind' her in the pool any more

Didn't get any session in on Saturday, unless you count 3hrs walking around Dubin Zoo, which is a hard session in my book :pac: Sunday did my longest run in ages, 14km @5.15 min/km pace. This hurt more than it should have

Today got a nice pool session in.
400m wu
100m x 5 kick off 2.15
100m one arm / 100m catchup / 100m balance - 15 secs between each x 2
300m-200m-100m off 1.50 per 100m x 2 (rest 1 min between each set)
Total 2,700

Was hitting 1.45 per 100m for the main part of the set so not too bad compared to recent sessions.

griffin100

Yesterday evebing was a set of run intervals. 1km@5km race pace / 500m recovery x 5. I could really feel the extra timber I'm carrying by the 4th and 5th reps.

Nice 3,000m swim today. Simple enough, 1,000m x 3 off 20 mins - in on 18.17 / 18.55 / 19.25. Big drop off at the end where I was hitting 1.58per 100m but still happy enough with that as a session. Next time hopefully all 3 will come in under 19mins.

griffin100

Yesterday run 9km @ 4.52 min/km pace.

Very short swim today, couldn't muster up the energy to do any more.
300m wu
100 x 5 off 1.50 hard, all in between 1.35 - 1.40
100-200-300 off 2mins per 100m holding 1.50 pace
100cd
Total 1,500m