Gael Force West in sub 5:30

foxirl

Going to keep a log here of training for Gael Force West next August.
Hoping to complete it in 5 hours and 30 mins
This will be the first time I will have competed in an adventure race or any race for that matter.

Stats:
34 Year old male.
171 cm and 78kg so about average but carrying a few extra pounds that needs to be gotten rid off before the race.


Current level of fitness:
Not a couch potato but not super fit either
Play Astroturf soccer once a week and lift weights (not regularly enough though)
Played GAA up until about 8 years ago.
Bought a bike on the BTW scheme but have only been out on it about 8 or 9 times so far.

Started a small bit of training for this with 2 other lads in work but have only done a few weekends which consist of a run in the forest or a cycle on the bike.


So far:
7th Jan - Ran 13k through forest on flat ground – 78 minutes.
Took me nearly a week to recover after this. Had pains in my feet for 5 days. Hardly able to walk. Too much to soon I think but we wanted to gauge our level of fitness. Its good having 2 other lads doing it too as we push each other on.

14th Jan – Cycle 23 KM – 90 Mins – Some of this was up a very steep mountain. Well worth the effort for the trip back down the other side. Got up to 54 kph on the descent. New record for me. Bit scary though.

21st Jan – 8km run though forest with hills. None too steep but tough enough. 46 minutes. We went a bit too fast as had to walk for bits to get my wind back.
32km cycle over same mountain as last week only we took in an extra 10km on the route. 98 minutes this time. Legs felt grand even after the run. Had about 50 minutes break between run and cycle though.

foxirl

1 Hour of of 5 a side astroturf this evening

sailing

Best of luck with your training. You seem to have definately jumped in in realtion to your initial run of 13km. Taking a week to recover is most definately a sign of too much too soon. You will injure yourself. Start off gradually with smaller distances until you get a good base fitness and then increase the distance by approx 10% per week. Let your body get used to longer distance slowly. Try to include some hill running, tempo training and speed work into your training rather than going on one long run per week. You will feel the difference over time. The key to cycling is to build up endurance. Try to cycle a little further each time. There is a long time until August. Your legs will adapt to long cycles with practice. Good luck with your training.

foxirl

Thanks Sailing.

At the moment I can only get out at the weekends as its too dark in the evenings when I get back from work but I take your point about injury doing too much too soon.
I think the 8k run was good last weekend so will try increase it gradually from there.
Dont find the cycling too bad at all and would have been able to do another 10-15k last saturday except we wanted to get back for the rugby.
Have a turbo trainer in the house as well so do the odd 20-30 minute session on it. Its not much but boredom sets in and I suppose its better than nothing.

Quarreller

Another thing you need to consider is that you need to run and cycle in the same session. If you don't you will most definately cramp when you transition between the two.

foxirl

Quarreller wrote: »

Another thing you need to consider is that you need to run and cycle in the same session. If you don't you will most definately cramp when you transition between the two.

I agree but we had no where to store bikes in the forest where we ran so had to drive back to house to get bikes before cycle.

centre back

foxirl wrote: »

I agree but we had no where to store bikes in the forest where we ran so had to drive back to house to get bikes before cycle.

u have nearly exactly 7 months now for your'e training so i wouldn't worry just yet about the brick session's, might be better off trying to up the running distance's and time spent training on hills as the most demanding part of the course is when you on your'e feet, its still dark outside i know, but if you have the option of a local pitch to run around where you would be safe, or around your'e local town where their are lights i would advise that as training just sat/sun probably won't be enough, and as we all know the pitfalls of hangover's at the wknd might be dis-hearting!! best of luck with the training and if you put in the hard work from now till august you have enough time to break 5hrs, but you need to be consistant!

foxirl

centre back wrote: »

u have nearly exactly 7 months now for your'e training so i wouldn't worry just yet about the brick session's, might be better off trying to up the running distance's and time spent training on hills as the most demanding part of the course is when you on your'e feet, its still dark outside i know, but if you have the option of a local pitch to run around where you would be safe, or around your'e local town where their are lights i would advise that as training just sat/sun probably won't be enough, and as we all know the pitfalls of hangover's at the wknd might be dis-hearting!! best of luck with the training and if you put in the hard work from now till august you have enough time to break 5hrs, but you need to be consistant!

Thanks Center Back.
Was reading your log last week and its inspiring me. Will not be long now till the evenings stretch out a bit so hopefully will get a bit more done.
The good thing about 3 of us doing it is even if one of us is hungover we are pushed on by the other 2.

foxirl

Gym work tonight.

Squat 40kg 3*8 - Had a few issue with my knees so easing back into this so weight is low.
Bench 65kg 3*8
Deadlift 75kg 2*8
Overhead Press 35kg 3*8
Pull ups 3*4 - These are tough

foxirl

Didn't get anything done on Wednesday or Thursday between the Liverpool match and work.
Had today off so went for a cycle

Distance - 40.2K
Time - 1:42
Average Speed - 23.2

Happy enough with that as was out on my own but its very cold out there today. Glad to be back to the house.

My cycling computer says 40.2k but my GPS watch logged it as 39.25. I think the cycling computer would be more accurate.
Log of cycle here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/145001728

foxirl

Run this morning.
Cold and wet. Not very nice but has to be done

Distance: 6.17km
Time: 31 mins 30 sec
Average Pace 5 mins 6 sec per km

Details here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/145122544

foxirl

Cycle about 40 mins after this mornings run.

Distance:22.5
Time: 56 mins
Average Speed 23.3km/h

Like a drowned rat after it but glad I did it

Log Detals here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/145146968

Now hopefully the pool can get a win over united

foxirl

Astroturf soccer for 1 hour tonight. Only 4 a side so lots of running.

foxirl

Gym tonight.

Squat 40kg 3*8
Bench 65kg 3*8
Barbell row 37.5kg 3*8
Dips Bodyweight 3*10
Chin ups Bodyweight 3*7

foxirl

Gym tonight.

Squat 42.5kg 3*8
Bench 67.5kg 3*8
Overhead press 37.5kg 3*8
Deadlift 80kg 2*8
Pull ups Bodyweight 3*5

foxirl

Runnig Saturday Morning



Distance: 8km
Time: 43 mins 33 sec
Average Pace 5 mins 24 sec per km

Details here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/147469577

Happy enough with the run. Knee held up ok

foxirl

Cycling Saturday Morning

Distance: 42km
Time: 2 hours
Average Speed 22kmh

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/147469602

Wind and rain today so was not great. First 25 was fine but then started to tire as we had ran earlier this morning. Feet, legs and a*s was cold and sore so was glad to get it over with. Only for the other two lads with me I think I'd have threw the bike over the ditch and phoned someone to come collect me.

Happy that we completed it as 8k run and 42k cycle on the one day is a good start for us seeing as its only February and none of us has done an adventure race before. Should be good ground work for next August.

foxirl

Astroturf soccer this evening. 1 hour.

foxirl

Did a 30k cycle Saturday morning. Disaster. The guy I was cycling with got 3 punctures. Watched the Liverpool united match and did another 30K in the afternoon. Then went out for pints that night and undone all the good work during the day.

foxirl

Astroturf soccer this evening. 1 hour.

foxirl

Gym tonight. Wasnt feeling the best but struggled through it.

Squat 45kg 3*8
Bench 70kg 2*8. Failed on last set.
Barbell row 40kg 3*8
Dips Bodyweight 3*10
Chin ups Bodyweight 3*7

foxirl

Did a 36km cycle on Saturday. Took 1 hour and 26 mins. Happy enough with it. Averaged 33kph for first 11km. Thought I was great and then realised that there was a strong wind puching me along.

foxirl

1 Hour Astroturf on Monday 20th Feb

foxirl

Gym on Tuesday 21st Feb.

Squat 45kg 3*8
Bench 67.5kg 3*8
Overhead press 37.5kg 3*8
Deadlift 85kg 2*8
Pull ups Bodyweight 3*5

foxirl

Gym Thursday 23rd Feb

Squat 47.5kg 3*8
Bench 70kg 3*8.
Barbell row 42.4kg 3*8
Dips Bodyweight 3*11
Chin ups Bodyweight 8,6,5

foxirl

Went up to Killary on Friday so we could get our first look at the actual course. Weather was lovely for the weekend. Dont think I understood how tough the race was going to be. The the middle section of stage 1 is suicidal. One slip and you could go off the side of a small cliff. Our training so far has not been anything like this so it was good that we got to see it.
Really suffered on this but happy enough with my time as its only Feb. Didnt do the last 500 meters down to the river as headed back to the hostel instead.
My knee is in bits after it so going back to physio during the week

Route and times here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/152739486

foxirl

Got up Saturday morning in Killary and drove to Delphi. Drove on another 9km of the route and parked up cars with the intention of cycling to Croagh Patrick and then cycle back to cars. Cycle was good. Slow as we had to stop several times to check the map as never been up here before. Trail gets fairly rough when getting close to CP.
Anyway we arrived at the Mountain rescue center and we made a decision that we would climb CP and then cycle the rest of the route into Westport and get a taxi back for the cars so that's what we did. CP was tough enough but I found it easier that the trail run the day before.
Took 45 mins form base to summit. Hung around up there for 10 mins and then descended. Descended in 25 mins which I was happy enough with. People though we were mad running back down it and it is quite dangerous. Don't know how the top guys can come down it in 10 mins.
Back on the bikes and we cycled along the trail as much as we could before we had to get off the bikes and walk along the very rough patches. Once we were on the road again it was plain sailing into Westport. That is until I realised I didnt know the name of the B&B I booked and my phone was back in my car 40km away. Asking people if they knew a B&B, with "Lodge" in the name and ran by a french guy, got a few strange looks. Anyway we found it in the end and all ended well.

Route and times here but times are not good as we stopped a lot to look at map etc. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/152739532

Tired today but happy we have at least done 90% of the route now so we know what to expect

foxirl

Astroturf soccer tonight. Didnt do a whole lot of running as still wrecked form weekend in Mayo

foxirl

Gym tonight

Squat 47.5kg 3*8
Bench 70kg 8,8,6. Failed to get 8 on the last one. Still feeling effects of weekend
Overhead press 40kg 3*8
Deadlift 90kg 2*8
Pull ups 0 - Hadn't time tonight. As good as an excuse as any ;-)

Polster

Good man Foxey, you've slowed down a bit though, I've seen you do Cleaboy road runs with nothing more than a towel on in usain bolt pace, not to mention your very impressive bike/running transitions. This should be no bother to ya.

ThisRegard

Just wondering, you seem to be doing a lot of gym work, why so ?