MY ROAD TO IM AUSTRIA 2012

handangeo

Been reading the logs here for quite some time and thought its time to get my own done for a change. My backround - I’ve been doing Triathlon since 2009 and progressed slowly every year since then.
I’m self employed, married, 3 kids one of which is special needs [who is earmarked for Special Olympics Triathlon Gold medal although she is unaware of this yet!], I’m 41 and am a lightass 60kg.
Training must be worked around life and you will see from my log that I’m not a great fan of swimming!
2011 TARGETS:
1 TO GO SUB 2:30 IN ATHY - MISSED BY 5 SECS GRRRRR 2:30:05 :mad:
2 TO GO SUB 40 MINS FOR 10K – DONE 0:38:38
3 TO GO SUB 1:30 FOR HALF MARATHON – DONE 1:28:30
4 TO GO SUB 3:15 FOR DCM – DONE 3:11
5 TO GO SUB 5HRS FOR IM Galway 70.3 – MISSED BY 18 MINS - PATHETIC PERFORMANCE :mad:
6 TO GO SUB 11HRS FOR IM – DONE 10:49:22

2012 TARGETS:

1 TO GO SUB 2:27 IN ATHY OLYMPIC – UNFINISHED BUSINESS HERE
2 TO GO SUB 38 MINS FOR 10K
3 TO GO SUB 1:27 FOR HALF MARATHON
4 TO GO SUB 3:09 HRS FOR DCM 2012
5 TO GO SUB 5 HRS FOR IM Galway 70.3 – UNFINISHED BUSINESS
6 TO GO SUB 10 HRS IN IM AUSTRIA 2012 - A BIG ASK..TOO BIG?
I have just completed 6 of 7 weeks base training , ready for 2 months of build and 2 months of peak work just in time for IM Austria. There you have it, let the games commence....................

handangeo

Christ thats a bit big sorry!

BennyMul

Good luck

Izoard

About f'ing time!:)

handangeo

Race Calendar 2012:

March
Du the Hook Duathlon

June
Tri Athy Olympic
Tri Athy Sprint
Hook or by Crook Dunmore East

July
IM Austria
Tri Grand Prix Kilkenny

August
Caroline Kearney Tri

September
IM 70.3 Galway
Kilkenny 1/2 Marathon

October
DCM

Izoard

What would also be interesting for people to see would be your progression times before 2011 - the improvement curve is pretty steep!

handangeo

Izoard wrote: »

What would also be interesting for people to see would be your progression times before 2011 - the improvement curve is pretty steep!

Ok as requested:

Milestones / improvements to date:
TriAthy 2011 2hrs:30mins / TriAthy 2009 2hrs:47mins
10K TIMES:
2011 38:38MINS / 2010 41MINS / 2009 43MINS
½ Marathons:
KILKENNY 2011 1hr:28 / KILKENNY 2010 1hr:33 / KILKENNY 2009 1hr:45
Marathons:
DCM2011 3hrs:11 / DCM2010 3hrs:23 / DCM2009 3hrs:54
Ironman Distance:
Challenge Roth 2011 10hrs 49 mins / IM Switzerland 2010 12hrs 06 mins
Ironman 70.3:
IM Galway 70.3 2011 5hrs 18 mins / IM Switzerland 70.3 2010 5hrs 55 mins

Dory Dory

Fantastic improvement! All the best to you....and good luck on your races and goals.

handangeo

THURS PM

Swim 1k 23:49 2:18/100m [Was on the clock Missus heading out]

Really rubbish time I know but sure things can only get better....much better. I'm not particularly fond of swimming but it has to be done.

One great advantage of the Garmin 910 is that I no longer have to count the lengths, it does it for me - I'm lick to be testing one at the moment!

pgibbo

Nice progress there, especially for the longer stuff. :cool:

Best of luck with the sub 10 attack

handangeo

FRI PM

Brick Session according to the plan - Bike 1Hr Turbo followed by 4 Miles Z4 - My only fast treat of the week as I have been trying to keep in Z2 for the past 2 months

I purchased a computrainer before Christmas and have struggled calibrating it. Despite doing this twice before the session, it still says I only averaged 175w and 15mph? - I know on the open road with the same RPE I would be travelling at least 20pmh?? I battled on regardless.

Anyway an hour Z2 put down thanks to Dance Nation for company and 4 miles @ 4.25min/k.

handangeo

SUN AM

Bike 55k 1hr 54 hilly route Avg speed 28.5kph Av HR 144

Cold start have done this route the last 5 Sundays, 1st Sunday was 2:04:33 and Av HR 147 - So I have knocked 10 mins off my time and reduced heart rate average. Fitness must be improving.

Thats the 2 month build phase over with, Now the bit I love SPEED!

handangeo

MON PM

10K 44mins inc 4 x 800m @ 3.56min/KM pace - Snuck off work half hour early and was still bright when I hit the ring road. Met some other club members out on a variety of bike/run sessions. This week marks the start of my 8 week build period and first bit of hard work this season.

Have entered "Du the Hook" duathlon on 18th March, it should be good to blow the pipes clear so early in the season.

handangeo

TUES PM

Turbo Session Intervals 45 min 15 min WU 4 x 3 min @ 235w with 1 min recovery AV HR 145 Cadence 90

Struggled with time allotted as was on the clock to be finished - Little ones birthday cake had to be cut , I had needed an hour as per the plan but finished with 45 min .

This was my first interval turbo session of 2012 and boy was I looking forward to it. Had a pool of sweat at the end with is far more satisfying than the last 6 weeks of Z2 long spins keeping the HR in low figures.

Onwards and upwards, Kids soccer training tonight so I can squeeze in a 10k just about

Abhainn

Impressive improvements there handangeo.
IMO the longer the event the better you are. Best of luck

handangeo

Abhainn wrote: »

Impressive improvements there handangeo.
IMO the longer the event the better you are. Best of luck

Think its down to poor swimming times in the shorter races, I can balance out this in the longer events as my bike and run bring me way back up the field.

handangeo

THURS PM

Turbo Session 1hr 10 Min WU, Including 4 x 10 min @ 200w with 3 min recovery

The kids soccer was knocked on the head when a new puppy had to be collected instead. As I was not on the puppy collection duty, I squeezed in a turbo session, after this spent the evening packing goody packs for the Clubs Duathlon in Mount Juliet this Saturday.

handangeo

THURS PM

Swim 1.5k with 1k @ 2.12/100m 22:49min

Right I know its slow as a snail but its 1 min quicker than last week..... SO HAPPY DAYS

handangeo

FRI AM

Turbo > 100RPM 30 Mins Z2 Effort Avg HR 140

handangeo

FRI PM

Turbo 1 Hour AV HR 145 followed by 7k @ 4.09/k pace

Nice hard brick session - well hard for me had a sweat pool under the trainer which is always nice, hammered the run felt much stronger than last weeks brick, however that was maybe due to the few mins recovery while my Garmin found the GPS signal.

SAT AM

Marshall duty at the Kilkenny Tri Club Duathlon in Mount Juliet - A GREAT event and mad jealous not to be taking part...........maybe next year. Course was tough very hilly and a brute of a run.

SAT PM

16k Run AVHR 160 4.51/k pace - Longest this year and had to grind out the last 3k. Legs a bit sore and felt a blister coming on which is very unususl for me.

SUN AM

1 HR AVHR 145 with 3 x 1.5mins all out 250w just to spice things up

Missed out my ususal long bike ride so back to the turbo again :mad:

handangeo

Monday - Rest and boy did I need it, last week was my biggest week of 2012, legs were heavy and tired.

TUE AM

Turbo 1 hr AVHR 142 with http://www.thesufferfest.com downloaded this yesterday and certainly helps pass the hour. Would recommend and will be downloading more today.

BennyMul

handangeo wrote: »

Turbo 1 hr AVHR 142 with http://www.thesufferfest.com downloaded this yesterday and certainly helps pass the hour. Would recommend and will be downloading more today.

they are truly great movies to train to, the downward spiral is a personal favourite, and have kicked off the dwonload of "Hell hath no fury".

handangeo

BennyMul wrote: »

they are truly great movies to train to, the downward spiral is a personal favourite, and have kicked off the dwonload of "Hell hath no fury".

That was this mornings medicine! was holding on for dear life in the second 20 minute section, but had to ditch the TT for the school run :mad:

handangeo

Du the Hook Duathlon 18th March 2012 - 3k 20k 3k

Great weather great race, as usual Waterford Tri Club took the honours.

Fast pace for the first 3k checked my Garmin 3.43/k straight from the gun, held about 16th place, the run was on the beach which had some soft sand at the turn arounds, and as with any beach run they seemed miles away!

A quick transition and onto the bike leg, 2 x 10k loops hilly and windy in places with a poor road surface except for the last 2k. I made up a few places to 10th / 11th on the bike and got passed on the final run to finish 12th.

As I havent been doing that much speed work I felt it on the run as I couldnt push much harder. Overall happy enough Top 10 would have been nice but its a start for 2012.

12th Overall 1:03:36, 4th in AG, 6th fastest bike split:D

Izoard

handangeo wrote: »

Du the Hook Duathlon 18th March 2012 - 3k 20k 3k

Great weather great race, as usual Waterford Tri Club took the honours.

Fast pace for the first 3k checked my Garmin 3.43/k straight from the gun, held about 16th place, the run was on the beach which had some soft sand at the turn arounds, and as with any beach run they seemed miles away!

A quick transition and onto the bike leg, 2 x 10k loops hilly and windy in places with a poor road surface except for the last 2k. I made up a few places to 10th / 11th on the bike and got passed on the final run to finish 12th.

As I havent been doing that much speed work I felt it on the run as I couldnt push much harder. Overall happy enough Top 10 would have been nice but its a start for 2012.

12th Overall 1:03:36, 4th in AG, 6th fastest bike split:D

Great going there George - duathlons suit you!

shotgunmcos

Well done George, nice result. How is the IM training going overall? IMAT training not too far off now

handangeo

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Well done George, nice result. How is the IM training going overall? IMAT training not too far off now

Thanks Mike, things coming along nicely, still not dedicating enough time swimming as I prefer to put that extra energy into bike and run where I can get a much bigger payback.

I teaching myself to suffer and suffer even more on the bike so I'm sure time will tell.

I would be ahead of last year in terms of speed and its all about quality over quantity for me anyhow. I know what I have to do, will I achieve sub-10? its a tall ask as you well know, I'd imagine realistically 10:19-10:29hrs.

I'll see you in Athy it seems, I opted for the Oly, cycle back to Kilkenny afterwards [50k], cycle up again the next morning beforehand to do the sprint aswell - a good training weekend all in all.

handangeo

Still here, but severe lack of updates mainly due to domestic issues and work, however managed to get 9hrs done last week and last night............

1 Mile warm up followed by
800m @ 3.31/km pace
400m recovery
x5
1 mile cool down

Tonight brick session all going well :rolleyes:

handangeo

Another poor week last week only 5 hours done, frustration with work, tired and no motivation. I've got to get my ass in gear, although the work I am getting done is quality

its the hours in the saddle i need.

Mojo is at year low, when I did my plan in January, I know what i needed to do, my 3rd full IM and I understood what improvements i wanted to achieve. Weeks are passing quickly and Austria in looming like a freight train and I'm stood on the tracks with a puncture aghhhhhhhh.

I've got to get my ass in gear and get the hours done, hopefully a brick session tonight 30k bike with a hard run to follow, swim friday, LSR Saturday and 120k bike planned for Sunday...................wish me luck

handangeo

Its over a month since my last post :eek:, where has the time gone - some highlights or lowlights compared to some here:

Tough hilly local 10k at the weekend 39.59 19th/330 and 5th in AG

26k LSR under 2 hrs

Good quality turbo sessions holding my target wattage for 3 x 10 mins @ 3 min recovery's

Open water swimming started this week, the river current was strong but felt good considering as usual the swimmings taken a back seat

Still only getting 8hr average training in per week, but they are all quality sessions. I have a big 3 week training block from now which includes 150k bike with a 10k run afterwards x 2, TriAthy Oly and TriAthy Sprint with a 90k cycle sandwiched between them, Hook or by Crook and cycle home (55k) plus a tough 10k the next day. From then its about a 10 day taper to Austria.

My runnings improved no end and I think thats where I should hope to see the most improvement................I won't hold my breath :rolleyes:

handangeo

Managed to squeeze my bike on board my brothers car en route to Clonmel yesterday evening, he even brought his own to keep me company for a while cycling back to Kilkenny.

What an evening - this makes all the turbos, Wind and Rain sessions all worthwhile, got 45k in although I dropped my brother after 8k [I think he's impressed with my climbing - even I was 5% average gradient over 2 miles stayed in the saddle and maintained 20-22kph. I'm a mph man and all this converting is doing my nut!

Took a few diversions to take in a few hills in Windgap before heading back to Kilkenny via Callan. All in all a good session, I have seen a big improvement in my abilty to maintain my IM pace from my Computrainer sessions the last few months. We will see in Athy if its all in my head or not