MY ROAD TO IM AUSTRIA 2012

pgibbo

Sweet looking machine. :cool: Good luck tonight

My 2009 B2 Pro is going back to Felt - headset / bayonet issues!

pgibbo

Have you made a call on Galway and Barcelona yet?

handangeo

No, Barcelona seemed a great idea a fortnight ago, but I havent done much since Austria only bike work. I'm doing Beast of the East this Sunday all going well and then Kilkenny Tri the following Saturday which is the local club race so huge incentive to do well there.

Not much for August only Tri the Hook in Wexford, things on the homefront a mess with this "triathlon lark" as its known :mad:, life, training, work balance issues.

So much so I'm scared stiff to mention Barcelona at the moment, she knows about Galway alright. I will probably decide in August I'd imagine one way or the other.

Izoard

handangeo wrote: »

No, Barcelona seemed a great idea a fortnight ago, but I havent done much since Austria only bike work. I'm doing Beast of the East this Sunday all going well and then Kilkenny Tri the following Saturday which is the local club race so huge incentive to do well there.

Not much for August only Tri the Hook in Wexford, things on the homefront a mess with this "triathlon lark" as its known :mad:, life, training, work balance issues.

So much so I'm scared stiff to mention Barcelona at the moment, she knows about Galway alright. I will probably decide in August I'd imagine one way or the other.

If you are going to get a red card, you might as well do a Joey Barton and get full value from it.

Zipp Disc + Barcelona + summer 2013 IM all in the one confession.

Oryx

Izoard wrote: »

If you are going to get a red card, you might as well do a Joey Barton and get full value from it.

Zipp Disc + Barcelona + summer 2013 IM all in the one confession.

I agree. If youre going to get sh1t anyway, do it all in one go and get it over with. And remember, anticipation of pain is often worse than pain itself. Just say it.

handangeo

TT Final Night 16k Rolling with a long climb for first 5k

It was pretty breezy, but with the way the weathers been lately it was good considering. A big crew turned up for the final in this 6 part series, I suppose the weather brought out the fair weather cyclists. I was off 40th as usual, but a few in the slots ahead of me hadnt showed so there was a 2 minute gap, despite this I had caught the 3 ahead of me by the midpoint. My legs started to struggle at this stage, maybe I wasnt warmed up enough? Even though I had calf guards on it still was a painful 22 minutes.

The second section was faster, smoother surface but still a slight headwind, I had do really dig in on the last stretch, unfortunately there was no one else to catch which makes things that bit harder. I had got my average up to 24.6mph [40kph] I knew it wasnt enough on the night, and I reckon finished maybe 2nd by about 20 secs. The results are being closely guarded and are being announced at the prize giving tonight. I may have sneaked the overall by about 35 secs, but we'll just have to wait and see.

The top 5 riders from each club are being asked to do a team time trial in a fortnight on a newly resurfaced stretch from Kilkenny to new motorway and back about 16-18k, the real rivalry starts now!

handangeo

Although I was second on the final night by 6 secs, I claimed the overall TT prize by 1 Min 26 secs .......fastest man in Kilkenny - Well maybe on the bike certainly not in the pool.

Canned Beast of the East even though I'd entered, hadnt got my race head on and I'm still feeling tired from Austria. Spent Sunday morning with the Club doing a brick session on the course for the Kilkenny Tri next Saturday. Went well, legs starting to feel good again and going to give it a real blast next weekend.

Swim session tonight and start the build now for IM Galway 70.3

handangeo

Sunday: 20k bike with club as mentioned already followed by 10k run with 5k easy and 5k hard.

Monday: 1k Swim in River - and its stink at the moment, I swear I have a sore throat after it today, followed by a 5k easy run. Just trying to get back into the swing of things for race on Saturday.

The plan for the rest of the week is 1 x turbo, 1 x16K run, a swim session and a tempo run. That should sharpen things up from where I was the last few weeks. After this I have to get a solid block of training done for Galway [where in the middle the wife is away for 8 days so I wont get much done]

Still havent decided on Barcelona......maybe it was wishful thinking, the draw of IM distance hasn't bothered me one way or another the last few weeks.

Planning for 2013 brings new items to be ticked off namely:

Connemara Ultra Marathon
National Series
Complete a long Adventure Race
Sub 3hrs Marathon

I dont know if I have the enthusiasm for another IM after doing 3 in 3 years, the training is long and can be boring at times. Maybe its time to spice it up and make it fun again.

shotgunmcos

Well done on the tt league win!

handangeo

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Well done on the tt league win!

Thanks.....problem is I'm already a marked man for next year!

pgibbo

Congrats on the TT win. Nothing like having a target on your back to keep you motivated.

How did you find the disc wheel?

handangeo

pgibbo wrote: »

Congrats on the TT win. Nothing like having a target on your back to keep you motivated.

How did you find the disc wheel?

Honestly - I didnt feel much of a difference......I sounded good and looked good, which of course is far more important!

handangeo

Tuesday

Nothing :mad:

Wednesday

Swim session, just 20 mins mainly speed work, I am a real slow swimmer, I mean really slow 1:50 for 100m, swimming just doesn't do it for me.......ever.

Followed by 5k run @ 4:10k pace, it was very warm and humid, I followed the path of the Kilkenny Oly route for Saturday along the river bank where I swallowed a zillion midgies yuck. The river looks absolute stink at the moment and the current so strong I'd say it will be downstream only.

Followed this then by a 20k cycle [I must have been full of energy last night] on the newly surfaced ring road averaging 34kmh.

handangeo

Thursday PM - TT Team practise night, we eventually got the rolling chain gang thing working, albeit a bit slow. If it goes well next Tuesday night all will be well in the camp

Friday early AM - 5k run ahead of Oly race tomorrow, legs seemed fresh enough and firing well - its a 1500m swim 43k bike and 10.2k run, with buckets of pride at stake :eek:

We'll see what happens on race day....

pgibbo

Best of luck

handangeo

Just the highlights bit of a report later, 15th Overall and 2/92 in AG 40-49.
Disappointed as a top 10 was there for the taking and winning AG aswell.

handangeo

With IM Galway looming on the horizon, it was time to get back to work. I need to get focused and get my race head back on pronto. OH was on holidays for the best part of 10 days so got nothing done when minding the 3 little Indians.

Missed Tri the Hook in the middle of this aswell. I managed 3 sessions on the turbo this week and will do a swim session tonight.

I had video swim analysis done yesterday locally...........lets say this:
On the overwater view I thought I had a decent enough stroke and "thought" I was doing things correctly, HOWEVER on the underwater/side view:

My head is to high when I breathe
I breath only to the RHS - I knew this
My left hand catch is all bubbles and no pull
My right leg goes like a scissors :eek:
My arms cross over badly, and I was aware NOT to be doing this

Is it any wonder I'm so bloody slow? hmmmm lots of room for improvement which I knew anyway. Its now time spent vs return on investment debate, but a few small changes might make a big difference.

handangeo

Eventually found where you all had got to! Thought I said something to upset everyone

Galway in a week and training is......mediocre at best

pgibbo

Predictions for Galway assuming a full length swim

Oryx

Where did you get the analysis done?

handangeo

pgibbo wrote: »

Predictions for Galway assuming a full length swim

Realistically:

SWIM 0:42:00

T1 0:03:00

BIKE 2:40:00

T2 0:03:00

RUN 1:40:00

TOTAL 5:08:00 at best - would like sub 5, but that depends on all going to plan, no hurricane like last year and having my race head on.

handangeo

Oryx wrote: »

Where did you get the analysis done?

A friend of mine does it in the Watershed Pool in Kilkenny - costs €80 and you get USB key with your info, drills to work on etc afterwards plus consultation. In my case it was perhaps tennis was a better option than swimming :rolleyes:

Oryx

handangeo wrote: »

A friend of mine does it in the Watershed Pool in Kilkenny - costs €80 and you get USB key with your info, drills to work on etc afterwards plus consultation. In my case it was perhaps tennis was a better option than swimming :rolleyes:

In that case I should play chess.

Maybe youd drop me details of the chap? I need to correct my technique as best I can this winter.

handangeo

Oryx wrote: »

In that case I should play chess.

Maybe youd drop me details of the chap? I need to correct my technique as best I can this winter.

Will do

handangeo

Off to Galway in the morning, excuses as follows so I wont have to repeat myself Monday morning:

Weather was crap
Why does it always rain in Galway
Must improve my swimming over the winter...NEVER
Bloody transition like a mudbath
Nearly got blown to Sligo with my new disc wheel
Still don't like the runcourse
The sun appeared albeit for a minute or 2


Oh and Izoard lied about his slow time....he was flying

Oryx

Weather was crap
Why does it always rain in Galway
Must improve my swimming over the winter...NEVER
Bloody transition like a mudbath
Nearly got blown to Sligo with my new disc wheel
Still don't like the runcourse
The sun appeared albeit for a minute or 2


As we like to say around these parts. HTFU

Good luck G. Youll nail it, as usual.

Izoard

How a featherweight like yourself stays upright on a disc wheel is beyond me.

I still have nightmares about the cross winds in Abu Dhabi...and I'm twice your weight:)

Best of luck and see you on Sunday.

pgibbo

Best of luck George and Izoard.

No excuses allowed!!!

handangeo

Izoard wrote: »

How a featherweight like yourself stays upright on a disc wheel is beyond me.

I still have nightmares about the cross winds in Abu Dhabi...and I'm twice your weight:)

Best of luck and see you on Sunday.

If its windy I'll keep going to Clifden , I see us auld fellas are last off, at least we cant be chicked . They should be giving us a head start at this stage of our careers.

Hey Norseman for 2014 are you on??

handangeo

pgibbo wrote: »

Best of luck George and Izoard.

No excuses allowed!!!

We're full of excuses, then things can only get better.....we see you at the weekend??