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Sub 3 Muffin Man
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Yoga
Some serenity at work on my lunch break. While others smoked and talked shop, I slowed the routine down to hold each pose for twice the time. Broke a sweat. Fun
Short aerobic swim
I usually use this short window to work on speed. Had enough of that yesterday so opted for a steady aerobic swim with tumble turns throughout I focused on relaxed strokes on approach and focused on a tighter turn. They were still all over the place but not too bad. I'm not getting anywhere as near the kick and glide I have from a touch turn. I also tend to hold my breath and gasp for air when I surface. The real test was tumble turning with people at the wall. I completely flunked the first attempt. The big test was turning off the narrow bit of wall between 2 pairs of hairy legs. I was sure I was going to make contact. I didn't. It worked. Cleanest turn of the swim 
Still a million attempts from good but felt good to do a full swim with tumbles. 2700m avg 1:39 pace 0 -
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shotgunmcos wrote: »The big test was turning off the narrow bit of wall between 2 pairs of hairy legs. I was sure I was going to make contact.
hmmm ... I remember a guy ... lets call him ... Mark ... when he'd come in for a tumble turn and people would be in the wrong place on the wall, chatting, fixing goggles and in the line of fire - he'd turn and use them instead of the wall to shorten the turn. He told me that it never hurt his feet and nearly always the traffic wasn't on the wall chatting the next time.
BTW 'hairy legs' ... you owe it to the women of Limerick to tell them to sort it out
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Sort of sprint training tri
Swim
1,500m relaxed 1:48 pace with more tumble turns. Felt good except from the waves from the school squads in 6 lanes :rolleyes:
Row
Tough session: 10*500m with 90sec rest. Its been a long long time since I did this session. We used to do them at close to full tilt back in the day and it was evil.
1:47.4 @24spm
1:46.2 @25spm
1:46.2 @25spm
1:45.8 @25spm
1:45.8 @25spm
1:45.2 @26spm
1:44.7 @26spm
1:44.7 @26spm
1:45.2 @26spm
1:43.1 @27spm
Run
20 minutes very easy on the treadmill entirely on feel. Obviously checking out the ankle. It felt ok, still not better but not sore. I figured short runs as long as there is no more damage may be an idea. Prepared to stop at any point. Walked for a couple of minutes before stretching to see if any pain set in. Felt ok. I'll roll in out later too.0 -
shotgunmcos wrote: »Sort of sprint training tri
Swim
1,500m relaxed 1:48 pace with more tumble turns. Felt good except from the waves from the school squads in 6 lanes :rolleyes:
Row
Tough session: 10*500m with 90sec rest. Its been a long long time since I did this session. We used to do them at close to full tilt back in the day and it was evil.
1:47.4 @24spm
1:46.2 @25spm
1:46.2 @25spm
1:45.8 @25spm
1:45.8 @25spm
1:45.2 @26spm
1:44.7 @26spm
1:44.7 @26spm
1:45.2 @26spm
1:43.1 @27spm
Run
20 minutes very easy on the treadmill entirely on feel. Obviously checking out the ankle. It felt ok, still not better but not sore. I figured short runs as long as there is no more damage may be an idea. Prepared to stop at any point. Walked for a couple of minutes before stretching to see if any pain set in. Felt ok. I'll roll in out later too.
Love the Erg session...how did it feel...good splits there, I loved going on the erg last week for a session...would love to get back out in a boat for some fartlek, maybe a session on 17on 5off - my favourite:D....you still on for cycle over keeper on Saturday?? leaving from the bike shop longside Sullivans pub at 3pm...should be finished by 4.30pm0 -
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Short course swim TTs
Up in Dublin for a party and decided on a dip in the hotel pool while others dipped into the bar. I asked the pool girl what distance a length was. 22.5m was the reply. Odd sure but with no set plan I was just glad it wasn't 18m or less. I basically had 25 minutes to kill, a lane to myself and lots of energy. I did a few lengths easy to get a feel for the water and tried some tumbles. The pool floor and wall was too dark to judge them so I gave that up. I felt good and thought I'd have a go at a flat out 110.
I tore into it. Good kick off the wall, turning like the wall was molten lava and a hard 6 beat kick for extra thrust. The turns came so quick I was swimming back through the bubbles I had just left behind. It took a minute to calculate the 100m time from the 110. Result: 1:07 :eek::eek: WTF?! No way!!
I honestly thought I missed a couple of lengths so I opted for a 440 and a lash off the long course 400 mark of 5:33 (which killed me). I made sure this time to count it. I tried to make every turn harder than the previous and kick hard when the shoulders tired. I found it physically just as hard as the long course but more frequent turns gave the arms more "rests" so I had more to give on the last few. Again had to calculate from 440 to get the 400m time. I PB'd at 200 in route.
Result: 4:55 :eek: sweet!
I did 2 more hard 100s with very tired limbs to be sure there was no mistake. I also double checked the pool length with the manager. I know short course is quicker by a few secs per 100, however I believe I hit some sort of zone for this session
Mountain Bike Trails
I had arranged to meet a lad for a couple of hours on the Ball your as single tracks in the morning. I had not planned on never getting to the bottom of my wine glass or partying through the night. I got some breakie in at about 8am, drove back down the country, threw the breakie back up, struggled around the brown loop and took a bruising hopper, but got it done! No records set today. It was more about keeping my stomach and the ground east bay. One way to tackle a splitting headache :rolleyes:0 -
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Kurt Godel wrote: »My mathematical brain has just overheated reading the above! Not just because the slope of your improvements/time has just plummeted south off the page, but because you should extrapolate from a (22.5x20)=450m swim. Which should make the 400m time even faster?
(may as well mention this because it's the first thing that comes to mind... how confident are you of the pool length?)
Fair question. I asked it myself over and over. After the first 110 or you could maybe say 112.5 I was in disbelief of the time. I questioned everything. After the 440 or as you mentioned perhaps 450 I was still questioning. The website says 22m, the girl at the desk said 22m, heck it even looked 22m. I still questioned it. I did a 220 or 225 at what I felt was the same effort as a 2.7km LC swim last week. Average pace back at the arena for that was 1:39, in this SC pool it was 1:29. I was certainly counting the lengths right. Still doubtful I sought out the manager of the gym on my way out. I asked again and she replied "22m, actually to be exact its 22.5m". I had already calculated based on 22m and didn't bother rounding down for the extra 2.5 or 10m. So, I left pretty stoked with 2 things.
1) a sub 1:10 100m. Something Tunney once proclaimed an adult learner could not achieve and something I fully believed would require a dive start and sharp tumble turns...
2) a sub5 4, a place I believed is reserved for proper swimmers
I'll still hold onto this though, sub5 LC is the real mark.
Overall I still feel they are cheap PBs. If I ever get a chance I'll do a 100 and 400 again in a 25m for a proper SC mark.
No training today... still hungover
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A Run!
A ginger 7km completely on RPE. I took in a few short hills and the Achilles felt fine. No discomfort. I pushed the last km progressively harder as a another test. All good, well besides feeling like a complete lump! Saturday's race will involve 90 minutes up and down a big hill. I'll run again tomorrow on a longer incline to see how it is. I may yet swap to the sprint event 6km bike, 7km hill, 6km bike instead of the main race 39km bike, 19km hill, 6km bike. Step up to a new AG tomorrow. It would be cool to do so injury free 0 -
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Birthday swim set
35*100m off 1:45... Struggled but got it done
Nursing man flu symptoms now.. damn stiffly office
Thanks for the good wishes folks. My sister lives out by Keeper Hill and I'll be out there anyway. Might just swap to the short event if I can. No intention of hurting myself. Not fit enough to even if I wanted to :cool:0 -
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Got through the race. Body really hurts today but significantly, the Achilles is not part of that hurt My old friend, quad cramps, wreaked havoc. HAVOC :mad: Lack of fitness and no bike TLC didn't help either. Gave the best account of myself I could minding myself in the process. Wasn't going to but report to follow... 0
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Keeper Challenge Report
Training for this race was non existent. I did some swimming which was irrelevant, a short run which sort of confirmed a green light and some fun at work the previous day just to get me in good form! I was very indecisive about doing it up until the morning. The roadie taken out of the attic where it has sadly resided for the last 6 months. Pure shame felt looking at the state of it. All mechs wedged, cables rusted, no back brake, tyres deflated I gave it a few hours of TLC but could not do anything about the front derailleur. One crash too many on the trusted steed last summer put an end to it. I was destined to do the race on the big cog or the mountain bike. It was actually a real dilemma! A friend arrived in wanting greasy food so we headed down to Eddie Rockets for a Grilled Pineapple bacon burger and chilli fries. Not the best carbo loading ever done
Previous Day 15 second tune up workout
The Race
I felt pretty relaxed beforehand. The roadie was taken for a 30 minute easy spin. It was a lovely morning and felt good to be spinning the legs despite getting out of breath far too easily. Fit and sharp were not adjectives that sprang to mind. Trig1, RedB and I shot the breeze before we set off for the spin through town to a rolling start. Trig and I had positioned ourselves at the front to stay out of trouble and when the gun went he tore off with another guy. I followed suit and tucked in. The first 10km was generally ascending with some undulations, one of which is a short fast descent. I hit a real speed wobble here. My handling skills were very rusty. We took my turns at the lead of a break group of maybe 12 for this section. 4 of us actually did all of the pulling. Trig was very eager an did more than his fair share. The pace felt relatively comfortable and a few shots were fired to test the group. I knew I didn't have the fitness to sustain a break from one of these shots, particularly in these early stages.
We turned right to circle Keeper on technical undulating narrow roads. It got hairy at times and one of our gang launched himself over the handlebars onto a fence! He was fine though, it broke his fall and he finished the race. Trig was really trying to push the pace on but the road surface was just too bad to make any impression. Most of the group continued to sit on the effort of 4 of us doing the work :rolleyes: I was stuck in the big cog and as such mashing my way through the initial rollers. The big hill loomed to break the group up and I figured I'd be unceremoniously spat off the back. I was actually first to the hill and still leading halfway up it...
The gradient increased with every turn and it became increasingly difficult. I was being passed regularly at this stage. Each pedal stroke involved the wrench of the bike towards the chest and a bodyweight single leg squat. My quads were on fire and I dismounted within 150m of the top. I may have made it without getting off but I'd have had to lay down and be rescued after it. A lead group of 5 or 6 were well gone and a few stragglers wobbled over the top after them in single file. A quick glance back saw the lonely figure of Trig also pushing his bike another 50m back. It was a 2 minute walk in the cleats to the top and felt longer...
It was a clear road in front of me by the time I clipped back in. The hard bit of cycling was done and the next 15km was rolling, descending and technical. My favourite! I was suddenly happy our to be in the big cog and reeled a few in to form a small chase group. We stayed together with me leading until the dangerous right bend that resulted in whiplash last year. It was well signposted and marshalled this year. After that turn it was straight rollers. I put the boot down and dropped my entourage. I was happy out and motoring but had no idea of speed, heart rate etc.. I was racing entirely on feel. With 5km to go to transition I caught sight of the lead car hazards flashing up ahead and I drilled it. I was delighted to see the lead group still in the transition zone when I got there This was temporarily the end of racing for me.
Entering Transition happy to have caught break
http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/578945_321348624635490_1323329408_n.jpg
Leaving Transition for the Mountain Run
http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/482171_321313041305715_1221059884_n.jpg
I switched shoes efficiently and set off for the hill. It was sunny and warm and I carried some small water bottles this time. The lead group of 6 were strung out up the trail ahead of me. My legs felt like lead initially and I could barely turn them over. Unsurprisingly having mashed my way through the bike course :rolleyes: I caught one lad ever so slowly and inched away from him over the first 4km. I didn't have much to give anyway but focused on small steady steps in 6th position and holding pace with 5th about 150m ahead. I felt that on another day I could have reeled him in but as soon as the trail began to twist and climb towards its 695m peak I lost him. Out of sight out of mind. I employed the same mind trick on the guy I had passed as he seemed to be hanging on. A slight injection of quick cadence after each bend to get out of sight. At approx 5km the first spectacle came into view. A wall of heather rose 200m in front of you with 2 tiny waterfalls breaking up the brown and green hue. It was a beautiful but daunting sight of the task ahead.
We were blessed with the weather. Too blessed, I was roasting! I began taking walk breaks after 5km and was sure I would be passed soon enough. At the juncture to the steepest ascent where the trail turned to loose rock an old guy held a sign marked "200 yards to go" .. yeah right! 200 vertical yards maybe! I quickly forgave him though as he handed me a cold bottle of water. It was simply heaven sent and perked me up no end. The steep section, albeit just 1.5km to the summit reduced me to a walk. My quads had been cramping for about 15 minutes and I just didn't want to risk running on such a steep loose section. Up until now my achilles was fine but I was taking no chances. Plus, I just wasn't fit enough to tackle it
It was still a km before the cavalry arrived. I was passed 3 times in as many minutes before the leaders approached bounding down the hill. The view was just incredible and I was certainly moving slowly enough to appreciate it too. I hit the summit in 9th position, way beyond any expectation. I declined the jelly babies (a regret) in favour of a warm gel from my pocket as the marshal clipped on my wrist band. All downhill from here
I proceeded cautiously. I was fully prepared to let as many positions slip as necessary to get back to transition with the Achilles still intact. In any case the quad cramps were taking over the driving seat. This lasted about 500m until I saw my old rowing crew mate BigRon. Firstly I wondered how a 6 foot 7 100kg guy could be so close :eek: Secondly we made eye contact and one look said it all. BigRon is fiercely competitive and we were good ole' sport rivals in Uni. His eyes told me he saw a chance. Mine told him that it wasn't happening today son, not today I kicked into a run of sorts reeling in a thin dude in red. It was nowhere near cutting loose but I was moving. I passed Trig soon afterwards. He looked like he was in pain too but was going well.
I caught Mr Red after about 3km. 3 whole km to make up 80m! We ran side by side for the next 4km but despite holding a pleasant conversation I was in a world of pain. My quads were almost numb with pain but a sudden calf seizure nearly sent me into the ditch. It honestly felt like some wild animal had sprang from the trees and chomped on my leg. It stopped me dead and set the quads off too. I didn't know what to do, sit down, stretch, scream, roll? I looked behind me hoping to see someone who could help. We had passed the paramedic a while back but, nobody. It sank in that I was still in the top 10 and I guess this is what spurred me on again. The calf subsided and I just dealt with the quads like I always do. F$%k them!! I had Mr Red in sight 60-90 seconds ahead and I decided to hold onto him for motivation. If I could hold the gap back to transition I'd give the last bike whatever I could muster.
1km from T2... fecked!
http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/296313_321356371301382_1397552966_n.jpg
The drag up to T2 was a killer. I had enough of hills. Mt Red was still in transition though so I pumped my arms to keep myself from walking. He left as I arrived so efficiency was everything now. Shoes off, stuff them into bag, bag on, helmet on, help from marshal to clip in, check from marshal to ensure I didn't crash this time, smile from me, off I go...
My quads had suffered so much already but came to life again on the bike. I dropped to the hoods and launched an assault. It was just 6km mostly downhill to the finish. Less than 10 minutes. Could I get him? I was already delighted and smiling. I knew I wouldn't be caught. My achilles was good. I hadn't crashed. The bike was still good. It had turned out so much better than I had expected. Catching this guy was perhaps meaningless but it was my cherry on top. I caught sight of him after just 2 minutes to see he was on a hybrid. Easy. I put another minute on him by the line to finish 8th The winning times were more or less the same as last year but I was 8 minutes slower in 2:55:55. I did't care. I was genuinely happy (and sore)!
The minestrone soup at the finish was the stuff of legend. Trig suffered too but RedB seemed as chuffed as I felt. BigRon had as big a smile and acknowledged the "look". We laughed easily. We congratulated the RD on listening to the feedback last year for this was progress in every way. Its a fairly savage event on the legs. It really hurts. I haven't been able to walk down stairs since. However I'd recommend it to everyone. Nice goody bag too and the medal will hang around for a while before I chuck it in the drawer with the rest, for it is a thing of beauty.
Another rest day today with real DOMS but I'm really looking forward to a run tomorrow. Happy Days
Edit: fixed most of the typos, atrocious grammar and pronoun use...0 -
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