Help me up off the plateau!

gofasterdad

Brief Summary:

Growing up, I was always quite skinny, so when I started college I jumped at the chance to hit the weights and bulk up a bit. Despite being almost clueless (there was no internet back then) the results were good and I found myself thinking, well If I can achieve that in six weeks, imagine what another six weeks can do.

And so it continued like that for thirteen solid years, I was fairly strong, but aerobically quite unfit. There was no particular reason for neglecting aerobic fitness, I just enjoyed doing weights and being strong more than I enjoyed running.

2008:

Challenged by my younger sister, I entered Triathlone sprint and dragged myself around the course in just under 1hr 38. The back of the pack finish was no surprise, but I was stunned at just how emotional and proud of myself I felt afterwards, even though my time was very slow I felt amazing. I had never experienced that feeling before and wanted more.



2009:

I didn't join the local tri-club as I considered myself way too slow to be training with those guys so I trained on my own and entered three races

Triathlone 1:23

JoeyHannon : 2:54 151st /182

Kilkee: 3:00 404th / 585



2010:

Joined the local tri club in Jan, and a masters swimming club in October

JoeyHannon 2:38 160 /210 (puncture)

Kilkee 2:42 182 /540



2011- Baby number one arrives!

Kilkee(NS) 2.34 94th /608

KerryheadSprint 1:18 4th /86

CahirTriathlon 1: 06 14th / 193

Castleconnel1:09 13th / 161

KenmareHalf Ironman 5:48 148th/ 246



2012

Kilkee(NS) 2:34 62nd / 521

Valentia(NS) 1:11 111 / 516

Spiddal2.33 12th / 66

Castleconnel1:09 15th / 207



2013- Baby number two arrives!

JoeyHannon (NS) 2:15 46th /233

Kilkee(NS) 2:29 79th /696

Athlone(NS) 1:11 88th /811

Loughrea(NS) 1:12 55th /421



Theplan:

This year, I entered just four races, (all national series), the races themselves were great as they were big events and well run etc. but in prior years I had raced a couple of NS races but also managed some respectable results in smaller local races, and that was really satisfying (I know, big fish, small pond etc--but it still feels great to be finishing in the top 15 in any race). In any event, with the exception of Kilkee where I finally broke the 2:30 target, I found this season less rewarding than prior seasons because to a certain extent I felt like I was just making up the numbers and not there to compete. I have struggled with motivation for the 2014 season in the last few weeks as a result.

Realistically, I know I am not a contender for National Series races and I'm ok with that, but I feel I can be competitive in smaller races and do enjoy them more as a result..this is a hobby after all so it should be enjoyable! So the plan for next season is to yet again enter my favourite race (kilkee) and maybe one other National Series race and try to combine these with some smaller local races and try to get a decent placing there.

Ihave two small kids and a house renovation project just about to commence, so time is in short supply. I can usually get some time between 06.30 and 08.00 to train before work. I'm not sure what form this blog will take, but hopefully it will force me to look at my training in a more analytical way and maybe with the advice of some of the posters here I can take a smarter approach to training now that time is limited.:)

gofasterdad

1 Hour on Turbo:

Week 1 of Trainerroad intermediate Base 1 program, FTP 264 (virtual power).

This is my first early morning turbo session since the arrival of our new baby during the summer, two early rising babies and a non-early rising wife meant I had my hands full, but things have settled down and the kids are sleeping until 7.30 so my mornings are my own again!:D

I hadn't used the Turbo in a few weeks, so the speed / cadence sensor was acting up, after 15 mins of mucking about, it turns out the battery was almost flat. (luckily i bought a multi pack of batteries in Lidl a while back thinking they might come in useful some day )

At 6.30 in the morning, everything is planned to the minute so it's important to get going quickly. I must remember to give the bike a quick check the night before in future.

lunchtime run planned. 8.7km

pgibbo

Best of luck for 2014. Sounds like a busy time with renovations and 2 young children. As you stated, enjoying the hobby that is triathlon is the important thing. I don't think I ever enjoyed it as much as I did this year.

Very similar times and progression to myself at the races we've both done over the last few years.

gofasterdad

Lunchtime run 8.7km in 38.44

I successfully avoided the cakes at this mornings Bewleys charity coffee morning!
However, I did return to the kitchen after my lunchtime run and managed to come away with the last slice of homemade carrot cake with Blueberries and walnuts. I have hidden it away in the fridge and am going to enjoy it with a nice cup of coffee later this afternoon

gofasterdad

Friday morning swim session with Masters Group

200m TT 3:04

(when I joined the Masters group three years ago i did the same 200m TT in 3:08 :eek:)

No lunchtime run today as work is busy

blainj2

gofasterdad wrote: »

Friday morning swim session with Masters Group

200m TT 3:04

(when I joined the Masters group three years ago i did the same 200m TT in 3:08 :eek:)

No lunchtime run today as work is busy

I'm swimming similar times to you id say and was considering classes but a comment like this sets off alarm bells. Do you get much else from the group or why do you think the times have not improved that much?

gofasterdad

Saturday Morning: 06:30 - 08:00
90 minutes on the Turbo(week 1 of Trainerroad intermediate Base 1)
This was my longest session ever on the turbo and whilst the overall intensity was low, it involved a mix of cadences between 80 - 120 whilst concentrating on good form, no bouncing etc the whole time.

Interestingly, at the end of the session, the on-screen instructions indicated that after a relatively low intensity workout like this, you may not need to eat straight away, however if you smell ammonia on your breath, it means you are metabolising muscle and you should take a recovery drink immediately. I thought, "I'm gonna smell my breath now but how will I be sure if its ammonia or not", there was no need to worry, the stench of Ammonia nearly knocked me off the bike!. So straight to the kitchen I went for a recovery drink.



Monday Morning 07:00 - 08:10 :
Masters swim session : mainly technique based session which was needed.

forgot my running gear on my way out the door so no lunchtime run today.

blainj2 wrote: »

I'm swimming similar times to you id say and was considering classes but a comment like this sets off alarm bells. Do you get much else from the group or why do you think the times have not improved that much?

Blainj2; I gave this some thought over the weekend and the 4 second improvement in the 200m TT isn't really a full measure of my overall progress, it just shocked me a bit on Friday morning (I did a 2:48 200m tt last June and my 20 min tt has improved from 1,075m to 1,275m in the same time.

However, it would be fair to say that my improvement in swimming in the last few years has been ok, but far from stellar. This is not a reflection on the masters club itself, some guys who started at the same time as myself but in a much slower lane, are now swimming at the same level as me, and one guy who I used to be able to match for pace did 2:34 for the 200m TT. My advice would still be to join a masters group.

Theories / idle musings, half baked notions on my own slow progress:

One theory I have been mulling over is that when I started Masters swimming I was coming from a weight training background, so I was able to compensate for a poor technique, by just throwing power at it, especially over the shorter distances. (literally just horsing myself up and down the pool). over the years my technique and body position has improved, but due to a lack of weight training, my strength level has dropped. E.g. say I am 30% more efficient, but generating 20% less power, the net result being I am only 10% faster..

The plan for this year is to swap the wednesday morning swim session for a gym session, and concentrate harder on technique during the Monday / Friday swim sessions.

joey100

How are you finding the trainer road? I got it around this time last year and so far is the best money I have spent. Olympic time last year in Dublin was 1.18 and down to 1.08 this year. Makes it a bit easier to get on the turbo.

Any reason in particular you are dropping a swim session during the week? I need to be in the pool at least three times a week to see an improvement, if I go twice I just seem to stay around the same time, go once and the times start to drop.

gofasterdad

joey100 wrote: »

How are you finding the trainer road? I got it around this time last year and so far is the best money I have spent. Olympic time last year in Dublin was 1.18 and down to 1.08 this year. Makes it a bit easier to get on the turbo.

I have been using trainerroad for the last couple of months and feel like I should have done it years ago. I was using the sufferfest videos last year but as I don't have a powermeter, I wanted to find a way of tracking / monitoring my effort level a little more accurately and so I found trainerroad. Initially i just used trainerroad to sync up with sufferfest, but lately I have started to use the in-built programmes and stick Netflix on in the background.

joey100 wrote: »

Any reason in particular you are dropping a swim session during the week? I need to be in the pool at least three times a week to see an improvement, if I go twice I just seem to stay around the same time, go once and the times start to drop.

I have six mornings slots per week (06.30 - 08.00) during which I can train. last year I assigned three of those mornings to cycling and three to swimming. ( I can run at lunchtime). However, I really need to fit one weights session into one of these morning slots, so I have to drop either one bike session or one swim session to make room.

I am currently seeing a much better return from the bike sessions, so I will drop one swim session and hopefully my swim times will hold steady..

gofasterdad

06.30 Turbo session : 60 mins with trainerroad.

I couldn't decide what to watch on netflix, we watch one episode of Breaking Bad each night after the kids have gone to bed, so that's ruled out. Time was ticking and I couldn't see anything that appealed to me. In a rush, I clicked on "just go with it" with Adam Sandler and it was surprisingly entertaining.

I need to find a good tv series to watch on the turbo, last year I watched "The Wire". tv series are great, especially if each episode is 1 hour long, exactly the same duration as my mid-week sessions.

blainj2

^^ Some suggestions - Dexter, The Walking Dead, Friday Night Lights, Spartacus, Entourage, Californication

gofasterdad

Thanks blainj2, i'll have a look for those later

Lunchtime run 8.7km 37:24 felt great for first 3k, had a really nice rhythm and seemed to be floating over the footpath, but as i got tired my cadence dropped and my form got a bit sloppy.

gofasterdad

07.00 - 07.50: weights session

I like the gym at this hour of the morning. It's not too busy, so you can get any bench / bar you need without waiting. At 7.am, people are generally under time pressure to get to work etc. so the atmosphere is very industrious, people just knuckle down and train hard which I find quite motivating.

gofasterdad

Lunchtime Run: 11.5k in 57 mins (12.4kph)

I used to do a yoga class every wednesday evening after work, but I stopped when the kids came along as I wanted to spend time with them before they went to bed. I guess I could do some stretching / foam rolling before my own bedtime, but you gotta have some downtime every day..

gofasterdad

07:30 1 hour on the turbo trainer..... mental note: invest in a bigger fan.

gofasterdad

Thursday evening run:

just a 15 min run around the block before dinner.


Friday Morning swim session,

It's still reasonably quiet in the pool these days as a good few of the regulars are taking a post-season break. this mornings set was mainly kick focused so I went straight to the back of the lane and managed to be lapped .

I had to end the torture early at 08.00 as I knew today was going to be busy in work.

gofasterdad

Saturday September 28th

06.30 : 90 Mins on the Turbo

I seriously suffered in the last 15 minutes of this. I did not eat beforehand and only had a bottle of water during the session, so I will consider using a carb/electrolyte drink for these longer sessions.

I told my wife I would be finished at 08.00, so at two minutes past 8, I had a little visitor announcing that it was ready brek time and Daddy is all done on the bike!


Monday September 30th
07.00 - 08.15 Masters Swim session.

gofasterdad

Monday Lunchtime
short 20min run. work was busy but i spotted a short window and was out the door like a flash.

Tuesday morning
60 mins on the Turbo with Trainerroad, week 3 of the intermediate base 1 programme. The effort level is uncomfortable but bearable if that makes sense.

its pouring rain here today and I just hope it stays that way for the lunchtime run.. I love running in the rain.

gofasterdad

Tuesday Lunchtime
11.5k run in 57 mins: I was looking forward to a run in the torrential rain, but the rain stopped and out came the sun which was even better! Just a slow, relatively easy run as the legs were still a little tired from the turbo earlier in the morning.

Wednesday Morning
Bench Press, Chest supported row, wide grip chin-ups, shoulder press, upright row, some shoulder rehab work, bicep curls, narrow grip press-ups and done!.. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the gym and really look forward to this session.

gofasterdad

Wednesday evening
Short 5k run before dinner.. I am trying to increase my weekly distance by adding some short runs here and there if i see a 30 min window.

Thursday Morning
60 mins on the turbo, including 3 * 12 mins at the sweet spot. I like the way trainerroad gives you some on-screen coaching. e.g today was all about trying to improve efficiency in all parts of the pedal stroke and not just the downstroke.. you find yourself focusing on this for a few mins and before you know it you're half way through that 12 min block that looked so daunting before you began.

In a few weeks I will do another FTP test, I am hoping to see an improvement as a reward for my efforts, but in the back of my mind I am also thinking, "the higher that number goes, the harder my mornings are going to get" :eek:.

gofasterdad

Thursday Lunchtime
8.7k run in 39:40 the legs were a bit knackered after the early morning turbo session.

Friday Morning
Masters Swim session, lots of intervals and speed work today. Having stayed away from the pool all summer I found this tough going, but it felt good to be really pushing myself again.

gofasterdad

Saturday Morning
90 Mins on the Turbo - I took a sports drink on board this week and really felt the difference. Last week I was on water only and struggled to hit the numbers in the last 15 mins, this week I finished really strong. I will continue to use water only for the shorter 60 min sessions though.

Sunday - Family day
I get up shortly after 06.00 most days, so usually when Sunday comes around I still wake up at that time and read a book or maybe do some yoga if I am feeling energetic, but today I slept until 07.30 so I must have needed the rest.

Monday Morning
Masters swim session..24 * 100m I didn't expect that. to be fair a lot of it was technique based drills etc so it wasn't too bad.

Tuesday Morning
early morning turbo session: 60 mins

gofasterdad

Wednesday
early morning weights session - starting to see some strength return which is satisfying. I would love to have another day to do deadlift / squats etc..

Thursday
60 mins on the turbo, hill climb session with lower cadence than usual and front wheel slightly elevated 7 * 5 mins with two mins recovery.

short lunchtime run. I didn't think the bike session had taken much out of me, so I threw in a short section of steep woodland hill into the lunchtime run and my legs let me know all about it.

gofasterdad

Friday
Masters Swim session: 2,700m

Lunchtime run, 11.5k I have no idea what time i did as the Garmin took approximately 15 mins to boot up Otherwise it was a great run, I went along a woodland path down by the estuary and it was fantastic, I had great music, the sun was shining, the water looked great, I had the whole place to myself, and the trees had the whole autumn thing going on. When the garmin eventually kicked in I was tipping away at 13.5kph and cruising..

Maybe I should get one of those bells they put on cows over in Switzerland. I'd like to think it's because I am such a stylish runner that the walkers ahead don't hear me gliding over the ground as I approach, but I'm not a stylish runner, you can definitley hear me. Whenever I see someone up ahead on the path I try to make a bit of noise, maybe sniff loudly or scuff the ground with my feet just to let them know I am there, but sometimes they just don't hear me until the last second and then they spin around in terror :eek: :eek: :eek: when they hear my heavy breathing behind them.

gofasterdad

Saturday
90 mins Turbo session. This mornings session was an intoduction to the deeply unpleasant world of under / overs

5* 9 mins with 6 mins recovery - the 6 mins recovery sounds generous but it's over before you know it. Each of the 9 mins was broken into 3* [2mins under & 1min over]. The idea was to work just below threshold for 2 mins, then go above threshold for 1 min allowing lactate to build up and up, then back below threshold again for 2 mins to slowly clear the lactate, then back over, and repeat etc..

It was one of the most difficult turbo workouts I have done, and it really pushed me from a mental endurance point of view. During the "over" your legs are beginning to burn and all you can think about is the relief you will get when you go back "under", but the relief isn't as immediate as you would like as the "under" is still 95% of threshold, so it takes a lot of mental strength to avoid the temptation to drop off for 10 secs and flush that lactate that's burning your legs, you have to keep working and let the pain ebb away very slowly and then go back up again for more.


Monday
Masters Swim session 3,350m.

gofasterdad

Monday Lunchtime
8.7k run in 37:30 I tried to increase my running cadence and use my arms a bit more, it seemed to work as I was moving faster without a huge increase in perceived effort.

Tuesday morning
30 mins on the turbo, I guess Saturday mornings session took more out of my legs than I realised. As soon as I started pedalling I knew it was going to be tough, my quads were sore and tired and I just wasn't up for it. I guess if i really had to I could have gone all out and driven my body through the entire session, but i'm not sure what doing that to my knackered legs would have achieved. I decided to do half the session at 90% and leave it at that. my HRV was 85 which usually means good to go, but this time i overruled it and gave myself an easy day.

gofasterdad

Wednesday Morning
Weights session

Wednesday evening
short 6k run

Thursday Morning
60 mins on Turbo, given Tuesdays performance, I was hoping the legs would be recovered and up for a full session. Thankfully, normal service has resumed. It was still an uncomfortable session with a total of 45 mins in the sweet spot.

My extended recovery period after Saturday's session has me thinking about my recovery / nutrition strategy, so as an experiment I am going to add BCAAs to my drink on the bike to see if it makes a difference. As I was warming up in the garage this morning, a tub of BCAAs just fell off some badly stacked boxes and landed on my back wheel so maybe it's a sign!

gofasterdad

Thursday Lunchtime
Short 6k run

Thursday evening
Kitchen demolition, I bought a 3 foot long steel crowbar in Aldi a while back, and I had great fun with it taking the kitchen apart! after a while I was just looking for more difficult to move items that required the crowbar

I need to strip a load of wallpaper next which I am dreading. I remember my father stripping wallpaper as a kid and we were all roped in to help peel off the hundreds of really frustrating little scraps that get left behind...it took days, i'm really not looking forward to it

Friday Morning
Masters Swim session : 3,000m

Friday Lunchtime
11.5k easy run, the battery died on the Garmin, so according to my MP3 player, I did it in approx 58 mins.

gofasterdad

Saturday Morning
90 min session on the turbo.

Monday Morning
Masters Swim session: There was a surprise 200m time trial at the very end, my time was 2:57 which was 7 seconds better than 1 month ago, but still a bit of work to do. it's encouraging to see progress even though i felt awful throughout, but I suppose if you don't feel awful during a 200m TT then you're not pushing hard enough.

gofasterdad

Tuesday Morning
60 min session on the turbo, lots of one leg drills

Tuesday Lunchtime
Lunchtime run, 8.7km

gofasterdad

Wednesday Morning
Weights session in the gym

Thursday Morning
60 mins on the turbo - just one more workout in the 6 week training block to go. I am pretty pleased that I only missed a single workout (abandoned half way through). The BCAAs seem to be helping my recovery so I'll keep them going for another while. I am contemplating taking an easy week next week just to make sure I am in good shape before moving into the next 6 week block.

Thursday Lunchtime
lunchtime run - 8.7km I ran my usual route in reverse today to try and break up the monotony.. I know, what a crazy guy

Friday Morning
Masters swim session 3,000m
a short warm-up followed by 16 * 25m Butterfly off 40 seconds set the tone for the rest of the session :eek: I was in the fastest lane with the real swimmers and struggled to keep up. I really fell off the back during the 5*200 at the end of the session. This is exactly what I need though, now that I only have two sessions per week I need to make them count.