The difficult second album

joey100

Not sure yet, haven't had a chance to have a look. Didn't stop the garmin after the bike (use an edge on the bike) so it kept recording after the bike and until I got back to get the bike after the race. Auto lapped every 5km so I should be able to find out. I'll have a look tonight and see.

Dory Dory

Super racing Joey! This bodes well for you.

joey100

Cheers Dory, yeah not a bad result or time considering the winter I've had.

So back to some sort of training this week.

Mon 18th May

Just a splash about the pool really. Nothing major. Lots of pull buoy stuff concentrating on where my hand is entering. Took it nice and easy though.

Tues 19th May

So in the new house I have been given a room to set up as my turbo room until we get the money to get a shed built out the back. It was one of the first things I got done when we moved in, never mind unpacking my clothes or figuring out where everything was, the room needed to be done! Nicely set up and has everything I need to train away, except for a treadmill and an endless pool. Hopefully get a treadmill for the shed, hate them but will be handy for some of our Irish weather. No endless pool though, unless I got for Kurts outdoor pool idea. Anyway tonight was 1 hour easy, power down a bit than usual and legs were feeling it from the off. Knew the legs wouldn't be the freshest but was surprised with how rough they felt.

Wed 20th May

Was wrecked when I woke up. Decided that it would be better to take a day off than to train. Emailed the coach to let him know and just took it very easy all day. Sat when I could and the evening was spent lying on the couch. Early to bed too to try get a good nights sleep. Think the last week and a half of moving, training and racing had caught up with me.

Thurs 21st May

Woke up feeling a lot better. Evening turbo session. Bit of a warm up then into main bit of 15 X (2.40 @ 90%, 20 seconds above 120%). Held around 92% for the longer bits and above 130% for the 20 seconds so was going well. Legs felt decent, still bit dead overall but there was some power there. Reckon I could have done a few more but was glad to be done at the same time. Lower right back bit tight by the end again so some foam rolling on the hamstrings to hopefully sort that out a bit. Good bike session.

Fri 22nd May

Morning swim. Nice and early to the pool. Main set being 10 X 100m best even time with 15 seconds recovery. Held between 1.32-1.34 for these. Felt good at times and other times didn't feel so good. Happy with the times though. Just need more consistency in the pool. I'd agree with Kurt and say you need at least 3 swims a week to improve, I just haven't been doing enough. Keep brushing off the swim. Need to sort that.

@Pgibbo, looked at the power from the race. The 20 mins was pretty much bang on FTP (230) using Normalised power. Bit of drop off towards the end but nothing too bad. Not bad considering the legs didn't feel good at all and was no problems running off it. Only when I looked at the stuff on garmin connect I realised how close to sub 19 I came to running. Last season was first time to run under 20 mins off the bike and now I'm nearly sub 19. Some good improvements there and a target for my next race.

pgibbo

Nice going for both the run and bike. That sub 19 ain't too far away :cool:

joey100

Fri 22nd May

Evening run. First run from the new house, plenty of roads to run on and most of them aren't flat. Not sure what it was about the run tonight but I was flying. Pace was around 4.35 min kilometres and it was well within easy zone. Legs felt great, breathing felt great. PLan had 5 X 20 seconds fast included and for the first time I can remember anyway I seen sub 3 min kilometres on the watch for these. Lovely evening run, just over 10km done in 45 mins.

Sat 23rd May

Long cycle. Had hoped to do this on the TT bike but need to get the derailleur sorted before I take it out on a long spin. PLan was 1hr easy, then 4 X 20mins @92% with 10 recovery. LAst few of these had been on the turbo but wanted to try and get used to cycling with power outside. Frist hour was not a bother, legs were good and pace was good. Just off the 92% for first interval, closer to 90% and had to stop at the end because by back was getting very tight. Second one was more of the same, again just below 92%. 3rd one was going well but had to cut it short by around a min because I bonked, completely. Luckily was only around 1km from skerries so grabbed a coffee and cake and felt much better. Last one was shortened to ten mins and again around 90%. Usually on the turbo these are tough but do able. Not so much on the road, seem to push it a bit too much at times and then need a bit to recover and then do same thing again. Also need to make sure I eat more on the bike, 1 small chocolate bar over 3 hours isn't enough!

After this was straight out onto a run. 5 mins steady, 10 mins easy. Steady pace was below 3.50 min and easy pace was around 4.30. Run seems to have taken another bit of a jump recently so need to keep it going.

Sun 24th May

Long run in the morning. 3 X 20 min easy, 10 steady. This was done from Lusk out to Rush and out the Skerries road and back. Not the flattest road in the world and leaves most of the uphill for the way back. Easy pace was in and around 4.35 and steady pace in and around 4.10 so again good legs. Was feeling it coming back though, lot of hills to run up and even though pace was still decent it had slowed a bit. Around 20.5km ran in 1hr 30 mins.

Afternoon took a spin out to watch the end of the RAS, was a very easy 10km spin out on the bike with a few friends and then a very easy spin back. Nice to get out for a social easy spin and good to see the RAS. Has sparked a bit of curiosity in me too, I can see now why Jackyback is wanting to give it a go. Looks like something I would be very interested in trying too.

Monday 25th May

After Friday's decent session in the pool was actually looking forward to this session. Main bit was 15 X 100m pushing it off 2 mins. Fri done 10 X 100m with 15 sec recovery coming in around 1.33. Today pushing it I was between 1.31 and 1.32 with plenty of recovery. Seemed to start each 100 well and fall apart a bit as it went on, could feel my right arm coming across when it was entering the water and then feel my body snaking to follow it. Tried my best to hold the stroke as well as I could and I'd say the faster ones where probably swam a bit smoother but in better control. So not as fast as I would have liked, didn't go sub 1.30 once but at least they were consistent.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Just on the the outdoor TT, are you doing your turbo intervals in TT position or sitting upright?

Was out at the RAS myself on Sat and Sun, boy can them lads ride a bike, different class!

joey100

For that Sat I was on the road bike and the intervals were done mainly in the drops, some of the hills where on the hoods. Usually do them on the TT bike on the turbo, find it easier to put out the power sitting up a bit so try to force myself to stay down in the aero position, would be the position I'm racing in anyway.

Yeah the RAS was good, done a bike race last year and even though it was good fun didn't really plan on doing any more. After watching that though I might give it a bit of a go and see how I get on. All depends how this season goes for me really, will wait until winter anyway before I make up my mind.

Mon 25th May

Another evening run and again I was flying. Legs were definitely a little tired from the long run on sunday but again average pace in and around 4.35. Starting to think that there might be something up with my heart rate monitor though, takes a km or so to kick in properly sometimes and wouldn't be surprised if it was reading low. Still though it felt easy and never felt under any pressure, parts of it felt like I was barely moving uphill only to look at the watch and see 4.40 as average pace. 10km done in just over 45 mins.

joey100

Tues 26th May

Evening turbo. Last week I done a bit of the hour of power, bout 45 mins of it and said I could have kept going but was glad not to have to. Tonight I had the full hour. Was curious too how I would get on after Saturday when I struggled to hold 92% for 20 mins. So legs weren't as fresh as they where the last time I done it but no huge problems getting through it. Average for the 2.40 around 215 (around 93%) and held over 130% for the 20 seconds. Legs were bit numb and flat but no real problems getting through it. Good session but seem to be having problems transferring this power from the turbo to the road. New 1 hour record set too.

Wed 27th May

Early morning swim. Main set being 10 X 100m best even effort with around 15 seconds recovery. All came in between 1.32-1.34 with the majority at 1.33. Not feeling the freshest in the pool but pleased with the times. Felt in more control than Monday and not pushing as hard so nice to see similar times off less rest.

mossym

joey100 wrote: »

Tues 26th May

Evening turbo. Last week I done a bit of the hour of power, bout 45 mins of it and said I could have kept going but was glad not to have to. Tonight I had the full hour.
.

cheers Joey, made me feel better to realise i wasn't the only idiot to make that mistake

joey100 wrote: »

Good session but seem to be having problems transferring this power from the turbo to the road. New 1 hour record set too.
.

if it helps, i see big changes between turbo and road as well. not so much in power output, but in terms of comfort, can stay aero all day outside and hold the power levels, inside i can't seem to stay aero and have to sit up a lot more. they are two very different beasts

mossym

also, Joey, my parents are over in Lanzarote at the moment, i asked them to go into the ocean lava shop and see if the race is going ahead.

according to them it is full speed ahead, and race will be happening on oct 24th, out of arecife, same as last year. maps to be uploaded to the website this week supposedly

joey100

Seen your log alright Mossy and seen we both made the same mistake. First time doing the full hour, it's a good tough session.

Unfortunately Lanzarote is off the cards for me this year, just too much going on and not enough money. Would have been nice though.

mossym

i'm still tempted, even the olympic. if it was puerto del carmen it would be a no brainer.


that and lugging over a bike while trying to get a 5 year old and a 1 year old there as well

pgibbo

mossym wrote: »

also, Joey, my parents are over in Lanzarote at the moment, i asked them to go into the ocean lava shop and see if the race is going ahead.

according to them it is full speed ahead, and race will be happening on oct 24th, out of arecife, same as last year. maps to be uploaded to the website this week supposedly

There's a gang from Galway Tri going and they've organised a deal on accommodation. Let me know if you want a contact name.

mossym

pgibbo wrote: »

There's a gang from Galway Tri going and they've organised a deal on accommodation. Let me know if you want a contact name.

cheers Paul, probably need to make a call first if i'm doing the race or not. plus it will be a family holiday, so if i'm racing i may have to concede on where we stay. the options will be

1) close to the shops
2) close to the ice cream

at least the small one won;t have much to say on it

joey100

Wed 27th May

Evening run. 45 mins easy with 5 X 20 seconds fast, 40 seconds easy. Still not fully trusting the heart rate monitor so pulled the pace back a bit. Easy came in around 4.40-ish and the fasts all sub 3.10. Nothing much to say apart from this. It was easy, windy and hilly.

joey100

Thurs 28th May

Rest day. Complete day off, which was nice. Was also pay day, which means because I wasn't training I was spending money and I'm broke now for the rest of the month.

Fri 29th May

Early morning swim. First time making the 3 swims in a few weeks now. Main set being 5 X 200m pull. Consistent times, all around 3.35, and was really concentrating on my stroke. Felt good in the water and was pleased to make all my swim sessions this week, long may it continue!

mossym

joey100 wrote: »

Thurs 28th May
.... I'm broke now for the rest of the month.

you'll live..:)

joey100

Fri 29th May

Evening interval run session. Plan was for 5 X 1km under 3.50 pace. I was going to try get faster with each one depending on how I felt. Done a similar session a few weeks back and struggled to hold the pace across them. km splits 3.44, 3.40, 3.35, 3.34, 3.36. First one was more about going under the planned time and seeing how I felt leading into the rest. Nice and controlled for them and felt good. tough session but very happy with how it went.

Sat 30th May

Same bike session as last Sat, this time on the TT bike. Back felt much better and was feeling better overall from the start. Took the 1hr at the start a bit easier and then into the 4 X 20 mins efforts. Much better this week, numbers were 222,220,214,208. Bit of a drop off for the last one, probably pushed a bit too much on the first two, the third recovery wasn't too good, was spent mostly climbing and then the last interval was mainly downhill. So that's all the excuses for the lower number but was aiming for 212 watts so not too far off. Felt much better overall on the bike and good to get out on the TT bike.

Straight out onto a run. 5 mins steady at 3.35 pace, heart rate at top of steady zone but still in it. Then 10 mins easy that came in around 4.30 pace. Legs bit tired but pleased with how well I ran off the bike.

Sun 31st May

Long run day. Same as last week too. 3 X (20 mins easy, 10 steady). Legs pretty tired from the start and wind was pretty bad today. Was happy to see I was still moving pretty decent and the easy came in around 4.30 pace with the steady around 4.10. A hilly windy route and covered around the same distance as last week even though I was out for about 2 mins less. About 20.5km done.

Mon 1st June

Long hilly cycle. Plan was for a long cycle and to try and find some hills. Headed out on the road bike. Weather wasn't great, very very windy but this wasn't to be a hard session so wasn't too bad. Average speed was well down though. Found a few hills too, plenty around north county Dublin, I just need to figure out where they are and some route to get most of them in. Weather turned really bad around 2hours in so turned for home. Covered around 65km in 2 and half hours so speed was well down even if effort wasn't.

mossym

joey100 wrote: »

Fri 29th May




Straight out onto a run. 5 mins steady at 3.35 pace,

fecking hell. what would you have hit if it was 5 minutes hard?

joey100

Probably wouldn't have been much faster Mossy! Find when I run off the bike my heart rate isn't too bad. Was rising towards the end of the 5 mins and was getting into hard zone. If I set off aiming for hard I probably would have suffered a bit too much too early. Used this thinking in Carlow, kept first km in steady zone and ran around 3.45 pace, after the first km was done I built over the next few km's until the end when it was well in hard zone but pace was still around the same.

joey100

Tues 2nd June

Evening run. 45 mins easy with 5 X 20 seconds fast, 40 seconds easy. Pulled the pace back a bit tonight and had heart rate towards lower end of easy zone. Legs were a bit tired but still had no problem keeping the pace decent. For first time ever I got all 5 of the 20 seconds fast below 3 min kilometres, including the last one that was over half uphill. Heart rate settled quickly after and was back into my easy pace and heart rate fairly quick.

Wed 3rd June

Morning swim session. One of them mornings when you would rather turn over and stay in bed but up I got. Main set was 4 X 200m mod hard. Have been holding 1.32/1.33 for my 100's so plan for me was to try and hold this pace across 200. Time came in 3.09, 3.08, 3.08, 3.10, done with 20 seconds recovery. So not too much of a drift in times. Bit sloppy in the water but happy enough with the times. 4x 60m fast all came in around 53 seconds after this.

joey100

Wed 3rd June

Evening brick session. Turbo first, main set being 10 X (2 mins just above race watts, 1 easy). These came in or around 250, going to try aim for around 240 at the weekend. Legs didn't feel 100%, usually would be hitting this no problem but a bit more of a slog tonight. Straight out onto run, 5 mins steady then 5 X (1min race pace, 1 min easy). 5 steady in around 3.50 pace, bit slower than weekend but was in control and felt nice and strong for the whole thing. Was actually pretty comfortable. Race pace was below 3.45 and hit all of these pretty handily. Never under huge pressure and legs felt good.

So that's it really before Saturday's race, crooked lake sprint. Short session in SBR on Friday but all the training is done now. Feeling good going into this race, have Friday off work so will get the training done early and take It easy the rest of the day. A better run in than Carlow anyway. Target is again 1.07 (Think the bike course might be short tho, if it is I'll probably be looking for closer to 1.05). Main aim is to run sub 19 off the bike. Should be there, will just depend on how tough the hill at the start of each lap is, but in the last while I have been running a few hills in training so hopefully this stands to me. Swim still a bit off where it should be but it's getting better.

Haven't been keeping as close an eye on my weight recently, weighing scales went missing for a while in the house move. It's been found and weighed myself last night just out of curiousity, mainly because I've been running well. Weight is around 59.5kg. Laura's mam and dad were up the weekend and Laura's mam kept saying I needed to eat more and I didn't look well so I knew I was starting to get into race shape!

Dory Dory

Best of luck to you on Saturday!!!!

MojoMaker

Good luck on Sat Joe.

mossym

aye, best of luck Joe

mossym

well?

joey100

Cheers Folks, race done and dusted now, some positives and a silly mistake too.

Crooked Lake Tri

Got down nice and early. Warm up done on bike and run and legs were feeling good. Had a good run into this race so was feeling good. Weather was awful, windy and wet. We got a warning email about the swim, just to say that to be aware it will be tough and mentioned the blustery winds for the bike and the steep hills.

Swim 12.12 (32nd)

Kurt, if you want to do a race with a good swim this was it. Very windy, cold and not a mention of changing the course or making it shorter. Put some extra safety out and that was it. Course was out to 1st buoy, approx. 300m, turn right then approx. 150m into the wind and waves another right turn and back to shore. Wind was across us for most of it and into our faces for the top part. Bit further back than I would have like to be at the start but decent enough. Picked people off and drafted my way towards the front of the group. Cut the first buoy a bit tight and got my arm caught in the net around it. Quick stop and take my arm out and moving again. Felt as the swim went on I was getting stronger and stronger or maybe others were fading. Got out feeling good.

T1 1.39 (25th)

Out of wetsuit no bother and got moving quick enough. Towards top of T1 got stuck behind slower person pushing their bike but good other than that. My mount, wasn't flying but was a lot better than usual.

Bike 30.57 (26th)

The start of my bad spell in the race. Bike course is about 18km so time is nothing fantastic. Got moving well and straight into a decent climb for around 400m. overtook a few here and kept it going. My bike handling and just being too much of a chicken let me down here though. I'd catch people on the uphill and flat but they would fly past me going downhill. Pretty annoying and I let it get to me a bit too much. Enjoyed parts of the cycle and as It went on I got better but lost too much easy time. Roughly I'd guess at around 40 seconds lost. On a positive though my NP for the race was around 235 watts so above my FTP and legs felt decent. Maybe a bit too much spiking of the power trying to catch people on the hills who pulled away going downhill but not too bad.

T2 1.26 (330th)

The mistake that cost me a lot of places. Head was still on the bike and ran past my rack. Took what felt like ages to realise and find it. Rushed putting shoes on and had to try again. Average time was around 55 seconds so I lost around 30 seconds here. Easy silly seconds to lose.

Run 19.34 (16th)

So bike was short and run was a bit long, around 5.3km. It's the same for everyone though so no complaints. Settled well into the run and was running on another fellas shoulder until we got to the hill that marked start of lap1. overtook a few on the hill and held it well, pace dropped a bit but was feeling decent. At the top of the hill it was a bit exposed to the wind but pace was decent and was feeling relatively good. Turned for lap 2 and could feel the hill a lot more this time. Knew it was downhill from here though so pushed on a bit and there was more people on the course by then so some shelter from the wind. through 5km in 18.45 (by standalone pb is 18.45) and kept pushing for the finish. Pleased with the run, pushed more than I did in Carlow and getting a better idea of how much I can push it without blowing up.

Overall 1.05.51 (22nd ?)

Still not 100% sure of placing, some suspect times in front of me, a 13min 5km being one. When you take out relays I think I was around 22nd place. Take out the juniors and I was around 18th place. Not too bad but I reckon a min left on the course, I would have been around 14th place then. Some positives, the power on the bike was good, run was good and pushed more than I have before. T2 was a disaster though, lack of concentration cost me big time and the bike wasn't the best. Plenty to work on.

Sunday 7th Jun

Easy 2 hr cycle in the morning. Legs felt ok, grand on the eays bits but as it went on they felt it a bit. Stayed local enough for this and seen a lot of signs for the skerries tri next Saturday. Ended up cycling most of the course and when I got home looked it up. Wasn't a planned race but asked the coach and it's not the worst timing for it so I signed up to do it. Mainly because I know I have a good sprint tri in me, haven't produced it fully yet this year but I know this course, I'll get out on the bike and do it again before the race and it's nice and local. Bike is lumpy with a few sneaky drags and a fast downhill section, that I know well and am not a big chicken on. Run is pan cake flat along the coast so should be good for fast times. Wind might be only issue. So what was meant to be a recovery week has changed a bit to try get ready for Saturday. But looking forward to it and feeling confident for it.

Kurt_Godel

You're coming into good form at the right time, good race there joey. Fair play to the Camlough set-up; they really take their swimming serious up there. I saw the photo's and video of the lake on the day, looks like you all had some fun

joey100

Fun was one word for it alright! There was bad rain showers, they would last around 20 mins each and then a nice bright spell for a bit, the wind really picked up during these and it got cold. They tried to time the start of the race just after one of these showers but when we got in another one started, when the wind picked up there was some small waves to deal with too. Really showed the advantage of being able to breathe on both sides, could breathe on the left going out and on the right coming back in so I never had to breath into the waves, seen few people stopping and spluttering out water so I'd guess these took a mouthful of water as they went to breath. Great organisation though and never felt dangerous, plenty of rescue and they even put in a pontoon so that you could be carried to that rather than into shore, not an Ironman pontoon for a rest, if you went to pontoon that was it your race was over.

mossym

nice going Joey. bike skills at least are technical, they can be learned, just need practise. no kidding, but a bit of downhill on a mountain bike on single trails would sort that right out.