ITERA 2016

shotgunmcos

Last week just didn't lift off despite best intentions. It was wicked weather for commuting and my wet gear went to wet gear heaven after an embarrassing work entrance. What muppet wears beige pants to work these days :rolleyes:

Mon (1): Group swim set. I went off second in the lane for an initial 800m. It took 12:59 of red lining to hang onto the lead guy. I went through 400m in 6:24 which is a best mark for this year. I was totally spent for the next 400m and 2x200m which I lead out and died spectactularly, felt like swimming against an increasingly strong tide
Mon (2): 30 mins easy erg cap 155 HR. 7,395m a best return for the effort so not bad.
Tue: Erg intervals. 10x500m tempo with 90 secs easy. Average 1.48.2 per rep and happy with that. Didn't burst a lung and kept the reps strong and steady. I didn't want to go off hard and end up not finishing the set
Wed: Nothing
Thurs: Nothing
Friday: Nothing
Saturday: Nothing
Sunday: 30 minutes walking/running. After 20 minute warming up the hip with exercises I did a 4k loop half walking half running easy. The running bits were no more than 2-3 mins. The hip was stiff at the start but loosened. Stretches afterwards. This will be slow going..

I had set a target of
40,000m on the erg and did 15,314m m so that was terrible
getting to the pool twice and got there once for a a reminder of how much I've lost, that took so long to build
a 2 hour bike which didn't happen
a run post full warm up which happened very tenatively
a Calisthenics session which didn't happen.

I have a diary system I keep to rate my workouts, they range from -3 to +3 and the week can vary as much as -30 to +30. This week overall was -4.5, my worst week to date.

This week the training goals are:

• Pull the finger out and get some consistency
• 45,000m erg, a swim, a run, some cycling
• Get College assigments in on time

Early bird entry for ITERA opens next week at a tasty €3,200 per team, raising to €4,000 in January and €4,800 in March :eek:

shotgunmcos

Just 4 hours training last week but its a start.

1 hour bike as 30 min turbo and 30 min MTB - 18.01km
1 hour swim session -2,900m
1 hour 30 erg - 2 easy and a 10x500m tempo session - 22,700m
30 mins run - Yes a run! Woop! 5.74km

-2 score for the week. Still negative but improving.

Not cheering about the run yet, the hip is not yet clear. I just need to look after it and build slowly. It was a brick run after the MTB. My Bro had parked his shiny 1 year old never been used MTB in my house so I dropped it back. I dived off road for a few minutes to bless it with some dirt en route Dropped it off and ran home with the helmet on. It was easier than carrying it. It was just my 5th run in 3 months so I felt as unfit as you would expect.

The 10x500m erg was good. 1.47.3 average avoiding the red zone.

The big low of the week was 189.6lb weigh in and feeling that weight on the run.

shotgunmcos

Better week circa 11 hours

2hrs 20 on the erg
2hrs 10 on the turbo
1hr 46 in the pool
1hr 23 running
2hrs 7 MTB trails with Kate
1hr 1 Yoga
0hr 20 strength

More detail here

Overall score myself +10 this week vs -2 last week so good swing around.

Best session was a 90 minute erg/turbo session. 10 mins Z1erg, 10 mins Z1 bike, then Z2 of the same, Z3 of the same and Z4 of the same before 10 mins Z1 cool down on the turbo. 8 transitions total no rest. Caz though I was nuts passing through the kitchen each time breathing increasingly heavily! The Z4 10 mins on the turbo was at 300w. First bit of intensity in ages. It took focus but happy to get through it.

Worst session was the swimming. Just out of shape

Most enjoyable?

An 8km lunchtime run. Once an easy jog. I was delighted to get it done, albeit feeling fat, with no hip pain.

And a couple of hours on the trail with Kate today. It was wet and wild on the mountain with teh wind whistling between the trees. Only ITERA bound type lunatics were out in the cloud :cool:

shotgunmcos

Decent week last week .

Focusing on base and conditioning at home.
3 hours turbo, 1 hour erg all Z1 and an hour of strength and body work

Then in the pool. 2 sessions. The usual main sets with some drills in warm ups. The lane work pace is about 1:40-1:42 so the first session number looked like

2x200m @3:24/3:26
3x400m @6:51/6:49/6:45
2x200m @3:23/3:21.

On Wednesday however 2 fish joined in and the numbers were more like

4x150m @ 2:22 to 2:24
4x100m @ 1:32 to 1:34
2x50m @ 45 & 46
3x200m @ 3:07 to 3:09
2x150m @ 2:23 & 2:24
100m @ 1:34

A good deal faster and I was basically hanging on for dear life.

This morning's session then half in half with the numbers

8X50m @ 46-48
4x200m @ 3:11 / 3:10 / 3:09 / 3:11
4x50m @ 50-52
5x200m @ 3:13 / 3:17 / 3:24 / 3:20 / 3:21

I lead out and kept a solid pace for the first 4x200 dropping all but my nemesis, however did not see the subsequent 5x200 further down. Backed off on the 4x50 prelude and dropped back to the lane pace for it and because A) I was toasted and because the lane were cursing me for wearing them out (lead out yourself so!).

The key session of last week was a long one on Saturday morning

Off Road Run1:25:56 16.75 km (5:08 / km) +144m 4:55 / km
ahr:153 max:169 slept:5.5 shoes: Mizuno Wave Hayate
Met up with my cousin Derek and his GoTri Adventure Racing buddies. A gang of them training for the 24hr Race in Donegal in March. Its just 12 weeks away and these boys have been building for the last few weeks. The first leg, laps of the University pitches would be an indicator for me. How long do I dare to run given the hip has bene ok up to 8km recently. Headtorch on I followed the other headtorches lapping at their own pace. I stopped a few times for couple of secs to stretch and otherwise plugged away. The hip played up after an hour so I bailed back to the carpark. Happy to get the distance since there is a total of 78km runinng or so in the race but the effort was indicative of fitness or lack thereof. Diet will get a swoop of discipline post Christmas. It needs to.


Paddling (Fun) 1:03:56 7.0 km (6.6 kph) +8m
ahr:151 max:175
I was looking forward to this. About 15 minutes after the run we were on the water. The river was swollen but no chance of falling out of these single SOTs. The paddle downstream was fun but we turned short of a bridge we don't pass to find ourselves paddling hard just to stay put. Stopping meant geting swept with the weight of the flow. Derek and I reached this point first but by the time we realised it was futile a few others had passed and were being dragged to the bridge. I roared at them to go through the arch and bank. I did likewise.

From the other side it was up the bank, portage through a housing estate, across the bridge an up the trail on the other side. Derek and I popped back on the water and spent a good deal of effort threading up the bank between tree branches. It would have taken all day to get back to the boathouse. I slipped pulling the kayak back out and dunked myself in to my shoulders. Thankfully I was in the middle of the trees and not out in the flow. The rest of the guys were walking back but Derek had an idea to get over to the other side and paddle up through the flooded fields. It took a fair effort just to cross the river but the paddle up through the calm flooded fields was fun. We popped out just shy of the boathouse too. All good AR training :-)


Road Bike2:15:55 59.7 km (26.4 kph) +497m
ahr:135 max:169 shoes: Shimano TR51
We pulled the kayaks out and got some dry gear on for the cycle. The plan was 4 hours but I had to bail after 2. It was about an hour out to the Silvermines mountains for some climbing. I did the first hill but the group had split up and there was lots of hanging about. It was absolutely bucketing down and we were soaked and getting cold. I bailed before the 2nd climb and flew back to the University with Derek. My quads were a bit crampy but not suprisingly. The longest I've ran in months, a tough kayak, the longest I've biked in months and it was August the last time I cycled up a hill on the roadie. I had enough in the bank to call it a quality session. The other lads did another 2 hours on the bike and then ran up an down a mountain. I have a lot of work to do!

joey100

Nice to see some paddling included in a log in here! Just be careful around trees on the water, they are one of the more dangerous things. Be able to see plenty of it above the water but a if it's a fallen tree in the water you don't know what's below the surface. I know you were working at going up river but generally best to stay out of the trees.

shotgunmcos

joey100 wrote: »

Nice to see some paddling included in a log in here! Just be careful around trees on the water, they are one of the more dangerous things. Be able to see plenty of it above the water but a if it's a fallen tree in the water you don't know what's below the surface. I know you were working at going up river but generally best to stay out of the trees.

Cheers. It was a combination of some sumberged fallen and overhanging. It was very slow going so we opted for flooded fields instead.

sconhome

joey100 wrote: »

Nice to see some paddling included in a log in here! Just be careful around trees on the water, they are one of the more dangerous things. Be able to see plenty of it above the water but a if it's a fallen tree in the water you don't know what's below the surface. I know you were working at going up river but generally best to stay out of the trees.

Don't know if you saw this post but this chap had a very lucky escape:

https://www.facebook.com/triharderAR/posts/765364536930073

joey100

I'll open that when I get home Scon, facebook blocked in work. Seen a lot of near misses and unfortunately lost a friend to submerged trees. They really are dangerous, them combined with high water are not a good mixture. Better off in the fields, safer all round. Seen some pictures of some of the rivers after the recent rain and they are completely different to what they would be like at normal water levels. High water levels and fallen trees with the high winds will lead to dodgy situations so best off being as safe as possible.

sconhome

Sorry to hear about your friend Joey. That's tragic.

shotgunmcos

Belly hurts! Training and diet overhaul to resume shortly. Oh God it needs to. The Race next up. 24hrs half marathon run, half marathon paddle, 90k hilly bike, mountain run, 80k hilly bike, full marathon. 2 months to get somewhat fit to survive it (currently quite unfit). Circa 78k running which would be abou the sum of my last 4 months running.... GULP!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all. Can't wait to read about all the like minded enthusiastic intentions next week

Dory Dory

I suggest you read our resident stud-chick's The Race report again. In fact, read it every day between now and The Race as that will scare you into getting fit for it!

Dilbert75

Dory Dory wrote: »

I suggest you read our resident stud-chick's The Race report again. In fact, read it every day between now and The Race as that will scare you into getting fit for it!

I'm normally a "you can do it", "go you", PMA type of person. But I have to admit to wondering if it's wise to try to ramp up so much in such a short space of time, only to put such a huge drain on yourself... No offence intended, you understand, but it's a question I think worth asking.

Neady83

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Belly hurts! Training and diet overhaul to resume shortly. Oh God it needs to. The Race next up. 24hrs half marathon run, half marathon paddle, 90k hilly bike, mountain run, 80k hilly bike, full marathon. 2 months to get somewhat fit to survive it (currently quite unfit). Circa 78k running which would be abou the sum of my last 4 months running.... GULP!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all. Can't wait to read about all the like minded enthusiastic intentions next week

+1 on the belly hurts

You have the experience to get you through the Race, you know how to pace an event this long and that will stand to you. More importantly you know that if the conditions are poor and dangerous, there's nothing to be gained by staying out there suffering.

.... I've been keeping an eye on your training over on the other side (you're being quite modest here), you're bike and paddle will be really strong and you're well able to climb mountains. I also saw you and your other teamies RUNNING the last 12km in the Beast after 3 days of hard work so if you strategise you'll knock the run out of the park.

You've been doing most of your long stuff with teamies over the last few years, having company is a great distraction. Do you mind potentially having 24 hours all to yourself? It's the one thing that would bother me with an event like this. I could be out climbing with peeps and we wouldn't talk for hours but just knowing that they're there is somewhat motivational and comforting in itself.

Bambaata

Jealous as hell here reading about prep for The Race! If you have any questions about it fire away. I fortunately seemed to plan all gear etc spot on but there are definitely things I'd change.

Good gear is a must but I reckon you have that box ticked. I stayed dry throughout but heard horror stories from lots of the others who just didn't seem to appreciate that good gear would have saved them a lot of hardship! I suppose they thought that they had good gear but I could see obvious mistakes in their planning. I went up two weeks before and did a training day and that helped me finalise things. It's the hardest part of the country I've ever trained/raced in!

shotgunmcos

Cheers for the well wishing, advice and concerns

@Dory read it last week. Will do so again a couple of times to root myself

@dilbert fair call. 10 weeks is hardly time to get in shape for a 24hr. I think I can draw on experience and a base deep in under the body fat. BUT I simply have to knuckle down and put some work in. My goal is to finish. I've no intention to race. I'll do my own thing within myself and pace it smart. I'm in anyway so it's getting done one way or another!

@neady cheers for the boost. Ok last week I hung in with a training group from GoTri doing it and lasted 5hrs. It included stops for transition etc. I hear ya tho. A paddle with the tide should be fine. The biking will come to me if I get my ass out on hills ASAP. It's the 70+km of running that is the big concern.

Edit: sorry missed your question. No problem with a long event on my own. It will be the longest solo so no doubt I'll learn something worth taking to the AR stuff

@bambaata what gear did you go with for each stage? Did you have a box at any of the transitions and how did you manage it? Did you have to carry running shoes on the bike legs? The fact that you found the course tough is saying something!

Bambaata

shotgunmcos wrote: »

@bambaata what gear did you go with for each stage? Did you have a box at any of the transitions and how did you manage it? Did you have to carry running shoes on the bike legs? The fact that you found the course tough is saying something!

I had hoped to wear what I started with right through but had backups at every transition, from memory we were allowed 20l containers at each transition but I believe they are increasing this - particularly for the muckish transition. I didn't need any bigger though. I'd food for each leg at each and changes if clothes if need be. I needed to change tights after muckish as I got soaked from a few falls and I changed completely for the marathon.

I have an excel done with the entire plan with what was to be packed to every box, I'll route it out when home and fire it across to you

sconhome

Neady83 wrote: »

You've been doing most of your long stuff with teamies over the last few years, having company is a great distraction. Do you mind potentially having 24 hours all to yourself? It's the one thing that would bother me with an event like this. I could be out climbing with peeps and we wouldn't talk for hours but just knowing that they're there is somewhat motivational and comforting in itself.

He'll be grand, sure he spent the last few hours of the Beast in his own wee world chatting to green goblins and weeds

career move

sconhome wrote: »

He'll be grand, sure he spent the last few hours of the Beast in his own wee world chatting to green goblins and weeds

That was just so he didn't have to listen to me

Neady83

Happy New Year Mike, really looking forward to following you on the Race, doing some training with you guys and meeting you all on some epic adventures. Thanks for all your advice this year and particularly on that briefing before the Beast (my little freak out over the coasteering) Roll on 2016

shotgunmcos

Numbers Last week

11hrs+
2:40 Road Bike
2:15 Turbo
2:00 Trekking
1:44 Road Running
1:35 Ergometer
0:45 S&C
0:30 Calisthenics
0:20 MTB

Highlight was scoring a new roadie for a complete bargain (My Giant SCR1 is up for grabs at a bargain if anyone interested or know someone who is)

Lowlight was snapping the hanger on my rear derailler on a climb up the back of the Step in the Silvermines. Had to carry my shoes and trek 9km back to my sisters on wet rocky road in my socks.

9 week to The Race. I'm sure I can get bike fit and the Paddle doesn't worry me. The running is the big concern. A half marathon, a mountain run and a full marathon ... Gulp! Ran for an hour earlier. Went ok but my run fitness is non existant. Hip also did not appreciate the sudden shower turning the wind cold.

Oh, Obligitary Goals for 2016

A. ITERA - All eyes on this step up to AR World Series
B. Rogaine with the team
C. Challenge Galway
C. The Race
C. Maybe Dingle 24 or Coast to Coast
X. Someone trying to get me to go to the Czech Rep for an AR.. :cool:
D. A Marathon... if I can build some running volume
D. Any other fun stuff I decide to enter

That lot would be a 100%+ step up in Races from last year

Toyed with the idea of doing a shorter Tri in the Challenge Galway training phase. I'd rather do some shorter off road or better yet some Orienteering which I actually need. Galway will be a fun day out. Maybe sandwich it bewteen some MTB'ing and a long paddle to make it extra long

sconhome

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Maybe sandwich it between some MTB'ing and a long paddle to make it extra long

I'm up for that!

shotgunmcos

The log is not dead, I've just had a poor start to the Year.

Just 18 hours total and most of it indoors and easy. Got a proper Flu which knocked me for 6. I'll never call man flu, flu, again! Anyway asthma tends to complicate things further and January has been all but a write off. I lost 5kg weight in 2 weeks, which needed to happen, but eventually not suddenly!

This week I finish college with an exam and just need to drop the last of the lingering cough. Really really eager to sink my teeth into training in Febraury...

Dory Dory

Fresh start...let it begin!!

Dilbert75

Is The Race still on the cards?

Neady83

shotgunmcos wrote: »

The log is not dead, I've just had a poor start to the Year.

Just 18 hours total and most of it indoors and easy. Got a proper Flu which knocked me for 6. I'll never call man flu, flu, again! Anyway asthma tends to complicate things further and January has been all but a write off. I lost 5kg weight in 2 weeks, which needed to happen, but eventually not suddenly!

This week I finish college with an exam and just need to drop the last of the lingering cough. Really really eager to sink my teeth into training in Febraury...

Best of luck with your exam this week Mike

Make sure you get lots of nice stews and nourishing foods into you, I'm sure you you know more than anyone how easy it could be to get pleurisy if you don't look after yourself. February will be your month, go won it

Oh and you guys have to come out with the ARSEs in Feb

shotgunmcos

Exam done and dusted.
Doc said it was Influenza B. Need to get the shot this year.
Recovery was 2 weeks and then some.

Back training as of yesterday. Did a session on the erg and hit a max hr of 190. I was 188 to 190 for 2 min. That's the depth of the pain cave for me. I think the max I've recorded since taking up sport again in my 30s is 191 on a T30 run where I emptied it. The scores were not reflective of the effort. Scores don't lie though so it was a combination of not being 100% yet and the fitness lost.

Today was an easier turbo.
Started the plank challenge too and 8 min of planking = stiff core next day.

The Race is out. It's 3 weeks away and although I reckon I could do 2 weeks training and tap into a base to finish the thing, it's too big a risk. My chest could cave and that would be season ending. At best missing the whole of March and April. There are bigger fish to fry. This was priority D.

Instead I'm teaming up with sconhome for a 5hr AR instead. We have a history of enjoying events in a laugh out loud way so I'm very much looking forward to it and just being out in the elements in our element.

Just polished off a pile of pancakes and about 2000 kcal worth of Nutella. The last hoorah for 40 days and nights

career move

I've just finished my mars bar stash. Still have 5 ginger nut biscuits. Hmmm late night snack?!

Neady83

Great to have the exam out of the way I'd say, don;t know how you studied coming back from flu. My brain turns to mush when my body is sick.

Good call on the Race, fair play for making the tough decision but as I learned on the DCM Novices thread, keep the main thing the main thing.

Yeaeeeee ye are going to Boyle too, it looks like it's going to be a fun event. Did you guys read the mandatory kit list? We need to have a bell on our MTBs .... I'm glad I didn't succumb to peer pressure from the ARSEs and take mine off my bike. I get great pleasure from ringing it coming down a hill

Looking forward to keeping up to date with your training

p.s. 8 minutes of planking :eek:

mossym

mike, please please please get me a picture of sean with a bell on his MTB.


good call on the race, look at the devastation it caused some of our fittest and toughest members last year. not doubting for a second you would have gotten through it, i'd be worried you'd write off the rest of the year which were your big goals

sconhome

mossym wrote: »

mike, please please please get me a picture of sean with a bell on his MTB.

I'm in trouble now. Between all the camera mounts, phone holders, map displays, light mounts I've no idea where to put that bell!!