Life is locomotion If you're not moving you're not living

Vincepl

Hi all

After completing the Dublin 70.3 I have been given the green light by herself to do the Full. At the moment looking at IMUK but we’ll see.

I’ve decided to track my training and see if I can get my post count up in the process. Any feedback will be gratefully received.

A bit of background, I started Triathlon in 2007 and took part in two sprints that year, the following year I did a couple of duathlons some sprints and my first Olympic. In 2009 I injured my knee/s training for the Lost Sheep. Physio recommended an operation but I never felt it was bad enough to get operated on as I was only in discomfort if I ran so I stopped running. Two years ago I went to the Laser Clinic and went from not been able to run to the end of the street to completing Dublin 70.3. The only part that didn’t hurt at the end was my knees. First season back was last year where I was slow but able to complete some sprints and an Olympic. An improvement this year where I have gone from BOP to MOP.

Last week was a recovery week so was quite

Wed 12-Aug Open Water Swim with the club

2 laps of course 1007m should be 1500m Garmin unreliable but seemed short tonight 21:33

Went out with my brother on Saturday night and now realise I can no longer drink which is a good thing I suppose.

Sun

Struggled out of bed but was late for the Open Water Swim so only did one lap.

Went on bike for a loosener but only got under 6k and punctured so changed tube and went back to car park.

Met clubmate and went for a easy run to finish.

Totals

Swim 602m 11:02
Cycle 11.45k 28:24
Run 3.9k 23:47

Neady83

Best of luck with your log Vincepl The boardsies are full of encouragement and will offer great advice

Vincepl

Thanks Neady, been lurking too long now its time to engage/contribute.

Tues 18th

Speedwork with local athletics club, what I love about this is I get to train with my 13 year old son who is so much faster than I am now.

WU 1.15 mile 10:45

Main set was different to our usual repeats.

It consisted of running one outer lap of our field/track and whenever the fastest person reached the end of the lap everyone stopped took a break and then started the opposite direction for 1 then 2,3,2 and finally 1 lap.
Tried to keep just under 5k pace. for the lot and pushed the last lap as hard as I could.

Total 2.46 miles 16:48 Av Pace 6:45

Cool Down 0.75 mile 6:45

Wed 19th

Open water swim with the club.

No safety boat so parallel to shore swim.

Big swell and major current with you on the way down back into the waves and current on the return leg.

Total 1500m 30:03

Thurs 20th Felt flat all day so since I'm still in recovery mode took day off.

Vincepl

Friday 20th Bike (Trainer)

10 mins WU Zone 1

3 x 6 mins Zone 4 with 3 mins easy in-between

5 mins easy CD.

Saturday

Run on the beach

1 mile Warm Up 9:19
1 mile Threshold Pace 7:22 2' break
0.5 mile TP 3:40 (2'')
0.5 mile TP 3:45 (2'').
2.37 miles to finish at marathon pace around 8 min mile pace
Total 5.38 mile 43:07

Sunday
Open water swim no boat so along the shore again, battery gone in garmin so I think I did much the same as last Wednesday but sea was like glass and a totally different swim

Monday Day off

Tues

Speedwork with local athletics club.

0.95 mile WU 8:36

Similar to last weeks work out but 10 single laps instead of 12321.

Laps were 0.27 miles done at an average of 1:39 each of these laps has a nice little climnb and downhill section.

Cooldown 0.66 miles 6:35

Vincepl

Had planned to the aquathon in Dungarvan on Wednesday but it was called off and so was our local swim so I did the last of the Ballycotton Summer Series 5 miler in Ballycotton on Thursday.
Official Finish Time 37:03 7:24 pace. MOP
My first 5 mile race so a PB

Probably held back too much early on the predominately down hill start and probably should have gone with some of my team mates that I'm close to in training but didn't know the course and knew there was hills somewhere on the course. Second and third mile were slower as we hit the undulating section and the one big short climb. Was able to push on for the final 2 miles but was never in a position to catch any of my team mates though I saw a couple of them ahead on the final straight. Did catch a few people on the last mile and managed to out sprint the few people that were around me for the last 300m.

Took Friday off and was in Dublin on Saturday with the boys for another Comic Con.

Sunday
Bike
Did a 40 k route from my house, didn't track heart rate just rode by feel. Big climb at the end to get home. 1:20 on the button
Monday.
Cross country training with the athletics club in the woods
Plenty of tough climbs and varied terrain 5.76 miles 49:55

Tuesday
Speedwork
WU 0.5 miles 4:45

10 x 400

These ranged from 98 to 91.

Kept the last five steady at 96.

Have been doing these a lot faster during the summer but have been debating the benefit of this. It is hard when training with club mates and you are pushing each other and I know I had a week where I did them at mid 80's and less.

My PB for 5k (only done 2) is 21:44.

Am I right to say if I want to break 21 mins I should be doing these at 93 seconds and to aim for sub 20 88 seconds?

CD 1 mile 9:10

Vincepl

Wed 2nd Sep
Open Water Swim
1542 m 28:38

Working late Thursday so missed training and was away for the weekend for a party so an enjoyable weekend off.

Monday
Run
Cross country training in the woods.
10.2k 52:36
Tuesday
Run
Speedwork with Athletics club

4 x mile repeats 3 min recoveries

6:53, 6:45,7:00, 7:15 Garmin was reading these as 100 m longer, suffered on the last one.

Wednesday

Swim

Open water swim cancelled so we took to the pool for a club coached session.

Good mixture of swimming and drills for the bones of an hour.

Thursday

Run
Cross country training in the woods.
10.4k 55:07

I need to get out on the bike at the weekend hopefully the weather won't be too bad.

Vincepl

Saturday 12th
Bike
40k in TT mode, had to do things in the morning so went in the afternoon. Roads very busy and got held going through and back a village en route by a wedding. 40k 1:16:12

Tues
Run Speedwork

2k WU 10:58
4 mile repeats 7:11, 7:02, 7:15, 7:17, 7:15
1K CD 5:30

Wed
Open water swim 1376m 28:51

Thurs

Run

Cross country training in the woods

10.11K 57:02

Fri

Bike Trainer

10 min WU
3 x 1min Zone 4 1 min recovery

3 x 8 min Zone 4 4 min recovery

5 min CD

Sat

Did a practice run of local tri route

750 m Swim approx. 15:33

18.34k Bike 35:13

3.12k Run 13:55 Only did one lap of course as could be doing cross country race in the morning.

Sun

Roped into competing in East Cork XC.

Difficult course but not as hard as some I've brought my son to.

My first XC event and had the goal of not finishing last. I needn't have worried as I think there was about a dozen behind me. 3 laps of the course with a couple of killer hills thrown in. Had a bit left in the tank for the last 400m where I managed to pass 3 but the last guy I tried to pass on the final stretch to the finish had something left and held me off. Great fun was had in the rain.

Garmin says 6.36k in 28:46

Looks like Tenby could be the one for next year. Club mate has signed up to slay his dragon from 2013.

Vincepl

Tues 22
Run Speedwork
1.55k WU 8:31
3 x 1 mile repeats 6:54, 6:59, 6:55
2k CD

Wed
Open Water Swim

1280m 26:00

Thurs
Run
1K WU 5:14

4 x 1K repeats 4:19, 4:34, 4:20, 4:17.

1.1K CD 6:41

Friday and Saturday were spent helping set up local triathlon and I had put myself down to compete which I shouldn't have as a 10 hour day doing physical work and up early to help with the kiddies race and the adults transition left me with aches and pains all over (not used to physical work) and about 30 mins to prepare for the race)

Sat

Moby Dick Triathlon.

Swim.

Having swam here twice a week for as long as I can remember I was expecting this to go well. I also know you have no idea what kind of swim this can be. I have done this swim with the current in under 12 minutes on occasion and sometimes it can take you 20 mins. This swim ended up being the later.

Started in 2nd wave
I watched the first wave being dragged off to the left and decided to go about 10m to the right to start. Beach start and I headed out to sea. I was very happy with the start and I put on a starting burst to get out of the shallows. When I settled down after approximately a minute I looked to sight and couldn't believe I was already left of the buoy. I now knew what kind of swim was in store. The one thing about the current and wind direction was that I only actually had one bump the whole race and this was going around the first buoy as everyone was dragged all over the place. After lots of fighting against the current I eventually exited the water

21:16 152/340 13/44. Placing about par for the year in the swim.

T1 Uneventful and slow I have work to do on this, need to put on socks as I sometimes have psoriasis on my feet. 1:42

Bike

I forgot my HRM so had to go off feel. Out and back course uneventful and felt I was close to flat out but found I was slower than last year (not enough time on the bike since Dublin). Not a whole lot of drafting going on. Solution to drafting is to have a swim with a strong enough current that keeps everyone apart coming out of the water. I heard reports of people coming out 3 and 4 hundred meters down the beach from the exit.

34:49 18.5k

T2 went ok 00:56

Run

Course changed from last year. I missed the big hill in the middle. New course was two flat laps and I tried to maintain my pace all around. A Cobh athlete passed me at the start of the second lap and I paced myself off him from there to the finish but hadn't enough to pass him at the end.

6.1 k 28:50.

Great support on the run.

Overall 1:27:35 107/340 11/44 Very happy under the circumstances. Was quicker here last year but the swim coupled with the fact that it was my A race last year made it different this year. Cooled down and back to work with transition and cleaning up and off for a few pints that night.

Vincepl

Took a few days off after the Moby Dick, unfortunately had to attend the funeral of a 53 year old friend.

Thursday 1-Oct
XC Training with the club 6 min WU then 4,3,2,4,3,2 minutes with recovery at race pace or better. 5 mins CD

Sat

Had to bring my son to Newbridge and decided to bring my run gear with me. I just went for a leisurely run exploring the town and down along the river. 5.6 miles 51:58

Sun

Cross Country Novice 6k Carraig na bhFear

Only decided to do this on the day after bringing my son along for his race. There was quite a few from the club doing it so had plenty of company.

The course consisted of 4 x 1500m loops around a couple of farm fields so had plenty of the customary cow dung. The course was fairly flat with no real big pulls.

The race started off fairly fast and I settled in with a few teammates and despite clipping along (for me ) at 6.30 pace we were at the back of the field. Settled into a more sensible pace from about 750m and a few people ahead started coming back. The ground was fairly hard from the lack of recent rain and the gaps through gates were fairly treacherous. I was able to sprint the final 400m and managed to pass a couple on the final run in. A good old buzz when finished. 6k 27:10.

Tues

XC Training 5 min WU
1 x 1000m
2 x 500m
1 x 1000m
2 x 500m
1 x 1000m at race pace or better.
5 min CD

Not really doing any structured training at the moment and enjoying training when I want and training with the running club. I intend to work on some swimming technique over the next month.

Vincepl

Have been mostly cross country training for the last month with a couple of turbo sessions and swims thrown in.

Tuesday and Thursday's speed work varying from Fartlek, mile repeats and hill work.

On the weekend's when no XC event on hill work in the woods.

Took part in the Munster Novices at the weekend.

4 x 1500m laps of a very tough course. The first 500 m were fairly flat until you reached the far end of the course. The next portion consisting of a climb with a couple of hairpins thrown in, and the end of the hill seemed like it would never come. The most enjoyable part then was the downhill to the flat section before beginning the climb all over again.

I got lapped with about 500m to go but this wasn't the toughest part, it was watching the younglads taking down the course while I was on my final lap .

Managed to pass 1 guy on the final straight to finish a respectable 58th in the Novice race (out of 62) and a time of 27:20.

I think every parent of a cross country junior should have to do at least one cross country race to understand how tough a race their son or daughter are running. It has given me a huge respect for the effort the kids put in in these races.

Anyway winter triathlon training starts in earnest next month although I think I will keep up the cross country training until the season ends.

On a positive note my son qualified for his first All Ireland's in Santry after 4 years of trying.

Dory Dory

Congrats to both you and your son.

Vincepl

Thanks Dory,

I was being tongue in cheek about my result

Friday 30th

Swim

Did the first session in Kurts Swimming for Tri Beginners in an effort to rebuild my stroke from scratch. Found the kick board the hardest, added in a 5 X 40m snorkel session as I found that helped the most with my swimming last year.

Sat

Run

A leisurely run in the woods while my son did hill work because the masters xc was on Sunday. 9k 52:00

Sun

Run

Woke up Sunday feeling under the weather. Was due to do the County Masters and decided to go despite how I felt as there was a possibility that we would have no team if I didn't.

Course was proper cross country, cow dung and all the good stuff associated with cross country in a field.

The course consisted of 5 laps (1 X1000m and 4 x 1500m). I started off okay but was feeling warmer than normal by the end of lap 2. Tried to keep going but by lap 4 my pace fell off and I just settled into the position I was in. There was nobody in a position to pass me and anyone ahead was a bit too far to push and catch. 7k 31:39.

Tuesday

Run XC Training

1 mile WU

8 x 500m on XC track all at within a couple of seconds of 2 minutes

1K CD

Wednesday

Bike Trainer

10 min WU

3 x 6 min (2) at Zone 4

10' CD

3 x 10 Push ups

3 x 1' Front Plank

3 x 1' Side Plank