swim, bike, run ... it'l be fun!

I'd two lazy days after blacksod, and then pulled something in my neck giving me another few lazy days. Back with 8x3mins @ under 10k pace with 90seconds recovery running lastnight down in UCD, lovely weather and there were lots of things going on at the pitches with the start of college it seemed. Its so much easier to motivate yourself when you see other people suffering too

Nice easy run for 1'15 thismorning, it was warm and dry and I never want to see the winter. But as the starks say, 'winter is coming' - so im going to make the best of it for the moment! Meant to go for a swim later if I can find somewhere to have a splash after work.

This week has been the first solid week of swimming in a while. Monday was a set with some backstroke and breaststroke for a warmup, 1k with paddles (i dumped them before the set was done -- im not used to using them and dont want to jump in doing too much) and some other bits n pieces. In the pool lastnight for just under 4k. It was the first *proper* swim I've done in a while, it wasn't pretty but not a total disaster either. Did some stroke counting and came in at about 30/31 for each 50m when making an effort, and back up to 34 or so when just splashing up and down. Swimming thismorning had 2.6k before work with a descending set ending on a bunch of 50m flat out kicking.

I've also started to cycle to work after avoiding it for well over a year. At least I'll be in the habbit when the weather really turns on us

I'm looking forward to a run tonight, seems like forever since I've been running... its all intervals and tempo runs lately which just arent the same as going for a nice fun run; I cant wait for another month or so until I'm back doing some longer easy runs

shotgunmcos wrote: »

NICE swolf score :eek: I did my first splash back (although nothing like a 4k set) in the 50m pool last night and I was at 39/40 strokes per length Actually I would struggle to hit 30/31. My norm when swimming 'well' is about 34-36 ad goes up to 38-40 when pushing it. Might be lower in a short course though...

+ on what RC said

To be fair there was a good bit of gliding off each stroke and a decent kick to help get it down, if I'd been told to go fast that would of gone out the window!

No swimming at the moment due to injury, but enjoying my time cycling and running. I did an FTP test on the bike last week; It came out at a depressing 200 watts at the same average HR as my AT when running. I paced it badly and started out too hard only to see the power drop off over the session instead of stay steady or increase. On the upside it means there's lots of room to improve! I'm still trying to reconcile various numbers that seem at odds with eachother (last year I had no hope of getting my HR that high on a bike, now that I have the power output is rubbish).

Great 3 hour brick session today; havent done one in months now.. 2'40 bike and then a 20min run (ok, jog), but it was a lovely crisp dry day for it.

My log has been a bit neglected lately, lots of stuff going on at work and generally been a bit tired. Back swimming last week which was a shock to the system - its scary how quickly you lose your technique - and boy is it cold out on the bike these days! Went off to do 6x1mile run intervals today (in the snow, now there;s commitment!) but the session just turned to mush.. not enough energy to hit the target pace, but enough effort to leave my legs dead now. On the upside it is great to be back training, and I rediscovered a great tune on my ipod today too

It felt like I finally got a feel for the water again lastnight; it felt good. Pace wasnt amazing, technique wasnt perfect, and the distance wasn't far. That said, it was one of those sessions where things clicked and it felt like I was swimming properly again. One of those sessions where you leave having really *enjoyed* the swim, where muscles are tired and a little sore, and where you're thinking about the next session and what you want to achieve in it. I need to get in some steady sets in the next few weeks now, and a few good technique sessions too. It's a pity we're onto christmas and pools will be shutting up shop over the holidays.

Another 10 days written off with flu, zero training hours which is the lowest week all year now. It's quite cool to have over a year of training catalogued to look back on, ignoring the week of being sick im up an average of 3hrs on the general weekly training volume compared to this time lastyear. I also realized its only 26 weeks to the A race, and I havent even had a panic, or thought much about training. This time last year I had a very determined attitude to it all. I'm not feeling it yet, but im putting it down to the groggy post-flu feeling.

I've been looking at fleshing out a schedule of events to hit this year, and its just not coming together yet. Ive a half ironman, and an ironman already entered (july and september), and I'll probably enter another half in may. I'd like to get in a 10mile race in April if there's something convenient to get to scheduled, just to have a benchmark run time clocked. Looking at the TI calendar I'll probably do a couple of olympic races at the end of the season here, and outside of that want to keep my weekends clear for training in the lead up to July. I wont be doing the W200 this year, it was great to have it for confidence lastyear but for race-specific training I'd prefer to just put in two solid training sessions on the weekend instead.

I've found a 10k swim 6 weeks before frankfurt that I'd like to do, but im not sure if its too close and non-A-race-specific to enter. But without it, the year is shaping up to just be a repeat of last year, only without anything "new" to keep it interesting, so its feeling stale. I'd like to try a couple of bike races, but again they're not very specific to IM racing.

I'm toying with the idea of a marathon (dublin/berlin) as its been too long since ive done any good running. Also considering no long distance triathlons in 2013... even though I'd sort of earmarked an IM already.

It was easier to plan a year when all races were new and a fresh challenge.....

Had one of those days in work, and didnt get out running in the evening until after 10.30. Needed a bit of HTFU during the warmup, and eventually when it came time to kick into tempo pace made it happen. Did this run by HR and scored myself a new 10k pb along the way, 10bpm lower than the race where I got the pb lastyear, if you're allowed to count garmin times/distance Even if you're not, it was a cracking 50m tempo run and I wasn't going at full tilt. The highlight was when the drunk students in UCD raced me for a lap... sadly they stumbled at the last hurdle, literally. Bike intervals in the morning are not going to be fun, and theres some sort of waterboarding swim session in the evening planned... so its time to get to bed.

Sometimes crap days end well