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Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf

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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Friday, September 12th, 2014

    Run plan: 7 miles steady

    Sneaky lunchtime run in probably the most perfect weather possible, and I opted to do this session in the center of the field. I always feel like I'm sort of cheating when I run in the center of the field - it's flat, it's straight, and I think the Garmin measures it short. Ah....but I felt good today....I think the taper is kicking in and the body is bouncing back from all the work I've done as it was hard to go at my steady target of ~8 min/mile. However, if my suspicions that my Garmin measures it short when I'm in the center of the field are correct, then perhaps we can add 20 seconds to each mile, and that would be more in line with targeted reality. ;):)

    7:51, 7:36, 7:32, 7:28, 7:29, 7:23, 7:13

    Actual run: 7.01 miles in 52:38.35 for an average pace of 7:31 min/mile

    Swim

    400 yards easy
    30 x 100 yards on 2 minutes, w/2 min break (active recovery of 40 yards) after each 10 - 1st 10, hold 1:30....2nd 10, hold 1:25...3rd 10, hold 1:20 but take 2 min (active recovery) break after 5
    280 yards easy

    It was really, really tough to hold 1:30 for the first 10....it just felt very slow, and I actually started to s-l-o-w down my flip turns to eat up some time because I was having such a hard time slowing down anything else.
    1:20, 1:25, 1:25, 1:25, 1:25, 1:27, 1:27, 1:28, 1:27, 1:29

    The second set of 10 felt much, much, much better. Nice and relaxed for the most part, however a little more effort was employed on the last few.
    All 100s were 1:24-1:25, with the exception of maybe one or two at 1:23.

    The last set of 10 felt fine, but there was definitely a little more work involved here to keep pace....however, I continued to breathe on 3 throughout this entire session, so that tells me I had room to push harder if needed.
    All 100s were 1:19-1:20, with maybe one or two at 1:18.

    Actual swim: 3,800 yards under a gorgeous evening sky


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Saturday, September 13th, 2014

    Swim

    Today was a complete rest day....but I did get a short-but-sweet easy swim in the pool done this evening. The temps have been cooler these past few days, so my fingers are crossed it will stay cool through next weekend. Wow...this time next week I'll probably be on the run at this very minute, and hopefully with good thoughts in my head about crossing the finish line.

    I dabbled in a little yoga and stretching post swim...to relax the body and to send Orxy some very good vibes for her journey in just under 7 hours from now. I hope she's sound asleep without a care in the world....because tomorrow will be a crazy bit of activity!

    Actual swim: 2,000 easy evening yards


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Sunday, September 14th, 2014

    Bike

    Since I'm sitting here at the computer constantly hitting the refresh button to follow our UltraIronHoochie, Oryx...I might as well post my bike ride.

    The plan was to ride for 2 hours, and to do 2 x (15 minutes at race pace (it's a guess!), 15 minutes easy) about 50 minutes into the ride. However, it takes me about 30 minutes to get to my desired location (translation: a piece of flattish asphalt that's not really flat, but it's not hilly either), so I started my 2 x 15 mins once I got to that location because it also takes me about 30 minutes to get back home. Now that's time management and math at work!! :D

    Briefly....it's a gorgeous day here, yet chilly!! I wore arm warmers (will pack those just in case!) and I was comfortable enough. Legs felt really good - boy you can tell a difference with a reduction in work load and rest! I also wore my HR monitor just to see what the old ticker does during a proper ride, and how the bpm correlate to perceived effort. The only thing is, because I am either going up or going down, the data is not straightforward to analyze. Oh, and I got a message that my battery was low on my Vector pedals. Must look into that.

    Data for the 15 minutes at race pace (??) is as follows, and it's stated as avg speed/avg HR/avg cadence/normalized power:

    First 15 minutes at race pace:
    21.3 mph / 120 bpm / 79 rpm / 116 NP (downhill)
    22.9 mph / 137 bpm / 85 rpm / 143 NP (downhill)
    18.5 mph / 134 bpm / 79 rpm / 143 NP (even)
    18.1 mph / 140 bpm / 89 rpm / 154 NP (uphill)
    17.5 mph / 144 bpm / 96 rpm / 157 NP (uphill)

    15 minutes easy:
    15.7 mph / 126 bpm / 84 rpm / 111 NP (even)
    20.2 mph / 118 bpm / 91 rpm / 92 NP (downhill)
    19.5 mph / 118 bpm / 87 rpm / 106 NP (downhill)
    15.5 mph / 123 bpm / 81 rpm / 115 NP(even)

    Second 15 minutes at race pace:
    16.8 mph / 138 bpm / 103 rpm / 151 NP (uphill)
    16.1 mph / 143 bpm / 102 rpm / 155 NP (uphill)
    21.4 mph / 130 bpm / 98 rpm / 117 NP (downhill)
    22.9 mph / 134 bpm / 97 rpm / 132 NP (downhill)
    19.7 mph / 135 bpm / 91 rpm / 133 NP (just slightly downhill)

    I won't bother to state the second 15 minute easy data because it encompasses some steep hills and I don't think it's a great measure for comparison purposes here.

    I'm feeling pretty good....other than the occasional urge to vomit just thinking about what I'll be doing in 6 days :eek:...but the body seems to be in as good a shape as I can hope for. Knees still a bit of an issue (I'll re-address that after the race), and ribs still sore, but it's all systems go for next weekend. Yikes!!!!

    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/590561613

    Actual ride: 34.45 miles in 2:03:07 for an average speed of 16.8 mph and an elevation gain of 1,572 feet


  • Subscribers Posts: 19,425 ✭✭✭✭Oryx


    Tick tock. Can't wait :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Oryx wrote: »
    Tick tock. Can't wait :)

    Get thee to bed, you shameless UltraIronCrazyArsed Hoochie!! ;)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,436 ✭✭✭Izoard


    Hoochie #1 gets it done - looking forward to getting the popcorn out again this weekend, for Hoochie #2!

    Hope you've done this critical swim workout...



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Izoard wrote: »
    Hoochie #1 gets it done - looking forward to getting the popcorn out again this weekend, for Hoochie #2!

    Hope you've done this critical swim workout...


    I'm totally cracking up!!! Thanks for the levity....which is needed right about now.... ;)

    (Note: "cracking up" in the laughter sense, not the loosing-my-marbles sense. However, now that I think about it....;))


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,957 ✭✭✭interested


    "cracking up" ? ;)

    Its rare people go into an event fully prepared and knowing they've done all the ground work and a ready to let it rip.
    Apart from a snicker induced bruising of ribs recently (and pride due to clippy fall ;)) you, little twist, are more than ready for an incredible adventure this coming Saturday. Swimming well, biking well and running well - you've put yourself in the final week ready to go. Awesome job. Enjoy it, every bit of it - the sights, the sounds .... you've paid in spades for it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Monday, September 15th, 2014...aka, 5 more sleeps :eek:

    Run plan: 2 x (2 miles steady, 90 second recovery)

    There's a nip in the air....and that's okay with me as I'm hoping the drop in air temperature will drop the river water temperature so the swim will be wetsuit legal. Right now it's NOT wetsuit legal, but in five days time, who knows??

    This run started out so-so. Legs were a little heavy (could that have been a result of not doing an easy swim last night?) and I even got a few stitches on the first 2 miles. :eek: So, I used the 90 second recovery to basically walk with my arms reaching above my head, and stretching back and to each side. It worked. Stitches subsided to a manageable level, and then they totally disappeared while running the second 2 miles. I'm a little concerned about the stitches - I feel good and have been very disciplined about taking my iron. ?? Maybe it's the little bit of stress I'm feeling...or the fact that I didn't exactly ease into this session. Fingers crossed they don't rear their ugly head on Saturday.

    I opted to cheat and do this in the center of the field, so take the splits with a grain of salt. If I employ my center-of-the-field 20 second addition for Garmin inaccuracies, the first 2 miles were bang on steady pace. :D But the second 2 miles...hmmm....well....the Garmin was probably accumulating and compounding inaccuracies, thus giving me and my gentle readers the impression that I was faster than reality. (wicked Garmin!) But, to be honest, the second 2 miles felt much better than the first two miles, and I just kept the body relaxed and ran without looking at the watch....and I tried to keep the body as fluid as possible, figuring that less resistance will translate into energy saving efficiency....which is what I'll need in a few days. And nobody dare get all googly eyed at the last two miles. Sustained endurance is what I need on Saturday, not 2 quick miles of a 4 mile run.

    7:41, 7:36...7:17, 6:59 (whoopsie!!)

    Actual run: 4.38 miles in 33:33.64 for an average pace of 7:40 min/mile

    Swim

    Just a very necessary easy late evening swim in my heated pool to shake out the day's crap and crud. I could have swam forever at my very slow and methodical pace, but unfortunately I am trying to get a little extra sleep each night and had to cut the evening short.

    Actual swim: 1,000 crap and crud shaking yards


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,724 ✭✭✭Dilbert75


    Strangely enough in May and June I was experiencing an unusual number of stitches during my long runs. Was getting maybe 15 or 20k in and then they'd appear repeatedly. Tried and failed to identify a cause but they didn't trouble me into July for my marathon. Fingers crossed they disappear as mysteriously for you.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,361 ✭✭✭Kurt Godel


    Dory Dory wrote: »
    I'm hoping the drop in air temperature will drop the river water temperature so the swim will be wetsuit legal. Right now it's NOT wetsuit legal, but in five days time, who knows??

    Surely you would benefit more from a non-wetsuit race?


  • Subscribers Posts: 19,425 ✭✭✭✭Oryx


    All last week I had mysterious pains and aches including cramping feet! They were real but somehow I think linked to pre race tension. I hope yours are the same.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Kurt Godel wrote: »
    Surely you would benefit more from a non-wetsuit race?

    In theory, for the swim portion, yes. But the race doesn't end when I exit the water - I've 138.2 more miles to go in my journey....and at least for this first IM, I believe the energy I will save in a wetsuit will be more valuable to me in the race as a whole. :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,361 ✭✭✭Kurt Godel


    Dory Dory wrote: »
    In theory, for the swim portion, yes. But the race doesn't end when I exit the water - I've 138.2 more miles to go in my journey....and at least for this first IM, I believe the energy I will save in a wetsuit will be more valuable to me in the race as a whole. :)

    Hmm- I meant that you would do better than fellow racers who would suffer proportionately more... anyway its in the lap of the gods now! I'd say they could power a small city with your pent-up energy this week :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Kurt Godel wrote: »
    Hmm- I meant that you would do better than fellow racers who would suffer proportionately more... anyway its in the lap of the gods now! I'd say they could power a small city with your pent-up energy this week :)

    I knew what you meant...but this very first IM is purely about me, not how I will compare to others*. :)

    * not to imply that I won't be competing, mind you. ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Tuesday, September 16th, 2014...aka, 4 more sleeps! :eek:

    Bike

    This was a totally busted session that was supposed to be on the trainer over lunch. Usually I pop the rear wheel off the Black Cat and slip her into the LeMond, but because I really didn't want to alter anything on the bike this close to the race, I decided I'd do this session on my old dinosaur of a bike that's on an old trainer in the basement. I skipped on home over lunch, changed clothes, and then as I was putting on my cycling shoes it hit me - the cleats!!! I had the cleats changed on both sets of cycling shoes to match the Garmin Vector pedals, and because I basically do not use this bike/trainer anymore, I didn't bother to change the pedals to match the shoes. Ugh. Oh well. So I sauntered upstairs and did 20 minutes of yoga instead.

    Swim

    With wetsuit on:
    4 x 40 yards all out on 75 seconds
    8 x 100 yards @ 80% PE on 1:40
    4 x 40 yards, descending 1-4, on 75 seconds

    With wetsuit off:
    8 x 100 yards on 2 minutes, @ 80% PE and holding 1:30
    200 yards easy

    My warmup for the evening was getting myself into the wetsuit. I still haven't mastered the best technique of doing so - I still struggle and try and get it high enough up my legs so there is as little empty space at the crotch. I'm not very good at this...I'm really not.

    The swim itself was fine. I was a bit tired - woke up before 4 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so I was dragging some today and kept having dreamy thoughts of taking a nap. And to make matters worse, today my right knee started throbbing, my right shoulder started aching, I feel fat as a cow, my ribs are in bits, I am dealing with a headache, and I haven't finished packing. !!! Taper is going very well, don't you think? ;)

    But the swim went something like this...
    The first 4 x 40s "all out" came in on 23, 25, 25, 24.
    The 8 x 100s @ 80% all came in between 1:10 and 1:13, except for the very first 100, and that came in on 1:05 which I knew was way too fast.
    The second 4 x 40 descending came in on 26, 25, 24.5, 22.
    And the final 8 x 100s without the wetsuit came in too fast, but all were between 1:20 and 1:28, with the last 3 being the slowest.

    Actual swim: 2,120 toasty in a wetsuit yards


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,454 ✭✭✭ Odin Drab Firefighter


    So another hoochie tackling the IM distance, go out and enjoy it. Best of luck


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Wednesday, September 17th, 2014...aka, 3 more sleeps! :eek:

    Run plan: 30 minutes easy

    Did this sneaky lunchtime style....after near disaster with the bike. !!! I had this bright idea to top off the battery charge for the shifters this morning, so when I was recapping the junction box I busted a bottom piece off the cap. :eek::eek: Feck!!! But I thought....how important can a little piece of plastic on a junction box cap be?? So I proceeded to gather the wires and then placed the cap on the box and then screwed it down. All good, right? Ummm, not quite. I had lost the ability to turn the front wheel right and left all the way and with ease. <panic!! breathe in...breathe out...> So I figured I had the wires bundled too tight...but then it sort of looked like the rear shifter wire was getting caught in the remaining piece of the piece I had accidentally busted off. Crap. Now what do I do?? I can't have a wire getting caught while I'm riding thus preventing me from turning properly, or worse yet, severing the wire with the friction. So I called the bike shop, talked to Collin...and he walked me through putting things together, and he calmed my fears. I inspected the box/wires/cap after putting it all back together, and I moved the front wheel side to side enough that I feel confident I'll be fine on the day. But good god, do not ever fiddle with your bike this close to race day!

    Oh, but the run....was fine. Just went real easy...and it was probably only about 25 minutes in length (was short on time after bike fiasco)....4 times loping slowly around the field, hoping and praying the run on Saturday will feel a fraction of how easy/good today's run felt. Not a chance in hell, I'm guessing.

    Actual run: ~2.7 easy sunshiny field miles to make this my last run before I step into some crazy stuff on Saturday :D

    Travel day tomorrow. Then reality sets in. !!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,377 Mod ✭✭✭✭pgibbo


    You crack me up. Glad to hear you're all set. Safe travels and the very best of luck.

    I'm on the way to Logan at the moment so not sure when I'll be back on here. Have a great race. Stay calm and enjoy. You'll do great.


  • Registered Users Posts: 375 ✭✭Pmaldini


    I thought i was bad but You bring IM race week panic to a new level all together:D


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  • Subscribers Posts: 19,425 ✭✭✭✭Oryx


    This is so exciting. Our forum mascot, the cheeriest boardsie to ever grace these pages, smashing her first IM. Who needs tv with this going on?


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,724 ✭✭✭Dilbert75


    In case you're out of contact with Boards for the next few days, I hope you have all the success you deserve. It's been brilliant to hear your training tales and I'll be hanging on for news of your success.


  • Subscribers Posts: 19,425 ✭✭✭✭Oryx


    Dilbert75 wrote: »
    In case you're out of contact with Boards for the next few days, I hope you have all the success you deserve. It's been brilliant to hear your training tales and I'll be hanging on for news of your success.

    I insist she brings her phone on the route for a live account of how it's going.

    Know your race no yet D?


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,724 ✭✭✭Dilbert75


    Feic it no - I'll get nothing done on Saturday if that's the case.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Unfortunately I missed the opportunity to be granted special approval to have my phone with me on the course. Rats! :rolleyes:;)

    Race number is....drum roll....584. It doesn't quite have the pizzaz and magic that our top Hoochie's number did, but I suppose it will do. :)

    And believe it or not, Maryland does have internet - so I will be in touch...and accessible. :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,724 ✭✭✭Dilbert75


    Dory Dory wrote: »
    And believe it or not, Maryland does have internet - so I will be in touch...and accessible. :D

    Not one of those who needs to leave the internet switched off before a big race to prevent late-night Boards browsing interfering with sleep then?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,850 ✭✭✭pgmcpq


    Best of luck (before you vanish into the wild untamed heart of deepest darkest Maryland). Relax ! Remember how plan to approach the race. Stop fiddling with things - rent a few good movies. Let your training take care of the rest.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭career move


    Best of luck Dory. Some people always succeed no matter what obstacles are put in their way and just from lurking on your log it's obvious that you are one of those people! Hope you have a ball :D


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,766 Mod ✭✭✭✭mossym


    after the race you;re going to have to explain more about those wires you went messing with, i've di2 as well(road bike) and i'm very curious..:)

    that's for another day though. for now, best of luck, and most of all, enjoy it.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,436 ✭✭✭Izoard


    Just realised this is on Sat, not Sun!

    There will always be other kids GAA matches, but only one first IM for DD!:)

    All the best with it - great training done, now go and enjoy it...


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