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The Road Less Traveled: IM 2012

Oryx · 2011-09-07 11:22:37

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. And so begins the poetic start to my new IM training log. :) My previous log saw me go from runner to noob triathlete, to completing Half Ironman…

07-09-2011 12:22pm

#1

Oryx

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I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

And so begins the poetic start to my new IM training log.

My previous log saw me go from runner to noob triathlete, to completing Half Ironman distance. I'm a woman girl lady auld wan who should know better who took up running three years ago, and kinda liked it. I then took up swimming and biking, and hated it. 18 months on, that hate has mellowed into something closer to tolerance, but speed is still some way off! But I believe that what does not kill you makes you stronger, so next July, I will find my cycling love and my swimming mojo, and I hope to be strong enough to cover 140.6 swim/bike/run miles, in - wait for it - 12.45 hours or under.

So thats it. Target stated. Now all I have to do is the work.

18

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#2 07-09-2011 12:26pm

elvis jones

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Good luck and i shall follow with interest.............apart from the female your path is one i would love to follow in the future.

Which race is the focus ?

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#3 07-09-2011 12:32pm

Oryx

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elvis jones wrote: »

Good luck and i shall follow with interest.............apart from the female your path is one i would love to follow in the future.

Which race is the focus ?

Austria. By chance I happened to speak to a girl at the weekend who did it, and said it was the best race she had ever done. Which I thought was prophetic seeing as Ive already reserved a slot.

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#4 07-09-2011 12:39pm

elvis jones

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Oryx wrote: »

Austria. By chance I happened to speak to a girl at the weekend who did it, and said it was the best race she had ever done. Which I thought was prophetic seeing as Ive already reserved a slot.

Great,

So 2012 will be a big year for you !

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#5 07-09-2011 1:05pm

pgibbo

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This must be the first 2012 IM log. Excellent stuff. Best of luck and enjoy the journey! :cool:

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#6 07-09-2011 1:08pm

Oryx

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pgibbo wrote: »

This must be the first 2012 IM log. Excellent stuff. Best of luck and enjoy the journey! :cool:

I'm one of lifes planners, what can I say? Plus I really need the extra time.

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#7 07-09-2011 1:42pm

RubyK

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Best of luck with the IM training! You are one tough cookie

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#8 07-09-2011 1:49pm

Cleanman

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Well done with the 6 hour HIM, I'll be following this log with interest being where you were about 3 years ago! Happy training!

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#9 07-09-2011 2:16pm

Izoard

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Great to see it up in lights!

Go, girl!!!:D

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#10 08-09-2011 12:50pm

ronanmac

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Good luck with the big target, Oryx. I look forward to following what will no doubt be an interesting journey!

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#11 08-09-2011 3:14pm

Wells Delicious Gazelle
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I cannot wait to follow your progress over the year. Best of luck with the IM training....not a bother to you.

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#12 08-09-2011 9:30pm

Oryx

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Am having a relaxing week this week, after the half. Just a jog last night and joined in on a kettlebell session just for a laugh this evening. I plan to have a few weeks like this, just doing what I feel like with no pressure.

After that, I will be training back up to be ready for the ballbuster duathlon in November (8m/24m/8m). Through the winter I plan to focus on core strength, bike base work, and swim technique. From the end of January I will be doing a 20 week IM plan. I have already found one that looks promising, but I need to be careful to choose one I can fit into my life, timewise.

In terms of events, all the short ones are gone from the calendar. I want to do the double Oly in athy because it fits in the schedule, and I may pick up another HIM late in the season. The wicklow 200 might be worth a look too. But its all to decided yet. I'm just jotting my thoughts down now so I can start getting my head around what I need to do.

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#13 09-09-2011 10:11pm

Bally8

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Best of luck with the plans for 2012. You are my inspiration. Im planning to enter the world of triathlons next year, dont think I'll ever make HIM or IMs so I'll just experience them through you if thats ok:)

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#14 10-09-2011 9:24am

Oryx

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Easy swim this morning. 1400m. Felt good. Resting's cool

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#15 11-09-2011 11:23am

Oryx

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15k run. Not a good one. Legs are still feeling last week! Took almost 90 mins.

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#16 12-09-2011 10:36am

shotgunmcos

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Best of luck with this one Oryx, you have a great attitude towards these goals and I'll follow his log with keen interest.

Just noticed that a poster called "fluffybums" is follwing it too, whatever that says about your fans

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#17 12-09-2011 11:09pm

Oryx

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Proper, serious kettlebell class tonight. The first of many. Long sets of 30 or so reps, swings squats and snatches mainly. Kept to 8 and 12s, don't want to injure by going too heavy too quickly. Plus I would like to be able to walk tomorrow.

Also, big thanks to all who have posted encouraging words here. Its going to be a long road and that is a hard target for me. But it will keep me going knowing I have to answer to you lot if I wuss out.

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#18 13-09-2011 8:50am

Oryx

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1600m pool swim. Partly because I can't face going in the sea later.

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#19 13-09-2011 10:02am

pgibbo

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How do you rate the kettle bells? Personally I'm a fan and think they provide a great hit, especially if you are stuck for time. They'll have you blowing out your a$$ if done right and are a great cardio and core workout. Throw in some deadlifts or squats after and you can get a great session in 20 minutes or so.

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#20 13-09-2011 10:11am

Oryx

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pgibbo wrote: »

How do you rate the kettle bells? Personally I'm a fan and think they provide a great hit, especially if you are stuck for time. They'll have you blowing out your a$$ if done right and are a great cardio and core workout. Throw in some deadlifts or squats after and you can get a great session in 20 minutes or so.

I hadn't done them in a while, but I had been doing them regularly for about 18 months up to the beginning of this year. I love them, I havent come across anything better for building strength quickly. I will be trying to do 2-3 sessions a week up till next January. It will be interesting to see how any gains transfer to the swim and bike.

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#21 13-09-2011 8:48pm

Oryx

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Took the bike out for a short ride down to where the club sea swim. Didn't fancy a dip myself so chatted to the others instead. Well. Pointed and laughed, really. It rained on me coming back which I reckon was karma. 25k which felt lovely. I like this no pressure training.

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#22 14-09-2011 7:18am

El Director

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Hey Oryx, the very best of luck with this, I love following the IM logs and really look forward to following your journey, it's mad but you will not find until D day is upon you

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#23 15-09-2011 8:22am

Oryx

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Rested yesterday. Well actually spent the day painting a room so it was 8 hours of stepladder aerobics. Ran this morning. Just 6k and funnily enough the legs felt tired but energywise I was good. And because I've been out early and got training done it feels like a day off.

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#24 15-09-2011 9:47am

shotgunmcos

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I love that feeling of being energised after an early morning run. I agree too that it feels like a day off, especially in the thick of an IM block with no evening session planned relish them

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#25 15-09-2011 10:11am

Oryx

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shotgunmcos wrote: »

I love that feeling of being energised after an early morning run. I agree too that it feels like a day off, especially in the thick of an IM block with no evening session planned relish them

Shhh. Brain doesnt know about all that yet. Although 6k did feel like a total cop out.

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#26 17-09-2011 11:02am

Oryx

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Swam yesterday. Then tried to run this morning but was knackered so I gave it up as a bad job. Try again tomorrow.

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#27 18-09-2011 12:46pm

Oryx

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Biked today. Started out good but after an hour into the wind I was getting tired and sore. Note: altura shorts were BAD today. Did 58k including the series of hills called the tramps heartbreak, and by the end I was glad to get off the bike. Not so much fatigued but really not comfy by the time I got home. Weird how I could do 85k in a trisuit the other week and not a bother.

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#28 19-09-2011 11:51am

Oryx

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1700m swim. As the coached sessions start again soon I timed a few lengths. I really have slowed over whe summer. I will need to do some painful work to get back to where I was!

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#29 19-09-2011 9:47pm

Oryx

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Second session of the day. Kettlebells. Good set. Stayed on the 12kg for supersets of swings double and single arm, cleans, squats, snatches and deadlifts. Only dropped to 8kg for getups. Next week will try the swings at 16kg.

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#30 21-09-2011 3:56pm

Izoard

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BTW, I hope this IM nonsense is not convincing you to drop Tough Guy?

Tsk, tsk....

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#31 21-09-2011 3:59pm

Oryx

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Izoard wrote: »

BTW, I hope this IM nonsense is not convincing you to drop Tough Guy?

Tsk, tsk....

Last year, the very moment I exited the lake after the death plunge, I knew I could finally drop Tough Guy. Never intended to do it this year. If you want to, you can take over the TG mantle. That box is well and truly ticked, here!

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