[El Director]

Mon Eve 1st Feb

Plan Club Run
Actual Nothing

Had to give this a miss due to an unfortunate/unforeseen event. A reminder (not that it was needed) that there are much much more important things in life. Return to running will have to wait.

[jackyback]

Originally Posted by El Director

Mon Eve 1st Feb

Plan Club Run
Actual Nothing

Had to give this a miss due to an unfortunate/unforeseen event. A reminder (not that it was needed) that there are much much more important things in life. Return to running will have to wait.

Hope everything is ok El D.

[El Director]

Originally Posted by jackyback

Hope everything is ok El D.

Thanks Jacky, just have to wait and see now.

Weds 2nd Feb

Plan 1.5h Club Swimming
Actual Afternoon session in the NAC

After yesterdays upset I didn't get to bed until very late so club swim went out the window. Luckily I have a half day on Weds (just the way my timetable worked out this year) so I headed to the NAC. Only had an hour as the pool closes at 2:30. I like to do drills when I am on my own because we don't do any with the club.

WU 400m

Drills 200m kick
200m paddles
200m 'belly to the wall', fins on
200m single arm, fins on

Main Set 16 x 100m 1-4; easy 5-8; a bit faster 9-12; fast 13-16 all out;
Only got through 10 before I was kicked out

1-4 - 1:57; 1:57; 1:56; 1:57;
5-8 - 1:49; 1:48; 1:46; 1:48;
9-10 - 1:43PB; 1:44

Total Dist 2,200mts
Total Time 1hr
I think that that is a new PB, never really kept an eye on it before but I am from now on. Actually I feel I'm on the brink of getting that 100m down to under 1:40, my stroke is just beginning to feel longer and stronger, my fitness is just holding me back at the moment....but that wil change.

Straight home and.....

Plan 60 min turbo, session 26
Actual 60 min turbo, session 26

Dist 28.2k; Time 60min; Cad Ave/Max 93/141; Watt Ave/Max 198/361

Cadence sensor working again Really enjoy these 1hr sessions

[catweazle]

Originally Posted by El Director

9-10 - 1:43PB; 1:44

I think that that is a new PB, never really kept an eye on it before but I am from now on. Actually I feel I'm on the brink of getting that 100m down to under 1:40, my stroke is just beginning to feel longer and stronger, my fitness is just holding me back at the moment....but that wil change.

You should try it El D, you should find it easy. You are a far better swimmer than me and I can get under 1.40 (albeit at the start of a session not the 9th set). I would guess you will be closer to 1.30 than 1.40

[El Director]

Originally Posted by catweazle

You should try it El D, you should find it easy. You are a far better swimmer than me and I can get under 1.40 (albeit at the start of a session not the 9th set). I would guess you will be closer to 1.30 than 1.40

Thanks CW,I suppose I could just lash one out but I want it to happen within a main set, it will happen soon enough though.

Thur morn 1st Feb

Plan Strength/core session, AA Phase session 6 of 8
Actual Strength/core session, AA Phase session 6 of 8

Total Time 1hr 20min.

[El Director]

Thurs Eve 3rd Feb 2011

Plan Club Session
Actual Club Session

No running for 8 days as I was giving the achilles a chance. Arrived down at the club house, went to jump into the medium/easy group but coach told me they were doing 5 miles easy and I should jump into the elite group as they were doing 8 miles 'easy'. Found the pace a little pacey at first and 3 of us were detached after 2 miles We worked together though and latched back onto the back of the group. The achilles? Well good news. I did feel it at times and I was thinking But I lately I started to do my chi/pose drills and so whenever I felt a twinge I just went through my checklist in my head and hey presto twinge gone. You wouldn't believe the amount of focus this takes. I'd then drift again into my poor form but when it happened I just re-focused and it felt great The last 4k were at 4:16 pace or so, HR kept low enough too and I was finishing strong right up at the top. So I kinda feel the same as the swimming, stronger than last year, just unfit.

Dist 13.3km; Time 1:03:04; HR Ave/ Max 155/180; Pace 4:45/km

[El Director]

Friday Morn 4th Feb

Plan Club Swim Session
Actual Nothing

Slept in a very funny position Weds night and really hurt my left shoulder. Was at me all day yesterday, can't rise it above my head, putting on a top is a painful event now. Got up this morning all set just hoping shoulder would be ok, after a few failed attemps to do my swim stroke I knew I'd have to leave it. Annoying. I've actually done this before and I know it is not serious, it'll be fine by Monday but since making consistency my No. 1 objective this year it really gets to me when I miss a session, I couldn't get back to sleep for an hour because I was thinking about it. I have missed 3 sessions now in 3 weeks, none of them could be helped but still frustrating. I really have to learn to let it go and move on.

[El Director]

Fri Eve 4th Feb

Plan 60 min turbo, session 27
Actual 60 min turbo, session 27

Dist 30.3k; Time 1hr; Cad 92/127; Watt 213/369

This was prob the toughest turbo session yet but I was able for it. 213 represents my highest hour wattage yet.

18k Z2 run planned for 9 am, looking out now I really really hope that that driving rain and gale force wind dies down and especially for the planned Sun morn 80k bike.

[El Director]

Sat Morn 5th Feb

Plan 18k Z2
Actual 16k Z2

Down home again this weekend. Met a mate of mine at my house at 9am and headed off on a route that I mapped on google at 18k, however I hit off a different route hence the 2k difference or so, not that google map is that accurate but it isn't that far off. A wet/rainy morn but what a wonderful route! Never did it before, there is one mile called the "golden mile" it's beautiful. Great having someone with you, and we were able to hold a conversation all the way around-the way it should be for a Z2 run. My mate actually has almost identical running objectives/goals this year including Dublin marathon and it is going to be an unbelievably tight affair between us as will any other races we do together. Great having someone at home with similar aspirations.

Time 1:27:30; Dist 15.97km; Pace 5:29/km; HR Ave 145; Cad Ave 77

First time using the foot pod and confirms what I thought. I will work on getting that cadence up to 86 or so. Although I must look into calibrating it first.

Forgot to mention, I did mean to go at 5min/km pace but a big breakfast put paid to that! What an ejit I am! still Z2 is Z2.

[El Director]

Sun Morn 6th Feb

Plan c.80k Z2 cycle
Actual c.82k Z2 cycle

The most miserable and dark morning I remember in a long time. It plashed on me every minute of this session it was also freezing. A tough tough session. Decided last year after a discussion here that I'd be doing a lot of these long bikes solo. I so wish I had a group today. Still, sessions like this will be the making of me, long summer days lay ahead. It was a miserable week/weekend personally so this was an apt end.

No data as foreman was dead, forgot to charge it. Time 3:27:08

Week Summary

17 Jan-23 Jan	# sessions	Time hh:mm	Distance kms
Total	10	13:57	154.89
Swimming	2	2:15	4
Cycling	4	6:27	166.3
Running	2	2:30	29.3
Strenth/Core	2	2:45	N/A

Weight Watch

Last Week 85.5kg
This Week 85.3kg

Missed Sessions Watch

This Week 1
Altogether 2

So not my biggest week ever after all. Missed a session with a shoulder problem, which is improving but not as fast as I would have hoped. Still I will try the swim in the morn and if it's still not right I will get out. This is a restin/testin week, the last of Base 1 and really really feel like I need it. I will cut out the strength/core sessions and do only one session of my strongest discipline (biking). I have had two low milage run weeks so I will keep up the running and I can't curtail swimming at all. Next week I will give a more detailed summary as the first block will be over.

[kennyb3]

Dude hope everything is alright.Fair play sticking it out in that weather yesterday. great session.

[jackyback]

Thanks for linking to the old race reports i enjoyed reading them. You were a busy man last year with all the events you done and some great results to boot.

[El Director]

Mon Eve 7th Feb

Decided last night that there is no point in swimming with this shoulder the way it is, especially as I have a free morning tomorrow morn when I could d a session, so an extra days rest on it. The injury doesn't concern me as it is getting better. Missing pool time does concern me however. Anyway, to the test....

First Bike Test Of 2011 - FTPw Test

Plan FTPw Test
Actual FTPw Test

Did my first FTPw test today, didn't know what to expect as I have never done one before. Didn't want to go mad and not last the 30 min so decided to try and keep cadence above 90 and speed above 37km/h. As the test progress however I thought that I could push it more, I wanted to be a wreck after it-which I was! The last 8 min or so I pushed the speed up to 41-43km/h and the cadence 100-104 rpm.

The Test

Warm Up 15 min; 6.4km; Then stretch for 5 mins
30 min test CALIB to '0'; Slope set to '+1'

Watt Ave 299 (my FTPw)
Cad Ave 98
HR Ave 159 (my LTHR)
Speed Ave 40km/h
Dist 20km

Cool Down 15 min; 6km.

So target for the season, as per my first post, is to better my FTPw by 15% before Galway 70.3. So that means my target FTPw is 344

Happy with that, really happy. Of course not 100% accurate but so long as I replicate the test each time then I can compare. Looking forward to the next test already, where I will start at averaging 40km/h straight away.

So starting in Base 2 I will be doing one FTP session per week, any suggestions on what those session should be? I must check my e mails because I know I asked MCOS this last year.

Total Time 60 min
Total Dist 32.4km

[El Director]

Originally Posted by kennyb3

Dude hope everything is alright.Fair play sticking it out in that weather yesterday. great session.

Thanks man. Things won't be settled down for a while yet but thanks. Ya it was miserable but glad I stuck it out and I stayed in the hot bath for 40 min after

Originally Posted by jackyback

Thanks for linking to the old race reports i enjoyed reading them. You were a busy man last year with all the events you done and some great results to boot.

Thanks JB, I really enjoyed doing them too. I do love racing I must admit, won't be cutting back too much this year either

[Macanri]

20km in 30mins -
Great going!