[griffin100]

Tuesday
Swim 2,500m - 200 wu / 100 drills / 100 x 20 off 2.25 / 200 cd.
This was my longest swim session in quite a while. Each of the 20 x 100m's came in at between 1.58 - 2.00 so very pleased with that. The interval between sets was long but I'll try this session again nexct week with a shorter interval.

Wednesday
Swim - approx. 750m. My second swim class. This turned out to be a big dissapointment. The instructors put me into the 'masters' group this week. Problem here is that we were being asked to do butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke. Now I cant do any of these strokes and have no real desire to learn at this stage. This upset the instructor somewhat. We also had problems in that my frontcrawl was much faster than anyone else in the group so I kept getting held up. The session didn't really do much for me and the instructor wants me to go back to the intermediate group for a couple of weeks to learn how to backstroke I'm pissed off at this as before I booked the sessions I specifically said I couldn't swim anything other than front crawl and wanted to improve on that only and was told that that was no problem. I'm not sure if there's much point in going back next week. I need to find a session somewhere that pushes you hard through front crawl drills and sets. If anyone has any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them. The only consolation is that the girls in the intermediate group are much better looking than the masters group and its not that unpleasant to be held up behind them

[Notwitch]

I would have had a somewhat similar opinion to youself on 'other strokes'.

I've begun to change my mind though. I find the b/s stroke good for flexibility - a big problem of mine - and I focus on flexibilty during it - well that and not waterboarding myself. I also think b/fly can be a great strength exercise. May be give it a go for a while - open you mind as they say!

[shotgunmcos]

[QUOTE=griffin100;70972559] The only consolation is that the girls in the intermediate group are much better looking than the masters group and its not that unpleasant to be held up behind them [QUOTE]

That makes it a proper dilemma alright IMO that coach is being completely inflexible. Especially if you paid him. I hate the 'stick to my mantra or else' agendas of some Coaches. Ok so you want to get strong and faster/fitter on the F/S required for Tri. Thats your agenda and he should really at the very least give you suggestions. I wouldn't expect a session plan to be changed but he could also be real and suggest that the session is not for you based on your goals. Anyway, personally I have slowly started doing some backstroke (or something vaguely resembling it) recently and I find it good to change the stroke now and then to give the f/s muscles a break. I actually do 1-200m b/s at the end of most sessions just to stretch the shoulders out. If Im too tired I cool down with breaststroke.

Get thee to a daacent group session chief. like Masters or something to that effect...

[Izoard]

After your scurrilous claims on the Hardman thread, I was about to start slagging you off for taking on a downhill long distance course (unlike Roth), but I reckoned I'd better check the course first - just as well, the 2nd half of the bike looks pretty rough! Run is lumpy enough too, but the swim is pancake flat...

[griffin100]

I take the point about other strokes (i'd love to be able to swim butterfly properly) but I didn't realise that mixed stroked was part of the requirement for these sessions. I specifically told one of the instrictors I couldn't swim anything other than front crawl before I paid and she said that was not an issue. After our conversations I was expecting a session of swims off the clock and drills, not a mix of slowly swum mixed stroke work. Thats what's annoying me most. To these classes I have to stay late in Dublin after work and I dont end up getting home until after 10pm so I'm woundering if my limited training time could be used more productively.

After your scurrilous claims on the Hardman thread, I was about to start slagging you off for taking on a downhill long distance course (unlike Roth), but I reckoned I'd better check the course first - just as well, the 2nd half of the bike looks pretty rough! Run is lumpy enough too, but the swim is pancake flat...

Ha, its a tough second half of the bike alright out there in the Nevada desert. I'm hoping thoughts of the blow out I plan to have on the Vegas strip post race will get me through it - that or the thought that the longer I take the finish the race the more money my wife will have blown in the casinos before I can get to her

[jackyback]

On the swim lessons Griffin just be firm with the instructor on what you want to get from the lessons. I had coaching lessons a while back and was having the same troubles, i told them i needed f/c only as i was doing an IM and that was that.
I cannot imagine too many doing butterfly in an IM, breaststroke is probably more likely for some with recovery in between.

[griffin100]

Time for an update - I seem to be taking the Izoard approach to the training log this year - updates are few and far between

I compared my training volume to this time last year and I'm about 33% down on both swimming and cycling but am about 15% ahead on the running. I'm getting in 7 or so sessions a week but am struggling to get anymore done. Hitting around 10hrs week training volume. The motivation is not as stong as it was last year and not sticking to a set training plan doesn't help. Weight is not around 10lbs above where it was last August

I've tried to get more quality into my sessions rather than just thinking time and distance so hopefully that is helping. My swim sessions have a lot more stroke work than last year and my technique has improved. I've got my 750m TT in the pool down to 14.35 which for me I'm delighted with, although I'm a bit jealous of CW's reapid swim progress this year. My time in the saddle hasn't been great but I'm up to 3hr rides. My new favourite turbo session is a 5 min warm up followed by 10 sets of 3 mins flat out / 2 mins recovery. Dont know if its anygood but its enjoyable and torture at the same time. My running is getting back to where it was late last year so happy enough. Lots of hill sessions.

First race of the season is tomorrow in Port Laois. This will hopefully give me an indication of where I am versus this time last year. Last year I did 15.21 / 35.53 / 22.16 Total 1.15.52. This year I'd hope to beat the swim and be close enough to the bike and run times. In some ways it would be better to be much slower. as this might give me the motivation to get off my pardy arse

[Patrick_K]

I thought a Vegas triathlon would involve some combination of drinking, gambling and sex!
Best of luck with it.

[catweazle]

Ha I wouldn't call it rapid - the new pb is more a measure of me having never really tried a 400m TT before. The big drop in time is more due to the fact that I had a couple of easy days before this attempt. I always seem to be trying it on tired legs.

A 750m TT is a whole new ball game for me though, I dont think I would be getting your PB time there the exhaustion would catch up with me around 600m

Good luck tomorrow, out nice and early i have another 6/7 weeks to go before Spiddal, lovely weather for one!

[Izoard]

Originally Posted by griffin100

Time for an update - I seem to be taking the Izoard approach to the training log this year - updates are few and far between

I compared my training volume to this time last year and I'm about 33% down on both swimming and cycling but am about 15% ahead on the running. I'm getting in 7 or so sessions a week but am struggling to get anymore done. Hitting around 10hrs week training volume. The motivation is not as stong as it was last year and not sticking to a set training plan doesn't help. Weight is not around 10lbs above where it was last August

Given that your A event is in November, your volume will even out as you build up for it - I can't imagine you were caning it after IMUK?

[griffin100]

I thought a Vegas triathlon would involve some combination of drinking, gambling and sex!

That all depends on whether or not the wife comes

Given that your A event is in November, your volume will even out as you build up for it - I can't imagine you were caning it after IMUK?

Yup a long way to go. Looking to find a 'B' event for August to concentrate the mind and am thinking about the Hardman in Kerry - not sure if I want to chance the first year of an IM distance race though (I still have nighmares about Eireman).

If the funds hold up I might try Finland for the europeans as a warm up for Vegas, but getting to the arse end of nowhere in Finland aint cheap.

[Macanri]

All the best for your race tomorrow. 'Twas my first tri. A good race.

[griffin100]

Tri Laois
What a cracking day for a race. It was baking by mid morning. Last year I was in wave 7, this year wave 2. Good because I wouldn't have to wait around for hours for my swim; bad because wave 2 is a slow swim wave (not that I'm fast but you know what I mean). Got talking to the other swimmers in my lane and as I had suspected they were all 20-25 min swimmers I was hoping to do a 14-15 minute swim. The chief swim marshal was great though, she reorganised the few of use who were all hoping for a 15 minute swim (one guy was aiming for a 13 minute swim - how he ended up in this wave I'll never understand) into the same lane.

At the warm up did a relaxed 100m in 1.40, looking good for a decent swim. I started in second place in the lane and off we went. Straight away it went awol; all the technique work I had been doing over the last few months went out the window and I ended up muscling my way through the swim. For the last 200m or so I was fcuked. Marshall shouted 14.57 at me as I exited the pool, about 3 seconds quicker than last year...ffs....I had done 14.35 in training last week so dissapointed with that. Results show 15.16 as swim and part of the long run into T1 added together.

2.45 TI - there was a long long run into and out off transition including a hill that had me panting like a dog by the time I got onto the bike. First 5km on the bike a struggle - heart rate through the roof from the swim. First 5km in 12 minutes, then settelled and did the last 14kms in 26 mins so a bit better here especially as the road surfaces were sh1te. Only seen one other bike on the course and he was from my wave. He stayed about 200m ahead of me for the whole race. Did bike in 37.53.

Into T2 and quick change out for the run - 1.31 - ehh....like I said transition had a long run in and out. On the run caught a few from the first wave and got close to the lad from my wave but couldn't quite get to him. Felt comfortable on the run but was lacking a bit of pace I thought. Finished run in 23.30 and tbh I think the run course was shorter than last year.

Overall 38th individual finisher which is only 6 places down on last year but overall I was exactly 5 minutes slower. Swim was the same; bike was exactly 2 minutes slower and the run was 1.14 slower. Rest of lost time was longer transitions this year. I'm dissapointed with the swim. I had hoped to get under 14.30 but its my own fault for not concentrating enough on technique. I also made an arse of most of my turns so rather than getting any glide off the walls I was splashing around like a drowned rat at every turn. Bike time was to be expected given how little bike work I've done this year (I only got back on the road for the first time in 6 months a couple of weeks ago). Run was a dissapointment, I have a reasonable amount of running in my legs but just lacked some pace.

Next up is North Tipp and then the Tri An Mhi Half. I'll need to work hard in the next few weeks to get up to the standard I want to hit in the half. I have bought one of these though so hopefully I'll have a mega swim

[catweazle]

I swore after last years Joey Hannon and Nenagh the previous year that I would never do another pool based triathlon again. I don't mind getting banged about in the open water but I cant seem to handle swimming in a packed lane

38th overall with over 200 entrants isn't bad plodding at all though

[shotgunmcos]

Hey G100 good show in portlaois, you have loads of time to shape up for Vegas and pool based Tris to my experience can be a lottery of a swim. I'll be out to give you whatever roar/kick/slap/joke you need to go faster in North Tipp. Looking forward to watching some suffering for a change

BTW if you are worried about your stats, you know what my suggestion is.... SBR Challenge! With a late long distance goal you will rock up the charts this Autumn