[El Director]

Originally Posted by pgibbo

I had to double take when I spotted this!

Looking forward to this log. Best of luck with the goals, especially the Mallorca one!

Com'on P....give the people what they want....Bambaata has done it, now you!

Love that pic Eddie, you'll have to frame it and hang it up in your pain cave! It'll be worth a few bob in years to come when he is a multiple olympic champ.

Also thanks for the techno link, now downloading from iTunes - it's free sweet!

[jackyback]

Originally Posted by Bambaata

He's light as a feather so his w/kg must be serious!

I read somewhere that its over 6watts per kg

[BTH]

Definitely going to be following this one. this should be interesting!

Nice pic too. But I really dont get the techno tunes around these parts.

[Bambaata]

Thursday 5th Jan
Lunchtime Run
Nice out, albeit still windy. Not as bad as yesterday but still strong gusts. Session was 45 easy with some 20s fast bits. Fast bits (ill dig them out later when i upload the details) were into the wind and hard going! Just focused and ensuring my feet were turning over as quick as was possible to keep it fast. Had a funny stitch around my right pectoral from about 1km, it wasnt effecting pace but i thought id try get ride of it anyway. From trying a few breathing methods i ended up with a proper stitch high up centre/right of my stomach! Had to stop for a minute to let it settle. 1 or 2 more new runners out and of the other extreme. One was just in a sleeveless t-shirt!! It was chilly so fair balls to him! Savage day out. I run Clontarf Strand 2 to 3 times a week but it never gets boring.
Time: 00:45:25, Ave Pace: 04:30min/km, Distance: 10.10km

[Notwitch]

Great to see you start a log Bambaata. Interesting that you see your ability to handle pain as a weakness last year. Any specific plans/pointers on tackling that one?

How did your training week pre christmas go? Any chance the sickness resulted from the big week away?

Best of luck with the goals. The p2 does look small on you - not sure if it's the photo or not. Any progress on that front?

[jackyback]

Originally Posted by Notwitch

The p2 does look small on you - not sure if it's the photo or not. Any progress on that front?

The first time i met him for a spin my first thoughts was why is this guy riding a kids sized bike given his height even though its a size too big for me hate being such a short arse!!

[Bambaata]

Originally Posted by Notwitch

Great to see you start a log Bambaata. Interesting that you see your ability to handle pain as a weakness last year. Any specific plans/pointers on tackling that one?

How did your training week pre christmas go? Any chance the sickness resulted from the big week away?

Best of luck with the goals. The p2 does look small on you - not sure if it's the photo or not. Any progress on that front?

Hey Notwitch. I think there are a few things on the pain thing. I wouldn't be the biggest fan of very hard efforts. I just don't like it! Plain and simple but i know to improve i need to do it. I feel great after a successful "hard" session but not so great during it. I think the more i do it the more ill at least tolerate it and adapt to it. There are numerous races in the past where'd id finish and feel like i could almost go again, i obviously hadn't pushed hard enough. What i thought was hard obviously wasn't etc. I think also that i may not have always fueled myself properly for a hard session that id do after work etc. A combination of tiredness from work and not enough fuel will obviously impact so i am going to pay greater attention to afternoon snacks to make sure i can go full throttle in the session later that night.

Good question on the Xmas sickness. I had actually just come off the back of a recovery week! And it was a proper recovery week with low hours and no work! Im not sure exactly what it was but i had done a fair amount of travelling etc and had been exposed to hot/cold/hot/cold etc. I remember being fairly cold during a BG session a few days before falling ill but to be honest i dont know exactly. I wasnt dying by any means but just took the decision to lay up rather than help it develop. It was just a sore throat, stuffed up nose and sinus issues with minor aches 1 or 2 of the 4 days. I wasnt bed ridden by any means - typical man-flu Seems most at work also had it over the break but i hadnt been at work for 8 days beforehand

I'll be getting onto sorting the bike issue around the end of Jan/early Feb. Im waiting on the P5 to be released but highly doubt ill be able to afford it going by what price mloc saw mentioned.

[Bambaata]

Bike - Easy 1hr, cadence > 90
Great session this evening. I felt tired in the lunchtime run today and put it partly down to a little less sleep than usual coupled with the possibility of too great a kcal deficit over the past few days so i was expecting to feel a little labored here. Had no such issues. Due to feeling decent i kept power towards mid/high side of the zone and kept a good fresh cadence. good stretch out afterwards too. Good session playing some online poker and reading some of Macca's book. Cant do that outside and off the turbo
Time: 01:00:00, Ave Power 188W, Distance 30.95km

[catweazle]

Originally Posted by Bambaata

Bike - Easy 1hr, cadence > 90
Good session playing some online poker and reading some of Macca's book. Cant do that outside and off the turbo

Interesting tip already - I never thought of playing poker on the turbo!

[Bambaata]

Friday 6th January
Morning Swim
I believe this is my biggest pool swim to date, 4000m. It was a mixture of 400 -> 100sw's and 100B+B's with some drills at the start and fast 50s to finish. I am never feeling great in the mornings. Most likely as im not fuelled yet. I always feel much stronger after work. This morning was no exception. I even went a few lengths further than usual and after last nights turbo i stocked up on peanut butter/crackers, paté/crackers and had a lovely chicken dinner with plenty of veggies right away along with a protein shake. I was trying to make sure i was ready for this morning. I went to bed early feeling satisfied, not too full but not hungry. When i got up i had the usual half glass OJ with my vits & minerals, some leftovers if the chicken (very small amount) and some Lucazade sport on the way. I had that about 40mins before starting off and hoped it might help.

Well after the warmup and drills i hit the 400sw and immediately knew i wasn't going to be hitting the times i do generally when i swim later. I felt quite weak and just couldn't get the same power in my stroke, it was actually worse than usual and 50s per 50m felt quite laboured! After the 400 and 4 x100B+B i felt a bit better but still not wonderful. Finished with the fast 50s on 42, 40, 42 and about 41 (got held up with 5m to go at the end of the lane). They'd normally be 38 - 41. I think for long ones like this I'm going to do it in the evening and get the most out of the session. Form was okish. Time flew by though and the distance felt fine, I was still feeling ok and not too fatigued by the end. I have read before that it generally takes the body til about 3pm before its fully up to temperature and working 100% and it certainly felt true today! Ive been evening swimming a fair bit recently so im just going to have to get used to it and muck on.
Time:01:27:00, Distance: 4000m

Lunchtime Run
Today was 5 x 5mins mod hard, 1 easy. Ive been running to RPE lately as i am HRM strapless (until later tonight) so i thought somewhere in the region of 03:40 - 03:50 would be about right based off the 03:30ave for the Jingle Bells 5km race recently. Well first one was perfect, i dipped to 03:35 for a while and was thinking i must be pushing a little hard to backed off very marginally and came in on 03:40/km pace. Then i turned around (out and back again on Clontarf Strand) and bang! Hello Mr Wind!! Oh how i hate him! Then i realised why 03:40 felt fine, i was being shoved along!! So reps 2 to 4 were back into Mr Wind, they came in on 04:10, 04:16, 04:09. Then rep 5 was a mix of headwind and tailwind (for 02:00 of the 5 or so) and came in on 03:59. Decent session and i felt RPE was fairly consistent
Time: 00:50:24, Ave Pace: 04:11min/km, Distance: 12.04km

[shotgunmcos]

Tat wind has been wrecking my buzz all week! Nice swimming there. 4K put down and you are training for a HIM

[pgibbo]

Fecking wind is the same here. Frustrating as hell.

4k swim in January!!!!

[tunney]

Originally Posted by Bambaata

Friday 6th January
Morning Swim
I believe this is my biggest pool swim to date, 4000m. It was a mixture of 400 -> 100sw's and 100B+B's with some drills at the start and fast 50s to finish. I am never feeling great in the mornings. Most likely as im not fuelled yet. I always feel much stronger after work. This morning was no exception. I even went a few lengths further than usual and after last nights turbo i stocked up on peanut butter/crackers, paté/crackers and had a lovely chicken dinner with plenty of veggies right away along with a protein shake. I was trying to make sure i was ready for this morning. I went to bed early feeling satisfied, not too full but not hungry. When i got up i had the usual half glass OJ with my vits & minerals, some leftovers if the chicken (very small amount) and some Lucazade sport on the way. I had that about 40mins before starting off and hoped it might help.

Well after the warmup and drills i hit the 400sw and immediately knew i wasn't going to be hitting the times i do generally when i swim later. I felt quite weak and just couldn't get the same power in my stroke, it was actually worse than usual and 50s per 50m felt quite laboured! After the 400 and 4 x100B+B i felt a bit better but still not wonderful. Finished with the fast 50s on 42, 40, 42 and about 41 (got held up with 5m to go at the end of the lane). They'd normally be 38 - 41. I think for long ones like this I'm going to do it in the evening and get the most out of the session. Form was okish. Time flew by though and the distance felt fine, I was still feeling ok and not too fatigued by the end. I have read before that it generally takes the body til about 3pm before its fully up to temperature and working 100% and it certainly felt true today! Ive been evening swimming a fair bit recently so im just going to have to get used to it and muck on.
Time:01:27:00, Distance: 4000m

Lunchtime Run
Today was 5 x 5mins mod hard, 1 easy. Ive been running to RPE lately as i am HRM strapless (until later tonight) so i thought somewhere in the region of 03:40 - 03:50 would be about right based off the 03:30ave for the Jingle Bells 5km race recently. Well first one was perfect, i dipped to 03:35 for a while and was thinking i must be pushing a little hard to backed off very marginally and came in on 03:40/km pace. Then i turned around (out and back again on Clontarf Strand) and bang! Hello Mr Wind!! Oh how i hate him! Then i realised why 03:40 felt fine, i was being shoved along!! So reps 2 to 4 were back into Mr Wind, they came in on 04:10, 04:16, 04:09. Then rep 5 was a mix of headwind and tailwind (for 02:00 of the 5 or so) and came in on 03:59. Decent session and i felt RPE was fairly consistent
Time: 00:50:24, Ave Pace: 04:11min/km, Distance: 12.04km

Not looking forward to getting lapped when i get back swimming. I'll be going in the mornings so you go in evening.

Given most races start about 0700 should you not look at figuring out why you cannot "wake up" for the sessions and address that than rather just training in the evenings?

[pgibbo]

Originally Posted by tunney

Given most races start about 0700 should you not look at figuring out why you cannot "wake up" for the sessions and address that than rather just training in the evenings?

Maybe it's something you just need to get used to and give your body time to adapt.

Personally I used to find early morning swims hard but in the lead up to Barcelona all my swims were first thing in the morning on empty. I actually prefer them now and the body has gotten used to it.

[average_runner]

Originally Posted by Bambaata

Friday 6th January
Morning Swim
I believe this is my biggest pool swim to date, 4000m. It was a mixture of 400 -> 100sw's and 100B+B's with some drills at the start and fast 50s to finish. I am never feeling great in the mornings. Most likely as im not fuelled yet. I always feel much stronger after work. This morning was no exception. I even went a few lengths further than usual and after last nights turbo i stocked up on peanut butter/crackers, paté/crackers and had a lovely chicken dinner with plenty of veggies right away along with a protein shake. I was trying to make sure i was ready for this morning. I went to bed early feeling satisfied, not too full but not hungry. When i got up i had the usual half glass OJ with my vits & minerals, some leftovers if the chicken (very small amount) and some Lucazade sport on the way. I had that about 40mins before starting off and hoped it might help.

Well after the warmup and drills i hit the 400sw and immediately knew i wasn't going to be hitting the times i do generally when i swim later. I felt quite weak and just couldn't get the same power in my stroke, it was actually worse than usual and 50s per 50m felt quite laboured! After the 400 and 4 x100B+B i felt a bit better but still not wonderful. Finished with the fast 50s on 42, 40, 42 and about 41 (got held up with 5m to go at the end of the lane). They'd normally be 38 - 41. I think for long ones like this I'm going to do it in the evening and get the most out of the session. Form was okish. Time flew by though and the distance felt fine, I was still feeling ok and not too fatigued by the end. I have read before that it generally takes the body til about 3pm before its fully up to temperature and working 100% and it certainly felt true today! Ive been evening swimming a fair bit recently so im just going to have to get used to it and muck on.
Time:01:27:00, Distance: 4000m

Lunchtime Run
Today was 5 x 5mins mod hard, 1 easy. Ive been running to RPE lately as i am HRM strapless (until later tonight) so i thought somewhere in the region of 03:40 - 03:50 would be about right based off the 03:30ave for the Jingle Bells 5km race recently. Well first one was perfect, i dipped to 03:35 for a while and was thinking i must be pushing a little hard to backed off very marginally and came in on 03:40/km pace. Then i turned around (out and back again on Clontarf Strand) and bang! Hello Mr Wind!! Oh how i hate him! Then i realised why 03:40 felt fine, i was being shoved along!! So reps 2 to 4 were back into Mr Wind, they came in on 04:10, 04:16, 04:09. Then rep 5 was a mix of headwind and tailwind (for 02:00 of the 5 or so) and came in on 03:59. Decent session and i felt RPE was fairly consistent
Time: 00:50:24, Ave Pace: 04:11min/km, Distance: 12.04km

That wind was brutal today out there. I ran there at lunchtime from the business park, first time running out that way. I was only doing a recovery run but the wind still annoying!!