At least it not a cold winter morning ergo LSD...

MCOS

Ok here goes...

The Goals for 2009
#1 Run a 10k event in <40 minutes
#2 Finish the Kilkee Hell of the West Triathlon
#3 Finish the Kenmare Lost Sheep Half Ironman Triathlon

Where I'm at
I used to row years ago so I'm not a stranger to training. I've never run a 10k or done a Triathlon. I've been running the last year to keep fit. I've just bought a bike and its my first one since a High Nellie I used for commuting in Japan over 5 years ago My first swim session with other people or a coach was last week (my first time doing drills etc...), otherwise I've been reading about it and swimming 1-2 times a week since I started in the summer.

I'm currently tapering for the Dublin City Marathon where I hope to achieve 3'29'59"! My last long run was on saturday morning at 6am. I did 23m, my longest training run ever and it hurt. I took Sunday off. Monday evening was 3 miles on a treadmill and a spin class nice and easy. Yesterday I felt terrible and had a long day, starting college in the evening after work so I didn't train.

Tonight I am joining the Triathlon Club. The swim session is a 20 minute TT or whatever time you do 1k in :eek:. I learned from last week that there are 5 lanes and I'll be starting in lane 5 (the slowest). I'm nervous to say the least! I'll let ye know how I get on tomorrow...

MCOS

The TT last night wasn't great but I didn't embarrass myself either. I finished the 20 min swim but failed to reach the distance. I think I got about 900m, I'll find out for sure soon enough. The Swim Coach just wanted to get an idea of times per 100m so he can put us in the correct lane.

I've never been in a TT or race kind of situation with swimming but it is definitely motivating to be pulling away from the guy in the lane next to you... that said I was lapped over and over again and that same guy I was pulling away from passed me when I stopped at the wall to let the faster guy past

I find it crazy how I can run for 3 hours but I start to fade after just 10 minutes of swimming!

4 miles easy on the treadmill this morning and all I wanted to do was get back in the pool and try again...

MCOS

Lunchtime swim session at Local 20m pool.

200m x 6 in 5min blocks, the faster I do the more rest I get

3'43", 3'38", 3'42", 3'52", 3'58", 3'45"

After the fourth I was wrecked. Just dug deep on the last one! This swimming lark is tough...

MCOS

Out at 5am for 13 miles in 1'42. Wasn't really sure of the pace as I couldn't see my watch and it was quite cold and misty. Passed some street lamps at 3m and was a minute slower than marathon pace. I still couldn't feel my knuckles so I worked for a couple of miles to warm up. Passed a few more lights at 10k and was picking up the pace a little. Kept it steady at marathon pace home and was happy to finish the first week of taper feeling good at this pace

Woddle

And I thought I was out early 6:30am, fair play, and best of luck with the training and log.

MCOS

Cross Training

10 mins row @ 1'50.7"/500m, 2,710m. The ergo kicks your ass if you neglect it for months! Also since I haven't done weights in about 8 months I really need to incorporate a strength session into the post Dublin program

3 miles in 22 mins straight after the row. 8',6',8' the middle quick mile was hard work!

45 min spinning class. Been doing this lass at full tilt avery monday night but held back this evening as the legs felt heavy and its week 2 of taper.

Off chocolate until after the Marathon too, day one no craving...

MCOS

7 miles easy in 60' (8'34"/mile). Max HR 147 recovery HR 116 2 mins after the run.

Quite a boring run actually, I suppose its all about keeping the legs active and fresh now. I watched a few (well... a lot of) clips of Ironman this morning which I guess is why a 60 min jog felt insignificant! Less than 2 weeks to Dublin woohoo!

MCOS

Well last night I confirmed my swim TT result for last week. I did the 1k in 19'02" which blasts my Personal Best apart ! I knew I got close to 1k but I didn't even think I completed the distance. Maybe it was having other people in the TT that pushed me a bit harder. Anyway it meant that I was in a different lane last night based on my time and a bit nervous that I was going to struggle.

Session total 2,000 meters.

6*100m warm up
8*25m drills
3*400m at 8'10" pace

The warm up was ok, I felt good. The drills are still all new so the leg kicks tired me out. The 400s were hard work. I was second in a group of 5 and held the pace ok for the first 2. On the 3rd rep I went at the back of the group as I was wrecked. I was losing a little bit each length and just dug deep to catch the group again at the end of it. Overall I was happy to stay with the pace for the 3 reps. Swimming endurance will become a focus after Dublin!

Seres

MCOS wrote: »

Well last night I confirmed my swim TT result for last week. I did the 1k in 19'02" which blasts my Personal Best apart ! I knew I got close to 1k but I didn't even think I completed the distance. Maybe it was having other people in the TT that pushed me a bit harder. Anyway it meant that I was in a different lane last night based on my time and a bit nervous that I was going to struggle.

Session total 2,000 meters.

6*100m warm up
8*25m drills
3*400m at 8'10" pace

The warm up was ok, I felt good. The drills are still all new so the leg kicks tired me out. The 400s were hard work. I was second in a group of 5 and held the pace ok for the first 2. On the 3rd rep I went at the back of the group as I was wrecked. I was losing a little bit each length and just dug deep to catch the group again at the end of it. Overall I was happy to stay with the pace for the 3 reps. Swimming endurance will become a focus after Dublin!

Welldone on your PB , i am so jealous , swimming is such a struggle for me , good session , keep up the good work

MCOS

4 miles tempo in 26'46". A couple of hills so had to work really hard. 6'42"/mile average. 13'23" out and 13'23" back. Considering coming back I had to run up the hills I went down on the way out, the last mile was tough. Thought about how easy the marathon pace would be by comparison:D

MCOS

2,000m swim this morning in the local 20m pool. It was my first time completing this distance non stop, Personal Best by 3 minutes and I felt good doing it! I'm getting closer to that 40 minute mark.

My stroke length stayed pretty consistant where as the last half dozen times I tried this swim I died with a few hundred meters to go and the stroke got shorter and shorter. I also found a good rhythm, one I felt I could hold for a while. I also did 2 things differently. I usually pull my right hand too fast. This morning I tried a cleaner 'catch' and lighter pull and tried to accelerate my right hand. In other words I tried to pull without creating a load of bubbles! Secondly in the last few hundred meters I started to breathe every 2 instead of my usual every 4.

DAVE_K

that's good going on the swimming - what are you basing you swim technique on, i.e. the pull/catch thing - TOTAL IMMERSION?........which BTW I haven't read

MCOS

Thanks Dave K. TBH I don't have any swimming books or subscribe to any particular method. I browsed some UTube swim lessons at the weekend. I've listened for tips at the Tri club session and I generally just browse articles on swimming. Its may sound strange but I think about a rowing oar in the water when I think about the catch/pull thing. I used to just plod up and down the pool, now I'm slowly applying one thing at a time and building endurance.

tunney

MCOS wrote: »

Tonight I am joining the Triathlon Club. The swim session is a 20 minute TT or whatever time you do 1k in :eek:. I learned from last week that there are 5 lanes and I'll be starting in lane 5 (the slowest). I'm nervous to say the least! I'll let ye know how I get on tomorrow...

What club did you join?

MCOS

Limerick Triathlon Club

MCOS

10 miles LSR this morning early in 1'25' (8'30"pace). Terrible run. Legs felt wooden and while this was an easy pace it felt very very laboured. Just one of those runs I guess. Just as well the Marathon wasn't this morning!

I had printed off the Hadd article about HR training (posted by one of the guys in this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055396738) and read it last night. Its a decent read and makes sense, although I find it strange that the athlete wasn't doing more speed work? I'm certainly guilty of doing all my long runs too fast for the target time I am after. I probably also need to build a lot more base mileage next time I do a marathon.

End of Taper week 2.

MCOS

5 miles on the treadmill at lunch at PMP. 8'/mile. Felt grand, loads of energy although I hadn't quite digested the mahooosive 'dish' of porridge I had at 1030. It was one of those 'this is to much for 1 bowl and 2 little for 2 bowls' kind of feed with a banana chopped in for good measure!

Max HR reached was 148 which is grand also. Temperature in the gym is apparently 17 degrees. Is this normal? I felt the need to check as I was sweating after just 5 minutes!

MCOS

Club swim session.

150m*3 warm up

Lots of technique including a timed 50m kick. Glad for the technique session even if I did swallow pints of water Heart rate was higher after 25m of kicking with a board than it is at the end of an hour run! plenty of recovery though trying to understand the instructions for the next set.

150m cool down

Enjoyed the session. Goggles kept fogging up which was annoying, but got a tip to spit into them which helped a bit.

MCOS

4 sweaty miles on the Treadmill at lunchtime at PMP 8'/mile. Max heart rate reached was 140 so it was an easy run. Ended up with a bloody sock though...:mad:

... a note on running shoes

I've always worn Asics Gel Kayanos. I used the summer 07 version for Dublin last year with no hassles. The 08 versions were not as good. So with the long runs in mind leading up to this Marathon I decided to try 2 different pairs of shoes. Asics Gel 2130 and Addidas Supernova 7 cushion.

The Addidas are very comfortable and feel very light and felt as though they had more spring than the Asics. The heel is in 2 parts too and pretty forgiving for a heavy heel impact. However I have wide feet and fat toes and after a few miles they feel 'squashed'. My first long run with the Addidas ended in blood. I have since been using them for the gym only.

The Asics are not as light but are a far superior shoe for running. I used them for the long runs and will be using them for the Marathon. They have more stability and more importantly for the fat foot, more room!

cfitz

I really like them Supernovas. I've run in lots of Asic runners and the DS Trainers were the only ones that I'd rate higher than the Adidas Supernovas. It's all personal though.

pgibbo

Best of luck this weekend. Hope you smash the 3:29:59 target.

MCOS

Thanks pgibbo I hope so too

Swim today at the local 20m pool.

6 X 200m on 5 minutes. The faster the rep the more rest I get.

3'36", 3'41", 3'45", 3'44"; 3'47", 3'54"

An OK session. I was more concerned with getting the rep done than focusing on technique. Also, I was breathing every 2 which means I didn't keep an eye on my right hand. I started losing length and was losing breath on the last 2 reps which only meant slower times for those.

Tomorrow morning is the first morning the alarm wont be set at silly o'clock for an LSR. Taper feels awful, its been 3 weeks since my last long run and it feels like its been longer!

shels4ever

Best of luck, yout teper will be worth it when you set out on monday, nice fresh legs and a nice relaxed run..

best of luck

MCOS

3'27'38" Personal Best. Goal Achieved

I'm delighted to bits to break 3'30'. I set out to do this but also to enjoy the Marathon, which I also did. I felt calm and relaxed beforehand and engaged random people in some banter to forget the chilly air. It was such a nice day but I hopped into the skip and tore up some plastic to wrap around me to buffer that chilly breeze! The first mile took almost 10 minutes. Some of the corners are a bit tight and a few people tripped on O'Connell Street as people made sudden lateral moves. Once into Phoenix Park though it was easy to settle into a rhythm and get onto the optimal pace. I settled at around 7'50-55" and was glad to pass the 6ft chicken! I did have to check with myself as several people who were chatting about 3'35'. 4 hours etc.. passed me out! I kept steady though and each of the first 3 10ks were about 49+ minutes each. I took my gels on time and kept sipping water. The only thing that was not part of the plan was taking a cup of energy drink on the course. My OH was waiting at mile 18 for me with a bottle of Lucozade. I picked up a cup of the Energizer drink just for a sip. I ended up with it up my nose and in my eye. I had only ever drank out of bottle on training runs so this was another little lesson not to try anything new on race day. Apart from that, I didn't quite get the negative split but 143/144 was not too bad in terms of pacing. The hills were a piece of cake after doing Connemara earlier this year and most of my long runs had a few hills in them which had me nicely prepared. The one at UCD fly over was steep but also short. I just though about a similar hill in training and it was soon over. The pace and splits were going well but I had also set out to enjoy this marathon. I shouted under the bridges, clapped with supporters, sang, gave the kids high fives, danced passed the house playing ABBA tunes and smiled at lots of people. What ever sign I gave to supporters I got back in spades. They were fantastic! Last year I started to get cramps at mile 23 so at this point I kept telling myself "your legs are strong" "you have done this in training". The cramps stayed away and the wall too. Mile 24 to 25.2 was the toughest, this was where the mind controlled the legs. It was the mile were I worked harder mentally for 10 minutes than I had physically for the previous 3 hours. It also took me this whole 10 minutes to pass the Clown which was the effective focus I needed to get through this tough part! At 1 mile to go I looked at my watch and saw that I had just over 8 minutes to get under 3'30. I knew I had another minute in the bag chip time but I wanted to run under the clock with three twenty something on the clock and not 3'30. I gritted my teeth and a gave it socks, as I passed people on Nassau Street I caught sight of a clock and it was on 3'27... I knew I had it! The adrenalin kicked in and I sprinted the last 200 meters. My first mile was 9'40", miles 2-25 averaged 7'55" and my last mile was around 6'40". I was a shivering wreck afterward but I was one of the happiest shivering wrecks out there. The finish chutes were well organised and it didn't take too long to get my bag and warm dry clothes. It was a brilliant experience and I wore my medal with pride. Well done to everyone who finished the Marathon yesterday. It was a good day

pgibbo

Congrats MCOS. Awesome time and a fun time too. Congrats to you and everyone else on a great run.

Krusty_Clown

Well done MCOS! Sounds like you had a great race and a great final mile!

DAVE_K

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!

Well done and an exciting read too. Congrats

MCOS

Swim session with Club.

Didn't get the whole session in as I was late and I am still slow at understanding swim instructions!

6*50m (2 sets of 50 float/50 kick/50 swim)
10*25m drills
400m
4*100m
300m

Tough enough on the kick drills. Breathing every 2 was tiring me out and I found it tough to get a rhythm. Every 4 seems to suit me better for longer reps. I noticed I moved faster when my lungs were not gasping. I'm enjoying the swimming though. My first Triathlon next year is going to be the Joey Hannon and I'll be delighted to be out of the pool in under 30 minutes so that is benchmark #1 for swimming. Benchmark #2 for swimming is to be able to swim 4k non stop :eek:. Achieving these will take me a long way to achieving my overall 2009 goals

MCOS

Ok I could have picked an easier 30 minutes of cross training to kick start the next phase of training but hey the rowing machine called for a session...

30 minutes at 1'54.3/500m
7860 meters
rate 22-23 spm

I may do this once a month until I can hit 8k. It is a great workout, uses leg strength but gets the upper body working hard too. Saw the spin class all belting away, I wanted to join in but the legs are still not fresh enough. Attempted to jog a few steps while walking the dog on Tuesday, it didn't happen legs were in bits!

pgibbo

30 minutes on the ergo is pure hell. You are a sadist MCOS

I have started using the ergo for my warmups - 10 minutes @ 1:50/500m but my rate is around 28. It must be much harder to keep 1:54 @ 22-23 for 30 minutes.

Heading to the 50m pool in UL tomorrow for the first time. Really looking forward to the 2 hour session there with our Masters Club.

MCOS

Hey pgibbo 1'50 for 10 mins is a good 'warm up' and good strong pulling. You training for anything in particular?

3,000m swim after work. Had a sh!te day at the office so needed a good session to clear the mind before the weekend. Was surprised with this swim as I managed to swim for more than an hour only stopping to fix goggles. It was a slow swim but kept it going and its a benchmark too so all good. It was in the local 20m pool. Started with 14 spm which became 15 spm up to about 2k and then shortened to 15/16 spm for the last k. This must mean I was getting slower but I am pleased with the progress in swimming endurance

SUNGOD

hi MCOS just catching up on your log now ... congrats on marathon great stuff

aoa321

Hi, I just read through your log, fair play on the marathon time - are you still getting out early in the mornings?

I started running in the morning during the summer, loved it and now I'm back to it again, I'm surprising myself because I like the dark mornings even better than I did the summer mornings - there's a different atmosphere in the early mornings isn't there?

MCOS

Thanks SUNGOD. Well done on yours too, soooo close! At least you must have the confidence now that you can definitely get it next time.

aoa321 yeah I actually really enjoyed running on those dark mornings. There is definitely a different atmosphere. Its kind of peaceful knowing that most people are still asleep! I haven't been out for a run yet since the Marathon but I'm going to keep at least 2 early morning LSRs in my monthly programme. I'm training to do Triathlons now but I'll keep some of that running endurance so I have a base for the next time I do a Marathon.

Cross Training

10 minutes ergo 1'48.4/500m @ 25 spm 2,766 meters. Tough warm up

Upper Body exercises
Wide grip lat pulldown 70kg 4 sets 10,8,6,4
Chest Press 70kg 4 sets 10,8,6,4
Shoulder Press 18kg db 3 sets 10,6,4
Pullover 18kg db 4 sets 10,8,6,4

45 minutes Spinning Class. Pushed it quite hard (went for it on sprints and put the resistance on for climbs).


Arms were wrecked after the row and weights! I haven't done any resistance training since last winter and it shows. I'll be stiff tomorrow.

MCOS

1k easy swim before work. I had intended a longer swim but the snooze button defeated me this morning! Arms and shoulders stiff from the weights yesterday and I only did 4 exercises! The stiffness also meant my stroke length was shorter and thus took longer to complete the swim... but that wasn't the only thing slowing me down...

...I think I will be using the UL pool after Christmas as the one and only lane in the local 20m pool can be annoying. This morning for example there was a woman back stroking and breast stroking in the lane with another swimming frontcrawling which was fine. I gave her loads of room but she kept kicking off the wall before me which meant I had to pass her a few times often squeezing between her and the other swimmer. When she eventually did stop at the wall she gave me a talking to for 'dangerous swimming' to which I retorted with the pool etiquette written up on the wall :mad: ! Meanwhile the frontcrawler who was doing a good pace suddenly got up mid length and walked about 4 lengths in the lane!!!!!! GRRRR ARRGHH

MCOS

Club swim session.

700m warm up
12*25m drills
50m timed kick
50m timed free
50m timed kick
50m timed free
100m easy

1300m total but I was wrecked after this session. My heart was beating through my chest after the anaerobic set! Happy with my times though.

MCOS

First run back after the Marathon and decided to do a fast run to test the legs.

4miles 26'28" avg 6'37"/mile. This would be a personal best for me but it was on a treadmill so not sure of it counts? It could have been a better time only the treadmill takes about 12 seconds to get up to the speed you want. It wasn't an even paced run. Started at 7'30" pace and finished at 5'39" pace. I just upped the speed every half mile.

MCOS

90 minute steady lsr around lake schlei in northern Germany. If only we had these cycle paths back home life would be much safer for us runners on the roads! It was a quiet still cold morning and after about 8k I found myself running though an eerie old military compound. I then for some reason thought of the movie Hostel and became freaked out so I turned around. On passing back out through the gates I saw a white mask in the window of an out haus. My heart skipped a beat :eek: Its not like I haven't run this route before but the sun was out then and there were kids out playing and boats on the water...

MCOS

oK,been so illdiscplined this weekend its not funny. Have you ever felt when you take time out that you are getting less fit and fatter by the minute? I'll be back into the swing of things on tuesday. Met a german guy yesterday who has placed well in a few ironmans and a few marathons to boot. Unofficially signed up for Berlin by the end of the conversation and am so damn commited to do my first triathlon in May now. Miles away but bring it on!

--amadeus--

Ahhh a bit of il-discipline every now and again does you no harm!

Berlin is a cracker - you'll love it!

MCOS

Ah yes but the hangover+ travel was not pleasant!

1,600m swim in the local 20m pool this morning before work. Struggled. No concentration. No energy. No length. No air in the lungs. The session was pure pants :mad: Ah well, its done now.

MCOS

4 miles on the Treadmill at lunchtime in 30 mins. Even paced, nothing interesting to report about the run. I felt grand. On the scale at 83kg which is not terrible but I'll need to shed some of that before May. It just feels like a lull after the excitement of the Marathon

MCOS

Club swim session

150m*4 warm up
25m*12 drills
200m*5
100m

2,000m total. Didn't get last few 100s finished. Right foot cramping up. Getting the hang of this lane swimming lark although the lane I was in was tight and I kept hitting the rope and wall. I'm obviously not swimming in a straight line which doesn't bode well for the open water swimming!

Abhainn

Heh MCOS just catching up on your log.
Great stuff, very interesting, your certainly putting in a lot of work especially the swimming sessions.
Also see your 30 mins session on the rower. Nuts. In my rowing sessions (not recently) but usually did 2.5k under 9 mins and that was a killer.

Wouldn't worry about your weight, that'll keep slowly coming off. I know my wife says I have no arse now and I all my jeans and trousers are way too big.

Speaking of arses I'd better get mine into gear for 2009, though I am looking forward to my first bike ride in a while this Sunday.

pgibbo

MCOS wrote: »

Hey pgibbo 1'50 for 10 mins is a good 'warm up' and good strong pulling. You training for anything in particular?

Hi MCOS, just ticking over at the moment with 2 runs and 2 swims a week plus 2 other sports sessions a week. I did 2 sprint triathlons this year and loved them. So the plan is to step up to Olmpic next year. I am only swimming 10 months but am hooked on it.

You will see a lot of familair faces when you do your first tri. There's a sh*t load of ex-rowers doing them.

Kudos on keeping the training going after the marathon.

MCOS

Thanks Guys!

Abhainn you would have thought that training for a Marathon would cut some weight. I stayed at a pretty contant 13st in the months leading and weeks after, this weight is comfortable for me but I've had better power/weight ratio in the past. I basically put it down to working a 9-5 and eating crap late at night. I also sit down for most of my day at work (would look a bit strange if I started pacing around the meeting tables!). If I change small eating habits I should see the body fat % lower and increase my power to weight ratio and this will help me on those hills in the Hell of the West next summer! Hoping to get out on Sunday myself, my new bike is shamefully gathering dust...

pgibbo I've heard about the ex-rowing community alright. I even recognised a few crewmate names on results sheets. Pressure for the newbie !


Lunctime row today and all I can say about it really is ouch, ouch, ouch

30 minute ergo at 1'51.9"/500m
8,040m
rate 24-26

Well, this wasn't fun! I had blisters after 20 minutes and my forearms felt as though they may explode. It was almost pointless showering as I was still red faced and sweating heading back to work! At least I got the 8k for my effort which was a semi goal for this month, so I don't have to do it again yay!

MCOS

Swim at the UL 50m pool.

Decided to trek across town and check out the Arena pool. In short, I'm going to cancel my current gym membership and get a UL one when I have the dosh. Super facility!

200m*6 on 5 mins
3'48", 3'48", 3'51", 3'46", 3'50", 3'49"
300m*2 easy practicing bilateral breathing (still gulping but getting there)

1,800m total

Really enjoyed this swim. My times were slower I guess because I was not kicking off a wall as often but I don't care, I'll get them back and more. It was so nice to swim for more than 15 strokes and the pool temperature is nice and cool.

MCOS

Out at 5.30 this morning for 13 miles in 1'39'. After 6 of those breezy miles I wished I had stayed in bed. I was soaked through and the last 3 miles had all the hills. I had to work much harder than anticipated to get up and over them. Had a poor sleep which didn't help. It was also hard going to find the motivation. A few weeks back this would have been geared towards the Marathon and so there was a desired outcome. The lack of stretching told in the hamstrings too. I really have to work on flexibility.

MCOS

Hopefully first group cycle tomorrow, weather permitting. I'm nervous. Not about the cycling. I got my first road bike ever 3 months ago, I've only been out on it 3 times but enjoyed each spin. However I put SPD pedals on last week and attached the cleats to my new Tri shoes. Clipped in today in the spare room holding onto the wall. Let go and clipped out the right one, tilted right, put the right foot down, all ok. Next attempt let go, clipped out the right shoe, bike tilted left, lost balance and couldn't get left shoe out so toppled onto my side heavily (The kitten who had been attacking my right shoe at the time had a lucky escape!). My 3 yr old son ran in and helped me peel myself off the ground Had no chance to practice lately which is why the practice happened in the spare room. I really hope the weather is ok because I have a sitter organised for the day and I'm just going out with these pedals. If I fall, I fall Its pretty late in the day but any quick tips (apart from leave the pedals at home) would be hugely appreciated

showry

at least you didn't fall off in public as I did a few weeks back in front of a group of boy racers, detailed amongst others in this thread
enjoy the group spin, keep your wits about you and you'll be grand

MCOS

Thanks showry good thread to read, funny too As much as it amused me there seems to be an inevitability about it now