swim, bike, run ... it'l be fun!

kingQuez

First LSR for Edinburgh. Took a lot of effort to slow things down.. Its early days, but still going to try and force myself to do the LSR slow. It should probably be even slower than it was, but I was going by the HRM trying to stay in the 'easy' range. Middle of my back is feeling a bit stretched, definitely need to start doing some core work.

RUN: 5.45miles. 42min 50sec (7min 40sec/mile). Average HR 147, max 165.

kingQuez

First proper swim since the snowboarding holiday.. and things are looking up! Hit a new achievement: first session that I've hit the 1k mark, and it was all frontcrawl! Very happy.

SWIM: 1k frontcrawl (Brief break every 50m). Also did a few lengths breaststroke and a few lengths of breathing drills.

kingQuez

I finally got a bike sorted, and went for a brief 15mile spin on it yesterday. Good fun, but was tired after the swim in the morning.

Today I dragged my ass out of bed and did my 3m run and a brief swim. Ive a touch of shin splints/a touch of soreness in my fibula (i think? the big bone in yer leg).. have a feeling my runners may be on their way out.

RUN: 3miles. 22min 47sec. 7min 35sec/mile. Max HR 170, average 153.

kingQuez

Was feeling pretty tired lastnight so decided not to set my alarm clock for an early run today.

Did the run tonight and tried to take it easy.. legs dont feel fully recovered from the weekends adventures and i've got a swimming session tomorrow night which I wanna be in OK form for. Didnt want to miss the session though, you never know when 4miles will come in handy for the 1000mile thread

RUN: 4.2 miles. 35min 17 sec (8mins 24sec/mile), max hr 168 average 138.

kingQuez

Was at the TI new to tri swim session tonight. I was expecting it to involve lots of swimming, but there was a fair bit of sitting around given the big group so I didnt really feel as if id done any work when the time was up.

We were using foam boards for bits of it (kicking, breathing and doing frontcrawl--but with the foam board always in the outstretched arm. found the board a bit hard to swim with and kept veering into the wall or the next lane), swimming with your hands in a fist, doing doggy paddle and a couple of lengths regular frontcrawl.

I need to figure out how to do the funky catch the water and keep your elbow high during the push back; I've still got a lot to learn!. Was good to see there are other 'normal' people out there that are planning to do a triathlon too. Reading MCOS's training log and seeing the folk doing lengths in the local pool non-stop for an hour still worries me a bit. Always good to have a goal to achieve though

MCOS

hey kingquez you are doing great don't worry! Trust me, stick with the swimming regularly and it will come. I can still remember having to rest after a couple of lengths and taking 25 strokes to cover a 20m pool! I still think I am a poor swimmer I'm just not as awful as I was a year ago, I'm tecnically a little bit better but my endurance is a lot better:D Just put into practice what you learn, one thing at a time. There is always something to learn. For example, do some lengths last night one of the 'proper swimmers' was in the lane next to me. He was turning and breathing towards me, literally on the other side of the rope. Anyway, I noticed than even though I was taller, his reach was longer than mine. his arm glided for that split second longer than mine. I just focussed on reaching (like grabbing something just out of your reach, you have to stretch your shoulder to get it) and I was suddenly swimming faster! Great that you got a bike sorted too, spend plenty of time on it!

kingQuez

Thanks for the encouraging comments MCOS, definitely going to keep the swimming going a few times a week.. im really enjoying every trip to the pool. Each little improvement is an achievement!


Went for a run today but my HRM was acting up, also bumped into a friend and ended up stopping for a few minutes so not sure exactly how long it took.

RUN: 3.1miles

papamike

Hey kingQuez,
Your doing fine. As MCOS says stick with the swimming. There are days when its a struggle but then there are days when its seems reasonably easy...although nothing is easy with swimming as far a I can tell:D. Try and work on the little bits of info you pick up. I read the other training logs and get a bit worried but most of these guys were where I am a while back so I use them as motivation and great sources of info.

Work plenty on your bike and run as from what I read thats where you can make up most time on other triathletes - think the quote was something like "most tri's are won on the run".....not that I'll be winning any but could make up a few places during bike and run. Your run should be good though from looking at your log!!

kingQuez

Cheers papamike!

LSR today. A friend who's quite fit but doesnt run too often wanted to tag along, so we went a little slower than I'd normally go by myself. Timewise it came in where the mcmillan pace calculator wants you running the LSR, but its below the 'easy' range i'd calculated for HR training. Not sure how to reconcile the difference there.

RUN: 6.25 miles, 58min 44sec (9min 23sec/mile). Average HR 130, max 165.

kingQuez

Tried to get the hang of the new arm stroke we were shown on wednesday (turn your hand out to 'catch' the water,keep a high elbow, push down the entire length of your body as far as your hand can reach) today. It feels quite natural to do, but it really takes the energy out of your arms compared to my non-technique technique, so unfortunately a drop back to 750m this week.

Swimming a length was felt a lot quicker though (must get a watch for swimming), so there must be something to it

Also managed a couple of 100m stints at the end, which I'll be trying to do more frequently now.

SWIM: 750m frontcrawl. (10 x 50m, 2 x 100m, 1 x 50).

kingQuez

Rookie mistake thismorning, I didn't have my stuff ready to go and everything was behind schedule so I'd to cut the swim short. The 20min 5k is getting closer... i ran sub 7 min miles for the first time. Hurah! :eek:

RUN: 3.1m (5k). 20min 57sec (6min 44sec/mile), Max HR 171, average 154.

SWIM: 250m (5x50m) easy.

kingQuez

Late again this morning so a short swim to make it into work on time. Morning off tomorrow, so im looking forward to a lazy start to the day.

RUN: 4miles (6.5k), 28min 50sec (7min 8sec/mile), max hr 170, average hr 153

SWIM: 250m (5x50m frontcrawl)

kingQuez

Second week of the new to tri swim sessions. A lot less people there tonight (Id say this was just the match). Lost track of how much we swam, but ive a load of new drills and things to practice when swimming now too--we did a 'catch up' drill, several lengths on our backs kicking, some short sprints, starting to swim from a water-treading start, swimming three-wide in a single lane, rolling your body ('lifting' your shoulder up high towards the end of the pull back of the stroke, rolling your body on your back and front) and some regular frontcrawl too. Really enjoyed it.

kingQuez

Missed my thursday 3m run. Picked up a cough/cold early in the week and took a day off after the TI swimming on wednesday in the hope that it would start to shift. No improvement yet, but I was getting cabin fever and had to out for my LSR. Not sure whether I'll go for a swim tomorrow yet.

RUN: 7.3miles (56min 21sec), 7min 42sec/mile. Average HR 141, max 174.

kingQuez

Swim thismorning, but I should have stayed in bed. There was more splashing than technique, and a few rubber ducks could have put more effort in than I did! Definitely 'junk' lengths

kingQuez

Flu + throat infection had me off all sport for a week. Went out for a 3m today and when I realized I was making good time decided to see what I could do. You do silly things when you've been off for a week. The last 1/2 mile I had a stitch looming, just waiting to take me out. Back to a normal pace tomorrow.

RUN: 3miles in 20mins 2seconds. 6min 40sec/mile. Average HR 158, max 174.

kingQuez

Week 4 of the new to tri swim sessions. I missed last week due to illness; they swopped the coaches around and there's a real taskmaster on the first two lanes (Im not complaining, it really pushed me tonight. what doesnt kill you and all that ). Need to do a lot more stretching (calfs kept cramping), and bring a drink next week. Anyone any idea how to avoid your calfs cramping?

6 lengths frontcrawl warmup
4 lengths kicking on back
2 lenghts kicking on left side
2 lengths kicking on right side
5 lengths, 4 lengths, 3 lengths frontcrawl
8 lengths frontcrawl easy
2 x (1 length frontcrawl followed by 1 length kicking on back)
2 lengths frontcrawl warmdown.

SWIM: 1k

kingQuez

Calfs still feeling sore/tight from the swim lastnight, so took the run today really easy. Lovely night out, and I made the route up as I went along. Really enjoyed it, it seems very easy to fall into the habit of always running the same route because you know what distance it is!

RUN: 5.7miles, 47min 51sec (8min 23sec/mile). Max HR 154, average 136.

MCOS

Do you get cramps in the calf often? I had one pretty bad a few weeks ago and didn't run on it for 4 days.

kingQuez

Hi MCOS, the only time my calfs ever get tight+cramp/feel sore is during swims - I've never had any problems with it during a run (except for the end of the DM :pac:). Maybe its just a lack of lengths in my legs or kicking too hard or something.

Handy run today: I got new runners and wanted to give them a try without going too hard until they're broken in. Calfs are still complaining a bit about the swim on wednesday too.

RUN: 3.4 miles, 28mins 13sec (8min 17sec/mile). Average HR 140, max 157.

kingQuez

AM had an easy swim, PM went for a run in the phoenix park. It was dark shortly after I got running and 1/2 way through it was pitch black. Wasnt sure whether to cut the run short or keep going in the dark... sillyness prevailed and I kept going. Another runner appeared behind me when i'd left chesterfield avenue and followed about 10-15 meters behind for about 4miles. Initially it was very disconcerting. On the other hand then I realized the guy wasnt going to mug me (someone who could keep up was hardly the mugger type, surely! ) I was a lot happier. All the same, it did bump my speed a bit. Really need to keep the LSR as a LSR. Next time I'll be avoiding the park in the dark!

SWIM: 650m (6xwarmup, 4xkicking on back, 4xkicking on side, 4,3,2,1 frontcrawl, 1frontcrawl followed by 1kicking on back).

RUN: 10.3 miles (1hr 19min 31sec, average pace 7min 43sec/mile). Average HR 148, max 167.

kingQuez

Nice swim today, calfs behaved themselves and didnt give any sign of cramping. Been bringing a bottle of water with me for the past couple of swims and feel much better after a swim now than when I didnt drink during the swim at all. I assumed being in water you'd sweat less and that would drop the need for water during exercise... guess thats wrong!

SWIM: 750m (4x50m frontcrawl, 2x50m kicking on back, 50m kicking on side, 2x75m frontcrawl, 2x100m, 1x50m frontcrawl)

kingQuez

Brilliant swim tonight at the new to tri swim session, and no cramping! Was told to make sure and reach further in the stroke and stay long in the water. Away with work for the next 10 days. I've long runs sorted for the two weekends but not sure If I'll be able to fit anything else in. Gutted that Im missing another of the new to tri swim sessions, they're really very very good.

6xfront
2xkick on back
6xfront
5x4front
4xside kicking
5x2front
1xkick
2xhead out for first 1/2
1xhead in first first 1/2
1xkick on back
1xfront

SWIM: 1350m. Oh yes

kingQuez

San francisco is full of huge hills! :eek: . Thankfully the running club I hookedup with over here did a fairly flat route thismorning

There's an insane amount of people running here... many groups of 20 were out at the same time, groups of dads with buggies etc.

RUN: 12miles (1hr 45mins, 8min 48sec/mile). Average HR 139, max 160.

kingQuez

Last day in san francisco today.. busy week but i fitted in one run during the week and a long one today.

Wed 24th: RUN 4miles. 32min 29sec. (8min 7sec/mile). max hr 168, average 147.

Sun 29th: RUN 12 miles. 1hr 31. (7min 35sec/mile). max hr 173, average 139. Found it to be a tough run, was running with a faster group than lastweek and there were more hills which they didnt slow down on at all! Im surprized the average hr is so slow, legs felt heavy for large chunks of the run.

kingQuez

SWIM: 500m thisafternoon. pretty lazy, mostly just to wake myself up.

kingQuez

Another easy swim after work lastnight.

SWIM: 500m

kingQuez

Great swim tonight, slowly getting there

SWIM: 1400m. 350m warmup, 200m, 2x100m, 3x50m, 2x100m, 200m, 2x50m

kingQuez

I've been missing lots of my short runs over the past couple of weeks, really need to work them back into the daily routine!

RUN: 14miles. 1hr 42mins (7min 17sec/mile). Max hr 186, average 143.

Surprized at the high max HR, also need to make more of an effort to slow down the LSR... im still not sure how to reconcile the reasonable speed (for me, i max out at 6min miles!) with the HR that's just inside the lower bound of my low-intensity HR training zone.

kingQuez

SWIM: (6th april). 850m. 750 was a mixture of 2-6lengths frontcrawl, last 100 was 2xkicking on back and 1xkicking on each side.

RUN: (today). 4.1miles. 30mins 58seconds (7min 33sec/mile). HR wasnt playing nice so no stats from that.