This time next year...

guerito

..I'll have done an Olympic Distance Triathlon.

So, after booze-fuelled, smoke-tinged teenage years, and even more boozy, smoky (and more) twenties, my new year's resolution this year was to get my ass properly fit. I started jogging pretty half-heartedly, and dabbled in it until the summer. In June, I had the half-baked idea that I could do a sprint triathlon by mid-September, so I hopped on the bike and started caning it. Completely ignored the swim, of course. So after coming back from 2 weeks' holidays in August I adjusted my targets and set a more reasonable goal. Which is this:

I want to do a sprint distance tri in 18/39/19 plus transitions at the start of the season. For Olympic distance I'll set target times once I get a bit more into the training.

guerito

So, the plan:

I'm starting from a pretty poor fitness level, but the good news is that I seem to have a reasonable natural level of fitness, in that I'm able to improve quickly. I've plenty of time, so I'm getting up to speed in the 10K run first (4 - 5 days per week). After doing that I'll run 2-3 times a week, mixing 5K runs with 8K - 10K, and with interval training interspersed. 8 weeks of serious running training, finishing up at the end of October.

The swim will then be my priority. Following advice from boardsies (cheers, Tunney!) I'm just going to get my endurance down first: get some private lessons, get up to 500m in the pool, then get some more lessons and head for 1K. When I'm swimming comfortably and with decent form, I'll go for 1.5K - 2K. I'm thinking 4 - 5 times per week once I finish my run program. Considering my aject level of swimming, I'm going to have to bite the bullet and give up an hhour and a half of my morning's sleep to get down to the pool before work, which will leave the evenings free for cycling or running.

The bike I'm probably the least worried about. Money means that I can't afford a decent bike yet. Job circumstances will change for the better next month, so I'll be able to buy myself a half-decent set of wheels, plus all the safety gear necessary for winter cycling in the dark. I've got a MTB at the moment, and 20K is taking me 55 minutes. At the end of October, mid-November at the latest I'll hit the bike hard, but for the moment, twice a week is the most I can give it.

Having done a 5K fun run at the start of September I'm now following Hal Higdon's 8-week intermediate 10K program. In the second week of it. I'll give it until week 3 and then decide whether or not to stick with the intermediate or drop down to the novice program.

Ran the 5K race in 22:41, with an average HR of 171. The day before yesterday I ran a 22:16 with an average HR of 22:16. Progress is sweeeet!

guerito

Dollymount beach this evening - 10 minutes warmup of light jogging and walking, then 8 x 105 second intervals at 5K race pace. 5K PB at the moment is 22:16, hence 105s for roughly 400m. First time doing intervals.

Stats (including rest periods, but not warmup)
Time taken: 25:31
Avg HR: 136, Max HR: 160

Intervals were tough, but recovery was quick, and I felt good afterwards. Slightly shortened warm-down so I could get home for the football.

guerito

Was going to do this run on Thursday, but felt tired, so went out for dinner instead

5 minutes warm-up, then 4.25 mile run on the Dollymount causeway and the beach itself. Eased into the run over the first 2K or so, and built up to 2 intervals of 1K and 500m at around 2/3 distance.

Not a fun run. I'd run 9 days out of the previous 10 up to Wednesday and always had energy, but not yesterday, so I really had to push myself. Got better once I hit the beach, but I couldn't comfortably maintain a 5K pace on the second interval for 1K.

4.25 miles - 34:30

kevinkilbane

good luck with the plan guerito, you have started well, with the race recently, good time.
i was reading away and i noticed something....

guerito wrote: »

So, the plan:

I'm starting from a pretty poor fitness level, but the good news is that I seem to have a reasonable natural level of fitness,

can you or anyone on boards explain to me "natural fitness"... my friends and i always have little debates about this. i would love to hear opinions of youself guerito and other boardies

guerito

kevinkilbane wrote: »

can you or anyone on boards explain to me "natural fitness"... my friends and i always have little debates about this. i would love to hear opinions of youself guerito and other boardies

Cheers kevinkilbane! To be honest, I'm not sure exactly what I meant either - I'm no scientician. I suppose I meant that given my lifestyle I should be (or should have been) a complete wreck. Instead I've always been skinny slim and I've been able to get up to a decent level of running quite quickly. I'm no world-beater, but I'm better than I probably should be, all things considered. Some of the other, better-informed boardsies will be able to give you a better answer, if there even is such a thing as "natural fitness".

kevinkilbane

guerito wrote: »

Cheers kevinkilbane! To be honest, I'm not sure exactly what I meant either - I'm no scientician. I suppose I meant that given my lifestyle I should be (or should have been) a complete wreck. Instead I've always been skinny slim and I've been able to get up to a decent level of running quite quickly. I'm no world-beater, but I'm better than I probably should be, all things considered. Some of the other, better-informed boardsies will be able to give you a better answer, if there even is such a thing as "natural fitness".

haha, good reply guerito. it is so hard to explain. but im guessing youve probably played sport when you were younger, eg soccer gaa, or maybe you were a even a runner back in the day? and then even with all the drink and smokes throughout the years, you can still get the legs moving.
maybe there isnt such a thing as it but thought id ask. i should put the question as a thread asking the question on its own.

and fair play to ya changing the lifestyle, and going for the triathlon. sounds tough. good luck with the swimming.

guerito

Monday 21st September

Disaster of a weekend. Slept in on Saturday and had to go out straight after work, so no run. The going out led to a vicious hangover on Sunday, which coupled with a late shift in work meant no run then either. Did get an easy 15K cycle in though.

Off work today, so myself and la guerita took the pooches down to Glendalough for a 4 hour hike around the valley (call it a warm-up!). Then an easy 5.2K around Raheny. Thought I'd be knackered after the hike, but I had plenty of energy. Must be all the nothing I did over the weekend Now for an evening of well-earned vegetation...

guerito

22nd Sept

4.1 miles, 34:09

Ow.

My legs felt like lead, probably due to the hike the previous day. My normal second wind at 2K-ish didn't arrive, and my energy was generally low. The internet at home is down, so no Mapmyrun.com. Just got the head down and slogged through what I calculated was roughly 4 miles. Turned out to be 4.11. No fun at all.

Tempo run tonight, should be better.

guerito

23rd Sept

Tempo run last night. Great run!

10 minute light warmup

40 minute tempo run. Peaked at 90% of max HR for 3 minutes at around 26:00 - 29:00. Slowed it down and stopped for some stretches over the last 10 minutes. Averaged 78% of max HR over the run. Felt fantastic.

total distance covered, including warmup: 9.25 Km.

christeb

Hey - you're around Raheny? Live beside the Park myself, let me know if you want to go for a run sometime. I do my intervals (800 in just under 3:00) up and down the avenue in the Park, it's always good to have some company if my training partner ain't around.

Good luck with the log

guerito

24 Sept

I almost always run in the evening, so I'm trying to shake it up a bit. Went for a cycle and run this morning first thing this a.m. Wouldn't exactly call it a brick session, as I took it pretty easy on the bike

30 minutes easy cycle

4.6K run, 25:29. Running pretty slowly, but it was hard work after last night. Legs started off heavy, and my HR was much higher than it should have been for the speed I was running. I'm going to do my next run on Sunday morning, I'll have to keep an eye on the HRM

guerito

Cheers for the offer christeb. I'll drop you a PM sometime about a run. I usually run on the coast path and along Dollymount. I haven't tried dog-dodging on the avenue yet though. Might be good for bringing back those old hurdling skills!

guerito

Sunday 27 Sept

6 mile LSR this morning. Hit the coast just as the sun came out (and stayed out, for a change). Took it nice and easy, not getting over 145 bpm at any stage and averaging 134. What felt great was the fact that the longer I went, the better I felt and the better my form was - no fatigue at all. By the end of the run I was bouncing along.

6 miles, total time 55 minutes.

Rathfarnham 5K next weekend

guerito

Monday 28 Sept

5K along Dollymount beach at a reasonable clip - 20:59, new PB! The best thing was I ran well within myself, average HR was 150 on the nose. Absolutely chuffed with myself. I can remember back in July running my @rse off trying to break 27 minutes. And it's only taken 4 weeks of running 5 times a week

Gonna take it easy for the rest of the week, except for some intervals on Wednesday. Then I'll see if I can pull out an officially-timed PB on Sunday.

guerito

Tuesday 29 Sept

4.5 miles. Easy run with one of the lads. He's a beast, but hasn't been training for a while, so we took it easy, with three walking breaks. Never really got breathing hard, so it was more a chance to stretch the legs and notch up another few miles more than anything else. It was very nice to see how much I've come on, by comparison with my running partner. I'm never going back to being a couch potato

Just totted it up, and I've run 55 miles since I started keeping track on the 8th of this month. No 1000 miles for me, but if I can keep that up it'll be close enough to 300 by the end of the year.

guerito

Wednesday 30 Sept

My log now runs to 2 pages - I love these little milestones!

Intervals :eek:

I've no GPS and there's no handy 400m markers on my usual route, so I did 8 x 1:30 at what I imagine would be 1500m pace (if I had ever done a 1500m), with 3:00 rests in between. Really had to push myself hard to maintain the pace over the last couple of intervals. It made me realise that, although I have come on a lot over the last month, I need to push myself to my gasping, spluttering, red-faced limit once in a while to get the maximum benefit.

Total distance: 5.86 miles, inc. warmup, rests and warmdown. Total time: 52:53. Overall average HR 132, max 168.

The plan calls for 9 x 400m today, but despite my harder-faster-stronger epiphane, I left it at 8. Feeling a slight pain in the top of my foot, at the front left just behind the toes. I'll see how it feels tomorrow and if there's any pain at all I'll take it easy or even not run at all.

guerito

Foot still sore, so no training today

Hope this clears up before Sunday...

guerito

Nope, foot's still knackered :mad: No race for me today.

Feeling a little better today. I was able to muck around with the mutts on the grass in the park with no pain, although I could feel the foot when walking on concrete or tarmac. If it hasn't cleared up by Tuesday I'm going to the doctor.

guerito

Foot's still buggered, so haven't been able to run for almost 3 weeks :mad:. I dread to think what I'll be like when I start back again.

I was feeling pretty down about it, and living/eating fairly unhealthily for a while, but this weekend perked me right back up again. I was able to cycle yesterday with no (apparent) ill effects, and a short swim on Saturday was equally ok. Looks like the plan is going to have to be adapted a little until the foot is better. Going to focus on the swimming, which means getting up earlier in the mornings. Ah well...

guerito

Ran 4Km today!!!

Went out with the missus and took it very easy indeed. No pain from the foot just yet, touch wood. If it stays that way, I'll run every other day, and keep it under 5Km. That trip to the physio is now definitely on the cards.

guerito

Been running irregularly since last post. 2 -3 times per week, mainly 5 km, no more than 7 km. Went out for a 5 km tonight, first time running since middle of week before last (had a very heavy lads' long weekend away in between, which put a hurting on). Had been digging up weeds all afternoon, so the knees were a bit tight, and I started to feel them after about 3 km. In keeping with my new spirit of mildness and caution, I bravely gave up and went home . Will head out again on Wednesday. Going to get some winter gear for the bike tomorrow (lights, baselayers etc) so I can get cracking on that too.