A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

RedB

So,

Its the day after the 2009 DCM and while I'm happy to have finished it, I know that I need to put some structure on my training as I've spent most of this year 'surviving' events rather than fully embracing them.

Step 1 - Start a log!

From a history of haphazard 'social' jogging 10k's on and off in 2008 and zero triathlon experience, I picked up a gear in 2009 and am delighted to have survived the following:

Ballycotton 10 mile Run
Hell of the West Olympic Distance Triathlon
Little Bo Peep Olympic Distance Triathlon
Sean Kelly 160km Cycle
Lost Sheep Half Ironman Triathlon
Dublin City Marathon

While satisfied to have finished them, I immediately had the feeling that I
could do better and that I should do more and better training to achieve that. Obviously the events got bigger as the year went on and no doubt I’ve increased my endurance during that time. However it’s still only at the lower end of the novice scale in the grand scheme of things as I tend to finish in the bottom 10%. My goal in the intermediate term is to get to mid-pack level or at least feel satisfied that I’ve put in as much time and effort as I’m comfortable with. Family, work and life also need their fair share too!

My short term goal is to maintain my fitness levels over the winter by:
1) Running 2-3 times per week incl 90 min long run
2) Cycling 2-3 times per week incl 120 min long cycle
3) Swimming twice per week
4) Either a weekly long run or cycle may have to be sacrificed in a busy week over the winter depending on life but I would hope to do at least one.

My 2010 goals are:
1) Ballycotton 10<80mins
2) Connemarathon<4:15hrs
3) Hell of the West<3hrs
4) Lost Sheep<6hrs
5) DCM <4hrs

This log will be a slow burning one and is intended to keep me honest. I intend to update it weekly over the winter and pick up the pace again in the New Year.

I hope it may help some of the lurkers or other novices out there as I’ve convinced myself to date that I’m actually ‘leading from the back’ i.e. getting results that non-competitors would see and say ‘sure, I could do better than that!’ thereby luring them into the addictive world of A/R/T!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step: Step 1……….DONE

RedB

Day 2

1) Endurance
2) Speed
3) Technique
4) Strength (incl core + stretching)
5) Nutrition (incl Hydration)
6) Recovery (incl Active + Sleep)
7) Time Management.

These are the 7 headings that I’m currently planning on focusing on during this phase of the log as I could improve on them all. They’re obviously interdependent so I imagine there’ll be a certain amount of juggling to get the balance right. I read Joe Friel’s Triathlon Training Bible several weeks ago and want to incorporate his approach in putting together a training plan. He writes about the typical annual hours required to complete different triathlon distances and how those hours could then be divided into phases of training. I’m also aware of the various marathon and triathlon training plans available on the web that usually take 14-18 weeks.

Due to the dark mornings and evenings I’m restricting myself somewhat on the cycling front during the week apart from possible 4mile e/w commutes which mightn’t be of much benefit. It might be possible to incorporate running into the commute but wash facilities at work are limited. I do have a very basic indoor bike that may assist. I have a basic set of weights and a bench gathering dust for the last 10 years in the shed that I keep intending to start using. I’m not in a gym at the moment so the swimming timetabling also needs looking at. For the moment I’m just going to try to get my head around the running plan and firm up on cycling / swimming / strength, etc after that.

I’ve marked up the dates of my 2010 goals on the calendar and seen where they fall relative to each other. The Connemarathon will be a significant target in early April and the training plan for it should allow the Ballycotton target also to be met. I’m intending to go with a 15 week marathon plan that starts the Monday after Christmas (28/12) and that should put be put me on track for Connemara. In the meantime I’m going to follow the guts of a 10km training plan for the next 8 weeks to try to keep my fitness levels ticking over and maybe even help my speed over that distance (PB 49mins).

I have to rest after the DCM so it’ll be walks in the evening and a small bit of carbo loading for the next few days and then we’ll see how the legs feel about a little run at the weekend. I must get in a swim some evening too to help the recovery and even get on the indoor bike to try to get the soreness out of the legs.

RedB

I dug out The Triathlete’s Training Bible (TTTB) by Joe Friel and found the suggested annual training hours for different triathlon distances.

I now take these to mean hours in exercise as opposed to hours I thought I was inputting to my training including organising myself and my gear, getting there, changing, warming up, warming down, showering, getting home, etc. These peripheral activities could easily add another ¾ hour per session that need to be accounted for under the Time Management heading and perhaps could be done more efficiently. That’s a topic for another day.

Race Distance Annual Hours
Ironman 600-1200
Half-Ironman 500-700
Olympic 400-600
Sprint 300-500


I then went through my training log for the year to date…….205 hours.
Heuston….we have a problem.

Analysis of the log clearly shows that I wasn’t putting in the appropriate time and distances so my endurance levels were inadequate for the events I was doing and I was just about ‘getting round’. Of course I knew that already but the extent of the difference between what I should have been doing and what I was actually doing makes for stark reading. The numbers don’t lie and I can’t reasonably expect to perform adequately given the limited efforts I made in 2009. You get out what you put in. In my defence, I started out at the beginning of this year with the single goal of trying to complete the HOTW and the unspoken dream of maybe stretching myself to complete the Lost Sheep if I was enjoying the training. I did achieve those and other significant goals (Sean Kelly 160km, DCM) but with the feeling that I could do better. The bottom line is I’m going to have to put in more hours of training to achieve my 2010 goals and as a starting point I’m going to assume 500 annual hours in line with the suggested Half-Ironman heading above. Now I immediately have a problem with this as how the heck am I going to find those extra hours??........

TTTB gives a suggested breakdown of how hours could be split between different phases of training (Prep, Base, Build, Peak & Race) and my intention is to use that planning tool for the HOTW and Lost Sheep Tri’s but to use a ‘traditional’ 15 week marathon training plan for the Connemarathon while trying to improve my cycling and swimming on the side. I hope that such a hybrid plan will at least improve my running endurance as analysis of my 2009 log shows it as very limited.

Izoard

Hey Redb,

best of luck with the log...as a matter of interest can you put in your times for the events in '09, to see what kind of improvement you are aiming for?

RedB

Thanks Izoard,

Well done on the DCM. Saw you (as Batman) were even name checked in the Irish times

2009
Ballycotton 10 88:34
HOTW 3:26
Lost Sheep 7:07 (but incl over 30min sorting out 3 punctures...think about it:mad:)
DCM 4:50

Obviously undertrained for them all so hoping to make amends next year.

RedB

Captains Log Star Date 1,000,001

My log is currently focusing on coming up with a training plan that I can buy into.

At this stage I’m still coming to terms with the amount of annual hours I’m ‘supposed’ to be doing compared to what I did so far this year (500 v 205) and I’m thinking ‘In for a penny, in for a pound’. I’m going to make a training plan based on The Triathlete’s Training Bible (TTTB) and try it on for size.

I set up an Excel spreadsheet as per TTTB format for the annual plan with weekly dated rows through the full year. TTTB gives suggestions of how the annual hours should be broken down to weekly hours of various phases (prep, base, etc) and also how weekly hours should be broken down across the days of week and even across the 3 disciplines. I whacked in my target events to provisional dates and anchored the full 23 week schedule of various phases (base, build, etc) to the HOTW. I then filled in the gap to the Lost Sheep with some base, build phases as recommended and filled in the start of the years schedule as prep phase. I then got a new sheet for the monthly plan and put the days of the week in the columns. This is getting so anal!Suffice to say that I balanced hours across swimming, cycling and running and then tried adjusting them all so that the running basically follows a ‘traditional’ 15 week marathon schedule that culminates in the Connemarathon! I’ve only managed to schedule 2 months so far and I’m getting a headache. I need to run!

RedB

Days 5-14

After a 25 min run the Friday evening (Day 4) after the DCM I started to get life back in the legs and got to clear my head out of the rubbish which was starting to cluttering it up.

A busy weekend and week (Days 5-11) meant I only got to do a 40 min run last Thurs morning (Day 10) but that felt sooo good. No tiredness in the legs and a great feeling afterwards. Due to work travel I knew I wouldn't get to the UL 5k race series which started that evening or won't make this coming week but I'm determined to get down there at some stage. My buddy did it and I got back in time for him to call into me afterwards and gave me the positive feedback. Delighted to hear that its a mixed ability group rather than all super fast people so I shouldn't be in my traditional last 5% placing. See.. this log is working already!

Anyway the buddy (BB) is also post DCM and we're planning on hitting Connemara together in April all going well. He was up for a run on Saturday (Day 12) so we did a 60 min circuit near UL which started out as usual with me trying to take it handy and him straining at the leash! The first 35 min were steady and then a 15 min uphill stretch from CPH past Castletroy Golf Club got the legs and lungs working well. I thought I'd be feeling worse than I was so I was delighted then that we were able to do the final 10 min at a faster pace than normal. I knew that 20 miler for the DCM must've been good for something! It felt good coming home at a decent canter rather than the slow shoe shuffle I perfected on the LSR's.

As a result of that good feeling I had no bother getting out this morning (Day 14) for an early 45 min run before breakfast which has set me up nicely for the day.

Whatever about the mechanics of trying to schedule a training plan for the year ahead and conjure up additional hours to complete it, there is absolutely nothing like the feeling I get from running. It really does make the world seem like a better place. For me running is an essential activity like eating and sleeping that I need to do. Now if I could only just remember that when I'm tight for time, energy and motivation. All of those 3 activities (run,eat,rest) tend to get compromised in a vicious circle from time to time. So that's why I'm posting here, so I can access it and remind myself to keep on plan. My motivation has also been hit and miss historically so another thing I want to note here and now is that I'm actually a bit embarrased and ashamed at the minimal effort I put in this year . That's not something I say lightly and its only a personal comment. I know I can do better than I've done and perhaps a poor start is part and parcel of getting into training in a meaningful way. I know that one can't expect to hit the ground running at full speed and I did surpass my original plan. However I do want to be able to look back this time next year and say 'Well, that was much better'. Part of any off season should involve a period of reflection and hopefully this realisation will help with the motiviation for the coming season.

Anyway, back to the nitty gritty. No cycling or swimming on the agenda just yet but planning on getting out for runs on Tues, Fri and Sat this week. The plan is improve speed by training using a 10k plan until Xmas and then the proper marathon training starts. I should've gone for a cycle yesterday morning as it was beautiful but Saturday evening was so bad I hadn't got my act together. I need to start commiting to a decent run on Saturdays and a decent cycle on Sundays irrespective of weather. Away to London this weekend so I need to clear the diary for the following weekend !

scottreynolds

RedB wrote: »

Days 5-14 I need to start commiting to a decent run on Saturdays and a decent cycle on Sundays irrespective of weather.

I know how you feel but trust me when i say a crap day outside running / cycling is better than being inside knowing I should be outside training. The weather mostly around these parts is good for training. It might be cold and wet but nothing a shower won't fix. As it gets colder watch for ice while cycling -- if its really icy have a rest .. too many people I know hurt themselves in bad ice.

RedB

Days 15-16

I did a track session last night (Day 15) with a running club (WLAC) that involved 6 x 3mins with 1min recovery in between and also felt the better of it as I hadn't been in about 6 months. Managed about 1.75 laps in each 3mins with splits of 1:40-1:50 for each of the first laps. By the end I was struggling to walk/shuffle back to the start (100m) within the 1min recovery period but seemed to be holding the pace and passing others who may have gone off faster initially. Overall distance was small but pace was quick (6 x 1.75laps = 4.2km in 18mins + 5mins recovery) but running with a group helped 'drag' me along and there was less chance of me wimping out . Was still at the back of the group though.
We did a medium warmup and stretch before and a longer warm down and stretch after.

Went home then and literally dusted off the weights and bench that I had dragged in from the shed to the conservatory. Spiders and all. Set it up and played with the weights until I found a suitable load. Did 3 sets of 15 Benchpress reps with 16kg. Tried to figure out how to do other relevant exercises but got dragged away to domestic duties. I think I'm going to have to join a gym to get proper instruction and a programme because I had a pain in my elbow this morning that I can only put down to bad technique. Joining the gym will help get back into the swimming which also has been neglected for several weeks.

Dusted off a bike this morning for the first time in 2 months and cycled into work. 18mins WOW. Tour de France here I come!

I now might be able to get back from work travel tomorrow in time for the UL 5km race series so I plan on giving that a go. The Limerick Tri club AGM is on Fri so I hope to get in there also and sign up. The real business of exercising is starting to pick up again after a quiet 2 weeks post-DCM.

Izoard

Hey Red,

Do you have a turbo trainer?
They are great for doing 60-90min sessions (I get too bored after that....) and no "it's raining/dark/cold" excuses

MCOS

RedB wrote: »

Days 15-16

I did a track session last night (Day 15) with a running club (WLAC) that involved 6 x 3mins with 1min recovery in between and also felt the better of it as I hadn't been in about 6 months. Managed about 1.75 laps in each 3mins with splits of 1:40-1:50 for each of the first laps. By the end I was struggling to walk/shuffle back to the start (100m) within the 1min recovery period but seemed to be holding the pace and passing others who may have gone off faster initially. Overall distance was small but pace was quick (6 x 1.75laps = 4.2km in 18mins + 5mins recovery) but running with a group helped 'drag' me along and there was less chance of me wimping out . Was still at the back of the group though.
We did a medium warmup and stretch before and a longer warm down and stretch after.

Went home then and literally dusted off the weights and bench that I had dragged in from the shed to the conservatory. Spiders and all. Set it up and played with the weights until I found a suitable load. Did 3 sets of 15 Benchpress reps with 16kg. Tried to figure out how to do other relevant exercises but got dragged away to domestic duties. I think I'm going to have to join a gym to get proper instruction and a programme because I had a pain in my elbow this morning that I can only put down to bad technique. Joining the gym will help get back into the swimming which also has been neglected for several weeks.

Dusted off a bike this morning for the first time in 2 months and cycled into work. 18mins WOW. Tour de France here I come!

I now might be able to get back from work travel tomorrow in time for the UL 5km race series so I plan on giving that a go. The Limerick Tri club AGM is on Fri so I hope to get in there also and sign up. The real business of exercising is starting to pick up again after a quiet 2 weeks post-DCM.

Did that Track session myself last night, my 2nd time down since June and it hurt. Normally 2 mins rest I believe so the 1 min rests made it a tough out session. Lovely night for running though. Thought about doing the 5km tonight but sporting a headcold, hence i'll lay off and do something easier. May head down to give a cheer though. Best of luck with the IM log, I'll follow with interest. I'll be at the AGM too, should be fun Definitely sign up, I signed up with LTC this year for my first bash at Tris and it was a sound decision in the end. UL swims on Mon, Wed and Fri morning at 7 are good sessions, so pop down and join in.

RedB

Izoard wrote: »

Hey Red,

Do you have a turbo trainer?
They are great for doing 60-90min sessions (I get too bored after that....) and no "it's raining/dark/cold" excuses

No turbo trainer but do have Argos's second cheapest exercise bike that looks like this. http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3027138/Trail/searchtext%3EEXCERCISE+BIKES.htm
I got it last winter and parked it in front of the tv where it stayed until last week when it got relocated to my gym conservatory with my other junk equipment. I didn't use it very much so I'm loath to splash out for something else I won't use;). I also got a bit freaked out by other posts describing turbo setups, hardware, software, special wheels, etc. I know its the way to go but I don't think I'm there yet. Besides then I'd have to stay in the house and half the reason for doing this is to get out:D. (Only joking Mrs B!!!).

Izoard

RedB wrote: »

I also got a bit freaked out by other posts describing turbo setups, hardware, software, special wheels, etc.

I'm the least likely to get involved with all of the above.
Took the tri bike, stuck it on the turbo and off I went. I presume I'll need to change the tyres at some stage, but they have done 2 tri seasons and 1 winter on the turbo and still going strong...

RedB

MCOS wrote: »

Did that Track session myself last night, my 2nd time down since June and it hurt. Normally 2 mins rest I believe so the 1 min rests made it a tough out session. Lovely night for running though. Thought about doing the 5km tonight but sporting a headcold, hence i'll lay off and do something easier. May head down to give a cheer though. Best of luck with the IM log, I'll follow with interest. I'll be at the AGM too, should be fun Definitely sign up, I signed up with LTC this year for my first bash at Tris and it was a sound decision in the end. UL swims on Mon, Wed and Fri morning at 7 are good sessions, so pop down and join in.

Thanks MCOS. The 5km is tomorrow and while I may have aspirations, this sure ain't an IM log (.....yet;)). Darn you and your psychic abilities!! I've been in awe of your own 'novice' exploits on Boards so I'm looking forward to a good 2010 where hopefully it'll be more than just survival. It'll be at least 2011 before I take it any further. I'm only watching and learning now .

RedB

Day 17-18

After getting drenched cycling home Wed eve I've left the bike at home since. It had been such a super morning I had cycled in wearing shorts and I didn't pay much heed to the conditions until Mrs B rang to offer me a lift home. As it was dark out I didn't think it looked that bad and so declined. Therefore there was no sympathy to be had 20mins later when a drowned rat came through her front door. I had to hug the curb due to the traffic and the floods were so bad and went on for so long I just had to laugh. 'Eejjit' she says.:rolleyes:

Had to travel with work yesterday and despite best efforts couldn't make it back it time for the UL 5km series last night but I got the feedback from the buddy and it seems to be going really well with more bodies there. He improved his time as well so it is the way to go.

So after two days without proper training I headed out this morning before breakfast for a 45min run. Lovely morning even if cool but the HR was high. Avg HR 158 and spotted it up at 163 at one stage. I normally prefer to keep below 150 and I did the same run on Mon with an average of 149 so that was a bit strange. Maybe it was as a result of the driving as it does drain me. Put the pinhead porridge on the cooker when I got back and did some quick weights while that was cooking. 3 x 15reps Benchpress 16kg followed by 3 x 15 reps Bent Row. One of the brothers suggested to do all of the reps of the same exercise together for better effect. Given I'm a complete weights begineer I'm just accepting this! I dug out the Tri Training Bible though and found his suggested beginners programme so I'm going to try getting into that a bit more properly next week. I'm also going to have to do some core work so I'll have to find out a bit more about that also.

Joining the tri club tonight and heading to London tomorrow morning so unlikely to squeeze in anything else until next week.

Summary of week:
2 X 45min runs, 1 track session, made a start weight training, cycled 4miles e/w to work once. Not exactly inspirational but I'm trying. Told ya it'd be a slow burning log......;)

RedB

Days 19-29

Been busy so haven’t had a chance to update the log but knowing its here has kept me honest and I have been doing a decent amount of training (for me). I was in London for the weekend covering days 19+20 and was pretty tired after that so took it easy on the Monday (day 21) and did no training. However I did sign up early for the Connemarathon along with my buddy BB so I’m feeling satisfied I made that commitment. I didn’t make the same commitment for the DCM and it showed!

Day 22 Tuesday 17/11 – Did group track session. Only 4 x 3mins with 1 min recovery as some of the group had a race coming up. My buddy is able for a faster pace than me at the moment and took off but I managed to pace well off a guy I recognised for 2 of the splits and managed about 650m-750m per 3mins. I’m still at the back of the pack but am hanging in there. The aim now is to get to the 800m mark in the 3mins. Practice, practice, practice is all that’s needed. I find running in the group very good for when you feel like easing up a bit but you hang in there to match someone else. Still tired from the weekend so glad it was a shorter session. Did decent warm-up and warm-down with stretching. Avg HR 162.

Day 23 Wed 18/11 – 7.75Km Easy run in 42mins. Tried to keep HR below 150 and went slower in places to try and bring it down but couldn’t. Avg HR 152.
I had earlier looked up my suggested pace / hr on an Excel spreadsheet I have based on Jack Daniels’ Training Tables. It suggested I should be having easy runs in the 125-140 range with 140-150 being my mod-aero/marathon range. 150-160 HR on the table suggests lactate zone and 10km pace with 170 HR being 5km pace. On my training LSRs for the DCM I did manage to get an avg HR of 145-147 so I can buy into Daniels table for that. In the DCM however I noticed my HR in the mid 150’s from early on and tried slowing to get it to drop. I had a long sleeved top on and was probably too warm. I ended up taking that off after about 12miles and going bare-chested as I couldn’t get the HR down. Despite walking / running slowly over long stretches I finished with an avg HR of 155 and I’m very conscious of it since. I want to try to train now in the appropriate zone so that I’m fresh enough to follow the plan but also pushing harder at the right times to improve. It might have something to do with warming up as I tend to just go straight out the door under time pressure. I plan on getting a Garmin so that might shed some light on it as I seem to recall my HR dropping after a few miles of a LSR. I would ideally like to run the entire marathon without having to stop at all and HR management should be part of that.

Day 24 Thur 19/11 – 5Km UL series race in 23:05 flat out. It was my first one so it’s a PB but my target of a sub-45min 10k is a long way off based on that. Avg HR 165? Messed up my watch so don’t have a proper record but guessing its about that from the odd glances. Again, racing in a group brings out a bit of a competitive streak and keeps me pushing the comfort zone.
Did some weights back home followed by 30mins on the indoor bike while watching the Ire V France soccer:(. I’m including some more weight exercises but need to integrate them and the bike properly into my week’s plan rather than just squeezing it in when I’m in the mood. Some of the plan depends on outside circumstances and juggling things around so flexibility is also required. At the moment the plan is running dominated and fitting in other things.

Day 25 Fri 20/11 – V busy at work but knew this in advance and had scheduled a rest day.

Day 26 Sat 21/11 – 13Km LSR in 1:10:29. Avg HR 152. Longest run since DCM and was tiring over the last 2-3Km. Weather was cat with sheets of rain bucketing down in parts and then spells with no rain. Gusty winds with a touch of coolness but ran with my hi-vis cycling jacket and hat so was warm enough. I was tired and cranky for the rest of the day.

Day 27 Sun 22/11. Had planned on a cycle but weather is wicked and still tired so another rest day called for. After my previous under-training I have to get used to proper training and 4 sessions in a week is my limit at the moment. More sleep is required too but I tend to fight that to my own cost

Day 28 Mon 23/11. Busy at work with travel again. Out the door at 7am. Back at 8pm. Got out for a 7.75km easy run at 9.30pm just to keep in touch. Floods mid-loop required a 30m ankle deep traverse which introduced weight training into the session as I dragged my sodden runners home and may partially explain my time of 42:29.

Day 29 Tues 24/11. Log up to date and track session planned for this evening. Also plan on making the UL race series on Thursday which increases to 7km. Hope to squeeze in another easy run and a LSR but travelling up to the Sth Africa game on Saturday and out Sat night so will be tight. Think I’ll have to take a leaf from fellow loggers books and get out there very early.

Getting there.:D Roll on Connemarathon.

MCOS

Good stuff RedB, keep up the good work. Its tough alright balancing it all but when the improvements come around its worth it. Good luck with the 7k on thursday night

menoscemo

RedB wrote: »

I had earlier looked up my suggested pace / hr on an Excel spreadsheet I have based on Jack Daniels’ Training Tables. It suggested I should be having easy runs in the 125-140 range with 140-150 being my mod-aero/marathon range. 150-160 HR on the table suggests lactate zone and 10km pace with 170 HR being 5km pace. On my training LSRs for the DCM I did manage to get an avg HR of 145-147 so I can buy into Daniels table for that. In the DCM however I noticed my HR in the mid 150’s from early on and tried slowing to get it to drop. I had a long sleeved top on and was probably too warm. I ended up taking that off after about 12miles and going bare-chested as I couldn’t get the HR down. Despite walking / running slowly over long stretches I finished with an avg HR of 155 and I’m very conscious of it since.

Interesting stuff. Where did you find these table?
What is you max and resting HR? I thought I was doing well in DCM training when i was keeping my AV HR under 155, but have recently discovered the joys of running with a HR under 140. I am guessing your max HR is very low?? How did you calculate it?

RedB

menoscemo wrote: »

Interesting stuff. Where did you find these table?
What is you max and resting HR? I thought I was doing well in DCM training when i was keeping my AV HR under 155, but have recently discovered the joys of running with a HR under 140. I am guessing your max HR is very low?? How did you calculate it?

I can't remember if I got the table from the Lim Tri Club site or the West Lim AC site and I've had a quick look at each but no joy so I'm attaching my own edited copy :eek:. The instructions are at the bottom of the sheet.

As evidenced by my post on your own log re tempo runs I'm fairly new to the technical parts of training so my method was fairly basic. To get my max HR I subtracted my age (41) from 220 to get 179. I took a look at my HRM while resting before I went out for a run and saw it hanging around 60 so that's where I got my resting HR. I should do a proper test to get my max but I know from this year that I'm usually more comfortable when I keep the HR below 150. I should also take my min HR before getting out of bed in the morning but that's less critical. I haven't seen my HR over 175 but my monitor is years old and will be upgraded soon. With the track sessions and 5-7km race series I should be pushing it up there anyway during them but I didn't really ever do much speed sessions in training.

I'm keeping an eye on your own log for guidance on speed as well so maybe we'll figure it out together:).

menoscemo

RedB wrote: »

I can't remember if I got the table from the Lim Tri Club site or the West Lim AC site and I've had a quick look at each but no joy so I'm attaching my own edited copy :eek:. The instructions are at the bottom of the sheet.

As evidenced by my post on your own log re tempo runs I'm fairly new to the technical parts of training so my method was fairly basic. To get my max HR I subtracted my age (41) from 220 to get 179. I took a look at my HRM while resting before I went out for a run and saw it hanging around 60 so that's where I got my resting HR. I should do a proper test to get my max but I know from this year that I'm usually more comfortable when I keep the HR below 150. I should also take my min HR before getting out of bed in the morning but that's less critical. I haven't seen my HR over 175 but my monitor is years old and will be upgraded soon. With the track sessions and 5-7km race series I should be pushing it up there anyway during them but I didn't really ever do much speed sessions in training.

I'm keeping an eye on your own log for guidance on speed as well so maybe we'll figure it out together:).

Thanks for the Table Red. I would just say though that 220-age is notoriously unreliable, woddle for example had a max HR of 205....However seeing as you have never gone above 175, it's probably best to assume that high 170's is your max.

RedB

menoscemo wrote: »

Thanks for the Table Red. I would just say though that 220-age is notoriously unreliable, woddle for example had a max HR of 205....However seeing as you have never gone above 175, it's probably best to assume that high 170's is your max.

Cool. I should do a proper max test anyway. I just thought Woddle was 15

RedB

Did a good group track session last night. A big crowd of 50 out on a cool damp dark evening and everyone on the track as the grass was too wet. Normally a bunch will do inner circuits on the grass but I'd go on the track.

Proper warmup and stretch incl strides followed by.

6 x 80secs with 1min recovery in between
2 min break
4 x 80secs with 0.5min recovery in between
5 min easy jog
4 x 100m strides with 25m fast and 75m flat out sprint
Slow jog + Stretch

Talk about activating the fast twitch muscles! It was my stomach that was nearly fast twitching at the end of it. I found a 6th speed gear I hadn't used in nearly 25 years on the sprints and was nearer the front than the back. Unbelievable!

BB was out in front of me for most of the 80 secs runs but I caught him for the last 2. I used to run 400's against him back in the day (1985!) so the both of us were going for it in the sprints. Excccccccelent. Wiped out at the end of it but with an inner smile .

The gas thing was the HR only averaged 156 for the 80 sec runs so either its wrong or I'm getting fitter and faster. New Garmin 305 on order from Santa so better analysis possible in a few weeks.

MCOS

Damn that sounds like a fun session, if a little gut wrenching. Disappointed I missed it. Good work getting the fast kid to emerge

RedB

Day 30-32

Got the swine flu vaccine Tues pm after track session and was feeling a bit worse for wear as a result. Took a rest day Wed (Day 30).

Thursday night is UL race night . 7Km this week, up from 5k previous. Still feeling a bit dodgy but determined to do it. Saw MarieC before the start and introduced myself. My p/t running partner BB arrived in at the last minute and then took off too fast for my liking so I let him go. Gonna have to catch up with that guy again soon or I'll always be watching his heels! Saw him at the turaround and he was about 1 minute ahead of me. Gave/got shoutout with MarieC then as well. Seeing some familar faces now from the track session and the Tri club (sent off my application form also today :pac:) so that's good. Mutual encouragement going on. Feeling more like a 'real' runner than a social one. 16'40 split and about 33' flat at the end so that's what I think they call a negative split and might even be a good thing. Only reason it worked like that for me was I was unsure of the pace so went out 'easy' and back harder. BB managed around 32'30 so he must have faded and I wasn't too far behind him. Didn't get a chance to do any weights when I got home or at all this week so black mark for that.

Hope to get out for an easy run this evening but Mrs B questioning my sanity with 'all this running' lark. I've converted her to a bit of it but not as much as I'm doing. It'll be interesting when the swimming and proper cycling kick in . Planning on joining a gym at the start of Dec for the swimming but only on the indoor bike a few times to date. More black marks! Oh well, that's life. Onward and upward.

catweazle

Tell me about it Red, I have started to lie to Mrs Catweazle about the lunchtime workouts and have made a conscious decision to not talk about training to her unless I am asked a specific question. Works out easier in the long run.

Its a bit of a joke really seeing as she herself runs every day and has begun to take a shine to the turbo up in the attic when the wet weather is coming down. (She hasnt told me this but unless a mouse is doing the pedaling someone is cycling 10k a day up in the attic, she doesnt realise the cycle computer is clocking her):P.

Buts it unacceptable to her for me to come home after work and go up to the Turbo for an hour after dinner

Hypocrisy at its finest.

RedB

catweazle wrote: »

Tell me about it Red, I have started to lie to Mrs Catweazle about the lunchtime workouts and have made a conscious decision to not talk about training to her unless I am asked a specific question. Works out easier in the long run.quote]

LOL:D I hear ya! I'll have to avoid the talking a bit more in future! And there was I thinking I was communicating when I was probably just digging a hole.

Hmmm.... lunchtime runs would avoid that issue but no showers at work so it'd be a cold water wash basin splashdown. I'll have to give it a go next week as a trial but it sounds a bit iffy. An hour for lunch so 5mins to get ready and out the door, say 35-40min run, 10mins to stretch, cool down, wash and 5-10 mins to wolf down lunch. Could be done with a bit of organisation re gear/ready made lunch and a bit of disregard for vanity on the washdown front.

Thanks Catweazle. I'm liking the idea of a lunchtime run the more I think about it. Its probably a nobrainer for lots of people but I hadn't seriously considered it enough. I was looking at the thread yesterday re long commute runs/cycles and I was interested in how people managed the logistics of that too. Guess I'll have to 'man up' as they say around here and go for it especially when the other stuff kicks in.

MCOS

Thinking aboout the lunch time runs myself lads. Same boat here no showers and an hour for lunch. So maybe quick change in the jacks, throw bag behdinf reception, 40 mins max run, basin face splash, deodrant and eat lunch at desk... hmmm.. I'll give it a go next week.

catweazle

I have it easy Red, there is a gym close to where I work so I joined there, so its only a short hop for me for lunch, I usually have just enough time for either a 5 mile treadmill run or 2k swim, I used to just do off-peak which I got for almost nothing but getting in the odd evening session now as Mrs Catweazle has discovered a passion for cooking so I went full member this term.

Do the stretchs in the toilet when you get back to work. But be careful who sees you go in, workmates get suspicious when you are in the jacks for more than 5 minutes :P

RedB

Red, Red, Red.......you'd think you'd have learned by now.

Well, my cunning plan of joining a gym in December took a slight twist last night as I cheerfully announced my intention to Mrs B to kick off my swimming training today with the 7am sessions at UL 3 days a week. Obviously there's a thin line between saying too much and saying too little. Hmmmmm.

To say it didn't go down well might be overstating it and it didn't quite get to a full and frank exchange of views but lets just say that the details of the plan have changed slightly and I've now signed up with another gym for December where I can squeeze in a lunchtime swim (Say nothing catweazle ). On mature reflection, ahem, I would be better getting some face time in the water before mixing it up with the big boys and girls in UL and perhaps there'll be lessons in the New Year that I can sign up for if I behave myself its convenient. Suffice to say that I'm back from the lunchtime swim and its a better solution for everyone :rolleyes:. Now to squeeze in the lunchtime runs on alternative days!

Oh yeah, it turns out that the rescheduled Ballycotton 10 now clashes with the w'end after Mrs B's birthday and that I will actually be taking her away that particular weekend (Huh ). In fairness, I did then suggest that east cork, ballymaloe or.. eh...ballycotton were ideal venues at that time of the year but no joy. It was a bad time to bring up the issue of doing the Limerick Marathon in conjunction with changing the Connemarthon to a Half so of course I suggested it and I then had a hard job trying to convince her that I wasn't taking the mickey by suggesting I ruin a family bank holiday weekend. I don't remember saying it quite like that but that's what she heard. I have a lot to learn about communication!

Now I'm sure anyone reading this is wondering what the heck any of that has to do with training and why is it in a training log. But the reason its there my friends is to remind you and me that we're not just operating in a vacuum and everbodys plans need to dovetail or .......(you fill in the blanks):). Enough said for the time being.

So,back to the beginners lane for me today and thrashed out 750m of atrocious swimming with several gasping attempts at alternate breathing. Arms were aching after 100m and I definitely need to clock up the swimming time again on my own before I can appear in public .

In terms of what I've logged since Thursday, well, it hasn't exactly been my finest hour but its probably going to continue a bit like that for December.

Day 32 Fri 27/11 30min easy run.
Day 33 Sat 28/11 Up to Dublin for the Rugby with BB and straight back down again and out to a function till the wee hours. You know you're in trouble when you've had 3 pints and a kebab by 2pm! C'MON IRELAND!! Does it count if I ran/walked for 15minutes leaving Croker and danced for 2-3hours later? Did manage to organise a local group cycle for Sunday morning next week though as long as everyone remembers that particular conversation.
Day 34 Sun 29/11 SFA - Good for nothing.
Day 35 Mon 30/11 SFA - V Busy with work. Gone 7.15am Back 8pm. See top of post for further details of why my planned run didn't then materialise!
Day 36 Tues 1/12 750m lunchtime swim and track session on the agenda for later .

Izoard

RedB wrote: »

Day 32 Fri 27/11 30min easy run.
Day 33 Sat 28/11 Up to Dublin for the Rugby with BB and straight back down again and out to a function till the wee hours. You know you're in trouble when you've had 3 pints and a kebab by 2pm! C'MON IRELAND!! Does it count if I ran/walked for 15minutes leaving Croker and danced for 2-3hours later? Did manage to organise a local group cycle for Sunday morning next week though as long as everyone remembers that particular conversation.
Day 34 Sun 29/11 SFA - Good for nothing.
Day 35 Mon 30/11 SFA - V Busy with work. Gone 7.15am Back 8pm. See top of post for further details of why my planned run didn't then materialise!
Day 36 Tues 1/12 750m lunchtime swim and track session on the agenda for later .

Sounds like a peak IM training week for me....

catweazle

Ha you will get there yet Red my young Padawan, my back is still fecked so all I could do today was cycle. Mrs Cat rings me later and asks if I went to the gym today, "yes I did but all I did was sit in the jacussi and try and work the tension out of it".

I have now been given the green light to go to the gym for another Jacussi session after work so I will hit the exercise bike for another hour while she cooks the dinner

RedB

catweazle wrote: »

Ha you will get there yet Red my young Padawan, my back is still fecked so all I could do today was cycle. Mrs Cat rings me later and asks if I went to the gym today, "yes I did but all I did was sit in the jacussi and try and work the tension out of it".

I have now been given the green light to go to the gym for another Jacussi session after work so I will hit the exercise bike for another hour while she cooks the dinner

It appears you have gone to the Dark Side, Master! Sins of omission are one thing but an outright false statement is surely too much :eek:.

Meanwhile I put in a decent speed session down at the track this evening for my sins. Same as last week with 6 x 80secs with 1 min recovery, 4 x 80secs with 0.5 min recovery and 4 x fast strides following a 5 min jog plus warm up / down + stretching. I even ran 15mins to get to the session as my own warm up. Speed improving and finished ahead of my buddy BB on the last 2-3.

kevin7

Hey RedB,

Fascinating log! You may know me as the cyclist who kept up with you for a while at the Sean Kelly this year before you finally burned me off after the second food stop. (Those food stops were the biz!).
As I hobbled back the short flat route to Dungarvan a broken man, you were busy getting in the face of the serious climbs of Mahon Falls.
Had to respect that ability, specially for one with alleged haphazard training!

I find your log and plans and reports of actual training to be inspiring, cos I'm at that lull of midwinter, kinda training, but with no specific goals. No particular events in mind for next year, so very hard to focus the training.

I may well start one of these logs myself - seems like an excellent idea for setting the goals and keeping honest!

Good luck with yours and hope you reach your 2010 goals.

RedB

Hey back Kevin7,

Ah yes, that guy whose bright idea it was to upgrade from the 100km Sean Kelly cycle to the 160km circuit on the day itself whilst basking in the glow of the first food stop (Yes, they really were the biz). (Have I mentioned previously in this log my tendancy to undertraining? This was another example :rolleyes:) The guy who I said I'd follow seeing as he must know what he was talking about. Surely another 60km can't be all that hard, he said. Sure we're halfway round the 100km circuit and its pretty handy, he said. The guy who slipped away home approaching the second serious climb unknownst to me as I struggled on to my doom and the inevitable Walk Of Shame up the final stretch of Mahon Falls. The guy who was hitting the showers as I struggled up the Mama Road in the wind and rain. (Mental note to self - 60km additional cycling is completely different from 60km up mountains....especially on your own!). Oh yeah, that guy! Hi Kev - how's it going ? No more lurking here. Get your act together and sign up for one of those Great Limerick runs or something. The welcoming world of training logs awaits!

Meanwhile, back in the real world, I managed my first lunchtime run today. Bit of a wobbly start. Slow out of the starting blocks meant I only hit the road at 1.10pm and then did a handy 30min exactly run keeping the HR to an average of 150. Plan on repeating the exercise and extending the distance within the same time/hr. Meant a 10min walk back which probably helped with warmdown. Wash hand basin splash a bit messy but J+J wipes ok. Time involved meant I ended up munching healthy snack food at desk rather than a proper lunch in canteen. Oh well, we live and learn. I'll have to work on my transition phases .

RedB

Day 37 Wed 2/12 - My lunchtime run was followed that evening by a 30min indoor cycle while perched in front of the TV. I'd meant to do some weights as well but the tv hypnotised me and I just ended up watching it . Didn't go to bed early enough either, didn't sleep well and feel a bit fuzzyheaded today as a result. Moral of the story - don't leave the sessions too late, avoid the TV and practice proper sleep hygiene (my new phrase for the day ). I lifted the following from Wikipedia so I'll be reminded of it:
"Common sleep hygiene tips and rationale

One should try to keep a regular sleep schedule seven days a week by going to sleep and waking up at the same time every night/morning. – The body’s circadian rhythm that runs the sleep/wake schedule is sensitive to time changes; an erratic schedule can interfere with it.[3]
Avoiding napping – For people having trouble sleeping at night, giving the body rest during the day may hinder sleep later. Any naps should be kept to no more than 30-45 minutes to avoid entering deeper stages of sleep.[3]
An environment conducive to sleeping is important. – A good sleep environment is quiet, cool and dark, and has a comfortable bed and pillows.[3]
Staying away from stimulants late in the day – Caffeine’s half-life varies with the individual and various metabolic factors, but caffeine can affect your ability to sleep for up to 12 hours or more. Nicotine will linger for about six hours in the body.[3]
Dinner should be eaten at least two hours before bedtime - The body raises its core temperature to digest food, making it difficult to sleep well as sleep is accompanied by a drop in core body temperature.[3][4]
No alcohol near bedtime – Alcohol can reduce sleep latency. However, it severely fragments sleep as it metabolizes. It takes an hour or more to metabolize each shot (1 oz) of liquor or single beer or glass of wine.[3]
Regular exercise – Not only is exercise good for reducing stress, it facilitates better sleep so long as it is completed a few hours before bedtime, giving the body time to cool down again.[3]
Keeping a journal or note pad next to the bed – For people who can’t "shut the brain off" and are afraid of forgetting something important, writing it all down can help. A plan for the following day can, for example, be written early in the evening and be available bedside for jotting down thoughts just before sleep. This is a common practice in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).[3]
A relaxing routine before bedtime – Being engaged and excited, for example by the news or an action film on television, in the last hour before bedtime will often make it difficult to get to sleep. Reading, or a warm bath, is often relaxing.[3]"

Day 38 Thurs 3/12 Feeling a bit weary from combination of training and not enough proper sleep but did a swim session at lunchtime. 1000m with breathing every 2nd stroke. Just trying to get back into the swing of it again and be aware of every part of the stroke, etc. Looking back on Tues session I must have made a mistake on the count as no way was it 750m. Probably only half that. Feeling a bit tired now but the 7km UL Race series awaits this evening so I'll have to get there early, warm up properly and get my head in the game. They haven't been that big but this'll be my third day with double sessions so its gonna take a while to adapt to proper training.

metamorphosis

Best of luck in 2010 redb. Looking forward to limerick marathon?

RedB

ULstudent wrote: »

Best of luck in 2010 redb. Looking forward to limerick marathon?

Thanks ULstudent. I forgot to note here that I did actually sign up for the Limerick Marathon during the week. I met MarieC last night at the UL 7km race and she's on a similar path to me with the Half in Connemara.
You might know the answer to do this question. How do you manage your training plan when it conflicts with races? In particular my training plan calls for a 22miler when I'll be doing the Half so do I do a very extended warm up and down or just scrap it. I actually picked the plan because of the 22miler as I want to ensure I have the proper endurance.

RedB

Day 38 Race Report - 7k UL race series. Another negative split: 16:30 @ turnaround, 32:42 finish. Thought I went off fast enough and felt I was fading on the return leg but I somehow kept picking off runners ahead of me. I thought they were just fading faster than me so I kept pushing on to move up a position. Was mystified at the end to see the time with the neg split as I didn't feel it. Shaved 20+secs off prev week so happy with that. Kevin7 was there for the first time and himself and BB motored off at the start and weren't seen again till after the finish line. A few other familiar faces also. Good chat with MarieC and the lads after in the clubhouse with hot tea, mince pies and biscuits. Went down v. well. Happy with the run and still improving so that's encouraging. No more UL races till the new year.

Day 39 Fri 04/12 Rest day

Day 40 Sat 05/12 LSR - 13KM 70mins Avg HR 150.
Just what I wanted to do . Thought the HR might've been lower but the incline from CPH to past the Golf Club must have taken a small bit more out of me than intended. Nice mild morning when I set out with little wind and only slightly cool but it worsened over the last 3km with cold showers and a touch more wind. Happy to have clocked it up reasonably comfortably compared to 2 weeks ago. Discomfort in the back of the calves was followed by pains in the shins for a half hour spell from about 15mins in but faded towards the end.

RedB

Day 41 Sun 6/12

A few local lads and I had made an arrangement to go for a Sunday morning cycle at 8.15am. A change to my own plans involved me having to cut short the cycle to be home for 9.30am so I then planned on heading out earlier and doing an hour before meeting the lads. Alarm goes at 7am, up and out and hop on the bike at 7.15am. Darkness - ah, so that's why the plan was 8.15am. After a few seconds cycling I realised the back tire was a bit soft so I hopped off and went to remedy it. Long story short I'm still there 30mins later with an assortment of pumps and 2 flat tyres. Throw Put the road bike back and grab the mountain bike complete with carrier and lock. Do a quick 25mins before meeting the lad and proceed to delay them for the next 40mins while I struggle to even make 20kph in places. I veer off home and let them away. It was a bit cool and sunny earlier but the wind and showers arrived near the end. Net result between 7.15-9.30am = 37km. Actual wheeling time probably 1.5hrs so nearly 25kph. Felt really tough also as I had only cycled once (to work) in 12 weeks. Annoyed with myself for not sorting the bike the night before. Feeling like a plonker delaying the lads. Passed a peleton (from Limerick Cycling Club?) later heading out of Adare and they were clocking about 38kph.
Realising that I need to do some serious time on the bike but can't see many slots until after Xmas due to other commitments. I want to keep my main focus on the running over the winter and start to get the swimming going too so the cycling is probably going to have to wait a bit. My endurance in all events is pretty limited so its a question of priorities and opportunities. My main Tri events are in June and Sept so I'm thinking now that I'll wait till March to focus on bike training. It'll be brighter and hopefully my running will be solid by then in the lead into the Connemara Half and the Limerick Marathon. Maybe a 16 week buildup to HOTW with a push on the bike side of things then will help but I'm also concious of the importance of the bike stage in Tri and that its where most time is spent. The indoor bike isn't probably much use and I haven't used it enough either so I'll have to find a better routine that involves more cycling . I can definitely manage more long cycles from June-Sept with minimal family impact.
Oh yeah - cycling is a pain in the ar$e, literally. Really sore left cheek where muscle (hamstring?) ends. Not a happy bunny with the mornings performance.

Day 42 Mon 7/12

Travelling late with work, a bit tired and still sore from cycling so decide its best overall to just rest.

Day 43 Tues 8/12

Track session - 3km time trial. Big crowd of approx 60 out on a surprisingly mild evening. Kevin7 and BB are there and while they head out faster than me, I manage to pass Kevin on the last bend and nearly reel in BB at the finish. Yippee!!......except... its... not... the... finish...:o. Miscounted the laps and take a few seconds walking and gasping to realise this and then have to kick off again. Finished (the second time) in about 13mins. Running in lane 2 and am gonna deduct 10 secs from my time due to that and mixup with lap count to give myself a time of 12:50:P. Its not pretty but its mine. Did the usual warmup / stretching / warmdown also.

Day 44 Wed 9/12

1000m swim with all the grace and elegence of a tractor pulling a slurry tanker through a flood. Arms felt tired from the start, followed by the side muscles(?). Ground it out but not good.

MCOS

Good crowd down alright. Well done on the 5km. Are you going to do the duathlons?

RedB

MCOS wrote: »

Are you going to do the duathlons?

Thanks - ya, I plan on doing the first two but I don't think I'll make the last one. That's where I started this year so it'll be interesting to see how they go. I'd hope to shave several minutes off anyway . I presume you'll be there yourself?

RedB

Day 45 Thurs 10/12

Did a 7am run training session with the Lim Tri Club this morning and feeling pretty good as a result. There were 5 of us at the start and a 6th arrived soon after.

The session involved:
10 min warmup
6 min base HR run
2 min base HR+10 BPM
2 min base HR+15 BPM
(Repeat the above 3 five times)
10 min warmdown.
Total 70min

I'm guessing thats a tempo run. I knew when I arrived that I was the slowest guy there and I drifted back even in the warmup! I had my doubts about the 70mins as thats the duration of my current LSR so I wasn't sure how I'd manage with the fast sections added in. A group of the first 4 lads went ahead during the first split and another guy (NK) was left between me and them, so he waited on for me and it really was the making of the session. He's actually a neighbour who I had seen around and at the Tues night track sessions. I had even introduced myself to him during the Lost Sheep cycle but we both had a lot going on that day so hadn't said much. I don't know what my base HR is so I'm guesstimating 135-140. In the end it wasn't that critical as we ended up doing 6 mins handy running, 2 mins quick and 2 mins quicker . We had a decent pace going that I was happy with and the fast sections felt awesome as we were clipping along, knowing that the recovery section was only a few mins away. It was good having someone else there as I was more inclined to push it. I also really felt well connected with some of the fast sections with good strides and rhythm. Happy days, and home to help with the morning routine as well. Win/Win.

Going to the Munster game tomorrow evening and up to Dublin the following morning for the rest of the weekend so won't get too much done then. Will do a swim at lunch tomorrow and hoping to squeeze in a recovery run somewhere else in the day. Will bring the runners to Dub and maybe sneak a run in there also.:cool:

MCOS

RedB wrote: »

Thanks - ya, I plan on doing the first two but I don't think I'll make the last one. That's where I started this year so it'll be interesting to see how they go. I'd hope to shave several minutes off anyway . I presume you'll be there yourself?

Yep thats where I started this year too, so I'll be back to try and shave a bit off there. It was the first time I'd run off the bike too, I pushed way to hard on the bike and the jelly cramping legs on the ssecond run was not fun!

Good little group running there on thursday mornings. I didn't go this morning as calf still sore, but hopefully will be back next week

RedB

Day 46 Fri 11/12.

1250m swim. Increase in distance a good thing but don't know how MCOS and others can swim 25m or 5/7 strokes on one breath while I'm chugging along on a breath every 2 strokes :eek:.

MCOS

RedB wrote: »

Day 46 Fri 11/12.

1250m swim. Increase in distance a good thing but don't know how MCOS and others can swim 25m or 5/7 strokes on one breath while I'm chugging along on a breath every 2 strokes :eek:.

Its all about being relaxed. If I try and swim 25m with one or no breath when my heart rate is up then I will inevitably fail and usually swallow a mouthful of water and arrive at the deck coughing and sputtering with a red face to boot. First get the hand of bi-lateral breathing. This has been the key thing to improve my stroke this year as I now tend to roll from side to side and more importantly in OW when there are waves hitting you from the side I can change the direction I turn my head if I need to. With the bilateral breathing down you will swim a lot more relaxed and thus your heart lungs are not under so much pressure to rush blood around your system. If you stick with it consistantly and learn to bilaterally breathe with comfort I'll bet you can cover 25m on one breath by Kilkee

Izoard

Nice work on the distance!

Everyone is different, but I breathe on every 4 strokes and only on my left.

Probably not recommended and I've tried to change this a few times, but to be honest, my goal is to reach the end of the IM swim with as little effort as possible.

I just hope it is a course with left turns:-)

RedB

Day 47 - 50 Sat 12/12-Tues 15/12

Really dropped training down the agenda for the last few days as busy with family, work and a bit of socialising. Its going to be like that for the next 7-10 days so I'm just going to roll with it, try to maintain where I am and not do the dog on it too much. I'll spare the log the gory details of pints, santa trains, shopping, late nights and work travel and cut to the chase. Nothing to report except the UL track session last night.

12 x 35 secs (@3km pace?) with 35 secs recovery along with the usual warm up/down + stretching.

Afterwards I discussed what our training plan for the Limerick Marathon will be with my training buddy BB given that we're planning on starting it w/c 28/12 with an 18 week lead in. Given our lack of proper training for the DCM we're going to try and push ourselves so the current plan we decided on is to train for a 3:45-3:50 target time. The idea being that we finish under 4 hours but don't cut it too fine. The slight issue of shaving an hour off my DCM time is foremost on my mind at the moment but I believe the training plans work so its just a matter of sticking to the plan . Having that goal is hopefully going to help to take it easy on the eating and drinking over the holiday period but I am a sucker for a good time so a slight internal conflict to be resolved there!

RedB

Day 51 - 57 Wed 16/12 - Tues 22/12

Another v. busy spell at work followed by family commitments and another bit of sociallising has me a week further into the log but not a lot of progress. In fact I get the distinct impression I'm going slip sliding backwards at the moment. I was quite tired by Sunday from everything going on and a bit of burning the candle at both ends with inadequate rest. So much so that when I did manage to get an early night that night, I woke at 5.15am Mon with a guilty consciense. Tossed and turned for a hour before getting up and doing 45mins on Indoor Bike and 15mins of 'core' work i.e. 3 x 15 sit ups and 3 x 5 pushups :eek:. Dear, oh dear. We do have a long way to go .

Izoard wrote: »

Nice work on the distance!

Everyone is different, but I breathe on every 4 strokes and only on my left.

Probably not recommended and I've tried to change this a few times, but to be honest, my goal is to reach the end of the IM swim with as little effort as possible.

I just hope it is a course with left turns:-)

I've been dragging my swimming gearbag around with me for the last week and only got there today. I generally just plough up and down the lane until its time to go or I tire but I tried putting a bit more structure on it today :rolleyes:.
Did 400m warmup trying to breath every four strokes as per Izorad (I'm a rightie BTW). Could only manage it in spots so it became a mixture of 2/4 strokes per breath but it was generally oxygen deficient! I then tried a couple of 50m 'sprints'. The first one took 60 secs and I went again after 15 secs. Same time for the second but I needed 30 secs after it. Ditto for the third with 45 sec rest and the fourth took approx 65 secs and I was done! It took a lot out of me and I was even aching from my 'core workout' yesterday so that's a fairly sad reflection on the current state of affairs. ROLL ON 2010!! I weant back to my standard 2 stroke easy glide style and did another 500m.

My ambition to complete the 2010 HOTW sub 3 hrs (2009 3:26) is currently aiming at a rough split of:

1500m OW Swim - :30 mins.
T1- 2.5 mins
40+KM Cycle - 1:30 mins
T2 - 2.5 mins
10km Run - :50 mins

Trying to get out of the water under 30mins is going to involve 30 of those 50m sprints back to back. 6 months to go. Hmmmmmm. I managed it this year in 41mins as a complete newbie. I think I'll just have to do the best I can and maybe hit 35mins. My Lost Sheep 1900m swim was 39mins but there was probably a bit of tidal influence there as well. I guess I'll just have to work harder on the bike as well :cool:.

RedB

Day 58 Wed 23/12

Did an early morning run as an attempt to get back on track. Its fair icy around where I live and I thought I might just do a small circuit. I geared up to the max with long thermals, long sleeve base layer, long sleeve running top, cycling jacket, tracksuit bottoms, gloves and hat and they worked a treat. It was -3C when I got in the car later but I was toastie on the run. The paths were dodgy so I went on the roads for most of it as the traffic was quiet. I was quite happy cruising along with HR around 147 and in the 150's uphills. I was just about turning for home to make it a 6miler when I decided to push on and extend the circuit to an 8miler as I was feeling so comfortable and I'm not sure exactly when I'll get out again. Time of 72mins put it spot on the 9min mile pace and I was a happy bunny again with an avg HR of 152.

MCOS

Fair play getting out on those icy roads I used to breathe every 4 to my left also a while back. Even now every 2 sends my heart rate racing. In fact I would hazard a guess that bilateral breathing is easier to develop from every 4 than from every 2!

RedB

Day 59 - 61
Thurs 24/12 - Sat 26/12

Rested Thurs and clocked up the brownie points to get out for the Christmas Day run

Fri was a cold morning and as soon as I stepped out the front door I went flying on the ice and did a Keystone Cops type slip sliding for a few secs before landing on my ar$e. I was to meet BB and arrange cars for the trip in/out of town but he was late due to the treacherous roads. I couldn't even get my car out of the driveway so I had to skate along the ice to the main road where I met him and we crawled into town. We missed the start of the race but joined in at Frank Hogans. The negative temperatures from the beginning of the week had lifted but there was a bit of rain and wind which made it feel much worse. The roads were still icy and slushy and it was a cruel run. The paths were out of bounds due to the ice so we had to run on the road and there was a small bit of traffic. The ice was treacherous but we clipped along as best we could. 3 of my brothers were doing it as well as another buddy (BO'S) but BB and I went ahead at our own pace and made decent progress. I had thrown on my new Garmin 305 (thanks Santa!) without reading the instructions but clocked 31 mins for the 3.75 miles we did which was good given the conditions. No hanging around for long after due to cold wet clothes but the Irish Coffee provided was yummie.

Sat was a slightly better day with higher temps but still ice around. I went to Caherdavin to try to do the 10mile race there but there was no sign of life. Heard on the radio that it'd been cancelled. Came home and went out on my own. Was geared up to the max again so the cold didn't bother me. I had hope to try for a 10miler but I must've had too much Turkey and so wrapped it up on the 8 mile mark in a time of 1:08:46 which was a decent pace for me (8:36/mile). I'm hoping to go below 80mins for 10 miles in 2010 as an intermediate goal so heading the right direction.