"We can rebuild her!"

rainbow kirby

And a further update - pretty much doing the same thing training-wise. Getting slightly more consistent over the last few weeks, less wussing out of runs for stupid reasons and enjoying it a lot more. Gym stuff has improved too, squat up to 37.5kg for reps now which I'm pretty happy about, bench up to 22.5kg. Kinda proud of my weedy little girl muscles :pac:

Have entered the Women's Mini-Marathon just to give myself a bit of a target, not a snowball's chance in hell of getting anywhere near my PB, but 53-55 mins and I'd be happy after the most inconsistent long running winter in the history of everything. May try and build from there and do a 10 mile or a half in the autumn.

rainbow kirby

So I'm basically going absolutely nowhere. Can't run more than about 5-6 miles (and this can be as low as 2 miles at times) pain-free, and that's 15 months since I did the back/pelvis damage. Tweaked it again in the gym a couple of nights ago and am back to painkillers. Yet again. *crankyface*

Getting very close to my "feck this" line. Finding cycling, swimming, lifting and yoga more fun at the moment anyway.

RacoonQueen

Have you found a physio in London?

rainbow kirby

Heading to an osteopath in Highgate (just up the road) on Thursday. Need to do something about this because I'm getting really sick of being in pain!

At least ibuprofen is dirt cheap here...

rainbow kirby

Splish splash... Completed the Great London Swim on Saturday (1 mile open water around Millwall Dock) in 39:08 (pretty slow, but inside my 40 minute goal). Really enjoyed it... Time for a turn to the dark side?

digger2d2

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Time for a turn to the dark side?

But...but.... what about Brian? :pac:

rainbow kirby

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Time for a turn to the dark side?

Looks like it. Plan for 2014 basically involves the London Triathlon Olympic distance on the first weekend in August, the Great London Swim at the end of August and whatever miscellaneous crap I decide to do along the way (possibly a sprint tri and another swim). Swimming and cycling are a lot less painful and injury-causing than running for me at the moment - it's probably time to accept that I won't be exclusively a runner again. Need to pick up some cycling shoes and new pedals in the sales.

I'm not doing much running, 25-30 mins here and there, I'm more consistent about the others and some lifting too. Will be doing a bit more of it over Christmas though while I'm home.

So the challenges are...

• Not dying on my bike next year - London drivers are scary!
• Build up to being able to run an LSR of 8-10 miles comfortably again, this could take a while...
• Improve my swimming technique - joining a tri club could be a shout there
• HTFU and lose some weight

rainbow kirby

Getting a little more consistent these days - have been able to do a good bit more running since Christmas, which has been nice. Usually 2-3 runs, around 5-6km a time, which shockingly enough is an improvement on most of the 6 months leading up to it. No pain really though, which is great. Have also been relatively consistent with two swims a week, usually doing 1.5-2km each time. The cycling has been letting me down a bit - the weather has been relentlessly terrible, and I'm a total fairweather cyclist. The closest I've really gotten to a bike in 2014 has been spin classes! Usually lifting or doing circuits once a week too - wish I had more time for that, but if my arms are in bits from that it makes swimming the next day completely crapulent so it takes a back seat.

New runners and a pair of tri shorts arrived for me this morning, which is making me happier than it should. Going back to my Kayano bricks for a bit of extra support, got a pair of last year's model for around 80 quid so quite happy. Need to acquire a wetsuit, cycling shoes and clipless pedals over the next couple of months too, expensive times ahead! Have an idea of what I want, just keeping an eye on prices. I was happy enough with the BlueSeventy Sprint I rented for the Great London Swim, so might get one of those. The cycling shoes I wanted were cheap in November when I had an apartment deposit to pay for, then magically went up by about 20 quid at Christmas!

In terms of races - I only have the London Triathlon entered at the moment. I'm looking for a sprint tri in May, June or July too, possibly a 10k around then too and I could do with actually getting up early on a Saturday and doing one of the local Parkruns! I'll probably enter the Great London Swim again too, in late August, and I wouldn't mind squeezing in another swim at some point too.

rainbow kirby

And another little update... Training going pretty well at the moment. Generally doing *something* 6 days a week - usually 2 swims (1.5-2km each time), one outdoor cycle, one spin class/treadmill run "brick-ish" session (20km+5km if the spin bike mileage is in any way believable), two outdoor runs (6-10km).

Distance wise things have improved a bit too, up to just over 30km spins on my bike and long run of just over an hour which I was pretty comfortable after. Really need to build the cycling distance-wise over the next while, it's lagging my running and swimming dangerously. My OH is getting a new bike soon too, so it will be nice to have some company!

Outdoor swimming starts in the next week or two as well, my wetsuit arrived on Monday, I know it fits because I had the same one as a rental last year. Considering doing an open water swim in Bedford in May but haven't made a decision yet.

I did a 10km race in mid-March in Regent's Park, aimed for sub 60 and ran 58:18. Slow as fcuk but was pretty happy with it, particularly because I'd only really built up to an 8km pain-free run before it. Continuing a very slow running mileage build-up, need to be getting my longest run of the week up towards 90-100 minutes by August/September (London Tri/Great North Run). I see very little point in doing any speedwork beyond the odd Parkrun or Battersea Park 5k, my mileage is not high enough to support it.

I haven't had any pain really from my back in the last 2-3 months, apart from when deadlifting in the gym. Over the worst of it after nearly 2 years? I bloody well hope so. Everything's coming up milhouse

digger2d2

Biggest weekend of your year coming up.... You get to see Meno again in the flesh... Be still your beating heart

rainbow kirby

And another little update. Since April, I've been pretty consistent with training, generally doing *something* 6 days a week and have done a few races. Did the Parkrun at Finsbury Park, ran a bit crap at that and ended up at around 27 minutes. Also did the Bupa London 10,000 on the UK May bank holiday weekend and finished in 55:42. Roughly a 3 minute improvement since March, but still a long way to go.

I turned to the dark side yesterday though... did my first sprint tri at Dorney Lake. :eek:

Standard sprint distances - 750m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run. It's been warm here lately, but thankfully that broke on Saturday and got a nice pleasant 20c day with the water still at 22c. That's a rant in its own right, 22c water feels somewhat uncomfortable in a wetsuit for me because I'm doing a lot of my swimming in togs in an outdoor pool at the moment which is cooler than that! I hung close to the back for the swim, because I did that for the Great London Swim last year and it gave me plenty of nice clear water... big mistake, my swimming has improved significantly over the last 6 months or so and I ended up without appropriate feet to chase/draft off and in a bit of a no man's land! Got out of the water in 16:49, which is slightly faster than what I was hoping for, so was happy enough with that. Slow, crap T1 because my wetsuit and chip decided to have an argument, and I haven't been doing enough practice really.

Bike was a bit crap - I'm a pretty weak cyclist, I need to do a lot of work there. Lots more hills and longer spins if I'm not to be absolutely destroyed by the bike at my Oly in August. 4 lap course yesterday, flat as a pancake because it was beside the lake, but a strong headwind for the longer first segment of the lap. Caught a couple of people, ended up getting passed by quite a few people that I'd beaten out of the water - a little depressing! 20km in 46:57, people commute faster than that... *blush*

T2 was a bit quicker mercifully, but still one of the slower transitions of the field overall. Out on the run then - ended up haring off after someone, only to realise that the person I was chasing was doing the super sprint (400/10/2.5), taking the early turn, and I was on my own for a long stretch after that. The run course is a single lap out and back with a wiggle at the top for the sprint, started to catch people around the top and between around 3 and 4km into the run I caught about 5 people who had gone past me on the bike, which was quite satisfying. 26:01 for the run, for a total of 1:34:28 for my first sprint tri. 10/17 in my AG (F30-34) and 51/74 overall.

I've learnt a hell of a lot by doing that race yesterday.

I need to practice transitions a lot more - wetsuits are a bitch to get off in a hurry! If they weren't mandatory I wouldn't have worn it yesterday.

I need to be a bit more aggressive with where I place myself for the swim start. Probably could have gotten into a pack if I had done so and may have gone a little faster.

Also need to be spending most of July on my bike, because I'm staring down the barrel of being around 1:45 on the bike during an Olympic and that's extremely slow.

I didn't take any water or fuel during the race yesterday, and I generally don't for less than 2 hours of a workout - so I'll need to practice fuelling before August, because I'll be on the move for over 3 hours.

RayCun

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1527

:P

rainbow kirby

RayCun wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1527

:P

I'm too fat and slow for 99% of that forum :pac:

RayCun

rainbow kirby wrote: »

I'm too fat and slow for 99% of that forum :pac:

Sounds like you'll fit in perfectly

RacoonQueen

That results btw would have been enough to finish second in the Fingal Sprint Tri here on Saturday.

That's pretty close to what I got in my first tri...my swim was sloooow though

Did you use bodyglide of anything under your wetsuit to help get it off? I use Vaseline and it usually slides off. Mine is well out of warranty now so no issue doing that

rainbow kirby

Bodyglide on neck, ankles and wrists. The huge chip on my left ankle was part of the problem... the fastening of the ankle band thing was slightly awkward, so I tried to get my wetsuit over it - not happening quickly.

Only increases my annoyance at the race being wetsuit mandatory tbh. Even Great Swim, who are really stubborn at that sort of thing, loosened up the rules last year when there was a similar water temperature for one of their events.

Solobally8

Well done J on your first sprint. It's all about learning at this stage. That time is nothing to be sneezed at!

rainbow kirby

Main goal race for this year was yesterday - London Triathlon olympic distance

Was in the midday mixed (= 80% lads) wave, no crazy early starts for me! ExCeL has probably the biggest transition area I've ever seen, like a warehouse full of expensive bikes.

Swim was in Royal Victoria Dock, water quality was ok, thankfully no delhi belly as a result of it today! Probably the most violent open water swim I've had so far, the all-female wave start at my sprint in June was a lot more civilised. Got kicked hard enough in the face to dislodge my goggles twice, lost a little time in switching to a head-up breaststroke to fix them. Still felt pretty good in the swim in general, even if I did sight badly after the second turn and ended up taking a far too wide line. Out of the swim in 35:59, which is broadly in line with what I was expecting.

Long enough barefoot run to my bike then, but got out fairly smoothly. Only cockup I made was waiting until I was on the bike to put my bike gloves on, should have done that before. Chowed down on a lovely M&S flapjack in the early part of the bike too. Was feeling really good on the first lap. Bike route felt like it was going past every construction site in east London, and could best be described as lumpy. Lots of overpasses and a fairly big tunnel too. 2nd lap was a bit tougher, didn't help that the women from the female AG 12:25 wave were coming out for their first lap at that stage so lots of fast girls breezing past! Survived it anyway, used my 2nd gel with around 8km to go in the bike and got myself back up into transition after 1:24:45 on the bike.

Out on the run then, heading out for 3 laps of a twisty route roughly in the direction of London City Airport. Legs decided to let me know that they were a little unimpressed straight away, and I knew that it was going to be a slog to the line. I suspect I may have pushed slightly harder than I should have on the bike. Support was great on the run course though, loads of spectators and a charity cheering zone on each lap. Lovely shower to run though on each lap too - the day was warm enough (24c mid-afternoon) that it made getting doused in cold water while running very pleasant! 3rd gel at the start of the 2nd run lap, probably took the rest of that lap to then make my stomach behave again! Somehow Brian seemed to be everywhere on the run course too, taking pictures and cheering. After what seemed like an eternity, got to the finish line and the sweet sweet Erdinger Alkoholfrei on the other side. Run split was 55:32, total overall time was 3:06:43.

Tbh I'm delighted. My only goal when I started training for this was to be fit enough to actually toe the start line, uninjured and not likely to make an arse of myself. Reasonable goal was 3:20, stretch goal was 3:10 so just under 3:07 is enough to make me pretty damn happy

Longest swim in training was 2,500m, longest bike was just under 106km, longest run... erm, 13km. I've been injury-free since around January of this year (touch wood), which is my longest stretch in absolutely years without having to fork out for a physio. July heatwave probably greatly improved my bike split because cycling in 25c+ is a lot more comfortable than running, so I probably spent way too much time on my bike during that time compared to the time spent on my feet.

Next up? I'm doing the Great London Swim on August 30 and the Great North Run on September 7. I need to replace a cycle every week with another run to get me into any sort of HM shape at all for the next five weeks. Might try and fit in either another tri or a long swim in September too, but I may just wait and run the Cabbage Patch 10 in mid-October.

rainbow kirby

And another update... Great London Swim was cancelled really late on because of water quality issues, so no chance there to see how much my swimming has improved or otherwise since last year.

Did the Great North Run last weekend though, so something that's actually relevant in this forum! Went in aiming for 2 hours and finished in 2:01:59. While I am glad to have finished my first half marathon in 2 years, I am immensely frustrated at the fact that my starting position basically cost me my goal time. I was seeded into a zone 3 groups from the back in spite of being honest with my predicted time (I put down 2:00-2:05). Right off the start it was really obvious that around 80% of the people around me were running around a 7 min km pace, and saw the first one starting to walk 400 metres after the start line. You know that godawful skipping in and around people to try and get going at the start of the race? Yeah, roughly the first 12 miles were like that. Great atmosphere though and the people of the area really embrace the race, I am of the opinion though that the race could do with losing up to around 15,000 of its participants to make it more comfortable for others.

Have one more tri this season in 2 weeks time. Will see what I can squeeze in over the winter now too - need something to train for to help keep the weight off! Reading half-marathon in March is looking like the favourite.