Tri-ing my best...

couerdelion

Oryx wrote: »

Thats one hell of a pb. And by the sounds of it, you didn't even find it hard!

Thanks, Oh it wasn't easy by any means. This picture was taken at the finish line. I aren't quite sure what I'm doing with my arms... or my face for that matter (I'm in the red).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34896940@N06/6953855370/

Dory Dory wrote: »

Excellent work there! And bonus points for making that little girl's day!

She was right at the front and about 4-5 people grabbed drinks of the taller adults, her lip was quivering at this apparant rejection so I stooped, said "thank you", grabbed the drink and probably chucked half of it back over her.

couerdelion

Sunday 22nd April 2012

Club cycle. I like these because normally I doesn't involve my heart rate lifting too high. Not today though. Started of steady enough but a new member meant I wasn't sitting at an easy pace with the ladies. Enjoyed it though, good chance to get the heart rate up. Nice cup of tea and chocolate biscuit cake after 30km then finished the club run and did an extra 40km to take the total up to 101km.

jester1980

Thats some improvement in a year mate. Fair play.

El Director

Great PB over the weekend dude, a big chunk. Keep at it consistently, no heroics, just steady and consistent that equals big improvement. I remember my first real race was the Dub Half Marathon 2007 (93kg) did 1:56:xx, yesterday 1:31 (76kg) in a training half mara...took 5 years though, not all consistent only the last yearI'd say. Funny, when you begin a journey you never know where it will take you You have so many PB's to look forward to

elvis jones

I hate you couerdelion;)

RedB

elvis jones wrote: »

I hate you couerdelion;)

+1

couerdelion

jester1980 wrote: »

Thats some improvement in a year mate. Fair play.

El Director wrote: »

Great PB over the weekend dude, a big chunk. Keep at it consistently, no heroics, just steady and consistent that equals big improvement. I remember my first real race was the Dub Half Marathon 2007 (93kg) did 1:56:xx, yesterday 1:31 (76kg) in a training half mara...took 5 years though, not all consistent only the last yearI'd say. Funny, when you begin a journey you never know where it will take you You have so many PB's to look forward to

elvis jones wrote: »

I hate you couerdelion;)

RedB wrote: »

+1

Thanks lads.

@ElD - yeah, I'm not hoping to break any world records, but it does show that consistent training is working. If I can slowly whittle that down bit by bit I'll be very happy. 1:31 for a half is some going!

couerdelion

Monday 23rd April 2012

Nothing. Day of rest and well deserved. I did take my kit into work but had meetings all day and had to eat out at lunch.

Tuesday 24th April 2012

Nothing other than an evening cycle planned but again, had meetings all day and half thought about calling another rest day. Ended up doing an hours turbo/brick (10 mins warm-up, 9 x (3 mins hard, 2 mins recovery), 5 mins cooldown), and then straight into a 10km run which took me just over 50 mins.

couerdelion

Wed 25th April - Sat 28th April

Wednesday I did a 20 minute run in the gym. Just to loosen the legs off. then I hit the Sauna.

Thursday to Saturday was spent in Sardinia. Had a bit of work to do on the house but nothing serious. Worse was turning up and having no water or electric. water was sorted fast enough (turned of at meter) but Electric took till the next morning. The bills had been paid but because they didn't tie in exactly the Italian power company could reconcile the account.

I had though of taking runners/ wetsuit/ bike but decided a little downtime would be better. highlight of which was sitting out on Saturday night in shorts and a t-shirt with a beer listening to the sounds of the forest and the taking in the smell of the pines. Plenty of carbo loading done too with Pizza being a favourite.

Sunday 29th April

Samsung night race. Had the intention of going for a PB but was never going to be. I was shivering before the start and it took a while to get going and before I'd reached the GPO my calf was hurting. Watch was set to a pace for 45 min 10km but by the time I first hit the quays it was forecasting 5 mins over that. Managed to put a bit of a spurt on past the Custom House and over the Luas line and was just over a minute off by that point, unfortunately once back on the quays and funnelled into the narrow lane everything slowed up and it was just going to be one of those days. Ended up home in 48:51 pretty wet, cold and dissapointed. My nemesis Bill was exactly one minute behind me and couldn't see where I might have been held up.
Calf has a bit of a knot in it today so will be giving it a good stretch and massage at lunch.

RacoonQueen

Are you concentrating on running this year or just trying to get some fadt times before you kick off tri season.

couerdelion

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Are you concentrating on running this year or just trying to get some fadt times before you kick off tri season.

A little bit of both. I'm concentrating on running because I'm rubbish at it. Triathlon this year is just about getting a little bit faster in everything. I'm in my last year of the age group so want to be in a position to be challenging next year when I move up and it's pretty obvious my running is letting me down big time.

couerdelion

Monday 30th April 2012

Just an easy recovery run at lunchtime to get the blood flowing through the legs.
20 mins - 3.35km @ 6 min km pace.

Struggling to get a swim in on Mondays these days. By the time I get home and have my dinner it's time to go to the pool to help coach the club session. Maybe I should organise myself for mornings and get my work clothes into work the day before so I can cycle or motorbike it in... Oh to be organised...

couerdelion

Tuesday 1st May 2012

45 min run @ 5:30km/min pace.

Wednesday 2nd May 2012

Managed to blister my heel quite badly on Mondays run so just a stretch and core session. Haven't done core for a while and it surprised me how weak I have got so quickly. Fair enough I did abs work to tire the core out first but I struggled with 2 x 30's plank at the end. Something to make sure I'm doing more regular!

Thursday 3rd May 2012

Just a turbo session. 10 mins WU 9 x (3mins hard, 2 mins recovery), 5 min CD.

couerdelion

Been a bit slack at updating this over the last couple of weeks...

Friday 4th May 2012

Swim at the gym. Only an 18m pool so not great but I am still neglecting the swim so needed to get back in and get a feel of the water.

180m FC WU
180m kick
180m x 4 increasing speed each 180m
180m x 4 decreasing speed each 180m.

1800m done.

Saturday 5th May 2012

Club training day. I just did a 20km cycle leading out a group and then on the way back dropped to the back to help push on the stragglers.

Sunday 6th May 2012

Club cycle. Quick circuit from the NAC to Closilla--> Tinkers Hill --> Strawberry beds --> Park. 2 laps of park loosely following DCT route but going past the Khyber and up chesterfield. then 6 hill repeats of the Khyber and then another lap of the park. 62km altogether.

Monday 7th May 2012

Spent all day painting and then by the time I'd finished it was club swim and I was helping out instead of training. Back hard at it this week but i'm suffering with my sinuses since I swam in the gym pool. Tried sudafed, steam with olbas oil, salt water spray, sauna, steam room... Still killing me. Hoping they clear up over the next few days by themselves and I don't need the doctor.

elvis jones

Your ready for the weekend ???

couerdelion

I keep telling myself it's only a training session so it'll be alright. But the swim is going to be freezing, as is the bike and run. I will be bringing additional clothes for both and don't care if I have the longest transistion.

But I am kinda looking forward to it. Nothing I can't manage.


Tuesday 8th May 2012

Lunch: 10km run at 5:27 pace.
Evening: Swim. just 1900m done. Got cramp in my shin/calf and couldn't shake it.

Wednesday 9th May 2012

Lunch: 6.5km run at 5:27 pace. Another steady enough run
Evening: Turbo sessions (15min WU, 5 x 4min hard, 2 mins easy, 5min CD).

Back into the swing of things this week and weight loss back on track. Would love to be 95kg by time of Dublin Marathon.

El Director

Good luck this weekend dude! This will be a good test of your endurance and all the winter work. 1.9k in the water I'm gld I'm only doing 750m

couerdelion

Thursday 10th May 2012

Missed club swim training as I was too lazy to get up. Put it down to tapering but it didn't wash with the coach.

Decided to take it as a day off so gym session today was a 3km walk and a sauna. Relaxing.

catweazle

Hopefully it will be less than 1900m in the water, some of the swim times last year were just too good to be true. Don't get too excited on the bike and push it to hard if you are going well, it destroyed my run legs the first time. Eat like a horse on the bike and knock back the gels on the run

Enjoy the day Courdelion

elvis jones

Good luck with tomorrow i'll be thinking of you in my nice warm bed ( that sounds bad on so many levels )

Anyway as you said already the distance is in you so get it hell !

couerdelion

Friday 11th May 2012

5km at a slow 5:50min per km pace to get the blood flowing through the legs.

couerdelion

Saturday 12th May - Race Report: Tri an Mhi

Registered on Thursday night at Base2Race but still an early enough start so up at 5:30 to get the car packed and do a final kit check to make sure I had everything with me for my first race of the season. I was treating this as a training session but hoped I might be able to beat 6 hours. Left home around 6:40 and got to Collinstown an hour later. Loads of marshalls around telling people where to park. Parked up, bike out, bag over shoulders and cycled down to transition. Got a quiet enough spot in the far corner and got set up. Wetsuit on at 8 as we were supposed to get kicked out at 8:10.

Briefing was delayed till nearly 9 and the talk was all about the cold temps in the water and how dangerous it was. Eventually we were ready to go and I waded out in to the water. Freezing! Tried a few practice swims but couldn't get my head under for long before my survival instinct took over.
Eventually was by the startline when the 30s call went out and then we were off.

Hated the swim at first. I was honestly very close to pulling out. I couldn't get into any kind of rhythm. Everytime I tried to breath left I swallowed water and breathing to just one side was making me feel unbalanced, so I spent a lot of time breast stroking and treading water. Eventually I had a few words to myself, HTFU and got on with it. Once I got round the first bouy I was fine and got into a good rhythm. By then though swimmers of my pace had gone so I had no feet to hold onto. Lonely old swim. Standing up I felt dizzy almost seasick and couldn't walk in a straight line, I then started cramping in the hamstrings but luckily nothing too much more just twinges. Took me a while to exit the water and walk to transition but entered in 40:30. Not great.

T1 took 5:48. Spent ages getting my wetsuit off. I couldn't stand up straight and had to hold on to my bike. Eventually steadied myself and got changed and off onto the bike.

The cycling was good at first. Overtook a few people and had an easy enough heart rate -135bpm and high cadence. First time over the mountain was fine. I'm big so am slow uphill but I expect that so wasn't surprised being overtaken and I picked most of them off on the road into Oldcastle. Nutrition went as well as I expected. Gels on every 30 mins and home made energy bars on every hour. I think the problem is that you can only take on so much energy and I was putting out so much more. I think in total over the 3 hours+ cycle my HR monitor reckons on 4500kcals being used. A lot of energy to fuel me! Second lap I was just hanging on and once I got to Oldcastle I felt I had slowed down a lot. Lost a good few places on the run back and ended up fininshing in 3:19:57

T2 was slow enough too 2:32. No reasons.

The run was where the wheels really fell off. I cramped coming out of T2 and knew I was in for a long day. Ended up doing a shuffle/walk round. Saw BtH finishing his second loop as I was just starting my first. Run was hell. Finished in 2:18:17.

Spoke to a couple of lads from Fingal nr the finish line who asked me if I was off boards. Sorry lads if I wasn't very talkative, I was fecked by that stage:D

Yesterday I was pretty disappointed with the whole day - performance wise. I should have been at least 5 mins quicker on the swim. I would have hoped to have been 10 mins quicker on the cycle and the run at least 30 mins quicker. I felt like I was slower than any race last season throughout.

However today I'm feeling a little more positive. The intention was always that it was only a training day for me. It was my first open water swim of the year. My first long bike and anythig approaching all out and my longest brick session by far. My original estimate on boards was 6:30 so in that respect I beat it. It was my first half iron distance so it sets me a target. I know I am too heavy so continuing with the weight loss and carrying a couple of stone less can only make things easier. Nutrition could have been better. I lost too much salts I reckon and that was the reason for the cramping. Something easily remedied.

The event itself was really well organised. The marshalls were fantastic and always shouting encouragement as was the photographer(s) who were out and about. I'll be back again next year for sure and I'll have a much more aggresive target in mind and this time I will nail it.

griffin100

Nice report and well done on the first HIM milestone. I wouldn't read too much into the swim and run times, 40 mins in freezing cold water is going to take a lot out of you and seriously affect your overall times for the entire day. You did well to keep going and not drop out.

catweazle

Well done Couerdelion, I wouldn't worry about your time too much, your first one is always a big learning experience. I took a big chunk out of my time the following year in the Humbert just from learning a lot from a tough first outing. If you do another one you will know what needs most work and train accordingly.

It must be a tough course, there were a few lads racing that I was well surprised at their time, they have been flying and I thought they would be a lot faster

El Director

Tough day at the office dude, but use it, take away lessons and address them. You stuck it out and this was your first attempt at the distance, it's all experience. as for he dizziness coming out of the water two words - ear plugs. Trust me

BTH

couerdelion wrote: »

Saw BtH finishing his second loop as I was just starting my first.

Saw the day-glo headed my direction and figured it must be you alright.

Not too many people in the HIM roll-call thread will hit their targets so congrats on hitting that one. Its a very very tough course, I reckon the swim was a bit long, and those hills are never ending, on the bike and on the run. Congrats on fighting through it. Plently of people pulled out after the swim (at least 3 from my club alone), so anyone who fought through that deserved there medal at the end.

BTH

El Director wrote: »

Tough day at the office dude, but use it, take away lessons and address them. You stuck it out and this was your first attempt at the distance, it's all experience. as for he dizziness coming out of the water two words - ear plugs. Trust me

This. Absolutely this. You won't hear any countdown, or probably the buzzer/whistle/horn/cannon either, so keep a close eye on what everyone else is doing. But you'll have no balance problems in T1.

elvis jones

Ya I read a great piece in 220 advising on earplugs for open water.

So....................what's next ?

Dory Dory

Great experience for you and loads of value in what you learned from the day. Well done in grinding through it - your next one should be a breeze.

couerdelion

elvis jones wrote: »

Ya I read a great piece in 220 advising on earplugs for open water.

So....................what's next ?

BetterThanHoyte wrote: »

This. Absolutely this. You won't hear any countdown, or probably the buzzer/whistle/horn/cannon either, so keep a close eye on what everyone else is doing. But you'll have no balance problems in T1.

El Director wrote: »

Tough day at the office dude, but use it, take away lessons and address them. You stuck it out and this was your first attempt at the distance, it's all experience. as for he dizziness coming out of the water two words - ear plugs. Trust me

Thanks for the suggestions. Earplugs have been ordered. Fingers crossed the do the trick but at worse all they will do is make no difference so not a lot to lose really.

What's Next? Triathlon wise the rest of this year is Sprints and Olympics with the onus on losing weight and getting faster so I can be at a competitive level (i.e. consistently around top 10) at my age group next year (it seems a long way off after Saturday!). I'm staying positive though. It's a lot easier to lose weight to gain speed than it is to train hard and gain speed, and I've still got a way to go yet. Hopefully I'll get the 5 NS races in so I have a standard to beat next year too.

In between the Triathlons I've the BHAA and Dublin race series, the Wicklow200, AnPost Meath and my Malin to Mizen cycle. So I'll be ticking over nicely.

I also have the marathon at the end of the year. When I was doing the run on Saturday, negative me was saying "You're struggling this much in a half marathon run, just think how hard you're going to find a full marathon". Positive me soon realised that prior to the Dublin marathon I won't have been swimming for 40 minutes and done a 3hr 20 bike ride. I would have hoped to have finished the marathon in the time of those two combined!

Monday 14th May 2012

6.5km @ 5:27 min km pace so just over 35 mins. Felt ok, legs tired but no more than after a l/s/r.