Tri-ing my best...

couerdelion

Mon 11/07

Lunch - Weights - Legs/Back/Biceps - Upped a little today. Finished with 21 minute run, 11kmh, incline 2.0.

Evening - Swim - Club session 400m WU (200m bs, 100m legs, 100m bs), Main 2x(300m fc easy, 4x50m fc fast, 100m bs), CD (200m x pull buoy, 3 second stroke rate).

Problem with excercising prior to swim means calf cramp!

couerdelion

Tue - 12/07

Run 30 mins 5:00km pace.

Was going to be doing some weights but shoulder was hurting after yesterdays swim so have given it a rest. I think it's the rotator cuff after back stroke :mad:. Will see how it feels tomorrow.

couerdelion

Wed - 13/07

Lunchtime - I wasn't sure how my shoulder would be after hurting it Monday night but it had felt fine all morning so I decided to do one quick circuit to test it on lighter weights(Chest/Shoulders/Triceps). It seems fine. Finshed with a slow enough 30 min run.

Evening - Swim. 1000m. Handy enough session trying to fit it in before the pool closes to switch to 25m format. 100m wu, 200m pull, 300m slow, 4x50m sprint, 100m pull, 100m WD. No problem with the shoulder there either.

couerdelion

Thu 14/07 & Fri 15/07

Work got in the way of training. To be honest I could have trained in the evenings but didn't and used the excuse of the race on Sat and that I was tapering

Saturday 16/07 - Race - Muckno Mania Triahtlon, Castleblaney, Monaghan.

I was up at 0530 in order to get the bikes ready and breakfast. My brother in law turned up and we (my wife was racing too) set off around 0640. Straight up the N2 even though the sat nav kept trying to send me up the M1. Got their around 0800 and registered. Pumped the tyres up and took the bikes and kit into transition. There wasn't much room between bikes and not much room for kit. Chatted to a few people then got changed into my wetsuit and wandered down to 'warm up' in the lake.

Race start was in the lake and we needed to tread water waiting for the siren. The first 300m to the first buoy was carnage. As soon as everyone set off the lake churned up and was as murky as hell. I was constantly running into legs and peoples arms and then everyone converged on the first buoy and caused a bottleneck. I ended up enjoying the swim and was using bilateral breathing which was a first for me in open water swimming. Finishing the swim was a short nasty uphill run. Into transition in 14:03.

I took my time in transition and finally ran out after a couple of minutes (2:13). In between running over the timing mat and getting to the mount line my back tyre blew with a loud bang. I quickly sat down, took the tube out and replaced it. But when putting the Co2 cannister on the valve got pushed back into the tyre and there was nothing I could do to get it out. I only had one spare tube so that was race over... until I realised my wife still hadn't exited the swim so I ran back into transition and nicked her spare tube (she doesn't know how to change a tyre so its a waste her having it anyway!). Back to the bike, tyre changed, semi inflated after wasting gas on the blown valve and off I went. Course was quite hilly but I went all out for it and overtook a good few people averaging around 35kmh. Because of running back over the line to get the wifes spare tube my cycle time was 5:30. My T2 time (including tyre change, cycle and transition 2) was 35:52. Very happy with that considering.

The run was ok. Down the hill, round an island a couple of times and back to the start. 23:42.

My brother in law finished 90 seconds after me but only did one lap of the run so will probably get DQ'd and my wife got a DNF after retiring after the cycle. She's been trying to continue on through a heel spur...:rolleyes: But I'll be nice to her as it was her birthday.

Sun 17/07 - Mon 18/07 - Tue 18/07
Went to the UK to visit family (Blackpool) and to Liverpool to graduate from my MBA course. I've eaten rubbish and drank all weekend and it's been great

catweazle

Blowing a tyre would be my worst nightmare - only ever happened once and it took me over an hour in the shed to get it sorted. I know I should practice it - maybe next year :rolleyes:

Nice bike time you are well able to keep the kph high

couerdelion

catweazle wrote: »

Blowing a tyre would be my worst nightmare - only ever happened once and it took me over an hour in the shed to get it sorted. I know I should practice it - maybe next year :rolleyes:

Nice bike time you are well able to keep the kph high

To be honest the blow out was my fault. I'd put new tyres on a few days before and I reckon the tube was trapped between the tyre and rim. I should have gone for a ride to check everythign but didn't. Ah well I know for next time! Years of mountain biking and being stuck in the middle of nowhere without any help means I was forced to learn to change tubes although tyres these days seem to be a hell of alot tighter.

Bikes going well for me. swimming seems to be improving, just the run to really improve for next year.

elvis jones

couerdelion wrote: »

To be honest the blow out was my fault. I'd put new tyres on a few days before and I reckon the tube was trapped between the tyre and rim. I should have gone for a ride to check everythign but didn't. Ah well I know for next time! Years of mountain biking and being stuck in the middle of nowhere without any help means I was forced to learn to change tubes although tyres these days seem to be a hell of alot tighter.

Bikes going well for me. swimming seems to be improving, just the run to really improve for next year.

Been there, done that !

You still doing the the 10 mile on Aug 20 ? Still aiming for 90 min ?

Macanri

Well done Courdelion, good racing considering the eventful T1. Did you tell the missus that you took her tube - funny stuff.

BTW The sat nav was sending you up the M1 as the quickest way onto the N2 beyond Ardee is vai the M1 motorway then you take the Ardee link road over to the N2.

couerdelion

elvis jones wrote: »

Been there, done that !

You still doing the the 10 mile on Aug 20 ? Still aiming for 90 min ?

Yes and yes. Not done anything approaching a long run for a couple of weeks but should still be on for >90 mins. Fingers crossed. You?

Macanri wrote: »

Well done Courdelion, good racing considering the eventful T1. Did you tell the missus that you took her tube - funny stuff.

BTW The sat nav was sending you up the M1 as the quickest way onto the N2 beyond Ardee is vai the M1 motorway then you take the Ardee link road over to the N2.

I told her after. She was fine with it as she knows she would be relying on someone to help her change it if she did get a puncture. I'm sure people were wondering what I was doing running into transition and nicking a tube out of her saddle bag.

I was trying to keep off the M1 as I don't like paying tolls

elvis jones

couerdelion wrote: »

Yes and yes. Not done anything approaching a long run for a couple of weeks but should still be on for >90 mins. Fingers crossed. You?

85 to 90 min for me. I'm keeping up my hill work once a week and Friday morning i hope to do 20 to 24km LSR. Not getting near the pool this week and i'll get out on the bike on sunday !

couerdelion

Another period of inactivity for me unfortunately.

Work seems to be conspiring against me getting my lunch time workouts and I've been under the weather for the last week or so, since the 20th (weds) I have managed 1 training session which was a lsr on Thursday. I was hoping to get an open water swim in on Saturday but ended up with a 6 hour round trip drive for a removal. I was then tired yesterday and spent the whole day sat watching sport (cricket, hurling, rugby league, tdf...).

I sat down last night, gave myself a good talking to and wrote up a new plan covering the next 5 weeks leading up to my first Olympic triathlon in Dublin. It's going to be a lot of hard work but I need to start putting the effort in again.

I'll probably post my plan on my blog tonight and then do the daily updates here.

couerdelion

Back into the groove! Good days training today.

Lunchtime I hit the gym and after a 5 minute warm up on the cross trainer I did my usual legs/back/bicep tri set. It was roasting in the gym and by the time I had finished the weights I stunk like a farmyard animal (not BO, or amonia from sweat, just weird!). I finshed with a 30 min run with the treadmill set to 0.5 incline and speed at 5:27 min km's.

Evening was a group swim but rather than hit the pool we went out to Malahide and High Rock. Decent turnout of around 15 I think. The coach Bjorn rowed his kayak out and set two buoys 200m apart. We did 1 lap to warm-up (400m) and then 3 laps increasing intensity each time practising drafting. Unfortunately most of the people in the club can't swim in a straight line and ended up all over the place. We finished off with 2x200m sprints in groups racing against each other. 2000m all in, none too shabby.

Met fellow Activ Multisporter Macanri at the swim and he flew past me on the final race. I know now which legs to hang onto next time!

Really enjoyed the sea swim and was managing bilateral breathing fine. I feel that my swim is coming on leaps and bounds at the moment. Helped with the locals telling us there were no jellyfish in that area.

So Day 1 down 33 more training days to go to the Dublin Tri!

Macanri

Hey R, Nice to meet you yesterday for the OW Swim. It was a great session. I really enjoyed it.

All the best with the rest of your plan leading to DCT.

couerdelion

26/07

Gym sessions - Trisets (chest/shoulders/triceps) followed by 25 min run.
Enjoyed the weights but I was hoping to do a 40 mins run @ 5 min km pace but my calves were at me from the 20 min mark and I decided to call it a day in order that I will be able to run later in the week rather than carry on and damage them too much. As it happens they've been causing me mild discomfort all night. Not cramping pain more like DOMS. I may possibly do tonights swim exclusively with a pull buoy to give them a rest.

couerdelion

27/07 - Wednesday

Didn't go to the gym today but I hadn't planned to anyway. One of the things that going to the gym every lunchtime does is to force discipline and routine into my day. So I walked over and got the same sandiwch I would have done anyway to avoid going out to somewhere less healthy.

Swimming nearly didn't happen. The wife was baking and the cake wasn't ready till after 20:30 so by the time we had got to the pool, changed and in the lane it was nearly 21:00. I started off with 500 fs, then 250 pull buoy and repeated that to take me up to 1500m. My calves had started to cramp kicking off the wall so I finished the set with 500m pull buoy and then a 50m cooldown lap. Total 2050m and with all the pulling my shoulders feel a little tired this morning.

elvis jones

couerdelion wrote: »

27/07 - Wednesday

Didn't go to the gym today but I hadn't planned to anyway. One of the things that going to the gym every lunchtime does is to force discipline and routine into my day. So I walked over and got the same sandiwch I would have done anyway to avoid going out to somewhere less healthy.

Swimming nearly didn't happen. The wife was baking and the cake wasn't ready till after 20:30 so by the time we had got to the pool, changed and in the lane it was nearly 21:00. I started off with 500 fs, then 250 pull buoy and repeated that to take me up to 1500m. My calves had started to cramp kicking off the wall so I finished the set with 500m pull buoy and then a 50m cooldown lap. Total 2050m and with all the pulling my shoulders feel a little tired this morning.

Yeah yeah, training blah blah..........the imporant question, was the cake nice :D

couerdelion

elvis jones wrote: »

Yeah yeah, training blah blah..........the imporant question, was the cake nice :D

I dunno, she's made it for her tag rugby team :mad:

Apparantly if I play for the team tonight I might be able to have some cake. But as i don't own a pair of tag shorts it's unlikely to happen.

Still i'm sure holland and Barret will have some lovely rice cakes in for me... although I might be having a word with trading standards about anything resembling a cork coaster being labeled as a cake...

couerdelion

28/07 Thursday

Lunchtime I hit the gym and after a 5 minute warm up on the cross trainer I did a slightly different legs/back/bicep tri set than usual. I've been using the other one a little too long and need to shock my systyem. I had also read during the week how pull-ups are a good excercise to help with swimming so they were in there too. Felt pretty pumped afterwards.

I was talking to one of the lads after my set and he was having a whinge about the heat in the gym. I still had a 40 min run to do... I set the treadmill speed at 5:10 min km's and ground out 40 minutes easily enough. My calves were still a little sore but feel better today and maybe weighted calf raises didn't help

couerdelion

29/07 Friday

As planned a 5 minute warm-up then Chest/Shoulders/Triceps triset and a 30 minute easy run at 5m 45s pace.

It was a good week until I decided to then have a night out which consisted of several pints of lager and a kebab.

couerdelion

30/07 Saturday

Woke up slightly fuzzy and hungover and waited for the brother in law to come over and pick me up. I had to take my wifes bike over and she was driving over later as she had been in Kilkenny the nght before with work. Once my brother in law arrived I packed the kit, loaded the bikes and headed over to Sligo for the Rosses Point triathlon. Stayed in the glasshouse in Sligo town and once booked in we headed out on the bikes over to Rosses point to sign in. The road across was pretty much the same as the cycle route the next day so we had a preview of it and it didn't seem too bad and I felt I had plenty in the legs.

31/07 Sunday

Next morning we were up early enough to have breakfast and head over to Rosses Point. Got a spot in transition and then had to get my wifes sorted as she had left her wetsuit in the hotel. Finally walked over to the beach and got warmed up in the sea. There were two people I was 'racing' against this week. One was as usual 'Bill' and the other his mate who I'll call 'Ben'. My wife was in wave one and she lined up and went, so I then had 15 minutes.

Finally lined up and the siren went and the sprint to the sea started off. I jogged and got into the sea towards the back. I was on the far left as the tide current was coming in towards us and right so I was hoping that this would be the shortest route. I waded out around 50m until it was deep enough to swim and then off I went. Rounded the first buoy around mid pack but it was busy and with all the legs and arms I couldn't get going again and then my shoulders decided they had enough of swimming and weren't going to help me much at all. The rest of the swim was a struggle. The sea was coming towards us so every time I sighted of breathed I took a face full of sea water. I saw a couple of people get pulled out and the thought of giving up did cross my mind. Eventually though I finished and as I was completing the long run towards transistion I realised my timing chip had come off. I stopped and talked to one of the marshalls and they told me to tell the people on the mat on my way out of the transitions. It worked as I got full times on the results. Swim time was 22:58. Terrible.

T1 felt slow but according to the stats I was out in 1:11. I did the leap of faith on to the bike and went past 'Ben' who was struggling to get into his shoes. I noticed my cadence wasn't being picked up so I lent down to adjust the sensor. Unfortunately I over adjusted and it smashed off my pedal. Ah well, I carried on and tried to put as much space between me and 'Ben' as possible. The course was pretty hilly. I didn't get overtaken at all on the cycle and probably overtook 30-40. The hills killed me a little and whilst I was still able to catch and overtake on the hills my weight really does hold me back. Cycle time was 34m 13s.

T2 was fast enough too at 35 seconds and I was into the run. I usually take a minute to get into my stride but something wasn't right, I felt like my calves were on the verge of cramping. I just couldn't move any faster and people were starting to pass me. I think I was passed by 10-15 on the run and overtook just one person. I still finished the run in 25:58 which considering the hills isn't too far off my usual 5km run time.

Total time was 1hr 25m 10s and I managed to beat 'Bill' and 'Ben'.
In the minutes afterwards I was starting to have doubts about my ability to complete an Olympic in 4 weeks. I sat down last night though and thought about it. I had already said that this wasn't being treated as a race just as a training session and I suppose from that perspective it went ok. Two heavy (for me) swim sessions and an increase in shoulder weights meant that I was fatigued for the swim. The alcohol on Friday didn't help either and left me dehydrated and vulnerable to cramp. None of the olympic distances phase me so...lessons learnt and back on with my training.

Macanri

Well done. Pre-race preparations - lesson learnt it seems. So onwards and upwards for you sir. No bother to you. Keep the training up and you will come through the standard distance with flying colours.

Did you catch your wife during the bike or run, Or did she cross the line before that?

couerdelion

01/08 Mon

Came into town on a bank holiday to use the gym. Did legs, back, biceps and then a 30 min slow pace run at 5:45 min per km pace. I kept wanting to go faster but at least with the treadmill that is something I can control.

Was meant to do the group swim in the evening but as we turned up a couple of the group were leaving and told us it had been rearranged from 8:30 to 7:00. Ah well, at least I can get a swim in... no, the pool had shut too.

02/08 Tue

Chest/Shoulders/Triceps and then onto a treadmill for a 45 minute run. My usual treadmill was taken and the three others I tried were wobbling around all over the place. Decided to call it a day without doing the run and to try and do something in the evening.

I was going to go for a run when I got home from work but instead headed out on the bike for an hour and did a steady cycle at 30kmh pace. I decided that I would alter my plan to take out the lunchtime run and include the evening cycle instead.

Macanri wrote: »

Did you catch your wife during the bike or run, Or did she cross the line before that?

I think I caught her on the cycle, I was focused and 'in the hurt box' so didn't notice

couerdelion

03/08 Wednesday

2000m swim. I know muy kick is weak but i only did 50m with a kickboard

Did the rest a mixture of freestyle and pull buoy.

04/08 Thursday

Legs/Back/Shoulders - upped the weights again.
Run - 45 mins 5:27 km pace

05/08 Friday

Rest day. was meant to go to the gym, run and swim today but I'm knackered so am just going to cycle tonight.

I ended up eating a load of biscuits yesterday and I've had burger today and a few chocolates. Don't know what it is but I get pi$$ed off in work and take it out on the sweet stuff.

Golf tommorrow and then a night out in Kilkenny so sundays training may be impaired

couerdelion

As i eluded to in my last post, training was impaired on Sunday. So...

Mon 8th Aug

Gym session. Legs, Back, Biceps. 30 mins run @ 5:27km pace.
I forgot my gym log so had to guess at the weights. I guessed wrong and was lifting too heavy on some but I felt really strong today. Running felt easy, I did try and push the pace up but my body wasn't having it.

Swim session. 2 x (50m x Front crawl, 50m x Back Stroke, 25m sculling + kick, 25m Front crawl sprint, 50m Breast Stroke), 400m Front Crawl, 8 x (50m Front crawl recovery pace, 50m sprint pace). 4x25m mass start sprint, 100m x breaststroke.
Really good session. I was racing a couple of lads in the lane next to me on one of the sets. Manage to cramp badly in the hamstring pushing from the wall and then in the calves on the cool down. I must remember to eat a banana before swim training.

couerdelion

Tue 9th Aug

Gym session: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps. followed by 30 min run @ 4:57km pace.

Evening: Cycle session. Usual Tyrrelstown to Ratoath route, I was a little time starved so decided to do 10 min at warmup pace, followed by 5x3min max effort with 3 mins rest in between and a 5 min cooldown. Average pace ended up at 33.1kmh. I can remember earlier in the year when i first managed to get above an average of 30kmh and how happy I was so I'm still making good improvements.

couerdelion

Ouch! nearly two weeks since I last updated.

Things haven't been going well. Work has been interfering with training and then I had a bug which stopped me from doing much at all. Not the best lead up for the 10 mile run in the park.

Sat 20th Aug
The run actuallly went better than expected. I hit the 5 mile mark feeling good and then it went down hill from there. I had been pacing myself well and then the run up Chesterfield avenue was tough and it just became a case of sticking to it, keeping the legs turning over and fighting the temptation to stop and walk. My guess is that the poor second half was down to being poorly hydrated after a long day previously playing golf and also that the longest I had run prior to the event was 11km

I ended up running 88:59 which beat my target by a minute so I'm happy in that regard and it's another target I've set down to beat in future years!

Sun 21st Aug

I was in bits following the run. groin and abs(?) feeling really tight and tender so I did a nice easy cycle and a recce of the Dublin City Triathlon bike course. From home I headed into Clonsilla and then down Tinkers Hill past Westmanstown and onto the Lower Road heading towards town. Managed to lose my chain heading up the hill past the Anglers Rest. God I need to do hill work, that killed me!
From there we were down knockmaroon hill and on to the Garda rowing club where the ride on Sunday will start.

The ride heads in to the park at the Chapelizod gate and then heads straight up a cycle path to Acres road. It's an easy enough climb, although I might not be saying that on Sunday on lap four. From Acres road it's out and up towards Castleknock on Chesterfield Avenue and then left on the Ordanance Survey Road. From Chesterfield Avenue back down to the Chapelizod Gate is all pretty much down hill with just a small bit of climbing over the Military Road. It's actually a pretty nice route and if I didn't have to think about swimming and running too would almost be perfect. Finshed the ride coming out the knockmaroon gate and riding home via Porterstown. ~45km.

couerdelion

Mon and Tue were a write off. Work and aching still from the run on Saturday.

Wed 24th Aug

Gym: Easy weights session and 30 min run at a very easy 6 min km pace.

couerdelion

Ooops. I just seem to have entered a HIM in March next year*

Something to help focus the winter training and a nice break in Singapore as a bonus!

(Although I've just realised that it will be a non wetsuit swim so as someone dedicated to the school of non-kicking that will make it harder!)

Oh, I need to tell the wife at some point too. Any ideas?
(I did kind of mention that I might have a work trip around that time to Singapore and might take my bike and wetsuit and there might be a race...)


*I realise it's 00:30 but I have not been drinking.

catweazle

couerdelion wrote: »

Oh, I need to tell the wife at some point too. Any ideas?

Bring her along - The timeless but expensive mid packer option to allow you train in peace :rolleyes:

couerdelion

catweazle wrote: »

Bring her along - The timeless but expensive mid packer option to allow you train in peace :rolleyes:

She's saving all her annual leave in 2012 to go to Australia.

This means I unfortunately have to go by myself.