Tri-ing my best...

couerdelion

Tuesday 11th Oct

Tuesday is meant to be my 'cycle to work and add on a bit extra in the morning' day. I kicked the wife out of bed at 6:45 to check on the weather and she reported back that it was wet and windy. So we drove into work instead.

Lunchtime: Treadmill - 35 min run. I was meant to be doing an hour but I needed to rush back into work.

Evening: Bike turbo trainer session to replace the proper cycling I should have done. Aim was to keep cadence in the 90-95 zone.
15 mins WU (60% HR)
5 x (5 mins Intense (80% HR), 3 mins Recovery)
10 mins Cool down.

I don't know if it was because I was wearing old cycling shorts or the position of the bike and saddle are different on the trainer or even that compared to riding on the road you are in one position none stop, but it wasn't pleasant in the manhood area. In fact I had pins and needles in places where I've never had pins and needles before! :eek:

couerdelion

Wednesday 12th October

Just a gymn session today. 5 min warm up, Back and Bicep excercises and then some core work.

I was meant to swim in the evening but my wife was ill and by the time I had got home and got dinner I wasn't in the mood for it.

couerdelion

Thursday 13th October

Mrs Couer managed to put her back out yesterday morning so I ended up missing the cycle in and drove instead.

Lunchtime: Gym session - Chest, Shoulders, Triceps.

Evening: Turbo session:
15 minutes - warm up (increasing intensity)
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 minutes cool down

I felt like I could have quit half way through but I carried on and hopefully in a few months I'll be able to see the benefit.

couerdelion

Friday 14th October

Lunchtime running sesion. Programme called for 30 mins rolling hills so set the treadmill to the hill sessions, level 10 for 32 mins and the speed was the same as my usual 'flat' runs - 10.1 km/h. Ithoroughly enjoyed it and felt like the fitness was coming back. Who knows maybe I'll be able to increase speed too someday!

Evening was meant to be a swim session. Leeds were playing Doncaster though on the telly so I watched that instead. Great 3-0 win for us. On an negative side thats two swim session I've missed this week and it's not as though I'm a great swimmer. I need to make the commitment to attending all my planned sessions.

Saturday 15th October

Long cycle. Same route as last week was planned but instead of my workmates this week it was one of my arch nemesis 'Bill' who was accompanying me. I'd told him that I wanted to take it steady as at the moment it was more about getting the miles under the belt than an all out race. He set off like a scalded rat and I just tucked in behind him. Then as I took the lead out to slow it down he came flying past me uphill. I got to the top of the hill then increased the speed and left him behind. He didn't overtake me again. In the end he ran out of steam at 50km and we ended up cruising home, cutting the ride by 10km.

105km done @ 27kmh. I want to get this up to at least 30kmh average by February.

couerdelion

Sunday 16th October

Cycle - 90 mins cycle inc 5x (5mins @ 100+ cadence).
Nice easy cycle but in an attempt to vary the route I ended up taking a turning which reminded me just how god damn awful in surface and bumps the back roads are. Ended up feeling like an awful slog. 40km covered at just over 26 kmh.

couerdelion

Monday 17th October

Lunch: Gym - 5 min run to warm up then did strength work on legs and my usual core work.

Evening: Group Swim.
WU - 100m BrS arms/FS legs, 100m FS, 100m Right arm only, 100m Left arm only - All with flippers.
4 x 25m kickboard race
100m easy kickboard
4x25m kickboard race
100m easy kick
30 x 25m FS then pull ourselves up out of the pool onto the side. ( I lost count)
50m BrS cooldown.

Should have been 1600m but I lost count on the 30x25m. These were unfair the big lads in the group (just me!) as I have a lot more weight to pull out of the pool and the ends of the NAC are pretty high!

catweazle

couerdelion wrote: »

Should have been 1600m but I lost count on the 30x25m. These were unfair the big lads in the group (just me!) as I have a lot more weight to pull out of the pool and the ends of the NAC are pretty high!

I don't mind that part so much but every time I ever did a pool based triathlon I would get an unmerciful cramp while levering myself out of the water

couerdelion

Tuesday 18th October

Just cycling today. Another turbo session in the kitchen.

Same one as last Thursday from www.turbotrainining.co.uk website: Aerobic Power 2

15 minutes - warm up (increasing intensity)
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 minutes cool down

I warm up on the small front ring increasing intensity till i'm a couple off the highest rear gear and then do the 40 second splits by just changing the front deraileur (does that make sense?) and keeping the cadence at 90+.

Podcast of choice tonight was "The Ricky Gervais's Guide to... Medicine". Amusing enough and a couple of bits towards the end where I was laughing out loud.Made the high intensity effort a bit more difficult

couerdelion

catweazle wrote: »

I don't mind that part so much but every time I ever did a pool based triathlon I would get an unmerciful cramp while levering myself out of the water

Touch wood, my swimming cramps seemed to have eased since I upped my training. But every event where I've been asssisted in exiting the water has usually seen me cramping and nearly pulling the volunteers into the water. On the wetsuit ones I reckon it's because my legs have gone to sleep through lack of activity

shotgunmcos

couerdelion wrote: »

Just cycling today. Another turbo session in the kitchen.

only in Tri logs

Putting some good work in on the saddle, good man.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Good work on the bike chief. The guilt of just doing the one session a day is oh so familiar and funny. Us tri heads are a funny ilk.:)

couerdelion

shotgunmcos wrote: »

only in Tri logs

Putting some good work in on the saddle, good man.

Jaylee Polite Bathtub wrote: »

Good work on the bike chief. The guilt of just doing the one session a day is oh so familiar and funny. Us tri heads are a funny ilk.:)

Thanks, I am enjoying the cycling and so far I think the turbo trainer was one of the best purchases I ever made. But yeah just one hours excercisein a day feels like I'm cheating

couerdelion

Wednesday 20th October

Lunchtime: Run. I set treadmill to "Hill" routine for 40 mins and off I went. I covered ~7km. Again I enjoyed the run which is a bit strange for me. Some bloke on a treadmill near me kept farting though. Not pleasant.

Podcast: Competitor Radio - Chrissie Wellington interview post 2011 Kona win.



Evening: Swim session on my own.

WU (100m FS, 200m kick w/fins, 100m FS w/fins)
4x100m off 2m30s
2x400m with 20s rest in between
WD - 100m BrS

Total 1800m

couerdelion

Thursday 20th October

Lunch: Gym. 5 min warm-up, stretching and core work.

Evening: Another turbo session in the kitchen.

It was the same "Aerobic Power 2" session as Tuesday. I started off fine but towards the end the legs were really feeling it especially in the quads. They are feeling especially tight now, the morning after, so I might buy myself a roller to help with that in the future!

Listening choice: The Age Grouper: Triathlon Podcast - "In the thick of it".

couerdelion

Friday 21st October

Running - Interval session. I think I've mentioned before that I use an app called Lolo Beatburn. You tell it your standard (I chose intermediate), type of work out (speed) duration (1 hour) and off you go. It plays dance music in the background and changes the BPM to match the pace you want to run at. It then tell you what speed/incline to choose and how long you are running at that setting for.

I found this workout pretty challenging. As it was a speed workout it wanted me to set the incline to 0. I kept it a 1 to make it a little more challenging. Not so sure it was a good idea. From what I recall I had a 5 minute warm up then 5 intervals going from 6.8 pace up to 8.0 mph for 1 minute. There was then another set again from 6.5 going up to 8.5 for 30 seconds. and then a few more of the first set of intervals taking me up to the hour mark.

I didn't swim Friday evening. I just had no energy after the running.

Saturday 22nd October

Cycling. I cecked the weather forecast and it said rain. I wasn't going to go but I htfu and decided that it was only water and the worst that could happen was I would get soaked and catch pneumonia.

Same route as last two Saturdays; Tyrrelstown--> Ratoath --> Drogheda--> Skerries --> Swords --> Home. Set off and decided not to go off to quick. I hit Drogheda averaging 33kmh and thought things were going well. As I turned to head towards Skerries the wind hit me. I hadn't noticed the wind behind me but I sure noticed it coming towards me. I crawled back to Dublin and just hit 100km as I turned into the street. Average was down to 27kmh which is same as last week when there was no wind. Happy enough with that I guess.

couerdelion

Sunday 23rd October

Brick session. Weather was miserable and I didn't want to go cycling so I got the turbo out and did the cycling leg on that. I did an hours session as follows:

10 mins warm up
5 mins high intensity
2 mins recovery
5 mins high intensity
2 mins recovery
5 mins high intensity
2 mins recovery
5 mins high intensity
2 mins recovery
5 mins high intensity
2 mins recovery
5 mins high intensity
2 mins recovery
5 mins high intensity
3 mins cool down

I then headed out int the rain for my run. I didn't bother with a watch, HR monitor or GPS I just went outand ran. Total distance when I plotted it after was 7.3km. No idea on time but I felt like I could run forever

couerdelion

Week 5 for me of this block and an easy week. Unfortunately it's a bit easier than planned as I can't visit the gym as it got flooded and is shut. Monday I got stuck with floods so missed a swim. Yesterday did a turbo session, today I'm missing a run as I'm out with work... :rolleyes:

couerdelion

Monday 31st October

Group Swim session:
100m FC, Flippers(100m FC, 100m BC, 100m right side kick, 100m left side kick)
200m Right side Arm, 200m left side arm, 8x50m FC Fists, 200m Scull
CD 100m FC, 100m BrS.

Total: 1700m. I'm back training!

couerdelion

Tuesday 1st November

On a course this week - ITIL. It's ok but it stops me going to the gym on a lunchtime. So it was a Turbo session this evening.

Usual Aerobic Power 2 session and with the dishwasher on next to me within no time I was sweating like a racehorse.

15 minutes - warm up (increasing intensity)
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 x (40 sec. very high intensity – 20 sec. low intensity)
3 minutes recovery
5 minutes cool down

Enjoyed it. You can see the peaks in the HR graph too whihchis pretty cool (first time I've uploaded a workout!).

Training Peaks link

couerdelion

Well the rest of the training week went a bit pear shape.

I went for a run Thursday night but I felt like I was coming down with something so cut it short.

Friday I drove to Donegal as my wife was on a course over the weekend. I took my bike with me though and managed a 100km ride which included a nasty enough climb coming out fo Donegal town up to Mountcharles. Managed to get caught in a heavy shower at my turn around point and got soaked, I was then freezing and my feet especially as they couldn't dry out. On the way back I then got a puncture and realised I only had an empty air cartridge on me. Luckily I was only 3km away from Bundoran
at that point so I limped in.

http://runkeeper.com/user/couerdelion/activity/58812294

No more excuses this week I'll be back hard at it.

RedB

couerdelion wrote: »

Managed to get caught in a heavy shower at my turn around point and got soaked, I was then freezing and my feet especially as they couldn't dry out. On the way back I then got a puncture and realised I only had an empty air cartridge on me. Luckily I was only 3km away from Bundoran at that point so I limped in.

Ouch - you were lucky you were close to base! Well done - you're doing great training.

couerdelion

Monday 7th November

Lunchtime was a 30 min run at zone 2 pace. I covered just over 6km so I am slowly getting a little bit of speed back into the running. Still a long way to go though.

Evening was club swim session. I ended up in the slow lane with 3 others who are usually in the faster lanes as the other lanes filled really quickly. Some people just have ideas that they are fast and self seed themselves in the wrong lanes. Anyways as it happened I was happy with the lane...

WU: 2x(50m FS, 50m FS Head-up, 100m back sculling)
4x (30s kick against side of pool, 100m FS)
100m BS
4x (10s stroke with feet hooked against side, 25m FS)
4x (20s stroke with feet hooked against side, 25m FS)
2x30s treadwater, hands in air, with fins
100m FS kick, stroke to breathe.
100m cooldown
(We could have done more but I might have forgotten something...)

couerdelion

RedB wrote: »

Ouch - you were lucky you were close to base! Well done - you're doing great training.

Thanks.

Yeah, if that had happened 50km out I would have been in trouble. I had dropped the wife off 35km the other way so would have been left thumbing a lift with my bike! I really need to get a pump fitted so I can't forget it. Air is ok, but should really be only for racing.

elvis jones

Do you bring a phone on long cycles ?

I have a crappy second phone i bring with me just in case.

couerdelion

elvis jones wrote: »

Do you bring a phone on long cycles ?

I have a crappy second phone i bring with me just in case.

I do. But the AA wouldn't have helped me

Normally one of the in-laws / friends would have got a call if I was in trouble on the bike miles away from and had a puncture but as I was in Donegal it would have been a bit much. The wife was in deepest darkest Leitrim and had no phone signal and the car was in Bundoran.

it wasn't the most sensible plan in retrospect.:o

couerdelion

Tuesday 8th November

Lunch: Gym. Back/Biceps.
Evening. 35mins Turbo session. I was running late so didn't have time to get a full hour in.

Wednesday 9th November

Rest Day

Thursday 10th November

Lunch: Gym Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Evening: Should have been a turbo session but got delayed in work so did nothing

Friday 11th November

Gym - Back/Biceps
Swimming - 2000m


This weekend I am hoping to get another long cycle in on Saturday. I've posted on the tri clubs forum to see if anyone was interested in coming along but it seems that cold weather and off season means I'm the only one stupid enough to be cycling
Sunday will be a long brick session.

couerdelion

Saturday 12th November

Long Cycle. Only managed 86km this week. Went into town via the Phoenix Park and then took in a few hills early on including Knockmaroon Hill, then into Lucan and up Laraghcon Hill to Clonnee and out to Ratoath via Dunshaughlin.

Sunday 13th November

Plan was to do a quick blast on the bike (~25km) and then go for a run.
However I got a puncture after after 19km and had to walk it back. Didn't feel like going for a run after that so went for a few pints instead.

couerdelion

Monday 14th November

Lunch:Gym session. Chest/Shoulders/Triceps. Bench pressing on an olympic bench for first time in ages (usually use machines / Dumbbells) and I can't believe how much strength I've lost. I've also got weak shoulders and my trices aren't up to much

40 min run. Surprised myself with the pace. I was able to hold 4:45km pace for much of it.


Evening: Club Swim: WU(100m FS, 100m feet first scull, 100m Back Crawl, 100m FS)
8x50m Pull Buoy legs crossed.
8x25m Legs crossed
2x4x25 kick board progressive
8x25m FS (Fast legs, slow arms)
CD (200m BS) - I had to pull out of the cooldown as I was cramping everytime I pointed my toes. Probably due to not having time to warm down after the lunchtime run.

couerdelion

Tuesday 15th November

Lunch: Gym session. Quick run to warm up then weights (back/biceps)

Evening: Cycle. Turbo session. Aerobic 2 again from www.turbotraining.co.uk

couerdelion

Wednesday 16th November

Lunch: Well more like mid afternoon as I was 'working from home'. 8km run done. No watch/HR monitor/ipod just me out in the rain enjoying the run.

Evening: Swim. 2200m - 100m warm up, 2000m FS, 100m BrS cool down.
On the last 1000m I was trying to split it down into 250m blocks and hitting each one in 5 mins. I wasn't too far off it even though I ws knackered and form was awry.

No swim toys in the pool. A real getting back to basics day.