Sub nine or bust

tunney

mloc123 wrote: »

So you are as fit as a horse?

A rather large chubby horse thats not very fit. yes.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

mloc123 wrote: »

So you are as fit as a horse?

The owner of the horse would have taken out a shotgun at this stage to save on medical bills:)

mloc123

tunney wrote: »

A rather large chubby horse thats not very fit. yes.

Is lent over already?

tunney

mloc123 wrote: »

Is lent over already?

Whinging and self deprecating humour are two very different things.

tunney

Agreed with the family yesterday if it was raining that only I would go to Bray to Amphibian King in the evening, but if it was nice we would all go in the morning and go to the seaside as well. 25 month old heard this and spent the evening, night and this morning going nuts about "swimming in the sea and ice creams".

Arrived in AK with two kids and the wife. By this stage the wife, who used to run 5ks, 5milers, 10 milers and halfs for fun (i.e. not competitive but still serious enough), had decided that if the kids let her that she would also try to get some runners.

Anyways arrived, said hello to Damian and about this stage I realised "Tunney you're a d1ck, rather than posting on boards that someone didn't ring back you should have rang asked for Damian and he'd have sorted it." 9.5s and 10s in both colours of Nike Zoom Elite 5s there waiting.
Before I got to try them on the toddler noticed a big box of toys in the corner and settled in to play. Family friendly, meant nothing to me a few years back. Means a hell of alot now,

Tried on the Elites on and they felt just like I hoped that they would. Sized fractionally larger than the Elite 4 but not enough to warrant a change in size. Watched myself running in them on the track on video and discussed the other runners I've been trying out. Happy out I said that if after a few hundred km that I still thought they were like the Elite 4 I would be back to stockpile them.

At this stage the toddler also wanted shoes. Very pleasant obliging staff brought out the smallest shoes they had (kids sizes) and she was happy out with them and the toys so that meant Mommy got to try 4-5 types of shoes. She settled on a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12s and these combined with the copy of "Run fat b1tch run" that she got yesterday mean she is firmly committed to getting back running. (On the book I laughed and slagged it and then read some of it, actually very good, harsh but fair and I am taking alot away from it.)

Anyways Elite 5s sitting in the corner of the room waiting for me to take them out tonight and I cannot wait. If they work out then I am back having a runner that I will be happy doing stupid mileage in again.

I used to shop in AK but changed for geographical reasons to a northside Dublin shop. After this week I am back being a loyal AK customer.

tunney

A fairly bad week and weekend in all regards.
Training - non existant.
Health - not fantastic.
Motivation - none.

A productive trip to AK in Bray to get new runners for myself and herself was followed by a walk on the beach. (Note to self: Bray is a bit of a kip.) The last 9 months was summed up by herself - "You'd never have entered Roth if you knew what was going to happen, if you'd known how tough September to now was going to be." And she was right.

tunney

Sitting in work and my legs are heavy and a little sore.
My shoulders and triceps aren't completely happy either.
My tummy is a little empty.

And it feels fvcking great.
I got dropped a few weeks back on a club ride and it hammered home its not all about FTP. Have to be able to produce the watts at a range of wattages and low rpm, high torque just wasn't there. So have rethoought my cycling training, and more importantly started back.
I made it to the pool before it opened this morning, was in the water at 0635, battering grannies who had not pool ettitequte at 0645. (Two wrongs DO make a right here).
I'm watching my diet too and embracing hunger as a friend!

Roth may not be the race I wanted it to be but I'm laying foundations again for a rebuild for 2013-2014 and have some ideas for the back end of 2012 racing wise.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

What are you targeting weight wise for Roth? Cold turkey on haribo?

Are you going to continue with going long or go shorter in 2013/2014

tunney

Hadlee Sticky Pantry wrote: »

What are you targeting weight wise for Roth? Cold turkey on haribo?

Are you going to continue with going long or go shorter in 2013/2014

Well racing well is 10st 8.
I peaked at 12st 8 in January so alot to go.

Haribo and my nightly bottle of wine are gone

Now 12st. Not targeting a weight. Just not eating crap, drinking as much and trying this exercise lark and see where we end up. I would take low 11st but if I can nip under 11st then we are in fast running territory.

2013/2014 - target the National Series and the National Champion ships.
HAHAHAHAHA - not.

I don't know. I really don't know.

I don't know why but the idea of doing domestic races just does not appeal to me. It really doesn't do it for me. The drafting really annoys me. Refs don't penalise, some clubs coach on how to do it and people just accept it.

But I don't know if I want to do another year of cursing myself for not training for long distance stuff.

So could be short course could be long course, probably short course. I do know that I will be doing a good few running races (5kms, 10kms and marathons) as I have a few boxes to tick.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

tunney wrote: »

But I don't know if I want to do another year of cursing myself for not training for long distance stuff.

Yeah putting yourself through another year of that and you would be drinking two bottles of wine a night:)

Easy for me to say but think back what originally got you interested in long distance. Knowing you are a goal driven person surely you had aspirations of low or sub 9, Kona bound? If you could recover the hunger, drive and motivation that you had back in 09/10 surely you would contemplate having another proper go at it to tick that box so to speak.
I have no doubt you have unfinished business with the distance:) On the other hand if you know your heart is not in it or goals have changed for you best to try something else.

Main thing is whatever you decide to do it should be fun along the way otherwise what is the point.

mloc123

tunney wrote: »

Well racing well is 10st 8.
I peaked at 12st 8 in January so alot to go.

Haribo and my nightly bottle of wine are gone

Now 12st. Not targeting a weight. Just not eating crap, drinking as much and trying this exercise lark and see where we end up. I would take low 11st but if I can nip under 11st then we are in fast running territory.

2013/2014 - target the National Series and the National Champion ships.
HAHAHAHAHA - not.

I don't know. I really don't know.

I don't know why but the idea of doing domestic races just does not appeal to me. It really doesn't do it for me. The drafting really annoys me. Refs don't penalise, some clubs coach on how to do it and people just accept it.

But I don't know if I want to do another year of cursing myself for not training for long distance stuff.

So could be short course could be long course, probably short course. I do know that I will be doing a good few running races (5kms, 10kms and marathons) as I have a few boxes to tick.

European HIM?

tunney

I got a USE Exposure joystick light in 2008. Great light. Used it as my main light for a while and now its used as main commuter and spot on night rides.

It died and was out of warranty a while back. I sent it back to Exposure who repaired it free of charge. Then they however shipped it to the wrong address 12 days ago (Dublin, UK rather than Dublin, Ireland despite my return address having been specified as Ireland). So its now lost in Heathrow for a while.

They are shipping out a 2010 or 2011 model to me as a loaner, a loaner that I may get to keep if the 2008 makes its way back to them and they feel nice.

Anyways no spot for tonights ride to Cavan however there is this
A tail wind

Bambaata

Sure you wont be needing a light with that push!

tunney

Bambaata wrote: »

Sure you wont be needing a light with that push!

Still 5:30 riding time, with pee stops and traffic lights 5:50, leave at 1600, there at ten. No lights on the roads so have to rely on my own

tunney

An okay week of training. Great weather for it.
Need to spend more time in the pool but I cannot just ramp it up as my left shoulder has always been a little weak and it takes time to re-adjust to swimming.

Swim time: 1:33
Swim distance : 3.6km
Bike time: 10:29
Bike distance: 302km
Bike work: 6691 KJ
Run time: 3:07
Run distance 38km
Total time: 15:09

Bambaata

Geez only an "ok" week at 15hrs! How'd the Cavan cycle go?

tunney

Bambaata wrote: »

Geez only an "ok" week at 15hrs! How'd the Cavan cycle go?

Fine. Felt like crap for 30km, then found my legs and rode decently. So spot light so rode by feel. Power were 4 watts less than Frankfurt, HR numbers 8bpm less so thats good.

Tail wind was savage. Usually a 5:30 ride, did it in 4:35.

tunney

Long story short I've done no training (bar one jog) since Friday. I'm in sh1t shape and will be for Roth and you know what I don't care.

Perspective is an easy thing to lose and a hard thing to find. I found it at the weekend. One ambulance trip to hospital with a sick toddler, a team waiting for us at the hospital and I had said my goodbyes to my little girl.

Thankfully all is now fine. However perspective has been attained and priorities realised. I will do what training I can do, that I want to do, that can be done without missing time at home.

Its only a hobby.

HalfTri

"Its only a hobby."

Well said. Priorities change with everyone. Not sure how some of ye juggle the art of training with a young family cause I don't have a young family and still struggle - Hats off to ye.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

tunney wrote: »

I'm in sh1t shape and will be for Roth and you know what I don't care.

Kids will not care if Daddy is in race shape or not as long as they get playtime and you are in fit shape to to do airplanes around the room with them:)

tunney wrote: »

Its only a hobby.

This plus a 1000, it can be easy to get caught up in tri (sure i am guilty of it at times) but at the end of the day it is a hobby for the majority of us and there is much more important things in life.

Glad to hear Aoibhe is on the mend, scary fvcking stuff.

tunney

The weekend was a disaster for a number of reasons. Culmulating in an attempt at an hour run on Saturday that I knew I was in trouble for after 5 minutes. A strange tightness, a slight burning feeling in my chest. "HTFU". I ran on, out and back loop. 15 minutes later I remembered the one of two times before in my life I had felt this - 20-30 minutes before an asthma attack. I turned for home immediately. I wondered would I make it. I did. Anyways that wrote off the day.

Sunday was 16 weeks to Roth and I weighed myself, 12 stone 1. Race weight is 10st 8. A weight I don't feel obsese at is 11st 6. Annoyed I decided to organise a cycle OUTSIDE for the Monday. Got four takers. mloc, bambatta, mr tango and a club mate. Plan was for club mate to be at mine at 0825, meet bambatta at 0845 in the Phoenix park and the other two at 0915 at Avoca on the N7.

0825 came and went. Didn't stress too much as had planned using the 5&5 rule. 0835 and no sign of club mate, no text, no call, his phone off. Texted everyone else, hung on another 15 minutes and then said "fvck him". TT'ed to the park, massive head wind. Met bambatta. TT'ed to Avoca. Firstly Mr Tango can go fvck himself if he thinks we are using Avoca as a regular meeting point. 4km for him. 32km for me. We are going back to Templeogue Bridge. The head wind was savage. My mood not helped with the knowledge that we were riding at 50 watts above my FTP and 50 watts below bambatas. Noticeable from the one side conversation, he was also only out for a recovery ride. Met mloc and Mr Tango, 1:05 riding and 32km, fvcked.com

On to the first hill of the day, a cheeeky one that I hadn't done in years. Bambatta rode off, not sure he noticed the hill. I told myself I was sticking to his wheel even if it killed me. That lasted 20 metres. Up the top and down, at this stage I suspected that on the next hill I may be last up. After the descent I suspected something else. The rest were bad descenders. Some woeful, some just not at the same level as their ascending. Almost suggested stopping at a bike shop to get spare brake blocks.

Anyways onto Sally Gap. A tailwind. Given that the reason Mr Tango beat me up the Gap the last time was down to my inability to generate power at low torque I thought happy days. Turns out that was a lie. But anyways I skip ahead. Base of the climb I went hard. Except I didn't my going hard is now not that hard and Mr Tango caught me instantly. He then rode away, I tried to stay with him and get back on his wheel but failed. The sound of mloc and bambatta riding 5 minutes behind me chatting away happy out while I bust a gut did little for the mood either. I may not have been last up the hill but I was the weakest link.

Rode home, had lunch. Motivation back. Three more names on my hit list.

Plan for this morning was a turbo. Aoibhe (2) decided that last night she wanted to sleep with Daddy. "Daddy UP, Daddy UP. Daddy mommy night night" 10pm to 3am
5am alarm ignored.

50 minute run at lunch was nice though. Work night tonight. Plus one of my advisors(LCD) has vetoed evening sessions until 12 weeks out.

I'm running 4:50 easy per km. Could knock out a sub 20 5km but not much better.
I'm swimming 1:50 easy per 100m. Could knock out a 6:40 400m short course TT.
I'm riding 180 watts at IM pace.
I'm 12 stone 1 pound.

Goal for April is go get to 4:45 per km easy running. 1:45 easy per 100m swimming and a 6:30 400m short course TT. 190 watts at IM pace and get to 11st 10. Thems the goals.

tunney

Hadlee Sticky Pantry wrote: »

Glad to hear Aoibhe is on the mend, scary fvcking stuff.

Got an appointment with a consultant last Friday. Test results being rushed "due to the severity of the reaction". Lots of painful bloods taken. Poor tot.

mloc123

tunney wrote: »

The rest were bad descenders. Some woeful, some just not at the same level as their ascending. Almost suggested stopping at a bike shop to get spare brake blocks.

The only thing slower than my climbing is my descending

shotgunmcos

tunney wrote: »

On to the first hill of the day, a cheeeky one that I hadn't done in years. Bambatta rode off, not sure he noticed the hill. .

:D LMAO

Bambaata

i bloody did notice it. Legs were screaming at me on that one. Problem was i didnt realise it went on and on and just kept going to each corner! Not a good idea on already tired enough legs! Good spin though. Nice to get some company for a change

tunney

My memories of last week are:
(a) wife doing her back in so lots of "fun" with the not-so-little ones
(b) getting knocked down by stopping at a red light while the jeep behind me didn't want to (note a sarastic reply "Yeah I'm ****ing fine" while lying on the ground may result in the driver just driving off)

So I was rather surprised when I looked at WKOs tot of the week and saw
12:17, albeit all running and cycling but still.

tunney

Swim time: 1:32
Swim dist: 3.9km
Bike time: 6:00
Bike dist: 153km
Bike work: 3711 KJ
Run time: 4:43
Run dist: 60km
Total time: 12:15

A reasonable week. Back in the pool. Longest swim for ages 2100m, faded a little to the end but form was okay.

Nice ride yesterday, Cold though, minus one for a while. Good group, five of us (Mr Tango, The Hurler, The Pro and Sir BrakesAlot)
Mr Tango was suffering a bit. The Hurler wouldn't stop laughing. The Pro looked the dogs - works for Rabo and has full Rabo kit - helmet and ex-team bike the lot. Looked class. A reminder that kit should always match Fcking cold though, took most of the day to warm up.

Even got to watch the Tour of Flanders with the wee lad yesterday. He was gutted when Cancellera went down.


Bike work for this year


Distances for this year


Time for this year

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

How was nutrition on the long bike the weekend, did you take on any swiss rolls or chocolate logs:)

Time to put you on the spot, projected Roth times for current fitness levels?
Growing more concerned when i see double digit figures for training hours in a week:)

tunney

Hadlee Sticky Pantry wrote: »

How was nutrition on the long bike the weekend, did you take on any swiss rolls or chocolate logs:)

Time to put you on the spot, projected Roth times for current fitness levels?
Growing more concerned when i see double digit figures for training hours in a week:)

No swiss rolls, no peanut butter either

Nutrition was up on usual I'v been eating F-all on them. But as I only finished my long run at 2310 the night before (05:30 start) I was hungry. No alternative. Saturday was spent buying drugs and similar for the little one, buying new hoovers (slight allergy to dust mites too), cleaning the house, and binning everything nut based in the house.

predicted time. I don't have my spreadsheet in with me today so I'll dodge that one.

Alot to do yet!

tunney

Just happened to have them all at my desk today.

Really could do with one integrated unit..............