Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Its about time - IMAT12
Options
Comments
-
I find its almost an eternal problem for me, I am keen to do a race but then I start thinking with the rest days before and after I would be better off doing the long training sessions over the weekend instead.
The two I try to do each year before the Humbert are on the weeks when I am supposed to be hitting my peak mileage hence hesitancy. I am not too worried about the Galway Cope Triathlon on the 8th as that is only down the road and will be a bit of a blowout but Kilkee I would like to get a decent time but worried that will take too much downtime, with Mrs C and the young lad off to Portugal the week of Kilkee its set up perfectly for a big week training that I will not get again during the lead up :mad:
I hear you but if Kilkee is a low priority race, why not train through it as normal and suck up the performance as best you can. That way you would only miss out on the Saturday for training!
0 -
I hear you but if Kilkee is a low priority race, why not train through it as normal and suck up the performance as best you can. That way you would only miss out on the Saturday for training!
Its a conflict alright when you're factoring in races en route to your A race and then you're thinking of giving them a lash when it gets closer to the time. Stick with the big picture CW as pgibbo suggests and keep your eyes on the Swinford prize. Tweak the schedule to accomodate HOTW a bit but try to get as much out of your big week as possible all things considered :rolleyes:.
So, that's my excuse prepared now for when Oryx 'chicks' me at Joey
(better go do a decent training week now to validate it!).
Wed 25/4/12 - am 2100m Swim and 8km lunchtime run
I had an 'ambitious' :rolleyes: provisional time on the entry form for my Joey swim as 31mins but I had to sheepishly change that with the organisers last week to 35mins as a result of not a lot of swimming or swim progress
. Only myself to blame as I haven't put the effort in 
. I went down this morning intending to do 1500m straight which I managed and then tacked on another 500m of miscellaneous 50s + 100s. I miscounted the first set and had to let people through 2-3 times so got some sneaky micro-brakes but my 1500m swim time was 34:43 (2:19/100) which is where I thought it'd be. I was losing form and endurance at the end of that so much more work needed .
300m - 6:50 (2:17/100, 27-28spl)
1100m - 25:47 (2:21/100, 28-29spl)
100m - 2:23 (28-32spl)
100m - 2:13 (28-29spl)
1600m - 36:53
500m easy
8km easy run, 41:53, 5:14/km
My legs have been dead all week and I tried stretching last night but my quads were still stiff and tight today. Did some stretching afterwards.
Sitting down all day after yesterdays AM long run is NOT the way to go 0 -
Hey, thats MY excuse for when my (female) nemesis in the club beats me.So, that's my excuse prepared now for when Oryx 'chicks' me at Joey (better go do a decent training week now to validate it!).
I did a 1500 tt last night. 33.52. And I was trying, hard, with no micro breaks. I just thought youd want to know. I'm down for 34 minutes, so whats the betting we end up in the same lane? 0 -
Hey, thats MY excuse for when my (female) nemesis in the club beats me.
I did a 1500 tt last night. 33.52. And I was trying, hard, with no micro breaks. I just thought youd want to know. I'm down for 34 minutes, so whats the betting we end up in the same lane?
Hey its a good excuse reason so don't be afraid to use it
I presume you're in a 25m pool? I wonder what effect the 50m lengths will have :rolleyes: (HINT- micro breaks are the way to go)
My time is AFTER I took out the breaks so 35mins is about right from the GO to the end :rolleyes:.
If we're in the same lane then I hope you don't mind me drafting. I'll offer to return the complement in Austria once I get my wetsuit on :rolleyes:
The weather is looking a bit inclement0 -
All I know is that the 50m will have me going 'where is the feckin wall?'Hey its a good excuse reason so don't be afraid to use it
I presume you're in a 25m pool? I wonder what effect the 50m lengths will have :rolleyes: (HINT- micro breaks are the way to go)
My time is AFTER I took out the breaks so 35mins is about right from the GO to the end :rolleyes:.
If we're in the same lane then I hope you don't mind me drafting. I'll offer to return the complement in Austria once I get my wetsuit on :rolleyes:
The weather is looking a bit inclement
I hope you can sight better than me in ow. If so Ill tag your heels all the way!0 -
Advertisement
-
All I know is that the 50m will have me going 'where is the feckin wall?'
I hope you can sight better than me in ow. If so Ill tag your heels all the way!
I think they've got a special gizzmo in UL that lenghtens the lane by 1m for every length you do
When in OW I generally just follow the crowd 0 -
Thurs 26/4/12 am 1:00 VO2 Turbo and pm 1:00 2000m endurance Swim
Turbo session complements of BennyMul based on an FTP of 250W but haven't tested that in months
10min WU incl cal to 0 and setting to +1
5min at 110% FTP (275W)
5min recovery
3 x 3min at 120% FTP (300W) with 3 min recovery
10 m in recovery
4 x 2min at >120% FTP (325W) with 2 min recovery
Avg 229W
BM's original session finished with 8x1mins but there was a mention of a 4x2min version which I went for. I might have been a bit soft on my current FTP :rolleyes: as I still had enough power on the last rep to take it to the max and held 400W :eek:. I'll have to crank that FTP up a notch for future session. I did find the earlier reps a challange but I haven't done VO2 turbo sessions in a few weeks so I was probably a bit rusty before I got to the last set. It sorted out my tight quads though 
.
Travelled to Wexford with work but back earlyish so fed and rested a bit before heading down to the pool late in the evening.
2 x 400m (9:10, 9:02, 25-30spl)
4 x 200m (4:23-4:28, 26-31spl)
4 x 100m (watch froze so no data. approx 2:13/100?)
Took decent recovery between reps,sets and concentrated on holding form and breathing. Usually I'm racing though the place but I took 10-15mins in the Steam Room afterwards to chill out and start acclimatising to the heat.
I'm usually pretty bushed by Thursday evenings but I felt surprisingly fresh. Not sure if its because of eating slightly better (more veg) or just general fitness but I also seem to be surviving better on less sleep with earlier AM starts being a regular enough routine now. Austria accommodation and car hire are finally booked so that's the last of the main logistics sorted (assuming the club transport plans for the bike remain on track). I do need to get aero bars onto my bike and get a bike fit. I got new cycle shoes the other day and my cleat position is random so I must factor that in too.
Fri 27/4/12 am 1:00 Run with 5 x 1min easy pick ups on 10min
12.0km, 1:00:00, 5:00/km. On the money, honey
Nice cool morning for a run before mini-taper for Joey :rolleyes:. Heading to The Mustard Seed tonight with MrsB . Looking forward to it 0 -
-
-
Sat 28/4 Rest - Got my first ever bike fit in Tribikes in Raheen but this then also involved getting new aerobars which then had to be cut shorter as the guy thought they shouldn't extend beyond the drops
. Showed him some photos from the hydration thread here but he said they were TT bike setups whereas he was trying to accomodate the bars onto my road bike. He felt that if they were 'longer' then I'd be stretching. They felt a bit shorter than I was expecting but he spent 1.5hrs with me including the cleats so I figured he knew what he was doing. No real measurements taken for the setup, all done by eye but it was only costing €30 for the fit so I reckoned it had to a positive step. The bars costing €120 (which he then cut :eek:) took the wind out of me a bit but seeing as I've been using borrowed gear for years I hoped it would be a fair price to pay. I 'pimped my ride' a bit more when I setup a new aero bottle later at home along with a new Bento box with spare tube and gels and put my Garmin on a bike mount. I took out my own bottles for the day and even took the reflectors off the wheels . Finally starting to look the part if nothing else .
Met Kevin7 at Registration around 8pm and got our nice red tshirt and chip, no's, etc. Then took a step backwards later that evening after I'd gotton all my gear sorted by going into town to buy my brother a birthday drink. Great to see the young people enjoying themselves :rolleyes:.
Sun 29/4/12 - Joey Hannon Olympic Tri.
Relaxed home start for a change. Parked up in Milford NS at 8am, gave the wheels a squirt, put energy drink in the bottle and setup in Transition. Met a few friendly faces, got the briefing and then headed home for 9am! Got the show on the road there as another GAA Feile competition out the county was on the cards and they were going to swing by T1 en route. Back to Milford for 10am and did a few laps of the indoor track with some strides thrown in. Cut it fine to get to the pool and there were already 13 in my lane so I went to the opposite end where there were only 8 and jumped in there. Didn't sort ourselves out very well and there was a few seconds delay when the whistle went as we jumped around into order. I was aiming for 35mins as was another guy but the rest were going for either 30mins or 40mins. I led him out and promptly lost the draft ahead of me by 50m. The guy behind was touching toes from 50m-100m but didn't want to lead until 200m and then I lost him as well. I was also having my usual 'what the hell am I doing here!' anxiety attack and trying to relax and get my breathing under control. My shoulders felt tight and I lost count of the lengths and generally was not enjoying it as people went by me. Microbreaks helped as I let them through and even got to pass a few myself but I was wishing it over for ages. Can't wait to go over double that distance .
The family were waiting outside the pool exit door which was a nice boost even though Mini-Me looked very confused with the whole scene. Welcome to the club I thought. T1 was relatively quiet as I came through but my helmet was not on my bike and after a mini-panic I spotted it on the ground on the opposite side of the bike rack. I didn't go for a jacket or arm warmers as even though it was windy, the sun was shining. Another shoutout from the clan and I was away.
And boy, was I away! I started passing people immediately and got two before the gate. I was happier on the bike and got straight into a good tempo. I got down on the bars as quick as I could and immediately noticed the sensitivity required for steering at speed. Probably not the best time to be trying to figure that out! Spotted Oryx's race no just past the lights at the Cappamore turn and gave her a shout out but she didn't know me. And then some guy passed me which I took offence at! I'm doing the passing around here buddy! Kept him in my sights and reeled him back in a KM or two later and continued to pass plenty others. The wind was very stong, gusty and changeable and the aero bottle seemed to act like a sail in the crosswind making it very dangerous. I had to concentrate a lot to hold it together and actually drinking from the aero bottle was also a new challage! I only ended up drinking half it and I didn't take any gels but I felt good thoughout. I really felt like I was powering when down on the bars and it was a good buzz going fast(er than I usually go :rolleyes:). The return leg was as gusty as the outward and I really couldn't figure which was worse as there seemed to be head, cross and tail winds on both. Glutes started to feel it towards the end which is a new one for me. Coming back past Visticon I eased up a bit around the speed ramps and started trying unsuccessfully to get my Garmin off the bike mount and next thing that guy from earlier passes me :eek:! Disgusted I was.
T2 went ok apart from struggling to get the Garmin off the bike and not having elastic laces in my runners. I had a Isogel to bring with me but also grapped a 250ml bottle of water from the pile at the finish line as I'd had very little to drink but still felt ok.
The legs were grand on the run and I got into a nice steady pace of approx 5:00/km which I was happy with. Took the gel going down the lane and nursed the water over the two laps. Spotted Kevin7 coming against me on the 2nd lap of the lane but he was a good bit ahead and I was starting to feel my hamstrings tighten so I just cruised away in my happy place. I caught a few on the run but the last wave were there by then and I was getting passed by others too. Finished happy which was my target.
I hadn't done Joey before so my race target was a bit loose. I did HOTW in 3hrs but I figured the Joey bike would be shorter and flater. The run would also be flater but I'm a faster swimmer in a wetsuit. Given my training I was hoping for a time around 2:45 and so I was satisfed with a 2:43:45 to finish 156th of 215 (still Chasing the Pack). The swim was a shocking 37:09 (202nd of 215 :eek: - 2:28/100m) but maybe they miscounted :rolleyes:. The bike was better at 1:11:27 (101st of 215 - Avg 31.4kph) and the run was ok at 50:53 (149th of 215 - Avg 5:05/km). Overall I'm happy with the day and I did enjoy it once I got out of the pool.
Introduced myself to Oryx and BetterThanHoyte afterwards and heard tales of woe from both re punctures and tummy issues but thankfully I avoided those issues for a change plus I didn't crash so it was actually one of the few Tris I have done without incident and with appropriate training (swimming aside). Its the way to go.
Watched the Leinster HC game prior to the prize giving and started to get very stiff and tired so took it handy for the rest of the evening. Nice.0 -
Advertisement
-
-
-
Nice time Red particularly the bike - nice to see the hard work paying off. The way that guy has set up your tri bike reminds me of the ITU guys who all seem to have the short bars, I would be the same if I saw some lad taking the saw to something that I just spent 120 lids on 0
-
-
-
-
-
-
Mon 30/4/12 - Rest. Muscles very tight and reasonably tired. Should've warmed down and stretched properly yesterday
Tues 01/05/12 - 2100m am Swim, 1:00 pm Fartlekrun and 0:30 stretching
400m WU
8 x 50m Drills (6 X 50m Superman arms at side, catchup, one arm side - all with flns, 2 x 50m pull buoy)
13 x 100m off 2:45 approx (2:17,2:17,2:15,2:07,2:13,2:17,2:11,2:12,2:18,2:13,2:07,2:07,2:06) avg 28spl
No satellite signal for Garmin during run so approx figures.
Usual 12km Mountshannon Road, Herberts pub loop, 1:03, 5:15/km
10min WU
12-14 easy strides / pick ups of increasing duration and speeds (100-300m?) as legs loosened
10min WD
Good general stretching session after food but couldn't get to sore RHS of hamstring. Foam roller hit the spot though :eek:.
Weds 02/05/12 - 1:00 am VO2 Turbo (same as last weeks a la BennyMul - must be good based on his Joey result)
Notched it up a bit using FTP of 260W instead of last weeks 250W
10min WU, Calibrate to 0 and set to +1
5min @ 110% FTP (286W)
5min easy
3 x 3min @ 120% FTP (312W) with 3min easy
10min easy
4 x 2 min @ > 120% FTP (325W+). Held 325W ok on first two, 345-350W on third, 370-375W on last. Another notch the next time :rolleyes:
Traveled to Kerry with work and 2hr Cubs hike on beautiful evening. Jealous of all the cyclists out
Thurs 03/05/12 - 2300m am swim
400m WU
8 x 50m Drills (6 X 50m Superman arms at side, catchup, one arm side - all with flns, 2 x 50m pull buoy)
7 x 200m off 5min (4:35,4:40,4:38,4:37,4:35,4:26,4:32). Avg 28-30spl
100m WD
Noticed my kick style changed when I breathed to my left for a change instead of to the right (bilateral off limits for the moment :rolleyes:). I seemed to have a deeper and steadier beat kick rather than my typical 'flutter'. I also seemed to go naturally faster but couldn't sustain it 0 -
-
Advertisement
-
Thurs 04/05/12 (cont'd) pm Brick 0:45+0:30
Tried holding 81% FTP as per MCOS's recent sweet spot session (although his was twice as long and a MUCH higher FTP :eek:)
5min WU, Cal to 0, (forgot to put setting to +1 until 15min later)
40min at 90+ cadance. Avg 217W (Approx 81% of estimated FTP of 270W = another notch higher than Weds' turbo).
Quick change to runners, threw on a tshirt and out the door.
6.15km, 30:03, 4:53/km
Happy with that although running shorts were chaffing due to being a bit small and wet from the turbo. Ouch. Won't be wearing that pair again!
Fri 05/05/12 am Endurance Swim
My confidence needed a bit of a boost after struggling a bit through the Joey swim so I decided to 'go to the mattresses' and give a long swim a decent effort. I started slow and steady and just kept going like that the whole way. There was a small bit of traffic in the pool and I had to let people through a couple of times and even had to pass a few the odd time but I held my line generally and kept doing my own thing. Counting out the lenghts became my mantra and focusing on technique as the arms tired, sholders tightened, breathing deepened and legs began to drop or flay raggidly. Concentration was drifting and, as I was aiming for 3000m, I didn't want to come up short so I'd be conservative when unsure of the lap count. I finished up on 1:24:56 which I was a bit sad about but my watch was showing a longer distance so I thought I'd have to review it as it can miscount a length if interupted mid-length (e.g. sudden stop at slow swimmer) but its easy to see afterwards. But the watch was right and not only am I not a good swimmer, I'm also not a good counter :rolleyes: as I actually did 3500m which worked out at a 2:25/100m, 30spl average which I'm reasonably satisfied with and gives a nice confidence boost as I was genuinely doubting my ability to do the IMAT swim. Now, at least I just have to work on trimming back that time a bit .another good week been put in sir.
on the intervals if your power is not dropping as the sets go on, you should continue to do more reps, the fact that your power was getting higher means you also had more in your legs and should have added a few reps and you need to redo your FTP test which is a great sign of improvement.
I usually work off the 10% rule, once my power drops by 10% I stop as you are in to diminishing returns there.
fair play very little signs of fatuige from the weeknd.
Thanks BM. Taking a rest day on Mon really did help with dropping the fatigue as I'm starting to learn better how to balance my efforts and knew that the stiffness would drop off after a few sessions. I know I didn't red line it enough on the VO2 session but I'll adjust the next time to add extra reps if I don't have my FTP value notched up enough. I didn't want to go into the pain cave too early but I only ended up dancing around outside it instead :rolleyes:.
Hoping it'll be a decent weeks training as I'm adding a long bike to my long swim and 'racing' the GLR HM. A 150km lap of Lough Derg is planned for early Sat but my HM race effort on Sun will probably be sub 1:50 rather than sub 1:40 as I try to get the legs recovered. Feeling good generally which upon reflection probably means I'm not doing enough or going hard enough . 0 -
Fri 05/05/12 am Endurance Swim
My confidence needed a bit of a boost after struggling a bit through the Joey swim so I decided to 'go to the mattresses' and give a long swim a decent effort. I started slow and steady and just kept going like that the whole way. There was a small bit of traffic in the pool and I had to let people through a couple of times and even had to pass a few the odd time but I held my line generally and kept doing my own thing. Counting out the lenghts became my mantra and focusing on technique as the arms tired, sholders tightened, breathing deepened and legs began to drop or flay raggidly. Concentration was drifting and, as I was aiming for 3000m, I didn't want to come up short so I'd be conservative when unsure of the lap count. I finished up on 1:24:56 which I was a bit sad about but my watch was showing a longer distance so I thought I'd have to review it as it can miscount a length if interupted mid-length (e.g. sudden stop at slow swimmer) but its easy to see afterwards. But the watch was right and not only am I not a good swimmer, I'm also not a good counter :rolleyes: as I actually did 3500m which worked out at a 2:25/100m, 30spl average which I'm reasonably satisfied with and gives a nice confidence boost as I was genuinely doubting my ability to do the IMAT swim. Now, at least I just have to work on trimming back that time a bit .
Well done, that's a great confidence boost. The IM swim IMHO is more about the mind than the body in many respects. If you can swim 1,500m as you did last week then you can definitely do 3.8km, it's all about confidence. At the start of the IM journey (excuse the expression) most people are worried about the swim, by the time of the race you realise that the swim is actually the easiest part of the day. But ask a non triathlete or swimmer about which part of the IM they consider the hardest and almost all will say the swim 0 -
Fri 05/05/12 (cont'd) pm Aero run
8km 41:22 5:10/km
Just a quick run to keep the legs turning over in advance of GLR. Quads a bit heavy.
Sat 06/05/12 Long Cycle
160.3km 5:51:15, 27.4kph
On the road at 6:30am and home for 1pm but stopped for coffee enroute. Will be recommending a neutralised zone for IMAT organisers for same :rolleyes:.
5 of us set off up the old N7 to Nenagh but 2 had other plans so they turned there and the Banker, Kevin7 and I did a lap of Lough Derg via Portumna, Scarriff and Killaloe before I tacked on another few KM at the end to hit the 160km mark. The lads wanted a break when we hit Portumna at 70km just after 9am and we ended up taking a leisurely coffee and scone. We had a bit of a minor mishap there that required a replacement helmet for Kevin7 and we ended up in Aldi where a kind stranger paid for it when they wouldn't take my credit card. Its a great country all the same when there are still people like that out there. Anyhow, after a longer than expected stop we were suitably refreshed to spin home relatively easily despite some minor rain and hailstone :eek: showers on an otherwise nice day. Did a loop to Barringtons Bridge and UL as I had a pass until 1pm to allow for punctures, etc and wanted to squeeze the 160km out of it if possible. Happy with the spin as it was reasonably comfortable.
Sun 06/05/05 Long Run - Great Limerick Run Half Marathon
This was intended as a long-long-weekend with the swim Fri, cycle Sat and run Sun to see if I was able for it. The legs were tired alright but not particularly stiff or sore. My brother-in-law was doing it as well for his first HM so we parked up in Arthurs Quay and jogged up to the start where we bumped into MCOS and shot the breeze for a bit before doing a bit of stretching and using the WC. I bumped into my buddy BB also with his neighbour who went to the Ballycotton 10 with us but BB was 'slightly' injured so was just out for a run. I was going to aim for sub 1:45 for a PB with sub 1:40 as a dream race time or 1:50 as a fallback if the legs were suffering. I took a gel just before the start but struggled to pick up a satellite signal for the Garmin until the very last second and then we were away! I positioned myself between the 1:40 and 1:50 pacers but the 1:40 guys started drifting away from me slowly but surely. MCOS had suggested keeping them in sight even in the distance and trying to reel them in from 10M so I was reluctant to let them get too far away. I clipped along at a decent HM pace for me of between 4:45-4:50/km for the first few miles and realised I was feeling pretty ok. The 1:40 pacers were about 600m ahead by then and I started to slowly try to work my way back up to them which I eventually did by the 12M mark ! Not exactly speedy but successful. I was feeling the squeeze at that stage but pressed on past them and milked the crowd for the last section to come home with a very satisfactory 1:39:02 on the Garmin and a big smile on my face . Happy days. Bumped into MCOS again in the massage tent and he'd also clocked up up a big PB (1:23:eek:) so happy boardsies all round :cool:.
A very nice weekend all round.:)
EDIT - Chip time finally came in last night at 1:38:59. Sweeter 0 -
-
-
-
-
-
Thanks for the posts folks.
Yeah, its going well at the moment. I feel like a train gathering momentum - just hope I can keep it on track and in the right directionWell done on a great weekend. You are certainly cranking it up. And youre flying
+1Congrats on the awesome pb!!! Woo hoo!!. Cheers Dory. Feeling righteous for a change :rolleyes:
Thanks. Yes, I'll be working in Dublin on Fri and heading on from there early Sat. Are you going too?griffin100 wrote: »Well done on the PB, a good weekend overall. Are you doing the Tri An Mhi HIM next week?
There seems to be a few of those Bankers around and they're on alot of people's nemesis lists!Whats my nemesis "The Banker" doing down your way
Well done on the pb, from being down in the dumps its amazing what a week or two can do in this sport, its even more impressive with a 160k cycle the day before:D
Defo on the rebound from the down in the dumps phase. I really appreciate the 'lift' I got on here then bigtime too as I was struggling with the load but I'm focusing now on enjoying the next 8 weeks as I'm fitter than I've every been and it feels good . The family can see the light at the end of the tunnel too and the progress with the HM PB and the relative ease of the longer cycles as I'm not as wiped out as I had been. :cool:
Mon 07/05/12 - Open Water session :eek:
Seeing as I'm getting into a Lake next weekend to 'race' I thought I'd better take the opportunity when Planet Tri in Killaloe announced their first OW session of this year. And boy was it COLD. 11 Deg now means a lot more to me than just a number. It means freezing hands and feet :rolleyes:. About a dozen of us braved the 'icy' water for a short session of sighting and 2 return laps to some buoys after flapping around the pier for a bit at the UL Activity Centre on Lough Derg. Only about 500m but I was shivering for a good while after. Most of them were going for a run after which was a good idea to warm up again but I didn't sign for that as I was on a Recovery Day.
Tues 08/05/12 - am 1700m swim Session
500m wu
10x50m Drills
5x100m off 2:30
200m WD
A bit tight for time and energy so took it easy with this. 0 -
Advertisement
-
Great weekend there savage training, now just the 1/2 to do next weekend.
no problems to you at all your flying.
Not exactly savage but building up nice and slowly. Could be a bit more intense at times and could be longer, better sessions too but it is progress and I'm enjoying it. I can't see myself ever dodging the bullet that will be the IMAT marathon 'hurtathon' especially with the heat but I'm not going to get stressed about that. Just trying to focus on taking one step at a time and banking what I can :rolleyes:. I seem to have a good 'flow' going at the moment so I'm smiling. 0
Advertisement