Half Iron Elvis

elvis jones

Another change of plan when my wife wanted to do a bootcamp class so i said i'd do a turbo and watch the football.

A nice 57 min session

5 warm up

5 on
1 off
4 on
1 off
5 on
1 off
4 on
1 off
5 on
1 off
4 on
1 off
3 on
1 off
2 on
1 off
1 on
1 off
5 on

5 warm down.

A good session with buckets of sweat and i kept the legs turning over at the good pace.

LSR tomorrow at lunch !

elvis jones

13k done at lunch and boy was it tough.

I hadn't enough fluids on me and it was very humid. I struggled from about 8k onwards but got to the end at 6:13 pace.

A lot of it was on concrete and my knees felt it at the end.

hardCopy

Nice bike!

Have you any idea yet of how you're going to prepare for Up and Over?

Will you be getting any coaching?

elvis jones

hardCopy wrote: »

Nice bike!

Have you any idea yet of how you're going to prepare for Up and Over?

Will you be getting any coaching?

I have no idea yet, a lot of painful hrs i'd say:D

No i'm going to chat to a few people and make up a 6 month plan starting in Jan.

The swimming is only one day so the cycling and running will be the main focus. 5 marathons in 5 days after 760k on the bike will be fun:o

Dory Dory

Two words to consider for getting your event out there - music video. Yep....lip sync and dance and run/bike/swim to a catchy tune that will go viral on YouTube or whatever medium you use over there or anywhere. Make it fun and slightly outrageous and for a good cause.....and get as many peeps involved as you can. The US swimmers posted this video that's got some energy behind it.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsggq8_us-swim-team-lipdubs-call-my-maybe_fun

elvis jones

I do intend to do a few videos. I just need to get Aug out of the way and i have a few ideas in mind.

elvis jones

Order of merit for the job is in and i'm 37 out of 140.

There are 23 jobs in the location i want ( other locations are available ) so i have to hope that only 22 out of th 36 above me want Portlaoise:o

I should know in the next week.

elvis jones

quick 30k on the bike today, gentle enough pace with an average of 28.6k.

Just stretching out the legs before tomorrow.

Work til 3:30, back up at 8:30 and off to wexford for 795 sprint.

elvis jones

Racing 795 sprint on sunday.

My wife was racing as well and we loaded the kids and my niece into the car and off we went after 4 hrs of sleep for me:o

Registration done, bike racked and then the zip broke in my wife's tri suit so she almost pulled out until one of the marshall's sorted her out with his wife's clothes for it !

I was in the 2nd wave and as slow as usual in the swim, 18:50 for 500m:( But it was faster than last yr.

Out of the pool and out to the bike, it was just starting to rain and i had to get my socks on ( insoles ), shoes on and off i went......or so i thought. I go on the bike and couldn't find the pedal with my shoe. It took ages and i lost time there. T1 1:39

Tough climb out of of transition ( note to self, bring road and not TT next yr ) and by top of the hill i was ducked ! Down into the bars and i turned over the legs but wasn't going well until i noticed i hadn't put the chain on the top cog at the front ! Up it went and speed came.

A few 90 degree turns and a quick down hill before the hills started again ! On they went for about 4k before a down hill and out onto the main road for 5k almost all downhill to feeling back in the legs. Another 3k and back down the hill into transition and into a neutral zone with no passing. I passed out 10 on the bike and gained back some time even if my time was over the magic 40 min for 20k. 42:39

Back into transition and shoes off quick enough. I had forgot to get elastic laces for my runners so lacing up took a few extra sec. I turned around the race belt and off i went again back up the hill !!

The run is mainly 2.5k up and 2.5k back down. I made a decision not to push it too hard on the way up and kept up my steady pace to the turn around. With about 500 to the turn two guys passed me but i didn't mind. I hit the turn around and begun to fall back down the hill where i passed out one of the guys who had passed me. He said he pushed it too hard on the way up and legs were gone.

I kept going and legs got stronger as i got closer to the end. I really enjoyed going down that final hill and over the finish line with a run time of 27:09

Total time of 1:31:46 which i know i can take at least 10 min off. 6 off swim and 2 off cycle and run.

Afterwards coffee and buns and really proud to see my wife cross the line later on after some groin problems !

A great race and i'll return in 2013 ( in search of soup )

Kurt Godel

elvis jones wrote: »

Racing 795 sprint on sunday.

My wife was racing as well and we loaded the kids and my niece into the car and off we went after 4 hrs of sleep for me:o

Registration done, bike racked and then the zip broke in my wife's tri suit so she almost pulled out until one of the marshall's sorted her out with his wife's clothes for it !

I was in the 2nd wave and as slow as usual in the swim, 18:50 for 500m:( But it was faster than last yr.

Out of the pool and out to the bike, it was just starting to rain and i had to get my socks on ( insoles ), shoes on and off i went......or so i thought. I go on the bike and couldn't find the pedal with my shoe. It took ages and i lost time there. T1 1:39

Tough climb out of of transition ( note to self, bring road and not TT next yr ) and by top of the hill i was ducked ! Down into the bars and i turned over the legs but wasn't going well until i noticed i hadn't put the chain on the top cog at the front ! Up it went and speed came.

A few 90 degree turns and a quick down hill before the hills started again ! On they went for about 4k before a down hill and out onto the main road for 5k almost all downhill to feeling back in the legs. Another 3k and back down the hill into transition and into a neutral zone with no passing. I passed out 10 on the bike and gained back some time even if my time was over the magic 40 min for 20k. 42:39

Back into transition and shoes off quick enough. I had forgot to get elastic laces for my runners so lacing up took a few extra sec. I turned around the race belt and off i went again back up the hill !!

The run is mainly 2.5k up and 2.5k back down. I made a decision not to push it too hard on the way up and kept up my steady pace to the turn around. With about 500 to the turn two guys passed me but i didn't mind. I hit the turn around and begun to fall back down the hill where i passed out one of the guys who had passed me. He said he pushed it too hard on the way up and legs were gone.

I kept going and legs got stronger as i got closer to the end. I really enjoyed going down that final hill and over the finish line with a run time of 27:09

Total time of 1:31:46 which i know i can take at least 10 min off. 6 off swim and 2 off cycle and run.

Afterwards coffee and buns and really proud to see my wife cross the line later on after some groin problems !

A great race and i'll return in 2013 ( in search of soup )

Hey Elvis, well done on the race, sorry I didn't get to say hello (didn't know what you looked like)! We were watching all the swim waves before ours- were you the guy wearing a sort of purple cap? If it was you, you were very consistant in your swim and pace- more so than others in your wave who went off too fast and then died. (If that was you) you have a lot to build on there, no problem with endurance, I'd say you could halve that time with a bit of practice and tweaking.

Dory Dory

Well done to you and Mrs. Jones. It's sort of a nice feeling when you know you've got legitimate room for improvement....and with more time in the pool, you will see some serious gains.

elvis jones

Cheers guys, i was the one in the multi coloured hat that was kinda pink:)

elvis jones

Into my doc this morning to get my 6 monthly bloods done. Fingers crossed they come back good. Blood pressure was perfect.

Now here is the interesting thing, my weight is roughly the same as 6 months ago but my body shape is different. I'm losing it off my belly etc and replacing it with muscle.

I've put a new hole in mybelt in recent weeks and clothing i thought would never fit me is perfect.

elvis jones

Quick run at lunch, i was limited for tim but it was funny running on dead streets in Dublin when every one else was watching Katie Taylor fight !

5.2k at roughly 5:20 pace. Felt good but didn't push it too hard as i have to swim this evening !

Dory Dory

With all this talk about Katie Taylor, I'm going to have to figure out who she is. ;)

elvis jones

Dory Dory wrote: »

With all this talk about Katie Taylor, I'm going to have to figure out who she is. ;)

She's whats in Chuck Norris nightmares:cool:

elvis jones

Swim tonight and eh eh eh eh..........it went.........very........well:)

I started off saying right i'm doing 1500m and i changed my breathing again. it worked, i was doing 200m non stop and built to 400m. I was breathing every two strokes but wasn't out of breath as i wasn't gulping in air.

I got to the end in 48 min flat which isn't fast but its a sub 50 min 1500m for me which is a building block as Lost Sheep is 1900m in sub 70 min.

Only negative was bad cramp in my righty calf just as i finished.

Now all i need to do is transfer that to OW.

elvis jones

Right calf is a little tight so not running at lunch.

Up the mountains tonight for a hill session on the bike of about 40k:)

elvis jones

Well off up the mountains i went last night with 2 others from the club.

We have 8k flat on the way over and just stretched out the legs.

7k of solid climbing is what The Cut is and we timed it at 31 min, an average of 4.4 min per km. Its slow but the pace was solid with a few 30 sec sprints thrown in for good measure. Got to the top and it tok about 2 min to recover, thats important as a sign of fitness is recovery time.

Back down in under 10 min and 4k on the flat before we went back up a different route with 3k of climbing and a gentle 5k back to where we started.

Legs feel good today and i'm going to swim this evening.

Long brick in the morning prob 60k bike and 10k run !

elvis jones

Swim today as my days got messy, i only got to the pool after 5 but i did my 1st even non stop 750m ! A BIG deal for me ! It was slow at 22m in but i did it and its a major stepping stone.

I did a total of about 1,100m and am developing a rhythm in my strokes in breathing and it seems to be working !

I'll get me brick done tomorrow when mrs jones get back from a hen. Of course it will be done after my usual 4 hrs sleep after a 3:30 finish in work and up with the kids !

Hoping for 70 to 80k and a slow run afterwards, its more about total time than speed !

Kurt Godel

If you can swim 750m non-stop, you can swim 7,500m non-stop. Fair play, you seem to have slain whatever swim demon was holding you back.

elvis jones

Kurt Godel wrote: »

If you can swim 750m non-stop, you can swim 7,500m non-stop. Fair play, you seem to have slain whatever swim demon was holding you back.

Cheers !

It was my breathing, i was gulping in air and was in bits after 5 breaths. I've changed it and not taking in as much. Also when gets choppy i turn head further back to avoid swallowing water.

Doing it in open water is next, club aquathon on wen so we'll see........

Kurt Godel

Technique is huge in swimming. There's a lot of people with great engines just waiting for the technique to start firing correctly.

Next stop, you'll be doing 3.8km in 72 mins like Abhainn, all he needed was some tweaking of technique, the jammy barsteward:D

elvis jones

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Technique is huge in swimming. There's a lot of people with great engines just waiting for the technique to start firing correctly.

Next stop, you'll be doing 3.8km in 72 mins like Abhainn, all he needed was some tweaking of technique, the jammy barsteward:D

Eh nooooooooo !

Maybe in 2015 !

elvis jones

elvis jones wrote: »

Swim today as my days got messy, i only got to the pool after 5 but i did my 1st even non stop 750m ! A BIG deal for me ! It was slow at 22m in but i did it and its a major stepping stone.

I did a total of about 1,100m and am developing a rhythm in my strokes in breathing and it seems to be working !

I'll get me brick done tomorrow when mrs jones get back from a hen. Of course it will be done after my usual 4 hrs sleep after a 3:30 finish in work and up with the kids !

Hoping for 70 to 80k and a slow run afterwards, its more about total time than speed !

3 hrs sleep actually !

elvis jones

Brick got shelved again as i only got 3 hrs sleep and it would have done more harm than good to try and do it.

I go to the pool in the afternoon with the kids and mrs Jones. I did maybe 700m in two quick swims so its wasn't a lost day.

Today might be as its mrs Jones birthday !

elvis jones

What a rubbish week training wise

Tuesday mrs Jones was cycling and little one didn't go asleep until half 9 so i got nothing done !

Wen was an awful day for me, i had a bad diabetic day. Haven't felt so bad in yrs. Got up with a headache and high blood sugars that didn't drop all day. The advice is to exercise but i just couldn't, i just felt so sick.

Thursday i finally got out at lunch and did 6.5k run, it felt soooooooo good.

My other problem is work this week, its been almost 6 ( if not after ) when i got out each evening and i still have to get home from Dublin and eat before i even think of doing anything.

Today is just as bad i'm still here and will be until 6:45 dealing with requests !!!

I had hoped to get to the pool at 5 but not a chance. I have 2 parties to go to in Dublin befor ei drive home and go to work in Offaly tonight until 4am.

I'm cycling tomorrow no matter what happens, i don't care !!

Ugh:(

elvis jones

I Just swam 1900m non stop

That is all

elvis jones

I was meant to be going ow swimming yesterday morning but slept in after a late night at work. I jumped out of the bed, a few cruses and decided to go to the pool.

I was in early enough but it was still full of kids, lucky for me the lane was free and in i went.

I did a few lenghts to warm up but wasn't feeling it at all. I started my stop watch and said right just keep going until you can't !

The 1st 20 lengths were a pain and i wasn't enjoying it but i kept going and got to 750m in about 21 min ( 5 min faster than i've done all summer ) i begun to get a feel got it and got to 1500m in 40:30 which is a PB but a mile !

I intended to leave it at that but just kept going, my technique got better, i focused on my stroke as my breathing was looking after itself. The leagths got easier technique wise but i was tired, i kept going and hit 1900m in 51:10.

I know thats slow but i did it and non stop. I've gone from 50m non stop a few weeks ago to 1900m yesterday. I don't know what it is but i'm more relaxed, my breathing is more normal, head position is better, left arm is doing what the coach wanted without thinking and finally i'm pushing fully though the stroke to the back of my arm.

That swim yesterday was a special moment for me, i think i've finally cracked and i have no idea how i did it. I left that pool with a bigger smile than i did running my 1st 10k, half marathon, marathon or the like.

10k at lunch today and if i can get in the door at 6 this evening i'm heading over to swim 1k to 1.5k.

Tomorrow is swim again, i'm going to aim for 2k

Wen is my long brick, half day in work and i'm going for 70 to 80k on the bike and 10 to 15k run. I'm also going to test out some fuel and fluid.

Its an important 12 to 14 days for me as i ramp up training before dropping back for the final week before Lost Sheep.

In my mind finishing the Lost Sheep will be a bigger achievement than DCM last year.

I'm actually more afraid of a short sprint race than one of this distance, long and slow suits me.

There are only less than 3 weeks of this log name left and come Sept 9 all focus moves to Up and Over but i still want to do some races last year.

I was so down all summer looking at races i couldn't do because of my swimming, that day in Carrick on Suir when i couldn't do the swim i actually cried. 795 didn't help me much either being so slow for 500m in a pool.

Knowing that now i've cracked the swim has so many races in my head for 2013 that i missed out on this year and last. Up and Over will take over a lot of my training but i'm going to do a few selected races because i've missed out on them and have had to look and listen to others talking about them knowing that my swim held me back from doing them.

Anyway enough waffle from me, i'm running in 27 min:)

interested

Congrats on the swimming, great progress being made and hopefully it all comes nicely together early September.