project 40/41

peter kern

Summery
Very simple i am turning 40 next year and the world 70.3 world champs are for the first time in europe and i need some intermediate goal to get ready for the real goal.... i want to go to hawaii 2016 (and certainly not just to fill up the numbers for both events other wise i am not going to wast my money)

Reality

When i started to train a bit more serious last april - apart from staying fit and keep the weight down - It was maninly becasue teat there is still a little matter... I one day decided to break 9 hour in an ironman when i had not even done a swim bike or run race . To cut a long story short despite many travel interuptions cycling around the world. in 2005 i did break the 9 hours but I never got any satisfaction from it as it wasnt a good race . So I would like to rectify this and be happy about the perofmance with a good race .
Since then i have realiced that times and ironman really dont matter much, so it would be about placing in copmetetive races but much more importantly as I said i want to be happy about my performance.

ANyway, to be fair I do not know if I will be able to push myself CONSISTANTLY and while 'back inthe day' I was happy to train on my own ,its a fact that i dodnt have this motivation anymore. So i will have to built a structure to recognize that. At the same time I have much more experience...
So the CONSISTENCY will be my biggest struggle and there is a very high chance that it will fail. At the same time in the last few weeks I have started to become a bit more serious ( its tough really tough right now) and last nights run i giess for the first time in 3 years a serious run session ,and loved it .
I also have to admit I loved every second this year the hour before and during the race at the hell of the west. Its was absolute torcher but I was totally in the Zone and under the race day circumstances I could not have gone faster ( bare a small lapsus of coencetration for 1 min or so at the 4 k mark in the run) .
I wasnt really in shape ( dodnt get me wrong i wasnt unfit either but I have done one swim and bike and run session in the last 2 weeks that i rate the best quality sessions of the year and they were not that great either )


Fortunately I do understand that I dodnt really want to train its more I want to fisnish something I started long time ago i am not to sure if thats enough at the same time but I aslo know i can take more rest than i did back then . So there is pors and cons as always in live ;-)

the other issue....
a few weeks ago i was on a race entry side and i could not get myslef to enter. i mean i spend about the same ammount of money including the flight for travelling 3,5 weeks in turkey than 1 race wants me to charge jsut for the entry ) ........So that will be something i need to work on ;-)

The structure ( a very lose one as it will change anyways)

1 i will have to suround myslef with a few people to train with.
the swim I have already kind of sorted out by swiming with tango friday morning.
for the run iam planning to run every 2nd week with one of my athletes and find a lunch time running session ( is trintiy still on ?) .
the bike intervals will be in a way the hardest as i have to do them during the day and it will be the hardest to set up .At the same time the most crucial session as this is were i feel short 10 years ago
(up to here its non negotiable if i dont get that done it will not work)

I selfcoached myself to sub 9 ironman and i have always said if i was to do it again I would want to work with a coach or the very least with an advisor for a 2nd opinion . (when one gets motivated than one makes mistakes and while most of the times i wont be motivated enough, there will be key blocks i have to be in the zone and for those I will need an smart advisor ( one of my ex atheltes would be brilliant for it and i losely asked a while ago) or an coach. Anyway its something that I should have in place by now ...


At the same time right now the most impotant thing is to get myself into the right frame of mind to train again and built a routine and a set up to do that. as it would not be fair on coach/ advisor to start only to realice that I dodnt have it what it takes. (its bllod frustrating whne that happens and ii would not prefer it to somebody else )

Apart from one small niggle I do think that i could get myself in the best overall shape ever for october 2016.

I tend to train best in places i dodnt know by heart ( travelling was always my no 1 passion so this is something i have to try to incorparate into this i and will want to do 2 weeks abroad to keep me stimulated .

RACES
As for races I would like to qualfiy for the 70.3 world in an early 70.3 race than do tri an mhi, built in 8 or so local races mostly wednesday races as training sessions like last year
i love the the fact i can do a duathlon in the phoenix park where i arrive 15-20 min before race start warm up done cycling there and then race ) FIngal was also a great race and the wicklow aquathon are supperbly orgniced and so was belparks new aquathon.
kilkee and tri an mhi as a serious races. than 70.3 worlds or the lost sheep and an fall ironman most likely barcelona to qualify for hawaai. this year for the first time ever thought i want to go to hawaii. my exceitment for the 70.3 worlds went already a bit back as expaliand earlier so we will see

conclusion

I have never written a blog and i am sure there is people better suited to write blogs than myslef . Part of the reason i would like as i want to show beginner atheltes what is really important to become good.
It not an unkonw fact that i think that most boarides focus too much on the noise and not enough on what really matters to actually train.
please dodnt be offended if this goes against your principles you dodnt have to read this .....

its not that much about talent ( of cours it helps)
its not so much aobut gear ( and of course that can help too)
and to be fair its not even so much aobut training (dodnt get me wrong here structure of training is important, but what i really try to say here , when i had no idea about training but had my heart in it , i was faster than now)

why
first its aobut being willing to start being hungry to improve and challenge yourself there has to be a mission.
and you do not get into this if you feel a new gamrin 920 will make you train ( that usually works for a few weeks and then ....)

its important to set up a structure that is challenging yet manageble ( iam totaly ok that i chant even train the way i want right now i just dont have it but every week it will get a bit better )
then do it again and again and again . of course vary it but ironman racing is boring so you need to be able to deal with boring training.


and later on it will be aobut the icing of the cake ( in my case a power meter i consider to use 3 times a fornight ) and potentially a new (2nd hand ) bike. and ther e might be a few other things i might try.


though even though iam not sure if I will be able to do what I say I will at least try and by march i have to make a decison where iam am and how i feel when the training will really start .
so maybe this blog will 'shame' me a bit more into training and maybe some people can learn something and if somebody has constructive feed back than I could learn something.
or maybe it will be very soon stopped... but at least i will have given it a shot.

sconhome

Excellent Peter, best of luck and a blog I'll be following with interest.

pgibbo

Love your honesty Peter. Best of luck and stay motivated! :cool:

Bambaata

Best of luck Peter, will certainly be adding this to the followed threads ;-)

tunney

Could be an enjoyable thread!

Dory Dory

I would love to see Tunney coach you.

Seriously, bravo to you for tossing yourself in here. If you have heart and desire, then anything's possible.

zico10

This should be an interesting thread, Peter.

You should do Mallorca though, and if you wanted a running buddy I'd go slow enough to allow you catch up.:D

peter kern

did not want to get to the pool this morning....
anyway arrived at the same time as tango and with a speedy transiton ,before he entered the pool, i had already done 200m ;-) ( just to make sure the girl that complained that i let tango to all the work would not give out again )

love those sessions no bull **** went straight into the set when tango arrived ( same as usual but faster and less rest)

after each set we had a quick chat how it went and and how much faster when can go next week and after 60 maybe 61 min in the pool I had done 3.8 k ( which is about right 1600 in 23.45 min including rest and 10 x200 off 3.10 and maybe 2 min between the sets )
then we had a chat with another triathlete who might join in next week and then a bit off a cool down ( 300) .
arms fell seriously off in the last 2x200 ... grit my theath and was holding on for dear live and for last one i had to use paddle and pb to not get dropped. ( defo character building )
arms where so tired after session i found it hard to get dressed ( apart form effort , a bit dehydration played part into this as i did not drink before the session and enough after work last night. ( my key point for next friday)
but i guess there is nothing nicer than when you see progress so left the pool a happy camper.

MojoMaker

Subscribed

Best of luck with this Peter. You could develop a really positive network on the way to these goals.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Should be interesting to follow.

When are you getting the power meter

peter kern

Jared Fluffy Sorcery wrote: »

Should be interesting to follow.

When are you getting the power meter

i have 2 powermeter ... they are not very important to me but i have them.

ps and i also have a garmin 610 ....

Dory Dory

peter kern wrote: »

i have 2 powermeter ... they are not very important to me but i have them.

ps and i also have a garmin 610 ....

Looks like I am in good company then.

peter kern

sat
21 k run 10 k 38 min flat (rpe and brathing suprisingly low) 2 k easy 5k at 3.45 pace the rest easy home ( well easy home.... hr low ,muscular not so easy , longest run of the year but a good test to see were iam 21 k in 1.24 would should have stuck to my plan to only run 7 solid at the begining but it was nice to run with other people
I d like to run 1.14 for an half in march depending on weight ( weight costs me approx 4 min right now ) .... but overall looking more for 5 miler races


pm approx 3.2 k swim legs were very happy in water and it was enjoyable i have no idea what i was swimmig to be honest could have been 2.5 or 3.5 k of decent long 600 -800 intervals .

sunday nada 2 hour bike planned but mind and body said no ( but had to promise myslef to do a good turbo session this week )

mon am brill session mind defo improving and i pushed myself in the water the first time alone since since the hell of the west , starting to enjoy swimming and for the first time this year decent times on my own no idea about distance ( but the less idea i have usualy the better the session as it means i enjoy it and i got in a groove . and when i get totally lost in my thoughts time passes by faster . only time i focused on time was 2 sets of 10 fast 50s and making sure that the easy bits around that are really easy so i could push myself for the faster stuf ( i was seriously pleased with my times and effort )

a was asked to do the bike leg in a relay for the 70 3 race (mtl nobody is going to miss you ;-) .i have to say iam getting briliant value from this race 50 euro from tunney and a free t shirt.

peter kern

mon pm finally forced my self onto the turbo after setting it up on friday...
its was 10 pm so just did an nice consitent our on it getting used to it listening to the news. was actually quite enjoyable and specially for me living kind of city cetre there is nothing better than a turbo trainer (its just honest training )

decided that my newly accuired pink coob saddle has to go and i want to get back the same 35 euro bbb saddle that just worked perfectly . SInce it wore out 2013 i have tried 4 different sadlles some of them almost 5 times the retail value of the bbb and all i dodnt like)


tue missed the planned turbo session
only did an easy run .

wed am tried to copy the session this morning . epic fail . did actually try hard but could not even get close to the times of the boys ,this morning. adapted the session so i could get something out of it ( easy fastish mix ) . Its still some miles and few fair efforts in the bank and its my least important swim of the week prop 2,8-3.2 k and i have done a few good sessions lately so now need to kill myself on a day like this and i have a run session plande this evening that is more important .
will need a good warm up for it but i hope it will work and i have to make a call weather it will be ok before i start intervals and if in doubt just do an easy run . the main run this week will be a hard 5 k session on sat jingel bells run ( to support the donnor harriers as they are a running club I really like ,and also have to make sure i win my 50 euro bet )

should have had my weigh in this morning but totally forgot it ;-0 ( i know why but that cheese fondue was delicious ;-)

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

peter kern wrote: »

there is nothing better than a turbo trainer (its just honest training)

+1, I was out on the road this morning doing threshold efforts and it's just not the same as the turbo, you need a wider power range to work within with dodging cars, freewheeling etc.

What sort of turbo sessions will you be doing?

zico10

I didn't realise you were doing the Jingle Bells on Saturday. I'm sorry now I was gloating earlier in the thread.

peter kern

zico10 wrote: »

I didn't realise you were doing the Jingle Bells on Saturday. I'm sorry now I was gloating earlier in the thread.

dont worry i am on strict orders not to go sub 17.30
and i dont think you can jog slower than last year ;-)
what your time goal? 16.30 i guess.

shotgunmcos

peter kern wrote: »

there is nothing better than a turbo trainer (its just honest training )

+1 although the Concept 2 Rower trumps it for an overall workout. Same kinda honest training though. I'm a fan

zico10

peter kern wrote: »

dont worry i am on strict orders not to go sub 17.30
and i dont think you can jog slower than last year ;-)
what your time goal? 16.30 i guess.

Like your athlete I too am wracked with fear and full of irrational excuses; too heavy, haven't been doing any speed work, etc., etc. I've no reason to believe I'll beat last year's slow jog time, but hopefully I will.

peter kern

wed run did not really work but still some 7 k done

thyrsday 43min am on the bike at good solid effort
2 hours later 50 min easy followed fartlek turbo mixing easy and fast intervals
listing to joe filliol podcast at im talk ( good stuff ) tough session and got out what i wanted.

pm 15 k run some bits bit faster ie 3.50 k pace some a bit slower still feling a bit tight but its getting better

friday swim
a bit late and jumped straight into the set
my Fuhrer was a bit tired today so times a bit slower , decided to lead out 3 x400 s after first one was 5.48 and felt a bit too easy .
first 105m in 1.19 ( what a clown i am ) slowed it a bit down and then i had no idea how far in i was into the 400 m fortuantley worked it out with the pacing clock . times were 5.38 5.41 5.40 off 6min went back to my place and found it much esasier to finish session then last week .
we went a bit slower than last week for the 200 s (2 sec slower per 100) but effectively i swam 3x400s some 15 sec faster than last as i did not draft
600 cd and out .
seems like x mas time has started as pool was less busy.

peter kern

shotgunmcos wrote: »

+1 although the Concept 2 Rower trumps it for an overall workout. Same kinda honest training though. I'm a fan

at this time of the year not a bad idea

peter kern

friday pm late night short turbo with a bit of short speed work ( again no watch ) nothing serious but an attempt to improve my realationship with the turbo trainer approx 45 min


sat am only 4 hour sleep which is not great but woke up the first time this week with no pain going down the stairs .watched challenge baharain which is think was a ground breaking race that will ( at least i do hope so ) make a few people think about current triathlon issues, we got accustomed to , namely drafting and males getting in the way of female races, and how long disstance triathlon can be a sport peope actually may want to watch ( ie good coverage ,frodeno and macca were quite good and also gave sposors of atheltes a shout out and not racing for peanuts Some issues one can attribute to oil money other aspects are free and just require ,to actually care about racing ,My respect to the organizer

Anyway bit of cycling some drills with the guys and the jingle bells run,
goal was not to go faster than 17.30 and with 17.20 that was achieved quite nicely, With the half marathon under the belt this felt relatively easy and was defo not the shock to the system last week was. would be confident to run close 10 k at this pace and feel like iam at sub 35.30 and given that the mirror test still comes back as fat is not so bad as there is about 12 sec per k to be saved losing weight.
main goal of the run was to win the 50 euro bet and that was even more fool proof than the bet with tunney re sell out of dublin 70.3 ironman .

some easy cycling pm and once again not enough maintemance work something that will be - beside focusing more on hydration and become friends with the turbo - the third big goal for next week.

sunday pm 4 hour or so bike ride nothing to serious , good fun and ending with champaign salmon and chease tasting besides a hot chocolate.

overall a decent week I have no idea how much i did and to be honest dont really care.and dodnt really want to start counting hours etc as i would either get to competetive or break thinking how much training i have to do next week and i take it from session ( like the run in an ironman race)
i hit the swimming fairly well this week , made a start on the bike and kind of managed the damage ( which was an execution error from my side ) well in terms of run training not well in body maintenance .
At the same time mentally it was great to have an half marathon under the belt,I should be ready to improve my run speed a good bit in next few week have to say massively enjoyed the sat race , and while there is loads to be done, the last 2 weeks have had a good impact on my run training and while i will still do runs at 5.30 k pace i am certainly starting to enjoy to run fast again and should bring the 10 k pace down by 90 sec in the next 10 weeks.(provided i train ..) pretty sure i lost half kg this week .

hope to get in a 40 min run this evening and stretch in the sauna but we will see.

pgibbo

What are your thoughts on stretching Peter? Your mention of stretching in the sauna has me drawing my own conclusions but curious all the same.

peter kern

pgibbo wrote: »

What are your thoughts on stretching Peter? Your mention of stretching in the sauna has me drawing my own conclusions but curious all the same.

just a very general outline andin no particular order.
if you dont need it dont do it ( i could just stop there )

at the same time last week i watched the drylnd warm up of aer lingus swiming club and its good stuff but they also did not give up and pool swim time and started 15 min before the sesion and a lot of people arrived just in time for the session )

i never really streched ( and I think an easy swim after a hard session is the best one can do to losen up ) and really only have muscle and tendom group that causes problems and the older I get to more problems i causes but this is more becasue those days I sit more but also its is casued by a strenght issue ....
i also see certain atheltes that even when they have done a 10 min warm up pick up injuries from very simple stretches adn scientifically this is proven that this can happen )

if you need it do it ie each sport has some requirements for range of motion if you dont meet them than its good to try to meet them .
if you overreach those requirelents you could spend your time more effectively on training .

why in the sauna ? its very simple its a proven fact that streching while cold can cause micro tears and i mean if i see the need to strech than it means iam tight and a warm environment is better to losen up a( of course that means to warm up first and most of my streching i do when i leave the sauna)
anyway just my 2 cents and i do not get caought up to much on it and gernally think that if you need to strecht you also need to look at the way you train or you sit at work etc etc.

anyway no need to discuss this here and i respect many opinions on this subject but since i think you ask because you like suttons opinion ...
Now since he has become more commercial and popular i think he needs to change the way he talks and writes aobut things as people think he says no streching means no streching and this is certainly wrong as nowadays with so many people sitting all day many muscles and tendoms shorten too much and its going to cause issues if not adressed ( and of course its better to find the cause than to treat the symptons) .

I like it that many sports have started to do flexibilty tests before sessions
and i think this is a very good way on profiling what is needed to do on specific days ( at the same time you also could just lsiten to your body during the warm up .... )

pgibbo

Personally I do stretch. I know what stretches I need and work on them. Not as much as I should but do. I find it interesting that Matt Dixon and others say not to.

In relation to Sutton, you make a valid point. He throws out a lot of statements but if you dig deeper you find they can never be taken at face value. A prime example is strength training. He has a minimum standard from what I can gather. When you hit that, then he stops his athletes doing strength and it's all sport specific thereafter.

shansey

i see your not afraid of intervals in the winter.. do you change your training up much as the season gets closer??

peter kern

good post paul

funny its Matt dixons almost associate or whatever you want to called it gary rodriuez that once said it very nicely

there is things i would disagree with sometimes what certain good people do . but overall what we see is that many good people do get the basics right and its totally fine to do a few things diferently as long you get the basics right and the results follow.

it was aobut that he is not that keen on paddles and sutton is .
in itslef not a game changer as we see both produce very good open water swimmer .....
same would be, dixon produces great atheltes with powermeter sutton great atheltes without using one .
to keep going , dixon very strong on strenght work sutton very strong on sport specific strenght...
so many of those aspects dont matter too much or are game changer . what all 3 seem to get right is to produce world class atheltes .
and some things work for some and dont work for others.

here we always worry about the details without getting the basics right.
(you cant be good if you dont do this.
using this or that is the only way to be good etc etc. )

peter kern

shansey wrote: »

i see your not afraid of intervals in the winter.. do you change your training up much as the season gets closer??

note to myslef from now on only 2 liner answers...

yes i change my training at the same time i dont change that much its more the emphasis changes at certain times.

bellow just came out ignore it but Idont want to delete it.


I would be a strong believer ( as many good coaches ) that you train all zones the whole year and roughly go from less specifc to more race specific.

for myslef I am using a more reversed periodisation , at least for bike and run this year ( this is mainly based on my weaknesses ie i have a good base cycling (slow) and despite the fact that last week 21 k was my longest run in 2014 i still have a decent base but as i am always ploting along , but i have done very little sub 4 min ks in the least few years and sub 3.30 pace i can almost count on 1 hand .
swimming iam actually working the other way around as i have no base anymore and focus a bit more on that .

overall what matters is that you have an understanding that you know how something will affect your training and find your way .not so much what training philosophy you follow ( in a way they all work if done proper) . I do not work in the clasical 12 weeks blocks (and in fact to say that i would use peridisation is a bit of a stretch anyways ) i look at certain markers so i dont even have fixed rest weeks, I dont let the plan rule me . i decide the plan on how i feel . i do not think this is the best or only way its just how iam as a person.

I would be happy to swim the friday swim session another 30 weeks in a row playing around a bit with speed and rest )

at the same time in germany they produce decent triatheltes with a more traditional periodisation system which is certainly something I would like for a beginner and intermedite athelte that have not many miles in their leg . ie base and technique first and then speed later ( at least for sprint and oly distance)

anyway to answer your question if i survive I will be working more on race specifc pace closer to main races , i will not be interested to improve my 5 k run stand alone time after march after february . well at least not purposely . i do think that this year i might improve it later on as i still will regain fitness but that does not mean i will not do fast stuff later on either.

peter kern

Sunday pm run never happened but went to the gym did some exercises and a few lounges and squads

Monday am. Solid enough swim approx 75 min not that great of a seasion but better than nothing and some good strength work done.

Pm 45 min run outside and some short speed stuff on the treadmill . Treadmil totally finishe me of (as planed) but lasted a good bit less than I was hoping for some stretching in the sauna. After it I sat at reception aere with the stare. Wondering how Iam going to make it home (nutrition a total fail today breakfast at 2 pm is just not good at all)

Tue am nothing
Pm meant to do turbo before evening turbo session something got in the way so I started season 9.30 pm session went really well some short max efforts and some approx 45 sec efforts . All in all 60 min work. Very happy 1 that I still did the session 2 worked really hard


Wed woke up feeling totally brill it's early days but the right glut and hammer aerea is getting better.

Good swim session 70 min of an session audi Ron pmed me recently adapted to suit my speed and even did 8x50 sprints at the end well calling that sprints would be a bit optimistic but it came close .

Looking forward to this evenings run and that's something new . Also really liked the turbo last night so overall there is progress.

zico10

peter kern wrote: »

anyway to answer your question if i survive I will be working more on race specifc pace closer to main races , i will not be interested to improve my 5 k run stand alone time after march after february . well at least not purposely . i do think that this year i might improve it later on as i still will regain fitness but that does not mean i will not do fast stuff later on either.

When you say this do you mean coming up to your Ironman, you won't be running any faster than 4.15/km? Assuming a sub 3 marathon, which I imagine you would take. Apologies if I am underestimating you.

peter kern

( since i told you this morning for the rest
no it dosnt mean that
and also my A race is not the ironman
also for the full ironman I would do v little exact IM pace apart from the end of a long run but you will see me do very few balls out vo2 intervals with a long rest
especially for me its not aobut speed its about strenght. and this will be the main focus and i plan 2 phases where the focus will be very much on strenght. I do actually plan to run less miles ( as high milage running works well for me fo r marathon but not for the IM as i said in another thread the Im run is very much strenght focused and in my case even for the half i have to very much focus on that.

MojoMaker

Peter, when you use the word "strength" you mean aerobic endurance, right?

peter kern

no
( iam getting better with shorter replies;-) but i will add it in todays swim reflection email as i like the question)

peter kern

wed pm weather quite nasty with a high wind chill factor 1 hour nice and easy run
main set 6x 800 got seriously beaten up but worked really really hard and my times where not so bad considering the weather and .so nothing to complain about and run approx 22k

thursday 2 x45 min bikes way out super tough in the wind already my turbo session of the day ;->)
pm easy run with a few 4 min k pace parts overall 14-5 km
turbo session planned for after run but not in the mood for it and also would no thave makde much sense

friday off day went to bed at 1am got up to go swimming went back to bed to sleep for 75 min more ( not good but not the biggest problem in the world either )

sat run all i can say it was tough cross country , struggled very much and felt really bad still about 1 hour cycling and 14 k run done and even on a bad day faster than on a very fast day last year. not bad and overall and today just re-enforced the weakness i have and need to address it NOW .besides losing weight.(diet at orange level this week)

somebody asked me the other day how do i know i am improving on the bike. and certainly this is where i would have improved least in the last few weeks.but i can defo feel iam putting out more power and cycle faster at measured out test segments when the wind is comparable. but overall the swim ( a bit a fail this week ) and run are more important to me at least for another week.but swim bike and run times are getting bigger and iam in no rush right now and iam a good bit ahead of where i was last year.

so while last few days were not great i also see that iam a bit tired and its not the mind that says no its the body and i have to respect that.


sorted out quite a few things this week and the good thing of this blog is Bill invited me to go out for bike rides and told me about lunchtime run sessions ( thanks Bill !!!)
so all kind of in the green zone bare the weight and way to little sleep( i have entered the red zone here and really need to watch that (of to bed now ) .no sleep no good training its as simple as that.

peter kern

sunday 95 min turbo constant 10 min 2oo watts 5 min 290 2 min 360 watts

monday 100 min swim was just in the zone and did 80 min solid paddle and pb intervals of various lenght plus 500m 25 kick 25 swim .

in between had to run quite a few errants and meetings so about 2 -2.15 hours of cycling done. 2 solid 30 min blocks with 10 min talking inbetween

7.30 pm 1.46 h run along the coast just loved it approx 24 k dosnt happen often that I have to hold myself back for a long run ( started too fast but just totally enjoyed it ) did not do the planned session but got a good solid session in and longest run of the year will be god enough for stimuli . as much as i enjoyed it i was happy to be home .

snapped up a ticket for 75 euro yesterday( plus 100 euro name change) to go to tenriffe from the 20th to 27.december.
( this will be a proper training camp as i will go camping so will be cheap as chips )
if you know anybody cycling in teneriffe south during this time please let me know.
plan is aprox 800 k cycling 20k swimming and 80 k running


and aother miles and more camp planned 20 th of february to 2nd of march in fuerteventura . ( that will be 'posher one' still basic ) I think we are looking for few serious guys for that one will be about 1100k cycling 25k swimming and 95 k running ( lees for the 2nd group ;-)
you dont have to be fast as we will have 2 groups but it will be an training eat sleep camp and not a coffee and whining camp ,..

this is getting serious now.

MojoMaker

Coffee and whining camp

peter kern

tuesday lunchtime intervals with running group was absolutely cool as i did not have to think and just had to run ( bill was a bit worried that i would try to take over the session ... I think i will wait for 2 weeks ;-) 60 min from door to door 400 800 1200 1600 1200 800 400 as average k pace 3.21 (casio measured and maybe 3.22 )
to be fair i have no idea about rest but i assume is was 30 sec for every 400 m off running . found the last 1200 a bit hard but funnily enough at the 800s i felt fresh as a daisy... and was sure we had to do anthoer 400 ...v positively suprised when they stopped .


pm 90 min x mas special turbo each participant was the coach for 2 minutes . i alwyas love it usualy people complain sessions are to tough but if you let them do the session. each of them tries to outdo the person before with a more cruel 2 min set ( was actually the 2nd time ever i participated in a turbo session i coach and it was fun.only thing i nticed i was sweating much more than the guys
despite old wesely is actually quite cold and some powerfiles showing high poweroutputs.and i was certainly not working the hardest.


wed am swim tts i felt wrecked but did quite well and each 100 meter split of the various 400 m tts I swam was within 2 sec, i had no speed but what iam trying to do in the pool is working ok
and despite being totally wrecked i was a good bit faster than last year.( not that this was a hard thing ....) only litte issue i was more than 40 sec faster than my fasted 400 in ww so far since september ( i am still such a lazy b.......d at the same time i really killed myself y day and i do work hard fridays in the pool) and use extra big paddles right now.

pm light easy run felt good as i loosened up a bit during it.

thur am the usual commute due to gear failure i had to spin it out at approx 120 rpms a always easy to hold for a few min after 40 min it started to get good work and i was cycling in the wind.

quick dipp in the pool as recovery session.approx 2.2 k

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Interview/A_chat_with_Snowy_the_Great_4796.html
reminder I must read that interview every 4 weeks

peter kern

Thursday pm 19 k run with a few steady intervals

Friday usual swim. Good pace and for first time felt fresh enough to some sprints. Well fresh not quite the right work was more as splash festival but work I did .... Mental note need to do some leading work .

Pm running home from pool since bike was stolen... Funny how though running can be when one is not happy

Sat no training

Sunday am15 k run heaven outside my camp fantastic running trails with brill hills in all variations
5 hour bike ride first did not like traffic than decided to enjoy the sunshine rather the worrying about traffic and it was worth it

peter kern

ok re cut and pasted and this time it should be ok

22nd
am 75 min good run going through all the paces and loads of hills very pleased and the warm weather does me well for running

Am 72 min non stop swim with paddles great fun and approx 4.6-8 k

Pm 5 hour bike first a bit flat, than from 0 to 2100not not to crazy pace but not too slow easier . Wonderful climbing . Bit late and downhill getting cold and shoulder in bits by the time I arrive home

23rd
am. 70 min run after20 min wu all kind of fartelegs and hill reps very good session and pleased with the speed and leg turnover.

Am 6 hour bike straight from o to 2100m in first hour I go 7 min quicker than day before meet 2 cyclist realize they have the same speed wait a bit and join them . After 1 hour the Swiss guy wants a coffe stop ( little does he know how that infuriates me ..) Anyway the Norwegian girl def not into coffee stops either and we march on at a solid pace and time is flying while talking about training . Reach 2100 25 min faster than day before. After going down to 1900 m ( being pushed out of my confort zone at downhill that girl can corner and agressivey attacts out of every corner and keeps the pressure on all the time ) . my own again climbing up to 2300m gong around the tide. ( one of the most amazing places to cycle in Europe) hit the downhill 1 hour earlier and defo more confi.
Easy 20 min run as to cold to go for a swim .


24th
am 75 min swim good pace all paddles approx 4.4k
30 min easy run with some drills

4h.50 bike ride though good pace 3 h with company. Vita smashing it in downhills me taking the climbs v good learning experience to cycle with a roadie she really knows her cornering and brutally sprints out every corner again (of which there seems to be one every 150m) she dosnt train much but totally switched on for 3 hours.

Pm another 4- 4 .2 k swim nonstop mainly for recovery right now the most painfully parts are the shoulders from long downhills.



25th Thursday. Am 80 min run physiological the first Junk session as rest would be better, but good training for mind and long steady climb for 52 or so min.

Am bike 40 min wu. I was 1 min late and Thor was already cycling in my direction ... i was trying to hang on downhill and me taking the lead uphill for next 70 min to get to a good place for intervals ( well for me that was almost the interval ...) . Plan 4-6x 10 min reps all I remember is I feel like a boxer in the ropes for 65 min when I call it a day for intervals. Was a bit worried how to get home struggled to count 80cents for a drink. ( it's 2 pm and I already drunk 5 liter still feeling Thirsty anyway after 20 min I come back to live and finish strong , 5.55h later Iam home. Overall Pleased how day went and noticing that the way I cycle is changing .

peter kern

26th
75 min swim with fartlegs all paddles,i play guess 60 min look at my watch at 58 min 33 so not bad timing. again approx 4.5 k swim and as usual a decent current in my face in one direction and a push back ( like often atthe bray aquathon )

am 6 hour bike ride going up another route up the the teide. (the steeper one ) having my first climbing meltdown after 2 hours and thinking to turn back ,call the whambulance (buy some choclate biscuits ) look inside myself, and body is not too tired ( and as i usually do nowadays in such a moment i rember this years april camp and ask myslef do i want to be a clown or an triathlete... that does the trick), I find my mojo and ryhthem and set a new pb for the villafloor to 2100 m split . enjoy cycling and watching the scenery at the teide base road and then push the downhill


pm 75 min nonstop swim no paddles with a few fartlegs


27th
leave in darkness for a 1 hour climb ( absolutely fantastic expereince to cycle in the darkness ) for the first time this week i see gran canaria .
40 min run through all paces
pm 75 min good paced paddle swim

home


overall not a bad camp stopped counting hours after 3 days and just focused on training , realistically could not have done more apart from the last day, but decided on day 6 to have 2 hours on last day where i just enjoy the sunshine ( and a fresher body flies better and less chance to get sick. so i think a good decison ) . I know overall i would have liked to do 1 more proper swim session in the fantastic pool in los christianos and 1 more proper run. At the same time i did the work i wanted on the bike (and did a bit more intnesity than planned )
so nothing really to write home but having done 4.30 hours on the bike in dublin the next day i can defo say the bike has come on . at the same time i am under no illusion that there is plenty to catch up and while i have a good bike base fitness at the higher end stuff i am behind scedule and need to adress that ASAP.

was great to train 3 days with a female pro cyclist that works full time and shares my expectations of traits a serious athlete should have. we shared a lot of training stuff the first day and without talking much just got on with the work the other 2 days, without racing each other but pushing each other.

I got in enough maintencance work and slept enough and while enjoying the great food and wine . I ate very healty and lost a bit of execess fat .
teneriffe has its dark side with the some horrible constructions and drinking tourism but oveall its my favorite canary island and for what i wanted to get out of it it was the best location for a week.
its always questionable if it makes sense to fly 8 hours for a 1 week camp ( risk of cold etc very high) but while i cant really judge the success of the camp for another week i am positive it worked well and when i cycled home from the airport i was happy to got in a good weeks work in nice weather and it did my body good to train in a warm climate and i come home feeling better than i left. ( apart from shoulders that suffered from the long downhills. ( and me still breaking way to much )

while it made me realise how hard it is to train at my limit i did enjoy it . I feel a bit more positive about project 40. (without any ilusions that dark days will come.... at the same time december is usually one of the toughest training times and the first hurdle is taken and days are getting longer from now on)

ps saw one of those downhill longboarder first i thohgt what a brill cyclist before i saw he was on a board at neck braking speed those guys have balls . magaged to speak to one of them for 2 min and it was quite impressive

also on the way home clearest atmoshere i have ever seen not a single cloud over ireland and could see cork and galway at the same time from the plane. amazing stuff and worth the flight alone/

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Good weeks training by the looks of it, finding the same with tight shoulders and sore arms, descents in Spain certainly bring you out of your comfort zone especially when going down them the first time you tighten up.

Also noted your comment on feeling stronger when cycling home, often found an easy 5-10% improvement after a big cycling week abroad. My biggest improvement I felt was a week away with the fastest Irish IM athlete and a multiple IM winner female athlete, no bull**** and straightforward hard training for the week!

peter kern

Good stuff.
Personally Iam not too worried if i have improved I am more interested to improve In the next few weeks.its only a part of the puzzle and a camp for me is a bit like a swim in a race you can't win it but you can set up or destroy your race in the camp ( and I have seen the guys racing each other ) most of the time I tried to think about the long term impact of what I did. I certainly haven't improved that much as you do but what I have done is that I found the motivation to do the work I need to do by breaking some mental barriers I still had . ( ie did not like climbing lately and on the turbo did not do the required work ) Sally gap looks like a small hill now and 3 hour climbs are good turbo prep.

Jared Fluffy Sorcery wrote: »

Good weeks training by the looks of it, finding the same with tight shoulders and sore arms, descents in Spain certainly bring you out of your comfort zone especially when going down them the first time you tighten up.

Also noted your comment on feeling stronger when cycling home, often found an easy 5-10% improvement after a big cycling week abroad. My biggest improvement I felt was a week away with the fastest Irish IM athlete and a multiple IM winner female athlete, no bull**** and straightforward hard training for the week!

peter kern

28th 40 min run cant rember what and not even sure if 40 min
4.30 ish bike ride last 90 min pushing home

29th 1 hour run

30th am 40 min 7 k easy run with pick up
70 min turbo 4x10 roughly 3 min easy ( hated every second of it but by far the best session so far )

pm 30 min bike 9x 620s at good pace decending in speed strangly enugh i enjoyed that session felt good at most times when the pace went higher i moved very quickly from confort zone into working too hard ( not a suprise )
30 min bike home
and few 100s recovery swim and stretching .

31st swim 70 min not very motivated (suprise suprise stiff form y day as 2 hards sessions were very close to each other ) but feeling for the water quite decent . reminded me how much i dislike pool swimming those days ;-0
60 min run with a few fartleks

1st easy bike no idea what time approx 2 hours
45 min run

apart from the 30th which was a good day the only really positive thing is weight still comming down slowly ( meassured with the dreamcatcher meathod ,

2nd 2.5 hour bike with hoth hill reps
run to the pool and home approx 45 min (run out of energy on way too the pools so quick stop at a shop
shambolic swim session did quit triathlon after the first 5x 200s ( felt like it was the first time in a pool and miscounted every 2nd interval ) anyway it was not so bad to be honest
given the fact that i was leading out all intervals bare the 2nd last one . 4x400 set was pretty good and approx 5.35 average
and the 2nd 200s also not bad .. no still the times cant hide it was the worst friday set i swam bare the first one as there was 0 rythem . the positive given the fact i had run out of energy and doing all the lead work i did work well but jaysus i am pretty sure i would have had a heart attack had i watched that session.

3rd 60 min cycle 90 min run 14 ,12 9.30 min intervals at prety good effort ( way to long rest ) still for sombody that was quitting triathlon again during the session . pretty good times.

pm 45 min run

4th 1.10 easy run 2 hours on the turbo

not happy with the training since back home totally lost the rythem dont enjoy cycling from home at the same time not a bad weeks training either with some pretty good sessions and while i only hit 1 good turbo it was a really good one . on the other hand overall i was never in the risk of getting ill or overdoing it , and sometimes a bit less than i wanted can be more and while a bit frustrated i also know that something is going to happen in the nexy 2-4 weeks the running is very close to get to the next level and fitness is coming on overall.
so a mixed back of training this week but weight is comming down and in the laast 8 weeks i have changed my diet each week a bit and its getting closer to where it needs to be. and before you ask i do nothing special i use the base
the less pre prepepared foot i eat the better. the less sugar i take on the better and iam actually increasing my fat intake right now. its very simple if i eat bad i put on wieght very quickly if i eat solid and train, I like 85 % of people one should not have to worry too much about weight. ( and for most people just stop making excuses i also put on 8 kg in 3.5 month so its not like iam a miracle in losing weight and being so lucky)
like training or not eating is a choice we make ( and of course for some its difficult but it cant be difficult for 80% of triathletes who are quite frankly overweight. not a suprise ireland has one of the higher obesity rates with its chipper and and carry out culture and supermarkets full of ready made foot. ( end of my little uncalled rant and back to focus on myself )
but new years resulutions do my head in ( mine is quitting tri btw )

MojoMaker

What's your normal training rotation Peter - 3 weeks hard, 1 recovery? 4/1? Do you work off a 7 days schedule or a longer one, say 10-12 days etc?

Kurt Godel

4*400 averaging 5:35 is exceptional in Tri. It'd be smiled at by proper pool guys though. You've a talent for the three sports together; stick at that.

You should find a better New Years resolution Peter. Every year I ask my wife what her resolution is; every year the same reply- "drink more water". Try that one instead.

peter kern

Kurt Godel wrote: »

4*400 averaging 5:35 is exceptional in Tri. It'd be smiled at by proper pool guys though. You've a talent for the three sports together; stick at that.

You should find a better New Years resolution Peter. Every year I ask my wife what her resolution is; every year the same reply- "drink more water". Try that one instead.

yes thats exeptional for an average triathlete , i did not swim a single 4x400 in 5.35 off 6min in last years season...
the only problem with that... this year i want to push my boundaries and dodnt want to be medicore like last year and for that its not nearly good enough. i will need to be 20-5 sec faster eventually . being happy about average sessions is not going to cut it and after last friday and reading your comments i was sufficiently motivaveted to put in a good session this morning ;-)
lets not beat behind the bush if i was to go to kona next year i want to be in a shape where i would go sub 8.40 on a normal day in roth if i dodnt see this happen i would likely not go to kona and aobut sub 8.40 in roth is where top agers in my age group(40-44) will be in kona... so lets say if iam not going to be 3 min overall faster in kilkee this year ( same conditons and course as last year ) it would not look that great for me , non of my splits last year were really decent ,given the swim level in ireland the swim was the least medicore but in australia it would have been just as medicore than my bike and run.
the guy that was first out of the water in the tri under 23 worlds just swam 3.56min 400m short course in november and 15.50 for 1500 i guess that would have him on the podium for 1500 m( an triathelte ) at irish national champs so a very good tri swimmer should be a good swimmer in ireland. like we would expect bryan keane in the top 6 at irish nat cross country champs and alister browlee in contention to win them.
so what iam saying tri world class performace should be nat level performace and kienle would have won senior the tt champs ( in the given field ) and we should not be happy with medicore splits/ of course its not realistic for me as an adult leanrer to be a competetive pool swimmer but in an open water environment i would need to be reasoable competetive ( and even 2 years ago when i was swiming sh.te i beat one guy out of the water with a 4.4x 400m time that year . and last year a triathlete was the 5 k open water champ.
sorry for being an a.se but i dodnt like it that we aim so low in irish triathlon.there is place for fun triathlon ( and its very important to get people of the couch ) but overall we need to look outside our little pond. and lets face it even sub 8.40 shape is not that special when graig alexnder cameron brown go 8 flat at the age of 40 . ( and especially alexander has more outside tri commitments than most full time working people.
my 2 cent
but thank you for getting me motivated in the pool today !!!!

mojo i have used my credit and will reply to your question another day.

littlemsfickle

peter kern wrote: »

the less pre prepepared foot i eat the better

Agreed. Freshly prepared foot is the secret to a good diet.

On a more serious note - I'm enjoying following your log. As an experienced coach and athlete I think it's great that you're posting up your training for others to learn from. In particular, for triathletes who are often at risk of overtraining, I think it's important to be able to recognise when a missed session is better than pushing through a session when you're tired/unmotivated and failing to hit the quality required - something I think you've touched on a few times. Hope you stick with it!

peter kern

a fresh chicken foot a day is very good for the knees . other people pay big money for glucosamin ;-0

ups thought i did that but meant to say thank you for the kind words, but iam narcistic enough that i realise its actually good for me to read what i do. even though i have not the slighetest idea how much iam training right now
( and i suspect some weeks i think i train more than i i did and others I do more than i think.
the only time i counted since i started was the first 3 days in the camp and then a client of mine asked me if i wanted a pad on my back after i told him i had done 20.5 hours in the first 3 days and i stopped counting again ( as this is exactly what i must not do ) . this might sound maybe i dodnt care or its oversimplistic but at the same time i could rattle down my trainings weeks 8 and 15 weeks before ironman western australia 2004 with out having written it down and i know the mistakes i have made for varous races and it was not the week to week training 9 apart from the fact that bike sessions where to much in the grey zone) it was taking bad single day desions ( like running a training marathon in the wild between darwin and broome when the temarature was some 24 degree when i started and 40 by the time i finished my marathon and not having enough water till the next water stop when 32 k on a day and my given water resources would have been a much better decison) so right now what i really look is getting 3 sessions a week right and the rest is v freestyle.

peter kern

What's your normal training rotation Peter - 3 weeks hard, 1 recovery? 4/1? Do you work off a 7 days schedule or a longer one, say 10-12 days etc?
a little brain strom ,,,,

right now i really work of nothing I have things i want to do each week but my sessions change a lot depending on many things .
its not structured training ( at the same time i guess in my head i do have a fairly thought out structure how i am going to move but like the irish weather is does change a lot )
i do not work of 2 3 4 on 1 week off it can be 2 weeks on 3 or 4 weeks on ( i look more at my fatique levels )
personally i have worked well on 2 on 1 week rec with tt s but also 4 weeks on 1 week off.
i have had one guy this morning the threw his poul buoy away twice and i will be watching him very carefully tonight and most liklely he will be doing a shorter session unless i am satisfyed he will be ok
also 4 hours for me does not mean its going to be 4 hours its a guide i have before the session but nothing more . same with a 2 hour run it does not have to be 2 hours as i can change the parameters around and its not like that if you have a 2 hour run planed bad thinkgs happen if you stop at 1.55 or 2.07 h and often real life time constraints etc govern what i do . likewise is i run faster than i have planned i run shorter if i run slower than planned and not too tied i run longer
overall i need to make sure that buy the end of january iam not worn out but ready to train ( and traiing in the dark time of the year is not that easy, even the most consitent guy i have ever coached once had a close to x mas burnout )

overall my thinking is that that most familly people should take their rest weeks due to work or family commitments etc so its often taken care for them so i dont really think for most agers it makes sense to work of a fixed on and off rythem. and looking at the sbr board most people dodnt train enough to actually need rest weeks ...but for some reason even the 6 hours a week atheltes seem to follow of season x mas break etc etc when it dosnt make sense they never train enough that they would overreach . or think it this way when a good atheltes does 18 hour weeks a rest week is still more than 6 hours training a week ...
( of course its different for beginners etc but i think we get the gist ...)

overall i believe much more to get an amount of key sessions into a 1o day circle than a weekly circle but again real live makes this complicated but i do change run sessions around.
and a 25 min good workout is better than no workout ....)

iam more reacting than planing ( and both ways have pros and cons ) but it is very clear there is so many things that change the parameters i cant plan them.
its very differetnt for a person that gets up every monring a 6 am trains goses to work finishes at 5 in bed by 9.30 .....
(the more you get that the better you can plan. but training fatiuqe is a lot infliuenced by work sleep stress and family factors and its important to include them into ones planning ( or reacting if you dodnt have a stable live rythem ) .

quite simpley my goal right now is more quality ( the week in teneriffe it was all about miles but still ...its quality i need ) despite the fact that is my seem crazy what i do i have a very good idea where iam am and i want to work more on those weaknesses.( still being clear that i could not even train the way i wanted as iam just not ready for it ,(both mentaly and physically and of course my body is not the same as 8 years ago )


credit used despite race entry irony last monday ;-)

MojoMaker

Thanks - very helpful Peter.

zico10

peter kern wrote: »

same with a 2 hour run it does not have to be 2 hours as i can change the parameters around and its not like that if you have a 2 hour run planed bad thinkgs happen if you stop at 1.55 or 2.07 h

I agree with the gist of your post and bad things certainly won't happen if you cut a two hour run short. Same way bad things won't happen to someone who doesn't swim to the wall when finishing off an interval, but I think both instances can sometimes reveal a lot about the mindset of the athlete.