Jesters Ironman Journey

jester1980

With just over 20 weeks to go until my first Ironman in Cork ive decided to keep track of the fun 20 weeks ahead, im sure ill have a few questions and all advise from anyone having completed an Ironman will come in handy.

Got into Triathlon in 2011, doing a few sprints and olympics and similar in 2012 before completing two marathons in 2012, Ruptured Ligaments in my ankle during the race so had 3 ops to try and sort this out, never really thought id run again but found a good heel raise and off i went building back up the mileafe and ggetting back into it in 2017.

In total ive done over 20 races and last year my first half ironman distance in Dun Laoghaire. Wasnt the most amazing time as my biking is average but all in all was happy on that course, think i finished middle of the pack in 6.42, swim was 40ish bike, 3.45 and run 2.07.Was the furthest id ran on the ankle in 6 years so decided to go ahead and give the ironman a bash, in my head i may need to run walk a bit of it if the ankle flares up but ive been given the go ahead by my phsyio, mark K an ex marathon runner.

When Dun Laoghaire finished i went and did a few weeks run training with gary O H to try and improve running, got me down to 20.30 for 5 k so was enjoyable and kept me ticking over.

Started into this programme in nov and have been ticvking a long, the dreaded winter bug hit around xmas and was nearly 2 weeks out with sickness. Since then going great and sessions have been enjoyable.

Looking forward to chatting to you all.

jester1980

Training Mon 21st - Sunday 27th

Monday

AM - Masters swim session in Belveder 45 mins 2200 m followed by half hour swim lesson which ive been getting once a month, this is to work on improving my stroke, techniques etc

PM - Turbo session - 1 hour 20 mins

Tuesday

Joined back Lusk AC today and session was 4 k easy followed by holl repeats for 3 k or so and then gentle 1.5 k cooldown

Wednesday - OFF

Thursday

Lunch - Easy 40 min lunch run, easy pace

PM - 45 mins hill repeats on Zwift to work out a sweat

Friday

3000 m Pool swim NAC

Sat

70.2 km cylce with a few hills in Howth thrown in, average paces 26.2 kmph

Sunday

Raheny 5 mile, i race ive always wanted to do and really enjoyed it, finish time 35.32

Good week ending in the Raheny race which i was happy enough with, i can see my cycling improving every week which is great as its definalty my weakest disciple even with a gammy ankle on the run.

jester1980

Training Mon 28th - Sunday 03rd Feb

Monday

Day off after Raheny race.

Tuesday

Easy 8.5 km run

Wednesday

AM - 2.2km swim,

PM - Turbo 28 km

Thursday

Very busy day with work so had to switch things around

Friday

AM - 3200 m Pool swim NAC

PM - 2 1/2 Hours turbo, really really struggled with this, mrs was away so had to get do long bike on turbo, not something id be rusging back to and felt an old niggle in the hip come back.

PM - 30 mins run off the turbo

Sat

1 hour 40 mins run, 18 K

Sunday

Off

Work and family life meant i had to move things around a bit this week, happy with long run.

jester1980

Training Mon 04th - Sunday 10th Feb

On to last week and had real problems with my hip, went to physio and gacve me excercises with resistance band so banging out 100+ a day. Told to take it easy on the ctcling for a week

Mon

Swim 2.2

Tues

Turbo 26.2

Wed

Swim 2

Thurs OFF

Fri

AM Swim 2.9

PM Run 10.9

Sat

Run Intervals 7.5

Was tough missing out on the bike this week but better to eb safe than sorry, Noticing my swim is starting to come good and at very comfotbale pace im hitting about 1.50. Would love to hit this pace for the race but somehow pace always slows down in sea races, did the open water races last year leading to liffey swim and pace usually 1.57/1.58 per 100

jester1980

Training Mon 11th - Sunday 17th Feb

Good week last week, running is going well and the hip issue came good with alot of excercises on it.

Was away with the family for a night in Cork on sunday so popped down to Youghal yesterday for a quick look at the area, i saw some people saying they were worried about windmill hill and i thought to myself a hill is a hill cant be worse than Wicklow but wow its very steep, saw a fella nearly fall when i was driving down it, will definatly test us at the end of both laps. Its similar to the hill on the right side of howth church but 5 times as long and probbaly steeper from first glance, cant wait to test it.

Lovely beach down there and nice little hill on the run which i actually always like.

Monday -

AM - Swim lesson and masters swim
PM - Turbo session 1 hour

Tues - Long run, 1 hour 40

Wed - Speed swim session 2.2

Thurs - Turbo 1 hour 15

Fri -

AM - Long swim 3 k
PM - 1 hour run

Sat - Long ride 3 hours 20 mins followed by 30 min brick run.

jester1980

Training Mon 18th - Sunday 24th Feb

Was in Cork monday so took the day off. At the moment when swimming 3 times a week im swimming once in Belvedere Masters and twice on my swim programme in NAC but im sitting in traffic into work for close to an hour after so this week i decided to get a 4 day guestpass to westwood in clontarf to see if that works better and time wise it worked really well so ill prob pull the trigger on this. 5 mins into work from here.

Tues - Turbo 1 Hour 30

Wed - AM Swim 2.2 k
PM Tubro 1 hour 20

Thurs - Woke up with an awful creak in my neck so left today off and missed a run session

Friday - 4 K swim, didnt know what to expect in Westwood so got there early and had lots of time so added on a bit of mileage to planned set and did 4km.

PM - Long run, again trying to keep this on trail and grass, pace was very poor and struggled a bit 1 Hour 45 Mins

Sat - Long Cycle of 3 hours 30 mins, didnt realise wind was so bad so firs hour was grand but route i chose was into the wind for over 2 hours which was tough, added in some big hills at the end of cycle.

Brick, straight off the bike onto Brick run, legs felt strong and went an ok pace of 5 min k's for 30 mins.

jester1980

Training Mon 25th - Sunday 04th March

March already, the last two months have flown in, decent week again, got a 20 k run in early in the week, have a half marathon on Sunday so looking forward to that as 7 years since my last one. Long cycle was great for the first hour until it decided to rain for the next 3 hours and then was frozen trying to put on running gear for my 20 min brick. Dont think i left the couch for about 3 hours after.

Mon AM Swim 3 k
Mon PM Turbo 1 hour 15

Tues - Long run 20 k

Wed off - Busy work day

Thurs - Joined the TT racers for a session and enjoyed it, 12 by 1 minute on 1 minute off. Total 11 k

Fri - 3200 Swim - 400 wup 2400 straigh 1.53 pace and 400 easy

Sat - Off family duty with my young lad as wife away

Sun - Long Bike 105 km 4 hours, pace dissapeared the last hour, wasss sooooooo cold
20 Min Brick 3.8k