Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try

Your report made that sound far too easy, AM! Good for you, glad you enjoyed it.

Epic read AM, really well executed and sounds like you've got hunger for lots more. Recover well.

Well done AM - sounds like you've found your calling !

That report exudes happiness and joy AM, I'm so happy that you enjoyed it and that you nailed it. Well done on an epic performance in your first AR. The first of many I'd imagine ... I think you've found your happy place

Crikey, the competitive edge is there in spades ... let me know what races you'll be entering so I can avoid em

p.s. you're an example to others on how to deal with everything that's throw at you. What a way to give the two fingers to what you're body has been throwing at you

Singer wrote: »

Sounds like a blast. Shame about the bike chain woes, maybe a sign that you need to buy a super fancy and expensive bike for these races so?

I'm having a bit of trouble with the gears slipping and had been thinking of getting a new chainset / drivechain / gears but I like your idea much better!!!! I'll have the bike a year next month I think - surely time for an upgrade Good thinking batman!

It's OOnegative!!! I seem to have good knack of accurately predicting other people's race time, shame I can't do same for myself!!! Great to see the enjoyment in the report AM, delighted you enjoyed it so much.

OOnegative wrote: »

It's OOnegative!!! I seem to have good knack of accurately predicting other people's race time, shame I can't do same for myself!!! Great to see the enjoyment in the report AM, delighted you enjoyed it so much.

You'll always be tang1 to me thanks B, you'll get there man and a 4 min PB is bloody brilliant - I hope you're off writing a race report - I will pester you until you do so might as well just get it out of the way

jake1970 wrote: »

Well done AM. Great report and great to see that you had such an enjoyable race. How is the body after? Recover well.

Thanks L! There's not a bother on the body yesterday or today but then I wasn't racing flat out - my RHR is about 5/6 beats higher than it has been recently but that's the only sign I did anything out of the ordinary! Am considering heading out on the bike for an hour now it's so gorgeous out - in fact, c y later!

Ah brilliant you sound like you really enjoyed that really delighted you had a good day out sounds like great fun well done.

Monday 1st May
Bike 17.3 miles in 1:17. It was such a beautiful bank holiday and I was still buzzing from the adventure race so I decided to jump on the bike for a spin that didn't involve traffic lights. Had planned to only do a Kilcloon / Maynooth loop but extended it to Leixlip too and came back through the grounds of Carton House. Very enjoyable. The longest I've done in one go although it's a pittance compared to some of the epic distances of some here.

The usual bike commute for rest of the week so 114 miles for the week on the bike.

Saturday 6th May Cabinteely parkrun in 32:11 avg pace 10:19. Didn't really have time to be doing this but one of the RD's was running his 50th parkrun so headed over with woody and some cake . Didn't have a plan for the run other than to take it fairly easy. Never works out like that and my HR was in the higher zone for some of the hills but felt fine throughout. It was bloody freezing though and the jacket didn't come off until the last lap! May how are ya! Very rushed cake (no time for coffee) before heading off to a christening practice....how differently they do things on the other side!!

Sunday 7th May Run 4.2 miles in 48:35 avg pace 11:35
What a difference a day makes!! After spending the morning & early afternoon being #bestgodmotherever I had hoped to make it home in time to go for a long spin on the bike & practice some of the route for next week but it was late enough and my back was in ribbons from all the kneeling :rolleyes: and the dog needed to be walked again too! Walked him first then headed back out and decided to jog down to the cow park in lieu of driving off somewhere pretty to run. It's actually lovely down there and while the grass is very long there's a well worn track around the perimeter of the two fields - lovely and peaceful! Did two laps and headed back home. The body is not used to running anymore so was feeling this but thoroughly enjoyed it even with the sun beating down - glad I had dug out the shorts

Am feeling extraordinarily good at the moment so going to take full advantage of that and try and get a little more running in mid week - the Meath road relays are on during the week and it looks like it's going to be super fun. Would love to take part but best not I suppose.....

Eh does that race report come with a diagram and some arrows? It must have been absolute chaos

Oh, lets say no more about the calf strain and hear all about the foam rolling and heel raises that you're doing.

Well done AM, sounds like a good days work despite the hiccup.

hillsiderunner wrote: »

If really a calf strain, even mild, think you should let it settle 2-3 days before any calf raises. Just rest and maybe a bit of very gentle stretching for now...

Thanks M, I don't think it's serious, bit of a tug on the cool down & stretched it out, can still *feel* it today but just a dull ache now, won't overdo it on the stretches though.

I actually do heel drops, quad stretches, hamstring stretches & upper back stretches when I get off the bike but definitely need to up my S & C game.

Saturday 13th May 1 lap of Cabinteely parkrun (1.1 miles) A very sick dog and an emergency trip to the vet meant my plans to head over for the big event in Cabinteely were thrown up in the air but then they admitted him to doggy hospital not much else I could do so jumped into the car and headed over. Made it in time to jump into the last lap with a friend, jogged around with her and finished up with coffee & scone and a catch up with Mrs Mc, FBOT who had come over to guest RD and Yaboya (well done on your first finisher spot!) Nop & nop JNR who had super runs, The Muppet and a few more of St Anne's crew. Was unsure now whether I'd be able to race tomorrow or not. Headed home to a very quite house & decided to get the bike ready 'just in case'. Succeeded in breaking the tube valve :rolleyes: so a rushed visit to the LBS to get sorted, starting go get the feeling I'm not meant to do this race!

Sunday 14th May, Frank Fagan Duathlon - 54K Cycle only
I was supposed to be part of a relay team with a clubmate but she wasn't well this morning and dropped out, luckily there was an option to do the cycle only (which had actually been my original plan!). Arrived early to help with registration. Although it was a sell out event there were only 8 people doing the cycle only and 3 women, what were they going to be like? Could I get a podium?! Nah, surely not.. Spotted them at registration and started to think maybe I could...had done some pace calculations previously and again over breakfast trying to see what time I might finish in. Basing it on my commute and the adventure race I though best case scenario would be about 2 hrs 20 - 2 hrs 30 and worst case would be around 2:45. I had set the watch up so I could see the average speed, I wanted this to be over 15mph at all times. The runners headed off just after 10am and the bike only started at 10.30, we lined up and were going out one at a time with a gap of 30 seconds to avoid drafting. The other two women were in front of me at the start, damn it, I should have been a bit less hesitant in coming forward, they had the fancy shoes so I wondered if I'd underestimated how fast they would be. Number one went off, 30 seconds later followed by her friend, then 30 seconds later me, I jogged with the bike to the mount point, jumped on an tore off up the road after them, it didn't take long to catch the first one followed quickly by the second. Right, that's goal number one taken care off although for all I knew they were expert races and I'd just done a classic 'gone out too fast' . I settled in to a windy ride and checked the watch a few miles in to see avg speed 16.8, well okay then, new goal, keep it over 16mph. I was on my own and knew it would be like this for 54KM except for the speedys passing me by and so it was. As the miles ticked by I counted 'one commute' 'Summerhill turnaround' 'halfway' 'two commutes' etc. Triathletes were whirring past on their tens of thousands of euros worth of bike and all I could hear was whirr whirr whirr. On my way back after the turn at Summerhill at some point I saw the two women but I couldn't remember how far I had come from the roundabout so hard to know what the gap was. I saw a clubmate coming towards me still on the road out (having done the 10k run), he's part of the local cycling club too and I'd been keeping an eye out for him, he was surprised to see me already coming back and shouted support. Goal 3 was now not to let him catch me on his way back . The wind is still whirling around the hills are getting a bit harder to tackle now, the legs are beginning to feel it and around the 20 mile mark I hit a drag on the road and thought I might actually be going backwards!! Another clubmate CON who is an amazing runner & Triathlete whizzed passed me about 25 miles in having done the 10k run, she was tearing up the tarmac but there was a girl glued to her back wheel, I hoped she'd loose her. Onwards! I know these roads, I know how far to the Dunboyne roundabout and there it is! I'm trying to do the math, is there a chance I could get in under the 2 hours??!! Turned at the roundabout and straight into gale force wind on an uphill drag :rolleyes:, I hate this road, I always run it the opposite direction but I pushed on, up out of the saddle now battling the wind, goal 4 sub 2 hours. The turn for the Moore Meath comes into sight, only a few miles left, it's a lonely road except for the super support from the marshals on the course. I see the Sheds, the starting point for our club 2 mile race, 2 miles!! I see 1:54 on the watch, could I do 2 miles in 6 mins??! That would be 3 min miles, probably not but it won't stop me trying, my legs are burning now but I push on past the graveyard, a group of speedys pass me here with their aerodynamic helmets (I must get one of those ) I see the club gates, the guys who passed me are just dismounting, off I get and run past some of them with my bike into the car park to the finish line - I'm not racing them, they're either part of the relay teams or duathletes but it's still nice to pass a few of them on the finish :pac: I hit the watch which shows 2:00:49, not a sub 2 but am absolutely delighted with that! No sign of my competitors, in fact they were a good bit behind in 2:18, a time I didn't think I'd be able to do only a few hours earlier.
Official finish time 2:01:49 and 1st lady (cycle only)- holy cow! My first ever podium!
Goal 2: average speed 16.3
Goal 3: Clubmate didn't catch me
Goal 4: sub 2 hours - nope, next year though!
Strava Link

I know my finish time compared to everyone else isn't fantastic but I'm really happy with how that went. The women who came first and second overall did the bike section in 1:36 (having run 10k!) although they were very far ahead of everyone else so on balance I did pretty well even compared to the relay folks. Just to top of the day the vet called to say I could collect woody from the hospital, he's still not 100% but he's home!