Swim, Bike, Run....if only it was that simple!

Last Week a student of mine won a competition on the engineering ireland website for an iPad 2 for her and...wait for it...wait for it-her Maths teacher! Playing on it all evening, frickin love it!!! Once I got wind of the comp I got all my students to enter, if your not in you can't win! Also she is a model student and it couldn't have happened a nicer student.

SUN 13TH NOV

Plan 1hr Easy Run
Actual 1:03 Easy Run

Felt shockingly heavy this morning, really helped having a mate to run with. Yesterday's face stuffing festival was ridiculous. Keeping the DQS can be difficult but I now know that during the week isn't a problem but I totally undermine my week's good work at the weekend. So starting next week I will be looking for a DQS of lets say...36 to get started. If I talk/write anymore on this I'll get really p!ssed off, when I get like this it means I've hit rock bottom and whenever this has happened in the past I've always made the changes. Very slow pace and low HR.

HR 127/145; PACE 5:16/KM CAD 80

Dist 12.01km
Time 1:03:22

Tracking My Aerobic Progrss...



Week Summary

07 Nov-13 Nov|# sessions|Time hh:mm|Distance kms
Total|12|11:04:55|154.09
Swimming|2|01:45:05|4.7
Cycling|3|04:18|115.84
Running|4|02:46:50|33.55
Strenth/Core|3|02:15:00|N/A



Missed Sessions Watch

This Week 3/13
Altogether This Block 4
Overall 10

Missed 2 Strength/Rolling sessions and 1 swim, my first to miss.

Sessions Missed Incl Strength/Rolling Sessions



Missed Swim, Bike or Run Sessoins Only

Mon Morn Nov 13th

Plan Weakness/Rolling
Actual Weakness/Rolling

Time 25 min

Plan NAC LC Prescribed Swim Session
Actual NAC LC Prescribed Swim Session

Drill time in the pool this morning, good to have the Lynches in the lane beside you, pushing you along. Love the feel of the water I have when I go from sculling to full stroke, now if I could just have that all the time! I'm sure I will in time

Dist 1,900m
Time 1hr

Mon Eve 13th Nov

Plan 45 min Easy Run
Actual 45 min Easy Run

First run with my new training zones. For the last few weeks my easy paced runs were too easy it would seem! My RPE is a bit out of wack with my actual HR zones. Great to have them now though as it gives me a real focus during the session and I'm glad to be working a little bit harder. Lovely crisp evening out there too, love this time of year.

HR 149/156; PACE 4:31/km; CAD 78;

Dist 9.81km
Time 44:29

Weekly Weigh In


Last Week 79.8kg (12.2% BF)
This Week 79.5kg (12.8% BF)

Weight Target: Less than 78 before the end of Nov
BF Target: Less than 10% before the end of Nov

My Weight trend in graph form...



My BF trend in graph form...



Coach has expressed concerns re my diet/recovery. He suspects I'm not eating the right foods, food that would help me recover without needing recovery product. So this week I will be keeping a food diary! I find the best way to do this is take a photo of everything I eat and document when I get a chance.

My Training Zones

From my recent LTHR tests....

Run LTHR(4/11/2011)
HR: 173

Recovery <141
Easy 142-153
Steady 154-162
Mod hard 163-172
Hard 173-



Bike LTHR(4/11/2011)
HR: 149

Recovery <121
Easy 122-132
Steady 133-139
Mod hard 140-148
Hard 149+

Tues Morning 15th Nov

Plan BG Turbo Session
Actual BG Turbo Session

Love the BG work and although I have difficulty sometimes getting my HR up on the bike, the BG work certainly helps this. So after a warm up, some high cadence and build work I got into the 5 x 4min BG, 1 min rec. The aim was to get the HR to the MAX of my steady zone by half way (2 min), and this I did. Then was sprints and a CD.

HR 119/144, for the 5 BG work bits the averages were - 136, 135, 133, 135, 136
CAD 71
WATT 191/408

Dist 23.5
Time 55min

Linda's sister in law won premium level tickets for tonights game in the Aviva but cannot go so myself and a mate are! Hence the early morning turbo and actually I think I will keep this up, great to have it done and it gives me more recovery time until my next main session, tomorrow morning in the pool. I could always do my core/weakness stuff after school. This can only work though if everybody is up in the house at that time.

Bambaata wrote: »

Gonna have to get a handle on the food thing myself! You're lighter than me at the moment. A new policy in work isnt helping, free scones and muffins every morning. Fortunately ive stayed away from the muffins but ill need to do the same with the scones! On the bright side there is also free fruit so i will just need tyo substitute!

Heading along tonight myself too. NOt sure where im sitting/standing as im heading with work btu ill drop u a line later and see where u are. Are you heading there early or hanging around after?

Ya sure give me a text, I might be around after but I'm up early so I may not. Sure drop me a line later and we'll see what's what then.

pgibbo wrote: »

Nice race by all accounts. I've never ran it even though it's only 20 minutes from my house. There'll be plenty of sub 30 runners there too.

Ya and I hope to join the sub 30 club there that day too! Will I see you there too P?

Weds Nov 16th Nov

Plan Club Swim Session
Actually NAC LC Session

Well after a late night last night, after the match in the Aviva, I didn't get up until 6:30, so off to the NAC. Decided to do a session from a couple of weeks ago. (75sw/25bc) x 6; 100sw easy; 12 x 100 off 2:05 coming in on ave 1:50; 6x 25 sprint off 45sec; 200 CD.

Time 1:10
DIST 2,250m

Weds Eve 16th Nov

Plan 45 min Easy with, 6x20sec Fast, 40 Easy
Actual 45 min Easy with, 6x20sec Fast, 40 Easy

It was 9pm when I eventually got out to do this, pissing down but was a really nice run. Garmin batt was dead so just went by my stopwatch. Felt pretty good and enjoying my new, faster, easy pace. Did a loop I know is roughly 45 min.

Time 45 min
DIST 9.8km

Thurs Morn 17th Nov

Plan Easy Spin >90 RPM
Actual Easy Spin >90 RPM

Got this done early this morning again as this evening I'm busy. I have been doing these easy sessions way too easy! Now that I have my zones I now realise this. I don't trust my HR monitor so I'm going to borrow a mates this weekend to see if my feelings are correct. But the problem is for the bike only though so confused.com

HR 101; CAD 91; WATT 167;

Time 60 min
DIST 25km

Sat 19th Nov

Plan 3 hour Easy Spin
Actual 3:13 Easy Spin

Aim was as above but further instruction was to stay seated for hills and to cap the HR at the Max of steady zone. Brought my winter workhorse/turbo bike home for the first time this winter (it gives me the option of turbo-ing if I want to). The Deft 4 - forgot what a splendid bike it is. Forgot my cadence sensor though in the change over. Last week I struggled to do 67k, legs felt heavy and had no power. A week on and I felt strong and powerful. I thought I may struggle to get my HR into the desired zones so I loaded up - two big water bottles and put on an extra layer and choose a hilly route. Tried to cap my HR at my steady max of 139 which was no problem until the last 25 min, my HR started drifting up more readily at that stage. Even in the last 25 min though my legs still leg great. A bloody ram (male sheep) jumped out in front of me and went bucking wild! It actually went for me!



I've passed many things out in my time on the bike, I can now add a Honda 50 to the list Another lovely day out.

Details here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/129630182

Time 3hrs 13min
Dist 87.04km

Weds Eve 23rd Nov

Plan 45 min Easy/Steady/Easy
Actual 45 min Easy/Steady/Easy

Achilles and quad fine today thank god. A nice evening out there. I struggle sometimes to stay within zones, going too high or too low etc... I assume this will come with time. It was 20 easy, 15 steady and 10 easy. Love creating my workouts in Garmin Connect, makes the session for auto!

HR 149/164; PACE 4:39/km; CAD 82;

Dist 9.86
Time 45:54

Thurs Eve 25th Nov

Plan 75min Easy Spin >90 rpm
Actual 75min Easy Spin >90 rpm

Anything over an hour on the turbo I find mentally tough but yeaterday I was full of beans and I enjoyed the session while starting True Blood season 3. After 3 minutes the sweat was already rolling off me and the last 10 minutes I was feeling pretty fatigued. I've heard it be said that time on the turbo is worth double what you do on the road, I don't know about that but I do know this was a quality session and I enjoyed it.

HR 125; CAD 92; WATT 214

Dist 37.7km
Time 1:15

After recent comments from the swim coach and then my tri coach pointing out the fact that my 100m spilts have improved by about 7-10 sec over the last two months I was in great form and still am! Little confidence boosters like that really do the soul well and they were timely, they re-focused me and that coupled with over two months of my new regime and a up coming 5k race - I beginning to get really focused again

Fri Morn 27th Nov

Plan Weakness/Rolling
Actual Weakness/Rolling

Time 25 min

Fri Morn 27th Nov

Plan NAC LC Coach Prescribed Swim Session
Actual NAC LC Coach Prescribed Swim Session

Had some descending 50's and fast 50's and B + B stuff this morning. Wow the B+B stuff is tough going. I was almost vertical by the end of each 50 so I had to do a quick flutter type kick just to keep momentum going. Then I had 8x 100 (I actually did 10x 100:rolleyes:) as in 50 fast/50 steady, 100's were tough going after the B+B, 100's 1-6 came in around 1:45, 7 and 8 1:48 and 9 and 10 were 1:52 and 1:55 respectively. I was trying hard and trying to finish off my strokes. Tough session and really enjoyed it

After this the coach asked if I was using the buoy as well as the band...of course I was bloody not! No wonder it was so much harder this time! And I did 10 of them

Dist 2,600m
Time 1:10

Fri Eve 27th Nov

Plan Easy/Build/5k Paced Reps/Easy
Actual Easy/Build/5k Paced Reps/Easy

A very enjoyable session. Feeling pretty good this evening. It was a pity when it came to the 750m - the 1st one and 4th one were mostly up hill! Just the way it turned out, I'll be wiser next time. I think I can hold 3:39/km as in the 2nd and 3rd rep which were done on the flat. I'm not too sure, but my coach will help me with a pacing strategy.I suppose we'll see, I would be delighted if I could as that would mean a new PB of c. 18:15 (currently 18:40 May 11) in next Sat Jingle Bells 5k. Here are the details (see "view splits") http://connect.garmin.com/activity/130882416

Basically the 750m...


1) 750m - Time - 2:53; Pace - 3:53; HR - 168
2) 750m - Time - 2:44; Pace - 3:39; HR - 160
3) 750m - Time - 2:43; Pace - 3:39; HR - 164
4) 750m - Time - 2:50; Pace - 3:48; HR - 163

Anyway my coach will help me with a pacing strategy.

Time 49:33
Dist 10.53km

In other news...I saw 77.xxkg on the scales this evening for the first time But not an official weigh in but pretty confident that come Sat morning I will be about 77.5kg....God hard to believe that back in Jan I was 88kg and the year before about 93kg!