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Here goes...again!

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,548 ✭✭✭Marthastew


    Best of luck to you both:)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,832 ✭✭✭littlebug


    Good luck B8:) Looking forward to the report already !


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,883 ✭✭✭Younganne


    Enjoy your weekend away...the race will just be a bonus;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭RubyK


    Best of luck with the race Bally8. Enjoy :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Connemara Adventure Challenge
    Ok I'm going to try my best to keep this short:).
    We headed up to Killary on Friday. Wow its so beautiful there. Registered no problems, checked into the adventure centre and cycled the 2.9k to the bike transition to leave our bikes there over night. Got a shuttle bus back:eek: lazy feickers!!

    No sleep as it was sooo noisy all night in K2. Well I'd say I got 2 hours uninterrupted in the end. Still I'm used to not sleeping much the night before a race so it didnt bother me too much. The big advantage of staying in the centre was the proximity to the start line. We went and watched the first wave then back to our room to get ready for ours.

    10.30 and we were off the over 200 others. Straight into the bog. I never actually realised what a bog run meant. I thought it was a bit of a muddy run then onto a trail or something alongside the bog. Nope- it was never ending mucky wet slodge. How silly we were bringing spare socks incase ours got wet- they were soaked within 10 seconds of starting! I found the bog run tough but the climb to the summit of the mountain was total torture. Mr.Bally8 was in his element though, he was loving it but was a great husband and waited for me. Then the descent was totally rotten for me, I hated every second if it. I was terrified and crawled down. My confidence totally knocked by all the people passing me out. Again Mr.Bally8 loved it and had taken off at breakneck speed but waited for ages for me in the bike transition.

    Even then I wasnt happy. I hadnt any real training done on the hybrid and even then it was all on road. The first 8k were off road on rocky, potholed, muddy terrifying tracks and I wanted to give up I was so scared. Then something took over me and I decided that the best thing to do was go as fast as possible to get out of there. So I upped the pace and passed out Mr.Bally8 and lots of others. Again my hill training really stood to me and that's where I over took most people. Once out on the main road I was happy to be back in my comfort zone and over took 15 people in the 8k to the transition.

    1k run to the kayak time out where I waited for Mr.Bally8 to catch up and off we went for the 2k kayak together. Where we promptly had a huge fight a la our honeymoon two years ago!! Managed to get over it pretty quickly though and from then on we got into a rhythm and finished the kayak in 18.21 (pretty good time if I say so myself:))

    The came the road run. Hubby was suffering by then so we took it as his pace and had a few walking breaks. Then the had the final mountain run followed by a last dash through the bog. We overtook a nice few people here and were delighted to see we would probably finish well under our 4 hour predicted time. Of course once I saw the finish line from about 1k out I couldnt hold back any longer and ran like a loon, slipping, sliding all over the bog to finish in 3.22 something. Very very happy with that.

    We will def be back next year. The plan is no more of this waiting for each other stuff. Next year it is all out war to the finish line:D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭digger2d2


    Bally8 wrote: »
    Connemara Adventure Challenge
    Ok I'm going to try my best to keep this short

    Well you failed :D;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    533337_10150815429447169_574712168_9413502_487833323_n.jpg

    We made it!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    digger2d2 wrote: »
    Well you failed :D;)

    Ha ha I actually think that is short!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,915 ✭✭✭✭menoscemo


    Bally8 wrote: »
    The plan is no more of this waiting for each other stuff. Next year it is all out war to the finish line:D

    :D
    581114_10151606329829897_770589896_9494034_328665035_n.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,585 ✭✭✭Nules10


    Well done to the two of you. Great going. Great pic of you at the end.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Once again, epic report and excellent job in the muck and mud! Love the elated photo of you and Mr. Bally8! :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    menoscemo wrote: »
    :D
    581114_10151606329829897_770589896_9494034_328665035_n.jpg

    Love it :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,156 ✭✭✭jcsmum


    That's a great photo of you both. Well done. :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Monday 14th May
    Swim after work. All front crawl again. I did a few lengths warm up then decided to do sets of 10 timed. Cant remember all the times now but the first one was 6:11 and the second 6:09. Next 2 sets were slower. Happy having something to focus on and not just straight lengths up and down the pool. Will def do this session again. Would love to get the times down. 1300m in total

    Tuesday 15th May
    Wheelers cycle this evening. I think the pace was even quicker this week from the outset. M and I just hung on at the back and peddled as if our lives depended on it. Tough going. We hung on for 40k but then the hills came and the pack seemed to up the pace. We lost them but kept pushing out own pace. 58k total in just over 2 hours. I'm loving these cycles. I know they are really helping me get strong and faster on the bike.

    Thursday 16th May
    Some of the girls from the tri club were going to the lake for a swim at 8.30 so I decided to go as I had missed the club session last Sunday. There were only 5 of us in the end and wow it was freezing!!! Luckily though the lake was flat calm for a change and I had my best session yet. Finally managed to reach the boat that is about 150m out then went to the first buoy then on to the second and back again. Delighted with myself:D Still a long way to go with getting my stroke, sighting and confidence right but I'm happy to see improvements already.


    I think I will only be walking the dog today. Its probably best I rest up a bit. I'm going on a club outing this weekend. We are cycling from Nenagh to Lahinch (100kms), sea swim for an hour, 8 mile run, night out, 5k run the following morning then cycle back to Nenagh. I'm a bit scared I might die!:eek:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    So since I last updated-

    Saturday 19th May 102.5kms cycled. Club weekend away in Lahinch. It was so much fun. I had a ball. 26 of us cycled from Nenagh to Lahinch with a few little stops along the way. My longest cycle ever by miles. It was tough at times but not as tough as I thought it would be. Nenagh Tri is a great club. Some of those girls and lads give you so much help and encouragement even when you are slowing everyone up.

    Once we found our lodgings we had lunch and then quickly threw the wetsuits on for a sea swim. Thank god it was almost flat calm. Not that the surfers appreciated it! I was very frustrated during this swim. Most of the people there are strong swimmers and I am still a disaster. I couldnt keep up with them but worse than that I couldnt swim in any kind of straight line and kept zig-zagging. Drove me mad really.

    After the swim we put on the running gear and headed off. Some of the group headed off on an 8 mile run. I managed a 2 mile run/walk and had to give up. I was totally wrecked.

    Shower, dinner then boozing and dancing non-stop like maniacs for 2 hours. Best night out dancing in years.

    Sunday 20th May
    Sore sore heads and bodies meant this mornings planned 5k run was abondoned and we all headed off back to Nenagh at about 10.30. I found the cycle back very tough at times. I fell off the back of the group for a while going over the hills out of Sixmilebridge but thankfully a few had waited for me and I eventually found my second wind. Back home in one piece. Delighted with myself:D

    Tuesday 22nd May
    Tri Club TT No1. My first ever time trial. The plan was to take it easy after the weekends adventure but of course once the TT started I pushed myself as much as I could and was delighted to finish fastest woman (out of 5:)) in 28.59 for 9.1 miles. Hope to take a minute off that next week.

    Wednesday 23rd May
    Club OW swim. Really worked on my sighting tonight and started to see a bit of improvement. 550 m done. Slow slow progress but still progress.

    Thursday 24th May
    Pool swim. I've only been swimming 3 times in the pool this month so thought it important to get back at it. Nice slow steady 10x50 then 10x100. A few slow lengths to finish off.

    We brought the dog to the lake to enjoy the fab weather this afternoon. Lovely way to spend a day off. Mr.Bally8 drove doggie home and I decided to run. Wow it was hot out there. 5.5k nice and slow. Felt great to be back running. I miss it.

    Friday 25th May
    Busy day at work today + lovely weather = rest day.

    We have a club triathlon tomorrow. Im in two minds about doing it. I will be my first open water triathlon and Im not sure Im ready for it yet. Also it takes me about 5 minutes to get out of my wetsuit, cant imagine how long it would take me in a race. I have a bit of a tummy bug I think too and Im doing the Tour of Lough Derg cycle on Sunday (120kms). Will probably decide what to do in the morning.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 298 ✭✭earnyourturns


    You. Are. A. Machine. These. Days.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,883 ✭✭✭Younganne


    Fair play to you...lots going on there!!:D


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,156 ✭✭✭jcsmum


    Somebody's been busy :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    You. Are. A. Machine. These. Days.

    Ha ha thanks eyt. I definitel dont feel like a machine right now:)

    I ended up taking yesterday off so I could be in good shape for today's Tour of Lough Derg. Who am I kidding? I found it beyond tough out there today. It was a huge knock to my confidence. I probably shouldnt have gone out with the fast group but the other group would have been too slow at 14mph. God I struggled the whole way round the lake. Yuck it was just awful. Lesson learned. First cycle tour done- not in a hurry to do another. At least the Ring of Kerry will be at a leisurely pace.

    120kms in 4:25.


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  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,366 Mod ✭✭✭✭RacoonQueen


    Seriously, you're disheartened? That's about 27kph. That's super going A.

    You seem to be well able for the bike.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Thanks RQ. I suppose it is good going its just hard when you are in a group of about 100 and cant hang on to them. I spent a lot of the day trying to catch up only to be dropped over and over again. I suppose I've only been cycling 8 months now and most of the guys out there have been doing this for years. I will definitely be going back next year to try keep with the main bunch.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,832 ✭✭✭littlebug


    That's fantastic B8, If I can do that in 8 months I'll be delighted !


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Thanks gals, Im feeling a bit better about it now. Still hated it but I know it was good going really.

    Anyways I took yesterday off to recover from Sunday. Today was Club TT No.2
    I wondered if last week was fluke and if I would be able to match my time of 28:59 for the 9.1 miles. My legs were very tired from Sunday but I decided to just go for it and see what happened. I was one of the last to go as it was a handicapped system again. All I wanted was to not be over taken for as long as possible. My speedometer is still not working right so I had no idea of my pace so I just pushed as hard as I could. I kept saying to myself 'It will all be over in a few minutes, keep pushing'.

    Crossed the line with a time of 27.54 a 65 second improvement on last week. Woohoo :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,832 ✭✭✭littlebug


    That's brilliant B8,
    how'd you move that fast :confused: I was delighted with myself this week getting my10 mile time down to 45 mins :rolleyes:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Thanks littlebug. I dont know where this sudden burst of speed has came from. All I know is the shorter distance on the bike suits me way better than long distance. I think its the mental thing of the faster I go the faster it will all be over :)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,165 ✭✭✭insinkerator


    Great cycling Bally8, 27kph over 120k is an average I'd be damn happy with! :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Wed 30th May - Club Ow swim. 26 turned up tonight- great to have so many about. I took the easy option of swimming pier to pier. 8 times in total = 725 m. Starting to get the hang of sighting but still finding it all a bit of a struggle.

    Thursday 31st May - Club 6.30am swim. Only 2 of us in the slow lane this morning so I was able to take it nice and easy. Had no choice really- I was still asleep, its my first morning swim in over a month. Lots of kick work. 1900m total.

    Friday 1st June - Finally a run! 4.11 miles in 40 mins, nice and easy no pain or niggles. Happy with that. I really need to get back into regular running. Hopefully from next week I will get out 3 times a week.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Sorry guys I've been neglecting my log and everyone elses recently. Will try to remedy that over the next few days.

    Since last week:
    Saturday 2nd June: My daughters 13th birthday today but I still managed to pop out for the tri club cycle. 70.6kms in 2:22. Loved it, nice fast pace and a sprint finish. Good fun.

    Sunday 3rd June: Had a friend visiting so we did a nice hill walk up Tountinne. So beautiful up there and a nice stretch on the quads and hamstrings. Club lake swim in Youghal later on. Happy to have gotten out as far as the second buoy for the first time. Can see small improvements- slowly slowly.

    Monday 4th June: 3.33 mile slow hungover run. Finally reached 200 miles for the year:o

    Tuesday 5th June: Club TT. I decided to give the 14 mile route a go this week. Horrible weather for it but maybe it motivated me to go faster in order to get out of it quicker :D 43:37

    Wednesday 6th June: I had planned to run and swim today but when I got home from work I was wrecked so I kept putting it off. But the fact I had the plan stuck up on the wall meant I couldnt avoid it so off I went for my run. Tummy in bits all day so it got a big dodge towards the end of the first mile. I decided to turn back soon after 3.23 mile easy run- getting faster at the end to make it to the toilet :o

    Club lake swim in Dromineer later on. I had planned on taking my usual easy pier to pier option but gave into peer pressure and took the plunge to swim out to the pink buoy- thrilled with myself. I was soo slow but I had plenty of encouragement which spurred me on. Couldnt give up it would have been embarrassing. Now that I've done it once I'll have to keep doing it now I suppose!

    Thursday 7th June: Still being tortured with my stomach bug but determined not to break my training streak I peeled myself out of bed for the 6.30am club swim. Probably not the best idea in hindsight. I struggled through it and felt so sick. Had to jump out at one stage as I really thought I was going to spew. Went back in but only managed 2 lengths before I wanted to puke again so it finished up. 1200m total.

    Should be doing the local cycle clubs TT this evening but I just not up to it. Hope this bug is gone by tomorrow. Fed up of it now.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Sat 9th June - Day trip to Kilkee to practice the Hell of the West route with 6 others from the club. Beautiful day- I have the most amazing farmers tan to prove it :)

    I didnt do the swim route as Im just not able for it yet but did manage to cover a nice distance along the buoys. It felt much easier swimming in the sea than the lake. Enjoyed it.

    A nice leisurely transition from sea to bike (about 10 mins) and we were off on the 44k race route. It's hilly that's all I can say. But not too tough and I enjoyed the sprint to the end.

    Lastly that awful run up Dunlicky (sp?) road. I was dead by then and had to walk large portions of the hills. I was so hot and kept cramping. 10k in 65 mins :(

    Great day, I really enjoyed it, especially sitting at the side of the road eating sandwiches after. So glad I'm not doing the full race though. It's bloody tough.

    Sunday 10th June - Club OW swim in Youghal. M and I decided to try get out to the barrel and left the other maniacs off to do their crazy long swim. We totally took the pi**. Got to the barrell no problem then spent about 10 mins floating around chatting then did the breaststroke back to shore. We only did the front crawl when we knew the others could see us :) Not really a productive swim but a nice and relaxing way to recover from the day before.

    Took a rest day Monday and then headed off the the Burren for an overnight stay with my students for their GAISCE adventure challenge walk. It went really well. They were all so wrecked after the walk that they all slept like babies for the night. Wednesday morning we climbed Turlough Hill which was tough going. Only 4 of them made it to the top. On the way back down we somehow got separated and I was left with one of the boys. We realised pretty soon we were lost and spent the next hour trying to find our way back. He was lovely though- one of the less annoying teens I work with and we had a good laugh about it.

    I was wrecked when I finally got home Wednesday evening but the club were having a triathlon and I felt I had to do it as I missed the TT on Tuesday night.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭claralara


    You're an adventure activity machine these days! Great going - you must be feeling some amazing benefits from it all, especially with all the fresh air. Keep up the good work! :)


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Woah- hit submit before I was finished last post!

    Anyway

    Wed 13th June - Dromineer Triathlon 2
    I was late arriving and so was all flustered getting into the water. I didnt have time to fix my wetsuit on properly or set my transition up so I was all over the place. I just had to take a deep breath and remind myself that this was only a club training session and I could take it easy if I wanted.

    I was left behind on the swim in no time. I tried my bes to keep up with some feet but couldnt. My OW swim is total crap. I felt awful. And once again I had a mental battle with myself. Thinking 'who am I kidding I cant do this triathlon stuff. I should just give up and go back to just running even though I'm crap at that too!!'

    Luckily there was one lad left with me and I followed him to the turn around buoy and back into shore. The embarrassing thing about it though was that he was faster breaststroking the whole way than I was front crawl:o.

    I slowly walked out of the water and to transition. I really didnt care by then. I had decided to give this lark up so it didnt matter. One of the lads was shouting at me to go faster. I told him to shut up. Finally got on my bike and out on the road to Nenagh. After a few minutes I heard a loud buzzing noise. I ignored it for a while but then felt a tickle in my arm pit. Realised it was a bee or wasp so stopped, took my top off at the side of the road and shook it out. Knew by then my race was over so even though I pushed it on a bit I never put my all into trying to catch the others.

    I hadn't planned on doing the run- my legs were in bits from the previous 2 days activities but getting back into transition I decided to give it a go and sure I could always turn back whenever I felt like it.

    Weirdly enough I soon found a rhythm and while a few people ahead of me stopped to walk I managed to run the whole thing feeling pretty good.

    700m swim, 19k cycle, 5 k run. Finished in 1:28.xx Not a good time in comparison to most there but still I did it and I know I will do heaps better in the next one.

    Thursday 14th June - Club 6.30am swim. I was determined to do some good work in the pool this morning to try rectify my problem with being a total crap swimmer. Various warm up stuff for 28 lengths then 30 X 50m front crawl. Happy with the session. My longest distance covered yet.

    Had planned to cycle later but the weather and my general exhaustion put paid to that.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    claralara wrote: »
    You're an adventure activity machine these days! Great going - you must be feeling some amazing benefits from it all, especially with all the fresh air. Keep up the good work! :)

    Thanks claralara. I am definitely starting to feel the benefits. I feel way fitter and stronger than ever.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Friday 15th June- Swim I was caught for time today so it was just about getting in, belting out a few laps and out again. 250m warm up. Then decided to try using the clock. 50m in 60 seconds X5 by the 5th one it was taking me 70 seconds. Im going to keep trying this for the next while to see if it helps with my speed. A few more lengths focusing on my arms to finish. 1300m total

    Saturday 16th June - Club Cycle I was pressed for time again today and knew that going for this 43 mile cycle was putting me under pressure. Still I love these cycles and didnt want to miss it so off I went. It turned out to be one of those cycles where you are left wondering what will happen next. We were 30mins late heading off as there were 2 punctures in the car park before a metre was even cycled!! Then about 10 minutes into the cycle one of the younger lads had a dizzy spell and fell over to his left knocking the guy beside him into the ditch and nearly causing the rest of us to have a huge pile up. It happened so suddenly that I nearly creased M ahead of me but luckly I managed to swerve and just brush off her and clipped out without killing myself either.

    It took us about 10 minutes to agree that the young lad should be collected by his mother and to fix all the carnage left by the crash. We then set off for the rest of the cycle- the group now consisting of 6. Portroe hill killed me, my legs were dead after that and because time was precious I decided to take a shorter route home. 30 miles in over 2 hours.

    Drove to Oranmore to get fitted for a new wetsuit and runners in Amphibian King. Happy with the advice I got (even if the girl was a bit nutty:)). My new 2XU suit feels 10 times more comfortable than the blueseventy one Im sending back to wiggle. My runners have been changed from my trusty kayanos to Brooks adrenalines. Hopefully both credit card damaging purchases will work out well for me.

    Must go try out the runners now. Cant wait to see the difference in the wetsuit later.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,915 ✭✭✭✭menoscemo


    :(
    Sad to see another one go


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,832 ✭✭✭littlebug


    Oh no :(:(
    Hope everythings ok.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,842 ✭✭✭Micilin Muc


    Sorry to see this :( Hope all's ok.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,741 ✭✭✭brownian


    littlebug wrote: »
    That's brilliant B8,
    how'd you move that fast :confused: I was delighted with myself this week getting my10 mile time down to 45 mins :rolleyes:

    Wow. 10 miles in 45 minutes. I'd be delighted with that :)


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