I have no idea what I'm du-ing

Cheers MojoMaker,

I actually ran 20:06 in May on a really tough and hilly course so it shouldn't be that big an ask.

The real reason I'm doing it is for a change. I concentrated on HM's for the last two years and just got really stale and started to feel like I was going backwards. Once I finish this block I'll take two weeks easy and then start into a proper structured HM plan for Wexford next April.

Monday 10/11/14

Run - 19.6k @ 5:27 mins/km AHR 151


Tuesday 11/11/14

Run - 8k @ 5:32 mins/km AHR 146


Wednesday 12/11/14

Run - 15.4k with 5 x 1.6k @ T Pace

Avg T Pace - 4:15 mins/km AHR 171


Thursday 13/11/14

Bike - Trainer Road 2 Hours - TSS 100 - IF .71

Run - 12.5k @ 5:27 mins/km AHR 150


For the first four days of last week, as detailed above, everything just felt much harder than it should both in terms of HR and RPE, my T pace intervals felt more like I was pushing a hard 5k pace and I struggled to get them done, whereas T pace work is usually tough but doable (as it should be).

My HR for easy run sessions and also resting had been higher than usual all week also so I decided to do the sensible thing and take the rest of the week off (3 days) as there was obviously something not right with my body. Either the 5k took a lot out of me or I'd picked up some sort of minor dose from the seemingly endless soakings I'd been getting the last few weeks.

Either way, this was the first week in 15 that I would miss a single run day or km logged so I didn't feel too guilty about it. Previously I would have ignored all the warning signs and just ploughed on regardless, probably doing more harm than good. Friday and Saturday I felt very badly fatigued and just craved bad food and sleep so that's what I did, Sunday I started to feel a bit better and considered a short run just to add some mileage for the week but decided against it and thought that an easy Sunday with the newspapers might do me more good.


Monday 17/11/14

Run - 15.1k @ 5:32 mins/km AHR 141

This felt a lot better than last week and the HR was right where I wanted it.

Bike - Trainer Road 60 mins - TSS 50 - IF .71

Another easy leg loosener, these really do me the world of good.


Tuesday 18/11/14

Run - 8k + 6 strides

Aerobically this felt easy but my legs were in crap after another long drive and the 6 strides felt like I was running through treacle. This is turning into a common complaint after these long drives so there is obviously something up with my driving position which I'll have to figure out


Wednesday 19/11/14

Run - 14.8k with 6 x 1k @ I Pace

Avg I Pace - 3:54 mins/km AHR 171

The first proper test session since my short break and it worked out really well and just proved that sometimes resting really is the best form of training.

These were done at better than 5k pace and yet my AHR was only the same as last weeks T session and although it was a tough workout it was always doable and I never felt like I wouldn't be able to finish it.

Thursday 20/11/14

Bike - 51k

Absolutely frickin' freezing, just proving the point that anything you buy in Aldi isn't fit for proper cold winter use.


Run - 7.8k @ 5:27 mins/km AHR 142


Friday 21/11/14

Run - 12.8k @ 5:21 mins/km AHR 146

Rained the whole time but a really nice run either way, didn't even realise how wet it was until I got home and heard the rain hammering off the roof.


Saturday 22/11/14

Run - 3.2k @ 5:22 mins/km AHR 149

I really can't tun at all in the mornings anymore, it's like my body refuses to work until it's woken up properly and had it's breakfast.

Bike - 22k - AHR 134

Only time for a short one but really enjoyed it all the same, felt strong on the bike and pushed on a little bit but didn't want to overdo it as have a 10 mile race tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'm doing the Stook 10 Mile race in Kilkenny, I skipped today's tempo session and the plan tomorrow is to run the 10 miler at my M pace which should hopefully have much the same training effect as the planned 5 x 1 mile at Tempo. Some might think it's mad to pay money to enter a race and then not try your best but I like supporting these well thought of races run by clubs and it means I have some company for a decent training session and a change of scenery, plus I get a cow bell at the end, what more could you ask for?

Sunday 23/11/14

Run - Stook 10 Mile - 73:23 - 4:33 mins/km AHR 163

The plan with this was to run it as an MP training run in place of Saturday's planned Tempo run. I pretty much stuck to the plan but what a race! Absolutely fantastic! Savage route, great support and some feed at the end.

I knew the route was tough with one huge hill at about the 6 mile mark but I wasn't expecting the endless small and sometimes steep rollers that kept coming all the way until you reached the 6 mile mark. Either way, there was nothing I could do about it so I just rolled with the punches and tried to keep a steady, even effort with just an occasional glance at pace. I slowed a little on the uphills and sped up a little on the downhills, there were lots of others guys in the first few miles flying past me on the downhills and dying on the uphills, most of these were screwed by the 4 mile mark while I made sure I kept something in reserve for the famous "Stook Hill" that the race is named after.

And what a hill it was, the various comments that could be heard on the hill were along the lines of:

"What the f#%&?"
"You can't be serious"
"Somebody please kill me"

I had to dial it back quite a lot for the Stook, but safe in the knowledge that I'd have a chance on the equally famous "Flying Mile" to make back up some time that I had lost. The "Flying Mile" is a very steep downhill where you can let loose and go like stink if you don't kill yourself in the process. Some more comments:

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee"
"Aaaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh"
"I'm gonna die"

That was some craic, the steepest and fastest dowhill that I've ever ran, throw caution to the wind, lean forward a little and hope that your arse keep up with your legs. Scary at times and I don't think my legs have ever turned over as fast, and definitely not at 14km into a 16km race.

The last kilometre I just kicked on a little bit and put in a Tempo rather than MP effort and even managed a little sprint at the end. Absolutely great race, and I really love these tough courses that require some tactical thinking and really give you a sense of accomplishment as well as a good workout.

Target pace was 4:35 and I averaged 4:33 mins/km with an AHR of 163. Splits ranged from 5:33 to 3:44 which tells a story about the route profile.


Monday 24/11/14

Run - 5.5k @ 5:15 mins/km AHR 143

Just a nice and easy run in the woods, aerobically I felt great and would hardly have even known I'd done a race the day before. Glutes, hamstrings, calves etc were absoutely fine which are my usual problem areas but my quads felt like they'd been beaten by a hammer. Happy enough though that this was just DOMS from hammering them on the long downhill the day before.

Bike - 30 min Turbo

At the parents place for a few days so borrowed my father's hybrid and turbo to try and spin out some soreness in the quads. Gave it up after half an hour as the bike was too small for me and starting to hurt my back.


Tuesday 25/11/14

Run - 10.2k with 3 x 1.6k @ T Pace

Avg T Pace 4:14 mins/km AHR 161

The planned session for today was a straight 5k @ T pace, but my quads were still in bits so I wasn't sure what to do. I could:

Skip the session altogether and let the legs recover (with no chance of fitting the session in later in the week)
MTFU and do the full session as prescribed (maybe doing more hard than good)
Do a simpler session instead

I opted for the third choice and did my usual recovery week Tempo session which is 3 x 1.6k @ T Pace with a very generous 2 minute recovery between. I'm glad I did this as I didn't lose out completely on some quality work but didn't thrash my quads completely either. The reps themselves flew by and felt really easy even though I did them quite a bit faster than I should as it was dark and I couldn't read my watch. My HR was also lower than usual, and HR in the recovery jogs also dropped really quickly, all in all a lovely run and really enjoyed it.


Wednesday 26/11/14

Bike - Turbo 87 mins - TSS 70 - IF.70

Plan was for a 2 hour ride but too cold for my sub standard cycling gear so set the turbo up in front of the TV and hoped to do it that way. Didn't work out as long as I had hoped as other stuff came up but 87 mins is better than nothing at all.

Run - 5k @ 5:25 mins/km AHR 134

The first day this winter I've been really cold on a run and felt under-dressed. Another short, easy one as I've a 5k session tomorrow and pacing a HM on Saturday, so just keeping the legs ticking over.

On another note, came across this the other day which has the old cogs whizzing away in the brain trying to work it into my life schedule. Probably only do the short one but easy to get to, only 90 mins from the ferry and wouldn't cost the fortune that Zofingen would.

http://www.brutalevents.co.uk/the_pig.html

mossym wrote: »

agreed, i reckon that would be epic. i was looking at the slateman or snowman tri's in wales, but getting over on the ferry is not cheap no matter what way you do it. you've got the braincells in action now:)

I was looking at the ferries just this morning, car + 2 about €340 return, car + 4 about €480-€500. Free camping available at the event too.

Hell of a lot cheaper than return flights to Switzerland + a bike, + trains etc at the other end, hotels etc and Switzerland not being famous for it's value either.

Good training day even for someone preparing for an Ironman.

Nope, you've missed nothing.

Just making the point that if Duathlons themselves aren't your thing, it would be a good training day with company.

Hi Joey,

I found the beach section a bit slower alright, definitely took a little more work to keep on target but not an absolute killer by any stretch of the imagination.

As flat as it is, it's probably not the best course for a PB attempt, very congested in spots and hard to keep a rhythm with so many people starting in the wrong waves with complete disregard for others.

If you're looking to have a stab at it, Wexford HM on April 26th has the potential to be a very fast course, all the hills are at the start when you're fresh and strong, and then when you turn for home at about 14k the prevailing wind is usually a tailwind. Prevailing winds didn't bloody prevail in 2014 though!

Wednesday 3/12/14

Run - 12.5k with 2 x 3.2k @ T Pace

Avg T Pace - 4:13 mins/km AHR 169

Happy that the pace of these T pace sessions seems to be dropping nicely every couple of weeks. To have a realistic stab at doing a sub 40 min 10k in April, I need to be running these at sub 4:10 mins/km which feels far more realistic now than it ever did when I started this plan 17 weeks ago. Effort felt just right too, tough but doable.


Bike - 60 min Turbo - TSS 50 IF .71

Yet another easy one watching the TV. While there might not be a massive training benefit from these easy turbo sessions, I still feel that they serve a purpose. They help my running legs recover, they burn a few calories and they help keep some muscle memory for when I start some proper cycling in the New Year. As easy as they are they still feel like I'm doing more work than if I went outside for an easy hour on the bike.

Sunday 7/12/14

Bike- Turbo 45 mins - TSS 39 IF .72

Friday and Saturday were a complete write off as I was feeling like crap and also had some minor issues that needed resting for fear of turning into something more serious, so took 2 full days and most of Sunday off.

Jumped on the turbo this evening as I was feeling better and wanted to keep up the frequency of riding my bike and keep muscle memory intact. Even though none of the intervals were very intense I chose to do them all around the 60 cadence range as an introduction to some proper big gear training in the future. This is something that badly needs addressing as I'm a spinner naturally and don't use my big ring (triple crankset) nearly often enough. If I want to improve my avg. bike speeds I'll have to start spinning fast but while in a decent gear.

I have but that's only a minor issue, and my own fault at that.

Small calf strain and a sore big toe were the bigger problem but seem to be sorted now, I'll know if they are or not tomorrow.

So, December was a washout. Extremely sick for about 3 days, which left me floored for another week afterwards, plus a calf issue, so I decided to work on getting myself better for the month, and treat it as a good couple of weeks of repair and recovery and get back into it in January. Some running and cycling done, but nothing of any intensity except for a couple of 5k laps at Marathon pace just to get the heart beating a bit faster.

In all honesty, I couldn't be bothered logging 3 weeks of Sweet FA, so you'll all just have to trust me on it.

Proper training started this week, was meant to be an 18 week plan aiming at Wexford HM and Rosslare 10k, but last week was just a return to regular running so I'm starting into it proper this week from week 2 of the plan.


Monday 29/12/14

Run - 17.8k @ 5:41 mins/km

Bloody cold for this one, but a beautiful morning, crisp and bright and I could see my breath for most of it. Crappy route along the N11, I though about doing this on Oryx Mountain but I figured the altitude up there would lead to dodgy icy roads and that I'd be less likely to break my arse on the main road.


Tuesday 30/12/14

Run - 8.5k @ 5:32 mins/km

Just a nice and easy run around the block, legs still feeling a bit sluggish after the last few weeks of nothing but easy running.

Bike - Trainer Road 60 mins - TSS 64 IF .80

First proper trainer session in quite a while, but wasn't too bad considering. Reduced my FTP my a bit as I've lost a lot of bike fitness and struggled to do the few sessions I did in December.

Interval set decreasing in length 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 mins and increasing in intensity 90, 95, 100, 105, 110 & 115% FTP, 1 min rest between each interval.

Tough session that I love and repeat quite a bit, even though the last interval is only 1 min, 115% feels a hell of a lot tougher with the previous intervals in the legs.


Wednesday 31/12/14

Run - 8.2k @ 5:41 mins/km

Away and on my feet all day so another slog, but a slog in a brand new pair of Asics Cumulus 15. Seem nice, loads of cushioning but not too heavy, grand for LSR's and racking up miles.


Thurday 1/1/15

Run - 12k with 16 x 45 secs @ R Pace, 90 secs RBI

Avg R Pace - 3:21 mins/km

First time doing any real intensity in nearly a month and as much as I was dreading it, I was pleasantly surprised by the results. GPS pace really can't be relied upon for short intervals like these, so I just go hard and look at the results later. As I always do them in the same place, I'm hoping that it might at least be consistently inconsistent or something along those lines. Either way, I ran really hard 16 times for 45 secs each time and until such time as I have a track at my disposal, that'll just have to do.

Amazingly enough, the short hard efforts seemed to really wake my legs up and the easy pace on the way home afterwards felt a lot looser and easier than it has been feeling lately.

Bike - Trainer Road 60 mins - TSS 63 IF .80

5 x 3 mins @ 90%
5 x 2 mins @ 101%
5 x 1 min @ 110%

The 2 min intervals were meant to be 100% rather than 101% but I obviously made a boo boo in the TR workout creator. That extra 1% didn't do me any harm anyway and I might be glad of it down the road.