The long route to Cork

NewCorkLad · 02-01-2019 5:50pm

Week 27 Program takes a slight step back this week to allow some recovery

Mon Rest Day

Tue 30min on the Turbo followed by 15min Brick Run

I had a retirement party to attend on Tuesday night at which we had a very good night but unfortunately led to the next 2 days being a complete right off.

Wed Recovery

Thurs Recovery

Fri I went to see Hozier in the INEC last night, good session but very short set by Hozier. Set off this morning for a 60min run in zone 2 could feel the effects of the last few nights but was happy with the average speed considering. Got into the pool this evening to get my first swim for the week in Program 33

Sat 120min on the Turbo Trainer

Sun Swim Session 34 completed, followed by a 75min run

Total for the week 419min

Happy I got the times completed for the week, unfortunately it was all back loaded so didnt get too much benefit for the reduced load over the week.

NewCorkLad · 02-01-2019 6:07pm

Week 26 I had Christmas with 2 smallies this week and a Christening for the youngest to organise around

Mon 45 min run today to free up Christmas day.

Tue Not sure if the Christmas swim would count as a very short Aquathlon so will put it down as a rest day

Wed 60min on the Turbo Trainer followed by 15 min Brick Run, legs felt very fatigued after the previous days eating and drinking.

Thurs Swim Program 35 completed followed by a 60min run later in the evening

Fri Out in the morning for a 45min Turbo Session followed by Swim Program 36 later in the evening, unfortunately my timetable was out of date and the guy in reception never told me but the swim club had the pool booked 30min into my swim which I didnt realise until they started arriving and stretching so had to cut the swim short.

Sat Family down for the christening so out for some food and drinks Friday night lead into me doing the Park Run Sat morning with my wifes cousin, while feeling the effects of the last few weeks overindulgence I still managed to post my fastest 5k onto which I tagged another 4k slow to stretch out the session.

Sun Eventually got everyone out of the house the next day after 3 o clock after a late night which allowed me to finish off the week with a 75min Turbo Session, really struggled through this session, cant wait for all these parties to be done and get back to normalacy.

Total for the week 437min

While I might have over indulged this week if you had told me 2 years ago I would put in over 7 hours of exercise on Christmas week I would have thought you were mad, now Im just starting to think I might be mad.

NewCorkLad · 14-01-2019 1:56pm

Week 6 of Training Program

Mon Everywhere closed tomorrow for New Years so moved my rest day. Got my 2.5k swim in this morning P37, followed by a 45min Turbo Sesssion and 15min brick run in the evening, followed by a few New Years drinks

Tue Rest Day

Wed Slow 62 min run this morning before getting back to work 10.25k

Thurs 60min Turbo Session in the morning. Headed to the pool in the evening but forgot my shorts so home and on with the runnning gear for a 60min run 10.28k

Fri Got to the pool to complete last nights session back to P33

Sat 120min Turbo Session this morning up nice and early to get it completed. Watched the Barkley Marathons documentary on Netflix during the session mad b*****ds.

Sun 60min slow recovery run 9.02km

Total for the week 543min

NewCorkLad · 14-01-2019 3:18pm

Week 7

Mon Rest Day

Tue 2.5k swim in the morning P34. The programs include about 700metres of drills, I had been doing only fists but I managed to get a list of alternative drills so will be working in 2 drills a week(Fits and Catch Up with a float)

Tue evening 45min Turbo session followed by 15min brick run

Wed 2.5k swim in the morning P35( Leg kicks with float & Doggy Paddle)

Wed evening club interval run session, happy to see I completed my first ever 4min Kilometre

Thurs 60 min Turbo Session

Fri 75min Run 12.17km

Sat 150min Turbo Session

Sun 90min long run 14km

Total for the week 610min

After having a discussion with someone in my club Ive started trying to get my nutrition sorted. Under their recommendation I have bought some Powerbar Isotonic mix, to start drinking on the Turbo instead of water, since starting this I have felt fresher coming off the bike, I now just need to decide on something more solid I can have on the bike all recommendations welcome.

joey100 · 16-01-2019 10:45am

If I'm on the turbo I like rice cakes and some jellies or something, usually what ever is around the house, doesn't have to be 'cycling/triathlon' specific. If I'm out on the bike I like the wiggle bars or high5 bars, I usually just buy what ever is cheap enough really, the prices of them two bars can vary a bit so keep an eye on them.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/wiggle-nutrition-energy-bar-20-x-60g-1/

Decent amount of grams of carbs in the wiggle bars, little stodgy and dense though so definitely need to drink with them.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/high5-energy-bar-25x55g-2/

Decent carbs again and a little easier to eat than the wiggle ones.

Plenty make their own ones too. Try a few different things and see what works for you, I know I like a mix of flavours and bars were some lads in my club prefer the same bar the whole time.

pgibbo · 17-01-2019 12:04pm

I used Tailwind last year. Found it excellent.

NewCorkLad · 11-06-2019 11:56am

Right it feels like only yesterday that i last updated this the last few months have flown by, cant beleive IM Cork is only 12 days away.

Well I stuck with the training, had some tough weeks and some great weeks, having 2 under 2 while trying to train for this has been interesting. Would recommend the Don Fink plan for anyone thinking about taking this on while being a bit time starved. Luckily I have a very understanding wife and her maternity leave definitly helped not sure if I would have been able to continue without the flexibility it gave us.

I managed two training days down in Youghal the updated bike course is definitely an improvement, it added a bit of climbing but the course flows a lot better. Not too impressed with the updated swim route, the T shape makes 6 turn/choke points will be interesting to see how that turns out, I wonder why they changed it from the triangle?

All was going well till week 25, heading out for a run on the Tuesday when my calf tightened 3 minutes in, tried to stretch it out but no luck so walked home, continued the weeks program avoiding my runs while stretching and foam rolling when I could hoping it was just overly tight. Seeing no improvement I eventually headed to see my physio the Tuesday after, who came to the opinion over the next few weeks that I tore it. Since then it has been rest and ice and gradually building up a bit of biking, the last few days Ive managed some time on a crosstrainer to similate running. I continued with swimming using a pullbouy and my foot at 90 degrees to not put pressure on my calf but unfortunately the extra drag this created ruined my shoulders so had to ease off the swimming aswell.

I probably wont get a run in before the big day so will have to see how it is after the bike but I am getting more optimistic as time goes by that I wont have to walk the whole thing. It isnt going to be the day I had hoped but I will get around in under 17 hours one way or the other and I will be an IM

Really looking forward to the whole experience of the weekend and best of luck to everyone heading down for the day.

griffin100 · 11-06-2019 4:35pm

Where did you see the ‘T’ shaped swim route? Website and race manual still showing a circular route from what I can see.

Edit: I think we’re talking about the same route. One mans T is another mans circle!

NewCorkLad · 12-06-2019 10:23am

griffin100 wrote: »

Where did you see the ‘T’ shaped swim route? Website and race manual still showing a circular route from what I can see.

Edit: I think we’re talking about the same route. One mans T is another mans circle!

Once I squint a bit I see what you mean

.

Im assuming from the diagram you must swim inside the first bouys and outside the four outside bouys, creating 6 choke points which will be fun.

griffin100 · 12-06-2019 2:16pm

NewCorkLad wrote: »

Once I squint a bit I see what you mean .

Im assuming from the diagram you must swim inside the first bouys and outside the four outside bouys, creating 6 choke points which will be fun.

It won’t be that bad. Rolling start, a long course and lots of space will help with any congestion. Like most big races I reckon only the first buoy will be rough.

NewCorkLad · 09-07-2019 12:49pm

griffin100 wrote: »

It won’t be that bad. Rolling start, a long course and lots of space will help with any congestion. Like most big races I reckon only the first buoy will be rough.

Well it turns out i didnt need to worry about the swim :rolleyes:

NewCorkLad · 09-07-2019 1:10pm

Just popping in to give a quick update.

Was gutted they cancelled the swim even with my worries over congestion as I hoped to give myself an hour cushion here if my calf prevented me from running, however the right decision was definitly made on the day, however that been said it tok way too long for a decision to be made and communicated out, I was out in the elements for 4 hours freezing my ass off before I got going on the bike.

Enjoyed the first loop of the bike, while it was raining constantly the wind didnt have too much of an effect and my lack of training for 6 weeks wasnt killing me. Made it to Windmill hill in good time and had planned to walk it to not risk my calf but took the turn saw the crowd and said F**k it, got up on my toes until about half way when i either hit one of the manhole covers or some exposed tar and my rear wheel lost all grip. I was lucky to get my foot out in time and walked the rest of the way up. The second loop I felt the wind picked up and the lack of recent cycling started to tell but at this stage I knew I would be happy if I just finished the day so got the head down and finished the loop(got off the bike around the corner from Windmill hill the second time as I dint want to get sucked in again)

Entered the Transition tent and I was freezing, couldnt get warm for a while, I had a spare dry cycling jersey which I put on under my soaked cycling jacket which helped for a while. My plan was to walk the first K, then try a slow jog and hopefully all going well keep that up as long as calf would allow, but as I approached the tent door shaking with the cold I stopped and looked at the rain sheeting sideways I knew if I didnt run I was done, so I set off holding a pace of 7min/km. My new plan was to run till I got warm and then revert to my old strategy, however the energy around town was so good I just kept runnning until 21km at which point I walked for 2 mins and started running again, overall I probably walked under 3 k of the total marathon which under the circumstanaces I am delighted with( first time runnning further than 23k, recovering from a torn calf and no running the previous 6 weeks)

Overall my time was grand but approaching the day it became more about finishing it than acheiving any sort of time. The canceled swim now just means I will need to do another IM but not Ireland again as much as I loved the day, I want to experience somewhere new and if Im doning Ireland again will just do the Hardman.

New plan is 70.3 somewhere with heat in 2020 to see if I can handle the sun and then plan my new IM in 2021.

Gonna take my time as this IM stuff which I love is a huge time commitment and I dont want to miss out at home.

The long route to Cork

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