I Am the Master of My Fate

Monday 19th January
a.m.
Cycle
1 hour turbo, easy spinning
Totals; 1.0hrs – 25km

p.m.
I only realised after school today that my car insurance was expiring at midnight. So I skipped a weights session I had planned to go home and ring a few insurance companies to make sure this was sorted. I got it sorted in enough time to do another one hour turbo session before my weekly Monday night club swim.

Cycle
60 minute turbo;
11.00 warm up, 10.00 hard, 5.00 recovery, 8.00 hard, 4.00 recovery, 6.00 hard, 3.00 recovery, 4.00 hard, 2.00 recovery, 2.00 hard, 5.00 cool down
I often do this session, and the hard parts are pretty much all out efforts when I do. With a swim session less than an hour after I’d finish, I took it easier today.
Totals; 1.0hrs – 30km

Swim
Coached session, 25m pool
Warm up; 8*50m off 60 seconds (descending 1-4)
5 x {4*50m off 60 seconds & 3*100m off 1.40} 60 seconds rest between sets
75m cool down
I feel like I swam well tonight. I drafted off others for the first 4 sets, but I was tipping their toes on several occasions. They’d normally be a little bit faster than me, but I felt strong and volunteered to lead out the last set. I made all the times for the fast 100s bar the penultimate one in the very last set.
Totals; 1.0hrs – 2,975m

Tuesday 20th January
a.m.
Swim
NAC , 50m pool
400m warm up
3 * 400m on 8.00
4 * 200m pull on 4.00
5 * 100m on 1.55
4 * 200m on 4.00
400m cool down (mix of strokes)
This was a comfortable session, starting off I knew the times were very achievable. I didn't have to kill myself to make the times, while still getting plenty of rest. I took about 60 seconds rest between sets.
Totals; 1.5hrs – 4,100m

p.m.
Run
Long Run; 27.04km in 2.11.44, 4.52/km
I deliberately didn’t look at my watch from about 20 minutes onwards. I know 4.52/km isn’t hectic, but it was faster than I thought I was running. After a few months of a lot of easy running, this is an indication I’m not as in tune with my body as I used to be.
Totals; 2.0 hrs – 27.04km

Wednesday 21st January
a.m.
Swim
NAC, 50m pool
400 warm up - last 100 at 80%
4 * 50 on 90, fast (43 seconds was my average time)
3 sets of 8*100 on 1.55 (100 pull between sets)
Easy 400
My times for the 100s started at 1.42/1.43 falling to 1.47/1.48 on each of the three sets. The pool clocks were working and I was using them to pace myself. This Wednesday session is typically homework supplied to me by my club swim coach, and for this he said 5 seconds rest would be enough, but I always wanted more and increased the effort to bring it in under 1.50. So I was working harder to get more rest, which might be an inefficient way of doing this session, but what's done is done.
Totals; 1.5hrs – 3,600m

p.m.
S & C
45 minutes upper body weight

Run
Treadmill; 6.0km @ 11.5km/hr
Totals; 0.5hrs – 6.0km

Cycle
Turbo;
10.00 warm up,
20.00 Olympic effort, (75 rpm)
10.00 recovery,
20.00 Olympic effort, (75/74/75 rpm)
10.00 cool down
Totals; 1.0hrs – 35.3km

Thursday 22nd January
a.m.
Swim
Coached Session, 25m pool
WU 100;
700m mix of drills
400m pull (steady effort),
7 x 100m off 2:05 & 13 x 100m off 2:10 (coming in on 1.38-1.40)
275m cool down

The 100s were tough. Recently I’m trying my best not to let negative thinking creep in when swimming, but it was hard control thoughts of ‘Ah f***!’, when we were told we had to do 20*100. I tried to remain upbeat throughout and thought I was holding good enough times, but ‘Not working hard enough!’ was Peter’s ultimate judgement. We’ll be doing the set again in two weeks and perhaps I’ll nail it then.

Totals; 1.5hrs – 3,475m

p.m.
Cycle
1 hour easy turbo
Totals; 1.0hrs – 25km


Run
I was going to do 600m hill reps up the Khyber, but the path alongside the canal was frosty and despite wearing trail runners I felt my feet slipping twice before I was even 5 minutes into my run. There was ice on the canal and at the time of day I was running, I didn’t think it was going to be getting warmer any time soon. I didn’t want to risk slipping when going at full pelt, so I scrapped my original plan to do hill reps and instead went for a leisurely jog, gingerly watching my every step, along the well-lit canal path l from Ashtown to Castleknock.
Totals; 0.5hrs – 7.02km

Friday 23rd January
a.m.
Nada, enjoyed a lie in.

p.m.
Run
Treadmill,
9.00 warm up,
{1.30 @ 18.0km/hr & 1.30 @ 11.0km} x 3
{1.30 @ 18.2km/hr & 1.30 @ 11.0km} x 3
{1.30 @ 18.3km/hr & 1.30 @ 11.0km}
{1.30 @ 18.4km/hr & 1.30 @ 11.0km}
{1.30 @ 18.5km/hr & 1.30 @ 11.0km}
{1.30 @ 18.0km/hr & 1.30 @ 11.0km} x 3
6.00 @ 12.0km/hr
After dropping my planned speed session yesterday, I had to make up for it today. It was closer to the race on Sunday though and I had swimming later in the evening, so I didn’t want to be killing myself either. I thought 90 seconds on with 90 seconds recovery would work well. Getting on the treadmill I had a vague notion of doing 9 reps of 90 seconds @ 18.0km/hr, but I was feeling good, so I mixed things up slightly.
Totals; 1.0hrs – 11.05km

Swim
Coached Session – 25m
50m easy
6*50m Best Effort / average on 90
5*100m 1.45
100m all out
Easy 200m
3 sets of
{3 * 50m on 70 seconds (with target of 45 seconds) & 2 * 100m on 1.40}
50m easy
I was consistently hitting 45 seconds on all the 50s in the final sets. I put more of an effort into the 100s and was very pleased and even a little surprised to swim 1.28 for the first one. It didn’t tire me as much as I would have expected and I was still comfortable swimming 1.32 immediately after this. Although I made the times with sufficient rest, my form became a little sloppy after this. I knew I was on course to beat the clock on the last 100 and eased up slightly on the final 25m. I had the benefit of a draft for the entire hour, but still they were quick times for and I was happy to hold things together.
Totals; 1.0hrs – 2,200m

Saturday 24th January
Run
I drove down to Roscrea after swimming last night, so a Saturday morning swim in the NAC wasn’t on the agenda. I slept very well and it was after 10 by the time I got up.
With fat burning in mind, and as a desperate last minute attempt to shed a pound or two before the Raheny 5 Mile tomorrow, I did this run on empty. After having two cups of coffee and no food, I headed out the door to run a route I had previously mapped out on mapmyrun. I just intended this to be an easy run, so I left my watch at home.
Totals; 1.5hrs – 20.19km

Swim
25m pool
10*400m (alternating full stroke & pull)
I went to Roscrea Leisure Centre for this session. There are only two dedicated swim lanes and you can be either lucky or unlucky as regards who might get in the lane with you. The standard of swimmer is much lower than the pools I’m used to in Dublin, and not that anybody else pays it much regard, but I have absolutely no hesitation in getting in the fast lane when I swim here. I was lucky enough today with the few people who got into the lane with me today. On the last 400 I got held up by two painfully slow breast-strokers, but getting this far into a 4,000m session without this happening, was reason to be cheerful.
Like the run earlier in the day I didn’t bother timing these and kept the effort very easy throughout.
Totals; 1.5hrs – 4,000m

Sunday 25th January
Run
I was still down in Roscrea and went for an early morning run before driving back up to Dublin for the 5 mile in Raheny later today.
Totals; 0.5hrs – 5.18km

Run
I parked on Griffith Avenue and ran from here to Raheny as part of my warm up.
Raheny 5 Mile – 27.14
This was far from the best race I’ve ever done, but I wasn’t expecting much and I had feared much worse. Report to follow.
Cool down;
After two cups of coffee and gorging on biscuits and half the contents of my goody bag, I decided it was time to leave. I ran back to my car for a long delayed cool down.
Totals; 2.0hrs – 22.00km

Weekly Totals;
Swim; 8.0hrs – 20,450m
Bike; 4.0hrs – 115.30km
Run; 7.5hrs – 97.48km
S & C; 0.5hrs

Hours and distances are slightly down on last week. This is only due to no biking over the weekend, which considering I had a running race on Sunday is a sacrifice I was happy to make. All things considered the race didn’t go too badly. Unless it was a complete disaster, I was going to roughly stick to the volumes I’m currently doing. Right now I plan to do a spring 5km or 10km race with target times of <16.20 or <34.30. If I can’t hit those times, then I’ll consider increasing the run mileage I am doing, but as of now I don’t see the need for any wholesale changes.

I wasn't expecting to run a super race today, but all the same I didn't want to be giving away too much time to anybody else. I got as close to the start line as I possibly could, stopping when it reached a point that those in front were as keen to hold their ground as I was to advance. There were about three rows of bodies in front of me and I figured I was about where I belonged from looking at the body shapes of the runners I was amongst.

The gun went soon enough after I had nudged myself into this position, and the race like all races with large numbers taking part started at a frantic pace. I didn’t run the straightest line for the first couple of hundred metres, but I avoided contact with anyone else and to the best of my knowledge, I hadn't made it awkward for anybody else to pass me in these initial stages.

Some very good runners were taking part and the leaders were way ahead in no time, but there was a small group that I was trying to stick with for the first kilometre. This was becoming harder and harder as the race progressed, and a glance at my Garmin told me I covered the first kilometre in 3.09. I hadn't run a full kilometre that quickly in a good few months and I knew it was a pace I wouldn't be able to sustain.

I gave up trying to stick with the group and they steadily built a gap on me. I settled into my own pace and found myself running with a veteran from Raheny Shamrocks. We stayed together for most of the race. Anytime there was any bit of an incline, he'd gain a bit of ground on me. I'm a few kilos above race weight, so this was no great surprise, but I was disappointed in how easily he seemed to be pulling away. When the road levelled, I’d work hard to close any gap that had opened up, but it wasn’t a good sign of how our duel would end.

It was back and forth between us for a long way, and despite me trying to increase the pace I was never able to pull away by any more than a few metres. He must have known he had the beating of me, and when we turned left off Clontarf Road to face into an uphill stretch, he made a move. I couldn't match his pace, and he got away in much the same manner as the group I was trying desperately to latch onto at the start of the race had.

I'm not sure if I ever had a turn of speed, but I certainly didn't have one today. As well as the Raheny runner pulling away from me and me not being able to do anything about it, a group of 6 or so runners all passed me within the last 200m. While I wasn't expecting too much from the race, and there was nothing at stake, this feature of my performance is slightly concerning. I've been putting any subpar runs I've done recently down to the bit of extra weight I'm carrying, but now I'm not so sure about this. I used to think I had a bit of a kick, but today's performance would suggest otherwise.

I’m acutely aware that running is my strongest tri discipline because it is where I have devoted the most time. Some more running races will reveal more, but I'm not as confident as I used to be that I'll run as well as last year off significantly reduced volumes.

It’s impossible to know how these other two felt on the days in question, but these are the times myself, Seán Hehir and Catríóna Mckiernan did in three races over the last 12 months;

|10K, March 2014| 5K, Dec 2014|5 Mile, Jan 2015
SH|30.40|14.59|24.30
AK|33.52|16.45|27.14
CMcK |34.28|16.58|27.41


Something for me to mull over for the next few weeks, if nothing else.

Kurt Godel wrote: »

What's your point in using that table zico? Very little variance in pace from the 10k (3:23/km) to the 5mile (3:24/km). If you've lowered your swim pace a conservative 5sec/100m during the same time, you're way ahead overall.

There's probably no real point to be fair. It's just something that was running through my mind as I try to evaluate my performance in the race. I'd never ran a 5 miler before, so I'd nothing else to draw comparisons on and they are the only two I know of who did the three same races.

My swim has definitely come on and I'm happy with the progress I'm making here, but ultimately triathlon at all levels comes down to the run and I don't want to be slowing too much, even at this time of year.

Monday 26th January
a.m.
Cycle
1 hour turbo, easy spinning
Totals; 1.0hrs – 25km

p.m.
Cycle
55 minute turbo; 6.00 warm up, 10.00 hard, 5.00 recovery, 8.00 hard, 4.00 recovery, 6.00 hard, 3.00 recovery, 4.00 hard, 2.00 recovery, 2.00 hard, 5.00 cool down
I took a similar approach to this as I did last week. Hard parts weren’t all out efforts, was trying to keep my rpm high rather than going for power.
Totals; 1.0hrs – 30km

Swim
Coached session, 25m pool
400m warm up
4*100m descending off 2.00 (1.45, 1.40, 1.37, 1.35)
16*100m as 4 sets of 4*100 off 1.40
I used a pull buoy for the final set and I missed the times for the last two 100s, not because I was using a pull buoy, but because I was wrecked. I had the benefit of draft for the whole night, which made hitting the times a lot easier. The others in my lane finished with 6*50m sprints, but my legs were cramping, so I opted out of this.
Totals; 1.0hrs – 2,400m


Tuesday 27th January
a.m.
Swim
NAC , 50m pool
Session 1: swim endurance
Feel free to do the 1st set of 200s with a pull buoy and band
400 warm up
3 * 400 on 7.50 (20-25 seconds rest)
6 * 200 on 3.55 (I did this set with a pull buoy, which made things comfortable. I was getting 15-20 seconds rest)
9 * 100 on 1.55
I started these getting 8-9 seconds rest, it was down to around 5/6 after the 5th rep at which point someone in the lane beside me passed me. I knew I was better than him, so I concentrated on my form and overtook him. I got more rest on this rep and times fell again to 1.46/1.47 for the last three reps. I finished the session happy I was able to pick things back up, but not happy I had let the times slip in the middle.
Easy 100m
Totals; 1.5hrs – 4,200m

p.m.
Run
18.01km in 1.40.39, 5.35/km
I went out with the intention of running for longer than I did, but I just wasn’t feeling it tonight. While it was only meant to be an easy run, it was turning into a very slow plod. Legs were heavy and tight from the race on Sunday, much tighter than yesterday in fact and I didn’t think there was any point in persisting with this run. Cut it short and went home.
Totals; 1.5hrs – 18.01km


Wednesday 28th January
a.m.
Swim
NAC, 50m pool
400 warm up - last 100 at 80%
28*100 as 4 sets of 7*100 on 1.55 (2nd and 4th set done with pull buoy)
Easy 400
Totals; 1.5hrs – 3,600m

p.m.
S & C
30 minutes upper body weights
I had an appointment with a physio this evening, so I was in a rush to get to this done. I went quickly through the sets, so it was as much a cardio session as a strength session.

Cycle
Turbo; 1 hour 55 minutes as 10.00 warm up, 15.00 IM effort, 5.00 recovery, 15.00 IM effort, 5.00 recovery, 15.00 IM effort, 5.00 recovery, 15.00 IM effort, 5.00 recovery, 15.00 IM effort, 10.00 cool down
Totals; 2.0hrs – 60.42km


Thursday 29th January
a.m.
Swim
Coached Session, 25m pool
400m warm up
300m (as 25m easy, 25m sprint & 25m kick)
200m one arm drill
2*100m 3rd Phase
6*50m fast
8*50m (as 25m sprint & 25m easy)
50m back stoke
2*300m (as 50m fast & 50m easy)
50m easy;
9*50m (12.5m sprint & 12.5m easy)
100m 3rd phase;
100m easy

I didn’t find this as taxing as the previous week’s session, but Peter only gave me a 9/10 for one sprint at very end when I should have been trying to hit 10/10 for all of them, so maybe I was doing it wrong.
Totals; 1.5hrs – 3,475m

p.m.
Run
I did this along The Royal Canal Way starting from Clonsilla running out in the direction of Leixlip. It was snowing quite heavily and it was sticking along the entire route. It made for magical conditions.
I was really enjoying the run, when up ahead I saw a cyclist lose control of their bike and plunge head first into the canal. This happened a few hundred metres ahead of me and he had quickly scampered out of the water, and dragged his bike back up onto the bank, by the time I got to him. He stood there dripping wet for a few moments and when I reached him, I enquired was he okay. It was a cold day and the water had to have been bloody colder still, he made light of the incident and told me it was ‘only a bit of water’ and he’d be fine. I’d no phone on me and bar taking my own clothes off to give to him, I had real way of helping him, but nonetheless I asked him was he sure. He answered ‘yes’ and carried on cycling in the direction I had come from. I watched him pedal off and kept looking after him until he had cycled out of view.
After this I carried on running in the direction I was going. I couldn’t get the incident out of my mind and the more I thought about it, the more I thought I should have been more insistent that there was no way the poor fncker could have been fine. Pictures of him being hypothermic and huddled up in a bush along the path started to enter my mind. The Royal Canal Way is a lonely path and if the cyclist had got into difficulty after his plunge into the icy cold water, there wouldn’t be too many passers-by to help him out.
After about a kilometre I decided to turn around and try to catch the cyclist. Then if something bad had happened, at least he wouldn’t have to deal with it on his own. I increased the pace after taking the decision to turn and what started out as a nice easy run turned into a tempo run.
I never did see the cyclist again, but I could see his tracks in the snow and it was clear he was still moving. I met two dog walkers as I was running back and asked both of them had they seen a cyclist. The first one had, but reckoned it had been 10 minutes since he had passed by. The second guy hadn’t and though he saw the tracks, he said he had been on the path for 10 to 15 minutes and hadn’t seen a cyclist.
The path crossed over a road when I got back to my starting point and the cycle tracks swung onto the road and disappeared. He’d obviously left the canal path and I told myself, although he must have been freezing, he’d made it this far and out on the road there would be far more people to help, should it come to that.
I’d been increasing my speed minute upon minute up to this point and I eased off now. I ran for another 20 minutes or so after reaching the road and finished up before night fell.
It wasn’t my intention at all, but my kilometre splits went like this; 1) 5.17/km, 2) 5.25/km, 3) 5.17/km, 4) 5.22/km, 5) 4.51/km, 6) 4.33/km, 7) 4.28/km, 8) 4.24/km, 9) 4.39/km, 10) 5.07/km, 11) 5.02/km, 12) 5.07/km, 13) 5.12/km, 14) 5.35/km
Totals; 1.0hrs – 13.51km


Friday 30th January
a.m.
Nada, enjoyed a lie in.
p.m.
Swim
NAC – 50m pool
400m warm up, last 100 at 80%
6*50m fast on 70 seconds (average 43 seconds)
100m easy
100m all out (1.30)
16*100m as 4 sets of 4*100m on 1.50 (coming in on 1.40 most of the time, a couple slipped out to 1.42/3, but I felt like I was consistent with my pacing)
100m easy

I wasn’t able to make my regular club session this evening, so I went to the NAC and did my own thing. I knew I’d be missing out on hard work at the coached session, so I gave myself challenging stuff to do. Swim Ireland were getting into the lane when I was due to finish. I'd very little time to play with, so this kept me focused on making the times. I was pretty happy with myself getting out of the water and it felt like a productive hour.
Totals; 1.0hrs – 2,600m

Run
Treadmill - I had the treadmill set to 12.0km/hr for the first 20 minutes. After this I up the speed to 19.0km/hr. I ran at this for 20 seconds before dropping the speed back down to 12.0km/hr. I did this 6 times to replicate strides.
Totals; 0.5hrs – 6.0km


Saturday 31st January
Swim
NAC - 25m pool #hungover
10*400m alternating full stroke & pull
I was out last night, so I got up later than usual and didn’t get to the NAC when it was 50m format. The 10*400m were all very easy paced and done without a watch.
Totals; 1.5hrs – 4,000m


Sunday 1st February
Cycle
Turbo - #hungover
I was late starting this and while I would have had enough hours of daylight left to get a 3 hour cycle in, I didn’t want to go out in the cold, so I just plonked myself in front of the telly instead and took it easy.
Totals; 3.0hrs – 75km


Weekly Totals;
Swim; 8.0hrs – 19,900m
Bike; 8.0hrs – 215.42km
Run; 3.0hrs - 37.52km
S & C; 0.5hrs

I’m surprised with how low my running is. Raheny 5 Mile probably took more out of me than I thought at the time. The weekend was messy as I was out both nights. It’s important to unwind though now and again and I’ll have a good few months without any social life later this year, so now’s the time of year to let my hair down.

Dory Dory wrote: »

Congrats on your All World status.

I'm not sure congratulations are in order. Other than being another source of junk emails, I'm not really sure what it entails.

I was promised a small gift in an email, which I expect will be pretty damn small seeing as it's Ironman® behind it.

Did you achieve AWA status yourself?

Dory Dory wrote: »

I did indeed achieve AWA status as well. And I almost didn't confirm my address to receive the "gift" as I figure it's probably going to be crap and will end up in a drawer, collecting dust on a shelf, or tossed in the bin. Obviously we know it's not going to be a technical top or cool jacket since they didn't ask what size we wear. But we will get something on our swim caps at our IMs this year denoting our "achievement". Woo!

Congrats as well, but personally I'd prefer to blend in.:o

Dory Dory wrote: »

With all those tattoos? :)

I don't have any tattoos that say 'Look at me! I've already done a relatively fast Ironman!'

If like GFA times at big city marathons, AWA status guaranteed you an automatic qualifying slot at any other IM event you wanted to do (bar Kona of course), I'd see a point to it.

Whilst I might be surprised, right now I'm pretty sceptical about the whole thing.

Dory Dory wrote: »

Oh, I agree. The whole AWA thing is one part pat on our backs, but more than likely two parts line their pockets. Did you see the AWA apparel we can now purchase? Just sayin'.....

Dory Dory wrote: »

Huh? We can collect our All World Athlete "Badge" online.....where it will be stored so we can access it any time? Yougottabekiddingme. Who thinks up these things?? But more importantly, who the hell is going to claim their virtual badge.....and why would you want to access it?

I got that email too.

And here I was worried the free gift might have been something completely useless.