Control-Alt-Delete.........RESTART!

So it's been awhile and although training has not been going great at least I have not completely fallen off the waggon like I did at this time the previous 2 years. So the best way to bring people up to date is the numbers.

Since Connemara Half Marathon

Swim: 36,411m, 10 hours, ave 4,712m/week
Bike: 347km, 14 hours, ave 40.7km/week
Run: 82km, 7 hours, ave 10.8km/week

Injury Update I cut back swimming to once or twice a week just to give the wrist a chance to heel, obviously a complete rest would be best but I didn't want to lose all the gains made over winter. It means I have to slice the water during the 3rd phase on that side. This week for the first time in 2 months the wrist has felt better and I am away to Vietnam tomorrow so swimming opportunities will be limited to open water/sea swims and I won't be doing very much intensity.

There is not much else to report here but I am very pleased that I seemed to have stopped the rot in the sense that my training has not ceased completely like it did the last couple of years, I've spotted the signs and just managed to keep doing a little each week which is far better than nothing and I feel now I have turned the corner a bit as the motivation has returned. I guess it's all about discipline when the motivation is not there which will happen.

So the only other thing to report on is that I managed to actually do a triathlon for the first time in two years!



I headed to this race as I have heard good things about it and I like smaller events run by clubs where there are not multiple events going on at once (Athy was on the same day), plus it was good great value too! Macanri (formly of these parts and club mate) decided to do it too and we travelled together, great to have such good company! We got there in good time and registered, I was given a different coloured swim cap to mark the fact that I am a diabetic! I didn't realise that this was a thing. My garmin 920xt failed me before the race, the buttons were jammed! Annoying and frustrating (got it working since)...however this worked out as I loved racing without it! I had my bike computer anyway so not a big deal. For sprint racing in the future I am not going to bother wearing it.

Swim

It was certainly fresh getting into the 14 degree water but not too bad. The first 50m or so was the usual bumps, elbows and kicks but after that it was plain sailing. I got a real nice draft to the first buoy. After that things were stretched out and I didn't get feet again until the last 50m or so. My swim was definitely slower than it would have been 3/4 weeks ago but this was solid. I used to get nervous before the swim but now I actually love it and look forward to it.

Dist c700m; Time 12min; Pace 1:43/100; Pos 7/136;

T1 Awful. Loads passed me and over 100 were faster than me. I hadn't practiced and I haven't done a tri in two years so what did I expect. Lost 30 seconds here to the top 10 guys.

Bike

I had my edge 520 for this and I finally got the position of it correct. A rolling out and back bike with pretty good surface apart from at the one turn on the course. I settled in quickly and found myself yoyo'ing between 3 other competitors. For the first time that I can remember this was a proper "paceline" with guys dropping back when passed and every few minutes going to the front again. I was really happy with this leg as I felt strong despite the lack of bike training and in particular the complete lack of long spins. The P5 really came into it's own I felt when going down hill and at high speed, I was able to crest the next hill while free wheeling and using the momentum to get over the next lump where others had to pedals (losers...ha )

Dist 20km; Time 32:46; Speed 36.6km/h; AP/NP 244/260; Cad 91; Pos 14/136;

T2 Better this time, more urgency but still sloppy. As I exited I saw Macanri coming in, I expected to be ahead of him coming out of the water, hold that lead on the bike but get caught on the run...

Run

Onto the run and oh god that first mile was a killer! No brick runs done and I was struggling. The first km is slightly up hill but I'd have that same hill but in my favour for the last km. As I expected this is were Macanri blasted past me and left me for dust. Not that I cared as I was just concentrating on not walking. At around the 2k mark though I started to feel better. I picked up my cadence and used my arms more and low and behold started actually catching a few aead of me. Then with 1k left I realised that Macanri was coming back to me. In the end I fell just short of catching him and came in right behind him with 5 seconds between us (those bloody messy transitions :rolleyes: ) I was delighted to finish so strong though.

Dist 5km; Time 20:25; Pace 4:05/km Pos 24/136;

Overall; Time 1:08:08; Pos 13/136;

I thoroughly enjoyed this race, I cannot praise it enough. The course and organisation was A1. The lake is a joy to swim in. The food after was delicious too and they had AG prizes and I was lucky enough to take 1st place in the 30-39 group. Totally unexpected and undeserved! I loved the little interclub battle between myself and Macanri too and he is unlucky enough to be in the 40-49 AG and 12th was only good enough for 5th in his AG! Crazy.

SO I am off now to Vietnam for 3 weeks and I plan on running 3-5 times a week, I hope this kick starts my running again so when I come back I hit the ground running as it were. I will also swim when I can as I love OW swimming especially in hotter climates where no wetsuit is required.

woody1 wrote: »

I was lucky enough to take 1st place in the 30-39 group. Totally unexpected and undeserved!

a 12 min swim 32 min bike and 20 min run, would suggest it was deserved, really good going .. well done

Thanks Woody.