Back to The Grindstone

A Grindstone

After my uber easy week aka doing nothing , it was back to a full week of training. I am reminded it is nothing like the hours of training the pros put in and still no where near some of the heavy weeks I had in years past.

But it isn't about the hours or distances .Difficult as it is to rationalize this view it has a lot of merit .
Having said that the latest edition of the Triathlete magazine has a series of articles on Kona and how to get there. Well there are many factors and starting with good VO2 capacity and possibly a strength in one of the 3 sports always helps.But one of the pieces was Lance Watson 7 week training programme. It was impressive an had loads of hours on it. At present not really my way of thinking  and certainly I don't think I can carry a very heavy load with all the other activities in my life.

Monday skipped swimming and did a long run in the evening 1.30 with 2 x 30 minutes trying to run at marathon pace. that was hard and the legs were cactus .I was struggling in the second block.

Tuesday , had the morning Nedlands session.Rode form my office in the city and was out on the course at 5.40am .I did a lap of the course and the skies opened up.I was drenched and just kept going .There were a few cyclist out . Joined the 6 am session and was teamed with Tineke and Julianna , lasted a half lap before I got dropped. That was it and I just struggled on for 3 laps and managed to jump on a few cyclist for short burst .The legs were screaming by the end of the session. I had difficulty walking and I did cramp on the ride which was a rare event. In the evening it was a run session.I did a 3km warm up followed by 1500 at threshold , 1000km at marathon pace and 500m fast and 500 , 1000 and 1500m again. Cool down was a further 2km and a bit.

Wednesday I was aching and stiff and missed another swim session. I was able to do my cycling session at Kings Park .It was a nice day and did hill repeats till the rain came as I finished my session. Approximately 1.15 with 7 hill repeats . I am glad I missed the rain today.

Thursday , it was up at 4.30 am and I was at the office car park pumping my tires and riding down the ramps for 5 levels out to the quiet roads. Perth like any other city is a very different place at 5 am . I see the homeless man lugging his suitcase about and I see him again a few hours later on my ride back. The sad part of a city.

I headed out to Nedlands , it was overcast and looked like a shower was around the corner...the roads were wet. Got to Nedlands and set up for the brick session.I started early and  started about 15 minutes ahead of the main group. Did a 5-6km loop with a 1km run .Did that 4 times and then rode back to the city for coffee at the Venn at  Queen's street . Always a hard session and especially harder in the wet.I got a bit of rain on the first brick session.The bike shoes and runners got a little muddy and clipping in was a problem on the last round.

In the evening I did an hour easy run and the legs were tired but it was a slow run. Couldn't go to the Triathlon WA launch at Perry lakes.just not enough hours in the day with work and training .

On Friday morning I managed to get to the pool and did a pretty fun session.I had a 600m warm up with fins and did not do the medley .Then drills for another 800m and 4 x 200m in a relay which was fun with everyone swimming from the middle of the pool . Followed by a cool down of 125m. I did about 2200m. It was then of to PIHC for treatment on the shoulder.