Week 9

 When it gets cold Outside ...Maroon 5

Saturdays session a swim and run...for the dog

I was reading my review of Chrissie's book some 3 years ago while I lay in Hospital waiting to have my head stitched up and recalled that she always referred to the Rudyard Kipling poem IF ( see the article The remarkable story behind Rudyard Kipling's 'If' - and the swashbuckling renegade who inspired it By Geoffrey Wansell ) It is about fortitude ,strength and standing up at a time just before  the First World war and was as much about  the Scots-born colonial adventurer Dr Leander Starr Jameson and Rudyard's only son who was killed in the battle of Loos ,in World War 1.

If there are lessons in the world of Ironman and Endurance , Chrissie's commentary on the poem If provides it in prose. Fortunately most of us do not have to test our fortitude and calmness in war or battle but in this ever increasing chaotic world life can change at a moment and in testing and pushing one self in the only theater , that of sport , it is worthy to remember the words in the poem.

This week is the start of the last 10 weeks with the build phase finished and trying to put in a bit more of some speed work and just getting the long rides up a notch . I admittedly have been a little slack and the cold weather has not helped. I have probably not applied myself at each session but training a lone has its drawbacks.I have had some good sessions but this weekend I have rested more when feeling tired .

Monday I had a rest day instead of swimming. Tuesday rode to cross fit and then did a really hard session of clean and jerks getting up to 50kgs on the bar. Rode home still pushing reasonably hard.

Wednesday , up early for the first morning swim in forever .I ran 5km to the pool and then swam 2.5km doing 60 x 25 m with 3 of the 25m lengths hard and 1 easy with a warm up and cool down . Exceed were a few lanes down and chatted with Ross back from his Europe cycling holiday. Then ran the remaining 6 km to the office , with 5km just over 5min pace and at lunch had an easy 5km run for 16km of running.In the evening a painful massage to get the painful knots sorted. Thursday a straight 60 minute wind trainer session with 6 x 3 mins at 250 plus watts . Friday , I ran for 50 minutes really easy @ 6.30 pace and then swam in the evening , 3km swim. Saturday , I had a late start opting to take the dog for a walk and ended up running 14kms with a 1.5km swim then did cross fit .We had a good hard session with:

30 Slam balls
30 clean n jerks with a medicine ball
15 sit ups
10 squats
x 5

Sunday, I did a 2.5hour wind trainer session with the road trainer but more like 3 hours as the Ant+ was not picking up the power and cadence and there were a few drop outs making me bike for longer than the time recorded.Legs were feeling it and so I did not get a run or swim in. Been mixing up the training a fair bit and not following the plan religiously. Famous last words when I am buffeted by the winds on the  legendary Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway.