Weeks 16 & 17 September 12-25

Always a few detours

At Cross fit 24 September 2016

The next 2 weeks I was hoping to crank out a big long ride but unfortunately by the end of the week I was down with the flu again and was out of action.The preparation for Kona has been hard simply because of the weather and the fact that I just have had an office full of sick people this winter..Despite that I have done a fair bit of training and whilst not as many long rides as I like I feel comfortable.

The week was off well with a swim session and my pace remains slow and the same but I feel good in the water and hopefully once in Hawaii I will be able to get a lot of swims in the ocean as its just not been possible here .On Tuesday a 2 hour session riding with Exceed on the Birwood loop .I found it harder this week with the chest still feeling weak but managed to keep going. The legs weren't tired just the lungs . In the afternoon a good cross fit session with 105 clean & jerks, push ups and hollow rocks.I also did a 55 minute wind trainer session with 10 x 1 min at threshold and then 10 mins on the treadmill at 5.30 minutes per km.

Wednesday another treadmill session with various gradients and I had to miss the swim session with work

Thursday I did a run and then in the evening a wind trainer session which was hard and so felt I was coming down with the flu.On Friday an easy run which was a struggle and so off to to Doctors and a quiet weekend.

It was another 7days before I could resume training and did a wind trainer session on Thursday with a lot of wheezing and coughing but got through the session .Friday swam a straight 2.5km and felt better .On Saturday a ride down the Freeway bike path with Borisfit crew and then a run off the bike 5km on my own and 2 with Irondog.In the afternoon a cross fit session just focusing on snatches and  cleans. Sunday morning with the rain I ran late and did a slow steady run with about 10 km.

The test will be the weather and the heat but it is what it is and there is a fine line with over training and getting sick and under training and suffering on the course. Ultimately I recall Paula Newby Frasers article from 6 years ago as she recounted taking on a younger Natasha Badmann and Karen Smyers in 1997 she was the consummate athlete and whilst there is no comparison with me a back of the pack triathlete there is a slow realization that in all endeavors you learn to confront your shortcomings and ultimately your fears and accept that sometimes it is that fear of not winning that you must overcome.For me it not winning but doing ones best and that has been difficult with competing pressures which everyone faces and manages  and most possibly the motivation of knowing why you are out there .It has moved more to getting a PB to really just finishing what I started which was 10 years ago just getting to Kona .Interestingly  Natasha has a wildcard entry to Kona where she will retire and finish her illustrious career of more than 20 years and I saw her at Lanzarote in 2011 as she was coming back from injury.

Two notable quotes in the article are (Its not easy ): Most impressively, Newby-Fraser admit­ted, “I was finally free of the ego or the fears that people would say I was a quitter. I was quite comfortable retiring out on the Queen K because that was the place where I had left so many pieces of myself in the past. I didn’t need that again.”

 In 1998, when Newby-Fraser crossed the Kona line in 11th place in a humbling 10:03:44, she was bathed in loving applause. “I real­ized today that people cared about me for who I am and did not care where I finished, only that I was OK and happy,” she said.

(On the way she was named “Greatest All Around Female Endurance Athlete in the World” by ABC Sports and the Los Angeles Times and named as one of the top five professional female athletes in the world from 1972 to 1997 by the United States Sports Academy. Sports Illustrated listed her as number 60 among the greatest female athletes of the twentieth century. Until Wellington broke her course record at Kona in 2008, Newby-Fraser held the top six times in the history of Ironman Hawaii. By 1999 she had won 21 of the 26 Ironman races she entered around the globe.)

 The adventure is about to start .Leaving for Hawaii and in 2 weeks Ironman World Championships ...the blog iwantakonaspot gets realized.

Week14 & 15

Saturday Instead of a bike ride

Its Alright-End of the line

A big week trying to get back into training after the flu.

Monday whilst still struggling with the chest and wheezing a bit I did a 4km swim .It was a pretty nice day and actually got a little sunburnt .Then went to the Drs for antibiotics and in the evening did a windtrainer session on trainer road with 4 x 10 minutes at 200watts .Tuesday I went down to the Exceed ride but it was an easy river loop as the main triathletes were heading to the World 70.3 championships.It was a pretty easy ride but I was still struggling a bit with the cold air and my flu. In the evening I rode to cross fit and then had a good 30 minute session of bench press with 25 to 50kgs and starting with 10 reps and down to 2-3s with the heavier weights.Then the ride home.

Wednesday , run to the pool and then a swim of 2.2kms and then a fast run to the office .managed to get the pace at about 5.20 with 1km under 5 minutes but again coughing from the cold air and the rain at the end.In the afternoon an easy 5km run.

Thursday a windtrainer session with 3 x 14 minutes at 130 to 150 watts. Friday an easy run of 9km and then 2.1km swim

Saturday a late start and rode a lone down the Freeway bikepath to Mandurah and back 5 hours but just 125km with the traffic and some wind.Ran off the bike and felt better .Still a bit of coughing and in the afternoon did cross fit with just a 25 minute boxing session.

Sunday ran from Burns Beach for 2.5 hours .Managed 22 kms at about 6.50 minutes per km .A little slow but managed to finish on tired legs . In the afternoon a slow 2km swim in the pool.


Did a full week and 21 hours with about 260kms of biking and 50km of running .

The next week started out again with a swim session of 3km .The main set was 75m fast 25 easy for 1500m then Pullbuoy and paddles and cooldown. Tuesday I did a windtrainer session with 1min on and 1 min recovery and all out effort for 15 repeats then 10 minutes on a thread mill again at 5.30 mins per km . In the evening did another windtriner session and cross fit for 30 minutes.

Wednesday I ran on the threadmill with 2 x 1 min @8% ,5 mins flat,2mins @6% ,5mins flat , 3 mins @4% and 5  mins flat  and then 10 mins cooldown .In the evening a massage.Skipped the swim because of the rain . Thursday a wind trainer session with again maintaining above FTP pace and found it pretty hard with my lingering chest infection.

Friday I ran an easy 8km and then swam 3.5kms with 15 x 50m fast 50m recovery as the main set.

Unfortunately Saturday and Sunday were non starters and I just felt mentally really tired.

Two more big weeks and have to crank out the mileage .

WEEK 12 & 13 August 15-28

Molly Saturday 

 

Let the Sunshine In -The Fifth Dimension (Hair)

The next few weeks are usually the big build and the long rides cranking up to 5hours or more.

The wet weather was certainly making training this winter a lot harder than usual.The spirit tends to wax and wain  despite this being Kona.

The work week started much the same with a swim session and an easy 2000m swim with a straight session of non stop swimming.Tuesday I rode to cross fit and also ran 5kms and then had a cross fit session before riding home. Cross fit was back squats from 30 to 50kgs , with at least 100 squats .

Wednesday I had a run to the pool and then to work about 70 minutes in total and the pool session was just a short 1600m with various drills. In the afternoon a short easy 5km run. Thursday a hard wind trainer session with the Kickr and Traineroad. Basically 2x 7 mins at threshold and then 2x 5mins at 105% FTP and then 3 Mins at FTP . Struggled a bit with fatigue at the end and maintaining the levels. Friday a 3km swim and easy run.

On Saturday not feeling a 100% so opted for a run and swim 13km run and 1600m swim and then cross fit for 30 minutes.Started getting a cold and by Sunday had aches and I was down with the dreaded flu which meant I was out for the whole of the next week unfortunately.It had been through the population and was a lot worse this year possibly because of the cold wet weather . I admit I had it reasonably mild but just could not train particularly as I needed to get rid of it quickly and not let it linger.I did visit the Doctor and had antibiotics after 8 days and that helped with the chest and lungs .

Not a lot of training but life goes on.

Week 11 Getting Close

Mundaring Weir Saturday Morning 13 august 2016

Enjoying her water

Molly on Sunday Hike in John Forrest

Monday a sort of defacto rest day as I was just tired after the Sunday work outs .

Tuesday , managed to join the Exceed crew at the Narrows for a 2 hour session with a time trial out to Nedlands and then we did loops around a 8.5km circuit managing 3 and a bit laps and I finished with just over 50kms including a slow return to the city but I grouped up with 3 of the Exceed girls and just took turns at the front but 2 dropped off and then there was just me and Liz Sinclair before she had to go to work so the last half-hour was me struggling a lone . Jason Rhine training for the Worlds 70.3 whizzed by at 40kph with Mike Kent on his back wheel and they looked very strong . there was the Running Centre group cycling around and time trialing , all in the dark as I could only see the road in the last 15 minutes before we headed back to the city . In the evening I rode out to cross fit and had a half hour session .There was a bit of rain about and it was chilly. The cross fit session was just 5 rounds of dumb bells with

15 clean n jerks with 3kg dumb bells
5 dumb bell push ups
30 dumb bell curls
30 boxing with dumbells

then rode home making it an 85 km ride with the cross fit

Wednesday another early start ,running to the pool 5km and swimming 2km straight with the pull buoy and running to the office 6km with 5kms at between 5.06 mins per km to 5.25 mins per km then a slow last km recovery. In the evening a very painful massage with lots of sore points in the leg and back.

Thursday I managed a good rest and in the evening a solid wind trainer session with the main set of 3 x 9 mins at 216 watts .

Friday an easy run of 8km and then a swim 3km with :
400 easy
400 paddles
400 PB & paddles
25 x 60 with 3 hard 1 easy
300 easy recovery.

Saturday .Great weather and a 3.5 hr ride in the hills followed by a 5km run off the bike and then cross fit in the afternoon .

Sunday , I did a 1.40 m run really easy as the legs were tired .Finished with 13km and then swam in the evening with a 2km swim .

The training has increased with over 200km of riding and  lots of climbing , 17 hours all in so the volume has gone up a little.