Long Weekend Fun

The week ended reasonably well.. It  is the Queens Birthday holiday on Monday and so its a long weekend .Although not on the program I swam at the Cott on Sunday morning .It was a beautiful morning.The sea was flat and there were lots of swimmers around.clear skies and perfect for the beginning of swimming on a Sunday. Trevor (aka pieman for eating a pie at Baldivis on his 150km ride on Saturday ), Tony, Les and Hanna were back .We swam down to Blue duck cafe and back in about 45 mins .A slow but steady swim .I felt very comfortable even though my sense of direction meant I swam a lot more.I suspect we swam 1.5km or just a tad more.so it was really slow .There were a few stingers around but otherwise a good swim.


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We wanted to have coffee at Daisies but it was shut so it was off to John Street Cafe.

After the swim I had JJ for the afternoon as we drove around the Joondalup and Hillary's area looking at various Council grounds for potential club rooms and training grounds for the tri club.Not a lot out there but I took lots of pictures and notes .JJ had fun playing at several playgrounds .After a short rest I did my long run .Somehow I managed to lose the data in the download but did 18km in 1.39. averaged 5.30 pace but my running average would have been better with a few traffic stops.Didn't quite run the route to the program as I more  or less ran the entire route at the same pace accept for the last few kilometres .But it was a slight improvement from last week but still slow and about the half Ironman pace I ran earlier this year.I have dropped a bit of weight and weigh in at 72.5kg but still a high %body fat at 33%  .Lots to do to keep dropping the weight and hopefully the % fat..

Bike: 8.30hrs 148kmIt does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times  
Run: 3.10 hrs or 35km
Swim: 4.15 hrs or 10.2km
total: 15.55hrs

IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN BUT HOW MANY TIMES YOU GET UP


Vince Lombardi

It does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up
-Vince Lombardi

AFL Finals

Other than the AFL Footy Finals between Collingwood and St Kildas ,Saturday is my Long Bike Ride.I remember my ride last year on Finals day.It was a eerily quiet morning.Not a lot of traffic about and a bright warm day.today ,there was more cyclist about but otherwise it was a great day .

I started off just after 6am and found that getting my heart rate up was very hard .For the first 63 km down the freeway bike course I was struggling with my HR at about  130-135.A good 10 beats lower than last week.I averaged 31.5kph down the freeway and I hung on to 4 cyclist for the last 5 km before I reached the 2 hour mark.

Had a  short break before the return ride. I was using my gels for the first time in 4 months and found that the orange cordial drink didn't really go down too well with the gels.I managed the whole ride on 2 Bidons or 1.5lt Will have to avoid that again.I had one bidon with Gatorade and for the first hour I had stomach cramps but they settled as the miles rolled by.It was reasonably windy but I did not have any real headwinds to contend with and was actually quite a nice ride.Probably had a few cross winds and definitely some helpful winds on the way back.

After the turn around I began to build a more consistent pace and managed to get my average up to 32kph by the end of the ride.By far my strongest result although I don't think i was firing on all cylinders with my low HR .

As I rode the freeway I saw a few familiar faces .Claudia Dohr was training on her own and heading back as I was riding south and on my ride back saw Trevor .I whizzed by screaming a hallo and again Tony was on the freeway course as well. I later learnt they both were trying to ask me a question ie where the other was on the course. Thought I had snubbed them but when I ride I am only focused on getting back as quickly as possible .No time to stop and chat.

I made it back just before the 4 hour mark .A distance of 126.5km in 3.58 hr.Unfortunately , I lost all my date on my Garmin when I changed to run mode and did not save it .The data would have been helpful but I did get to monitor my Hr and average pace throughout the ride so it was helpful...I just do not have a record.From the bike I went on to do my run .I did 28 minutes and ran just over 5km .It was a beautiful day with the Perth Skyline as I ran along the swan river in South Perth.Saw Claudia again as she was heading back from her run.

The rest of the day I was just hanging around the house Did lunch for JJ and then fell asleep watching the finals .Needed that. As the AFL Finals ended in a draw ,the saints and Pies meet again next week and I will be on the freeway again...a bit like deja vu. Go the Saints.

Efforts

Thursday 23 September.

I had a 2 hour ride today with 5 x 10 minute efforts.As I had to drop my car in for a service I got to the city at 5.30am and parked in the city and then rode my bike to Nedlands . Caught up with Ross and group and then started my efforts on my own.Did 3.5 loops and then met up with the group after their run and bike session .

I rode back to the car and then drove to the service centre and rode to work.In the evening I rode back to get the car. rode a total of 70km.

Friday 24^th September

Warm up

400m (150 freestyle 50 breastroke x2)

Drill with pull bouy

25m fist 25m freestyle x 6 10sec rest

then 50 reduced stroke X4 lowest number possible

Main

4 X 150m freestyle 15 secs rest fast, medium, fast, firm then 45 secs rest

6 X 100 m  15 secs rest (100freestyle fast 100m easy X3)

8 x 50m freestyle all fast 10 secs rest

L1 X 4

Cool down

50m backstroke 50m freestyle 50m breastroke 50m freestyle

50m backstroke 50m freestyle
I just did 200m of the cooldown.

Getting into the Groove

As the week begins , I am slowly getting into the groove of training . I am glad I am able to do the long runs on Sunday and have a easy Monday with a swim session.This week was a reasonably  hard week of swimming.I  did my swim after work and it was  a longish session of over an hour.

Monday 20^th September

Warm up

500m freestyle with pull bouy easy

Drill

50m 6kick 1 stroke catchup on front 50m breastroke X 3 10 secs rest

Main

All at threshold or firm and all freestyle

300m 30 sec 250m 30 secs 200m 20 secs 150m 1 mins rest X 2

Cool down

With pull bouy 25 kick 50 freestyle X 4

It was a 2.9km session and I felt it particularly as the lane was crowded and I was having to speed up or slow down lots.

Tuesday Morning was the standard hard cycling session. Everyone was out and I felt good.Rode with the 3 girls ,Tenike , Michele and Juliana and Johnny  joined us soon after so we were working in a group of five>That suited me better than the previous week. I found it a lot more comfortable riding and I had a slightly longer recovery period between turns in the front. The weather and temperature was good and I had my thick jaggard jacket on so I actually had a good sweat from riding hard. I managed to keep up and Stuart joined us and everytime he was in the front he would surge forward and we would all be trying to catch up.i managed to hold onto his wheel and it was only in the last 5 minutes , Michelle called out that the hour was up and I slowed up but the rest kept going and I then just had to keep going.It was a good ride.I had an average of 34 kph and that was with the ride to Nedlands at easy pace. 

Overall did 52.5 km and I felt pretty good after the ride 

Wednesday 22 September.

I decided to do my run in the morning and my swim in the evening.Got up relatively early and headed of to the Light Street Park.I had a1.10 session with 8 x 800m sessions at threshold.It was fairly cold but at least it was light.got warm running to the park and then started >Managed to get my heart rate up to 145 and above 153 but it was mainly around 140-145.I felt the run was a little better than my first interval session last Wednesday. I did just under 12km and most of the efforts were under 5min pace.

After work I did my swim set which was the hardest session .I did a 3.3 km session and finished at 7.20pm .over an hour session and I was pretty tired at the end.

Wednesday 22^nd September

Warm up

10 x 50m 5sec rest free, free, back, breast, repeat

Main

700m  1 min rest medium pace

600m 1 min rest firm pace

500m  1 min rest medium  pace

400m  40 secs rest firm with pull bouy

300m  30 secs rest fast

200m 20 secs rest fast with pull bouy

100m medium

Cool down

3 x 100m (25 backstroke 75 freestyle) Easy

Bring on the rest of the week.

The Fun Begins

The training gets a little harder but the hours are the same. I have a full days rest on Saturday after my ride and sleep in on Sunday .Aside from some work and spending the day with JJ at the Park I did very little.I then do my long run on Sunday evening rather than rushing it on Monday . It was a 1.45 run and I did a run from home with a few short climbs along the way .I try and watch my heart rate and I had to do 45 mins at medium effort , whatever that means.

I got to 6km into the run and then did a 45 min effort at medium pace but most of the run felt the same. I ran to Mt Lawley and then did a turn around and ran back on the same course. Not alot of people about and it was quite warm in the beginning.It was a beautiful day and was a great spring day.Earlier I was at Kings Park and it was warm and crowded as Jonathan ran around and got hot.I did give him too much sweets and fizzy drinks so he had the energy to use up.I got told off by my wife for not being the adult especially as he has 3k worth of dental work despite his teeth still being mainly baby teeth.The joys of parenthood , it is easier to give them what they want and let the other half deal with it.

I finished up running just over 18km .I felt good and I hadn't gone out hard .I just have to keep getting the kms in and watching my weight. Got new runners today as well .Back to Gel Kayanos and they feel lots better as my shoes  have little support left so I can feel the difference now.

I had a really good nights rest and didn't have to do any training on Monday morning which is always a difficult day for me .I did my swim at Beatty Park in the evening.It was a late start at close to 6pm and finished up doing 2.9km .Jamie,Michael and Tineke were 2 lanes down doing the same set.It was pretty crowded and had to swim past lots of breaststrokers and slow swimmers in my lane so it was hard going.

Monday 20^th September
Warm up
500m freestyle with pull bouy easy
Drill
50m 6kick 1 stroke catchup on front 50m breastroke X 3 10 secs rest
Main
All at threshold or firm and all freestyle
300m 30 sec 250m 30 secs 200m 20 secs 150m 1 mins rest X 2
Cool down
With pull bouy 25 kick 50 freestyle X 4

I felt comfortable finishing the set so Iam not sure if I actually put in the required effort . I do feel the water a lot more even if I am not moving faster in the water . I certainly have the same stroke count per 50 metre.

The Hard Ride

Saturday's have always been a day for my long and usually hard ride .Just 4 years ago , I remember my first ride on my eBay purchased Raceline . I rode from home down the swan river cycle path and back , a huge 30 km .I then began solo rides round the river a huge adventure for me. I even had the embarrassment of stopping at traffic lights and not being able to unclip in time and just keeling over much to the amusement of passing motorist.

My early experiences are a distant memory .I have progressed. .On Saturday it was the start of harder rides with a 4hr session at sub threshold..I was on my own and I drove down to the Narrows Bridge for a 6am ride down the freeway.It was pretty cold or at least I felt it despite two layers with my Ironman Japan T shirt under my cycling long sleeve top.I felt the cold for most of the ride.

It was slow going and hard to stay focused.I did not have any gels but lots of jelly beans and dates and ate all of on the ride with 1.5l of water and electrolyte. I managed to getup to 32kph average on the way down .I turned round before the end at the 2 hr mark and then had a short break before riding back and straight into a headwind .That was hard going for 45 minutes and then it eased up and would come back every short while.It was a hard ride and I was hoping to be able to have got my average up but generally it was a good start. Mentally I just got my head down and did the miles (or kms ) .

It was good to be back at the narrows after that ride.Saw poor Bob Thomas changing a flat tyre by the cycle path to his racing wheelchair/bike.Poor start for him as he headed out on the freeway but what an attitude and determination.I didn't feel too bad about my ride then.thought about stopping but I would be no use to him as I have difficulty changing a normal road wheel let alone his wheelchair bike.

As I got to the car it was a quick change and a 20 minute run along the South Perth Foreshore .It was a nice Perth Day and the wind was up and howling.I got through a 18minute run and did over 3km at a pretty reasonable pace.The legs felt fine. I even managed a sub 5 min km along the way. I am feeling pretty good with the running although my shoes are getting worn down with the running I am doing and I am feeling it in the joints.

I survived the week but I knew I would . I now weigh in under 75 kgs although with a new weighing scale I have a fat composition of 30% .Not sure how accurate it is .

Total training:
Swimming ; 3 hrs 7.35kms
Bike: 8.45 hrs or 250km
Run : 3 hrs or 33kms
Total: 14.45 ( I missed one easy run session)

The Training Week

As I did not manage my run session on Wednesday , I decided to do the run on Thursday.It was going to be a long day.

I did my 2hour bike ride with 5 x 10 min efforts round the river ,riding from home. It was a cold 3.8C and the wind was pretty strong at points on the route. But i managed a good time .As I rode over the Narrows Bridge I ran into Ross and crew from Exceed after their training at Nedlands so I went to breakfast with them.I was pretty tired after the ride andat lunch did a run round the bridges approx 11.5km) I did 3x 1km,3 x 800m , 4 x 400m efforts with 1 min between each effort.despite the cool weather in the morning by lunchtime it was sweltering and I was really tired and thirsty after the run .i was happy with the effort but the legs were cooked and I still had to ride home.Managed the run and ride 68km on the bike .It was a long training session.

I did my swim on friday evening and skipped my easy run in the morning.

Friday 17th September

Warm up

200m freestyle

Drills with fins

50m chicken wings 50m finger drag 50m freestyle X 4 10 secs rest

50m 6 kicks 3 stroke on side X 5 sec rest

50m backstroke 50m freestyle x 2

Main Set

400 freestyle 100m medley firm 1 min rest

100m medley 300m freestyle medium 1 min rest

100m medley 200m freestyle fast 40 secs rest

100m freestyle 100 medley firm 20 secs rest

100m medley 100m freestyle fast

Cool

300m freestyle easy

Swam at Beatty Park and it was pretty busy in the public lane I took it slow and easy and managed the session in 70 mins.