Another busy week & a bit. Thanks for the comments everyone. I know 3 mins isn't much Hamburglar, but after not running for 8 weeks - or is it 9 now?, I forget - I'll take it. It's not quite niggle free yet but getting there :-)
Anyway my new horizon is triathlons - particularly off-road triathlons & multisport 'adventure races' which was the reason I bought Apollo rather than a road bike in the first place. As I can't do Six Foot next year I've been hunting around for a good goal (trail) race without much success. I've always said that I'd do a triathlon eventually. I had managed to resist the temptation and ignore my triathlete uncle who, for many years, has been trying to talk me into doing one. But when my uncle & R met recently, their combined efforts proved far too persuasive ;-) Seriously though my swimming & riding over the last 9 or so weeks certainly wasn't done with a tri in mind - I've only been so focused on it because I couldn't run - but it seems a good idea to use the base that I have built up. I haven't identified my tri debut race just yet - I will leave that decision until I'm running reasonable distances again. But I have a nice shiny new triathlon program which kicked off last week (thanks TA) & was very excited last weekend to discover that Xterra is coming to Australia - finally!
Enough rambling - the week & a bit that was:
Monday 27/8
Back to the gym after work for the usual session (including 3min run) followed by a scenic 1.6k swim including my first attempt at drills. Thankfully I was wearing fins so I didn't take on too much water. It was also my first ever incidence of chaffing. I've never suffered from chaffing when running but unfortunately I discovered a bit too late that one of the straps on my swimmers was twisted on my shoulders. Unfortunately it left a lovely red mark right on the base of my neck at the side. What's worse is that I only realised (after I got to work on Tuesday) that you could see the mark above the neckline on my dress. How embarrassment.
Tuesday 28/8
Up at 4.50am for a session on Apollo on the trainer. It was supposed to be a hills session but I couldn't quite bring myself to go out in the dark (something I will have to get used to, I know) so I did untimed intervals using a combo of different high (grinding) gears & spinning for 40mins including 5mins w/u & c/d
Thursday 30/8
Saw a return to the gym for the usual session (including another 3min run) followed by a scenic 2k swim. Somewhere around the 1.2k mark, I realised that I had eaten very little food during the day due to meetings which made this session a huge struggle. I was absolutely stuffed by the end of it. Still, it got done - unlike my Friday morning interval session. After a late night packing for the weekend & watching the World Champs, I decided to go for the extra hours sleep.
Saturday 1/9
After a mini sleep-in, I went out for a 30mins walk (including 3min run) along the country roads near our hotel in the Hunter Valley on a gorgeous warm morning, befitting the first day of spring! Happy days :-)
Sunday 2/9
All of Sunday was a struggle after 4 hours sleep due to the wedding & then having to be up at 4.30am for the hot air balloon ride (my first!). After getting home & unpacking, around 8pm I decided that there was nothing like the prospect of a 90k ride in a matter of weeks to get me off the couch so I did my scheduled 85min ride in front of the telly while watching the World Champs.
Monday 3/9
Got caught in the office so only had time for my scenic 1.45k swim tonight - no gym session.
This week is another big week of training & other assorted other stuff. Work is really feral at the moment. My goals for the rest of this week are -
(a) get more sleep than I have in recent weeks; and
(b) blog more often than once a week to avoid essays such as this.
I had also set myself the goal of doing every session on the plan but work has already screwed that up - on top of which a sore throat & head cold has descended over the last 48 hours. Hopefully I can recover quickly & be ready for a big weekend of training (thank you APEC).
Total for August - 13.6k swimming, lots of time on Apollo (note to self - get cadence sensor) and - wait for it - 15 minutes running. LOL.
12 comments:
Swimming? I still don't get it ;-)
You were always going to get into tri's - hardly a grand announcement???
Good to see the consistent training - keep it up! Does the 10% rule allow for 4 mins running this week?
BTW, who is R? ;-)
So the race is on. Can I beat you to the triathlon debut? Good to see your lack of running has dampened your spirit.
I look forward to reading more Jen posts - such great photos!
"Up at 4.50am for a session on Apollo on the trainer" - you know your committed when you do that!! Glad to see things are going well - and yes, nice photos!!
Great photos Jen! Congrats on your decision to "do" a triathlon. Beware, one is never enough - you will be hooked!! Just increase that running very gradually.
No Six Foot. You made 2p cry. Good luck when you finally debut in a tri. I'm thinking that Penrith one in Jan or Feb will be it?
AR? thats fantastic jen.
very jealous :)
may join u out there one day if i figure out this mtb thing.
Yay for you Jen - I am excited! I can't wait to hear what tri you decide to do.
I was very excited to read about Xterra too, but the timing is not great - 2 weeks after Ironman. We'll see! :)
Seems like your keeping busy Jen.
Here's hoping you can get in more ks running.
What is with the "APEC" reference?
Scott
Triathlons are one thing, but adventure races - they really are for the truly nutty people! I'm sure you'll fit in well ;-)
Well, if you can't run, off-road triathlon isn't a bad alternative. Maybe introduce Apollo to some mountain bike races first, so as not to scare him.
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