and I'm exhausted. Good thing I'm not racing. Still cheering for a grand total of 17 hours needs a fair stock of endurance & energy, something I'm lacking right now. I made it to Port Mac only one day behind schedule thankfully. I've spent most of my time working & studying since I got here but I've managed to get out for a ride, a swim & some time at Cold Rock. Yes, I've got the priorities right ;-)
Mon: my busiest day of the week. Up at 4.30pm to study before work & then I'm not normally home before 10pm due to swim squad. However I left swim squad early due to a slight niggle in my shoulder. Nothing serious; just a few tight muscles I think. I'm not particularly surprised given that I've been spending far too long hunched over a desk in the last few weeks & haven't done a solid strength session in a month or two. 1km
Tue: headed to the gym before work for some sekrit training & a few back exercises to help relieve the pressure at the front of my shoulder. No pilates; home from work too late.
Wed & Thu: surely sitting on my butt either at work or in the car constitutes exercise....
Fri: up early for a visit to the gym for an upper body strength session before driving up to Port Mac where R & Mini Mango had already settled into our apartment (they arrived on Thursday).
Sat: dragged myself out of bed just in time to inhale a slice of toast and ride from Flynns Beach along the IM bike course to the race HQ in time to see MiniMango before the start of the 5km fun run (she & R had left while I was still in bed). After her race, I got back on the bike & rode part of the IM course, back up Pacific Drive, along MFD & out of town. I turned around once the rolling hills of Port Mac flattened out past the golf course & headed for home.
Matthew Flinders Drive has been a real mental struggle/block for me. For those who haven't seen it, it is a very short but sharp 2 'stage' hill. After the first short, steep climb, you turn right into a side street & get a (short) reprieve before turning left for the final (and slightly steeper) kicker up to the top. Before I arrived in Port, I honestly still wasn't sure whether I was going to attempt it. But when I arrived here on Friday afternoon, MiniMango told me that she had ridden it yesterday. She's 14 & rides her bike about once a month. Talk about throwing down the gauntlet! So I decided to take it on, (trying) to stay strong mentally, break it into the 2 stages & trusting that I had ridden uphill for much longer than this little pimple. And I did it! I was a bit ugly but I got there. I would have loved to have seen my HR at the top but unfortunately Garmin Electra wasn't picking it up today. Yah me! 70mins. 25.57km
Much of the day was pretty standard for IM-eve: perving on bikes, catching up with friends, visiting the expo and eating at Cold Rock. At 3pm, MiniMango & I headed to Flynn's Beach for a swim with TA & Gnome, Owly & Miners, which turned into a short swim & lots of splashing about in the waves talking ;-) Throw in a bit of work & a quick visit to the CR dinner & it was a lovely day. At the very least, I'm all carbo-loaded for tomorrow's uber effort ;-)
MTD:
Swim - 5.5km
Bike - 157.2k
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Tapering..
Ewen, I'm not particularly nervous about the 90km ride. It's the 1.9km swim beforehand that has me worried.. :-O
Well the scales keep going down despite the (continued) lack of exercise this month. Though unfortunately I suspect it is simply muscle loss as the amount of exercise I am doing - or the lack thereof - and the amount of stress hormones pacing through my body at the moment won't be helping. This week I feel like I've been living in a constant state of low level anxiety in connection with work. Not good.
Mon: 5am - alarm; 5.30am - gym; 9am - Auburn; 10am - Chullora; 12.30pm - CBD; 3pm - Rhodes; 7pm - Penrith; 7.30pm - Emu Plains (swim squad); 11pm - exhausted & in bed. A return to swim squad after several weeks absence. Given the session was largely structured for those tapering for IM, I asked for, and got, lots of drills. A bit of a breakthrough night for me; a couple of fast 100s with surprisingly little effort & a much improved catch. Happy days :-) 2.5k
Tues - Sat: pilates, otherwise rest & far too much work.
Sun: headed out with R for what is becoming our Sunday morning ritual; a long ride with a visit to Coffee Club by the Nepean River for coffee and (today) a chocolate chip muffin before heading home. It almost ended badly when a stick managed to fly up & jam itself between my wheel & front fork (!). I think my heart stopped there for a minute. But thankfully I was able to stop before it did any damage. Otherwise it was a great way to start the day. Not to mention the great view when drafting ;-P R is looking very fit, strong & ready for the IM next weekend. Turned out to be my longest ride in months; much needed given the lack of exercise this week. 2.16. 54.1k. 23.8k av. 149HR av.
The week ahead will be frantic. R & MiniMango are heading to Port Mac on Thursday. However I have to attend a seminar on Thursday so I'll be heading up on Friday at the earliest or even possibly Saturday depending on work :-(( Aside from a teleconference on Monday, hopefully I won't have to work too much or (even worse) come back early. Fingers crossed, remote access, wireless wifi & a mobile phone will suffice. Privatisations wait for no IM...
MTD:
Swim - 4.5k
Bike - 131.7k
Well the scales keep going down despite the (continued) lack of exercise this month. Though unfortunately I suspect it is simply muscle loss as the amount of exercise I am doing - or the lack thereof - and the amount of stress hormones pacing through my body at the moment won't be helping. This week I feel like I've been living in a constant state of low level anxiety in connection with work. Not good.
Mon: 5am - alarm; 5.30am - gym; 9am - Auburn; 10am - Chullora; 12.30pm - CBD; 3pm - Rhodes; 7pm - Penrith; 7.30pm - Emu Plains (swim squad); 11pm - exhausted & in bed. A return to swim squad after several weeks absence. Given the session was largely structured for those tapering for IM, I asked for, and got, lots of drills. A bit of a breakthrough night for me; a couple of fast 100s with surprisingly little effort & a much improved catch. Happy days :-) 2.5k
Tues - Sat: pilates, otherwise rest & far too much work.
Sun: headed out with R for what is becoming our Sunday morning ritual; a long ride with a visit to Coffee Club by the Nepean River for coffee and (today) a chocolate chip muffin before heading home. It almost ended badly when a stick managed to fly up & jam itself between my wheel & front fork (!). I think my heart stopped there for a minute. But thankfully I was able to stop before it did any damage. Otherwise it was a great way to start the day. Not to mention the great view when drafting ;-P R is looking very fit, strong & ready for the IM next weekend. Turned out to be my longest ride in months; much needed given the lack of exercise this week. 2.16. 54.1k. 23.8k av. 149HR av.
The week ahead will be frantic. R & MiniMango are heading to Port Mac on Thursday. However I have to attend a seminar on Thursday so I'll be heading up on Friday at the earliest or even possibly Saturday depending on work :-(( Aside from a teleconference on Monday, hopefully I won't have to work too much or (even worse) come back early. Fingers crossed, remote access, wireless wifi & a mobile phone will suffice. Privatisations wait for no IM...
MTD:
Swim - 4.5k
Bike - 131.7k
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Congratulations!
Congratulations!
Your team (Team Mango Jelly) has been accepted to compete in the 10th anniversary Capricorn Half Ironman Triathlon, as part of the Ultimate Aussie Team Challenge.
This race is based within the Rydges Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon, Central QLD on the weekend of 15-16th August 2009.
It's official. No turning back now - yikes!!!
Your team (Team Mango Jelly) has been accepted to compete in the 10th anniversary Capricorn Half Ironman Triathlon, as part of the Ultimate Aussie Team Challenge.
This race is based within the Rydges Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon, Central QLD on the weekend of 15-16th August 2009.
It's official. No turning back now - yikes!!!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The uninteresting, interesting week..
Geoff, I'll try and have an uninteresting week to make it interesting for you ;-)
Mon: rest (day surgery)
Tue: pilates + rest (stoopid work)
Wed: woke at 3.30am thinking about work & couldn't go back to sleep. So getting up at 4.30am to do a bike session was actually pretty easy for once. 30mins bike on the trainer incl. 3 x 5mins efforts w/ 5min w/u & c/d. Nice to get moving again. 11.6k. 40mins pilates w/ Carly later in the afternoon.
Thu: very short strength session + pilates in the gym at lunch.
Fri / Sat: rest (if a day of spectating at Six Foot can be considered rest)
Sun: went out about 7.30am with R for a ride; our first ride together in months. Headed out to the M4 & then up Lapstone Hill to Blaxland - my first time up the 'hill' & in the process set a new HR max of 191 according to Garmin Electra - before coming back down via Mitchells Pass. It's clear that R is in taper mode; he suggested that we stop for coffee & banana bread at the Coffee Club down by the Nepean River on the way home. I like the way he thinks ;-) I had really enjoyable morning - a shame though that I have had to spend the rest of the day working. 34.1k in 1.41. Av. 20.1k/h
Work is going to be really feral for a few (several) months now that the project I was employed to do has finally been given the green light. Professionally for me, this is huge. But I've worked too hard on my bike & swim fitness & strength over the last 12 months to let it go. Hopefully I'll be able to find some semblance of a routine in order to get some training done...
MTD:
Swim - 2km
Bike - 77.6km
Mon: rest (day surgery)
Tue: pilates + rest (stoopid work)
Wed: woke at 3.30am thinking about work & couldn't go back to sleep. So getting up at 4.30am to do a bike session was actually pretty easy for once. 30mins bike on the trainer incl. 3 x 5mins efforts w/ 5min w/u & c/d. Nice to get moving again. 11.6k. 40mins pilates w/ Carly later in the afternoon.
Thu: very short strength session + pilates in the gym at lunch.
Fri / Sat: rest (if a day of spectating at Six Foot can be considered rest)
Sun: went out about 7.30am with R for a ride; our first ride together in months. Headed out to the M4 & then up Lapstone Hill to Blaxland - my first time up the 'hill' & in the process set a new HR max of 191 according to Garmin Electra - before coming back down via Mitchells Pass. It's clear that R is in taper mode; he suggested that we stop for coffee & banana bread at the Coffee Club down by the Nepean River on the way home. I like the way he thinks ;-) I had really enjoyable morning - a shame though that I have had to spend the rest of the day working. 34.1k in 1.41. Av. 20.1k/h
Work is going to be really feral for a few (several) months now that the project I was employed to do has finally been given the green light. Professionally for me, this is huge. But I've worked too hard on my bike & swim fitness & strength over the last 12 months to let it go. Hopefully I'll be able to find some semblance of a routine in order to get some training done...
MTD:
Swim - 2km
Bike - 77.6km
Sunday, March 07, 2010
The times they are a'changing...
Yet another interesting week. Come to think of it, they all tend to be 'interesting' for one reason or another! Work has turned feral which will mean some very long hours in the weeks (months) ahead. We also only have 1 car at the moment as mine is in for repairs (with no idea of when I'm getting it back) which has thrown out both of our routines and training plans.
Mon: 30mins pilates, otherwise rest. Missed swim squad as I got caught at work.
Tue: dragged myself out of the office mid-afternoon for a good 2km swim. After so much inactivity over the last week & spending far too long sitting on my ar$e at work in recent days, I really enjoyed it.
Wed: 45min of butt-destroying pilates with Carly. Progress is going really well :-)
Thu: more pilates. Stoopid work.
Fri: escaped from the office at lunch (yippee) for 45min strength session. All is right with the world again. Ahhhhh :-)
Sat: "rest" if you can call getting up at 4.15am to be at Coogee by 6am to volunteer at Wild Women on Top's 50k/100k Coastrek event which started at Palm Beach on Friday morning & ended at Coogee on Saturday afternoon. A great day spent with some fantastic day in a beautiful place. Nice :-)
Sun: 1:20 ride from Wallacia out & back along (undulating & completely and utterly dead) Greendale Road. 31.96km. 22.7k.h
Hopefully a bit more training during the week ahead of a visit to Jenolan Caves - unfortunately by car - next weekend.
MTD:
Swim - 2km
Bike - 31.9km
Mon: 30mins pilates, otherwise rest. Missed swim squad as I got caught at work.
Tue: dragged myself out of the office mid-afternoon for a good 2km swim. After so much inactivity over the last week & spending far too long sitting on my ar$e at work in recent days, I really enjoyed it.
Wed: 45min of butt-destroying pilates with Carly. Progress is going really well :-)
Thu: more pilates. Stoopid work.
Fri: escaped from the office at lunch (yippee) for 45min strength session. All is right with the world again. Ahhhhh :-)
Sat: "rest" if you can call getting up at 4.15am to be at Coogee by 6am to volunteer at Wild Women on Top's 50k/100k Coastrek event which started at Palm Beach on Friday morning & ended at Coogee on Saturday afternoon. A great day spent with some fantastic day in a beautiful place. Nice :-)
Sun: 1:20 ride from Wallacia out & back along (undulating & completely and utterly dead) Greendale Road. 31.96km. 22.7k.h
Hopefully a bit more training during the week ahead of a visit to Jenolan Caves - unfortunately by car - next weekend.
MTD:
Swim - 2km
Bike - 31.9km
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Off-season is go...
Well although it wasn’t intended at the start of the week, my training for the week certainly looks like an off-season. Several unplanned rest days due to a combination of fatigue earlier in the week, logistical problems due to having one car between us at the moment & work becoming feral meant that the only training I did this week was:
- pilates everyday except Friday;
- a 60min ride out & back along Greendale Road. That road is even more dead than I remember. Perfect training ground :-) 21.8k. Av 23.1k/h.
Yep, that’s it :-)
What a way to end the month. It’s been a rather strange month; my birthday, 2 x mini-recovery / taper weeks due to races (one of which was a weather-related DNS), my best tri race so far and this rather abrupt start to my off-season. As you would expect in these circumstances, Feb's totals were down:
Swim – 16.5k
Bike - 196.2k
March will see a sans-program month; my first such month in about 2 years. My only goal is to maintain my weight. I'm already carrying a touch more weight than I am comfortable with so the goal is not to gain any more with the reduced training load over the next month. For some accountability, it’s at 62.7kg right now :-O I'll be spending the month training as I feel like it rather than as my program dictates :-)
- pilates everyday except Friday;
- a 60min ride out & back along Greendale Road. That road is even more dead than I remember. Perfect training ground :-) 21.8k. Av 23.1k/h.
Yep, that’s it :-)
What a way to end the month. It’s been a rather strange month; my birthday, 2 x mini-recovery / taper weeks due to races (one of which was a weather-related DNS), my best tri race so far and this rather abrupt start to my off-season. As you would expect in these circumstances, Feb's totals were down:
Swim – 16.5k
Bike - 196.2k
March will see a sans-program month; my first such month in about 2 years. My only goal is to maintain my weight. I'm already carrying a touch more weight than I am comfortable with so the goal is not to gain any more with the reduced training load over the next month. For some accountability, it’s at 62.7kg right now :-O I'll be spending the month training as I feel like it rather than as my program dictates :-)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Let there be bling!
What a wonderful weekend for so many reasons - great weather (at least on Saturday!), great racing, great company & bling!
After taking a half day off work on Friday, we arrived at Vincentia just before 5pm to pick up the keys for our gorgeous apartment. Friday night also saw R come into my sprint team as a last minute substitution for his brother due to illness. Saturday morning the alarm went off at 5am & I was up & out of bed straight away. Nothing like adrenaline & nerves to get you moving. We arrived at transitions ridiculously early but after some stuff-ups with registration & marking, not to mention the usual toilet queues, the time passed very quickly. I am always amazed by the nerves I experience before a triathlon. I wasn't nervous before I ran Six Foot but a lil bitty triathlon sends me into spasms. While I try to focus only on the things I can control, I think it is the extent of the uncontrollable variables that make me nervous.
We were racing in the mixed teams category and, unlike every teams event I have done so far, this time the teams had their own separate wave starts - yippee! Thanks in part to the salt water & wetsuit, I had (by my standards) a great swim. It was controlled, relaxed & I quickly got into a good rhythm. I also managed to swim in a relatively straight line which is something I struggle with. Got out of the water, looked at my watch & did a double take when I saw 13.51 - about 3 mins faster than I had anticipated. At this point I learnt my first lesson of the day - don't apply too much bodyglide to the back of your neck because it's very hard to grab hold of the wetsuit to take it off!
After a quick transition I was onto the bike & out of town. I was really pleased with my ride too; I felt strong & managed to 'play tag' with several guys who I would pass going up some of the inclines but then be overtaken by on the flats & downhills. I don't often pass blokes on the bike so that gave me a lift. I discovered too at this point that I had a faint headache; the dead road surface was rattling the brain a bit too much. At the turnaround, I decided to set myself of goal of getting back to T2, and effectively finishing my race, in sub-60min which I did - just! - after just about red-lining it all the way back to town. Got off the bike and ran back to rack my bike where I met R who gave me a kiss and took off on his run. He flew, running a 19.xx, the fastest run split of the mixed teams category.
I must have been in a great mood after the race; I hardly blinked when R managed to drop my bike off the top of the car! After the race we headed back to our apartment & R mentioned that he thought we may have got 3rd place in our category. So we decided to head back into Huski in time for the presentations. Once we got back to Huski, we checked the results to discover that we had finished 4th out of 15 teams – happy days!. No need to attend the presentation ceremony we thought so we decided to skip presentation & get some lunch. Once we had sat down & ordered lunch, we looked at the results again & discovered that an all mens team had been included in our division so in fact we had finished 3rd :-D :-D So we scoffed our (delicious) lunch to get to the presentation ceremony. And lucky for us, they had picked up on the mistake & we were awarded our bling - my first in my adult sporting career! We spent the rest of Saturday morning at the race HQ buying stuff in the expo & watching the rest of the racing.
I'm sure R is sick of me saying this but this is my blog so I'm going to say it again - I'm still stunned by my swim split. Looking at the results, had I done the sprint as an individual that split would have had me 10th out of the water in my AG out of 65 women! I'm still shaking my head at that...
Another 5am start on Sunday morning this time for R's race. It was so much harder to get out of bed without the adrenaline ;-) I had a lovely morning cheering, eating, drinking coffee, finding shade & melting in the sun (& did I mention eating!) with Gnome while we cheered on R, TigerAngel & others who all had great races. It was nice of R & TigerAngel to coordinate their lap timing so well ;-) In all, a really enjoyable weekend; so much so that we are already looking at booking our accommodation for next year.
So that race brought my season to an end. 3 races. 3 very different experiences. Saturday's race was THE perfect way to end the season. It has left my body in one piece (well, no worse than it was when I started the race) and my mind in a very good place. I'm itching to build (lots of) bike strength over the off-season, looking forward to my first race of next season* & to get the body strong enough to run again so I can cross a finish line myself! Woohoo!
MTD:
Swim - 16.5km
Bike - 174.4km
* Yep, it's going to be a big one ;-)
After taking a half day off work on Friday, we arrived at Vincentia just before 5pm to pick up the keys for our gorgeous apartment. Friday night also saw R come into my sprint team as a last minute substitution for his brother due to illness. Saturday morning the alarm went off at 5am & I was up & out of bed straight away. Nothing like adrenaline & nerves to get you moving. We arrived at transitions ridiculously early but after some stuff-ups with registration & marking, not to mention the usual toilet queues, the time passed very quickly. I am always amazed by the nerves I experience before a triathlon. I wasn't nervous before I ran Six Foot but a lil bitty triathlon sends me into spasms. While I try to focus only on the things I can control, I think it is the extent of the uncontrollable variables that make me nervous.
We were racing in the mixed teams category and, unlike every teams event I have done so far, this time the teams had their own separate wave starts - yippee! Thanks in part to the salt water & wetsuit, I had (by my standards) a great swim. It was controlled, relaxed & I quickly got into a good rhythm. I also managed to swim in a relatively straight line which is something I struggle with. Got out of the water, looked at my watch & did a double take when I saw 13.51 - about 3 mins faster than I had anticipated. At this point I learnt my first lesson of the day - don't apply too much bodyglide to the back of your neck because it's very hard to grab hold of the wetsuit to take it off!
After a quick transition I was onto the bike & out of town. I was really pleased with my ride too; I felt strong & managed to 'play tag' with several guys who I would pass going up some of the inclines but then be overtaken by on the flats & downhills. I don't often pass blokes on the bike so that gave me a lift. I discovered too at this point that I had a faint headache; the dead road surface was rattling the brain a bit too much. At the turnaround, I decided to set myself of goal of getting back to T2, and effectively finishing my race, in sub-60min which I did - just! - after just about red-lining it all the way back to town. Got off the bike and ran back to rack my bike where I met R who gave me a kiss and took off on his run. He flew, running a 19.xx, the fastest run split of the mixed teams category.
I must have been in a great mood after the race; I hardly blinked when R managed to drop my bike off the top of the car! After the race we headed back to our apartment & R mentioned that he thought we may have got 3rd place in our category. So we decided to head back into Huski in time for the presentations. Once we got back to Huski, we checked the results to discover that we had finished 4th out of 15 teams – happy days!. No need to attend the presentation ceremony we thought so we decided to skip presentation & get some lunch. Once we had sat down & ordered lunch, we looked at the results again & discovered that an all mens team had been included in our division so in fact we had finished 3rd :-D :-D So we scoffed our (delicious) lunch to get to the presentation ceremony. And lucky for us, they had picked up on the mistake & we were awarded our bling - my first in my adult sporting career! We spent the rest of Saturday morning at the race HQ buying stuff in the expo & watching the rest of the racing.
I'm sure R is sick of me saying this but this is my blog so I'm going to say it again - I'm still stunned by my swim split. Looking at the results, had I done the sprint as an individual that split would have had me 10th out of the water in my AG out of 65 women! I'm still shaking my head at that...
Another 5am start on Sunday morning this time for R's race. It was so much harder to get out of bed without the adrenaline ;-) I had a lovely morning cheering, eating, drinking coffee, finding shade & melting in the sun (& did I mention eating!) with Gnome while we cheered on R, TigerAngel & others who all had great races. It was nice of R & TigerAngel to coordinate their lap timing so well ;-) In all, a really enjoyable weekend; so much so that we are already looking at booking our accommodation for next year.
So that race brought my season to an end. 3 races. 3 very different experiences. Saturday's race was THE perfect way to end the season. It has left my body in one piece (well, no worse than it was when I started the race) and my mind in a very good place. I'm itching to build (lots of) bike strength over the off-season, looking forward to my first race of next season* & to get the body strong enough to run again so I can cross a finish line myself! Woohoo!
MTD:
Swim - 16.5km
Bike - 174.4km
* Yep, it's going to be a big one ;-)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Ready to rock & roll...
Ewen, I have absolutely no doubt that Lucky Legs could whip my ar$e!
T'was 2 nights before my last race of the season & I'm already packed, ready to go to Huski & (to my surprise!) looking forward to the race & the weekend away - not to mention the off-season!
Mon: 30mins pilates before work. Then 3.2k at swim squad. Lots of 50s & 100s tonight. I must say I'm looking forward to the off-season (7 days & counting) as I have noticed a few dodgy things creeping into my stroke due to high volume & low number of drills recently. My right shoulder is also feeling slightly grumpy. I never thought I'd say this but - bring on the drills!
Tue: Pilates, otherwise rest.
Wed: I was due to go to Pilates w/Carly but scored a last minute call-up to Easy Tiger's lair for a massage; my first in about 10 months! Ouchy. Later about 6pm I headed out for a 60min ride along the Northern Road which included 4 x 90s firm efforts which also happened to be into a head wind. 3min negative split on the return journey thanks to the tail wind. Nice :-) Gosh, I lurve riding. 24.7k/h. Av.25k/h. 15min pilates in the front of the telly later in the evening.
Thu: 30mins pilates before work. Then 1.7km swim at lunch with 3 x 300m at race pace (6.05, 5.57, 5.58). All systems are ready for launch :-)
R & I are off to Huski at lunchtime tomorrow. I'm racing the sprint on Saturday morning with Brother Mango doing the run leg. R will be racing the long course event on Sunday morning while I enjoy a (coffee) date. Should be lots of great racing on this weekend to watch - can't wait!
MTD:
Swim - 15.75km
Bike - 154.4km
T'was 2 nights before my last race of the season & I'm already packed, ready to go to Huski & (to my surprise!) looking forward to the race & the weekend away - not to mention the off-season!
Mon: 30mins pilates before work. Then 3.2k at swim squad. Lots of 50s & 100s tonight. I must say I'm looking forward to the off-season (7 days & counting) as I have noticed a few dodgy things creeping into my stroke due to high volume & low number of drills recently. My right shoulder is also feeling slightly grumpy. I never thought I'd say this but - bring on the drills!
Tue: Pilates, otherwise rest.
Wed: I was due to go to Pilates w/Carly but scored a last minute call-up to Easy Tiger's lair for a massage; my first in about 10 months! Ouchy. Later about 6pm I headed out for a 60min ride along the Northern Road which included 4 x 90s firm efforts which also happened to be into a head wind. 3min negative split on the return journey thanks to the tail wind. Nice :-) Gosh, I lurve riding. 24.7k/h. Av.25k/h. 15min pilates in the front of the telly later in the evening.
Thu: 30mins pilates before work. Then 1.7km swim at lunch with 3 x 300m at race pace (6.05, 5.57, 5.58). All systems are ready for launch :-)
R & I are off to Huski at lunchtime tomorrow. I'm racing the sprint on Saturday morning with Brother Mango doing the run leg. R will be racing the long course event on Sunday morning while I enjoy a (coffee) date. Should be lots of great racing on this weekend to watch - can't wait!
MTD:
Swim - 15.75km
Bike - 154.4km
Monday, February 15, 2010
Blog-versary
Gnome - between you & me, I don't like your chances ;-)
After posting yesterday, I realised that today is - much to my surprise - this blog's 5th birthday. The only time I keep a diary is when I travel. Otherwise even as a kid, I never kept a diary. I vaguely remember deciding to keep a diary as a kid. But I suspect the intention to do so lasted no more than an hour or two.
Soooo much has happened in the last 5 years - new relationships, ending relationships, death, moving house, injuries (!), travelling (lots!), most recently marriage :-D, and always physical activity/training of one sort or another. I find it amusing to think that this blog was set up purely to chronicle my running - haha. Like life, this blog has not turned out the way I planned. It has covered some of the darkest days as well as the brightest and I am very pleased that I have kept it come rain, hail or shine.
The last 5 years have been one heck of a ride. I'm looking forward to finding out what the next 5 will bring... :-D
After posting yesterday, I realised that today is - much to my surprise - this blog's 5th birthday. The only time I keep a diary is when I travel. Otherwise even as a kid, I never kept a diary. I vaguely remember deciding to keep a diary as a kid. But I suspect the intention to do so lasted no more than an hour or two.
Soooo much has happened in the last 5 years - new relationships, ending relationships, death, moving house, injuries (!), travelling (lots!), most recently marriage :-D, and always physical activity/training of one sort or another. I find it amusing to think that this blog was set up purely to chronicle my running - haha. Like life, this blog has not turned out the way I planned. It has covered some of the darkest days as well as the brightest and I am very pleased that I have kept it come rain, hail or shine.
The last 5 years have been one heck of a ride. I'm looking forward to finding out what the next 5 will bring... :-D
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy birthday to me...
Today is my 35th birthday. Far out. I have no idea where the last 20 odd years have gone. I wouldn't quite say that I'm suffering from a mid-life crisis (or perhaps celebration), but it's getting closer!
Mon: 30mins pilates before work. Then 3.25k at swim squad. A very surprising session. I didn't want to go. In fact, deciding between going to our local takeaway shop for a hamburger & chips or going to swim squad was a very tough decision to make. I really didn't want to go. But I did. And it turned out to be one of the best sessions I have ever had in the pool. I felt strong, buoyant in the water and like I was swimming well. Go figure.
Tue: 45min of butt torturing pilates w/ Carly, otherwise rest.
Wed: a day off work for a change but no rest. 3km swim at 6am. My shoulders & mind thank Coach TA for the variety in this session; it had everything from backstroke to IM medley to sculling to kicking (and, of course, lots of freestyle). I've been overdosing on freestyle lately so the variety was a nice change.
Just before 6pm I headed out for a 66min ride, from home down to the Regatta Centre with some 1min efforts along nice, quiet & flat Andrews Road, a loop around the industrial area that is part of the Nepean Tri course, before taking my life in my hands again to ride home - the first time I've ridden around the streets in Penrith. (25.03km).
Thu: strength session in the gym before work. Lots of shoulder & back work in an attempt to balance out all the freestyle I've been doing lately. 30mins pilates in the evening.
Fri: 30mins pilates, otherwise an unplanned rest day. I had planned to do the open water swim at the Regatta Centre again but arrived at the gate at 6am to find that the swim had been cancelled due to another event :-(
Sat: I left home at 5.30am to meet TigerAngel at Bobbin Head for 90mins of hill reps. It was the second time I've ridden Bobbin Head and both times it has rained - thankfully. It is so much easier / nicer riding uphill in the rain rather than in the humidity. It was lovely to catch up during our ride & over breakfast afterwards. Thanks for a lovely morning TA! 28.96k. 1:38. Av. 17.7k/h
Sun: Coach TA gave the ok to skip this session given that it's my birthday. But after the amount of food I've eaten this week, the birthday cake for morning tea...
and ahead of a birthday dinner tonight, I decided that it was probably a good idea to do it anyway. 48min bike session on the trainer (including 4 x 5min). 18.6km (av. 23.1k/h). I have had a lovely day. I'm very spoilt though I need to do lots of cycling over the next few months to make use of my new cycling shoes & 3 (!) jerseys!. Off to dinner shortly :-)
The week ahead is another recovery / taper week ahead of the sprint race (my first - hopefully!) at Huskisson next Saturday as part of Team Jelly Pants (don't ask) where I will be doing the swim & bike again & Brother Mango is running. Looking forward to racing on Saturday & then a coffee date on Sunday on Sunday morning.
MTD:
Swim - 10.85km
Bike - 129.79km
Mon: 30mins pilates before work. Then 3.25k at swim squad. A very surprising session. I didn't want to go. In fact, deciding between going to our local takeaway shop for a hamburger & chips or going to swim squad was a very tough decision to make. I really didn't want to go. But I did. And it turned out to be one of the best sessions I have ever had in the pool. I felt strong, buoyant in the water and like I was swimming well. Go figure.
Tue: 45min of butt torturing pilates w/ Carly, otherwise rest.
Wed: a day off work for a change but no rest. 3km swim at 6am. My shoulders & mind thank Coach TA for the variety in this session; it had everything from backstroke to IM medley to sculling to kicking (and, of course, lots of freestyle). I've been overdosing on freestyle lately so the variety was a nice change.
Just before 6pm I headed out for a 66min ride, from home down to the Regatta Centre with some 1min efforts along nice, quiet & flat Andrews Road, a loop around the industrial area that is part of the Nepean Tri course, before taking my life in my hands again to ride home - the first time I've ridden around the streets in Penrith. (25.03km).
Thu: strength session in the gym before work. Lots of shoulder & back work in an attempt to balance out all the freestyle I've been doing lately. 30mins pilates in the evening.
Fri: 30mins pilates, otherwise an unplanned rest day. I had planned to do the open water swim at the Regatta Centre again but arrived at the gate at 6am to find that the swim had been cancelled due to another event :-(
Sat: I left home at 5.30am to meet TigerAngel at Bobbin Head for 90mins of hill reps. It was the second time I've ridden Bobbin Head and both times it has rained - thankfully. It is so much easier / nicer riding uphill in the rain rather than in the humidity. It was lovely to catch up during our ride & over breakfast afterwards. Thanks for a lovely morning TA! 28.96k. 1:38. Av. 17.7k/h
Sun: Coach TA gave the ok to skip this session given that it's my birthday. But after the amount of food I've eaten this week, the birthday cake for morning tea...
and ahead of a birthday dinner tonight, I decided that it was probably a good idea to do it anyway. 48min bike session on the trainer (including 4 x 5min). 18.6km (av. 23.1k/h). I have had a lovely day. I'm very spoilt though I need to do lots of cycling over the next few months to make use of my new cycling shoes & 3 (!) jerseys!. Off to dinner shortly :-)
The week ahead is another recovery / taper week ahead of the sprint race (my first - hopefully!) at Huskisson next Saturday as part of Team Jelly Pants (don't ask) where I will be doing the swim & bike again & Brother Mango is running. Looking forward to racing on Saturday & then a coffee date on Sunday on Sunday morning.
MTD:
Swim - 10.85km
Bike - 129.79km
Sunday, February 07, 2010
It's raining. It's pouring...
Another week speeds past. More training but unfortunately no racing (did I just say that?). It is also time I focus on what is going into my mouth as I'm not quite comfortable with my weight right now. Last week was a bit of an ice cream anomaly. I haven't been going crazy but my weekly 'junk food' day seems to be stretching into more than one at the moment...
Mon: 30mins pilates before work. Then 3.1km at swim squad. It was a pretty crap session largely thanks to the fact that I left all my gear at home; goggles, cap, ear plugs, paddles, fins etc. Thankfully my kick board was in the car, I 'borrowed' a pull buoy from the centre & R had a spare cap & a set of goggles which either cut off the circulation to my brain & gouged my eyes out or alternatively flooded all night. So I had to improvise during the kicking and paddle sets. Ai ai ai. Still I must say that while I don't love this session, I am enjoying it a bit more now; less talk, more swimming.
Tue: 30min pilates in the AM, otherwise a rest day.
Wed: up early as usual for my swim at the pool at work at 6am. This time it was "only" a 1.5km swim due to a mini-taper for Friday's race. Included 5 x 200m (w/ hard last 50m) off 4:20. The first one was s-l-o-w (4:12) but thankfully I got faster with each one, the last being the fastest (3:57). It took me a while to warm up I think - which is hardly a surprise given that the pool is bl**dy cold.
30mins pilates w/ Carly (my physio/pilates instructor-extraordinaire) at 2pm and in the late afternoon a 60min ride along the M7 bike path including 5 x 3min hill repeats on a gusty/windy afternoon - 22.8k / av. 22.5k/h /avHR136. I slept well.
Thu: easy strength session at the gym (including pilates) at 6am. Took it very easy due to Friday night's race & feeling a wee bit fatigued.
Fri: I was due to D(eliberately) N(ot) F(inish) my first sprint distance tri at our club race tonight by DNF'ing after the swim & bike legs. I was actually looking forward to this race. If you had told me after the Oly in Canberra 2 weeks ago that one day I would actually be looking forward to a race, I would have told you to stop dreaming ;-) But this race was a bit different; a club race held at twilight & under lights for the first time.
Unfortunately a huge thunderstorm rolled in about 15mins before the race was due to start with lightening striking not too far in the distance. So the powers-that-be made the decision to cancel the swim (I guess they didn't want to fry half of the club if the lightening hit the water) and turned the race in a (run/bike/run) duathlon. Unfortunately this resulted in my DNF becoming a DNS :-( If you had told me 2 weeks ago that I would be disappointed by that outcome, I would have told you to stop dreaming again :-) The race continued as I huddled under a tent as torrential rain fell. The race was actually called off mid-bike due to the rain & low visibility. It wasn't meant to be I guess. So that left me with a rest day & very wet feet.
Sat: rest - Coach TA had given me the option to go out for a hard ride but the rain & crappy conditions but an end to that. 'Twas lovely to catch up with Mouse & NTR over dinner (*waves*)
Sun: had a 90min undulating bike ride on the program. But once again the crappy weather intervened and I did it instead on the trainer listening to podcasts whilst staring at the garage door. Ho hum, it's done. Pilates later this afternoon. 34.4k.
And Chris, this is Operation Alpine :-D
MTD:
Swim: 4.6km
Bike: 57.2k
Mon: 30mins pilates before work. Then 3.1km at swim squad. It was a pretty crap session largely thanks to the fact that I left all my gear at home; goggles, cap, ear plugs, paddles, fins etc. Thankfully my kick board was in the car, I 'borrowed' a pull buoy from the centre & R had a spare cap & a set of goggles which either cut off the circulation to my brain & gouged my eyes out or alternatively flooded all night. So I had to improvise during the kicking and paddle sets. Ai ai ai. Still I must say that while I don't love this session, I am enjoying it a bit more now; less talk, more swimming.
Tue: 30min pilates in the AM, otherwise a rest day.
Wed: up early as usual for my swim at the pool at work at 6am. This time it was "only" a 1.5km swim due to a mini-taper for Friday's race. Included 5 x 200m (w/ hard last 50m) off 4:20. The first one was s-l-o-w (4:12) but thankfully I got faster with each one, the last being the fastest (3:57). It took me a while to warm up I think - which is hardly a surprise given that the pool is bl**dy cold.
30mins pilates w/ Carly (my physio/pilates instructor-extraordinaire) at 2pm and in the late afternoon a 60min ride along the M7 bike path including 5 x 3min hill repeats on a gusty/windy afternoon - 22.8k / av. 22.5k/h /avHR136. I slept well.
Thu: easy strength session at the gym (including pilates) at 6am. Took it very easy due to Friday night's race & feeling a wee bit fatigued.
Fri: I was due to D(eliberately) N(ot) F(inish) my first sprint distance tri at our club race tonight by DNF'ing after the swim & bike legs. I was actually looking forward to this race. If you had told me after the Oly in Canberra 2 weeks ago that one day I would actually be looking forward to a race, I would have told you to stop dreaming ;-) But this race was a bit different; a club race held at twilight & under lights for the first time.
Unfortunately a huge thunderstorm rolled in about 15mins before the race was due to start with lightening striking not too far in the distance. So the powers-that-be made the decision to cancel the swim (I guess they didn't want to fry half of the club if the lightening hit the water) and turned the race in a (run/bike/run) duathlon. Unfortunately this resulted in my DNF becoming a DNS :-( If you had told me 2 weeks ago that I would be disappointed by that outcome, I would have told you to stop dreaming again :-) The race continued as I huddled under a tent as torrential rain fell. The race was actually called off mid-bike due to the rain & low visibility. It wasn't meant to be I guess. So that left me with a rest day & very wet feet.
Sat: rest - Coach TA had given me the option to go out for a hard ride but the rain & crappy conditions but an end to that. 'Twas lovely to catch up with Mouse & NTR over dinner (*waves*)
Sun: had a 90min undulating bike ride on the program. But once again the crappy weather intervened and I did it instead on the trainer listening to podcasts whilst staring at the garage door. Ho hum, it's done. Pilates later this afternoon. 34.4k.
And Chris, this is Operation Alpine :-D
MTD:
Swim: 4.6km
Bike: 57.2k
Sunday, January 31, 2010
The ice cream report...
A strange week which has included a gambit of emotions from frustration, anger, malaise to 'stop being such a girl', acceptance, 'f*ck it, I can do this' & steely determination. Thankfully not too much ice cream was injured in the process.
Mon: rest (post-race) & ice cream at the movies with hubby :-)
Tue: 30mins walk followed by pilates (30mins). And more ice cream.
Wed: 2.8km swim at 6am in the pool at work which felt more like an ice bath than pool actually. Though I wasn't complaining after a hot night in Sydney. I felt very flat (both in energy & motivation levels) during the warm up but both improved as the session went on. By the 18 x 50m, I was flying (well, as much as I ever do). Pilates (45mins) in the PM with Carly left me with jelly legs. No ice cream.
Thu: 42min (interval) bike session on the trainer in the garage at 5am. (15.2k). No single leg drills today as I need to (slightly) decondition the anterior muscles in my hip; they are a bit too over-active. Pilates (30min) in the PM.
Fri: 1.5km open water swim in my wetsuit at the Regatta Centre at 6am. As usual, I zigged and zagged but this time remembered to spit (in my goggles).
Sat: strength session at the gym late morning. Unfortunately I probably trashed my legs a touch too much given tomorrow's ride. Another highlight of the day was date night; we went to see Katie Noonan in concert at Taronga. Thankfully the rain held off until her last number. A fantastic night enjoying a picnic & the incredible music (the songs of John Lennon & Paul McCartney performed as only she can) overlooking Sydney harbour. Oh and a custard tart in lieu of ice cream today :-)
Sun: today's program read 90mins ride "easy but on a hilly" route. Personally I don't normally associate "easy" with "hilly". Nonetheless I drove out to Wallacia & did my 90mins out & back along Greendale Road. I felt rather flat during the first 30mins probably due to a combination of fatigued legs from yesterday's session, dead road surface & dehydration. Although the road surface didn't improve, I soon came good & felt strong for the rest of the ride. I know that my strength on the bike is improving. I normally have to stand to climb the one 'steep' hill (300-400m long) but today I was actually able to stay seated the whole way up it. Month 1 of Operation Alpine is complete :-) 34.08km. 22.4k/h av. 1:30:58 More pilates later this afternoon.
At the start of the week, I was tempted to rethink my goals (as, I think, most do - rather impulsively - after a bad race). But I know better than that. I'm glad I didn't ;-)
Totals for January-
MTD:
Swim: 25.75km - my biggest month yet!
Bike: 247.7km
Mon: rest (post-race) & ice cream at the movies with hubby :-)
Tue: 30mins walk followed by pilates (30mins). And more ice cream.
Wed: 2.8km swim at 6am in the pool at work which felt more like an ice bath than pool actually. Though I wasn't complaining after a hot night in Sydney. I felt very flat (both in energy & motivation levels) during the warm up but both improved as the session went on. By the 18 x 50m, I was flying (well, as much as I ever do). Pilates (45mins) in the PM with Carly left me with jelly legs. No ice cream.
Thu: 42min (interval) bike session on the trainer in the garage at 5am. (15.2k). No single leg drills today as I need to (slightly) decondition the anterior muscles in my hip; they are a bit too over-active. Pilates (30min) in the PM.
Fri: 1.5km open water swim in my wetsuit at the Regatta Centre at 6am. As usual, I zigged and zagged but this time remembered to spit (in my goggles).
Sat: strength session at the gym late morning. Unfortunately I probably trashed my legs a touch too much given tomorrow's ride. Another highlight of the day was date night; we went to see Katie Noonan in concert at Taronga. Thankfully the rain held off until her last number. A fantastic night enjoying a picnic & the incredible music (the songs of John Lennon & Paul McCartney performed as only she can) overlooking Sydney harbour. Oh and a custard tart in lieu of ice cream today :-)
Sun: today's program read 90mins ride "easy but on a hilly" route. Personally I don't normally associate "easy" with "hilly". Nonetheless I drove out to Wallacia & did my 90mins out & back along Greendale Road. I felt rather flat during the first 30mins probably due to a combination of fatigued legs from yesterday's session, dead road surface & dehydration. Although the road surface didn't improve, I soon came good & felt strong for the rest of the ride. I know that my strength on the bike is improving. I normally have to stand to climb the one 'steep' hill (300-400m long) but today I was actually able to stay seated the whole way up it. Month 1 of Operation Alpine is complete :-) 34.08km. 22.4k/h av. 1:30:58 More pilates later this afternoon.
At the start of the week, I was tempted to rethink my goals (as, I think, most do - rather impulsively - after a bad race). But I know better than that. I'm glad I didn't ;-)
Totals for January-
MTD:
Swim: 25.75km - my biggest month yet!
Bike: 247.7km
Monday, January 25, 2010
The highlights reel...
Thanks Bruce :-)
I still can't say that I'm in the mood to write a race report. So instead-
Highlights:
- a beautiful clear, still morning in gorgeous Canberra;
- watching hot air balloons float overhead whilst setting up in transitions;
- seeing TA smile AND wave during her blistering bike leg;
- having R & MiniM at the swim start;
- finishing the swim (in what turned out to be a reasonable time) despite having a very unpleasant experience;
- riding my new bike;
- having the best, and loudest, cheer squad of any of the competitors - how can you not smile when there are 10 people cheering for you!
- riding consistent laps on the bike;
- getting kind comments from competitors (as they passed me!)
- not being last out of the swim or off the bike;
- getting a kiss at changeover to R in T2, watching him run & then finish off Team Mango Jelly's race;
- stepping up to the next race distance;
- enjoying a sausage sandwich & coffee while watching the presentation ceremony; and
- getting a solid 2 hour training session (2:02 on the watch) on a beautiful day in one of my favourite places to train.
Lessons learnt:
- remember to use anti-fog in goggles or, if unavailable, spit. Fogged-up goggles make sighting (small) buoys even harder (if not impossible). Heck I even had trouble spotting Black Mountain tower at one stage...
- starting in a mens wave and getting quickly dropped (and lapped) does not necessarily mean that I am hopelessly slow. It's just a (natural) consequence of racing against men.
- a post-swim stomach ache will eventually ease;
- (much) more time on the bike is required. Need to consider riding 3 x p/w.
- Jamaican chocolate cheesecake is great recovery food.
MTD:
Swim: 21.45k
Bike: 198.5k
I still can't say that I'm in the mood to write a race report. So instead-
Highlights:
- a beautiful clear, still morning in gorgeous Canberra;
- watching hot air balloons float overhead whilst setting up in transitions;
- seeing TA smile AND wave during her blistering bike leg;
- having R & MiniM at the swim start;
- finishing the swim (in what turned out to be a reasonable time) despite having a very unpleasant experience;
- riding my new bike;
- having the best, and loudest, cheer squad of any of the competitors - how can you not smile when there are 10 people cheering for you!
- riding consistent laps on the bike;
- getting kind comments from competitors (as they passed me!)
- not being last out of the swim or off the bike;
- getting a kiss at changeover to R in T2, watching him run & then finish off Team Mango Jelly's race;
- stepping up to the next race distance;
- enjoying a sausage sandwich & coffee while watching the presentation ceremony; and
- getting a solid 2 hour training session (2:02 on the watch) on a beautiful day in one of my favourite places to train.
Lessons learnt:
- remember to use anti-fog in goggles or, if unavailable, spit. Fogged-up goggles make sighting (small) buoys even harder (if not impossible). Heck I even had trouble spotting Black Mountain tower at one stage...
- starting in a mens wave and getting quickly dropped (and lapped) does not necessarily mean that I am hopelessly slow. It's just a (natural) consequence of racing against men.
- a post-swim stomach ache will eventually ease;
- (much) more time on the bike is required. Need to consider riding 3 x p/w.
- Jamaican chocolate cheesecake is great recovery food.
MTD:
Swim: 21.45k
Bike: 198.5k
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Why?
I was thinking to myself "Why on earth do we do this to ourselves?" both when I was lying in bed on Saturday night & again as soon as I opened my eyes this morning. I suppose the answer to that question is that we, the 'weekend warriors' of the world who try to find the athlete we know, or suspect, or hope is lurking inside us, understand that the comfort zone isn't actually all that comfortable. However a few times during today's race I thought to myself that perhaps it might be 'tolerably comfortable'.
Other than to say I finished my swim & bike legs without drowning, falling off the bike or spending time in the penalty box, I'm not in the mood to write a race report. To be honest I'm struggling to pull any lessons or highlights (other than getting a kiss from hubby at changeover & Team Mango having the biggest, and loudest, cheer squad) from today's race. So I will simply say to Ruth, CJ & Ewen (*waves*) thank you soooo much for making the effort to come down to the race both on Saturday & Sunday to see us & for the (loud) cheering. I really appreciate it & it was lovely to catch up with you as always. Thanks also to Sue & Bruce for everything - including for not delivering the slap across the head I know both of you wanted to deliver ;-P
Other than to say I finished my swim & bike legs without drowning, falling off the bike or spending time in the penalty box, I'm not in the mood to write a race report. To be honest I'm struggling to pull any lessons or highlights (other than getting a kiss from hubby at changeover & Team Mango having the biggest, and loudest, cheer squad) from today's race. So I will simply say to Ruth, CJ & Ewen (*waves*) thank you soooo much for making the effort to come down to the race both on Saturday & Sunday to see us & for the (loud) cheering. I really appreciate it & it was lovely to catch up with you as always. Thanks also to Sue & Bruce for everything - including for not delivering the slap across the head I know both of you wanted to deliver ;-P
Thursday, January 21, 2010
3, 2, 1....
A recovery / taper week ahead of the big race (my goal race for the season) this Sunday.
Mon: 30mins pilates before work & then 3km at swim squad. Felt terrible in the water for most of the session. The green frog that I ate minutes before the session started only kicked in with about 30mins to go. Why do you always have cr*p sessions which mess with your head & dent your confidence in the week leading up to your key race for the season? Don't answer that. A rhetorical question; I know the answer of course but still...
Tue: 30min pilates before work; otherwise a rest day. Oh, and my first ever blood donation!
Wed: AM: 2.3kms swim at 6am at the pool at work including 3 x 500m at race pace; my splits 10.33, 10.27, 10.26. I'm not sure whether those times are a sign that I'm pacing myself consistently or that I only have one speed. While it's probably closer to the latter, I'm going with the former. Pilates in the evening.
Thu: an easy 30min bike on the trainer in the garage at 5am (10.7k) followed by 30min pilates before work.
Tomorrow morning (Friday) will be an easy 1km swim down at the Regatta Centre during the club's open water swim & then that's it til the race on Sunday. I only hope my lovely hubby is up for the sub-40min 10k I know that he is capable of ;-) Strangely, despite the fact that it's my 'goal race' for the season, I can’t say that I’m particularly excited about the race day; I'm actually more looking forward to catching up with friends. Stay tuned for the race report...
MTD:
Swim: 18.95km
Bike: 158.5km
Mon: 30mins pilates before work & then 3km at swim squad. Felt terrible in the water for most of the session. The green frog that I ate minutes before the session started only kicked in with about 30mins to go. Why do you always have cr*p sessions which mess with your head & dent your confidence in the week leading up to your key race for the season? Don't answer that. A rhetorical question; I know the answer of course but still...
Tue: 30min pilates before work; otherwise a rest day. Oh, and my first ever blood donation!
Wed: AM: 2.3kms swim at 6am at the pool at work including 3 x 500m at race pace; my splits 10.33, 10.27, 10.26. I'm not sure whether those times are a sign that I'm pacing myself consistently or that I only have one speed. While it's probably closer to the latter, I'm going with the former. Pilates in the evening.
Thu: an easy 30min bike on the trainer in the garage at 5am (10.7k) followed by 30min pilates before work.
Tomorrow morning (Friday) will be an easy 1km swim down at the Regatta Centre during the club's open water swim & then that's it til the race on Sunday. I only hope my lovely hubby is up for the sub-40min 10k I know that he is capable of ;-) Strangely, despite the fact that it's my 'goal race' for the season, I can’t say that I’m particularly excited about the race day; I'm actually more looking forward to catching up with friends. Stay tuned for the race report...
MTD:
Swim: 18.95km
Bike: 158.5km
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Another week closer...
Mon: the first night of swim squad for the year. And what a session, including 500m of sprint kicking with fins (10 x 50m on 1.15) followed by 18 x 100m (on 2.15, 2.10 & 2.05). Hooly. Dooly. 3.15k
Tue: rest :-)
Wed: Pilates (60mins)
Thu: a double day due to an inability to get out of bed on Wed morning after a particularly horrid's nights sleep. 64min bike (interval) session at 5am (23.7k) & then at lunch a 2.3km swim including another 10 x 100m (on 2.20s). If I don't swim another 100m for a week, I'll be happy ;-)
Fri: 1.5km swim at the Regatta Centre at 6am at the club's weekly open water swim. My shoulders were very fatigued after yesterday's swim. About 32min in total (including the wetsuit factor & a few stops to check on how the Mini Mango was going).
Sat: rather than my usual strength session, I was a 'guinea pig' for myself; experimenting with a series of functional movement exercises from a DVD I recently ordered (30min). I started with the Level 1 exercises today. No weights were involved. Just subtle exercises & movement patterns designed to improve ROM and function. It reminded me that body weight & gravity is often under-rated ;-)
Sun: long ride again today & my first ride since Boxing Day on my lonesome :-( I had 2 x 10min @ race pace in the 2hr ride so I stuck to the Northern Road as it is the closest, and most convenient place to do it. I'm glad I started at 7am; it was rather hot by the time I finished. 46.3km. 1:57. Av.23.5k/h. Dropped the bike in for a service afterwards as I have a slightly grumpy rear derailler at the moment.
Plus approx. 30mins of pilates each day (except Wednesday).
Ready for the race next week; well, as ready as I'm going to be. Recovery & taper this week before heading to Canberra on Sunday. Hopefully we can actually enter. The entry system isn't accepting team entries for some reason that the race organisers are unable to work out....
MTD:
Swim: 13.65km
Bike: 147.8km
Tue: rest :-)
Wed: Pilates (60mins)
Thu: a double day due to an inability to get out of bed on Wed morning after a particularly horrid's nights sleep. 64min bike (interval) session at 5am (23.7k) & then at lunch a 2.3km swim including another 10 x 100m (on 2.20s). If I don't swim another 100m for a week, I'll be happy ;-)
Fri: 1.5km swim at the Regatta Centre at 6am at the club's weekly open water swim. My shoulders were very fatigued after yesterday's swim. About 32min in total (including the wetsuit factor & a few stops to check on how the Mini Mango was going).
Sat: rather than my usual strength session, I was a 'guinea pig' for myself; experimenting with a series of functional movement exercises from a DVD I recently ordered (30min). I started with the Level 1 exercises today. No weights were involved. Just subtle exercises & movement patterns designed to improve ROM and function. It reminded me that body weight & gravity is often under-rated ;-)
Sun: long ride again today & my first ride since Boxing Day on my lonesome :-( I had 2 x 10min @ race pace in the 2hr ride so I stuck to the Northern Road as it is the closest, and most convenient place to do it. I'm glad I started at 7am; it was rather hot by the time I finished. 46.3km. 1:57. Av.23.5k/h. Dropped the bike in for a service afterwards as I have a slightly grumpy rear derailler at the moment.
Plus approx. 30mins of pilates each day (except Wednesday).
Ready for the race next week; well, as ready as I'm going to be. Recovery & taper this week before heading to Canberra on Sunday. Hopefully we can actually enter. The entry system isn't accepting team entries for some reason that the race organisers are unable to work out....
MTD:
Swim: 13.65km
Bike: 147.8km
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Operation Alpine
I can't believe that I've only been back at work for 1 week after Christmas; it feels sooo much longer ;-)
Unfortunately I managed to upset my dodgy ankle in the gym last Saturday which saw me using ice & compression on it on Saturday evening & Sunday. Not too much damage; the treatment was more a result of fear of what I might have done to it rather than any actual evidence of damage to it.
Mon: back to work. So I struggled through to mid-afternoon & then headed to the pool at work for a 2km swim. A strange swim; I felt rather uncoordinated in the water to start with - as though my timing was slightly off - but it came together & felt pretty good through 1.2km of firm efforts.
Tue: rest
Wed: arrived at the pool at work at 6am to discover it was closed for maintenance. Argh! Very annoyed as I really had to psych myself up for the swim ahead. So I headed to the gym for what I thought would be a half-arsed strength session but actually turned into quite a good session; I trashed my legs :-) Pilates in the PM.
Thu: hard interval bike session at 5am. Sooooo nice to be on the bike again. I am loving riding at the moment. Can't wait to get out there again on Sunday. Good thing too given that I have some big bike goals in the next 2 years :-D 17.1k
Fri: rest. I had planned to go to the open water swim at the Regatta Centre in the morning but as I am not very fond of backing up 2 days in a row (knowing that I had Wed's swim to do tomorrow), I stayed in bed :-) I then took my swim gear to work in the hope I would be able to swim at lunch. No such luck. The pool was (still) closed for maintenance. So I went to yum cha for lunch instead :-))
Sat: 2.5km swim in my own lane at 8.30am in the sun. Nice. Included 1.8km at race pace which is my longest non-stop swim today. Given that the 1.8km set was intended to replicate a race scenario, I also managed to inhale a mouthful of water & had to stop briefly mid-lap to cough it up (as I tend to do at least once in each race). It took me 39mins which is a tad slower than I would have liked. I have real trouble pacing myself in the pool. I always hold myself back (perhaps too much) in the first half of the swim out of fear of 'running out of steam' later. Oh well, I guess it will comes with practice & more racing.
Sun: when the alarm went off at 4.10am, I couldn't but think to myself 'what a stoopid sport'. Of course it was entirely my decision to head to Terrey Hills to meet Sue et al for a long ride around Akuna Bay & West Head starting at 6am. It was my first time at the infamous AB / WH area so all I knew to expect was hills.
And I got them in spades. We started with an 'easy' 30mins round trip out to Duffys Forest to wake up the legs (for a while I thought that I may have left them at home) before heading down to Akuna Bay. Our stop at West Head was rather prolonged thanks to my chain jamming itself between the cassette & spokes, requiring 2 complete strangers & 20mins to get out. A hard & challenging ride on a hot morning. I'll be spending a bit more time out here in this year. I managed to devour half of the bakery after I had finished the ride. Felt pretty shattered for much of the afternoon; (despite having a full breakfast) I probably didn't have enough fuel during it (2 gels) 2:48. 57.1km. Av. 20.4k/h
2 weeks to go until the Oly at Canberra which will be my longest race to date!
MTD:
Swim: 6.7km
Bike: 74.2k
Unfortunately I managed to upset my dodgy ankle in the gym last Saturday which saw me using ice & compression on it on Saturday evening & Sunday. Not too much damage; the treatment was more a result of fear of what I might have done to it rather than any actual evidence of damage to it.
Mon: back to work. So I struggled through to mid-afternoon & then headed to the pool at work for a 2km swim. A strange swim; I felt rather uncoordinated in the water to start with - as though my timing was slightly off - but it came together & felt pretty good through 1.2km of firm efforts.
Tue: rest
Wed: arrived at the pool at work at 6am to discover it was closed for maintenance. Argh! Very annoyed as I really had to psych myself up for the swim ahead. So I headed to the gym for what I thought would be a half-arsed strength session but actually turned into quite a good session; I trashed my legs :-) Pilates in the PM.
Thu: hard interval bike session at 5am. Sooooo nice to be on the bike again. I am loving riding at the moment. Can't wait to get out there again on Sunday. Good thing too given that I have some big bike goals in the next 2 years :-D 17.1k
Fri: rest. I had planned to go to the open water swim at the Regatta Centre in the morning but as I am not very fond of backing up 2 days in a row (knowing that I had Wed's swim to do tomorrow), I stayed in bed :-) I then took my swim gear to work in the hope I would be able to swim at lunch. No such luck. The pool was (still) closed for maintenance. So I went to yum cha for lunch instead :-))
Sat: 2.5km swim in my own lane at 8.30am in the sun. Nice. Included 1.8km at race pace which is my longest non-stop swim today. Given that the 1.8km set was intended to replicate a race scenario, I also managed to inhale a mouthful of water & had to stop briefly mid-lap to cough it up (as I tend to do at least once in each race). It took me 39mins which is a tad slower than I would have liked. I have real trouble pacing myself in the pool. I always hold myself back (perhaps too much) in the first half of the swim out of fear of 'running out of steam' later. Oh well, I guess it will comes with practice & more racing.
Sun: when the alarm went off at 4.10am, I couldn't but think to myself 'what a stoopid sport'. Of course it was entirely my decision to head to Terrey Hills to meet Sue et al for a long ride around Akuna Bay & West Head starting at 6am. It was my first time at the infamous AB / WH area so all I knew to expect was hills.
And I got them in spades. We started with an 'easy' 30mins round trip out to Duffys Forest to wake up the legs (for a while I thought that I may have left them at home) before heading down to Akuna Bay. Our stop at West Head was rather prolonged thanks to my chain jamming itself between the cassette & spokes, requiring 2 complete strangers & 20mins to get out. A hard & challenging ride on a hot morning. I'll be spending a bit more time out here in this year. I managed to devour half of the bakery after I had finished the ride. Felt pretty shattered for much of the afternoon; (despite having a full breakfast) I probably didn't have enough fuel during it (2 gels) 2:48. 57.1km. Av. 20.4k/h
2 weeks to go until the Oly at Canberra which will be my longest race to date!
MTD:
Swim: 6.7km
Bike: 74.2k
Saturday, January 02, 2010
The name's Athlete. Professional Athlete.
Well that's how it felt this week when (for the first time since I can remember) I had the joy of staying at home during holidays. It's probably been 5+ years since I last did that. So this week has basically been occupied by training, eating, sleeping & reading. Nice :-)
Mon: my training week started nicely with a sleep-in :-) followed by a 2.5km swim consisting of lots of drills. Thanks to the rain the pool was largely empty. Nice way to start the week!
Tue: thanks to being on holidays, I was able to switch the order of my training sessions in order to join TigerAngel for a long ride along the M7 bike path. Thankfully the rain had cleared so it turned out to be surprisingly warm by the end. It was great to catch up with TA; thanks for the company. Finished with 2:26. 55.58km. Av.22.7k/h. AvC85.
Wed: another long swim, this time 2.9km. I didn't feel quite as strong in the water to start with but my performance didn't drop off as much as I thought it might.
Thu: Loving living life as professional athlete at the moment - even though it meant leaving home at 6am to get to Bobbin Head in time to join TigerAngel for another ride, this time hill repeats up the Turramurra side of Bobbin Head. 3 hill repeats for me as I (and TA's cycling buddy Jan) played domestique for TA as she powered up the hill 4 times. While I only seemed to notice the rain when going downhill, it was either raining or drizzling for most of the ride which was good practice riding in the rain which is something I don't often do; I tend to retire to the trainer in the garage at the first sign of rain. It was also nice to get out on the bike twice in one week; I normally only do one ride on the road each week with the rest of my sessions on the trainer. Finished with coffee in Turramurra where we were joined by Gnome (*waves*). In all a lovely morning. :-) 1:39. 28.97km. Av. 17.4k/h
Fri: I enjoyed Thursday's ride and coffee so much I woke on Friday morning wanting to do it again. Alas, I had a swim on my program. The pool didn't open until 10am so it was a good excuse to sleep-in. Not that I needed a sleep-in after falling asleep about 11pm on NYE (*she blushes*). The new year started with a 2.2km swim which started with 1.6km straight (sans warm-up) to simulate a race scenario. The 1.6km component took about 34mins which is a tad slow but still it was my longest non-stop swim ever so it was a good confidence booster ahead of the Oly in Canberra later this month.
Sat: strength session at the gym.
Rest day tomorrow (Sunday).
Thursday's session of course brought the month of December (and the year) to an end. Despite December being a busy month, I managed to complete almost all of my sessions. It was also my biggest month in the pool (by far) to date -
Swim - 23.4km (!!)
Bike - 264.6km
Since June 2009 (which is when I started keeping a tally of my training) to the end of 2009, I swum 94.7km & ridden 1,553.1km! Bring on 2010; the year of the hill :-)
MTD:
Swim: 2.2km
Mon: my training week started nicely with a sleep-in :-) followed by a 2.5km swim consisting of lots of drills. Thanks to the rain the pool was largely empty. Nice way to start the week!
Tue: thanks to being on holidays, I was able to switch the order of my training sessions in order to join TigerAngel for a long ride along the M7 bike path. Thankfully the rain had cleared so it turned out to be surprisingly warm by the end. It was great to catch up with TA; thanks for the company. Finished with 2:26. 55.58km. Av.22.7k/h. AvC85.
Wed: another long swim, this time 2.9km. I didn't feel quite as strong in the water to start with but my performance didn't drop off as much as I thought it might.
Thu: Loving living life as professional athlete at the moment - even though it meant leaving home at 6am to get to Bobbin Head in time to join TigerAngel for another ride, this time hill repeats up the Turramurra side of Bobbin Head. 3 hill repeats for me as I (and TA's cycling buddy Jan) played domestique for TA as she powered up the hill 4 times. While I only seemed to notice the rain when going downhill, it was either raining or drizzling for most of the ride which was good practice riding in the rain which is something I don't often do; I tend to retire to the trainer in the garage at the first sign of rain. It was also nice to get out on the bike twice in one week; I normally only do one ride on the road each week with the rest of my sessions on the trainer. Finished with coffee in Turramurra where we were joined by Gnome (*waves*). In all a lovely morning. :-) 1:39. 28.97km. Av. 17.4k/h
Fri: I enjoyed Thursday's ride and coffee so much I woke on Friday morning wanting to do it again. Alas, I had a swim on my program. The pool didn't open until 10am so it was a good excuse to sleep-in. Not that I needed a sleep-in after falling asleep about 11pm on NYE (*she blushes*). The new year started with a 2.2km swim which started with 1.6km straight (sans warm-up) to simulate a race scenario. The 1.6km component took about 34mins which is a tad slow but still it was my longest non-stop swim ever so it was a good confidence booster ahead of the Oly in Canberra later this month.
Sat: strength session at the gym.
Rest day tomorrow (Sunday).
Thursday's session of course brought the month of December (and the year) to an end. Despite December being a busy month, I managed to complete almost all of my sessions. It was also my biggest month in the pool (by far) to date -
Swim - 23.4km (!!)
Bike - 264.6km
Since June 2009 (which is when I started keeping a tally of my training) to the end of 2009, I swum 94.7km & ridden 1,553.1km! Bring on 2010; the year of the hill :-)
MTD:
Swim: 2.2km
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Recovering...
From Christmas, training, work, Christmas functions, too much food, too much alcohol – you name it…
Mon: 2.95km at swim squad tonight. More than made up for my laziness last weekend I think. What a way to start a recovery week ;-)
Tue: rest
Wed: strength session in the gym at work at 6am followed by the last of my Christmas shopping :-) I was supposed to do a bike session in the afternoon but a family drama put an end to that.
Thu: for a change in scenery, R & I headed down to the Regatta Centre for the tri club's weekly open water swim. 1.5km in my new wetsuit; I'm in love :-)
Fri: rest (Christmas Day)
Sat: thanks to the rain I did my 90mins ride on the trainer staring at the garage wall. Thankfully I had some podcasts on the iPod to keep me company. Approx. 37km. AvC86
Sun: (more unscheduled) rest
I am on holidays this week – I can’t remember the last time I was on holidays from work & actually stayed home – so I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the training & living the life of a professional athlete for the next week; eat, sleep, train, read :-)
MTD:
Swim – 18.05km
Bike – 180.1km
Mon: 2.95km at swim squad tonight. More than made up for my laziness last weekend I think. What a way to start a recovery week ;-)
Tue: rest
Wed: strength session in the gym at work at 6am followed by the last of my Christmas shopping :-) I was supposed to do a bike session in the afternoon but a family drama put an end to that.
Thu: for a change in scenery, R & I headed down to the Regatta Centre for the tri club's weekly open water swim. 1.5km in my new wetsuit; I'm in love :-)
Fri: rest (Christmas Day)
Sat: thanks to the rain I did my 90mins ride on the trainer staring at the garage wall. Thankfully I had some podcasts on the iPod to keep me company. Approx. 37km. AvC86
Sun: (more unscheduled) rest
I am on holidays this week – I can’t remember the last time I was on holidays from work & actually stayed home – so I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the training & living the life of a professional athlete for the next week; eat, sleep, train, read :-)
MTD:
Swim – 18.05km
Bike – 180.1km
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