Ewen, the ViPR I suspect is also very useful for creating holes in ceilings. No I havent done it yet but I have come close a few times ;-)
Mon: I fought a close battle with the doona monster when the alarm went off at 5am but I eventually defeated it - just ;-) R & I got up & did a 43mins Spinverals DVD on the windtrainer in the garage which R 'found' on the interweb called 'No Slackers Allowed'. It must have been one of the first they made; the fluro steel bikes and mullets circa-1980 helped to distract me from the pain in my legs! BTW if you get a chance, ask R how he went during the high cadence sprints. Let me give you a hint; 'ka-boom' :-D 17.1km
After work, I made it out of the office - just - in time to get to swim squad. 2.9km later & I was one sleepy gal.
Tue: spent 5mins in the sun in the morning playing with ViPR trying to mobilise my thoracic spine & keep my shoulders happy after swim squad last night, otherwise rest.
Wed: 60mins pilates w/ Carly in the morning.
Thu: had to cancel a massage with Tigger due to a meeting at work - which, in turn, got cancelled on Wednesday evening (of course!) - so instead I headed to the gym for a 40mins strength session. I lurve strength training. I love it more than anything else I do including all that triathlon-related 'cardio' stuff. It's a shame there aren't more days in the week to do more of it :-(
Fri: dragged myself out of bed for a walk/shuffle. Let's just say that I should have stayed there. I ran a total of about 7mins and then walked home close to tears. In a very bad head space at the moment in terms of my running, how slowly it is progressing & frustration at my body. Got home & investigated the date by which I need to withdraw from the HIM/70.3 race next May (28 February 2011 is the answer to that question). 35mins in total. Then a 2km swim in the pool at work during lunch.
Sat: 80min ride out & back towards Richmond on a gorgeous spring day. Only downside to this ride was that I came very close to being a hood ornament on a Holden Commodore. It was a mistake on the driver's part; he didn't see me. I think he was more shaken up by it than I was. Finished w/ 31.6km. Av. 23.8k/h Followed it up with 10mins playing w/ my ViPR in the garage & then 30mins of stretching & SMR.
Sun: a bad night sleep thanks to a tooth ache :-( so I dragged myself out of bed when the alarm went off at stoopid-o'clock so I could meet Sue at Hornsby at 7.30am for a 3.5 hour ride. None of our rides seem to be uneventful of late. Today it was an overturned car at the top of Brooklyn Hill near Pie In The Sky and not much later Sue exerted so much force after a brief stop that she broke a spoke on her back wheel. Thankfully 2 very kind gentlemen came to our rescue & fixed it for us which allowed us to continue our ride up to discover the cafe at Mt White & return to Hornsby. Finished w/ 69.7km. Av. 22.0k/h in 3:09. I am very nervous about how much work I have to do over the next 12 weeks so it was nice to have a solid start :-)
Next week brings a recovery week after my first solid block of training since Yeppoon. My tooth ache this evening - possibly a wisdom tooth misbehaving - is my only real concern right now. I'm doped up to the eyes on Nurofen Plus this evening. The red wine chaser is also helping ;-) Hopefully it won't interrupt my training too much over the next little while. Fingers crossed!
End of month:
Swim: 17.2km
Bike: 336.3km
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Girl, you'll be a woman soon...
A break from my usual post title in honour of Neil Diamond after watching a story on him on Sunday Night this evening. I grew up listening to Neil Diamond courtesy of my folks. That probably explains a few things.. ;-)
Mon: 43min walk/shuffle. I am looking forward to the day that shuffling for more than 4mins at a time isn't hard work....
Then it was off to swim squad after work for the first time in about 3 weeks. Nasty! It's amazing how quickly you can lose your technique & feel for the water. 2.65km
Tue: rest
Wed: 37mins bike session on the windtrainer in the garage before work. Nice easy but hard session. 15.2k
Thu: was supposed to run today but a few aches & pains over the last few days reminded me that I have continued to increase my running component of my walk/shuffles for weeks without an easy session (opps). So I skipped this morning's run & spent 30mins in the garage playing with my ViPR. Lots of short hard efforts with short recovery. Tough but good session :-) I am amazed at the changes that these sessions immediately have on my body. I notice a huge improvement in my shoulders in particular after these sessions.
Fri: 60mins pilates w/ Carly during which session she told me she was leaving (*sob*). I will be very sad to see her go. Not only has she put me back together after I spent 6 weeks with a belt holding my pelvis together in August/September last year. But she has also allowed me to pick her brain about all things anatomy, training & biomechanics related as my study has continued & developed
Sat: a reasonable sleep-in and then off for a ride on a glorious Sydney morning. Warm weather + clear sky = bliss! 70mins ride out & back towards Richmond. 29.8k. 1:11. Av. 25k/h
After a snack, it was off to the pool for a 2km swim where I was reminded that I hate going to the pool at 11am for the next 6 months; kids everywhere doing stoopid things like swimming across the lane ahead of you with complete disregard as to what is going on around them. Grrrr.
Sun: a forced rest day after a migraine last night floored me. Today was spent moping around the house feeling flat, tired & hungover sans alcohol :-(
I must admit that I am getting a bit nervous about the Alpine Classic at the moment. My training hasn't been consistent for one reason or another in weeks & I really need to get some consistent, long & hilly hours in the saddle soon otherwise things are going to be painful come January 23...
MTD:
Swim - 12.3km
Bike - 220.9km
Mon: 43min walk/shuffle. I am looking forward to the day that shuffling for more than 4mins at a time isn't hard work....
Then it was off to swim squad after work for the first time in about 3 weeks. Nasty! It's amazing how quickly you can lose your technique & feel for the water. 2.65km
Tue: rest
Wed: 37mins bike session on the windtrainer in the garage before work. Nice easy but hard session. 15.2k
Thu: was supposed to run today but a few aches & pains over the last few days reminded me that I have continued to increase my running component of my walk/shuffles for weeks without an easy session (opps). So I skipped this morning's run & spent 30mins in the garage playing with my ViPR. Lots of short hard efforts with short recovery. Tough but good session :-) I am amazed at the changes that these sessions immediately have on my body. I notice a huge improvement in my shoulders in particular after these sessions.
Fri: 60mins pilates w/ Carly during which session she told me she was leaving (*sob*). I will be very sad to see her go. Not only has she put me back together after I spent 6 weeks with a belt holding my pelvis together in August/September last year. But she has also allowed me to pick her brain about all things anatomy, training & biomechanics related as my study has continued & developed
Sat: a reasonable sleep-in and then off for a ride on a glorious Sydney morning. Warm weather + clear sky = bliss! 70mins ride out & back towards Richmond. 29.8k. 1:11. Av. 25k/h
After a snack, it was off to the pool for a 2km swim where I was reminded that I hate going to the pool at 11am for the next 6 months; kids everywhere doing stoopid things like swimming across the lane ahead of you with complete disregard as to what is going on around them. Grrrr.
Sun: a forced rest day after a migraine last night floored me. Today was spent moping around the house feeling flat, tired & hungover sans alcohol :-(
I must admit that I am getting a bit nervous about the Alpine Classic at the moment. My training hasn't been consistent for one reason or another in weeks & I really need to get some consistent, long & hilly hours in the saddle soon otherwise things are going to be painful come January 23...
MTD:
Swim - 12.3km
Bike - 220.9km
Sunday, October 17, 2010
14...
Mon: 45mins walk/shuffle before work then 60mins pilates w/ Carly after work; I would normally go to squad tonight but this was a pilates session to make up for one I previously missed. It was a lovely surprise to see Mr & Mrs K when I arrived :-)
Tue: rest
Wed: My usual 60mins pilates class with Carly.
Thu: 38mins windtrainer session on the bike this morning in the garage whilst watching the Chilean miner with the wife & girlfriend be rescued. Unfortunately it didn't prove to as 'exciting' as I had hoped ;-) 14.9km
Fri: 40mins walk/shuffle this morning. I had planned to do a slightly longer session than on Monday but I was feeling tired & struggling to maintain good form so I decided to pull the pin slightly earlier than slip back into old (read: bad) habits.
Sat: I had a 60mins ride on the program for today but woke to the sound of high winds so I rolled over & went back to sleep :-) Once I dragged myself out of bed, it was off to the garage with Coach Troy for his 'big gear strength' DVD, 56mins of glute & quad torture :-D 22.2km. 26.3k/h. Afterwards I played with my ViPR for about 15mins before crawling into the house. I was supposed to do a swim in the afternoon but spent much of it working :-(
Sun: I had a 2.5 hr ride on the program today so I joined TA's group at Seven Hills for a ride out towards Richmond. 3hr 15mins riding time, 78kms, 2 toilet stops, 1 flat tyre & 1 broken chain later - neither of which was mine thankfully - we arrived back to the car. This was a tough ride mentally given that at one stage we were within about 10km of my home, but 40kms from my car ;-) But as TA said at one stage, it was nice to know that we could do a 78km ride off minimal training in recent weeks (in TA's case) or months (in mine). Thanks TA! 78.3km. 3:15. Av. 24.1k/h
Another busy week ahead - but is there any other kind?
MTD:
Swim - 7.7km
Bike - 175.9km
Tue: rest
Wed: My usual 60mins pilates class with Carly.
Thu: 38mins windtrainer session on the bike this morning in the garage whilst watching the Chilean miner with the wife & girlfriend be rescued. Unfortunately it didn't prove to as 'exciting' as I had hoped ;-) 14.9km
Fri: 40mins walk/shuffle this morning. I had planned to do a slightly longer session than on Monday but I was feeling tired & struggling to maintain good form so I decided to pull the pin slightly earlier than slip back into old (read: bad) habits.
Sat: I had a 60mins ride on the program for today but woke to the sound of high winds so I rolled over & went back to sleep :-) Once I dragged myself out of bed, it was off to the garage with Coach Troy for his 'big gear strength' DVD, 56mins of glute & quad torture :-D 22.2km. 26.3k/h. Afterwards I played with my ViPR for about 15mins before crawling into the house. I was supposed to do a swim in the afternoon but spent much of it working :-(
Sun: I had a 2.5 hr ride on the program today so I joined TA's group at Seven Hills for a ride out towards Richmond. 3hr 15mins riding time, 78kms, 2 toilet stops, 1 flat tyre & 1 broken chain later - neither of which was mine thankfully - we arrived back to the car. This was a tough ride mentally given that at one stage we were within about 10km of my home, but 40kms from my car ;-) But as TA said at one stage, it was nice to know that we could do a 78km ride off minimal training in recent weeks (in TA's case) or months (in mine). Thanks TA! 78.3km. 3:15. Av. 24.1k/h
Another busy week ahead - but is there any other kind?
MTD:
Swim - 7.7km
Bike - 175.9km
Sunday, October 10, 2010
15...
A huge week in many ways, not least because my Certificate IV in Fitness (Personal Training) arrived in the mail. Gee, you can get anything off the back of a Weetbix box these days... ;-)
(Public holiday) Monday: as it was raining (again/still), I decided to skip a windtrainer session in the garage & go to my spiritual home instead; the gym. I have changed the way I'm doing my strength work at the moment in order to gain as much strength as I can over the next 10 weeks (in the hope I can convert it to power in the weeks that follow so I can get up those mountains in Vic in December & January a tad easier)...
Tue: up at 5am early for another 40mins walk/shuffle, a 2.6km swim at lunch & a 7 hour meeting at work which ended at 10pm made for a long day
Wed: 60mins pilates w/ Carly (& another long day at work on no more than 5 hours sleep - nasty!)
Thu: a very sweaty 65min bike session on the windtrainer in the garage after a whole 8 hours sleep; what a luxury! 27.5km (av. 25.1k/h)
Fri: another 40mins walk/shuffle, very humid in the mornings at the moment. Another 2.6km swim at lunch & another slightly grumpy shoulder; this time my right shoulder - the good one. Swimming clearly doesn't agree with my shoulders. Or more to the point, it doesn't agree with the shoulders of someone who spends so many hours, slumped, I mean seated at a computer ;-)
Sat: I spent Saturday doing a ViPR Master Trainer certification course which basically consisted of getting my HR up whilst throwing the ViPR around a large room; needless to say lots of fun! The ViPR is an amazing tool for functional strength and mobility; can't wait to torture myself - and my prospective clients - with it ;-)
Sun: Kona baby! With the Hawaii Ironman on this morning and a Team PIS member racing, there was no way I was heading out for a ride. Besides it was raining & I was spending the day caring for my nan who has Parkinsons. So I watched the coverage from Kona, ate Tim Tams and did some study instead :-)
MTD:
Swim: 7.7km
Bike: 60.55km
(Public holiday) Monday: as it was raining (again/still), I decided to skip a windtrainer session in the garage & go to my spiritual home instead; the gym. I have changed the way I'm doing my strength work at the moment in order to gain as much strength as I can over the next 10 weeks (in the hope I can convert it to power in the weeks that follow so I can get up those mountains in Vic in December & January a tad easier)...
Tue: up at 5am early for another 40mins walk/shuffle, a 2.6km swim at lunch & a 7 hour meeting at work which ended at 10pm made for a long day
Wed: 60mins pilates w/ Carly (& another long day at work on no more than 5 hours sleep - nasty!)
Thu: a very sweaty 65min bike session on the windtrainer in the garage after a whole 8 hours sleep; what a luxury! 27.5km (av. 25.1k/h)
Fri: another 40mins walk/shuffle, very humid in the mornings at the moment. Another 2.6km swim at lunch & another slightly grumpy shoulder; this time my right shoulder - the good one. Swimming clearly doesn't agree with my shoulders. Or more to the point, it doesn't agree with the shoulders of someone who spends so many hours, slumped, I mean seated at a computer ;-)
Sat: I spent Saturday doing a ViPR Master Trainer certification course which basically consisted of getting my HR up whilst throwing the ViPR around a large room; needless to say lots of fun! The ViPR is an amazing tool for functional strength and mobility; can't wait to torture myself - and my prospective clients - with it ;-)
Sun: Kona baby! With the Hawaii Ironman on this morning and a Team PIS member racing, there was no way I was heading out for a ride. Besides it was raining & I was spending the day caring for my nan who has Parkinsons. So I watched the coverage from Kona, ate Tim Tams and did some study instead :-)
MTD:
Swim: 7.7km
Bike: 60.55km
Sunday, October 03, 2010
16....
And so the countdown starts again... :-))
Mon: I slept sooo heavily on Sunday night (which is really unusual for me) but still woke feeling tired. It was a bit of a struggle to drag myself out for my 40min walk/shuffle but I'm glad I did.
Swim squad on Monday night saw the return of B+ to take the session which, I must admit, brings with it a sense of dread probably as the sessions tend to be hard, hard work. And work hard I did. Our session was probably only 2km in length. But a great one in terms of (difficult) drills, learning about body position in the water & understanding what my 'standard' swim times should now be. I also discovered what it feels like to want to throw up in the pool courtesy of some butterfly which sent my HR & lactate levels through the roof .
Tue: rest
Wed: 60mins pilates w/ Carly
Thu: this week at work was slightly less demanding (before it ramps up again with 6 weeks of hell starting from next week). So I was able to take Thursday & Friday off work to make it an extra l-o-n-g weekend :-)) So a big sleep-in this morning was followed by another Spinervals DVD on the windtrainer in the garage, this time with R for company (who was working from home). Remind me not to do so again on an empty stomach after not eating for 14 hours. Farkkkk. 45mins video called "Uphill Grind" designed to improve your climbing skills. Ouchy, ouchy, ouchy. 45mins. 19.4k. Av. Av. 25.7k/h
Thursday of course saw the end of the month; my lowest training month in a l-o-n-g time..
Swim: 4.5km
Bike: 156.4km
Fri: another sleep-in (yippee) followed by some lazy time on the couch & then a swim. My swims at the moment are not particularly enjoyable; they are hard work. It has been a great lesson in how quickly you can lose fitness & technique. Throw in leaking goggles & school holidays (ie, kids swimming across the lane in front of me); did I mention it wasn't that much fun? ;-) 2.5km in total
Sat: R & I had planned a 3hr long ride along the Old Pacific Highway today. But heavy rain put an end to it early. We set out from Hornsby about 8.30am, heading down the Old Pacific Highway before turning off at Berowa Waters Rd for the (fast) roll 4km downhill to the ferry. A quick toilet stop & then it was time to turn about & head back up the hill which I managed in about 19mins.
Arriving back at the top of the 'hill' I was surprised to see the sky largely filled with heavy, dark clouds & the smell of rain in the air. And not just rain clouds; storm clouds that had me thinking "this is not good". So we turned right & headed for home, cutting our ride short. Of course, the rain started shortly thereafter & didn't cease most of the afternoon. It was fun riding in the rain for the first 15mins until I wasn't able to see the road through my glasses & got cold. 30 (long) minutes later we were back at the car drenched & trying to dry off while the rain tumbled down. C'est la vie. It was the right decision to make; we could not have got any wetter had we continued our ride but the risk of would only have gone up. As it was, I had to rely on my mountain biking skills to go over the top of a branch that was on the road when R braked at the wrong time coming down hill & gave me nowhere else to go. 1:31:26. 33.05k. Av. 21.7k/h
Sun: another sleep-in (I'm getting used to them now!) followed by a 40mins walk/shuffle in the pouring rain..
MTD:
Swim - 2.5km
Bike - 33.05km
Mon: I slept sooo heavily on Sunday night (which is really unusual for me) but still woke feeling tired. It was a bit of a struggle to drag myself out for my 40min walk/shuffle but I'm glad I did.
Swim squad on Monday night saw the return of B+ to take the session which, I must admit, brings with it a sense of dread probably as the sessions tend to be hard, hard work. And work hard I did. Our session was probably only 2km in length. But a great one in terms of (difficult) drills, learning about body position in the water & understanding what my 'standard' swim times should now be. I also discovered what it feels like to want to throw up in the pool courtesy of some butterfly which sent my HR & lactate levels through the roof .
Tue: rest
Wed: 60mins pilates w/ Carly
Thu: this week at work was slightly less demanding (before it ramps up again with 6 weeks of hell starting from next week). So I was able to take Thursday & Friday off work to make it an extra l-o-n-g weekend :-)) So a big sleep-in this morning was followed by another Spinervals DVD on the windtrainer in the garage, this time with R for company (who was working from home). Remind me not to do so again on an empty stomach after not eating for 14 hours. Farkkkk. 45mins video called "Uphill Grind" designed to improve your climbing skills. Ouchy, ouchy, ouchy. 45mins. 19.4k. Av. Av. 25.7k/h
Thursday of course saw the end of the month; my lowest training month in a l-o-n-g time..
Swim: 4.5km
Bike: 156.4km
Fri: another sleep-in (yippee) followed by some lazy time on the couch & then a swim. My swims at the moment are not particularly enjoyable; they are hard work. It has been a great lesson in how quickly you can lose fitness & technique. Throw in leaking goggles & school holidays (ie, kids swimming across the lane in front of me); did I mention it wasn't that much fun? ;-) 2.5km in total
Sat: R & I had planned a 3hr long ride along the Old Pacific Highway today. But heavy rain put an end to it early. We set out from Hornsby about 8.30am, heading down the Old Pacific Highway before turning off at Berowa Waters Rd for the (fast) roll 4km downhill to the ferry. A quick toilet stop & then it was time to turn about & head back up the hill which I managed in about 19mins.
Arriving back at the top of the 'hill' I was surprised to see the sky largely filled with heavy, dark clouds & the smell of rain in the air. And not just rain clouds; storm clouds that had me thinking "this is not good". So we turned right & headed for home, cutting our ride short. Of course, the rain started shortly thereafter & didn't cease most of the afternoon. It was fun riding in the rain for the first 15mins until I wasn't able to see the road through my glasses & got cold. 30 (long) minutes later we were back at the car drenched & trying to dry off while the rain tumbled down. C'est la vie. It was the right decision to make; we could not have got any wetter had we continued our ride but the risk of would only have gone up. As it was, I had to rely on my mountain biking skills to go over the top of a branch that was on the road when R braked at the wrong time coming down hill & gave me nowhere else to go. 1:31:26. 33.05k. Av. 21.7k/h
Sun: another sleep-in (I'm getting used to them now!) followed by a 40mins walk/shuffle in the pouring rain..
MTD:
Swim - 2.5km
Bike - 33.05km
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Please allow me to introduce myself...
Wow! I can't believe that I haven't updated my blog in 3 weeks now. In the 5 years since this blog was 'born', the only other time(s) I have gone so long without an update has been when I've been high on a mountain somewhere well away from modern technology.
I wish I had been on a mountain.
I have been instead swamped by a work-related tsunami. Basically until this weekend, I worked for 28 days straight. Lots of long days and nights working until midnight & beyond. Throw in lots of adrenaline, cortisol (the 'fight' hormone in the 'fight or flight response'), nowhere near enough sleep and tonnes of coffee & my poor body has been taking a beating (mentally & physically). It has been, by far, the most difficult period of my working life to date.
So here is a quick recap of the last 3 weeks:
Week 1 (Mon 6 - Sun 12):
Wednesday & Friday were 60mins pilates with Carly.
Saturday morning I headed out for my first walk/shuffle in quite a few weeks (6 x 1min).
Sunday morning saw only my second ride in 4 weeks; 2 hours out & back with R along the Northern Road. I was worried about how much fitness I had lost after 4 weeks of very little training. But I was really pleased with the ride; in fact it turned out to my fastest ever ride over that course. Even R commented on how much faster I was! There is something to be said for working late, doing no exercise & getting no sleep ;-) 51km. Av. 24.9k/h
Week 2 (Mon 13 - Sun 19):
Monday, Wednesday & Saturdays - walk/shuffles
Thursday - a solid strength session in the gym
Friday - my first Spinervals DVD. For those who haven't had the 'pleasure' (and I use that word loosely), Spinervals is a series of bike windtrainer sessions on DVD lead by "Coach Troy" who has a rather annoying North American habit - apologies to any North American readers - of saying "good jawb" all the freaking time. I am however willing to ignore the annoyance factor given that the vid kicked my ar$e. I honestly have never worked harder on the windtrainer before, nor have I felt like I was going to throw up due to my friend lactic acid on the windtrainer before. Now I am strangely looking forward to doing another one. Yes, I am a sadistic ;-) 52mins 22.7km including 3 x 20 lunges.
Week 3 (Mon 20 - Sun 26):
Monday - massage + return to swim squad after 5 weeks off. Remind me never to take so long out of the pool again. I've lost fitness but (more importantly) technique & my 'feel' for the water. I felt like I was spinning my 'wheels' the whole time. Hopefully it will come back quickly. 2.5km
Tuesday & Saturday - walk/shuffle
Sunday - long ride. 2.5 hours out & back along the Northern Road by myself. This one felt a bit harder than my last ride - not particularly surprising given it was only my 3rd ride in 6 weeks - but the average pace revealed that the last (fast) ride wasn't a fluke. 63.3km. 2:33. 24.8k/h av.
The next phase in my project at work starts tomorrow but I will (hopefully) take a lesser role in it which will (hopefully) mean less hours at work & a return to a decent training load. It was 17 weeks today until my next BHAG goal. I have a lot of work to do in the next few weeks but I'm looking forward to getting back into it :-)
MTD:
Swim - 2.5km
Bike - 137km
I wish I had been on a mountain.
I have been instead swamped by a work-related tsunami. Basically until this weekend, I worked for 28 days straight. Lots of long days and nights working until midnight & beyond. Throw in lots of adrenaline, cortisol (the 'fight' hormone in the 'fight or flight response'), nowhere near enough sleep and tonnes of coffee & my poor body has been taking a beating (mentally & physically). It has been, by far, the most difficult period of my working life to date.
So here is a quick recap of the last 3 weeks:
Week 1 (Mon 6 - Sun 12):
Wednesday & Friday were 60mins pilates with Carly.
Saturday morning I headed out for my first walk/shuffle in quite a few weeks (6 x 1min).
Sunday morning saw only my second ride in 4 weeks; 2 hours out & back with R along the Northern Road. I was worried about how much fitness I had lost after 4 weeks of very little training. But I was really pleased with the ride; in fact it turned out to my fastest ever ride over that course. Even R commented on how much faster I was! There is something to be said for working late, doing no exercise & getting no sleep ;-) 51km. Av. 24.9k/h
Week 2 (Mon 13 - Sun 19):
Monday, Wednesday & Saturdays - walk/shuffles
Thursday - a solid strength session in the gym
Friday - my first Spinervals DVD. For those who haven't had the 'pleasure' (and I use that word loosely), Spinervals is a series of bike windtrainer sessions on DVD lead by "Coach Troy" who has a rather annoying North American habit - apologies to any North American readers - of saying "good jawb" all the freaking time. I am however willing to ignore the annoyance factor given that the vid kicked my ar$e. I honestly have never worked harder on the windtrainer before, nor have I felt like I was going to throw up due to my friend lactic acid on the windtrainer before. Now I am strangely looking forward to doing another one. Yes, I am a sadistic ;-) 52mins 22.7km including 3 x 20 lunges.
Week 3 (Mon 20 - Sun 26):
Monday - massage + return to swim squad after 5 weeks off. Remind me never to take so long out of the pool again. I've lost fitness but (more importantly) technique & my 'feel' for the water. I felt like I was spinning my 'wheels' the whole time. Hopefully it will come back quickly. 2.5km
Tuesday & Saturday - walk/shuffle
Sunday - long ride. 2.5 hours out & back along the Northern Road by myself. This one felt a bit harder than my last ride - not particularly surprising given it was only my 3rd ride in 6 weeks - but the average pace revealed that the last (fast) ride wasn't a fluke. 63.3km. 2:33. 24.8k/h av.
The next phase in my project at work starts tomorrow but I will (hopefully) take a lesser role in it which will (hopefully) mean less hours at work & a return to a decent training load. It was 17 weeks today until my next BHAG goal. I have a lot of work to do in the next few weeks but I'm looking forward to getting back into it :-)
MTD:
Swim - 2.5km
Bike - 137km
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Race of the season...
apparently.... :-D
Edit: bugger. The link appears to be ok when I click on it. Go to
http://forums.transitions.org.au/index.php?showforum=2
and scroll down the threads until you find the one called "Race of the Season - Mango vs Mrs Mango". At the moment (Thursday PM), the thread is still on the first page...
Edit: bugger. The link appears to be ok when I click on it. Go to
http://forums.transitions.org.au/index.php?showforum=2
and scroll down the threads until you find the one called "Race of the Season - Mango vs Mrs Mango". At the moment (Thursday PM), the thread is still on the first page...
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Zero, zip, nada
Have been sick since Sunday & on antibiotics (as well as my first ever Ventolin puffer) since Tuesday so no exercise at all since my ride last Sunday.
Throw in working until midnight on Wednesday & Thursday, until 10pm on Saturday and spending all day in the gym today doing my final practical assessment for my Cert IV (PT) and to say it's been a $hit week is probably an understatement.
There has been some upsides; I have booked flights to Queenstown in December to attend a PT mentorship and managed to include an extra day whilst I'm there to squeeze in some ice climbing :-)) I am also only a few written assessments away from (finally) being a PT so there has been a faint glimpse of a light at the end of the tunnel..
Anyhoo, had better get back to it. A couple of hours work before I can sleep...
Throw in working until midnight on Wednesday & Thursday, until 10pm on Saturday and spending all day in the gym today doing my final practical assessment for my Cert IV (PT) and to say it's been a $hit week is probably an understatement.
There has been some upsides; I have booked flights to Queenstown in December to attend a PT mentorship and managed to include an extra day whilst I'm there to squeeze in some ice climbing :-)) I am also only a few written assessments away from (finally) being a PT so there has been a faint glimpse of a light at the end of the tunnel..
Anyhoo, had better get back to it. A couple of hours work before I can sleep...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
For my next trick...
So with the return to more structured planning, my thoughts have turned to my next events. So over the next months I am planning to do:
- the 100km ride at Fitz's Challenge, a "participation ride" (ie, not a race) in the Brindabellas outside Canberra at the end of October;
- the enticer triathlon (250m/10km/2.5km) at the Nepean Triathlon in November which will (fingers crossed) be my first race of any kind in over 2 years!
And then January 2011 brings my next BIG adventure - the 130km ride at the Alpine Classic in Bright, Victoria.
Falls Creek, by bike, here I come!
Found: 1 x mojo
Another week sans-program meant a relatively cruisy week & somewhat different from my usual training week -
Mon: headed out early for a short walk / shuffle-run thingy. I'm trying to focus on maintaining my core position and on striking with more of my forefoot. Its exhausting! No swim squad tonight :-))
Tue: rest - if you can call getting up at 5am to study, rest
Wed: 60mins pilates with Carly. I've now joined the "athlete's (group) program" (LOL) rather than the one-on-one session I was previously doing. Only problem is that I need to be on the train at 6am :-0
Thu: headed to the gym this morning for a playout - aka a strength session. Not a hard session; just really a play with movement patterns and variations ahead of my Cert IV prac assessment in the coming weeks. Besides, the big burly bodybuilder dudes with NFI & very unbalanced bodies were hogging the squat rack :-(
Fri: headed out early for another short walk / shuffle-run thingy. Ugly.
Sat: went to the gym mid-afternoon for another playout ;-) Slightly harder session than on Thursday but still really just playing with movement patterns and exercise progressions & regressions. Perhaps a few too many squats though...
Sun: 2 weeks since the race and I haven't looked at my bike - until today. And what a lovely way to get back on the bike; a planned 2hr ride along the M7 bikepath with my fav training buddies :-) Relatively cruisy ride with some great views ;-) though the hills made me realise that I had left my legs in the gym yesterday. Lovely day to get back on the bike & start planning the season ahead. 1:41. 39.3km. 23.3k/h av.
Unfortunately this afternoon I feel like I'm coming down with a bit of a cold so I had a nana nap. I never nana nap. The training mojo must be back ;-)
Madam Cirquey, although I have accommodation booked, I haven't actually entered my next big adventure yet. Thanks for the reminder. Stay tuned....
MTD:
Swim: 12.7km
Bike: 258.1km
Mon: headed out early for a short walk / shuffle-run thingy. I'm trying to focus on maintaining my core position and on striking with more of my forefoot. Its exhausting! No swim squad tonight :-))
Tue: rest - if you can call getting up at 5am to study, rest
Wed: 60mins pilates with Carly. I've now joined the "athlete's (group) program" (LOL) rather than the one-on-one session I was previously doing. Only problem is that I need to be on the train at 6am :-0
Thu: headed to the gym this morning for a playout - aka a strength session. Not a hard session; just really a play with movement patterns and variations ahead of my Cert IV prac assessment in the coming weeks. Besides, the big burly bodybuilder dudes with NFI & very unbalanced bodies were hogging the squat rack :-(
Fri: headed out early for another short walk / shuffle-run thingy. Ugly.
Sat: went to the gym mid-afternoon for another playout ;-) Slightly harder session than on Thursday but still really just playing with movement patterns and exercise progressions & regressions. Perhaps a few too many squats though...
Sun: 2 weeks since the race and I haven't looked at my bike - until today. And what a lovely way to get back on the bike; a planned 2hr ride along the M7 bikepath with my fav training buddies :-) Relatively cruisy ride with some great views ;-) though the hills made me realise that I had left my legs in the gym yesterday. Lovely day to get back on the bike & start planning the season ahead. 1:41. 39.3km. 23.3k/h av.
Unfortunately this afternoon I feel like I'm coming down with a bit of a cold so I had a nana nap. I never nana nap. The training mojo must be back ;-)
Madam Cirquey, although I have accommodation booked, I haven't actually entered my next big adventure yet. Thanks for the reminder. Stay tuned....
MTD:
Swim: 12.7km
Bike: 258.1km
Sunday, August 22, 2010
+ 1
Thanks to everyone for your comments. I appreciate it.
Scott, I don't recall meeting him but the name rings a bell. And I'm not sure if the place is open for breakfast but it was called Megalomania and it was fine (dining) :-D
Nothing to report this week except resting (aside from a walk / shuffle to the polling station on Saturday morning and playing in the gym during my Cert IV prac assessment today) and eating f-a-r too much cr*p food.
Back on track this coming week & into some easy training. Which reminds me, time to enter my next adventure... :-D
Scott, I don't recall meeting him but the name rings a bell. And I'm not sure if the place is open for breakfast but it was called Megalomania and it was fine (dining) :-D
Nothing to report this week except resting (aside from a walk / shuffle to the polling station on Saturday morning and playing in the gym during my Cert IV prac assessment today) and eating f-a-r too much cr*p food.
Back on track this coming week & into some easy training. Which reminds me, time to enter my next adventure... :-D
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
We have lift-off !
Executive summary: I did it! 1.9km swim followed by 90km on the bike in 4:23, about 12min faster than I had anticipated :-D
Full story: [get yourself your preferred beverage & a comfy seat – you could be a while!]
Well, where to start? I had a good sleep and woke feeling rested. I felt really relaxed much to my surprise. One of the many great things about this race is the fact it took a grand total of 3mins to walk from our wing of the resort to transition :-)
After a quick set up (by which time it was 6.30am), it was off to the restaurant for breakfast (another 3mins walk). By 7am we were back at transition for the pre-race briefing where we were told the swim would be flat & current-assisted. Talk about false advertising but we will get to that....
After the briefing it was off on the l-o-n-g 1.8km walk down the beach to the race start.
Chatting to other Panthers/PIS members on the walk helped to distract me from the fact that I was going to have to swim all the way back! The first wave started at 8am and my wave didn’t start until 8.40am so I had plenty of time to chat, relax, pull on the wettie and go for a mini-warm up swim (which was my first hint that the current wasn’t quite behaving itself).
Soon it was time to start & I lined up in my usual spot at the back of the pack.
We swam out about 200m out before turning left and heading north for 1.5km. I was one of the last to turn at the buoy (as usual). But I soon settled into my rhythm and started slowly but surely picking people off including a couple of men from the waves that started 3-6min before me. I love ‘chicking’ men :-) The swim certainly wasn’t current assisted – the RD later confirmed that the current turned against us and that the latter waves, ie mine, would have been most affected. No joke. I also found the swell difficult to adjust to; it was rolling in on my right. It would sometimes catch me in the middle of my stroke and cause me to rotate too far, almost onto my side.
Soon enough thankfully the last buoy came into sight and I turned toward the beach. I touched down, got to feet, looked at my watch & saw 43:xx. Fark. About 5mins slower than I had hoped. A swear word or two later, I put it behind me and set out for the run across the beach (about 350m),
up the sand dune,
up the stairs
and into transition.
A quick transition and I was out on the first of 5 laps of the bike course. The bike course was ‘granular’, a rough road surface which can take quite a bit out of you due to the vibrations coming up through the bike and the fact that you need to work harder to keep the bike going at the same speed as on a smooth / hot mix surface. Lots of people complain about the bike surface on this course. I just trained for it :-) My bike split would have been the second slowest in my AG but I am still very pleased with it – I kept my splits consistent, my energy levels high & (unlike previous races) I didn’t let the fact that I was passed by what felt like the entire field affect me mentally.
I was surprised at how quickly the bike leg went. Soon I was on my last lap and headed back to transition where I gave R the timing chip & got a kiss in return before he set out for a run in what was by now rather warm conditions while I headed for ice cream and fruit salad in the recovery area which I consumed while standing in the (cold) swimming pool – bliss!
R blitzed his run; his split was the 6th fastest out of all 43 teams
and Team Mango Jelly finished its HIM debut in 5:58.
Another 4mins walk back to the room – we were a bit tired so it took us a tad longer – for a shower before the BBQ and presentation in the gardens. Unfortunately at this time we realised that there had been a bit of a miscommunication between us as to where sunscreen needed to be applied on my back. Large sections of my back haven’t been as sunburnt since I was a kid – very ouchy :-(
The BBQ in the gardens while watching the presentation ceremony, a celebratory cocktail & a nice dinner rounded out the day nicely!
The results were published on Monday revealed that the swim was, in fact, a slow one for most people including the pros. My swim split would have put me in the middle of my age group so I feel pleased with my swim (now). My bike split was slow – it would have been the second slowest in my age group – but I was pleased as it was 12mins faster than I had hoped :-D Let’s just say there is plenty to work on (especially my bike speed)
Monday was spent relaxing around the pool and celebrating R’s 41st birthday.
We managed to find what probably is the only fine dining restaurant in Yeppoon which (much to my surprise) turned out to be open on a Monday night for a fantastic dinner – and dessert!
Home to Sydney on Tuesday morning and already dreaming of new adventures!
Watch times:
43:xx swim
3:33:11 bike / av. 25.1k/h (goal was 3:45)
Official times:
45:51 swim
3:38 bike (including T1 &T2)
1:34 run
Total: 5:58 and 15/24 mixed teams
Thanks to everyone for your support over the last 16 weeks; I really appreciate it!
Full story: [get yourself your preferred beverage & a comfy seat – you could be a while!]
Well, where to start? I had a good sleep and woke feeling rested. I felt really relaxed much to my surprise. One of the many great things about this race is the fact it took a grand total of 3mins to walk from our wing of the resort to transition :-)
After a quick set up (by which time it was 6.30am), it was off to the restaurant for breakfast (another 3mins walk). By 7am we were back at transition for the pre-race briefing where we were told the swim would be flat & current-assisted. Talk about false advertising but we will get to that....
After the briefing it was off on the l-o-n-g 1.8km walk down the beach to the race start.
Chatting to other Panthers/PIS members on the walk helped to distract me from the fact that I was going to have to swim all the way back! The first wave started at 8am and my wave didn’t start until 8.40am so I had plenty of time to chat, relax, pull on the wettie and go for a mini-warm up swim (which was my first hint that the current wasn’t quite behaving itself).
Soon it was time to start & I lined up in my usual spot at the back of the pack.
We swam out about 200m out before turning left and heading north for 1.5km. I was one of the last to turn at the buoy (as usual). But I soon settled into my rhythm and started slowly but surely picking people off including a couple of men from the waves that started 3-6min before me. I love ‘chicking’ men :-) The swim certainly wasn’t current assisted – the RD later confirmed that the current turned against us and that the latter waves, ie mine, would have been most affected. No joke. I also found the swell difficult to adjust to; it was rolling in on my right. It would sometimes catch me in the middle of my stroke and cause me to rotate too far, almost onto my side.
Soon enough thankfully the last buoy came into sight and I turned toward the beach. I touched down, got to feet, looked at my watch & saw 43:xx. Fark. About 5mins slower than I had hoped. A swear word or two later, I put it behind me and set out for the run across the beach (about 350m),
up the sand dune,
up the stairs
and into transition.
A quick transition and I was out on the first of 5 laps of the bike course. The bike course was ‘granular’, a rough road surface which can take quite a bit out of you due to the vibrations coming up through the bike and the fact that you need to work harder to keep the bike going at the same speed as on a smooth / hot mix surface. Lots of people complain about the bike surface on this course. I just trained for it :-) My bike split would have been the second slowest in my AG but I am still very pleased with it – I kept my splits consistent, my energy levels high & (unlike previous races) I didn’t let the fact that I was passed by what felt like the entire field affect me mentally.
I was surprised at how quickly the bike leg went. Soon I was on my last lap and headed back to transition where I gave R the timing chip & got a kiss in return before he set out for a run in what was by now rather warm conditions while I headed for ice cream and fruit salad in the recovery area which I consumed while standing in the (cold) swimming pool – bliss!
R blitzed his run; his split was the 6th fastest out of all 43 teams
and Team Mango Jelly finished its HIM debut in 5:58.
Another 4mins walk back to the room – we were a bit tired so it took us a tad longer – for a shower before the BBQ and presentation in the gardens. Unfortunately at this time we realised that there had been a bit of a miscommunication between us as to where sunscreen needed to be applied on my back. Large sections of my back haven’t been as sunburnt since I was a kid – very ouchy :-(
The BBQ in the gardens while watching the presentation ceremony, a celebratory cocktail & a nice dinner rounded out the day nicely!
The results were published on Monday revealed that the swim was, in fact, a slow one for most people including the pros. My swim split would have put me in the middle of my age group so I feel pleased with my swim (now). My bike split was slow – it would have been the second slowest in my age group – but I was pleased as it was 12mins faster than I had hoped :-D Let’s just say there is plenty to work on (especially my bike speed)
Monday was spent relaxing around the pool and celebrating R’s 41st birthday.
We managed to find what probably is the only fine dining restaurant in Yeppoon which (much to my surprise) turned out to be open on a Monday night for a fantastic dinner – and dessert!
Home to Sydney on Tuesday morning and already dreaming of new adventures!
Watch times:
43:xx swim
3:33:11 bike / av. 25.1k/h (goal was 3:45)
Official times:
45:51 swim
3:38 bike (including T1 &T2)
1:34 run
Total: 5:58 and 15/24 mixed teams
Thanks to everyone for your support over the last 16 weeks; I really appreciate it!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
T'was the night before Christmas...
Who ever has a great taper? I suspect that there is no such thing as a perfect taper & this one certainly wasn't. As I mentioned in my previous post, this week has been characterised by too much work, too many late nights, too much stress & too little sleep. Of course, I also feel like I'm the size of a water buffalo & am convinced that I have put back on all the weight I lost during the training. So it's been just your typical taper I suppose ;-P
Mon: no run & no sleep-in either. Up at 5.15am to study. I felt smashed all day; no doubt the fact that I worked almost all of the weekend didn't help.
Swim squad after work. Yet another hard swim. I didn't feel particularly comfortable; I felt like I was low in the water (ie, sinking). Bring on the wetsuit! (3.1km). And then I got home about 10.30pm and worked for 2 hours & slept for about 6hr. Yep, taper is going well.
Tue: easy 30mins spin on the bike on the trainer to turn the legs over. 9.6km
Wed: 45mins pilates with Carly in the morning
Thu: rest. I did have a swim on the program but work took priority. Interestingly I was completely comfortable with missing my final swim, no doubt because I was so exhausted from such a $hit week at work and at least in part because I knew that it wouldn't actually add to my fitness levels. I've come along way; in years past missing this session would have really messed with my head
Fri: rest. A day off work - yippee! - travelling to Yeppoon. The race up here is based at the Rydges resort. And when I say 'based', I mean based. Transition is set up in one of the gardens of the resort and the run leg goes straight through the centre of the resort, including over the bridge over the main swimming pool. I have been feeling a tad nervous prior to arriving now but now I am (surprisingly) relaxed. It's hard not to be relaxed here!
Sat: 10 hours of much needed sleep last night - yippee! Headed to breakfast, then lazed around our room for a while before heading out with another Panthers/PIS athlete for a little mini-ride (20mins) along part of the course. Then back to the room for more laziness before heading down to expo - which is situation a grand total of 65 steps from the entrance to our building - to register and shop. More laziness this afternoon before we heading downstairs to the carbo/pasta party tonight.
Thanks to everyone for your comments / emails / messages / SMS. I truly appreciate it! I am feeling really relaxed and ready :-)
Mon: no run & no sleep-in either. Up at 5.15am to study. I felt smashed all day; no doubt the fact that I worked almost all of the weekend didn't help.
Swim squad after work. Yet another hard swim. I didn't feel particularly comfortable; I felt like I was low in the water (ie, sinking). Bring on the wetsuit! (3.1km). And then I got home about 10.30pm and worked for 2 hours & slept for about 6hr. Yep, taper is going well.
Tue: easy 30mins spin on the bike on the trainer to turn the legs over. 9.6km
Wed: 45mins pilates with Carly in the morning
Thu: rest. I did have a swim on the program but work took priority. Interestingly I was completely comfortable with missing my final swim, no doubt because I was so exhausted from such a $hit week at work and at least in part because I knew that it wouldn't actually add to my fitness levels. I've come along way; in years past missing this session would have really messed with my head
Fri: rest. A day off work - yippee! - travelling to Yeppoon. The race up here is based at the Rydges resort. And when I say 'based', I mean based. Transition is set up in one of the gardens of the resort and the run leg goes straight through the centre of the resort, including over the bridge over the main swimming pool. I have been feeling a tad nervous prior to arriving now but now I am (surprisingly) relaxed. It's hard not to be relaxed here!
Sat: 10 hours of much needed sleep last night - yippee! Headed to breakfast, then lazed around our room for a while before heading out with another Panthers/PIS athlete for a little mini-ride (20mins) along part of the course. Then back to the room for more laziness before heading down to expo - which is situation a grand total of 65 steps from the entrance to our building - to register and shop. More laziness this afternoon before we heading downstairs to the carbo/pasta party tonight.
Thanks to everyone for your comments / emails / messages / SMS. I truly appreciate it! I am feeling really relaxed and ready :-)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
News flash...
For a moment, this afternoon I actually felt excited about this race. Yep, it's been a long time coming. This week hasn't exactly fostered much enthusiasm for the race due to too much work, too much stress & too little sleep. But still excitement managed to creep in.
Or maybe it was just the idea of escaping from work for a week for the first time since our honeymoon last November...
Or maybe I'm just looking forward to post-race cocktails by the pool... :-D
We now resume our usual transmission...
Or maybe it was just the idea of escaping from work for a week for the first time since our honeymoon last November...
Or maybe I'm just looking forward to post-race cocktails by the pool... :-D
We now resume our usual transmission...
Sunday, August 08, 2010
1....
A very strange week and challenging week. The decreasing training load didn't result in an increase in the amount of time spent relaxing & recovering; rather it simply meant an increase in work. It's been an incredibly stressful week at work. Throw in the fact that I've drunk more coffee than I did water during the week & it's probably an example of how not to taper. C'est la vie...
Mon: I would normally run (early) on Monday morning. But unfortunately the fact that I'm not running doesn't mean I get a sleep-in. Instead I was up at 5.15am to get an hour of study done before work.
Swim squad was probably one of the hardest, and fastest, sessions I have done. B+ took the session which included 3 x 200m with descending swim time each 50m (ie each 50m was faster than the previous one) followed by 10 x 50m sprints (!) - which, I might just mention, I was going off the same time as the fast boys in the pool ! - which was followed up by another 4 x 100m again with descending swim times. Far. Out. Tired shoulders. Felt like I was going to throw up at one stage; gotta love lactic acid. B+ said to me tonight that I need to learn to back myself. Very true. 2.6km
Tue: short but effective strength session in the gym at lunch. I lurve my strength sessions & am looking forward to doing them more often once the race is over - hint, hint coach ;-)
Wed: up early for my longest non-stop swim before my race (2.2km). I felt pretty flat during the first half of the swim thanks to an empty stomach & some fatigue in my arms after the last 2 days of training. Surprisingly, these swims are rarely boring; there are always a few goldfish moments where I momentarily get confused about which lap I am up to which takes me a few laps to sort out (there is a reason I'm a lawyer and not an accountant). Today's swim also included a very brief stop to sort out lane etiquette with a person who joined my lane about half way through the swim.
I finished the 2.2km non-stop (my longest swim ever) in about 44:36 (which actually included an extra 50min in case I got the lap counting wrong & the chat). I'm pretty pleased with that. I certainly felt better in the second half of the swim & was able to maintain my pace. Finished with 200m drills & a 200m cool down so 2.6km in total. It's official - I'm ready :-D
Thu: (*yawn*). Got home from work at 9pm last night & up at 4.20am to get this session done. 40mins bike session on the windtrainer with lots of short, sharp sprints to wake up some fast twitch fibres from wherever they have gone into hiding. 14.2k.
Fri: 45mins pilates with Carly. And more alcohol over lunch than I have had in the last year (which, mind you, isn't that much). My new book 'The New Reverse Taper" will be released by Penguin soon ;-)
Sat: an easy 2.2km swim in the afternoon after a couple of hours of work then a trip into the city to the 2xu store to pick up a tri top for the race that I had previously ordered & lunch with Miss Ellie (*waves*). Swim was principally 2 x 1km easy. Didn't wear a watch so I don't know how long they took. But it's nice to be able to swim 2km so comfortably.
Sun: headed out for a easy 90mins ride about the same time as 80,000 nutters were gathering in the city. An "interesting" ride; the first time this winter I rode into a pea-soup fog this morning which slowed me down & caused me to stop a couple of times as my goggles kept fogging up. I can't say that it was one of those rides where it feels like all your hard work is paying off - quite the opposite in fact. I kept thinking to myself that I surely must have a flat tyre. Flat legs more like it. 34.4km. 1:31. Av. 22.7k/h
I'm not quite sure how I'm feeling about the race at this point in time. Nervous certainly. But probably very distracted by how cr*p this week at work isn't going to be. Suppose I should start thinking about packing at some stage in the next few days....
We are flying out for Rockhampton on Friday. Will post again later in the week...
MTD:
Swim: 7.4km
Bike: 112.2km
Mon: I would normally run (early) on Monday morning. But unfortunately the fact that I'm not running doesn't mean I get a sleep-in. Instead I was up at 5.15am to get an hour of study done before work.
Swim squad was probably one of the hardest, and fastest, sessions I have done. B+ took the session which included 3 x 200m with descending swim time each 50m (ie each 50m was faster than the previous one) followed by 10 x 50m sprints (!) - which, I might just mention, I was going off the same time as the fast boys in the pool ! - which was followed up by another 4 x 100m again with descending swim times. Far. Out. Tired shoulders. Felt like I was going to throw up at one stage; gotta love lactic acid. B+ said to me tonight that I need to learn to back myself. Very true. 2.6km
Tue: short but effective strength session in the gym at lunch. I lurve my strength sessions & am looking forward to doing them more often once the race is over - hint, hint coach ;-)
Wed: up early for my longest non-stop swim before my race (2.2km). I felt pretty flat during the first half of the swim thanks to an empty stomach & some fatigue in my arms after the last 2 days of training. Surprisingly, these swims are rarely boring; there are always a few goldfish moments where I momentarily get confused about which lap I am up to which takes me a few laps to sort out (there is a reason I'm a lawyer and not an accountant). Today's swim also included a very brief stop to sort out lane etiquette with a person who joined my lane about half way through the swim.
I finished the 2.2km non-stop (my longest swim ever) in about 44:36 (which actually included an extra 50min in case I got the lap counting wrong & the chat). I'm pretty pleased with that. I certainly felt better in the second half of the swim & was able to maintain my pace. Finished with 200m drills & a 200m cool down so 2.6km in total. It's official - I'm ready :-D
Thu: (*yawn*). Got home from work at 9pm last night & up at 4.20am to get this session done. 40mins bike session on the windtrainer with lots of short, sharp sprints to wake up some fast twitch fibres from wherever they have gone into hiding. 14.2k.
Fri: 45mins pilates with Carly. And more alcohol over lunch than I have had in the last year (which, mind you, isn't that much). My new book 'The New Reverse Taper" will be released by Penguin soon ;-)
Sat: an easy 2.2km swim in the afternoon after a couple of hours of work then a trip into the city to the 2xu store to pick up a tri top for the race that I had previously ordered & lunch with Miss Ellie (*waves*). Swim was principally 2 x 1km easy. Didn't wear a watch so I don't know how long they took. But it's nice to be able to swim 2km so comfortably.
Sun: headed out for a easy 90mins ride about the same time as 80,000 nutters were gathering in the city. An "interesting" ride; the first time this winter I rode into a pea-soup fog this morning which slowed me down & caused me to stop a couple of times as my goggles kept fogging up. I can't say that it was one of those rides where it feels like all your hard work is paying off - quite the opposite in fact. I kept thinking to myself that I surely must have a flat tyre. Flat legs more like it. 34.4km. 1:31. Av. 22.7k/h
I'm not quite sure how I'm feeling about the race at this point in time. Nervous certainly. But probably very distracted by how cr*p this week at work isn't going to be. Suppose I should start thinking about packing at some stage in the next few days....
We are flying out for Rockhampton on Friday. Will post again later in the week...
MTD:
Swim: 7.4km
Bike: 112.2km
Sunday, August 01, 2010
2...
No presents - for you at least - UCB. On the other hand, at the end of this countdown I get to drink cocktails whilst laying by a pool in my bikini somewhere warm :-)
Taper time! Actually it seems we are going for the traditional taper on the bike - mileage slowly coming down - and the reverse taper on the swim - the mileage, well at least the non-stop swims, are getting longer! Whatever works I suppose...
Mon: a sleep-in thanks to a day off work & a ban on running. And I was very pleased that I did given how difficult I found swim squad in the evening. I felt incredibly flat in the water - I had no power or speed - and that was even before doing 26 x 50m. Bar humbug. 3.1km
Tue: short (30mins) strength session at lunch
Wed: what a difference 36 hours makes. Monday night was one of the worst swims I have ever had. Today probably one of the best. 2.2km which started with 2km non-stop (another first for me). I felt really strong throughout the swim & kept the splits very consistent. My head however needs a bit of work because when I saw the time when I finished (38:53) I immediately assumed that I had miscounted and missed 2 laps. Either way, it was a sub-40min 2km swim which I am very pleased with. Now I just have to do that in open water with no big black line steering me in the right (straight) direction :-(
Thu: very solid 55min bike session on the windtrainer in the garage. I was hungry even before this session started & seemed to remain hungry all day after it. 22.5km.
Fri: 45mins pilates with Carly in the morning. Have the ok to start running / shuffling a little bit next week.
Sat: another big day of training. I woke to the sound of rain which unfortunately meant my 2hr ride was confined to the windtrainer in the garage. Even with my iPod, it was b-o-r-i-n-g. I really struggled mentally from the 1hr mark. But it got done :) 50.1km.
Then at lunchtime I headed to the pool for a 2.1km swim with some 100m, 200m & 400m intervals. I was feeling really tired before this swim but, as happened last week, I felt reasonably good in the water.
Sun: Finally! A much-needed & long awaited confidence boosting ride, not only for the race but for my next goal event too :-)
I met TA & Gnome again at Hornsby at 8am for another hilly long ride starting with up & down both sides of Berowra Waters - including the obligatory ferry crossing; my first time on the ferry since I ran Black Stump on NYD 2007 - and then up & down both sides of Bobbin Head. A challenging ride and a great way to finish my last big training weekend; it was great to (finally) see all my hard work over the last 3 months pay off. Yippee! Thanks for another great morning guys (*waves*). 63.6km. 3:25.
So the hard work is done. The training begins to taper & the mind begins to focus :-)
July
Swim: 27.8km
Bike: 527.8km
August
Bike: 63.6km
Taper time! Actually it seems we are going for the traditional taper on the bike - mileage slowly coming down - and the reverse taper on the swim - the mileage, well at least the non-stop swims, are getting longer! Whatever works I suppose...
Mon: a sleep-in thanks to a day off work & a ban on running. And I was very pleased that I did given how difficult I found swim squad in the evening. I felt incredibly flat in the water - I had no power or speed - and that was even before doing 26 x 50m. Bar humbug. 3.1km
Tue: short (30mins) strength session at lunch
Wed: what a difference 36 hours makes. Monday night was one of the worst swims I have ever had. Today probably one of the best. 2.2km which started with 2km non-stop (another first for me). I felt really strong throughout the swim & kept the splits very consistent. My head however needs a bit of work because when I saw the time when I finished (38:53) I immediately assumed that I had miscounted and missed 2 laps. Either way, it was a sub-40min 2km swim which I am very pleased with. Now I just have to do that in open water with no big black line steering me in the right (straight) direction :-(
Thu: very solid 55min bike session on the windtrainer in the garage. I was hungry even before this session started & seemed to remain hungry all day after it. 22.5km.
Fri: 45mins pilates with Carly in the morning. Have the ok to start running / shuffling a little bit next week.
Sat: another big day of training. I woke to the sound of rain which unfortunately meant my 2hr ride was confined to the windtrainer in the garage. Even with my iPod, it was b-o-r-i-n-g. I really struggled mentally from the 1hr mark. But it got done :) 50.1km.
Then at lunchtime I headed to the pool for a 2.1km swim with some 100m, 200m & 400m intervals. I was feeling really tired before this swim but, as happened last week, I felt reasonably good in the water.
Sun: Finally! A much-needed & long awaited confidence boosting ride, not only for the race but for my next goal event too :-)
I met TA & Gnome again at Hornsby at 8am for another hilly long ride starting with up & down both sides of Berowra Waters - including the obligatory ferry crossing; my first time on the ferry since I ran Black Stump on NYD 2007 - and then up & down both sides of Bobbin Head. A challenging ride and a great way to finish my last big training weekend; it was great to (finally) see all my hard work over the last 3 months pay off. Yippee! Thanks for another great morning guys (*waves*). 63.6km. 3:25.
So the hard work is done. The training begins to taper & the mind begins to focus :-)
July
Swim: 27.8km
Bike: 527.8km
August
Bike: 63.6km
Sunday, July 25, 2010
3...
Another busy week - is there any other kind?
Mon: another late night watching the Tour and fortunately a day working at home thanks to a medical appointment. So a sleep-in, some work & then a lunchtime 'run' being 3 x 5min run with 90sec walk recovery. The less said about it the better.
I was feeling very CBF'd at the start of the week. If you are wondering what that abbreviation means, you probably don't want to know. Not sure why - a combination, I think, of tiredness (thank you TdF), frustration (thank you work) and nerves (thank you race).
Headed to swim squad tonight. Only 2.66km tonight but a very solid strength session.
Tue: rest thanks to work
Wed: rest thanks to a late night watching the TdF and a guest who gave me the excuse i was looking for to sit on the couch & not go for a swim (*waves*)
Thu: a big day to make up for the laziness, um I mean, restfulness, yesterday. Up at 5am for a 60min bike session on the trainer in an ice cold garage (included 3 x 8mins AT). A really solid session which made me break a sweat despite the freezing temp in the garage (24.2k). Then at lunch it was off to the pool for a 2km swim which included approximately 1.8km non-stop (my longest swim to date). I say 'approximately' because I had a real goldfish moment & completely stuffed up my lap counting. But I swam for 38mins non-stop so it would be very close. Close enough ;-)
Fri: cancelled my Pilates session with Carly so - wait for it - I could stay up on Thursday night & watch the TdF. Yes, I have my priorities in the right spot. However doing that meant I was able to go to the gym at lunch for the strength session I missed on Tuesday.
Sat: another big training day. 9 hours sleep to make up for a lack of sleep during the week before heading out for a 3.5hr ride. I felt pretty flat today; my legs just didn't want to play. I commented to R as soon as I walked in the door that I keep waiting for a confidence boosting ride which never seems to come. I felt pretty smashed once I got home however I suspect that was more due to the fact that I started the ride dehydrated & then didn't drink enough on the bike. Finished with 79km. 22.8k/h. 3:27
A few hours on the couch with my skins then I dragged myself off to the pool for a 2.2km swim which included 3 x 600m. Given how tired I was feeling, I was actually really pleased with this swim.
A hot date - complete with a huge chocolate concoction for dessert - and the time trial in the Tdf rounded out a tiring day. Thinking about the day later (with perspective), I realise that today's training was very close to race distance. I know I can go the distance; the only question is how long it will take...
Sun: after staying up til 1.15am to watch the TdF last night, I was pretty dusty when the alarm went off at 6.15am :-0 so that I could be at Hornsby by 8am to meet TA & Gnome for a 2hr ride along the Old Pacific Highway. Coffee & a deadline helped me to get out the door. My legs were feeling very fatigued & sore when I got out of bed after Friday & Saturday's sessions but they felt reasonably good on the bike once the blood started flowing. A really enjoyable ride with wonderful company and coffee; thanks guys! 46.1k. Av. 22.1k/h.
MTD:
Swim: 20.4km
Bike: 455.2km
Mon: another late night watching the Tour and fortunately a day working at home thanks to a medical appointment. So a sleep-in, some work & then a lunchtime 'run' being 3 x 5min run with 90sec walk recovery. The less said about it the better.
I was feeling very CBF'd at the start of the week. If you are wondering what that abbreviation means, you probably don't want to know. Not sure why - a combination, I think, of tiredness (thank you TdF), frustration (thank you work) and nerves (thank you race).
Headed to swim squad tonight. Only 2.66km tonight but a very solid strength session.
Tue: rest thanks to work
Wed: rest thanks to a late night watching the TdF and a guest who gave me the excuse i was looking for to sit on the couch & not go for a swim (*waves*)
Thu: a big day to make up for the laziness, um I mean, restfulness, yesterday. Up at 5am for a 60min bike session on the trainer in an ice cold garage (included 3 x 8mins AT). A really solid session which made me break a sweat despite the freezing temp in the garage (24.2k). Then at lunch it was off to the pool for a 2km swim which included approximately 1.8km non-stop (my longest swim to date). I say 'approximately' because I had a real goldfish moment & completely stuffed up my lap counting. But I swam for 38mins non-stop so it would be very close. Close enough ;-)
Fri: cancelled my Pilates session with Carly so - wait for it - I could stay up on Thursday night & watch the TdF. Yes, I have my priorities in the right spot. However doing that meant I was able to go to the gym at lunch for the strength session I missed on Tuesday.
Sat: another big training day. 9 hours sleep to make up for a lack of sleep during the week before heading out for a 3.5hr ride. I felt pretty flat today; my legs just didn't want to play. I commented to R as soon as I walked in the door that I keep waiting for a confidence boosting ride which never seems to come. I felt pretty smashed once I got home however I suspect that was more due to the fact that I started the ride dehydrated & then didn't drink enough on the bike. Finished with 79km. 22.8k/h. 3:27
A few hours on the couch with my skins then I dragged myself off to the pool for a 2.2km swim which included 3 x 600m. Given how tired I was feeling, I was actually really pleased with this swim.
A hot date - complete with a huge chocolate concoction for dessert - and the time trial in the Tdf rounded out a tiring day. Thinking about the day later (with perspective), I realise that today's training was very close to race distance. I know I can go the distance; the only question is how long it will take...
Sun: after staying up til 1.15am to watch the TdF last night, I was pretty dusty when the alarm went off at 6.15am :-0 so that I could be at Hornsby by 8am to meet TA & Gnome for a 2hr ride along the Old Pacific Highway. Coffee & a deadline helped me to get out the door. My legs were feeling very fatigued & sore when I got out of bed after Friday & Saturday's sessions but they felt reasonably good on the bike once the blood started flowing. A really enjoyable ride with wonderful company and coffee; thanks guys! 46.1k. Av. 22.1k/h.
MTD:
Swim: 20.4km
Bike: 455.2km
Sunday, July 18, 2010
4....
Cirque, a dead road is basically a road with a bad or course surface. So that, for the same level of effort, you actually go slower than normal. Hard to explain but think about those roads you drive on where you actually slow down when going down hill.
A recovery week for me - as much as I love my training, I do love my recovery weeks after a heavy training block.
Mon: I was due to run in the morning but rescheduled it to later in the week due to a(nother) late night spent watching the TdF. Swim squad after work again - only 2.6km this week due mostly to the fact that B+ took the session rather than our usual coach which tends to result in more talking & less swimming which suited me fine tonight. It may have been a shorter session but it wasn't any easier than normal thanks to yet another set of 10 x 100s - including my fastest yet (1:41).
Tue: rest - was due to go the gym at lunch but work conspired to ensure it was a rest day.
Wed: another rest day; I decided extra sleep was a much better idea after yet another late night watching Cadel (what I thought at the time was an implosion but what turned out to be an incredible demonstration of guts). Also gave away some of my valuable blood. If only I could get it back in 4 weeks time..
Thu: after 2 days rest (which is more than I've had in the last 3 weeks) & a good nights sleep for the first time in several days, it was time to get back into it today. Headed out this morning for my little run / walk / shuffle for the first time in about 10 days which included 3 x 8min running with lots of walking on either side. I must have been running (shuffling) slower than normal because I had a longer walk home afterwards then normal. 5.1k. 40min.
Then after working through lunch, I ducked out of the office mid-afternoon for a 1.9km swim. Not much to report. I felt really comfortable in the water; 3 weeks of consistency & it actually feels like it is slowly coming together.
Fri: 45mins of pilates with Carly this morning. Unfortunately she's cutting back my running to a grand total of 3 x 5mins as my left hip doesn't want to play nicely. <>
Sat: a 3 hr 'dubya' ride - out to Richmond, back towards to Penrith for 30mins, turn around & back to Richmond for 30min, before turning and heading for home. This was probably the closest ride I've done to a race simulation; 69km on a flat and largely dead road. My legs felt reasonably good throughout the ride (and fine afterwards) though the thoughts weren't particularly positive. 4 weeks to get my head together... 69.9k. Av.23.1k/h. 3:01
Sun: rest :-)) The first time I've not set an alarm in 6 weeks. Bliss!
Back into the hard work tomorrow!
MTD:
Swim: 13.6k
Bike: 305.9k
A recovery week for me - as much as I love my training, I do love my recovery weeks after a heavy training block.
Mon: I was due to run in the morning but rescheduled it to later in the week due to a(nother) late night spent watching the TdF. Swim squad after work again - only 2.6km this week due mostly to the fact that B+ took the session rather than our usual coach which tends to result in more talking & less swimming which suited me fine tonight. It may have been a shorter session but it wasn't any easier than normal thanks to yet another set of 10 x 100s - including my fastest yet (1:41).
Tue: rest - was due to go the gym at lunch but work conspired to ensure it was a rest day.
Wed: another rest day; I decided extra sleep was a much better idea after yet another late night watching Cadel (what I thought at the time was an implosion but what turned out to be an incredible demonstration of guts). Also gave away some of my valuable blood. If only I could get it back in 4 weeks time..
Thu: after 2 days rest (which is more than I've had in the last 3 weeks) & a good nights sleep for the first time in several days, it was time to get back into it today. Headed out this morning for my little run / walk / shuffle for the first time in about 10 days which included 3 x 8min running with lots of walking on either side. I must have been running (shuffling) slower than normal because I had a longer walk home afterwards then normal. 5.1k. 40min.
Then after working through lunch, I ducked out of the office mid-afternoon for a 1.9km swim. Not much to report. I felt really comfortable in the water; 3 weeks of consistency & it actually feels like it is slowly coming together.
Fri: 45mins of pilates with Carly this morning. Unfortunately she's cutting back my running to a grand total of 3 x 5mins as my left hip doesn't want to play nicely. <>
Sat: a 3 hr 'dubya' ride - out to Richmond, back towards to Penrith for 30mins, turn around & back to Richmond for 30min, before turning and heading for home. This was probably the closest ride I've done to a race simulation; 69km on a flat and largely dead road. My legs felt reasonably good throughout the ride (and fine afterwards) though the thoughts weren't particularly positive. 4 weeks to get my head together... 69.9k. Av.23.1k/h. 3:01
Sun: rest :-)) The first time I've not set an alarm in 6 weeks. Bliss!
Back into the hard work tomorrow!
MTD:
Swim: 13.6k
Bike: 305.9k
Sunday, July 11, 2010
5...
Another huge week in so many ways!
Mon: was due to do a 2hr ride this morning on my day off but woke up after 9 hours sleep still feeling a bit rusty. Not sick. But not 100% either. So I decided to skip the session & conserve my energy for swim squad in the evening. This turned out to be a good decision. 2.96km in one of the hardest - well, fastest - sessions I have ever done :-)
Tue: 45min strength session at the gym at lunch.
Wed: otherwise known as 'toothpick (for the eyelids)' day. I worked until midnight & then stayed up til 1:30am watching probably the best stage of the TdF I have ever watched. Then dragged my butt out of bed at 7am for a 2km swim which started with 1.6km non-stop as another race simulation. I went through half way in 16:30 and maintained that pace to finish in 33:01. For my longest non-stop swim ever, I am pleased with that time, particularly given its in the 3rd week of a training block & after very little sleep
Thu: 64min bike session on the windtrainer in the garage after work. Lots of firm efforts. 25.7km.
Fri: no pilates with Carly today as I had to cancel my session due to work. Headed to the pool at work during lunch for a 2.2km swim which included 18 x 50ms in total. Yikes. Happiness is having an entire pool to yourself during a lunchtime swim.
Sat: with rain forecast for Sunday, I decided to do my 4hr long ride on Saturday. It's not my preferred long ride day; I do love my Saturday morning sleep in - if you can call 7.30am a sleep-in ;-)
I decided today to ride out along the Northern Road & then to the dreaded Cobbity Road. Cobbity is, by far, the hardest route that I have ridden so far. It is a 'dead' road surface making hard work & then there are the 6 hills which get steeper & longer the further along you go. This was my third time over Cobbity Road & it doesn't seem to get any easier. I felt really sluggish for the first 1:30 along the Northern Road until we turned off at Cobbity Road but was surprised with my effort over the hills. Still very pleased to get off the bike. 92.4k. 4:11. 22.1k/h av.
Sun: as usual, for my 2 hr ride I headed out to Richmond & back this morning along Castlereagh Road. This is a challenging ride in that it is, for the most part, a dead surface and flat. So you have to work the whole time. There are no hills to coast down. You stop pedalling, you quickly come to a stop. My legs were feeling heavy after yesterday's ride.
Someone must have let the idiotic drivers out this weekend. Once yesterday & twice during this ride, I watched cars travelling in the opposite direction attempt to overtake slower cars, which of course, put them on my side of the road coming directly towards me. Sigh. 47.2k. 2:01. Av. 23.4k/h
Ah, tomorrow sees the start of a recovery week - yippee! This week has been my biggest week on the bike ever; 166km in total. After 3 solid weeks of training - in which I only missed 1 of my scheduled sessions - I'm feeling tired but pleased to finally get a solid block in. However I don't know if there will be much recovering going on next week given the number of stages of the TdF I'm planning to watch :-D
MTD:
Swim - 9.1km
Bike - 236km
Mon: was due to do a 2hr ride this morning on my day off but woke up after 9 hours sleep still feeling a bit rusty. Not sick. But not 100% either. So I decided to skip the session & conserve my energy for swim squad in the evening. This turned out to be a good decision. 2.96km in one of the hardest - well, fastest - sessions I have ever done :-)
Tue: 45min strength session at the gym at lunch.
Wed: otherwise known as 'toothpick (for the eyelids)' day. I worked until midnight & then stayed up til 1:30am watching probably the best stage of the TdF I have ever watched. Then dragged my butt out of bed at 7am for a 2km swim which started with 1.6km non-stop as another race simulation. I went through half way in 16:30 and maintained that pace to finish in 33:01. For my longest non-stop swim ever, I am pleased with that time, particularly given its in the 3rd week of a training block & after very little sleep
Thu: 64min bike session on the windtrainer in the garage after work. Lots of firm efforts. 25.7km.
Fri: no pilates with Carly today as I had to cancel my session due to work. Headed to the pool at work during lunch for a 2.2km swim which included 18 x 50ms in total. Yikes. Happiness is having an entire pool to yourself during a lunchtime swim.
Sat: with rain forecast for Sunday, I decided to do my 4hr long ride on Saturday. It's not my preferred long ride day; I do love my Saturday morning sleep in - if you can call 7.30am a sleep-in ;-)
I decided today to ride out along the Northern Road & then to the dreaded Cobbity Road. Cobbity is, by far, the hardest route that I have ridden so far. It is a 'dead' road surface making hard work & then there are the 6 hills which get steeper & longer the further along you go. This was my third time over Cobbity Road & it doesn't seem to get any easier. I felt really sluggish for the first 1:30 along the Northern Road until we turned off at Cobbity Road but was surprised with my effort over the hills. Still very pleased to get off the bike. 92.4k. 4:11. 22.1k/h av.
Sun: as usual, for my 2 hr ride I headed out to Richmond & back this morning along Castlereagh Road. This is a challenging ride in that it is, for the most part, a dead surface and flat. So you have to work the whole time. There are no hills to coast down. You stop pedalling, you quickly come to a stop. My legs were feeling heavy after yesterday's ride.
Someone must have let the idiotic drivers out this weekend. Once yesterday & twice during this ride, I watched cars travelling in the opposite direction attempt to overtake slower cars, which of course, put them on my side of the road coming directly towards me. Sigh. 47.2k. 2:01. Av. 23.4k/h
Ah, tomorrow sees the start of a recovery week - yippee! This week has been my biggest week on the bike ever; 166km in total. After 3 solid weeks of training - in which I only missed 1 of my scheduled sessions - I'm feeling tired but pleased to finally get a solid block in. However I don't know if there will be much recovering going on next week given the number of stages of the TdF I'm planning to watch :-D
MTD:
Swim - 9.1km
Bike - 236km
Sunday, July 04, 2010
6...
Can't believe it is only 6 weeks to go until the race. I don't feel ready though I people keep telling me that I am.. ;-)
Thu: after working til midnight last night, I thought this session might be a bit of a struggle but it ended up being a relatively good session. 55min bike session on the windtrainer. 21km.
Fri: 45min pilates with Carly. Was due to swim after work but couldn't escape from work until late.
Sat: up early to meet TA at Hornsby for my first ride along the Old Pacific Highway. I was feeling a bit rusty this morning after another long week at work so I was (secretly) relieved it was only due to be a 3hr ride rather than the 4-4:30 rides I've been doing lately. Maybe that relief turned into karma because it turned into a 2:24 ride with 3 tyre changes. If nothing else, it was good practice ;-) A really enjoyable ride (when we weren't practising our tyre changing ability) with great company. Brooklyn Hill is very different from the hills we have out west & a nice change. Not to mention the heavenly road surface - bliss. Thanks TA. 49.7k. Av.21k/h
Home for a shower, more coffee & food & catching up on my (personal) emails then it was off to the pool for my interval swim session I had planned to do on Friday. 2km in total including lots of intervals. Felt a bit flat during the first one but finished the session well. This session made 7km in the pool this week; I haven't done that in a l-o-n-g time. Would have loved a nap afterwards but there was no time; a hot date with my spunky hubby before before the start of the greatest sporting event in the world. I love July :-)
Sun: I was due to do my 2hr ride today but woke feeling really tired. Thankfully I have taken Monday off work as a bit of a "mental health" day. So I decided to get a bit more sleep this morning before a short run & push my ride over to Monday. So I headed out about 9.30am for my short run/walk shuffle with 3 x 8mins run in the middle. The cardio fitness is coming along; the left hip still doesn't quite want to play the game. Yet. 4.8k in total
MTD:
Swim - 2km
Bike - 70.7km
Thu: after working til midnight last night, I thought this session might be a bit of a struggle but it ended up being a relatively good session. 55min bike session on the windtrainer. 21km.
Fri: 45min pilates with Carly. Was due to swim after work but couldn't escape from work until late.
Sat: up early to meet TA at Hornsby for my first ride along the Old Pacific Highway. I was feeling a bit rusty this morning after another long week at work so I was (secretly) relieved it was only due to be a 3hr ride rather than the 4-4:30 rides I've been doing lately. Maybe that relief turned into karma because it turned into a 2:24 ride with 3 tyre changes. If nothing else, it was good practice ;-) A really enjoyable ride (when we weren't practising our tyre changing ability) with great company. Brooklyn Hill is very different from the hills we have out west & a nice change. Not to mention the heavenly road surface - bliss. Thanks TA. 49.7k. Av.21k/h
Home for a shower, more coffee & food & catching up on my (personal) emails then it was off to the pool for my interval swim session I had planned to do on Friday. 2km in total including lots of intervals. Felt a bit flat during the first one but finished the session well. This session made 7km in the pool this week; I haven't done that in a l-o-n-g time. Would have loved a nap afterwards but there was no time; a hot date with my spunky hubby before before the start of the greatest sporting event in the world. I love July :-)
Sun: I was due to do my 2hr ride today but woke feeling really tired. Thankfully I have taken Monday off work as a bit of a "mental health" day. So I decided to get a bit more sleep this morning before a short run & push my ride over to Monday. So I headed out about 9.30am for my short run/walk shuffle with 3 x 8mins run in the middle. The cardio fitness is coming along; the left hip still doesn't quite want to play the game. Yet. 4.8k in total
MTD:
Swim - 2km
Bike - 70.7km
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)