The week was also filled with coaches' commitments too. I already spoke about the up-skill session we had on the Sunday but we were also involved in the Gatorade Tri season launch on Monday night at MSAC. We were there from about 6pm through to 9pm helping set up, general queries and then packing up. This is also the longest running week leading up to Melbourne Marathon weekend for most so many people in the squad are getting pretty fatigued yet kicking big goals. I finally got my bib number in the mail too for my half marathon.
Due to the Grand Final on Saturday, I decided on Friday that I was going to swap my long ride and long run days around (do long run on Sat). When I woke up on Sat morning, my nose was blocked and my throat was really sore, for a moment there, I thought I was coming down with a cold but after a few more hours of sleep, it went away (was a bad moment of hay fever which occurred overnight).
Overall, I had only completed one run session, two rides and 3 swims and one body balance session.
Highlight of my week was that the Hawks did win the GF. The low light of my weekend would be that I fell up the stairs (we had seats in the nose bleed section) and so both of my knees are now bruised and sore. It also did not help my ride on Sunday - more of this below.
Favourite (and least favourite) session of the week: There was one session of the week which was my best and my worst. I did my long ride on Sunday instead of Saturday (due to the Grand Final). I decided that I was going to ride down towards the Peninsula instead of the city. The Canadian rode with me so I was slightly less hesitant about heading down that way. We rode down Beach Rd from the house until Station St and then Nepean Hwy all through (passed the Freeway) and came out to Point Nepean Rd. I thought then that I was going to head back home from Safety Beach but instead, we rode towards Arthur's Seat. We knew there was a pretty strong Northerly as it took us only 90min or so to ride 50km.
Now I have never done Arthur's Seat before. From what people have told me, it is a steep (but short) climb. I haven't done many hills around Victoria (and one in NSW). I have done Benwerrin several times, Dandenongs and Kinglake. I have to say wholeheartedly that Arthur's Seat was probably the most hardest climb I have done. Mind you, I haven't done many other hills along the Coast such as Skeene's creek or Wild Dog rd. I was told the Arthur's Seat climb is about 4-5km long but the gradient is greater, especially along the sharp turns. It wasn't long before I was in the granny gear on the small chain ring. I found my speed along the 5km/h-8km/hr and I was surprised I was still on the bike at some points of the climb. I found the left hand turns of the climb the hardest as they were sharp turns so I had to stand up off my seat to get through those.
My mind did wonder off a bit. I started to think about how I was going to come down the descent and that got my stressed out a bit more. I haven't had a chance to download my data but I know it took a while to get up there. Once I got up the top, I was stuffed. Took the obligatory photo of the bike in front of the seat and the we discussed where to ride next.
Due to my fear of descents and Arthur's seat was a steep one, we decided to ride the back way along Arthur's Seat rd. It was a route I had never done before and would be beneficial for me to get familiar to the back roads of the Peninsula. We did get swooped on several times by magpies along the back, I had one clip my ear and then a stab on the helmet with the beak. We turned left onto White Hill rd which was a fast ride (I reached a speed of 60km/hr +) until I realised I was going too fast along a pretty busy road and so I applied on the brakes. The road ended along Nepean Hwy again and it was the same route back. Instead of riding all the way home, we decided that we would stop for lunch (it was about 2:30pm by then) along one of the cafes on Main Street in Mornington.
After a good feed, we headed back towards Frankston along the Esplanade (more rolling hills) and came back onto Nepean Hwy along Beleura Hill Rd. By then my legs were aching to stop. The inflammation in my knees (from the fall up the stairs at the MCG) were more prominent at this stage and I was starting to get tired. Apart from the 3 gels I had prior to the ride up Arthur's Seat (at this stage, it was a gel every 35min/300Cal), I didn't have anything after than for about 90min prior to lunch. Having lunch in the middle of my ride really screwed me over for my nutrition training. I did have potato rosti, eggs, spinach and avocado in as part of my lunch and an orange juice but I had no idea what energy equivalence I would get out of it compared to my gels at every 35min/300Cal. I ignored my alarms after lunch and just kept riding and observed how I went.
The stupid headwind on the way back to Mentone didn't help either. Luckily I had an opportunity to draft off the back of the Canadian for most of it (until he wanted to do the extra loop in Mount Eliza) and I then rode by myself from Mt Eliza to the BP in Frankston. I do remember seeing my Garmin and I had done 90km at that point, only half way through an Ironman ride. I thought to myself considering how over it I was at that point of the day, I would have stopped the race as I didn't want to go through Arthur's seat again.
Another reason why I don't eat anything but gels on my rides is the toilet stops. I had to visit the loo at Frankston and bought a Gatorade as I felt I was feeling tired.
Nothing much happened on the way back to the house from BP in Frankston, I was fatigued and I just kept turning my legs over. Instead of riding along Beach Rd home, we decided to take Railway/Como Parade through Parkdale which also took me home via the suburbs at super slow speed (I was on the small chain ring at this stage just turning my legs over - just to get home).
When we got home, I was tired, hungry and admitedly, very moody. That ride destroyed me. I was asked if I would do that ride everyday instead of work, I had to think hard about it....would it get easier everyday? I definitely said yes to the only for a week scenario.
Advice of the week: I don't think I will ever do a meal as part of my training nutrition again. Not only did it confuse the bejesus out of me for the rest of the 40km ride home and I had to do a toilet stop (luckily we had Frankston BP). I understand other cyclists who do this as a recreational thing but for me (at this stage), out on the bike is training for an event. I need to practice my nutrition and hydration. I have also changed my Garmin alerts to 35min as well as 300Cal and they have come pretty much at the same time which is good. I have done this on purpose as sometimes my heart rate monitor plays funny - either reads that my heart rate is at 220bpm or I am burning around 200Cal/hr.
Thing I’m looking forward to next week: I am looking forward to taking my TT bike out on the road this weekend. I am hoping that my time on the TT position during the windtrainer sessions are beneficial for my long rides.
We have as part of our program, runs off the bike after every long ride which I will need to work on especially for my first triathlon event in about 4 weeks time. At the moment, they are only 3km runs but it is a good start.
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| Not a triathlon related photo - this is from the Grand Final |
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