Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes is my favourite motto.
Nothing more true than when I first started out in this sport. I went from a gym-goer (to lose weight) to becoming a person who is confident in triathlons and now a 2 x Ironman Finisher. I first started out doing mini triathlons, then jumped up to sprint distances and then Olympic distances. I was hesitant about my first Olympic distance race due to the 1.5km swim. It wasn't about speed at the time, it was more about being fit enough to get myself through it. The next step for me was to enter into the world of long course triathlons. I initially signed up for my first half-ironman distance (Shepparton 2012) but during that year of training, I had a spot at Melbourne Ironman (March 2013) and I decided to take the opportunity. I trained consistently throughout the year as I wanted to maximise the training provided even if that meant driving 30km to get to a 6am swim session and then driving another 60min to get to work 3 days a week. I attended the most double session days ever - Tuesday a.m. runs combined with p.m. Ergo and Thursday a.m. runs/ergo with p.m. runs/combo. I attended the most group rides even if it meant started out with them and riding as a group for 10min. I started my long rides leading up to my first Ironman at 3:30am so I can maximise the "alone time" on the roads which meant that I finished my rides around 10-11am and maximised my recovery (naps). I monitored what I ate (regiment) that I was obsessed about the kg on the scales. I was at my fastest/strongest for my swims, rides and my runs as I was consistent.
Leading up to and after 2014 Ironman Melbourne, I did most of my training sessions by myself. I had done one Ironman and knew the training loads leading up to the event. Training for my 2nd Ironman was significantly different. When it was cold and wet, I stayed in bed. I didn't see the "need" to get out there as mentally, I knew what the race was about and I knew that I could get my arse from A to B.
I stopped going to Northcote for my swims as the squad stopped the sessions there so it meant no coach. I personally could not do p.m. swims (at MSAC) as it would meant that I have to stay back at work for 2 hours, train and get home at 9:30-10pm. I would then have to prepare and eat dinner, pack bags for the next day and get to bed around 11pm. I started to swim on my own closer to home - this meant that if I swam in the morning, I could be at work by 8:30am or if I swam in the afternoon, I could be home by 8pm. Much more civilised. With regards to riding, I was pretty consistent as I enjoyed the windtrainer/ergo sessions but long rides were all done on my own unless I was down as a coach for the long rides in the hills. In 2014, I also had a bad fall which meant that I was not able to ride for a month or so and I went on long service leave for 8 weeks. When I returned to training in mid Sept, I was doing my own training as I was significantly behind in training compared to others. My running was not as consistent as previous years but I still attended as much as I could during winter until my fall in July.
I am declaring 2015 as a year of change! I am trying new things, changing the way I train so that I can see changes in my training and fingers crossed - results in events. As I now live and work around Bayside, I want to tailor my training around this schedule. I want to minimise travelling but also maximising the coaching available to me.
Currently, due to my commitments with the beginners triathlon coaching I am doing with Tri Alliance, I will continue to support them until the end of the triathlon season and wait until Ironman Melbourne passes. Once the dust settles, I will start my training for the new year. For now, I am enjoying the "keeping active" side of my off-season - be it swimming just at a comfortable pace, riding my bike when the weather is nice and doing plenty of technique work with my running to be a better and faster runner.
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Sunday, 15 February 2015
Post Race Stuff
About 14 days has passed since Challenge Melbourne. I took a few days off training although physically, I am perfectly fine. As I didn't do 14km out of the 21.1km run as part of Challenge Melbourne, my legs didn't need time to recover or anything like the previous races.
I have been enjoying not training for Ironman this year. It is summer and I am enjoying the weather (when it decides to play nice - typical Melbourne) and all that it brings. As the sun is out, I am enjoying spending time on the beach, riding my bike after work or enjoying the markets.
On the 7th Feb, I joined the Liv Ladies ride. We started at Cafe Racer at 7am and rode down to Mordy as a group. We had a few riders who didn't enjoy a bunch of ladies riding past and so tried to overtake to only be overtaken again once they slowed down after turning off the gas.
Annoyance and a couple of swear words aside, I enjoyed this ride as I don't really get too much opportunity to ride in groups outside of Tri Alliance. More often than not, there is often too much testosterone in the group and we generally don't stay riding as a group as a result. We rarely work as a group which is why I escaped that routine within 2014 - why start the ride as a group, when I end up riding by myself anyway.
On the ride back, we did rolling turns. Hard to do when other cyclist don't want to accept what we are doing, nor do they appreciate the space we needed. There are rolling turns, and there are rolling turns. It doesn't help it when others don't practise it enough to understand the pace and how it may vary throughout the circle. We ended up back at Racer and I bought my first cronut in Aus - delicious chocolate one.
I then raced back to Elwood as I was coaching the try-the-tri group and it was their introduction session. After talking for about an hour or so, we went into the calm water of Elwood Beach. All of them swam to the first pole and back which is quite significant.
That afternoon, I drove down to Geelong to spend a night at my parent's place so I can support the Geelong 70.3 race on Sunday.
One of the girls from Tri Alliance raced as a pro for the first time (we only found out on FB on Saturday) so it made the weekend more exciting. I then realised that it was the first time in 5 years that I haven't raced at Geelong - having done 2 Olympic distances and 2 long course races since 2011.
The Geelong70.3 day itself was perfect for racing - very calm and a cool 23 degrees C. The course has slightly changed from last year which meant that the run was slightly hillier. Everyone had a great day.
Personally, comparing (half iron-distances) Shepparton v Melbourne v Geelong - Melbourne would be the fastest course as there are minimal twists and turns for both the run and rides. For the bike, both Shepparton and Geelong have a few obstacle turns before it gets onto the main roads. I would classify the run at Shepparton to be the most enjoyable - scenic and due to the laps - it is spectator friendly. With regards to the swim - Shepparton would be the easiest although not as buoyant as Melbourne or Geelong due to the location. If PB times is your main goal, then race Challenge Melbourne for that particular satisfaction. Otherwise, I would rate Shepparton as a must-do race over Melbourne and Geelong for its community support and course.
I went for a light swim on Monday evening (8th) - around 1km with pull buoy and then a evening ride on Tuesday (9th), around 45km. Apart from that, I have done no running due to sciatic pain but I rode the bike down to Elwood on Thursday night for coaching and rode home. Just this morning, I drove down to Frankston with all the IM-Melbourners and swam 1.5km around 33min in perfect conditions. I spent the rest of the day visiting friends and did some housework.
Next on the triathlon cards is the Corporate Tri on the 1st March. Testing out a running group on Tuesday 17th and seeing how they can help break the training routine.
Things I am obsessed with at the moment:
I have been enjoying not training for Ironman this year. It is summer and I am enjoying the weather (when it decides to play nice - typical Melbourne) and all that it brings. As the sun is out, I am enjoying spending time on the beach, riding my bike after work or enjoying the markets.
On the 7th Feb, I joined the Liv Ladies ride. We started at Cafe Racer at 7am and rode down to Mordy as a group. We had a few riders who didn't enjoy a bunch of ladies riding past and so tried to overtake to only be overtaken again once they slowed down after turning off the gas.
Annoyance and a couple of swear words aside, I enjoyed this ride as I don't really get too much opportunity to ride in groups outside of Tri Alliance. More often than not, there is often too much testosterone in the group and we generally don't stay riding as a group as a result. We rarely work as a group which is why I escaped that routine within 2014 - why start the ride as a group, when I end up riding by myself anyway.
On the ride back, we did rolling turns. Hard to do when other cyclist don't want to accept what we are doing, nor do they appreciate the space we needed. There are rolling turns, and there are rolling turns. It doesn't help it when others don't practise it enough to understand the pace and how it may vary throughout the circle. We ended up back at Racer and I bought my first cronut in Aus - delicious chocolate one.
I then raced back to Elwood as I was coaching the try-the-tri group and it was their introduction session. After talking for about an hour or so, we went into the calm water of Elwood Beach. All of them swam to the first pole and back which is quite significant.
That afternoon, I drove down to Geelong to spend a night at my parent's place so I can support the Geelong 70.3 race on Sunday.
One of the girls from Tri Alliance raced as a pro for the first time (we only found out on FB on Saturday) so it made the weekend more exciting. I then realised that it was the first time in 5 years that I haven't raced at Geelong - having done 2 Olympic distances and 2 long course races since 2011.
The Geelong70.3 day itself was perfect for racing - very calm and a cool 23 degrees C. The course has slightly changed from last year which meant that the run was slightly hillier. Everyone had a great day.
Personally, comparing (half iron-distances) Shepparton v Melbourne v Geelong - Melbourne would be the fastest course as there are minimal twists and turns for both the run and rides. For the bike, both Shepparton and Geelong have a few obstacle turns before it gets onto the main roads. I would classify the run at Shepparton to be the most enjoyable - scenic and due to the laps - it is spectator friendly. With regards to the swim - Shepparton would be the easiest although not as buoyant as Melbourne or Geelong due to the location. If PB times is your main goal, then race Challenge Melbourne for that particular satisfaction. Otherwise, I would rate Shepparton as a must-do race over Melbourne and Geelong for its community support and course.
I went for a light swim on Monday evening (8th) - around 1km with pull buoy and then a evening ride on Tuesday (9th), around 45km. Apart from that, I have done no running due to sciatic pain but I rode the bike down to Elwood on Thursday night for coaching and rode home. Just this morning, I drove down to Frankston with all the IM-Melbourners and swam 1.5km around 33min in perfect conditions. I spent the rest of the day visiting friends and did some housework.
Next on the triathlon cards is the Corporate Tri on the 1st March. Testing out a running group on Tuesday 17th and seeing how they can help break the training routine.
Things I am obsessed with at the moment:
- "Swap Boxes" on YouTube - I don't know why but I can watch them for hours. The concept is that people buy a box of stuff for the other and then they film them opening up the boxes. Kinda like Christmas morning. There are also plenty of scams out there and those are a cracker to watch too.
- Threads and Pedals - I have bought from them for years - earrings, necklaces, gifts for others..
- White watches - I have about 3.
- Wayfearer glasses - I went on Ebay and just bought about 3 pairs of sunnies in different colours - all around $3-5 each. Cheap but they do the job.
- KOMBUCHA! I have been drinking this stuff for about 10 months now. The next step is to brew my own. I have been googling and you-tube-ing this process lately and will invest in a few things over the next week so I can brew my own kombucha - buying the SCOBY on ebay.
- Vic Market night markets - I make an effort to try something I haven't tasted/experienced before.
Monday, 2 February 2015
There is always a first....(A Race Report)
What is this first you ask? On Sunday 1st February, I had my first DNF - Did Not Finish.
Warning - contents of this race report contains reference to female things. Read at your own discretion.
The event was the Challenge Melbourne (half iron-distance) triathlon - 1.9km swim. 90km ride and a 21.1km run.
I have mentioned a few times about this "monthly issue" that I have been having the last 2 years or so. This issue has become so bad that some days, I have had to take a sick day(s) off work and/or a non-training routine. I have seen a GP and a specialist and currently am on prescription medication to manage the pain. For the month of Jan/Feb, it happened to fall around the Challenge Melb race event. On Friday night, I was in bed with pain from about 9pm, took meds. On Saturday morning, I should have slept in, instead I took meds and went out for a race re-con which was not a great idea as the session was so short, we finished well before 8am and the race kit pick up was around 10am. I didn't end up taking meds before the race as I wasn't sure how the meds would impact me during the event, would I feel drowsy during the swim and the bike that I would be putting myself and others in danger? I didn't want to risk it.
After picking up the race kit on Saturday around 11am, I went home and slept for the afternoon and to ride out my woes lying horizontally on the bed or floor. Had fish and rice for dinner and a glass of electrolytes for hydration.
On Sunday, the alarm was set at 3:50am. As transition was opened at 5:30am, my plan was to leave the house at 4:20am and get there just after 4:30am to set up, visit toilets and all the usual pre-race shenanigans. Alike last year, transition set up was in the dark - luckily I had a head torch from the Afterglow run to use. Win!
I decided for a minimalist strategy for this race - only carry one bidon of hydration as I never go through a complete bottle during a 90km ride (even at Shepparton) and considering the weather was cold and wet, I would not be sweating as much. I also had a small amount of coke and 6 servings of gels (in 2 separate flasks) all ready on the bike for the day. For the run, I had 3 servings of gels in a flask and a caffeine back-up which I would place in the back pocket. The most significant "minimalist strategy" I had was I raced without a Garmin. I knew on which location I would take nutrition during the run leg - same strategy as Shepparton and during my training run. For the ride, as it was 3 laps, I knew my approx time of reaching each end and so sorted out a strategy of every 30min or just after every U-turn. I just wanted to "do" this event rather than caring about times during the race.
The swim strategy remained as the "M" shape as per the Friday email. I loved the swim! The swells were huge but I did enjoy tackling through it. I saw plenty of people who swam towards the wrong buoys and so I have a feeling that some people would either have a super long time having to back track to the right buoys or their swim times were super fast as they would have missed a few key turns. Lets just say, it was hard to see and people coped in ways which they could. I heard around 70 athletes were pulled out of the water and plenty more opted out of the swim.
I think my swim was around 44min, slow for a 1.9km, I realised that my pace was well below my average and I never thought about my increasing my speed during the race, it was just a matter of "where am I going?...ok, got it, head down"
I didn't find my bike-legs until about 20km into the race. They were just made of lead and my hips were in pain. I enjoyed the bike leg when I could finally push through the harder gears and had snippets of tailwind to assist with my average speed. My right turns were shocking, made worse with the rain - I completed 3 out of 5 of the U-turns without having to unclip out of my pedals. I think my bike leg was around 3:05...the last time I checked for my results.
I knew my run was going to be a painful journey but I wanted to keep going and so I plodded along. The first 3km or so, the area around my hips were ok, but the wheels started to fall apart from about 3.05km through to 7km. I was in so much pain I had to concentrate my energy into not crying rather than holding onto good technique. When I reached the 7km mark of the course, I couldn't manage it any longer. I saw familiar faces and just burst out in tears as I was in so much pain. I decided then and there that I was done for the day and walked out off the course and handed in my timing chip. My race was done for the day.
I hung around for about 2 hours after the race to support the people I knew who were still racing. Luckily, the rest of the squad managed a great day out on the course so it was good to see. There were some first-timers and Challenge Melbourne is a great course for a half iron-distance as the times are fast and would have been a great booster of confidence.
A few take-away comments:
I still have 1 more race confirmed for the 1st March (hoping to manage the pains before the event) and may do an olympic distance too. If not, 1st March will be my last triathlon for the season. A 400m swim, 10km ride and a 4km run - this one will hurt!
Warning - contents of this race report contains reference to female things. Read at your own discretion.
The event was the Challenge Melbourne (half iron-distance) triathlon - 1.9km swim. 90km ride and a 21.1km run.
I have mentioned a few times about this "monthly issue" that I have been having the last 2 years or so. This issue has become so bad that some days, I have had to take a sick day(s) off work and/or a non-training routine. I have seen a GP and a specialist and currently am on prescription medication to manage the pain. For the month of Jan/Feb, it happened to fall around the Challenge Melb race event. On Friday night, I was in bed with pain from about 9pm, took meds. On Saturday morning, I should have slept in, instead I took meds and went out for a race re-con which was not a great idea as the session was so short, we finished well before 8am and the race kit pick up was around 10am. I didn't end up taking meds before the race as I wasn't sure how the meds would impact me during the event, would I feel drowsy during the swim and the bike that I would be putting myself and others in danger? I didn't want to risk it.
After picking up the race kit on Saturday around 11am, I went home and slept for the afternoon and to ride out my woes lying horizontally on the bed or floor. Had fish and rice for dinner and a glass of electrolytes for hydration.
On Sunday, the alarm was set at 3:50am. As transition was opened at 5:30am, my plan was to leave the house at 4:20am and get there just after 4:30am to set up, visit toilets and all the usual pre-race shenanigans. Alike last year, transition set up was in the dark - luckily I had a head torch from the Afterglow run to use. Win!
I decided for a minimalist strategy for this race - only carry one bidon of hydration as I never go through a complete bottle during a 90km ride (even at Shepparton) and considering the weather was cold and wet, I would not be sweating as much. I also had a small amount of coke and 6 servings of gels (in 2 separate flasks) all ready on the bike for the day. For the run, I had 3 servings of gels in a flask and a caffeine back-up which I would place in the back pocket. The most significant "minimalist strategy" I had was I raced without a Garmin. I knew on which location I would take nutrition during the run leg - same strategy as Shepparton and during my training run. For the ride, as it was 3 laps, I knew my approx time of reaching each end and so sorted out a strategy of every 30min or just after every U-turn. I just wanted to "do" this event rather than caring about times during the race.
The swim strategy remained as the "M" shape as per the Friday email. I loved the swim! The swells were huge but I did enjoy tackling through it. I saw plenty of people who swam towards the wrong buoys and so I have a feeling that some people would either have a super long time having to back track to the right buoys or their swim times were super fast as they would have missed a few key turns. Lets just say, it was hard to see and people coped in ways which they could. I heard around 70 athletes were pulled out of the water and plenty more opted out of the swim.
I think my swim was around 44min, slow for a 1.9km, I realised that my pace was well below my average and I never thought about my increasing my speed during the race, it was just a matter of "where am I going?...ok, got it, head down"
I didn't find my bike-legs until about 20km into the race. They were just made of lead and my hips were in pain. I enjoyed the bike leg when I could finally push through the harder gears and had snippets of tailwind to assist with my average speed. My right turns were shocking, made worse with the rain - I completed 3 out of 5 of the U-turns without having to unclip out of my pedals. I think my bike leg was around 3:05...the last time I checked for my results.
I knew my run was going to be a painful journey but I wanted to keep going and so I plodded along. The first 3km or so, the area around my hips were ok, but the wheels started to fall apart from about 3.05km through to 7km. I was in so much pain I had to concentrate my energy into not crying rather than holding onto good technique. When I reached the 7km mark of the course, I couldn't manage it any longer. I saw familiar faces and just burst out in tears as I was in so much pain. I decided then and there that I was done for the day and walked out off the course and handed in my timing chip. My race was done for the day.
I hung around for about 2 hours after the race to support the people I knew who were still racing. Luckily, the rest of the squad managed a great day out on the course so it was good to see. There were some first-timers and Challenge Melbourne is a great course for a half iron-distance as the times are fast and would have been a great booster of confidence.
A few take-away comments:
- Work on speed rather than just "get through it with a lower pace"
- Need to get some strength in my core - it may help to manage my pains
- Nutrition strategy was good - not the worse conditions for race day (it was not hot or humid)
- Bikeskills needs work - learn to handle bike better on sharp U turns. My aim is to not unclip out of my shoes for Shepparton 2015.
- Might have to look into taking the pill again to manage my monthly cycles and to manage my pains.
I still have 1 more race confirmed for the 1st March (hoping to manage the pains before the event) and may do an olympic distance too. If not, 1st March will be my last triathlon for the season. A 400m swim, 10km ride and a 4km run - this one will hurt!
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Draft for 2015-2016
With my last long course triathlon race in about 4 more days (eeeeeek!!!) for this 2014/15 season, I am drafting down some key goals for the year leading to and including the 2015-16 triathlon season. Like my previous years, my personal thoughts on goals are that they must/are realistic - I don't commit to something even if it is in writing unless I know that I can include it in my schedule/lifestyle.
Balance and core values - I am not going to be racing another Ironman for the season. Personally, this lifestyle is not sustainable. You do miss out on so much of what is out there, outside of triathlon, if you immerse yourself in just swimming, riding, running and recovering hour after hour, day after day, week after week, year after year. Energy is not the only factor for Ironman-distance training, it is also the finance factor which does add up. I would rather put my energy and money into my life outside of triathlon - such as travel (and not just to the same locations, related to triathlons or not, year after year), food experiences, movies, shows etc etc. Another thing I have noticed with Ironman racing is that it takes a really long time to not only recover from the event itself but also getting back into the swing of training again.
Goals and Events
Lets talk sports goals for the year - I have already signed up for Challenge Shepparton in November. I really enjoyed the race last year and now will work towards improving on the same event (with a bit more training). This will be my main motivator over the chilly winter months to get out there and do some training! I don't find swimming to be a big problem with regards to training without the squad. Motivation and enjoyment for running is what I need so as much as I can, train with the squad. I have looked into running with a run squad on Tuesday mornings - the reason for this is to try something new and I will more likely to turn up to this session where a coach is present than a session where a group of people rock up and do whatever that is on the program.
Another event which I have signed up to is the Mornington Running Festival on the 6th September, running the half marathon. I really do enjoy the half marathon distances - be it a road event or trail.
Over the weekend of 17th May 2015, I will either do the Dirty Gran Fondo event or the Great Ocean Road half marathon. I am undecided between the two. Hopefully I can get my skills up enough to do the DGF event, otherwise, I will do the run.
After Challenge Melbourne, I will be doing a corporate tri as part of a team. I haven't done a sprint race since 2011!!!! My shortest race has been the Noosa Olympic distances, I don't know how to race fast anymore. I am really shitting myself, especially for the run, how the hell am I going to run 4km fast after I have just ridden 10km full ball? I don't think I have any fast twitch muscles left.
Some key goals which I would like to achieve in the next 12 months:
- Run a half marathon under 2 hours. I am finding that with my distance increasing to accommodate the requirements of running a marathon for Ironman, my speed has dropped significantly. I might key in a race in October for this goal, otherwise it will be the Mornington event in Sept. I haven't achieved this goal since Oct 2012 leading up to Shepparton where my fitness was at its peak.
- I want to sign up for a 100 x 100m swim challenge in 2015. It will be just a matter of finding an event which does not compromise my other goals. If there isn't an event, I will just need to find 3.5 hours out of my day, find out what the rules are and hopefully get a helper to count laps and witness.
- Race an olympic distance triathlon under 3 hours. I have only done 3 olympic distances races - all at Noosa. I know it is hard to compare apples with apples so I will not compare this with my previous races. An olympic distance race done in Melbourne will most likely be a wetsuit swim, the ride will not include the Garmin Hill climb and the temperature and humidity will most likely not be as high as Noosa. I will pencil this in for a 2016 event.
Key Sessions
- Continue with Lady Bombs hot laps at Albert Park lake. I found these sessions to be of great value especially in working on strength and speed.
- Strength and core session on Mondays - coordinate with swim session. It doesn't have to be long, 2o to 30 min will suffice.
- This will sound like a record player but the long rides and long runs are important for long course racing. As much as I can, I will make it to the sessions, especially long runs at Fairfield with Greg. I enjoy these sessions as I don't feel like I am running by myself. We tend to work on technique and hill work which is beneficial for me.
On the blog side of things - I am hoping to get it up and running again. It helps me keep tabs on how I am going and I guess this is evident over the last 4 months or so - stopped training, stopped blogging and in turn, stopped being excited about training...
Balance and core values - I am not going to be racing another Ironman for the season. Personally, this lifestyle is not sustainable. You do miss out on so much of what is out there, outside of triathlon, if you immerse yourself in just swimming, riding, running and recovering hour after hour, day after day, week after week, year after year. Energy is not the only factor for Ironman-distance training, it is also the finance factor which does add up. I would rather put my energy and money into my life outside of triathlon - such as travel (and not just to the same locations, related to triathlons or not, year after year), food experiences, movies, shows etc etc. Another thing I have noticed with Ironman racing is that it takes a really long time to not only recover from the event itself but also getting back into the swing of training again.
Goals and Events
Lets talk sports goals for the year - I have already signed up for Challenge Shepparton in November. I really enjoyed the race last year and now will work towards improving on the same event (with a bit more training). This will be my main motivator over the chilly winter months to get out there and do some training! I don't find swimming to be a big problem with regards to training without the squad. Motivation and enjoyment for running is what I need so as much as I can, train with the squad. I have looked into running with a run squad on Tuesday mornings - the reason for this is to try something new and I will more likely to turn up to this session where a coach is present than a session where a group of people rock up and do whatever that is on the program.
Another event which I have signed up to is the Mornington Running Festival on the 6th September, running the half marathon. I really do enjoy the half marathon distances - be it a road event or trail.
Over the weekend of 17th May 2015, I will either do the Dirty Gran Fondo event or the Great Ocean Road half marathon. I am undecided between the two. Hopefully I can get my skills up enough to do the DGF event, otherwise, I will do the run.
After Challenge Melbourne, I will be doing a corporate tri as part of a team. I haven't done a sprint race since 2011!!!! My shortest race has been the Noosa Olympic distances, I don't know how to race fast anymore. I am really shitting myself, especially for the run, how the hell am I going to run 4km fast after I have just ridden 10km full ball? I don't think I have any fast twitch muscles left.
Some key goals which I would like to achieve in the next 12 months:
- Run a half marathon under 2 hours. I am finding that with my distance increasing to accommodate the requirements of running a marathon for Ironman, my speed has dropped significantly. I might key in a race in October for this goal, otherwise it will be the Mornington event in Sept. I haven't achieved this goal since Oct 2012 leading up to Shepparton where my fitness was at its peak.
- I want to sign up for a 100 x 100m swim challenge in 2015. It will be just a matter of finding an event which does not compromise my other goals. If there isn't an event, I will just need to find 3.5 hours out of my day, find out what the rules are and hopefully get a helper to count laps and witness.
- Race an olympic distance triathlon under 3 hours. I have only done 3 olympic distances races - all at Noosa. I know it is hard to compare apples with apples so I will not compare this with my previous races. An olympic distance race done in Melbourne will most likely be a wetsuit swim, the ride will not include the Garmin Hill climb and the temperature and humidity will most likely not be as high as Noosa. I will pencil this in for a 2016 event.
Key Sessions
- Continue with Lady Bombs hot laps at Albert Park lake. I found these sessions to be of great value especially in working on strength and speed.
- Strength and core session on Mondays - coordinate with swim session. It doesn't have to be long, 2o to 30 min will suffice.
- This will sound like a record player but the long rides and long runs are important for long course racing. As much as I can, I will make it to the sessions, especially long runs at Fairfield with Greg. I enjoy these sessions as I don't feel like I am running by myself. We tend to work on technique and hill work which is beneficial for me.
On the blog side of things - I am hoping to get it up and running again. It helps me keep tabs on how I am going and I guess this is evident over the last 4 months or so - stopped training, stopped blogging and in turn, stopped being excited about training...
Sunday, 18 January 2015
Two more weeks.....really??
In two weeks, I have Challenge Melbourne! It is a half-distance triathlon - 1.9km swim, 90km ride and a half marathon. After Challenge Shepparton, I said that I would train better to get a better result for Challenge Melbourne. Two weeks to go for this event and I must admit whole heartedly that I have not done this.
A few things have come about since Shepparton. I did a trail run event which was fantastic. I resigned from my previous employer whom I had been with for 8.5 years on the 1st December. Since I resigned, I have had to spend time to train/handover projects and also do some prep work for the next role. I had mentioned that the new work is really close to my home - this has been great since I started on the 13th Jan.
So my brother and his wife (the ones who now live in Japan) came to Melbourne for 10 days on the 21st Dec. We spent a few days down at Rye and visited some touristy places down at Mornington. We went to the strawberry farm and up at Arthurs Seat. I did one run (of about 7km) around Mornington through the trails which I enjoyed.
I only did one ride over the Hell Week period which was the unofficial Christmas Day ride of about 70km, ride to the start, around to Black Rock, then to Pete and Sharon's house for breakfast and coffee and then a ride home. I didn't do too much after that but spent time with the family.
I didn't really follow the training program much but did a few 100km rides before work started for the year. A few swims in the sun and now I have a nice shade of tan in contrast to shape of my bathers. I did a few "long" runs since the start of the training program and just finished the longest run since my trail run last Nov this morning.
My training program has now settled down to the following until Challenge Melbourne:
Mon - Morning swim at GESAC before work starting at 5:45am.
Tues - Morning intervals most likely at Mentone rather than MSAC as my working day starts at 8am. Tuesday will most likely be a road ride as we can't do windtrainer yet due to the school closures.
Wed - Open water swims in the morning or same as Monday.
Thurs - Ladybombs in the morning, afternoon run intervals at Elwood.
Fri - Endurance swims at GESAC
Sat - Long ride.
Sun - Long Run
This weekend was the peak week for training so the ride, run off the bike and the long run was the longest distance. I did a 100km ride and no more. The program had 130km but I had too many things to balance up. I did however did my longest and best run in ages this morning. We did 3 laps of the Challenge Melbourne run course which was great for mental boost. We didn't end up swimming due to the conditions (being shit...)
I am really looking forward to Challenge Melbourne - it being the last long course event for the season and start to enjoy being out on the bike doing short rides and not "training" and spending time on being a friend, partner, daughter and sister.
A few things have come about since Shepparton. I did a trail run event which was fantastic. I resigned from my previous employer whom I had been with for 8.5 years on the 1st December. Since I resigned, I have had to spend time to train/handover projects and also do some prep work for the next role. I had mentioned that the new work is really close to my home - this has been great since I started on the 13th Jan.
So my brother and his wife (the ones who now live in Japan) came to Melbourne for 10 days on the 21st Dec. We spent a few days down at Rye and visited some touristy places down at Mornington. We went to the strawberry farm and up at Arthurs Seat. I did one run (of about 7km) around Mornington through the trails which I enjoyed.
I only did one ride over the Hell Week period which was the unofficial Christmas Day ride of about 70km, ride to the start, around to Black Rock, then to Pete and Sharon's house for breakfast and coffee and then a ride home. I didn't do too much after that but spent time with the family.
I didn't really follow the training program much but did a few 100km rides before work started for the year. A few swims in the sun and now I have a nice shade of tan in contrast to shape of my bathers. I did a few "long" runs since the start of the training program and just finished the longest run since my trail run last Nov this morning.
My training program has now settled down to the following until Challenge Melbourne:
Mon - Morning swim at GESAC before work starting at 5:45am.
Tues - Morning intervals most likely at Mentone rather than MSAC as my working day starts at 8am. Tuesday will most likely be a road ride as we can't do windtrainer yet due to the school closures.
Wed - Open water swims in the morning or same as Monday.
Thurs - Ladybombs in the morning, afternoon run intervals at Elwood.
Fri - Endurance swims at GESAC
Sat - Long ride.
Sun - Long Run
This weekend was the peak week for training so the ride, run off the bike and the long run was the longest distance. I did a 100km ride and no more. The program had 130km but I had too many things to balance up. I did however did my longest and best run in ages this morning. We did 3 laps of the Challenge Melbourne run course which was great for mental boost. We didn't end up swimming due to the conditions (being shit...)
I am really looking forward to Challenge Melbourne - it being the last long course event for the season and start to enjoy being out on the bike doing short rides and not "training" and spending time on being a friend, partner, daughter and sister.
Friday, 12 December 2014
New Role in the New Year!
I can finally announce (to the audience who read my blogs) that I have resigned from my current role and will be moving to another company in the new year. How does this impact on my training life? Plenty!
One of the reasons why I took on this role is the company's core values which they spoke about on day 1 of the job interview. As some of you may know, core values is something which I am a strong believer of. If you have strong core values in life - be it family, work or training, things will be held together and be sustainable (sustained life).
I start this role on the 13th Jan 2015. My last long course race is on the 1st Feb 2015 - 3 weeks after I start this new role. Fingers crossed that I am able to balance out work and training within the first few weeks of starting out there.
I am so looking forward to joining this new company - I will be contributing to their sustainability which is something I am passionate about. Can't wait!
- The office of this company is 3km from my house.
- This means that on recovery days, I am able to sleep in closer to the start of the working day as it takes me 30min to walk, 15min slow ride (pub bike speed), 5min drive.
- This means that I can do my swim sets in the morning and be at work in 5min (pool being 3km from work) or drive home to shower/breakfast and then get to work on Mondays and Wednesdays.
- There is a pretty sweet park nearby which means that I can do my runs there in the mornings or during my lunch breaks.
- There are plenty of parking onsite so I don't have to pay nearly $6K/year for parking - money which can go towards more sweet cycling gear. #sockdoping #newkitday
One of the reasons why I took on this role is the company's core values which they spoke about on day 1 of the job interview. As some of you may know, core values is something which I am a strong believer of. If you have strong core values in life - be it family, work or training, things will be held together and be sustainable (sustained life).
I start this role on the 13th Jan 2015. My last long course race is on the 1st Feb 2015 - 3 weeks after I start this new role. Fingers crossed that I am able to balance out work and training within the first few weeks of starting out there.
I am so looking forward to joining this new company - I will be contributing to their sustainability which is something I am passionate about. Can't wait!
Sunday, 30 November 2014
Afterglow Trail Run - The Race Report
On Saturday night (29th Nov 2014), I participated in my first trail run event. I had signed up for this event back in September - Afterglow. My friend Sally signed up for this event and posted on Facebook if anyone wants to also sign up for a bit of run on the trails. This event was unique in the way that the run starts around 6:30pm and the cut off was around 10:30pm. As the run is at dusk and most will finish after sunset, it was compulsory that all participants run with a head torch.
With this in mind, I bought a head torch and some minimalist trail running shoes. I practiced running with the head torch soon after receiving them but I hadn't trained in the minimalist trail shoes other than the odd walk with the dog. I decided that as I ran with my Mizuno shoes recently, even during the Challenge Shepparton (half) and the course description mentioned that the course was not too technical and suitable for road runners too, I decided to fore-go the trail shoes and just run with my Mizunos.
After Challenge Shepp, I hadn't done any running at all.....like zero! So like all events, I was hesitant about this as I had not done a trail event before and I was not familiar with the route at all.
The weekend came too soon. I planned on arriving at my parents house as it was around 15min from Torquay. I got down to Torquay around 2pm and picked up my race bib. I tried the course fuel which was called Tailwind and I really enjoyed it. I will look at purchasing some to use for training and to use during the events.
Sally arrived at my parents place around 5pm and we quickly got ready and left the house around 5:30pm. We got on the shuttle bus which took us to Point Addis around 6:40pm. The slow wave started first around 6:50pm (the faster wave around 7:15pm).
When the announcer called the start, most people sped off. I decided to just run at my pace as I know that I have 21km left for the day. The first part of the run was on bitumen and then into the beach trail. The single track path was good but the course was congested due to the single track and the amount of people in the wave.
The group started to spread out once the course started to get slightly technical and there was the first major climb along with rocks and roots to get over. At this point, I wasn't running too much but tried to not dwell on the rocks for too long.
After the climb, there was a false flat and then the descents was a really steep one. Soon after this was another climb, oh boy!...
I started to get into a good rhythm around the 5km mark. I thought to myself how fun this trail running is. I am running at a great pace, I felt great, I am enjoying the sights and sounds and I was not in too much pain.
The aid stations were simple but they provided everything you needed - water, tailwind fuel, lollies, nuts and chocolates. I ate some red lollies and filled up my bottle with some Tailwind. Around this point was when I had my first gel for the day - around 6km mark. I didn't swallow all my gel in one go so ran with it for a while until I realised that I sprayed about a teaspoon out of the packet into my hair, face and my hands.
The rest of the run was fantastic - the course changed throughout - from sand, dirt, path, road and more. The scenery was also fantastic. You had the ocean on your right and the noise of the waves splashing along the shore just made it memorable.
There were sections of the main path which was filled with soft sand, these sections I found to be the most difficult as your energy would just be drained out trying to push off the soft surface. Every step you took, your feet would sink about 10-20cm.
The route took you past the finish line then onto the beach. Before I reached this point, I decided to run with a head torch as someone ran past me with one and I noticed the difference when the light shone on the path. The run along the beach was around 2-3km. It was actually very surreal seeing a path of light along the beach. Then the run became interesting as we literally had to "climb" onto the sand dunes to get to the path. The climb was the worse - all hands and knees onto the sand dune which resulted in sand getting everywhere!
The rest of the run was in the direction of the finish line. I knew we had about 2km to go and wanted to finish strong. I ended up running past a few people at this point which was a great feeling as I had something left in the tank. The last 500m was at a great pace and I brought everything out and finished the event with nothing left in me.
My final results for this event:
Official Time: 2:35:35
Overall: 210/250
Gender: 88/115
Category (Female 21-35): 33/42
Pretty happy with the results considering I had finished a half iron-distance triathlon 2 weeks prior, had zero run training in between and this being my first trail run event. I will definitely sign up to this event again.
My toes cramped up once through the event but I increased my intake of my hydration (Shotz solution) and that seemed to help. I chaffed around my chest with my sports bra and there are several scabs now. I don't have any blisters as I wore my 1000mile socks along with my bright orange Ten Speed Hero socks.
Things to note before the next event:
- Might look into a backpack hydration system - I will see how my arms swing along the side.
- Will buy some Tailwind to use in training and in racing
- Training (trail) in my minimalist shoes as they are light and I have to throw my Mizuno shoes away soon as they are 18months old.
With this in mind, I bought a head torch and some minimalist trail running shoes. I practiced running with the head torch soon after receiving them but I hadn't trained in the minimalist trail shoes other than the odd walk with the dog. I decided that as I ran with my Mizuno shoes recently, even during the Challenge Shepparton (half) and the course description mentioned that the course was not too technical and suitable for road runners too, I decided to fore-go the trail shoes and just run with my Mizunos.
After Challenge Shepp, I hadn't done any running at all.....like zero! So like all events, I was hesitant about this as I had not done a trail event before and I was not familiar with the route at all.
The weekend came too soon. I planned on arriving at my parents house as it was around 15min from Torquay. I got down to Torquay around 2pm and picked up my race bib. I tried the course fuel which was called Tailwind and I really enjoyed it. I will look at purchasing some to use for training and to use during the events.
Sally arrived at my parents place around 5pm and we quickly got ready and left the house around 5:30pm. We got on the shuttle bus which took us to Point Addis around 6:40pm. The slow wave started first around 6:50pm (the faster wave around 7:15pm).
When the announcer called the start, most people sped off. I decided to just run at my pace as I know that I have 21km left for the day. The first part of the run was on bitumen and then into the beach trail. The single track path was good but the course was congested due to the single track and the amount of people in the wave.
The group started to spread out once the course started to get slightly technical and there was the first major climb along with rocks and roots to get over. At this point, I wasn't running too much but tried to not dwell on the rocks for too long.
After the climb, there was a false flat and then the descents was a really steep one. Soon after this was another climb, oh boy!...
I started to get into a good rhythm around the 5km mark. I thought to myself how fun this trail running is. I am running at a great pace, I felt great, I am enjoying the sights and sounds and I was not in too much pain.
The aid stations were simple but they provided everything you needed - water, tailwind fuel, lollies, nuts and chocolates. I ate some red lollies and filled up my bottle with some Tailwind. Around this point was when I had my first gel for the day - around 6km mark. I didn't swallow all my gel in one go so ran with it for a while until I realised that I sprayed about a teaspoon out of the packet into my hair, face and my hands.
The rest of the run was fantastic - the course changed throughout - from sand, dirt, path, road and more. The scenery was also fantastic. You had the ocean on your right and the noise of the waves splashing along the shore just made it memorable.
There were sections of the main path which was filled with soft sand, these sections I found to be the most difficult as your energy would just be drained out trying to push off the soft surface. Every step you took, your feet would sink about 10-20cm.
The route took you past the finish line then onto the beach. Before I reached this point, I decided to run with a head torch as someone ran past me with one and I noticed the difference when the light shone on the path. The run along the beach was around 2-3km. It was actually very surreal seeing a path of light along the beach. Then the run became interesting as we literally had to "climb" onto the sand dunes to get to the path. The climb was the worse - all hands and knees onto the sand dune which resulted in sand getting everywhere!
The rest of the run was in the direction of the finish line. I knew we had about 2km to go and wanted to finish strong. I ended up running past a few people at this point which was a great feeling as I had something left in the tank. The last 500m was at a great pace and I brought everything out and finished the event with nothing left in me.
My final results for this event:
Official Time: 2:35:35
Overall: 210/250
Gender: 88/115
Category (Female 21-35): 33/42
Pretty happy with the results considering I had finished a half iron-distance triathlon 2 weeks prior, had zero run training in between and this being my first trail run event. I will definitely sign up to this event again.
My toes cramped up once through the event but I increased my intake of my hydration (Shotz solution) and that seemed to help. I chaffed around my chest with my sports bra and there are several scabs now. I don't have any blisters as I wore my 1000mile socks along with my bright orange Ten Speed Hero socks.
Things to note before the next event:
- Might look into a backpack hydration system - I will see how my arms swing along the side.
- Will buy some Tailwind to use in training and in racing
- Training (trail) in my minimalist shoes as they are light and I have to throw my Mizuno shoes away soon as they are 18months old.
Monday, 24 November 2014
Recovery Week
So it has been more than a week since my Challenge Shepparton event (1.9/90/21.1) and I think my body has finally recovered and I am about to start another build into another half-iron-distance event.
My next (triathlon) event is Challenge Melbourne (1.9/90/21.1) and it's on the 1st February 2014. I have also put my name down for the corporate triathlon on the 1st March. So far, what have I been up to?
Monday 17th - Massage
Tuesday 18th - Nothing
Wednesday 19th - Nothing
Thursday 20th - Lady bombs (Recovery) and open water swim
Friday 21st - Nothing
Saturday 22nd - 1km open water swim for corporate games. I think my time was around 24min. This is slow!
Sunday 23rd - Nothing
I have a 21-22km trail run event on Saturday evening. I am planning on doing a 50-70km ride (may not be on the TT bike) to turn the legs as I don't want to smash myself before a half marathon. On Sunday, I will see what I feel like doing...I won't get back to Melbourne in time for the Sunday ride with the crew. Might do an open water swim or something....who knows. I might even just go exploring on my CX bike...
Anyways, this week's training has not gone off with a good start. My swim session today was cancelled due to the possibility of thunderstorms (pool was closed) then I couldn't do the afternoon session as I have an appointment.
My Tuesday's training will be determined by the weather. If the weather forecast is great, I will be riding into work, early due to a 8am meeting and this will also cover off a bike session in the pm. Wednesday will be "back to pool" day with a gym session thrown in as I need to work on my strength. Thursday will be a bike session in the morning and then open water swim and run. Friday may be an endurance swim or a gym session.
As far as nutrition is concerned. Our fruit and veg orders are back so we are consuming plenty of fresh fruit and veg everyday. I am finding myself only consuming gels/supplements during my Saturday and Sunday training days. All other days are done without gels for which I am okay with. My nutrition during Challenge Shepparton was pretty much spot on so there isn't really anything I would change about it.
I am looking forward to Challenge Melbourne. I really had fun last year albeit it was a shortened race and it was a bloody warm day.
My next (triathlon) event is Challenge Melbourne (1.9/90/21.1) and it's on the 1st February 2014. I have also put my name down for the corporate triathlon on the 1st March. So far, what have I been up to?
Monday 17th - Massage
Tuesday 18th - Nothing
Wednesday 19th - Nothing
Thursday 20th - Lady bombs (Recovery) and open water swim
Friday 21st - Nothing
Saturday 22nd - 1km open water swim for corporate games. I think my time was around 24min. This is slow!
Sunday 23rd - Nothing
I have a 21-22km trail run event on Saturday evening. I am planning on doing a 50-70km ride (may not be on the TT bike) to turn the legs as I don't want to smash myself before a half marathon. On Sunday, I will see what I feel like doing...I won't get back to Melbourne in time for the Sunday ride with the crew. Might do an open water swim or something....who knows. I might even just go exploring on my CX bike...
Anyways, this week's training has not gone off with a good start. My swim session today was cancelled due to the possibility of thunderstorms (pool was closed) then I couldn't do the afternoon session as I have an appointment.
My Tuesday's training will be determined by the weather. If the weather forecast is great, I will be riding into work, early due to a 8am meeting and this will also cover off a bike session in the pm. Wednesday will be "back to pool" day with a gym session thrown in as I need to work on my strength. Thursday will be a bike session in the morning and then open water swim and run. Friday may be an endurance swim or a gym session.
As far as nutrition is concerned. Our fruit and veg orders are back so we are consuming plenty of fresh fruit and veg everyday. I am finding myself only consuming gels/supplements during my Saturday and Sunday training days. All other days are done without gels for which I am okay with. My nutrition during Challenge Shepparton was pretty much spot on so there isn't really anything I would change about it.
I am looking forward to Challenge Melbourne. I really had fun last year albeit it was a shortened race and it was a bloody warm day.
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Challenge Shepparton - The "Event" Report
So my first long course event for this season was done and dusted on Sunday 16th November. Challenge Shepparton (half iron-distance) on a new course in Shepparton, VIC.
I signed up for this event early this year and used it as an incentive to get back into training from my leave. I had about 6 weeks to train for this event after an 8 week long service leave holiday and 3 more weeks of non-training due to a bike crash.
We did a short ride, run and swim on Saturday and checked in our bikes around lunch. I made my way back to the cabin to rest my legs and had a good nap. I tend to nap the day before. I find that as I don't have enough sleep the night before a race, I figured I can be "rested" if I nap the day before. It also kills the nerves too which is a bonus.
I am sure the 1300+ competitors were awake during the storms the night before the event. I was woken up at about 1am in the morning due to the loud noises the torrential rain made around the cabin. I was so grateful that we were in a cabin compared to poor souls who pitched tents in the caravan park.
I had my alarm set at 3:40 and again at 4am. First things first, put on my tri-suit, timing band on my ankles, had breakfast of a peanut butter banana sandwich (literally, cut banana in half, apply peanut butter, close banana), applied numbering tattoos on arms, legs and packed up my hydration into my bags. I left the caravan park at 4:45 and got to the lake around 4:50am. I stood around with about a dozen or so other competitors for a few minutes before they opened up transition at 5am.
I haven't set up a transition since February of this year. It felt weird having all your things lined up and ready to go instead of stuffing them into transition bags. Due to the rain, I folded my towels in a way that it covered my gear from being (too) wet. I decided to wear socks for the run as I wanted to be as comfortable as I could and I haven't been training sans socks for over 12 months. It took me about 20min to get ready and walked through the expo. Luckily one of the pop-up tri shops was opened so I purchased some arm warmers and went back into transition and had them ready.
I walked back to the TA Taj and saw that plenty of tri clubs had their tents blown over. One even had their tent into the lake. I wet-suited up around 6:15am and waited around for the start. The elites were supposed to go off at 6:30 but was delayed by 10min as they needed to clear the roads. Waiting around for the start was worse due to the freezing conditions and the non-stop rain. Once we were in the water, it was a relief as the lake was actually warm.
The siren blew and off we went. I must have not pressed the right button on my Garmin. No swim recorded and I stuffed up my multisport-button-pressing-thing. The swim felt long and I had a few issues with direction. Turning around the buoys almost at 360 angle made it hard for me to get my bearings right. The last part of the swim where you headed towards swim exit I got a bit lost.
Swim - 41:08 (36/40).
Once I got out of my wettie and put on my usual cycling gear - helmet, shoes, I had to put on my arm warmers too. So grateful for being able to purchase those early that morning! My wheels were rubbing against my brakes which annoyed me so I had to stop and adjust them before I mounted the bike.
The bike leg was an out and back with a little detour through a small town. The direction of the bike route meant that you would hit a head wind going south but will be riding with the tail wind back into Shepp. The roads were very very bumpy. Plenty of nutrition and accessories were found along the way. Plenty of canisters on the roads from the bumps and plenty of drink cages and hydration systems were also strewn on the road. It was hard to pick a line to best place yourself as you don't want to "hog the road". My wrist, arms and back ached from the bumps and still do now 3 days after the event.
Riding into the headwind is not my favourite thing to do. I need to work on my strength more and be able to ride in the large chain ring without compromising my legs. It's a balancing act between spinning out at a high cadence, small chain ring and not going very fast versus riding in the large chain ring, slower cadence but going at a higher speed. Something I will need to work on over the next few weeks. Riding into the head wind was very demoralising. Hundreds of people rode past me. I was only able to ride past about 10. Another thing I need to work on is the sharp U turns - I had to unclip out of the pedal. Lacking bike skills big time.
Riding with the tail wind was amazing. On the second lap back into Shepp, I was riding on the hardest gear for about 20km all the way. It felt great and I was powering past people who seemed to have lost concentration/motivation/energy. I made myself concentrate on my strokes and played a little game of "left leg, right leg".
Bike - 3:25:30 (37/40)
I really enjoyed the run. Maybe because I drank coke on the course and that really changed my perception on a huge level. I actually had to stop off at the toilets on the first lap as I thought I had shat my pants. I didn't want to be that person. Luckily, what I was "feeling" was just paw-paw ointment I applied early in the morning to prevent chaffing and not poo! I timed myself to consume gel at a point on the course and that worked out well. I walked through all the aid stations and had coke and water. I had two salt tablets on course too. My feet cramped twice on the run, once around the 2km mark and once again around the 19km mark.
I walked probably around 50m in total and only through aid stations and up some of the inclines of the course (albeit very very small inclines). I felt good on the run. I would put this towards the amount of caffeine consumed.
Run - 2:14:08 (36/40)
Overall, my position was 35/40 for Females 30-34 with a total time of 6:26:51. This was my last race in this age category as I will be in 35-39 for Challenge Melbourne.
Considering the lack of training I did before this event, I am actually very happy about my results. I am happy that I have come out of it relatively injury free apart from being sore - quads, back and wrists. My nutrition was bang-on, maybe need to increase the hydration part as I only consumed about 600ml of my hydration over 90km. I am not a huge sweater and I still went to the bathroom on course.
Things to note/improve/fix:
For now, it's a few days rest. I have a trail run on the 29th Nov and the next event is on the 1st Feb (Challenge Melbourne).
I signed up for this event early this year and used it as an incentive to get back into training from my leave. I had about 6 weeks to train for this event after an 8 week long service leave holiday and 3 more weeks of non-training due to a bike crash.
We did a short ride, run and swim on Saturday and checked in our bikes around lunch. I made my way back to the cabin to rest my legs and had a good nap. I tend to nap the day before. I find that as I don't have enough sleep the night before a race, I figured I can be "rested" if I nap the day before. It also kills the nerves too which is a bonus.
I am sure the 1300+ competitors were awake during the storms the night before the event. I was woken up at about 1am in the morning due to the loud noises the torrential rain made around the cabin. I was so grateful that we were in a cabin compared to poor souls who pitched tents in the caravan park.
I had my alarm set at 3:40 and again at 4am. First things first, put on my tri-suit, timing band on my ankles, had breakfast of a peanut butter banana sandwich (literally, cut banana in half, apply peanut butter, close banana), applied numbering tattoos on arms, legs and packed up my hydration into my bags. I left the caravan park at 4:45 and got to the lake around 4:50am. I stood around with about a dozen or so other competitors for a few minutes before they opened up transition at 5am.
I haven't set up a transition since February of this year. It felt weird having all your things lined up and ready to go instead of stuffing them into transition bags. Due to the rain, I folded my towels in a way that it covered my gear from being (too) wet. I decided to wear socks for the run as I wanted to be as comfortable as I could and I haven't been training sans socks for over 12 months. It took me about 20min to get ready and walked through the expo. Luckily one of the pop-up tri shops was opened so I purchased some arm warmers and went back into transition and had them ready.
I walked back to the TA Taj and saw that plenty of tri clubs had their tents blown over. One even had their tent into the lake. I wet-suited up around 6:15am and waited around for the start. The elites were supposed to go off at 6:30 but was delayed by 10min as they needed to clear the roads. Waiting around for the start was worse due to the freezing conditions and the non-stop rain. Once we were in the water, it was a relief as the lake was actually warm.
The siren blew and off we went. I must have not pressed the right button on my Garmin. No swim recorded and I stuffed up my multisport-button-pressing-thing. The swim felt long and I had a few issues with direction. Turning around the buoys almost at 360 angle made it hard for me to get my bearings right. The last part of the swim where you headed towards swim exit I got a bit lost.
Swim - 41:08 (36/40).
Once I got out of my wettie and put on my usual cycling gear - helmet, shoes, I had to put on my arm warmers too. So grateful for being able to purchase those early that morning! My wheels were rubbing against my brakes which annoyed me so I had to stop and adjust them before I mounted the bike.
The bike leg was an out and back with a little detour through a small town. The direction of the bike route meant that you would hit a head wind going south but will be riding with the tail wind back into Shepp. The roads were very very bumpy. Plenty of nutrition and accessories were found along the way. Plenty of canisters on the roads from the bumps and plenty of drink cages and hydration systems were also strewn on the road. It was hard to pick a line to best place yourself as you don't want to "hog the road". My wrist, arms and back ached from the bumps and still do now 3 days after the event.
Riding into the headwind is not my favourite thing to do. I need to work on my strength more and be able to ride in the large chain ring without compromising my legs. It's a balancing act between spinning out at a high cadence, small chain ring and not going very fast versus riding in the large chain ring, slower cadence but going at a higher speed. Something I will need to work on over the next few weeks. Riding into the head wind was very demoralising. Hundreds of people rode past me. I was only able to ride past about 10. Another thing I need to work on is the sharp U turns - I had to unclip out of the pedal. Lacking bike skills big time.
Riding with the tail wind was amazing. On the second lap back into Shepp, I was riding on the hardest gear for about 20km all the way. It felt great and I was powering past people who seemed to have lost concentration/motivation/energy. I made myself concentrate on my strokes and played a little game of "left leg, right leg".
Bike - 3:25:30 (37/40)
I really enjoyed the run. Maybe because I drank coke on the course and that really changed my perception on a huge level. I actually had to stop off at the toilets on the first lap as I thought I had shat my pants. I didn't want to be that person. Luckily, what I was "feeling" was just paw-paw ointment I applied early in the morning to prevent chaffing and not poo! I timed myself to consume gel at a point on the course and that worked out well. I walked through all the aid stations and had coke and water. I had two salt tablets on course too. My feet cramped twice on the run, once around the 2km mark and once again around the 19km mark.
I walked probably around 50m in total and only through aid stations and up some of the inclines of the course (albeit very very small inclines). I felt good on the run. I would put this towards the amount of caffeine consumed.
Run - 2:14:08 (36/40)
Overall, my position was 35/40 for Females 30-34 with a total time of 6:26:51. This was my last race in this age category as I will be in 35-39 for Challenge Melbourne.
Considering the lack of training I did before this event, I am actually very happy about my results. I am happy that I have come out of it relatively injury free apart from being sore - quads, back and wrists. My nutrition was bang-on, maybe need to increase the hydration part as I only consumed about 600ml of my hydration over 90km. I am not a huge sweater and I still went to the bathroom on course.
Things to note/improve/fix:
- Secure my gel flask on my top tube better. I had it strapped over an old head band with zip ties but due to the shape of the top tube and the rain, the flask rotated around the top tube during the ride. I also chaffed along my thigh from my legs rubbing against the head-band material. I need to visit Clark Rubber to buy some neoprene.
- Work on my intensity! I found myself getting into a "relaxed" mode during the swim and need to get faster. Need to do more strength work on the bike and interval running to get some speed up.
- Continue with Lady Bombs ride on Thursday morning - my favourite session.
- Book in more massages. I had my pre race massage on Friday and again on the Monday. I haven't had a massage since May as I feel like a bit of a hack for not doing much training. Massages help with muscle recovery and prevents injuries.
For now, it's a few days rest. I have a trail run on the 29th Nov and the next event is on the 1st Feb (Challenge Melbourne).
Saturday, 15 November 2014
1 more sleep!
I won't lie, the nerves are starting to set in with the "event" this weekend. I can't believe that on Sunday, I will be doing a 1.9km swim, 90km ride and a half marathon....
What I find funny is that I have done probably more training within the last few days than I have since I returned from holidays! My swims are coming along fine. I know that I can get through the 1.9km swim. The ride will be something which I just have to "mentally"get through - try not to get bored and lose momentum and motivation. The run will be the most challenging. Running is in no way looking like where it should be leading up to a half marathon. My longest run since Ironman Melbourne is a 15km. I have no idea how I am going to handle my nutrition and hydration on the day. I have been training with a hydration belt and because this is just an "event" for me, I don't know if I should be wearing it on the day or just rely on the course availability.
I arrived in Shepparton on Friday afternoon. I actually left the house around 3pm which is late for the usual. I guess as we don't have a familiarisation swim anymore on the Friday, I decided to take my time. I started to pack for the weekend after my morning massage. I haven't done a triathlon in a while so I stumbled around the house trying to figure out what I actually need on the day.
Once I got all my sh#t together, I drove up to Shepparon and got to my caravan park cabin around 6pm. Challenge Shepparton had their registration opened from 4-7pm but I was too tired once I got all organised.
This morning, we did a small ride, a small run followed by a small swim. The event is very different from the Shepparton races of previous years. The race is no longer around Kialla. It is around Victoria Lake Park. The swim is in Victoria Lake, the water is nice and warm, much clearer than Kialla and doesn't taste as "muddy". The ride is around the back past the town of Toolamba. Depending on the direction of the wind, it may be a long day in the office. The ride this morning was not easy for me. I couldn't keep up with the main group - they were riding 30-35km/hr into the head wind and I didn't want to push myself too much before an event. The ride back into Shepparton was much better. No head wind and we were able to do a few TT efforts.
Did a lap of the lake after the ride. It was a nice run and I am hoping that I will be able to pace myself well to get through 21km.
I am not doing this event for a "time" but I am hoping to stick with my plan of getting through this day so I can recover well enough for my training for the trail run on the 29th and training leading up to Challenge Melbourne.
See you on the other side.
What I find funny is that I have done probably more training within the last few days than I have since I returned from holidays! My swims are coming along fine. I know that I can get through the 1.9km swim. The ride will be something which I just have to "mentally"get through - try not to get bored and lose momentum and motivation. The run will be the most challenging. Running is in no way looking like where it should be leading up to a half marathon. My longest run since Ironman Melbourne is a 15km. I have no idea how I am going to handle my nutrition and hydration on the day. I have been training with a hydration belt and because this is just an "event" for me, I don't know if I should be wearing it on the day or just rely on the course availability.
I arrived in Shepparton on Friday afternoon. I actually left the house around 3pm which is late for the usual. I guess as we don't have a familiarisation swim anymore on the Friday, I decided to take my time. I started to pack for the weekend after my morning massage. I haven't done a triathlon in a while so I stumbled around the house trying to figure out what I actually need on the day.
Once I got all my sh#t together, I drove up to Shepparon and got to my caravan park cabin around 6pm. Challenge Shepparton had their registration opened from 4-7pm but I was too tired once I got all organised.
This morning, we did a small ride, a small run followed by a small swim. The event is very different from the Shepparton races of previous years. The race is no longer around Kialla. It is around Victoria Lake Park. The swim is in Victoria Lake, the water is nice and warm, much clearer than Kialla and doesn't taste as "muddy". The ride is around the back past the town of Toolamba. Depending on the direction of the wind, it may be a long day in the office. The ride this morning was not easy for me. I couldn't keep up with the main group - they were riding 30-35km/hr into the head wind and I didn't want to push myself too much before an event. The ride back into Shepparton was much better. No head wind and we were able to do a few TT efforts.
Did a lap of the lake after the ride. It was a nice run and I am hoping that I will be able to pace myself well to get through 21km.
I am not doing this event for a "time" but I am hoping to stick with my plan of getting through this day so I can recover well enough for my training for the trail run on the 29th and training leading up to Challenge Melbourne.
See you on the other side.
Thursday, 6 November 2014
I am in love....
.....with open water swimming.
I have never hesitated with swimming, other than waking up early to join a squad swim (50km drive from my house). I love how my body glides through the water. I love that my joints don't hurt like they do when I run or ride. I love how I am always hungry after a good swim set.
Before I arrived to Australia in the early 90s, I feared the water. This may have been attributed to the fact that I nearly drowned at the age of 7. The image of "seeing the light" and choking on water is still vivid in my mind.
I finally learnt how to "not drown" at the age of 12 during school PE classes but I never really "understood" how to swim until the age of 29 when I joined a squad. It's not just about waving your arms through the water and kicking as fast and hard as you can, it is all about creating as much "resistance" so you push your way through.
I am comfortable about doing my own swim sets. This may be because I have started to enjoy training on my own without the pressure of a "group". Sometimes the competitiveness of others really ruins my day, how they have to be in front, always the fastest, strongest and best when at the end of the day, triathlon is an individual sport, your only competitor is yourself. Don't get me wrong, I love coming to sessions when I can, the squad is almost a second family but sometimes, I just don't want to use my energy on anything/anyone else but myself.
Now that the weather is getting warmer (bearable to be swimming in the ocean), I have been getting out and swimming at Mentone beach a few times a week. I love this beach so much better than Elwood.
- It is so much cleaner - you can see the sandbed below and sometimes when the sun is out, you can also see your shadow
- Pole to pole distance is approx 500m
- There are hot showers available to the public
- Its about 1km from my house
The last few times I have gone swimming at Mentone, I have encountered some jellies. Very unpleasant indeed and I am trying to overcome the anxiety of seeing them in their habitat.
I have never hesitated with swimming, other than waking up early to join a squad swim (50km drive from my house). I love how my body glides through the water. I love that my joints don't hurt like they do when I run or ride. I love how I am always hungry after a good swim set.
Before I arrived to Australia in the early 90s, I feared the water. This may have been attributed to the fact that I nearly drowned at the age of 7. The image of "seeing the light" and choking on water is still vivid in my mind.
I finally learnt how to "not drown" at the age of 12 during school PE classes but I never really "understood" how to swim until the age of 29 when I joined a squad. It's not just about waving your arms through the water and kicking as fast and hard as you can, it is all about creating as much "resistance" so you push your way through.
I am comfortable about doing my own swim sets. This may be because I have started to enjoy training on my own without the pressure of a "group". Sometimes the competitiveness of others really ruins my day, how they have to be in front, always the fastest, strongest and best when at the end of the day, triathlon is an individual sport, your only competitor is yourself. Don't get me wrong, I love coming to sessions when I can, the squad is almost a second family but sometimes, I just don't want to use my energy on anything/anyone else but myself.
Now that the weather is getting warmer (bearable to be swimming in the ocean), I have been getting out and swimming at Mentone beach a few times a week. I love this beach so much better than Elwood.
- It is so much cleaner - you can see the sandbed below and sometimes when the sun is out, you can also see your shadow
- Pole to pole distance is approx 500m
- There are hot showers available to the public
- Its about 1km from my house
The last few times I have gone swimming at Mentone, I have encountered some jellies. Very unpleasant indeed and I am trying to overcome the anxiety of seeing them in their habitat.
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| Mentone Beach - Tuesday 5th Nov 2014
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In recent times, I have been using my swims as a means of tuning out and de-stressing. Unlike running or riding where you actually have to pay attention to where you are going unless you want to fall flat on your face, swimming, even if it is laps of the pool allows me to just do something with little thought.
I know that my pace is not quite there for a "race" but it doesn't bother me. It's about doing what makes me happy.
Friday, 31 October 2014
Summertime in Melbourne
Summer in Melbourne - it comes and goes. When it is here, it is praised. You can see it all over social media. When he leaves, it leaves a great gap in our hearts - the sky is grey, the winds are howling, it stops traffic.
The last week or so demonstrated the two sides of Melbourne weather. We had glorious days where your skin gets a nice tan from being out on a bike ride through to days when you get kicked out of a pool due to lightning and thunder.
I aim to start swimming with the GESAC crew on Monday and Wednesday mornings but this was not the case this week due to the lightning storm. For once this year, I did the Bayside group Rebel Run which starts at 5:45am outside Mentone Grammar. It was a 35-40min recovery run and I knew that I could do that - it is how I roll. I had a shocker of a run session on Sunday. My hayfever was sky high and I only managed to get out of bed at 10am and only managing a 10km run. Mind you, I did my longest ride (and run off the bike) last Saturday for this season - a whooping 110km followed by a 3+km rotb (20min)!
Instead of a pool swim on Wednesday, I opted for an open water swim at Mentone after work. I had just bought a new wetsuit (I promise this being my last one) and wanted to try it out. It took me 45min or so to put the wetsuit on and needed help with the zip - thanks lady with the dog.
I didn't have any plans for the swim. It was just out to the pole and then trying to reach the next. My swim was cut short because I got freaked out by jellyfish! Seriously....you would think that after years of open water swimming, I would be ok with them by now. I guess I wasn't expecting them to be present so early in the season! Instead, I swim towards the shore and just floated about. Reports of the new wetsuit compared to my Rocket Science - it is more buoyant, I can actually "feel" the water with my arms, higher neckline (choke-like), longer in the legs, significantly harder to put on and take off. Maybe because I like to wear my wetsuits tight and have gone for a smaller size than the chart recommends. For my RocketScience, I have gone for a XS when the chart recommends that I wear a M. I hate collecting water when I swim. For the new wettie, I have opted for a S instead of M.
It was a very lonely Lady Bombs session on Thursday morning. Most of the ladies are now in Noosa racing the tri this Sunday. There were a few who still wanted to ride but opted out. I was going to do this ride no matter what. It's my favourite session on the week - now above Windtrainer Tuesday.
As I was by myself, I could do my own "set". The set was:
Lap 1 - Warm up
Lap 2 - Race at Pits, Hard gear along Queens Rd
Lap 3 - Race at Pits, Easiest gear, very fast pedalling
Lap 4 = Lap 2
Lap 5 = Lap 3
Lap 6 = Lap 2
Lap 7 - Cool down - I like to use this as my technique sessions so I did 50 left leg, 50 right and 20 both legs. I like to add pedalling with single legs in my sessions - it works on the pulling action as well as encouraging a smoother stroke. Added bonus, you can get to work on the core.
Didn't get to train on Thursday evening as I was coaching the Try the Tri group - we did open water swimming.
Due to the long weekend and coaching commitments, I will be doing my long run on the Saturday before coaching, then trying to fit my ride and rotb on Sunday.
My weekends are pretty jam packed at the moment. Trying to finish off two more cycling caps, some online work on my side projects and also trying to visit friends. I am squeezing in a visit to the parents as well (being the great daughter and all).
Happy Long Weekend!
The last week or so demonstrated the two sides of Melbourne weather. We had glorious days where your skin gets a nice tan from being out on a bike ride through to days when you get kicked out of a pool due to lightning and thunder.
I aim to start swimming with the GESAC crew on Monday and Wednesday mornings but this was not the case this week due to the lightning storm. For once this year, I did the Bayside group Rebel Run which starts at 5:45am outside Mentone Grammar. It was a 35-40min recovery run and I knew that I could do that - it is how I roll. I had a shocker of a run session on Sunday. My hayfever was sky high and I only managed to get out of bed at 10am and only managing a 10km run. Mind you, I did my longest ride (and run off the bike) last Saturday for this season - a whooping 110km followed by a 3+km rotb (20min)!
Instead of a pool swim on Wednesday, I opted for an open water swim at Mentone after work. I had just bought a new wetsuit (I promise this being my last one) and wanted to try it out. It took me 45min or so to put the wetsuit on and needed help with the zip - thanks lady with the dog.
I didn't have any plans for the swim. It was just out to the pole and then trying to reach the next. My swim was cut short because I got freaked out by jellyfish! Seriously....you would think that after years of open water swimming, I would be ok with them by now. I guess I wasn't expecting them to be present so early in the season! Instead, I swim towards the shore and just floated about. Reports of the new wetsuit compared to my Rocket Science - it is more buoyant, I can actually "feel" the water with my arms, higher neckline (choke-like), longer in the legs, significantly harder to put on and take off. Maybe because I like to wear my wetsuits tight and have gone for a smaller size than the chart recommends. For my RocketScience, I have gone for a XS when the chart recommends that I wear a M. I hate collecting water when I swim. For the new wettie, I have opted for a S instead of M.
It was a very lonely Lady Bombs session on Thursday morning. Most of the ladies are now in Noosa racing the tri this Sunday. There were a few who still wanted to ride but opted out. I was going to do this ride no matter what. It's my favourite session on the week - now above Windtrainer Tuesday.
As I was by myself, I could do my own "set". The set was:
Lap 1 - Warm up
Lap 2 - Race at Pits, Hard gear along Queens Rd
Lap 3 - Race at Pits, Easiest gear, very fast pedalling
Lap 4 = Lap 2
Lap 5 = Lap 3
Lap 6 = Lap 2
Lap 7 - Cool down - I like to use this as my technique sessions so I did 50 left leg, 50 right and 20 both legs. I like to add pedalling with single legs in my sessions - it works on the pulling action as well as encouraging a smoother stroke. Added bonus, you can get to work on the core.
Didn't get to train on Thursday evening as I was coaching the Try the Tri group - we did open water swimming.
Due to the long weekend and coaching commitments, I will be doing my long run on the Saturday before coaching, then trying to fit my ride and rotb on Sunday.
My weekends are pretty jam packed at the moment. Trying to finish off two more cycling caps, some online work on my side projects and also trying to visit friends. I am squeezing in a visit to the parents as well (being the great daughter and all).
Happy Long Weekend!
Friday, 24 October 2014
Ride2Work and Around the Bay week.
Last week was "bike week" in Victoria - we had Ride2Work day on Wednesday 15th and then it was Around the Bay on Sunday 19th.
Due to R2W, my training had to accommodate, not because I was forced to, but I genuinely love this day! I did a 5km run on Monday evening (a lap around Albert Park lake) and tried out the Tuesday morning swim session with Des. I enjoyed being back with the squad and bringing things back to basics but after just completed the 2nd swim session this morning, I think I may need to jump to the next level up. Real poo poo as I like my swims done in the morning and not start at 7:30pm at night. Will talk about that more later.
Wednesday I rode into work the quicker way through Port Melbourne and South Melbourne (around 30km, 1 hour) but the ride home took me nearly 1:45 to ride 35km due to travelling through Port Melbourne business park and into the headwind pretty much from Port down to Sandringham. My legs were trashed by the end as I was riding on the roads (rather than bike path) and into 40km/h winds.
I was too buggered from Wednesday's ride that I didn't end up doing my lady bombs session on Thursday morning, instead I slept in and did a pretty good Elwood combo session that night. The swim as suppose to be a long one but due to the wind and chop, we only did 500m over and through the cold waves (I loved it!). I then ran a good and steady pace of 4km into the headwind and 4km with the tail wind with Caroline.
The weekend consisted of a 100km ride on Saturday and a 14km run on the Sunday. My long rides and runs have not been meeting the program but for now, it is what I can do having had a break from it for so long. Due to the wind, I only managed 100km within 4 hours. The program had 4-5 hours or 130km. With the run, the program said 18km, I am still getting there and slowly increasing my distance. My pace is great for the first 10km or so but something happens after this and I just lose interest and motivation in my runs and just end up jog/walking the last few km. I didn't end up doing a long swim on Sunday afternoon as I had to do a few things for work.
As it was Around the Bay on Sunday, I ran along Beach Road and got amongst the people who were riding. There was an amazingly strong Northerly so people who were riding towards the city from Sorrento/Frankston way copped it bad. There was one guy who was pedalling with one leg, he must have such a strong core to be able to balance and only ride with one leg - amazing!
So there is about 26 days left until Shepparton. My swims are going good. It is something which I enjoy doing as it doesn't hurt my joints. Cycling is coming along and riding 100km is comfortable for me, it is just a matter of trying not to get bored. Running is slow but steady, never been a good runner so I have no expectations and I am realistic about what I can do.
I need to re-think about my training week as I don't think swimming on Tuesday mornings will benefit me. I have been advised by Des to move up a group. I need to either join a swim squad on the Monday and Wednesday mornings (I think GESAC has squad training) or swim late with the Tri Alliance squad during Monday and Wednesday evenings. There is also a swim with JVW open water on Wednesday evenings (starts on the 5th Dec) as well as Elwood Combo on Thursday evenings and Sunday (my own swim at Mentone). GAH too many options!!
I want to monitor how my legs handle the running load - I know that 2 sessions a week is just tipping the pain/load scale at the moment. It really depends on what the set consists of and how my technique holds up. I do find that I get more niggles during the interval sets compared to the long endurance runs.
Loving my Thursday Lady Bombs so will want to work my training around this to ensure that I keep motivated with cycling. Long ride on Saturdays are a must, this is to ensure that I have the volume in my legs. Something which I have been questioning, is it better to:
1) Ride 100km and work on a solid run off the bike?
2) Ride 130km, small run off the bike. This ride is nearly 50% increase beyond the actual race (only doing half distances)?
Has anyone looked into this theory or has all the coaching trends just worked off others and stuck with the volume and time on the bike as a priority?
Since returning from holidays, I have been able to train more consistently as the days go by. The training schedule leading up to Shepparton was a balancing act between work, training and being stupidly tired due to the load and demands. Fingers crossed that the weeks leading up to Challenge Melbourne will be more efficient.
Next weekend is Noosa weekend. For the first time in 3 years, I have decided to stay in Melbourne over that weekend. Its will be good as:
1) Don't spend more money
2) Train through the weekend
Projects are coming along great and it keeps me bust amongst all other things.
Due to R2W, my training had to accommodate, not because I was forced to, but I genuinely love this day! I did a 5km run on Monday evening (a lap around Albert Park lake) and tried out the Tuesday morning swim session with Des. I enjoyed being back with the squad and bringing things back to basics but after just completed the 2nd swim session this morning, I think I may need to jump to the next level up. Real poo poo as I like my swims done in the morning and not start at 7:30pm at night. Will talk about that more later.
Wednesday I rode into work the quicker way through Port Melbourne and South Melbourne (around 30km, 1 hour) but the ride home took me nearly 1:45 to ride 35km due to travelling through Port Melbourne business park and into the headwind pretty much from Port down to Sandringham. My legs were trashed by the end as I was riding on the roads (rather than bike path) and into 40km/h winds.
I was too buggered from Wednesday's ride that I didn't end up doing my lady bombs session on Thursday morning, instead I slept in and did a pretty good Elwood combo session that night. The swim as suppose to be a long one but due to the wind and chop, we only did 500m over and through the cold waves (I loved it!). I then ran a good and steady pace of 4km into the headwind and 4km with the tail wind with Caroline.
The weekend consisted of a 100km ride on Saturday and a 14km run on the Sunday. My long rides and runs have not been meeting the program but for now, it is what I can do having had a break from it for so long. Due to the wind, I only managed 100km within 4 hours. The program had 4-5 hours or 130km. With the run, the program said 18km, I am still getting there and slowly increasing my distance. My pace is great for the first 10km or so but something happens after this and I just lose interest and motivation in my runs and just end up jog/walking the last few km. I didn't end up doing a long swim on Sunday afternoon as I had to do a few things for work.
As it was Around the Bay on Sunday, I ran along Beach Road and got amongst the people who were riding. There was an amazingly strong Northerly so people who were riding towards the city from Sorrento/Frankston way copped it bad. There was one guy who was pedalling with one leg, he must have such a strong core to be able to balance and only ride with one leg - amazing!
So there is about 26 days left until Shepparton. My swims are going good. It is something which I enjoy doing as it doesn't hurt my joints. Cycling is coming along and riding 100km is comfortable for me, it is just a matter of trying not to get bored. Running is slow but steady, never been a good runner so I have no expectations and I am realistic about what I can do.
I need to re-think about my training week as I don't think swimming on Tuesday mornings will benefit me. I have been advised by Des to move up a group. I need to either join a swim squad on the Monday and Wednesday mornings (I think GESAC has squad training) or swim late with the Tri Alliance squad during Monday and Wednesday evenings. There is also a swim with JVW open water on Wednesday evenings (starts on the 5th Dec) as well as Elwood Combo on Thursday evenings and Sunday (my own swim at Mentone). GAH too many options!!
I want to monitor how my legs handle the running load - I know that 2 sessions a week is just tipping the pain/load scale at the moment. It really depends on what the set consists of and how my technique holds up. I do find that I get more niggles during the interval sets compared to the long endurance runs.
Loving my Thursday Lady Bombs so will want to work my training around this to ensure that I keep motivated with cycling. Long ride on Saturdays are a must, this is to ensure that I have the volume in my legs. Something which I have been questioning, is it better to:
1) Ride 100km and work on a solid run off the bike?
2) Ride 130km, small run off the bike. This ride is nearly 50% increase beyond the actual race (only doing half distances)?
Has anyone looked into this theory or has all the coaching trends just worked off others and stuck with the volume and time on the bike as a priority?
Since returning from holidays, I have been able to train more consistently as the days go by. The training schedule leading up to Shepparton was a balancing act between work, training and being stupidly tired due to the load and demands. Fingers crossed that the weeks leading up to Challenge Melbourne will be more efficient.
Next weekend is Noosa weekend. For the first time in 3 years, I have decided to stay in Melbourne over that weekend. Its will be good as:
1) Don't spend more money
2) Train through the weekend
Projects are coming along great and it keeps me bust amongst all other things.
Monday, 13 October 2014
Reflection and Obesession
Well, I really haven't been keeping this training log up to date. This would be directly related to the amount of effort I am also putting into my training and inversely related to the amount of effort I am putting into "life outside of triathlon".
I have cut down my training to pretty much one session a day (apart from Thursdays) and 5-6 days a week. I am finding it great as I get to have more than 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night, get to spend time with my partner (and dog) and I can put an effort into my mini projects.
Recently, I have also decided to sell a few things online as I have no longer any need for them. This includes any "extra" bikes I have lying around the house. I have sold Dale (the Cannondale Slice TT) and will be selling my single speed George. I need to pay off debts as well as saving up for a dual suspension mountain bike (a Liv Lust).
With regards to mini projects, I am doing a few things:
- Continue with my side project of custom made cycling wares - https://bikelove.co
- Learning about Global Responsible Initiative (reporting) and being able to provide this service
- Tidying up a few things regarding my future qualifications
Things I have been obsessed about recently:
I have done two Lady Bomb rides in a row and have loved them. As much as I am suppose to be doing a run session Thursday morning, I am going to change it to Lady Bombs in the morning and will follow this up with a run and swim at Elwood.
With regards the Sunday plan of open water swim followed by a run at Elwood, I will speak to the coaches about doing this at my own time and around Mentone. What I will most likely do is do a long run first followed by an endurance swim at which I get to complete the distance on the program at my own pace.
Anyways, due to the time I need to set aside for my side projects, my training-life will need to take a back seat. I am ok with it as I have achieved my big races and they are ticked off my bucket list.
I have cut down my training to pretty much one session a day (apart from Thursdays) and 5-6 days a week. I am finding it great as I get to have more than 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night, get to spend time with my partner (and dog) and I can put an effort into my mini projects.
Recently, I have also decided to sell a few things online as I have no longer any need for them. This includes any "extra" bikes I have lying around the house. I have sold Dale (the Cannondale Slice TT) and will be selling my single speed George. I need to pay off debts as well as saving up for a dual suspension mountain bike (a Liv Lust).
 |
| Bye bye Dale! |
- Continue with my side project of custom made cycling wares - https://bikelove.co
- Learning about Global Responsible Initiative (reporting) and being able to provide this service
- Tidying up a few things regarding my future qualifications
Things I have been obsessed about recently:
- Toasted marshmellows - ever since the Canadian and I came back from holidays, we have been treating ourselves to toasted marshmellows (on the gas stove) pretty much on a daily basis. We both love it. We each pretty well in general over all meals so this is our little treat.
- Buzzfeed videos - especially the ones about Buzzfeed staff trying out foods/drinks from other Countries.
- Oil Pulling - I read about this practise a while ago and never actually did it. Since I returned from holidays, I decided to give it a crack. The first few days were terrible, I gagged so much but now, I do it on a daily basis first thing in the morning. I have to admit I tend not to do it for the full 20min, 10min my average. I use coconut oil.
- Butter (and/or cream) in my coffee - Love the cream served in coffee when I was overseas and just continued with it. I am also adding some butter with my milk frother in the morning at home. Coffee to a new level.
- Maple syrup.
- A Liv (Giant) Lust bike. This will be my next bike but I am only planning on obtaining this after February.
- The new Funkita range of bathers. I want at least 2 of them. I have made a promise with a friend that I must do 6 sessions in a row to qualify a purchase.
I have done two Lady Bomb rides in a row and have loved them. As much as I am suppose to be doing a run session Thursday morning, I am going to change it to Lady Bombs in the morning and will follow this up with a run and swim at Elwood.
With regards the Sunday plan of open water swim followed by a run at Elwood, I will speak to the coaches about doing this at my own time and around Mentone. What I will most likely do is do a long run first followed by an endurance swim at which I get to complete the distance on the program at my own pace.
Anyways, due to the time I need to set aside for my side projects, my training-life will need to take a back seat. I am ok with it as I have achieved my big races and they are ticked off my bucket list.
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Getting back on the training wagon 18/9 - 02/10
Since my arrival back into Melbourne on the 18th
of September, I have been trying to get myself back to cementing some
manageable routines. No point striving to squeeze too many training sessions in
with life and not able to give 100% to anything.
I wanted to get myself back swimming but not joining the squad just yet. I am pretty much starting from square one – not having done any swimming since July when I had my bike crash. I had a splash here and there when I was on holidays but not actual swimming.
The first session was on Monday 22nd, where I just headed down to GESAC after work and aimed to do a 1km. This ended up being about 1.4km albeit that I had to deal with many people in the Medium lane swimming different speeds and doing different strokes (inc breast stroke...in the medium lane). I tried to not let it get to me too much and just swam past people where I could. I wasn't able to move to the fast lane as it already contained too many people too.
I had to drop my car off to get serviced on Tuesday so what I ended up doing was riding into work from the dealership (only around 3km) and then riding home that afternoon (35km). The ride home was horrid. The weather being fantastic, brought people onto the beach in the hundreds which meant that people were walking all over the shop from about Port Melbourne through to Sandringham (pretty much where I turned off). Riding through St Kilda was a nightmare! I was careful and personally, the bell works much better than a voice and the general public are very blaze about voices but a bike bell is distinct enough. As I was on the CX bike, I don't ride on the main road as I am not able to ride at a great speed compared to the road bike.
Back in the pool on the Friday and kinda (but not really) smashed out a 2.4km. It was really 6 x 400m with F (warm up), F & P, PB & P, F & P, F and then cool down which I incorporated paddles and fins doing backstroke. The swim was done on the Friday night and I had the entire lane to myself.
Due to the Grand Final (Hawks back-to-back premiers yiewwww!!!), I did my long run Saturday morning. I aimed at a 10km first seeing that I haven’t ran since June and only had 2 short runs in Canada (both being 6km each with plenty of stops) during my holidays. I ended up doing 12km at a really slow but consistent pace. No way can I pull off a half marathon now.
With no bike to ride on the Sunday, I decided to just do house things like unpack from my holiday, clean, sort out closet (culling), played with the dog.
It is now the 2nd week back at work/life and it is going good so far. I did my own swim on the Monday night and windtrainer on the Tuesday with the squad. Could not put in 100% towards windtrainer as it was my first session back and the set was a shock to the system, so much so I took Wednesday off as a recovery session for my legs as well due to the lack of sleep.
I attended by first “Lady Bombs” session – this is a session started up by some of the girls from the squad I am with. We are currently riding laps of Albert Park lake. I did a few of these sessions last season before they changed the program to have a run session instead. This morning 2nd Oct, some of us ended up riding 7 laps.
During my holidays, I didn’t train and this was done on purpose. I had worked hard with a company for the last 8 years and I had long service leave accrued. It doesn’t come overnight and nowadays, who stays with the same company for more than 5 years? I wanted to spend quality time this holiday with my partner (and his family) and not seclude myself in a swim, ride or run apart from the Gran Fondo which we both entered and finished.
So far I have paid for 2 triathlon events – Challenge Shepparton 16th November and Challenge Melbourne on the 1st February 2015 (jumping up to the 35-39 category). These are not my “goal races”, they are my events. I am not going to put so much pressure on myself and about times. This is also a reason why I haven’t pulled out of Shepparton (an event about 5 weeks away....) as I haven’t set expectations for this, I know that I am able to finish the event, I know that it will hurt (what race hasn’t) and I will complete it. Challenge Melbourne is 4 months away but once again, no pressure, it is just an event.
Since being back, I have signed up for the Afterglow Trail Run. It is a half marathon from Point Addis to Torquay. The run starts at 6:30pm and it is compulsory for all competitors to have a head torch (need to buy a head torch).
There is the Giant Odessey on the same weekend as Melbourne Ironman. If I do this, I will sign up for the 50km (not 100km) but this will mean that I will need to get some MTB riding in between now and then, it is not an easy event, nothing like the Dirty Gran Fondo. I might do some riding the same weekend as the Afterglow run out at the You Yangs.
Apart of two triathlons and a trail run, there may other events on the cards. Won't dwell on them too much for now.
Tonight is the last Thursday night run session before we move back to Elwood for the Thursday afternoon combo sessions starting next week. It will be my first run session with the squad in over 3 months. I will take it nice and slow, my legs are pretty smashed for Lady Bombs this morning.
Least favourite session of the week: Windtrainer on Tuesday - I just couldn't keep up with the intensity since I haven't been training in that environment (humid) and around that intensity in months. I felt dehydrated on Wednesday morning even after I drank about 1.5 litres of electrolytes after the session. Must reset my mindset for this session next week and concentrate better at technique.
Advice of the week: Slow, steady, smart.
I wanted to get myself back swimming but not joining the squad just yet. I am pretty much starting from square one – not having done any swimming since July when I had my bike crash. I had a splash here and there when I was on holidays but not actual swimming.
The first session was on Monday 22nd, where I just headed down to GESAC after work and aimed to do a 1km. This ended up being about 1.4km albeit that I had to deal with many people in the Medium lane swimming different speeds and doing different strokes (inc breast stroke...in the medium lane). I tried to not let it get to me too much and just swam past people where I could. I wasn't able to move to the fast lane as it already contained too many people too.
I had to drop my car off to get serviced on Tuesday so what I ended up doing was riding into work from the dealership (only around 3km) and then riding home that afternoon (35km). The ride home was horrid. The weather being fantastic, brought people onto the beach in the hundreds which meant that people were walking all over the shop from about Port Melbourne through to Sandringham (pretty much where I turned off). Riding through St Kilda was a nightmare! I was careful and personally, the bell works much better than a voice and the general public are very blaze about voices but a bike bell is distinct enough. As I was on the CX bike, I don't ride on the main road as I am not able to ride at a great speed compared to the road bike.
Back in the pool on the Friday and kinda (but not really) smashed out a 2.4km. It was really 6 x 400m with F (warm up), F & P, PB & P, F & P, F and then cool down which I incorporated paddles and fins doing backstroke. The swim was done on the Friday night and I had the entire lane to myself.
Due to the Grand Final (Hawks back-to-back premiers yiewwww!!!), I did my long run Saturday morning. I aimed at a 10km first seeing that I haven’t ran since June and only had 2 short runs in Canada (both being 6km each with plenty of stops) during my holidays. I ended up doing 12km at a really slow but consistent pace. No way can I pull off a half marathon now.
With no bike to ride on the Sunday, I decided to just do house things like unpack from my holiday, clean, sort out closet (culling), played with the dog.
It is now the 2nd week back at work/life and it is going good so far. I did my own swim on the Monday night and windtrainer on the Tuesday with the squad. Could not put in 100% towards windtrainer as it was my first session back and the set was a shock to the system, so much so I took Wednesday off as a recovery session for my legs as well due to the lack of sleep.
I attended by first “Lady Bombs” session – this is a session started up by some of the girls from the squad I am with. We are currently riding laps of Albert Park lake. I did a few of these sessions last season before they changed the program to have a run session instead. This morning 2nd Oct, some of us ended up riding 7 laps.
During my holidays, I didn’t train and this was done on purpose. I had worked hard with a company for the last 8 years and I had long service leave accrued. It doesn’t come overnight and nowadays, who stays with the same company for more than 5 years? I wanted to spend quality time this holiday with my partner (and his family) and not seclude myself in a swim, ride or run apart from the Gran Fondo which we both entered and finished.
So far I have paid for 2 triathlon events – Challenge Shepparton 16th November and Challenge Melbourne on the 1st February 2015 (jumping up to the 35-39 category). These are not my “goal races”, they are my events. I am not going to put so much pressure on myself and about times. This is also a reason why I haven’t pulled out of Shepparton (an event about 5 weeks away....) as I haven’t set expectations for this, I know that I am able to finish the event, I know that it will hurt (what race hasn’t) and I will complete it. Challenge Melbourne is 4 months away but once again, no pressure, it is just an event.
Since being back, I have signed up for the Afterglow Trail Run. It is a half marathon from Point Addis to Torquay. The run starts at 6:30pm and it is compulsory for all competitors to have a head torch (need to buy a head torch).
There is the Giant Odessey on the same weekend as Melbourne Ironman. If I do this, I will sign up for the 50km (not 100km) but this will mean that I will need to get some MTB riding in between now and then, it is not an easy event, nothing like the Dirty Gran Fondo. I might do some riding the same weekend as the Afterglow run out at the You Yangs.
Apart of two triathlons and a trail run, there may other events on the cards. Won't dwell on them too much for now.
Tonight is the last Thursday night run session before we move back to Elwood for the Thursday afternoon combo sessions starting next week. It will be my first run session with the squad in over 3 months. I will take it nice and slow, my legs are pretty smashed for Lady Bombs this morning.
Favourite session of the week: Loved my first Lady Bombs session. There was no tough love handed out which I actually appreciated. At the moment, I just want to get back into training without the pressure. First session out on the road with the TT Bike (Foxy) since Ironman in March. I even cleaned it for the first time on the Sunday since the race. We did race efforts, sprints, hardest gear with plenty of recovery breaks in between.
Least favourite session of the week: Windtrainer on Tuesday - I just couldn't keep up with the intensity since I haven't been training in that environment (humid) and around that intensity in months. I felt dehydrated on Wednesday morning even after I drank about 1.5 litres of electrolytes after the session. Must reset my mindset for this session next week and concentrate better at technique.
Advice of the week: Slow, steady, smart.
Thing I’m looking forward to next week: After tonight's run session, I am looking forward to my Friday swim which I am committing myself to do in the morning so I don't stuff up my sleep for the Saturday morning ride which I am coaching. Having to be there by 6:20am - I am deciding if I should ride in so I can do my run off the bike from home or drive to Elwood and do it from there...
I am also in two minds about where I should do my long run. Head to Fairfield to run/support the duathlon or have a sleep in and do my run around home...decisions decisions...
I am also in two minds about where I should do my long run. Head to Fairfield to run/support the duathlon or have a sleep in and do my run around home...decisions decisions...
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