Subject: Robs Blog Take 2..

Well I have decided to give it another shot, I am back training..........sort of, and am thinking I will keep a wee blog again.
First a quick recap of the last 3 months or so.....
Due to various work and personal reasons training ground to a complete halt in late March/ early April, all racing plans were first put on hold then cancelled.
I was left feeling pretty frustrated after a decent winters work I gradually lost all fitness.
I needed new targets that were realistic with the new work situation which involves a few extra hours.
I went off and had a good think and came back to some advice 2 friends had given me, to get any way good at triathlon you have to spend a year focusing on each discipline.
The one that I reckon that I can gain the most time at if I can sort out my ongoing injuries is the run. Looking back at my diaries over the last 2 years I have never run more than 90k in a month and most months esp in the race season were 30-50k mostly made up of racing miles. Any more and the shinsplints flared up.
Soooo with that in mind I am going for a real slow build up hopefully targeting the Dublin City Marathon in a couple of months.
If all goes well with this I will then get in the pool for the winter and assess next season later. But at this stage I am thinking about doing some longer races maybe 1 or 2 1/2 Ironman distance and decide if the madness will take over completly and bite the big bullet......
I am also thinking maybe something completly different like the 4 day Kelloggs Tour of Ireland or Le Etappe in France depending on the route.
Anyway back to here and now.

I have been back running for about 4-5 weeks and I have a cunning plan

1. Shoes: Sorted by Damo the Ironman in Amphibian King
2. Orthotics: Now working with the shoes that have been sorted by Damien.
3. New kit: I am a complete sucker for new kit and my best find is compression tights, I will go into detail about why these are the best things since carbon fibre.
4. Running on grass and trails, stayin off the hard stuff
5. Running hills, I really like trail running so I am going to do a tough hill run hopefully every week or so.
6. Really slow build up, the marathon is ages away and I am trying to convince myself that my target is to get through the training and the event uninjured and not go in chasing a time. I am struggling on this a bit though......I tend to set targets which in itself isn't a bad thing but I can sometimes psyche myself out with them too.....silly bugger.
7. Leg strength exercises, I started these just before I stopped training and they seemed to help with the shins.

So armed with some new lycra, new golden runners, new enthusiasm and shins that are not quite new but seem to be holding up under the pressure of 3 months of no training. I am back at it.

The build up has been reaalllly slow
Week 1 was 2 20 min runs and holy sh$t I have gotten really unfit,
week 2 was 1 x 30min and 2 x 20 mins,
week 3 was 1 x 35 mins hill run in the hellfire club forest 1 20 min run and a 40 min run.
Week 4 1 x 25 and 1x50 min run
This week so far I did a 1 hour easy 10k run this morning and despite the monsoon we are experiencing it was really enjoyable, shins are ok so far.....fingers crossed.

Oh the other tip I got for shin splints was to walk 1 min for every 9-10 running, this also helps with the recovery, I have been doing this in every run including this mornings.

I have also given up chocolate since the last blog, I quit for lent and never really got the taste back.
I have also shed some pounds and I was quite chuffed with this until Fernando pointed out that it was probably all muscle..........feck!
Current weight 66 kg and its probably a good thing to try to keep it off for the running.
Anyway bed now, next run should be Thursday all going acording to plan. This weekend might go a bit pearshaped as I'm working at Tri Athlone Fri and Sat so no training then, hope I will do something Sunday.

Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Nice to see you are back in the training world again Rob and that it is all going well so far. See you in Athlone - I'm sure you could sneak away for a quick dip in the river...
Ailis : )

Robs Blog Take 2..

Thanks Ailis
Thats a good Idea.........I might just be tempted A short one though I haven't been in the water for more than 3 months........

Robs Blog Take 2..

Friday I had a very nice run in the morning, I headed out into the monsoon and did a short easy 30 minute loop before work, it is one thing I really like, running in the rain in the summer (If you could call it that) Saturday was spent working and watching Tri Athlone, we didnt get home till after midnight so I decided to give the club spin a miss (Sorry Brian) I headed in to the Phoenix park mid morning and did a 11 1/2 k run. Average pace 6 min p/km inc a little bit of hill work, I felt pretty tired from the start so was happy to hold a fairly even pace for the run.
This one really made me think about the marathon, I was only just past the 1/4 mark and didn't have a whole lot left. I will need to keep the mileage increasing steadily and will hopefully add an extra run this week up to 4 total.

The plan is to do
1 x 30 min easy
1 x 45-55min mountain trail run
1 x 1hr easy
1 x 1hr 30 easy.
Lets see if it pans out like that........

Robs Blog Take 2..

Rob, you may be interested in Tuesday's Irish Times Health Supplement which is currently featuring a weekly series of articles on Marathon preparation, geared (it seems) mainly to newbies.

This supplement is also worth a look for items about general health, fitness, diet, etc.

Robs Blog Take 2..

Cheers Finbar, I will pick up a copy and check it out.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Darren made a very good point yesterday after a pretty messy repair "Bike mechanics are the only people who wash their hands BEFORE going to the toilet.............."
That obviously has nothing to do with training but it made me laugh so I thought I would share it with you.
Monday I felt good after the run on Sunday so decided to fit in my extra run. I did a 30 min 5k easy pace loop of Corcagh Park.
Tuesday I had planed to do either the trail run or the 1 hour easy, I woke tired and got worse as the day went on, I decided not to push it so put off the run till Wed, I woke Wed feeling worse.....
After posting on the forum that I was doing a 1 hour run in the evening I spent the whole day hoping no one would reply, luck was in so I slinked off home and had dinner. By 9 o clock I was feeling a bit more normal and thought I would probably manage the run. After some arguing back and forth in my head I decided that I would go out 1st thing in the morning.
Thursday arrived with glorious sunshine, I headed out and did what is becoming my regular route. After faffing about for 15 mins I started a bit late so decided to do the 2nd lap a bit quicker as I needed to be in the shop by 9:30.
the 1st one came in at 28:51 the 2nd at 24:03.
I really enjoyed the buzz after the hard run, although it is something I am not planing on doing much of for a while yet, I need to work on my base.
I was worried that with a long day in work and a hardish run I would bonk early on but I still felt good going home at 10 last night, this morning too I am pretty fresh so am looking forward to tomorrows run.
Rob

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Saturday AM
I ran with Darren on Sat
10k xc
56mins inc 5 mins stretching, 1st 5k 24:50 2nd 5k 27ish.
The 1st lap was pretty quick the 2nd one I did on my own a bit easier.
Sunday
15.7k xc run in the Phoenix park.
Hr 155-165
I felt really good on this run kept the heart rate low ate and drank all the way through, this is something I want to get used to doing for the marathon.
Very happy how the running is going at the moment.
Rob

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Glad to hear the running is going well. Bernard and I were out for a jaunt in the park too on Sunday and saw your van parked but didn't spot you. I managed an hour (after a hard 50 miler in the wicklow hills on Saturday) while Bernard did 2 hours. I would highly recommend the wicklow ride for those wishing to get some hills in - nothing like the sally gap to put strength in the legs! Think Darren and I are doing it again on Sunday - Darren will probably post something later in the week.
Ailis

Robs Marathon Blog

Thanks Ailis,
I left my bike in the shop on Saturday so I couldn't give in to temptation and go for a spin instead. I am hoping to do the same this week Sat morning early and Sun too for about 2 hours. I have decided that when I get to 25-30k without injuries I will enter the marathon.

Rob

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Hey! If you really want to improve your running you should attend one of Catriona McKiernan's Chi running sessions - one day, I did it, she is amazing and gives you a whole new approach to running, I guarentee if you adopt her approach you will not suffer and run for longer - best €150 I ever spent !!

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Thanks Breda,
We were looking into that last winter, we might do a club session with her this off season.
This was a pretty good week
Tuesday 1 hour easy run
Thurs 10k run finishing with a max h/r test to set zones, it seems I have been training at too high a level...oops...
Sat I did what is looking like becoming a popular session in Corcagh Park, Emett and Wayne from the cycling club showed up and we met 2 more guys out for a run, we struck up a conversation and ended up running together for the hour.
Really enjoyed running with company, I was good on the first lap and kept close enough to the zones but was pressed for time on the 2nd lap so we pushed on a bit. The 2nd lap was about 3-4 mins quicker but the average hr was only 7 bpm higher so I wasnt too far out of the zone.
Sunday was Darrens mountain spin (See seperate report) which was a lot of fun so I am pretty happy to have had a decent week.
Rob

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I feel like a real triathlete again I had my first swim in about 3 months today.
I managed 1000 mts, not too quick but not as bad as I expected. Technique felt ok most of the time as long as I concentrated. As soon as the mind wandered though I started to get messy.
I think if things stay ok in the shop I might even do a small tri before the end of the season. I reckon the running fitness will see me through. While I'm not going that well on the bike and am likely to sink at any given moment it would be a shame to go through a whole season without even doing 1 race.
I will check the calendar and have a wee think..........

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Caroline Kearney Memorial Triathlon,
Hosted By Midland Triathlon Club

Saturday 15TH Sept 2007, Start time 12 noon
1500m swim, 40 km Bike, 10km run

Lilliput Adventure Centre, Mullingar , Co Westmeath
http://www.activeeurope.com/Events/index.cfm?AC=EventDetails&E=46692

Plenty of time to get ready .....

Robs Blog Take 2..

I was thinking more like a sprint.........

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Do the 1500 m swim
.....what doesn't kill you will make you stronger

think of it as two sprints

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but what if it does kill me?

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Run weekend:
Sat just under an hour, I stupidly agreed to Fernando joining us........considering his fast training pace is 3:15 p/km and mine was 4:00 when I was vaguely fit (Which I am certainly not at the moment) I had a feeling this would be uncomfortably quick despite his assurances that he was gonna run at my pace.
About 5 mins in we were slightly quicker than I wanted to be, I like to start quite slow but I was afraid that Fernando would end up walking beside me..........I checked my heart rate and was already at 155bpm which is the top end of my aerobic pace, I asked what he was at expecting 120 or something equally depressing but when he answered 92 I almost turned around and went home

After about 10 mins Barry caught and joined us and we did the first lap in 26:03 mins and the second in 26:02 so pacing was really good.

Sunday: I awoke early and headed down to get some coffee, I had arranged to cycle with Fish, Fernando and Barry. After last week you would think I had learned not to go out with the fast lads esp in the hills and here I was heading out with 2 of them!
After a quick look out the window at the torrential rain I was just waiting to see who would cancel first.....sure enough a text came in a couple of mins later from "I dont do rain cause I am Spanish" Fernando wishing me well and informing me he was off back to bed. I assured him he wouldn't melt but he didnt reply....
I decided that going out with Darren was looking like a worse and worse idea so texted him to say I was going running instead. He happily rolled over and went back to sleep...........was I nuts going out
I managed to convince Barry it would be a nice run so off we headed into the Phoenix Park for a long xc run, jaysus I have never been as wet!!! It took a good while to settle in and my heart rate was very high but after about an hour I gave up trying to keep it low and because I was feeling good I pushed on and went on to do an 18k run in under 1h38, this is quicker than 2 weeks ago and today was also over 2km longer, so a great run I am still buzzing after it 3 hours later
For the first time I am starting to feel like a runner, I was able to push on hard at the end of the run which I never would have before. While I am still relatively slow I can feel the benefit of actually training for the run instead of just expecting my cycling fitness to carry me through.
I really hope I can stay injury free and keep at the running as I am really enjoying it.

Rest day tomorrow and back at it again from Tuesday hopefully.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Hi
I felt bad that no-one responded to your plea of 'well what if it does kill me?" , so just wanted to boost your deflated ego and tell you that you would be truly missed by all the club Rob!
Bernard and I had a good weekends training too - as we were in Kerry we joined Cork Tri club in doing the bike route for the Kenmare half-ironman and then went on to do about 2/3's of the run route so had a great day. The bike course seemed easy after suffering through the sally and wicklow gaps so like Rob, I finally felt the training was paying off! We had heavy rain at the start but ended up laying on the beach sunning ourselves after the run!
Ailis

Robs Blog Take 2..

I took Monday off and went out for a run on Tuesday morning, I was going to do 2x5k laps but was tired after the first and decided to leave it at that.
I have been getting a real itch to do some racing and the shop has settled down somewhat, as a result I am doing slightly less hours and finding my enthusiasm is tied to my energy levels, as I am less tired I want to get out and do something even if I am woefully unfit.
With that in mind we were going out to the last aquathon yesterday evening and I was trying to talk my self into it all day......... The conversation inside my head went something like this but for about 3 hours.........
"Ah sure you will be grand"
"Grand?? I've been inthe water twice since March!!! Do you call drowning GRAND???"
"You wont drown sure it's only a short swim........"
"Maybe you are right.......how hard could it be???"


So I headed home at lunch time to pick up my racing kit and wetsuit, a lot of first times in this race.....
First time doing a race after deciding 4 hours before
First time racing in the club colours
First time this year to take out my wetsuit
First time doing an Aquathlon

Why was I entering a race with no bike leg?????????

Jaysus I must be nuts.........

Anyway we arrived at 6:50 to sign on, the sun was shining and no wind, it was a beautiful evening, after the usual prep I found myself one of the first in the water, I had Fernando on my left, Crinion on my right and Darren somewhere just in front of me..........Holy God I am at the wrong end of the start....after a hasty retreat to the back of the pack I was all set.
I felt good, not too nervous. I guess I hadn't had time to get worked up and I couldn't have had any lower expectations.......
The swim was pretty uneventfull, I did forget to start my watch but not much else to report. Talking to Aubrey about the race distances afterwards he reckoned the swim was a bit shorter than 750. I quickly reassured him that I did the full distance when you added in the zig zagging.
Out of the water and I had forgotten how disorientated to get running up to transition, struggled a bit with the wetsuit, crashed into 1 or two people then out onto the run, I had a couple of targets around me on the run.
A guy who comes into the shop caught me early on the run and started to pass me I decided to try to follow him and after 1/2 a km I was settling into a rythym, not a comfortable one mind just a rythym.........I gradually pulled away from him as I settled down. It is great to get shouts of encouragement from marshals and friends at a race, it is a real boost.
There was another person I wanted to catch about 30mts ahead moving at the same speed as me so I decided that I would have plenty of time, in the mean time I passed 4-5 people and was passed by 7-8 then held position for a while. I hit the turn around at just over 12 mins which I reckoned should get me about 22-23 mins total, better than I hoped for, I decided to push on and try to pass my target person who was now about 10mts ahead, I pulled up to within 2-3 mts and I got a stupid stitch
After frantic poking of fingers under the ribs, I discovered if I grabbed a handfull of skin at the stitch it gradually cleared
I looked up to realise I had fallen back about 50 mts and could hear breathing behind...Bugger!!!
I pushed on a bit and waited to see if the stitch would come back.....nope...a bit more and I was gaining and the breathing behind was gone.....another push and I gained the place about 100mts out.
It always makes me laugh to think of me sprinting for 30th or 40th place but it doesn't stop me from doing it.........
I was buzzing at the finish, total time 34m something I think, which I think gave me a swim inc transition of about 12-13 mins as I reckon the run was a little over 21mins.
I really enjoyed this event and am dissapointed it's the last one of the season. I bit the bullet and entered a tri on Sunday after my long run, online entry is a bugger............too bloody easy to pop in the c/card number while sitting there all comfortable and cosy on the couch...........
Well thats it for now, the rest of the week should be run Thurs and Sat and the Marie Keating 100k on Sunday. This is probably one of the best cyclo sportive events in the country and I would recommend it for everyone with 20, 50 and 100k rides to choose from and a bbq afterwards (If the rain holds off........)
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Thursdays Run:
I headed up to the hell fire club for a trail run and some hill work, the sun was beating down, temp 21 degrees, light breeze and no one about, Awesome!!! I did 9k in 56 mins inc 3x 5-7 min strength intervals.
I felt really good for the whole run, I reckon there is nothing close to hitting the mountains either on the bike or running for clearing the head, I got a huge buzz out of this run.
Looking forward to Sat mornings session and the Marie Keating ride on Sun, I hope the weather holds for it.
Rob

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Friday I hit the pool with Fernando "The Fish" He gave me some pointers and showed me how to correct some of the mistakes I make. About 35 mins and 1200 mtrs total.
Saturday
Myself and Barry had planned to meet a bit earlier and get an extra bit done before the official club session, Denise was waiting for us in the car park after our warm up and we went on to do about 7k with her at about 5m35 pace, after Denise decided she had gotten wet enough we did another 3k or so to finish with a total of just over 14k in 1h20 inc a short break.
Sunday was the Marie Keating 100k and I was pretty nervous, I have had a grand total of 6 rides in the last 2 months so I had a feeling it would be a bit of a hurt fest.........
I decided to relax for the first 20 miles till the rest stop where the 50 and 100k groups split.
I was quietly informed that there would be an attack shortly after the stop to split the group (Despite starting all nice and civilized it quickly turns into a bit of a race) and at this point I started to get real nervous...........
I stayed in the first 8-10 to make sure I didn't miss the move, we turned into a head wind and that made it tough for anyone to get away, despite repeated attacks and accelerations the group was still together into Robertstown, we came around a corner into a climb of about 1k and Cormac went off the front, this I reckoned could be it so I jumped and took another rider with me, Rob Looby. We got up to Cormac near the top of the climb and at this stage I realised I was in trouble, the other 2 were well within themselves and I was close to the limit.........bugger.
Luckily they decided that 40+k would be too far to stay away and waited for the next group to catch us thinking we would form a group of 10 or so and ride together to the finish.
When they caught us ther was actually a large group 30+ I reckon so we sat easy on Boston Hill and waited for the next climb.
We hit "The Wall" a while later and I blew up completly, I cant remember the last time I got so badly dropped on a climb, I reckoned I was about 20-30th over the top, Marc Wauters and myself then began the painful process of chasing the guys in front. We gradually reeled in riders and I was hoping some of them would sit on recover and contribute to the chase but they didn't. We went through Kildare chasing a group of 3 riders that had been about 30 seconds ahead for at least 10 mins. I reckoned if we didn't make it across soon and get some recovery we wouldn't make it at all. I had taken quite a long rest behind Marc and decided to go all out to get over, after closing the gap to about 100mtrs I was close to finished and couldn't even follow Marc when he went through for a turn on the front......I crawled my way back to his wheel and we were still hanging 30mtrs off but I could see the first group on the road ahead of them. I was surprised I thought we were further back. We eventually got onto the group and sat on for a while to recover. We rode in together for the last 5 miles or so staying together over the last climb and then the pace picked up again on the road into Naas. I had one attack left in the legs and decided to go on the last drag and after burying myself I looked under my arm to see wheels behind
There was a couple of attacks which I struggled to follow and eventually rolled in near the back of our group.
I was really satisfied with the ride as I have done almost no riding and absoloutely no proper training, I was really happy to finish within 1 min of the lead group.
I am going to keep up the run training and a little swimming technique and not worry too much about the bike, I am confident I wont loose too much cycling fitness and that what I do loose will come back pretty quickly if I keep at the running.
You get fantastic "Bang for your buck" with the running, I am only training 2-4 hours a week for about 5-6 weeks and have regained a lot of my fitness lost with the 3 month lay off, I am also feeling much stronger on the run than I ever did before.

Plan for this week is run Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sunday, Swim on Friday and maybe on Wednesday too.

Hopefully I can fit it all in.

Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Hi Rob,

Great to see you back. Thats great training. You will really enjoy the marathon. Best of luck.

Darren

Robs Blog Take 2..

Monday was a day off, I had planned to do a 10-15k run on Tuesday morning and almost sent out texts on Monday to round up people but stopped myself at the last minute, I wanted to have the option to either cut it short or leave it altogether if I was still tired from Sunday.
I have found that sometimes I am more tired 2 days later than the next day after a big/hard ride.
As it turned out I woke up knackered and only did just over 6k.
During the day I started to feel better and decided I would do another run in the evening. By the time I got out it was raining....again....I managed just over 10k to give me a total of 16.5k for the day.
I deci9ded not to swim this morning so hopefully run again tomorrow.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Rob,

Great to see you're back running and enjoying it.

But be patient and careful.

Two a day runs for someone with your (or indeed my) history of running related injuries is a bad idea. Very bad idea.

Dave

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You are right Dave, it is easy to get carried away with making some progress.
I will maybe ad an extra run in on another day rather than an extra one on the same day.
Rob

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I had planned a 10k trail run this morning but it is georgous out and I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to go out on the bike, I'm thinking the Sally Gap........................
Will post later on decision.................

Robs Blog Take 2..

Rob, looks like you are saying that you really are a Cyclist first and foremost?

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First love is the bike, but I have realised I need to work on my weaker sports, run and swim, actually I realised that a long time ago it is only now I am trying to do that.
Today was just a moment of weakness........
1 hour bike, easy climb and back home, it is so hard not to go climbing on a day like that and I might sneak in a short run before I head into work so I wont feel too guilty then.

Rob

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I ran 25k on Sunday and no shin splints!!!!

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Looks like you're fairly pleased! Fair play Rob, don't think I'd even walk 25k.

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Marathon entered!

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The making ...or breaking of Rob !!!

Best of Luck

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Sat I did an hours bike inc a short lactate interval getting ready for the tri in a week and a half, jaysus I had forgotten how much these hurt....
Sunday I met with a mate, Liam from the Tallaght Athletics Club for a long run Liam was planing just 45 mins so I did 20 mins before and 30 extra after, Liam is an ultra distance runner and is trying to get me to do the Trail Blanc snow marathon in the Pyrenees in January, he reckons it will be "No Problem to me........" the only thing that concerns me is that no problem to Liam (Who has done the Marathon De Sables and the uphill marathon world championships among other nuts races) and no problem to me are probably VERRRRY different.........I will keep you posted on my decision, oh and I have asked Nick to come along too Anyone else who is up for some madness let me know.

Monday I walked for about 50mins to loosen the legs.
Tuesday easy 10k
Wed Steady 12k inc some hills with Liam and another 3 ultra distance nutcases, my mother would probably say I am falling in with a bad crowd..........
This was my first run on the roads since I started back and the legs felt a little tender after but shins still ok.
Thurs 7.75k trail run with 2 x 2k hill repeats, tough session but felt good afterwards.

Thats all folks .
Rob

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No turning back now..............


Congratulations! Active has successfully processed your application, and you are now officially registered for the event listed below.

Thank you for registering for the 28th Running of the adidas Dublin Marathon. RACE / BIB Number & Chip collection is at The Main Hall, R.D.S. Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, and runs from 12:00 to 18:00 hrs on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th of October. There will be no race number collection facility on race day.
Below is you RACE / BIB NUMBER, please retain and bring to the R.D.S and proceed to number collection.


Name: rob cummins
Event: adidas Dublin Marathon 2007
Category: European Union Residents Under 4 Hours
Start Date: 29/10/2007 - 09:00

Robs Blog Take 2..

I was going to do a short run today, but common sense prevailed (3 days in a row is enough at the moment) and I hit the pool instead, I was going to concentrate on technique.
After watching some video footage of Alexander Popov with music by Ram Jam singing Black Betty I was so excited I grabbed towel, goggles and swim kit and in my little mind I was going so fast I created a wake as I went up and down the 17.5mtr pool..............
I tried to copy his catch, in one of the video clips I watched where his hand enters the water, it doesnt move backwards!!!! He actually holds the water and his body moves forward over his hand..........Wow I thought if I can learn that trick I'll kick Fernando's ass in the pool
Despite my best efforts i didn't go quite as quick as Popov (I reckon his water is thicker or sticky hands or something........)

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I ran Sat and Sun with a guy called Brendan who Barry introduced me to, he is like a running encyclopedia on legs! He is a running coach and a sports psychologist and has been involved in sports for nearly 20 years. I reckon I have learned more about running in the last 6 weeks running with guys like Brendan, Barry and Liam than I had in the previous 2 years running mostly on my own.
It also helps pass the time on a long run chatting with someone rather than only having an i Pod for company.
We did just over 12k x-country sat, the first 5 in 24:24, the 2nd in 23:03 and finished with some strides and downhill fast running getting up to 3min/km for a couple of hundred meters at a time, the speed was exhilarating, later in the day I was dumbstruck to realise that my top speed for 1-200mtrs is what Brian Campbell and Colm Turner did for a heavy 10k x-country at the end of the Dublin city tri!!!! Holy God!!!
Sunday I had arranged to meet Brendan again and it was just as well as I was tired and would probably have gone back to sleep rather than run alone, training partners are great motivation esp if you are at a close level.
When I'm running with Brendan I found we had drifted into a rythym where even our steps fell into line as our stride length and rate is almost identical, you then become very relaxed and dont notice the time going.
Anyway we met in the Phoenix park and did about 18k in 1:33 we chatted pretty much all the way so the pace was ok (Forgot hrm so didn't have it to run by)
Very happy with the last 8 days, 85k running (As much as I would have done in 2 months last year) and an 1100mtr swim I finally feel like I'm getting back to some level of fitness
Rob

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It has been a very busy couple of days in the shop so it was just as well I had decided to take it easy on the training front.
We launched our new website and I have been more nervous about that than the race this weekend............
I have never been as poorly prepared for a race as this one, I am not even swimming once a week and I did my first bike ride last night in 10 days.
As a result I have no expectations, except to be a lot slower than last year and I don't mind the only thing I am hoping to get from the weekend is an improvement on the run.
I am really looking forward to it now, no nerves and no pressure all races should be approached like this
I did a short bike ride last night with Barry and Brendan on the Kestrel, holy god it's a fast bike
My self and Brendan did a short run off the bike and the legs felt great (admittedly it was a very easy bike ride and an easy run) followed by some strides.
I am on a bit of a buzz about it all

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Hey Rob, I see the bike is 25k. If you get under 37 minutes I promise to buy at least 2 Powergels off you next week!
(The race briefing says 25k., TI calendar says 20k ; if it is 20k, then it's to be under 29 mins. 30 secs. for The Gel Deal!).
Here's another Thursday quote for what it's worth! : "It's not the taking part that counts, it's the result".

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It wont be under either of those times......I'm a runner now, although not a very quick one if this mornings session is any indication
Hope I go a bit better on Sunday..............

Robs Blog Take 2..

Well I did the tri and was pleasantly surprised with how it all went, I will post a full race report later in the week, it is on my home pc and the internet connection is acting up.
Back to running and I got out Tues and did 10k easy. Wednesday I met "ultra runner Liam" for 12k, he is fantastic for motivation and I went away from this really excited about running in general. Considering he is running injured and I am getting good paced runs done with him I would dread to think what he would do to me if he was uninjured........
Thursday I did a repeat of my trail hill repeats from 2 weeks ago, the legs were sore for 2 days after this one last time so I decided to be careful and iced them straight away, had my recovery shake, pasta and tuna lunch and wore compression tights in the afternoon. This might seem a bit like overkill but the difference in being cautious with recovery is huge, I can train more often and harder and the legs are holding up much better.
Friday I did about 45 mins steady on the bike just to clear the legs for the weekend as I had a good bit planed.
Sat I ran early in Corcagh park, the Autumn sun was brilliant and with the dew on the grass and the silence it is an awesome way to start the day, I met Barry half way around, it really makes the time go having someone to talk to on the longer runs.
Sunday I met with Liam and some of the lads from the Ultrarunning nutcase club, they were doing a 13k run I really struggled to get going and was worrying how the hell I was going to get the 28k done I had planed, as the lads pulled off I had an argument in my head about what I was doing.......
Stop, sure thats a grand run already and your tired....
No way if you pull out now how the hell are you gonna do the marathon?????
Dont listen to that fool he's full of crap........
Keep running, what is wrong with you anyway?

(There is a number of voices living in my head and this is not an unusual situation on a long training session, for me anyway...)

After the last question I did a quick check

Feet? Alright so far
Legs? Not too bad actually
Body? Pretty good
Energy? Now that you mention it I dont really feel tired
That only leaves the head so I give myself a good kick in the mental arse and tell myself to sort it out and get on with it ya big wuss!

As soon as I make this startling discovery the head comes up, stride lengthens out and I realise I am feeling pretty good, I stop thinking about the distance left and think about good form, rythym and let the mind wander a bit.
Before I know it I am at 26k and still feeling good so I push on and take the pace up to 4:30 a km from 4:55-5:20 for the last 2 k's, the legs are feeling tired but it feels great to be able to finish the run strong and not be shuffling back to the van.

All in all a good running week, 70k done and feeling good with it, only 6 weeks left to the marathon now

Robs Blog Take 2..

Perhaps the plan for the physiological testing this coming season
could be augmented with a psychological testing
for the lad with voices in his head ...

...Fair Play to ya though , I find 10K a long run
and yes I have voices in my head too ...maybe we're all nuts

Robs Blog Take 2..

Knackered all week............I went out last night for a run with some of the lads from the running club in Tallaght (Being expected to turn up is good motivation, I would have skipped this had I been left to my own devices....)
We were doing a 15k run in the foothills of the mountains.......jaysus what was I letting myself in for....3 ultra runners who do 50k runs at the weekend for fun and me
Anyway I found I actually had some legs and also discovered I really really like doing hills
Awesome run, I felt deadly the whole way
Thurs
Brought down to earth with a bang! Struggled with 5k easy trail run........last night obviously still in the legs.
Am thinking I will do the 1/2 marathon on Sat, anyone else interested?
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

There is on the day registration and a free t shirt, thats good enough for me

Robs Blog Take 2..

I had to work Sat so didn't get to the 1/2 marathon and it probably was a good thing, I did 6k before work and went for coffee.........zero energy and zero motivation
Sunday I met Eugene in the Phoenix park and started out not expecting much, as we gradually got going I started feeling good again, the more I ran the quicker we went and the better I felt
We hit a hill about 300mtrs long after 12k or so and I strided out, wow I felt awesome
The voices started.............
watch the hr......
nah your ok go faster
dont get carried away, 5k still to go
Dont listen to him you are flying
Hr is at 176 thats not good
It's deadly dont worry


Boom!!!!
I blew up, shite what was I thinking now I am gonna suffer like hell for the next 5k trying not to let Eugene see my stupidity
Finished 17.5k in 1h26, thats 16 minutes faster than an 18k run I did about 6 weeks ago so I am happy with the progress so far.

I struggled on and we slowed for the last 2 k and I was able finish on my feet instead of on my knees.....
I really need to learn pacing on the run....
Monday shinsplints were flaring up so Gretta kindly offered to torture me
They are feeling somewhat better today but wont run till tomorrow evening just to be sure.
Planning on doing longest run this Sunday about 30k

Robs Blog Take 2..

Rob,

Good to see your training is going excellant. Best of look with the long run.

Will be back in the country next week, so i must join you for a short run. Have done nothing in the last three weeks so it will be short; although raring to go.

Darren

Robs Blog Take 2..

Thanks Darren,
I had an great run last night, we started in Tallaght at the old Mill pub see link for the route particularly the elevation part,

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1349168

I will be doing 2 laps on Sunday as my big run before the marathon so if anyone would like to join me for either or both laps they would be more than welcome. 1st lap starting at 8am should take about 1h20 second lap starting at 9:20 should take maybe a bit longer.

I am planning on doing an mtb spin tomorrow and have a wedding on Sat so prob no run then. I just hope I get back early enough Sat night...............

Robs Blog Take 2..

Well I did the mtb spin on Friday night with headlights in a forest half way up to the Sally Gap, this is probably the first time in nearly a year that I have gone mountainbiking and the first time in 4-5 years I have done it at night.
The fact that you can only see 15-20 feet in front of you really sharpens the senses, it was some of the most enjoyable biking I have done recently.
We were looking at a cross country race course for a duathlon series, it will be an awesome race if it goes ahead. I will keep you posted.
I could feel a sore throat and a cold starting all day Fri before I went out and almost pulled out but decided to try and kill the cold instead, it seemed to work as it was more or less cleared on Sat.
Sunday I had my big run planned, 30k+ in the mountains (2x15k laps) I was pretty nervous.....I had arranged company for both of the laps. I ran the first with Aisling from the Wednesday night Ultra runners in heavy rain. After the first climb we settled into a rythym and we cruised the first 12k in about an hour, we met 2 more lads near the end of the first lap and after a quick stop (I had to change shoes, I wore the wrong ones.....the right ones were in my bag in the van) my calves were getting pretty sore a combination of still not being used to climbing so much and no orthotics. I quickly settled into a rythym again and was happy to listen to Liam and Gary chat away, it is great having company for the long runs. I am getting so used to it that I am struggling to do much more than 30-45 mins alone now.
On the second climb I was feeling strong and settled into a really nice pace but before I was half way up I started to feel pain behind my right knee, it was the same as I had a couple of years ago in the half Ironman (I tore my calf where it attaches to the back of the knee) so I slowed up hoping it wouldn't get any worse as I still had nearly 10k to go.
The knee was ok on the downhills but was getting gradually worse on the climbs, very frustrating as I was still feeling good, I took it easy the rest of the way, thanks to Aisling, Liam and Gary for their patience and company on a wet and cold morning.
Delighted to get this run done but I woke the next morning with a very sore knee and pretty tired legs. I am hoping to get some physio on it this week, Ailis if you read this you might post/mail me Bernie's no and I will give him a call.
Oh and the cold came back with a vengance
Short easy mtb spin good to clear the head, 3hr run in the rain......just asking for trouble
Easy week this week I think, I hope Bernie has magic fingers and I might do a short run Sat if he fixes me, if I can't run however I hope to get out for the first of the club rides on Sunday.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

I had a really easy week due to the knee and the super cold, I iced the knee until Thurs then switched to heat and tried a short run Fri morning on Bernies instructions, knee felt fine with only a small twinge left although I felt very empty.
Fri evening I headed out on the mtb again and did a 2 hour ride, full of excitement. About 5 mins in my lights died. Considering it was pitch dark in the middle of the country (So no street lights) and we were heading off road I was a wee bit worried...........
Mike reckoned we would be ok riding with just his lights so we continued on. Early on I realised I was in trouble, I was woking hard to stay with him on the flat road so with several climbs to go and getting dropped not an option (No lights) I had my work cut out for me.
We headed into the forest and checked out the route for a possible winter race series (More to come on this later) and headed back after an extremely hard ride, even though we were going at the same speed as last week..........Holy God what has happened here?????????
To cap matters off I got back in the van for the low fuel light to ping and I had to freewheel all the way too the nearest garage
Sat morning
Run with Darren in Corcagh Park just over 8k in 40something mins, again felt empty and out of breath, getting a bit worried now......I was exhausted all day and couldn't wait to get to bed, dreading having to get up for the cycle in the morning.
Sunday
Up at 6:40 feel a little better, headed down to Naas and got going on the first ride of the winter, I felt great but this was probably down to the fact we were doing about 12-15mph, still feeling better is feeling better.
We did about 2 hours including a fast bit in the middle then home, ate, showered and headed out to either watch or possibly run in a 5k x/country race in Celbridge.
I met a mate and we warmed up (I decided to give it a go) but was very nervous about running while not feeling great, anyway we lined up and off we went.
I really struggle to get pacing right in runs, I usually start too fast and blow up somewhere in the middle, true to form I went away a little quick and hit 2k in 7m42 which is just a bit too fast for me, I tried to keep the pace up and hit 2.5k @ 9m50 which was still going to get me about 20mins or just under it. I started to struggle and one of the guys I was running with caught and passed me, damn! I checked and could see Brendan catching up too he passed me a short while later with some words of encouragement, I tried to stay with him but there was no chance, I was already on the limit and trying to recover so as not to keel over.
I tried to limit the gap and hold steady, I passed the 4k mark and headed past the crowd for a 700mtr lap to the finish, I got passed by 2 more people going a lot faster, I didn't chase yet though, it was still too far out, at about 400mts I pulled back one place and at 200mts I made back one more, despite gradually reeling in the next guy I just couldn't close the last 5mtrs, I finished 33rd in 20:14 and was pretty happy with it, if I can get pacing sorted I know I can knock 30-45 secs off that at my present fitness just down to running smarter.
Am gonna do the Wed night run if anyone is interested let ne know, about 16-18k hilly in about 1h22-1h30
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Tuesday I hit the pool and splashed about for a bit, distance somewhere around 1000-1200mtrs. I didn't bother counting, I just want to stay swimming regularly, I am not looking to structure sets yet.
Wed:
I met Eugene, Aisling and Bronagh of the Wednesday Night Runners and we did the usual loop around the waterworks, I am getting to a stage now with the running where I can get myself into a real rice rythym on the hills, I sort of settle into the climb get the hr to 172-174 which would be explosion time on the bike but I can maintain it nicely on the run. All conversation gradually stops and myself and Eugene take turns setting a nice pace, it feels amazing as you get into the grove and often I feel like I could run like that for hours. At night with the head torch your focus sort of narrows and you are only aware of the breathing of those around you and the footfalls as we climb the hills, over the top the pace settles again and conversation resumes as we catch our breath.
The loop is the best run I have ever done and each Wednesday I am on a high and itching to go again, already thinking of the following week as I drive home.
As part of my marathon build up I will be running it again on Sunday and I can wait to get out at it.
This Saturday's run is my next session as I gradually wind down with the marathon in just over 2 weeks time.
Hoping to see some of you out for this session, it will be an easy run.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Sat:
I did a wee run with Daren & Charlotte, 10k easy pace.
Sun:
i did the first part of the club cycle from Naas, 40 mins or so, I think 30k? The loop was a little short so I will try to lengthen it next time.
I jumped in the van and headed up to Tallaght to meet the running group and we headed out for a 16k hilly loop with some of the Wed night runners and Brendan. I have never felt as good on a run (And rarely on the bike either for that matter) The weather was perfect, Autumn sunshine and perfect temperature for running.
We did the loop a little slower than Wed, 1:27 instead of 1:22. I just hope I dont leave my best runs on the road 2 weeks before the marathon

Running again tomorrow evening with the same group, anyone who would like to join me txt on 087 2900326 for details or see story on home page of site.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Let the hypochondria begin
With less than 2 weeks to go every niggle, sniffle, stomach gurgle is a possible race stopper......
Wed:am
Oh oh, knee niggle....... by lunchtime it's ok.... in the afternoon some other imagined catastrophe strikes for 15 mins and passes to be replaced by another one later in the day.
I manage to make it through to 6:50 still alive, all limbs still attached, all internal organs still internal and able to run with Aisling.
I dont really get going at all this evening, it feels too slow or too fast and I just dont click into the rythym I have found over the last couple of weeks. Despite that I got through just over an hour and felt good at the end.
We chatted about marathon pacing, and I mentioned marathon survival, how to fix all that is wrong with the world, mountains, running, biking and various other topics. One of the great enjoyments I have found is listening/talking to people during the longer runs it is so much more enjoyable than music or radio.
Aisling has started planting seeds of target times in my head..........I have really avoided aiming for a time so far so as not to miss it by 5 mins and be disapointed. The marathon has been a target for me for a number of years now and the last thing I want is to be unhappy with my result regardless of the time. I first and foremost want to enjoy the experience, if I beat the very vague time I have in my mind great, if not still great. As Liam keeps telling me... I will have a pb regardless of the time and this is the only marathon where I am guaranteed that.
There has been some interest in the uphill half marathon, it looks like being a great day out. The Wednesday night runners are talking about quite an unusual christmas dinner/outing....it has been suggested we go for a picnic after a 90 min run in the mountains, excellent! Add in the duathlon and I will have a busy month in November.
planning to mtb this eve, tomorrow off and a short easy run on Sunday.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Fri
Night mtb spin for about 2h30, we rode more challenging trails this time, not just fire roads. I really enjoyed this and felt a whole lot better than last time.
I reckon this is the last hard/long session of any type till the marathon.
Sun
I had planned a short run but was down at the Women in Triathlon weekend and didn't get home till nearly 6 and had paperwork to do so no session. I might run Monday or maybe not....I reckon 2 easy/short runs this week with the last one on Thurs should be enough.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Tuesday
Short 4-5k run and the legs wouldnt work!!!!!!!!!
It's almost like they know whats coming and are letting their displeasure be known
oh oh........
The nerves are also starting a wee bit, I'm getting a bit cranky (Sorry Gretta......) and all of a sudden I am eating all sort of crap, fruit cakes, danish, honey cakes, my sweet tooth has gone nuts...........I keep telling myself it is a form of carbo loading although I know it is really fat loading
The lads in the shop have started betting what time I will do on Monday, which is making me even more nervous.........
I have a quick visit with the physio this afternoon and only 1 more run tomorrow then just wait and see...........

Robs Blog Take 2..

what are you nervous about?! it's only 26.2 miles!

ha ha just kiddin'

good luck and give it socks!

Robs Blog Take 2..

Welcome to our world Ashling, wont be long before we turn you into a triathlete

Robs Blog Take 2..

Thurs and Fri I didn't get to run so my last one was this morn (Sat) a bit later than I would have liked but I kept it short and sweet, I did 4 k then 15 mins of strides and 10 mins stretching. Legs felt good, I resisted the urge to respond to any changes of pace and tried to keep it steady.
I spent the day on Friday helping out Eoin Ryan doing his Static Ironman for People in Need, I felt like a bit of a wus worrying about doing a marathon when he was doing a 2.5 mile swim and 112 miles on the bike before he even started his marathon.........
It was a very strange thing to be able to watch a complete Ironman unfold in front of me, every change of mood, raise in heart rate, drink, toilet stop or any problem playing out before us. Sort of like being a fly on the wall in an Ironman reality television show..............I have never watched Big Brother (A fact I am particularly proud of ) but I could sort of understand the attraction of it after seeing this.
All in all a great day, I was delighted to be involved thanks to Eoin for asking me. I would jump at the chance to be there again but only on the support side........ I just wouldn't be interested in doing an Ironman without "Doing an Ironman" if you know what I mean.... I wont do Roth as my first full distance race (Even the name laughs at all other tri's ......) either for the same reason even though I have heard so much good stuff about it. Maybe I am just a sucker for one of the best marketing jobs in sport but even so......its not hard to market it........swim bike run for longer than most people exercise in a month all in 1 day, one after another.
I think a big part of doing one for me is tied in to my self image, Ironman is THE race, THE brand, the image and all the Kudos that goes with it and when I do it I want the whole package (Including the tattoo )
Eoin already has that after doing Austria this year and now he has something pretty unusual too, it's just something that wouldn't appeal to me.
I was asked a lot yesterday had I done one? (An Ironman) and was surprised to find I was embarassed to say I didn't, being a triathlete even a part time one is now completly tied in with my self image, how I think of myself and I haven't ticked the main box I started out aiming for.............
It sorta decided me on entering one next year, I had been getting wobbly on the decision recently.......probably Florida but I need to go and do some homework yet.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Well all done and dusted, 42k done and it was harder than I had thought. I have a tendancy to underestimate certain events, I think it comes from dealing with so many people who do crazy races as a matter of course, Marathon de Sables, Marmotte, Wicklow 200, Ironman triathlon, Jungfrau marathon and more. All the talking makes them seem like everyday events when the reality is very different, this was brought back to me again in the marathon, I must remember this before the next big race..............
Annnyway, I did a couple of easy spins during the week to loosen the legs after the marathon and headed out for my first proper spin with the club on Sunday, it was very enjoyable and really felt good to be back on the bike, I really missed freewheeling downhill during the marathon
Hoping the leg will be ok for Wed eve I still have a small niggle at the back of my knee, will ice and stretch this eve (But not in that order......)
Will have to sit down and make a plan for the next couple of weeks as regards training because I sorta feel at a loose end even with events coming up, I suppose thats because I didn't know what to expect after the marathon so didn't really plan anything.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

I have taken it really easy since the marathon and the niggly injury I picked up isn't clearing either so I am not running at all. I did about 6 hours biking last week inc nearly 3 hours getting a good beating in the mountains from a friend of mine. We ride together every month or so, the rides would swing from both riding right together on the hills to me riding off the front to him giving me a good lesson in humility like last weeks ride.
I was not expecting the legs to be fantastic after being off the bike for so long and was hoping that the memory of cycling fitness would get me through...........I soon learned this wasn't to be....
On the first climb up Luggalla from Roundwood I stayed with Daniel until the road ramped up and couldn't get comfortable at his speed so I got out of the saddle and accellerated slightly, no more than 30 seconds later I knew I was in trouble, the legs felt very fatigued and I couldn't sustain the effort, Daniel rode past me and there was nothing I could do.........damage limitation wasn't working and I lost about a minute in less than 800mtrs. That was bad enough but when I eventually caught up and praised Daniel for having good legs, he brushed it aside and said he wasn't going well, I was just going crap...........
This was said in the nicest possible way, even as a form of praise I think........On the next climb we stayed together although this was not through any great recovery on my part but because he decided not to rub salt in the wounds.........We went on for another couple of hours eventually finishing at 2:40-3hrs.
The spin taught me to think a bit about the riders I am out with, what I will remember from today was that I didn't have it rammed down my throat that I was the weaker rider.
Annnyway, enough of me emptying my rambling thoughts for another day.
Plan for this week:
I don't really have one.......I have got to get my a$$ in gear, or maybe not........... I think I need some new bike kit to motivate me, or maybe a new bike????
I will do some cycling again this week and maybe a really short run at the weekend, still no real structure to it yet but hopefully when I get organised and decide what's next I will still have some fitness left.......
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Did you ever have a very bad dream or nightmare where you woke up angry, scared or annoyed?
I came downstairs this morning with a face like thunder apparently.....you see I had a nightmare...I dreamt Gretta was having an affair....bad enough you might think but it gets worse, she was getting a new bike from her new man!!!!!! The ultimate betrayal !!!
After much amusement on Gretta's part and a large espresso I decided to put it all behind me and forgive her for screwing up my dream..............
Anyway back to reality, I did an hour on the bike both before and after work yesterday and it conveniently lashed rain both times, I don't mind the rain at all on the bike or when running it is only the pool that drives me nuts..........funny that the only time I am meant to get wet is the time that I dont enjoy so much.....

Robs Blog Take 2..

Maybe I should think about what I write about here a little more carefully or people will will start talking about me behind their hands.........

Robs Blog Take 2..

I ran this morning with Liam and Fernando the "Powerlung" the knee was niggly from the start but out of 10 it was probably only 1 or 2, at about 20 mins it started to crank up and within 5 mins it was up around 5/10, I decided to pull up and let the lads go on and I headed back to the van, this run was going to decide whether I would race tomorrow or not so there is no question now.
I will take a couple more weeks off running and concentrate on the bike now. It probably suits to wait another 2 weeks to start running as December is usually my 3 weeks off the bike because the shop gets a bit nuts, as it stands I have hardly been on the bike over the last 3 months so I really need to get going again.
I am going to make a plan this week and start training properly again, I have a race in Jan so I need to get a structure for that.
It also looks like I wont be able to run next week for the sally gap run so Darren is gonna kick my a$$............sorry Darren, I will ride with you and carry food, bottles etc and take a couple of pictures too

Robs Blog Take 2..

Sunday we ran the duathlon in the morning and I was in work in the afternoon so I headed out on the bike in the evening for about 80-90 mins, I did some strength work for the first time in probably 6 months and was cautious not to put pressure on the knee. It was fine and if anything I think the bike sessions are helping it (Or thats what I am telling myself..........)
Monday
Called into work unexpectedly so no session
Tues
Bike 90 mins before work and the legs still felt fatigued after Sunday, just goes to show how much strength I have lost through not being on the bike recovery would normally be a good bit quicker.
Later that day....
I did an hour again on the bike, I was going to Naas for a meeting and the nutrition seminar so decided to cycle down and it was great, dry and a tail wind all the way
Later that evening....
Well around about 9:30 my world came crashing down.........the details are getting a bit blurred, I think it is my minds way of protecting me from further trauma.........
Sinead Rowland my life will never be the same.....first I learn that white pasta is bad! Jesus that is about 60% of my total diet!!! And I thought it was pretty healthy.........oh depression I love my pasta.....
Next I learn that instant pasta meals probably do more harm than good........worthless from a nutritional point of view........
I felt like a target in a firing range and she was slowly shooting off 1 limb at a time, both arms gone what would be next, surely there must be something good in my diet????
Breakfast was next, now to be honest I sorta knew this would be a problem.....double espresso and a vanilla custard danish... followed by another double espresso.....mmmmmmmmmmm
Ok so this causes all sorts of chaos shooting large quantities of adrenaline and other secretions into the body to deal with the sugar rush....she aluded to the fact that coffee wasn't so good but I wanted to be sure so piped up with the question is it really really bad or just a little bit naughty? Hoping against hope it would be healthy? Please leave me some comfort! But it wasn't to be it is a disasterous substance I was being broken down bit by bit, she had shot off my legs at the knees I am stuttering along wondering what could possibly be next????
Then I see it....Chicken! How is chicken bad???? It should be organic....Awh God what about the veggies? they should be organic too it seems, along with the latest improvement I made fruit, all inorganic ones are treated and probably more poisonous than viper venom...........I am a broken man and she add's in the final hammer blow...
Crisps will probably kill you because trans fats are rotten ba%$ar$s who infect all the nice things, fruit cake (Mmmmmm) King crisps (Mmmmmm) and too many others to mention.
So all of this has led to the decision that I will clean up my act, no more crap food only good wholesome nutrient dense, cafine free, sugarless, trans fat-less goodness. I am starting right after this double espresso and 2 slices of toast smothered in tasty raspberry jam..........
I will try to keep a diary of progress on the whole healthy eating lark seeing as the training one is sorta slipping due to the lack of real training....

To be continued.................when I get past the feeling of total despair and loss, I will wave good bye to all my friends, goodbye Buffalo Flavour Hunky Doreys, Goodbye Tasty Fruit Cake, Goodbye Double Espresso (Ok so that just is a step too far, it might become espresso and a half then espresso and by next July maybe it might be just regular coffee but we won't do anything too hasty)

Robs Blog Take 2..

Despite the undoubted wisdom of what you report in your latest post, don't forget the old saying " a little of what you fancy". As we cannot totally separate mind and body, and if we are utterly miserable as a result of our diet, then I'd guess we're not getting the full benefit of it. Don't forget the great Eddy Merckx both drank (and we're not talking lemonade) and SMOKED(!) at the height of his career!- - - -
not that I would advocate the latter.

Robs Blog Take 2..

Wed training: 3 hrs bike inc about 20 mins big gear work, really enjoyed this spin, it felt sort of like skiving off (Probably because I was ). I normally work Wed but Gretta covered me today so I took full advantage and headed out, I even switched off my phone which I never do. The last time I went out for a spin during a midweek day I had 17 missed calls.
It felt like a lot more than 3 hours though, maybe I should call it 4.....it certainly felt like 4...
Food Update
I didn't quite make it onto the wagon this morning with all the espresso's so I was planning on doing better for the rest of the day.
I had a breakfast bar on the bike, probably not so good....at about 2 hours I stopped for a bit of lunch and was faced with a salad bar deli full of food that was healthy yesterday but today was not......Boiled eggs were the only thing not covered in mayo, do you have brown bread I asked? I will have brown bread and sliced boiled egg and....and .....and...emmmm what the hell am I onna have with it? Ok so I gave in and asked for coleslaw and ham. I also grabbed 2 more breakfast bars, black tea and a bottle of lucozade. All in all no different to any other lunch, right so this will take a bit more work than I thought.
I arrived home and had a recovery shake and finished off the lucozade but stayed away from the coffee. A quick shower later and I headed for the fridge to find more ham and coleslaw and nice tasty cheese and only white bread in the house.........again no different to yesterday....
Lesson for the day
If you would like to change the way you eat you have to buy different food.....sounds obvious but there you go.
Dinner I think is gonna be eating out so God knows how I will keep it together when faced with nice pasta dishes covered in tasty sauces
Tomorrow will be better
Rob

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I like your suggestions much better than Sineads Finbar

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Remember the old saying : "The ONLY way to get rid of temptation is to GIVE IN TO IT!"

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Keep those suggestions coming Finbar, soon I will hire you as my personmal trainer and nutritionist....

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Aha! Success!
The leg has been feeling a bit better the last day or two, I can only presume the cycling is helping. I have been told that the tendons at the back of the knee get very little blood flow so are slow to heal, I think with the cycling increasing blood flow throughout the legs it is speeding up what is otherwise a slow process.
So feeling confident that the knee was better I went out for a wee run, I decided to stick with grass and if it flared up to pull up straight away.
There was no niggle and within 5-6 mins I was confident it would hold off, I was feeling good and found myself picking up the pace a bit, it still felt ok so did the full 5k xc loop I usually do and did it in 22:58 which is pretty close to my quickest time in training.
I am really happy to be back running so will keep up the exercises and the biking.
I am also working on a training plan to give things some structure.
This mornings food:
I had a coffee as is usual although I made it a good bit weaker than normal (I didnt eat breakfast I normally don't yesterday was the exception as I was heading out on the bike)
After the run I got a protein shake into me and now I have to go and plan the rest of the days food.....
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

I'd suggest a nice few pints of stout ( not more than 4 mind, athletes have to be disciplined after all) to celebrate an injury-free run!

Robs Blog Take 2..

I did an hour Friday morning before work on the bike, 2 bg intervals 1st one 8m30 2nd 9m00.
Dont feel like I have much power on the bike but the times are consistent with where I would like to be at the start of bike training.
Sat am:
1 1/2 hr bike all fairly steady although there was very strong winds to deal with so some of it was a bit harder than expected.
When I texted Frank at 6:45 to ask if we were heading out in that wind he simple replied "wind? what wind??" I had an idea I could be in trouble training with him......
Food:
I have been pretty good although I have been giving a lot of thought to how far I am going to take the whole healthy eating, after a chat with Finbar on Thurs I am trying to decide where my happy middle ground is.
Coffee update:
I have been reducing the strength of my coffees a bit but to be honest I don't think I want to stop drinking it bad enough to quit, I know it is the little coffee devil on my shoulder telling me to scoop in more for each cup......I don't really have an answer for him, whereas with the little Junk food devil I have hime well and truly beaten and he hasn't gotten the better of me for months now
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

well I decided that all I wouldn't get all anal about the food thing, I will make sure that when I am eating healthy it will be good quality and when I feel like having a treat I will go ahead. I dont eat too badly as a rule it was just that I was not being careful enough with the good food I was eating, for example instant pasta meals instead of fresh pasta. I think this will make a good enough difference in my performance and recovery and that the amount of training will allow me eat fruit cake once a week or so (I probably wont go back to every day....) As for the coffee, well I just cant seem to convince myself that I want to cut it out so I will keep it to 1-2 a day.
Training update.
Sunday
I did about 3 hrs with lots of slow steady climbing (Not as a choice mind, just because all my cycling muscles seem to have gone on holiday )
Tues
Run with Fernando, we started at about 4:45 min/km but by the end were down past 5:40....stupid running legs are on holiday too.
I was really tired all day yesterday and fell asleep on the couch at about 8pm last night after nearly 12 hrs sleep last night I woke feeling a good bit better but had overslept and missed my planed morning spin. I will do the hill run this evening and see how the legs hold up....I am not expecting much but need to get back run training withe the Pyrnees getting ever closer, I booked my flights yesterday too so am committed now (Or maybe I should be )

Robs Blog Take 2..

Wed eve
I headed out with the WNR crew for about 18-19k run in the mountains. I was apprehensive about the knee injury with such a long/hard session but it held up fairly well. Fernando and Niall were off the front and I could only stay with them when they allowed me to, as soon as they hit the gas I drifted out the back.
Big crowd out for tonights run about 12 I think. Really good session, delighted to be back running
Thurs I did a 2 hr bike session on the cyclocross bike. Really good mucky fun in the phoenix park and on the canal.
Saturday
65 mins run 12.5k steady with some short efforts. Felt good the knee is improving all the time.
Sun 2 1/2 hr mtb spin. Good dirty fun except Liam hitting the deck hard.
Monday off
Tues morning 6k easy run.
Training this week will be easy and may well taper off for a couple of weeks as things get nuts in the shop.
Rob

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Tues
a/noon leg weights session
eve 4krun easy
Wed am run 6k easy
Legs getting tired now and skip evening run
Also got very sore shins and calves so I might be better with only one run a day.
Sat
Long run with Aisling in the hills 19-20k 1h35.
Sun 2 1/2 hr bike kept heart rate very low, below 70% for the whole ride.
Tues
Run 48 mins with Fernando we did 10 mins of strides and drills concentrating on good form and high cadence.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

I will take advantage of a (Rare for this time of year) quiet few mins in the shop to post the last couple of days training and nutrition.
Wed 19k run in the evening with the WNR crew, I felt great for the first time since the marathon and did the usual loop 5 mins quicker than my fastest time so far 1hr17 over 1hr22.
Thurs and Fri just some core work (Not too much as I tend to loose interest if it is more than 5-10 mins) I have been back at this for about a week now and still cant see a 6 pack appearing yet...

I also tried some new nutrition ideas, eating smaller meals more regularly, watching the carb/protein mix of what I am eating and eating gels or drinks when training for over 45 mins.
A lot of traditionalists mock the idea of energy foods and drinks or snigger at the idea of bringing a drink on a run but when I asked a very experienced triathlete about it his comment was that training without them wont make you a better triathlete, this made a lot of sense. He also trains 20-28 hrs a week on top of a full time job so recovery is really important to him and he reckons nutrition makes a big difference.
Anyway thats my thought for the day. Back to being Santa Rob for another couple of days..........

Robs Blog Take 2..

Well I am back training a bit after going a bit over the top with the christmas dinner, second helpings and way too many deserts each day........
Wed I did 3 1/2 hrs on the bike and was pretty ok for most of it only dying a bit towards
the end.
Thurs I headed out on the bike again and managed 2 1/2 hours or so.
Friday I ran for an hour before work and really struggled to get going, even after 30-40 mins I couldn't make the legs move any quicker. We did nearly 13k in 1:04 so not so bad but jaysus it was hard work.
I pulled a muscle in my left a$$ cheek and it only hurts when I bend over or laugh...what sort of a stupid injury is that????? Every time I laugh I have to grab my left a$$ as it goes into a spasm
Anyway heading out for a run again tomorrow and Sunday, the snow marathon is getting close now so I need to put in a couple of solid run weeks before it.
Rob

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Sat I did the same run as Friday and didn't really go any better, it felt quicker while I was running but the time was exactly the same.
Sunday We did the club xmas race, I was happy to take a minute off my time from last year and I also ran an extra 12k to give me a total of 15k for the day.
Monday I took the day off.
Tuesday I thought I would start the New Year as I mean to go on so went out for an hour's run I managed 12.5k, I have never seen Tallaght as quiet I went out from 10-11am and didn't see more than 10 people out walking and hardly any traffic, there must have been a lot of sore heads after New Years eve...........
Wed I was going to do an hour on the bike in the morning but I have been struggling with really poor sleep for about 2 months now and spent most of the night awake so I hit the alarm button after only little more than 2 hours sleep, turned over and stayed in bed for another hour.
I think I have gotten to the bottom of the sleep problem, I have been using a recovery product for a good while with no problems but it seems they might have changed the ingredients and this may be the cause. I am going to try training without it and see what happens.
I headed out for the usual Wednesday night hill run and did an extra 4k at the end to give me a total of just under 20k for the evening.
Fernando reckons I am going a bit too hard on these sessions for Ironman training (Did I mention I have signed up for my first Ironman????? more about that later......) I reckon he is probably right so I am going to get tested to get some accurate heart rate zones for the run and I will probably do a seperate test for the bike too.
Thurs Am:
I hit the pool for the first time in probably 6 weeks and jaysus it felt like it too.......I did 1200 mts including a 400mtr time trial to see how bad things really are.
I took 100 splits during the tt and sure enough they got progressively slower as I expected, the good news is that it wasn't that much slower than when I was swimming regularly (Which was slow anyway as I swim like a brick )
I did some drills and tried hard not to swallow all the pool. I suppose the 2 things worth noting after the swim are that I haven't lost too much speed and thats a relief but even the small difference felt like a lot in the water, I felt really slow, I remember feeling the glide through the water as I got faster before and that wasnt there today, maybe they have thickened the water somehow in the local pool.........

Robs Blog Take 2..

Fri
15 mins core work
9k trail run in some of the worst conditions I have been out in for a while, it was as hard running downhill into the wind as it was running up with the wind at my back but it was really satisfying to get a session done despite the weather.
Sat
I did a 1h40 19k run in the Phoenix park before work, easy pace but I felt tired for most of it.
I have been really working on nutrition lately, watching what I am eating (Most of the time...) but also making sure to eat straight after sessions and regularly during the day. I have been bringing food to work with me so I can eat at regular intervals and not leave 5-6 hours between meals like I would normally do if it is busy.
Sunday I took off to rest for tomorrow, I am doing a run test in the Sports lab in Waterford. I want to get accurate heart rate zones set so I can train effectively for Nice. I am also in the process of setting out a training programme for Feb when I will start Tri training (As opposed to run training with the occasional swim and cycle thrown in for good measure)
Rob

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Monday
Run test in WIT sports lab. The Purpose of this test is to establish my correct heart rate zones for training. After making the commitment and entering Ironman France I want to ensure I get the most "Bang for my buck" from all my training sessions. For the marathon I trained as I felt, if I wanted to run 3 times a week grand, four times a week also grand but this time I think a more structured approach is needed.
As it turns out I have been going a little too hard on my longer (Easy) runs and a little too easy on the hard run.
With the snow marathon almost here I am going to finish out this week as a run week and taper next week. The week after the race will be a sort of week off with just training if and when I feel like it.
The following week the structured training kicks in I am really looking forward to it now although the reality of 4 and 5 hour cycles in Feb will soon sort that out............
Tuesday
I managed a swim last night, 1500 mtrs and I really enjoyed this, I stuck with the pullbuoy for the whole session I find it easier and more enjoyable for a while in the beginning until I get comfortable in the water again.
The times for 100/200 are down a little already from last week, I am concentrating on technique every length and trying to be aware of body position, hand entry/exit etc all the time and hope that by working on technique instead of just churning out length after length of bad technique that I will be able to see a quicker return to form (Slow as that may be....)
I am also working on changing my thinking about the swim, I have always thought that it is boring and a nuisance and am constantly re inforcing that by telling myself the same thing over and over. Now though I am telling myself that I like it, that it is a good session, that I am a good swimmer.......ok so that might be a bit of a stretch but already last night I felt a difference, I firmly believe you are what you think and I will become a better swimmer by telling myself that........ I will let you know if it works (I think I will need to swim a bit too)

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Wed
I headed out with the Wed Night Runners and we did the usual loop, there was about 12-15 out, this group is getting bigger and bigger. We had a couple of new runners Bernard and Kim joined us and both seemed to enjoy the run it is really different to anything else that we do. The legs were really heavy and sore immediately and I hoped that it would clear, I stayed with the first group on the first climb but really struggled on the second climb and had to ease up. I was glad to get this one in the bank, I am getting tired now as I am coming to the end of a block of training and heading into a rest week with the Snow race next week.
Thurs
Legs were sore so I decided to bike instead of run, I find recovery is very slow if I run on sore legs but if anything cycling helps speed up recovery. I did an unbelievably slow 3 hour ride, the tank was really empty but it was nice to get out on the bike again.
Fri
Easy 11k run in the morning.
Sat
Last big run before the snow race it will be easy/recovery sessions from here on. I went down to Punchestown for a 2 hr run with Fernando and Eoin Ryan, Steve met us for the first loop and headed off. I really struggled during the middle part of the run, the head dropped and I was fighting to stay with the lads even though the pace was real steady. It amazed me though to pick it up again in the last 6k, just knowing I was almost done made it easier and I finished with 21.5k cross country in 1h55.
I am looking forward to an easy week now and a massage to loosen the legs too.
Rob

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Sun
I did a swim session in the morning 1400mts.
I wore compression tights yesterday during and all day after the run and my legs feel great, I wouldn't know I had run almost 22k, I am a really big fan of these.
Mon
I hit the pool again and did just over 2200mts, I am really enjoying being back swimming and it really make me feel like a triathlete again.
Tues
1400mts swim
Third day in a row in the pool and my upper body is getting tired and my Pecs are swolen to the size of 2 fried eggs
I will soon have the Triathletes Adonis Body...........
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Well I survived the snow race, race report is here we headed out skiing on Monday and I had Tuesday and Wednesday off (Just as well as I was struggling to even walk after Sun/Mon...)
Thursday: I had planned on taking this week easy and unstructured but I opened my e mail on Wed to find my first weeks training plan in my inbox, ah well no rest for the wicked.........I had already missed Mon, Tues and Wed so started into Thursdays session a 3 hour bike ride keeping heart rate low, the weather was nice and the spin pretty uneventful, I felt good getting off the bike, ate straight away and headed into work.
Friday: I had a bike and run session planned, I was due into work at 1 so had plenty of time but Gretta woke up sick so I had to cover her shift too, normally I would just miss the session but I decided that I wouldn't make excuses so I threw the bike in the van and dropped the kids off to school. Rather than sit in traffic on the way back for 40 mins I parked the van and went out on the bike for a 1 1/2 hr spin, mostly big gear work to try and rebuild the strength I have lost over the last year of intermittent biking. My heart rate wouldn't come up as high as I would have expected but I felt pretty good, I will have to keep an eye on this.
I picked up the van went and had a shower, ate and was in work by 10:30 feeling happy to have fitted in at least one of my sessions. I brought run and swim kit in case it was quiet and I could sneak out for an hour.
I didn't get a chance to do a session during the day but got home at about 9:30 and went out for a fast 30min run and did a 15min bike afterwards to clear the legs as they are still a bit tender after the race last week.
Sat 55 min real easy run h/r below 145 followed by a 1hr swim session, 2760mtrs.
I am starting to feel like a triathlete again
Sunday I brought the kids swimming and did a sneaky 500 mtrs of easy drills.
All in all a good week considering sickness, travelling etc. I am nervously looking forward to my sessions for next week which should be arriving any time now......

Robs Blog Take 2..

great report on the snow race. just one thing...."kinda hungry"???!!!!!!

well done, you had a brilliant race!

Robs Blog Take 2..

Cheers Ais,
I might have ate a wee bit all right........
Monday:
The session for today was called race simulation and was made up of 3000mt swim, 3 hour bike and 1 hour run. I was really looking forward to this but work got in the way again so I have put the bike session off till tomorrow. I got up early and got some lunch ready, this tri training forces me to get really organised. I hit the pool at 7 and did 3000mtrs followed by a 10k run and into work. I really enjoyed this session and am really looking forward to stringing all 3 together.
Todays food is 4 bagels with baked salmon and lettuce, 3 pears, apple, protein shake, energy drink, danish and 2lt of water, dinner this eve will be chicken breast, brocolli and potatoes and another bagel. I really love the idea of being able to eat almost non stop and not get any bigger but when I stop training I am likely to explode.......

Robs Blog Take 2..

Tuesday:
Bike in the morning 3 hours at 145-153 hr which felt way harder than it should, I have been off the bike too long...........I was fairly tired after this spin too didn't feel like doing any further training but I snoozed for 45 mins afterwards and felt ok so I went to the pool and was glad I did, I concentrated on technique with short sets 200 + 400's. I worked on making my stroke as long as possible and my times were as low as they have been since I got back in the pool for the whole set, considering I was tired I was very happy with the result.
I did 2000mtrs total inc drills.
A good day yesterday and I was concerned that I would be wrecked today but I feel ok and am looking forward to this evenings run.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

A busy week
Wed:
Mountain run with the wednesday night runners, I think Ailis is now hooked too, she joined us for the run tonight and despite the cold seemed to enjoy it. 15.5k 1h19m
Thurs
Bike ride in sun, snow, hail, sleet, sun again, head winds.......all in all a satisfying if numbing session. 3 hours easy.
Fri
Bike 1h30 easy followed by steady run for 45 mins, starting to get tired. I think I will reduce the effort on all sessions to allow for the increase in volume for next week.
Sat
Started with an 11k run at 7am with Fernando in 55mins followed by a 2000mt swim, my first with the Clondalkin masters, I hope to make 2 of these each week as hard swim sessions.
Tomorrow is a day off and a big session on Monday.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Sunday
I did a short swim, 500mts easy to keep the body ticking over, I find if I take a full day off I get very tired 2 the next day, 10-15 mins doesn't tire me at all but keeps the body awake.
Monday:
I have been keen to do this session for 2 weeks now and it was brilliant, I met Fernando and Elena at 7am for a 3000mt swim followed immediately by a 10k easy run. Breakfast followed and then myself and Elena headed out for a 90k bike spin, I tried a new energy drink with caffeine in the last 90 mins of the bike ride and couldn't believe the kick I got, I felt really good all day, legs felt right for the first time in months on the bike, still not strong but a big impriovement. Heart rate also returned to normal on the bike. I ate straight off the bike and regularly during the afternoon and didn't get tired at all considering I did nearly 6 hours, I was buzzing all day. Fantastic session, great weather and nice to have company for these long days.
5h45 3k swim 90k bike and 10k run just short of a 1/2 Ironman race distance in training and feeling great the next day
This evening is a 2000mt swim with lots of drills and long run tomorrow.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Tues
2200mt swim concentrating on technique, mostly 100/200's. Fernando reckon's I am not reaching far enough at the front of the stroke so I tried to work on that all evening, I think I will pick 1 thing every couple of weeks and just keep repeating it untill it becomes automatic.
Diet is still good, I am eating 5-10 portions of fruit/veg a day most days, almost no white bread, not too much white pasta. Plenty of fish, chicken, wholegrain bread, potatoes, shreded wheat with dried fruit for breakfast, fresh orange juice, plenty of water etc. I think this has made the single biggest difference to my training, I can do more without getting tired. I can't believe the difference really good diet makes and I am still only starting to learn about it.
Tonight should be an 18k mountain run.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Wed: Run went well last night, 19.5k, heart rate in the correct zone for 95% of the session (All bar the last steep climb) But even then it only went over for 4-5 mins and only by 5-6 beats.
I died a bit at the end and I think this was down to not eating enough during the day, I had an early lunch and some fruit in the afternoon and was starving after the run, note to self...eat more
Bed early and up for a masters swim at 5am..........ugggghhh
I dont know if I will keep up this session, I need a tough swim....I think.....but maybe not at the expense of technique, will talk to the coach about this, anyway 2000mt and back home for my 2nd breakfast and some chores.
I had a 2 hour bike session planed but really struggled with the intervals and only realised when I returned home after just over 80 mins that I had mixed up Thursdays easy 2 hour bike ride with Fridays interval session.....bugger!
The legs still had the remnants of last nights hill run and I struggled to push hard.
To top it all off I think I am getting a stupid cold but I amn't sure as it doesn't have all of the usual symptoms. I am sneezing all day but dont have the horrible feeling in my head and the streaming eyes and nose I usually get. I think I will take tomorrow off and get an extra days rest and decide about Saturday later.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Fri/Sat/Sun all missed due to head cold (Which I actually think was a chlorine allergy or something similar....) and race.
Monday
Race simulation session.
7am 3000mt swim, then we headed out and got some brekkie and seeing the glorious sun on the mountains headed Wicklow direction and did Sally gap, Luggalla and Wicklow gap, 105km 4hrs 30. We headed straight out for a 10.5k run straight away. Great session, fantastic weather and I was on an endorphin buzz all day afterwards
Tues: Legs and body a wee bit tired but feel ok considering yesterday was 6.5 hrs. 30 mins easy cycling to clear out the legs and a really easy swim in the evening, some drills only 1000mt. I felt good afterwards.
Plan to do a long hill run tonight 21k.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Some people just shouldn't be left in charge of themselves never mind others.........My thoughts after a decision last night to change the route slightly on the run.
I can't remember who suggested it first but I am going to blame Gary, it went something like this
Gary
We could do a slightly different route tonight, it is a lovely evening, no wind or rain. Why not run up to the featherbeds? (To those non locals this is the top of the mountain pretty much about 460 mt climb in one go)
Rob
That sounds cool, how long would it be?
Gary
Maybe 10-12 miles
Rob
(Still thinking in km...)
I am up for that, what does everyone else reckon?
Everyone else
Uuuhhh maybe..
ok!
ok!
huh?
Rob
Thats it decided so
Karen
Where are we going again
Rob
Its a surprise
Karen
Oh ok so
Off we headed and I was running to heart rate and early on the climb it jumped so I slowed and drifted to the back of the group, after a couple of mins we regrouped at the first turn, heart rate settled so I stayed with the group. It was a fantastic climb, I reckon at a guess it took 50+ mins, we arrived in small groups at the top and regrouped again. We then headed across the mountain for about 2k and then looped downwards for a long descent maybe 25 mins or more. At this point I started to run empty, I had no food or gels and realised we had at least 70 mins more to go and I had somehow ended up with the fast group after the restart.......
We turned off the road onto a nice rolling trail and this was really cool with headlights showing the way, ducking under branches, getting occasional glimpses of the moonlight shining on the lake on our left.
We then dropped down for a while and I gradually drifted off the back unable to sustain the pace, all the time I could see the flashing lights just up ahead but getting a little further away. At the exit of the water works Aisling and Kim had waited and I had started to feel a little better, we had about 2-3k left and I ran with Aisling who was starting to really motor at this stage, unbelieveable!
After saying good night to the others myself and Kim ran back to my place to get a total of 30km in 2h25 inc 460mt climbing. The legs were shot, body was empty but I was really satisfied with the run, at that pace in a flat marathon I would be well ahead of my pb from my first one last year.
Lesson learned:
Do not think miles and km are similar, they are not!
Do not think 6-8k extra on an already long run will be easy, it will not!
Running is not like the bike you do not free wheel downhill!

I think I will give the 3hr bike session a miss and take today as a recovery day instead.
Right I am off to find some food and coffee.
Rob

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It was totally YOUR idea!

Robs Blog Take 2..

Ok so, I take responsibility

Robs Blog Take 2..

Thurs:
I did a swim session yesterday of 2100mt, I did 2 x 1000 and the second one was tough, I was really tired at the end and had to concentrate to keep good form. The 2nd set was about 45 seconds slower than the first. Today should be a hard bike and run session, 90mins and 60mins inc intervals. First though I need some food
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Yeah, I'd say a little bit of food just might help when you're doing a training schedule like that

Robs Blog Take 2..

OOhhhh I'm very tired now..............
I managed the intervals on the bike 3x 20 mins although I struggled on the last one. I did a 5 min transition and straight out onto a run.
The schedule was to do 11k inc 3x10mins at just over 10k race pace. I did the first 2k steady and felt ok'ish, after about 8 mins of the first interval though I knew I wouldn't do all 3. I pushed on for the last 2 mins and slowed down to a slow jog and just couldn't get going again in fact I had a little fight inside my head with bad Rob about taking a wee walk break.....
Ah go on, sure who will know?

No way, how stupid will I look if I am out here in compression tights, running top and garmin and I start walking?????

No you wont you will be fine, go on walk a bit no one will even notice

At this stage I am close to being passed by women walking with prams so I slapped myself across the face (In my mind anyway) and got moving again, I decided no more intervals and also took a little short cut. I finished with 9.5k and 1 interval.
I then proceded to eat all the food in the fridge before heading in to work.

I think I need to eat more before these hard sessions and maybe bring gels on the bike too.

Rob

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Sat:
I met Fernando and we headed out for a run, I really struggled after a poor nights sleep and this being the last session of a 4 week block. We only did 6k and I did a short swim of 800mts and was glad to finish this weeks training. I am off Sun, Mon and tuesday morning. I will swim again Tues evening. Next week is due to be a rest/easy week until Friday then we are having our first team training weekend, Trevor, Kim, Fernando, Liam, Elena and myself will train together Fri, Sat and Sunday (I am going to get killed .....)
Rob

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I did a really easy 30 min run on Monday and a 900mt swim last night, I am still pretty tired so will take it easy until Friday. Possibly do an easy bike tomorrow if I am feeling good.
I was just thinking over the weekend how much I am enjoying the long training days, meeting Fernando and Elena and spending most of the day, training, eating and talking about tri. I almost feel like a pro (Except if I had top do that every day I would go into meltdown very quickly.....)
I am looking forward to this weekend to see if I can handle the sessions we have planed.
Rob

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It's well for some!

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How's the running going Finbar?

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Too early to say Rob, I don't want to tempt fate, but I realise that I'm not 25 (or 35 or even 45) anymore! - and even when I think I'm "flying", the clock tells a different story.
Can't get my head around long, easy runs to build a base, the same applies to the bike, I've always been addicted to short, intense, fast.
Impatience is my downfall.

Robs Blog Take 2..

Friday came around and I met Kim, Liam and Fernando for a 55min 10.5k run. These will probably be few and far between because of the hugely different abilities
Rob 140-155 hr
I am guessing Liam and Fernando 125-145?
Aparently Kim barely got over 120.......
Next we hit the pool and I did 2300 mtrs. I felt pretty good through both sessions.
Sat
Swim I did 1900mtrs and we headed out for an easy 10 k run, I stuck with Elena and we did 48 mins.
Sunday
We met in my house and had espresso before we hit the road, I was pretty nervous about this session (And also Monday's 3 sessions after this one) we did a 4 hour bike ride about 112k. At about 1 hour to go Kim started to wind it up and I decided not to kill myself and dropped off at 21mph up a drag into a headwind, Trevor and Fernando both jumped on the train and they reckon they didn't go much under 45kph for the next hour!
Elena stuck with me and we met the lads again in Blessington after they stopped for drinks and food. I struggled a good bit on the way back and was in no shape to do the run afterwards. A large feed (2 chickens, baby potatoes, tub of tomatoes, 2 blocks cheese, 4 bagels, 1/2 brown soda, 1/2 brown loaf, 1lt milk, 1lt water, 4 espresso's a dozen mixed fruits, pears, peaches a bunch of grapes) and a shower later and I felt ok until I got a call from Elena reminding me we were meeting at 7am in the pool for our usual Monday race simulation. The good thing about training partners is you can't be lazy and skip sessions, the bad thing about training partners is you cant be lazy and skip training sessions
Mon
I was really tired during the swim and only managed 1500mts before I crawled out onto the deck intent on falling asleep in the sauna only to find it was switched off.....bugger
Home, espresso and more food and I came up with the plan that we should do a number of small climbs as I tend to go really slowly when I feel like this if I ride on the flat and if you do that on a hill you are likely to fall over, I can't be too lazy when climbing. I also really enjoy the hills so it was good motivation on a very windy grey day. We did 2 hours with 1h30 ish into headwinds and 4 medium climbs too, I was delighted to turn for home with a strong tailwind knowing I was almost finished.
We did the slowest transition in history, about 8 mins inc phone calls and various "Where did I leave my.....?" conversations and headed out for a run, the rain had started and I decided after only 100mt that a 5k loop would be a much better idea than a 10.........we both had heavy legs (Elena cycled over for yesterdays session for a total of 150k.....) after the last few day and were really happy to sit down and eat all the food that was left in the fridge.
Tomorrow has an optional swim, I will decide in the afternoon, I might do some drills as I felt really slow in the water, but then again I might just do a 1 hour sauna/steam room session instead
Rob

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That seems just like a typical weekend we all have

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I had an early night on Mon and felt pretty good on Tues so I did a 1000 mt real easy swim, I am starting to ditch the pull buoy as I have been using it a wee bit too much. I also had the steam and sauna
Wed
I ran with the WNR and we stuck to our ususal route this week. I struggled to get going and found it hard to keep the heart rate in the correct zone, part ego (Not wanting to be last) and possibly part fatigue from the weekends sessions. Despite this the time was good 1h17 which is only 2 mins off the best time for this loop.
Thurs
A was in the pool first and did 3000mt then headed home for some breakfast and afterwards out for a 2 hour bike ride.
I did some big gear work but kept the heart rate lower than normal for this as I have an interval session on for Fri and I am hoping that recovery will be quicker at the lower intensity.
I just finished a book called "The Rider" by Tim Krabbe. It is about a bike race which is a good enough reason to read it but for me the best part of it was how the author was able to put into words so many of the emotions and feelings I had when racing. I constantly found myself thinking "Thats exactly how I felt!" but was never able to put it into words to describe it to someone this despite the fact that it was written 30 years ago!
Highly highly recommended
It is a short book and I read it in one sitting, this was one of the most enjoyable books I have read for a long time.
The ones I am currently reading are mostly triathlon and in particular Ironman related, Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes by Monique Ryan is heavy going in places (Reminds me of being back in school, lots to remember) and is a book to be studied and for me to be taken in chapter sized bites at a time. It isn't a book that I would read cover to cover as my brain switches off after a while, it just stops working (Also just like being in school, did I mention I hated school???)
I have just started Breakthrough Triathlon Training by Brad Kearns and it seems like it will be an interesting read, I will post again about it.
I also recently got 2 coffee table style books, 1 is Paris Roubaix- A Journey Through Hell and the other is 25 Years of The Ironman Triathlon World Championships. Both are great books to dip in and out of when you have a spare 30mins, the pictures are awesome in both and the Hawaii one is really motivating (The Paris Roubaix one keeps making me want to go back bike racing...)
The last one I am currently reading is called the Loonieness of the Long Distance Runner, I cant remember the author's name.
This is the story of the authors introduction into running, from a drunken idea to run the marathon, to joining a gym and treadmill running, to running outdoors and fun runs, he (I presume) will get to the marathon before the end as that is what it says on the cover. Very light hearted and easy to read, mildly entertaining but it the self deprecating humor gets a bit tiring and repetitive. Still it is hard to put down and I have laughed out loud on a couple of occassions.
Outside the door behind me the trees in the garden are blowing around an awful lot....I have been hoping if I keep on writing somehow the rain will stop, the sun will come out and the wind will cease but so far no joy....
I will have to bite the bullet shortly and get changed and go out before it gets too late, I have bike and run sessions for this morning about 3 hours total and am in work at 2 so I need to get going......

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The wind didn't get any better so I decided to get on the turbo, first session on it in about a year, the conditions have to be pretty bad to stop me goin out but it looks pretty dangerous outside with the wind. I did 1h40 inc 3x20min intervals then had a bit to eat and went out for a 10krun also with some intervals, it went better than the same session last week so happy with it.
Sat was supposed to be a 2-3k swim followed by a 1hr run but when I got a text from Fernando saying he wouldn't make the swim I was happy to stay home and have a coffee, I got into the run kit to meet him at 9 but when he arrived he was knackered (As was I) so we decided to get some danish and coffee. On the way to the shop the smell of fried breakfast broke my will and I went in, I had a full Irish breakfast and snuck back into the shop with the danish but I swear they could see it in my eyes and I had to admit to falling off the health food wagon
Anyway we proceeded to have more coffee and the danish just for the fun of it
Must do something tomorrow to make up for my indiscretion's today
Rob

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Sunday
I swam in the morning 2100 mts, tough session but something clicked and my 200 times dropped by about 15 seconds and I did a 1000 in 1min 37 quicker than I have managed this year. I am getting closer to my times from a year ago.
Sun evening run 12.5k with Fernando, steady pace.
Monday
Race simulation
3600mtrs swim followed by breakfast then out on the bikes. The sun was shining as we left the house but within 20 mins it was snow/hail/sleeting and stayed like that for the next 2 hours. We turned back a bit early because of the cold and did a total of 2hr45 bike. We warmed up with tea and had some food and went out for a 12k run, the legs were really tired for the first 40 mins but I finally got going for the last 25 mins. All in all a tough but very satisfying day.
Tues
I was out of the country so didnt train at all and in fact ate an awful lot of crappy food too so double whammy!
Wed
I did a 23.5k run with the Wednesday Night Runners, I really struggled with this as I felt pretty sick on and off for most of the run. There was one or two times though when I started to get into a rythym and pushed on a couple of climbs just to get finished as quickly as possible.
One benefit of running in a group was aparent on this run, I was going to turn back early on but Aisling and Greg both ran easy with me and encouraged me to keep on. I was really glad I did when I finished, these runs are one of the more important sessions each week so I don't want to miss them.
Thursday
I was due to swim but I was knackered and decided a sleep on was a better idea, when I did get up I did about 2hr30 on the bike. I met Aisling on her maiden voyage on her nice shiny new bike and we did some steady climbing, short hills staying seated and overgeared but not pushing too hard and keeping the heart rate fairly low.
Feeling ok now so hope to do both sessions tomorrow.
Rob

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I woke Friday feeling really tired, the very long day on Tues caught up with me so I didn't train. Sat
I swam 2100mt inc a 30min tt, I was chuffed to beat my pb for 1500mt by 10secs (Not a lot but I am only back in the pool 2 months so hope to improve more) Then I did a short run, 10k steady pace. It is taking me a good 30 mins or more to get going on a run the last week or so then I tend to feel a bit better, don't know why........
Today was the last Dirty Weekend for 08, I got down early for a run with a friend I haven't seen for a while and had a good run before we started. we did a steady 9k cross country.
Oh and one last bit before I hit the sack, the shin splints are back on the right leg. I am not sure why but I think it could be any one of a number of things, 2 pairs of my compression tights have split at the calf and I am possibly not getting the same support from them, I did 2 of my runs recently wearing different shoes and without my orthotics and also my training shoes are gone a bit flat and don't give as much support. I suppose running off the bike after long sessions could cause it too.... I am trying new tights, new runners and sticking with the orthotics.
As usual I suppose the last resort might involve taking a day or two off but I wont be too hasty making that choice...........
Rob

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G'wan outta dat! That shiny new bike left you for dust on the Thursday cycle!! That's why you were knackered Friday!

And we'd never let you cry off on a Wednesday Night Run (bellyache, sure......) We can't let someone go home to the comfort of their TV while we're killing ourselves running up hills. That wouldn't be fair....

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I didnt want to admit that you knocked the stuffing out of me on the spin on Thurs.......and this week I will have a better excuse, maybe I will bring crutches or something.....Liam would probably just beat me over the head with them and tell me to get on with it and put on the pink hoodie while I'm at it.

Monday
Race simulation day
I met Elena for a 4000mt swim at 7:00 this went well, I felt good and went just under my target for the IM swim so I got out of the pool happy.
We stocked up with food and wrapped up well as there was a big storm forecast, it was raining steadily when we headed out but I really wanted to get the full 4 hours done. It cleared up after about an hour and the sun came out. I felt pretty good and enjoyed the spin we did 113km tot. Home and I cleaned the bikes and headed out for the run I felt really strong and held what should be about 1/2 Ironman pace for the whole run. It was a good session, despite being pretty tired I still felt good on the run. I am starting to feel confident but the thought of running a full marathon off the bike is still very daunting.
Day off today and I might switch this week to a bike/swim week to give the shins a chance to recover a bit.
Rob

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After a good start to the week things fell apart a bit through midweek.
Tues:
I was still feeling good about Monday and still on a bit of a buzz about how well it had gone so I ignored the scheduled rest day and went to the pool, I kept it short and sweet, 1000mt steady pace.
Wed:
I was scheduled to do a 25k run in the evening and I was unsure whether to skip it or not due to the shins getting sore again, I thought I would run into the shop as a tester, again ignoring the plan and training when I should have been resting. I was going to run from the shop and meet the WNR crew for the rest of the run but almost immediately I knew I was in trouble, the legs were really sore. I headed home and took the evening off. Total of 2 runs 7k.
Thursday
I woke in a foul mood usually a sign that I have overdone it with the training. I got into cycling kit then back out of it again and decided in the end to go into work early.
Friday:
I was supposed to do 2 quality sessions today but instead I did a 2 1/2 hour easy bike ride, still tired and not in the mood for training.
I suppose I should know by now when to back off and rest but I still end up making stupid mistakes like adding in 2 junk sessions when I should be resting that end up costing me 4 key quality sessions.
I am really annoyed with myself and I will hopefully not make the same mistake again.
Tomorrow's session is supposed to be a 45 min swim and a 50 min run but I will skip the run and hopefully let the shins heal a bit.
Next week is an easy/rest week so I should be recovered in time for the next training block with I think will include a big bike week which I am really looking forward to.
Rob

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I'm with ya on the moods and the tiredness. I think I've been overtraining a little and it gets you down a little to think that you can't keep going like a superhero!! :-(

Look after those shins! A rest week will do you the world of good.....or so people keep telling me.

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Hi Ais,
It is frustrating to reach the limits of what you can do especially when I am training with people who can do more hours seemingly without any problems.
I had a bit of massage on the legs this morning and will keep the running to a minimum over the next week or so.
I will go for an easy swim today an probably an easy session tomorrow too. I think I will start the next training block early as my rest week started a bit earlier than it was supposed to, Maybe on Friday next with the club bike spin.
Rob

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Sunday:
Very short swim and a long sauna.................
Monday
1 hour bike ride including a 30 min coffee stop...........
Tuesday
Deep massage again this morning (I am going to owe Gretta big time for this)
I am starting to feel better after a couple of days off, I am starting to see my apetite return to normal too, I was ravenous all week even after not training for a day or 2 so that is probably a sign that the body is recovering.
I am hoping to do a big bike week starting this weekend, also hoping to get back to a couple of short runs if the shins heal up this week.
Rob

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Tuesday:
I went for a swim last night, I had decided that this would be the beginning of the end for my pull buoy, I kept the sets short 200mts and some recovery between. At times I felt really good, gliding and catchimng the water and then for no obvious reason I would get out of breath and feel like I was flailing about. I did 2000 mts total only 600mts with the pull buoy.
For some reason an old tv ad came to mind when I was getting changed, it was for kit kat and was about a new band auditioning in front of a record company executive.
After listening to their demo tape the exec looked up and said "You cant sing, you cant dance....you look awful.....you will go a long way"

I think I can adopt a version of that for my IM training
"I cant swim, cant run, I bike awful and I have to go a long way"

Rob

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Wed:
I did a short easy swim 1700mts but I fell off the "No pullbuoy wagon" it is just much more enjoyable with it............
Thurs:
2 hour really easy spin with a friend, hr below 145 no efforts. I enjoyed this and am looking forward to the bike weekend now.
I am starting to feel pretty well recovered and have to remember that I still have to stay with the programme and not go too hard too early in the training block.
Rob

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Fri: Bike 4h20 I left home at 7:30 and met the club cycle at 9, we headed into the mountains but didn't go past the Sally Gap as the wind was getting dangerous.
Sat: Run 55 mins, first run in over a week and the shins feel good, massage worked. Thanks Gretta
I headed into the pool after the run and did about 30-40 mins.
Sunday:
I did 4h20 today a bit quicker than I was supposed to, I found I had to work hard to stay with the lads, heart rate was fine but legs were a bit empty.
Monday:
Off and tried to take it easy as I was tired after the weekend.
Tuesday: 1800 swim in the morning.
Massage mid morning, I am getting free massage with a guy who needs a guinea pig for a case study for his exam so legs should be in good shape over the next couple of weeks.
Recovery hasn't been good over the last 2-3 weeks and the only thing I can put it down to is getting poor sleep, I think the reason is eating big meals after working or training late. I need to get this sorted pretty quickly as training is getting very hard as a result.
Rob

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Wed:
I did the usual run with the "Wednesday Night Runners" last night and felt good for the first time in a good while, I pushed a bit on the early climbs but reigned myself in pretty quickly so as not to overdo it as this was meant to be a steady run.
I had a recovery shake and 1 1/2 banana sandwiches afterwards, it was all I could do not to empty the fridge but I want to get to the bottom of the sleep issue and I think the late evening meals are the main problem. As it turned out I slept better than I have for a while so it seems like this might work.
Thursday:
2000mt swim followed by 1h40 easy bike spin, I didnt feel fantastic but I was definitely better than I have been lately.
Rob

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I sat down to look at the remainder of my training and nearly had a heart attack when I realised I only have 2 blocks of training left........about 7 long runs, 7 long bikes, 6 race simulation days......Jeez I'm getting stomach flips just thinking about it........
I think I need a coffee................

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Update on last weeks progress.
I spoke to a friend of mine who is a senior cycling coach late last week and he was concerned that I was getting a bit overtrained, I had a number of symptoms: Poor sleep, bad moods, tired all the time and motivation was very low.
On his advice I took my resting heart rate for 4 days over the weekend and was not surprised to find that it was evevated by about 15 beats over normal. I took the weekend off and did a very easy bike on Monday nothing on Tues and Wed and the heart rate had started to get back to normal by Wed. Thurs was also good and combined with much better feelings I decided to run this morning. I will take the rest of this week very easy, and plan to get into training next week.
I have been trying to decide what to say in the blog about the overtraining and was not going to mention it, to be honest I felt a bit stupid for making such a basic mistake. I also didn't want to admit (To myself or anyone else) that the body couldn't take what I was throwing at it. But after thinking about it this is supposed to be an honest record of the journey to Ironman and should have mistakes as well as any success.
I have to accept that I am realistically only able to do a certain amount, I am the same as most age groupers have a family, long hours in work to fit training around, and need to get enough rest and recovery to allow the body to get the benefit of the training load.
One of the things I really like about most triathletes I have met is their enthusiasm for training ajnd life in general but I think this can also be the thing that gets us into trouble. A lot feel like they shouldn't stop training come hell or high water, ignoring the body warning signs and pushing on thinking they will loose fitness if they stop for a couple of days.
A number of people have said things like "A little too little training is better than a little too much" and I think this is something I need to make sure I dont forget.
Rob

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I took the rest of the week easy with just a swim on Sat before heading to Connemara for the half marathon on Sunday. I had no idea how I was going to go, I had struggled with 5 min/km in a training run on Thursday so wasn't even sure I should be running this....
I arrived with a very vague target of 1:35-1:45 for the race, Bernie said he was aiming for the same so we would start together although I didnt think I would stay with him up the first climb, as it turned out we got seperated before the start so it wasn't an issue, we also lost Paul who was off stretching his legs (He reckoned they were tight, I think he was still a wee bit hung over from the Cheltenam race festival....) We left it pretty late to head up to the start after a real easy 20 min warm up and were pretty close to the start line although people started slowly enough and I was almost at the first climb before the crowds stretched out.
I realised almost immediately that I was going to go well, the legs felt good breathing was ok and I was passing people steadily up the hill, I accelerated a couple of times to get some clear space and felt well within myself for the whole climb. I told myself not to get too carried away I had a long way to go yet.
I hit the 5k mark in 21:38 well ahead of target and decided that I was feeling good enough to push on a bit. I hovered around 4min/km pace (I think about 6 1/2 min/mile) for the next 5k coming in at just 20:30. I was still feeling good but have never raced this distance before so didn't know if I could stay at that to the finish.
I backed up a little during the third quarter when I saw the last climb in the distance, snaking its way up the side of the mountain. I had been waiting for this climb all day hoping I hit it in good shape and wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. Kilometers 10-15 came and went in 21:30, there was a short rise then a dip and we were into the climb, I settled into a rythym and started catching and passing people, I caught Tara from the wednesday night runners (She took 4 mins off last years time) early on the climb and she was pushing hard and hurting. A minute later I looked up and saw Bernie, he told me to push on that I could hit 1h30. I hadn't thought that I would but after a quick check I pushed again and ran hard for the rest of the climb, I tried not to slow over the top. The next 5k was around 21:30 I think and then I was trying to race 2 or 3 guys to the finish. I hit the line just at 1:30:06 so just over 90 mins but way quicker that I had hoped for. All in all a good day and a relief that I am getting back on track after feeling bad for the last 2 weeks.
Rob

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Well done Rob! You must be delighted with a great run on a really tough but beautiful course!

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Thanks Ais,
I really enjoyed it and will do it again next year, good luck this weekend in Rotterdam.
Rob

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This week was my first back to training after the last week and a half of easy/no sessions.
Monday:
I went out on the bike with Aileen, Elena and Brendan. We did about 3 hours of mostly climbing, I really enjoyed this I think I was still on a high from Sundays half marathon.
Tues
I had a really tough session...........massage
Wed
I met Darren in the pool for what turned into the shortest swim session in a good while I only did 900mts before heading for coffee and danish.
Thurs
I met Brendan for a long run session we did 17k in the Phoenix park, steady pace but I was feeling the half marathon in my legs by the end. Long stretching session followed by a large lunch and into work.
Fri
I did a 1 1/2 hr bike interval session in the park followed by a short hard run, I had forgotten how much these sessions hurt
Sat
2 hour steady bike session.
This week was really just to see if the body is ok again and also to start to address what I feel is my weakest discipline at the moment, the bike. For the first time since I started triathlon my bike is the area most neglected over the past year and I need to get this back on track before June.
I only have 6 long bike sessions left before the race so I have to make every one count.
Next week should be a return to the big day on Monday and the full weeks training.
I have restructured my sessions to hopefully allow a little more rest while getting enough training too.
Rob

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Monday:
Swim session 2800mts steady, just under 1 hour.
I then grabbed some breakfast and headed out on the bike for a long mountain ride. We did a series of 7 climbs for the first hour and a half then headed up the Sally gap (15km climb) then Luggala 3-4km climb followed by some food and we headed up the Wicklow Gap (about 10-12km climb) and home. Total distance 130km, just over 5hrs.
I did a 5 min transition then headed out for a run, legs were tired so I was surprised to be able to hold my target pace from the start all the way through and finished the 13k in 1hr5min.
I was nervous starting the day not knowing if I could do this session and ended the day on a high. The next 5 weeks are the most important of the whole preparation period so I hope to be able to do all of the planned sessions.
Today was a rest day and I felt ok considering yesterday was over 7 hours.
Tomorrow will be massage and a bike ride in the evening.
Rob

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Wednesday:
I did 2 1/2 hrs biking after work, inc some just below threshold intervals.
Thursday:
Long run with Brendan, I did 25k before work at close to IM pace, I felt pretty good and could have gone further but decided not to kill it as this week was long hours in work too.
Sat:
I did a short run in the Phoenix park before work, where the hell is the good weather????????? It was freezing, windy wet and grey
I am so missing the sun..........
Sun:
I was in to help out with the TI beginners Duathlon so no training this morning but I might get a run later.
Rob

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Last week was the 3rd week of my training block and I was already tired at the start of the week with some pretty big sessions still to go.
Monday:
Bike just under 6 hours all in the mountains, this was a pretty tough session and I was glad to get it finished.
Tuesday:
Run 9k in the morning and the legs were shot, this was tough just to get around but I had Wed off so plenty of time to recover.
Thursday:
I was nervous about this one as I was still very tired, I had planed a 30k run. I did the first 15k with Brendan and it was a bit quicker than planed but after about 30 mins I settled into it and found a rythym. The second 15k I did alone and went a bit slower about (20 mins) but was happy to feel like I could have done the full marathon distance if I had to.
Friday:
I went out on the bike and did an easy 2 hour session, I had worn the compression tights all day yesterday after the long run and the legs felt good but I couldn't have gone hard if I tried, I am still very concious of not overtraining but I didn't have any of the warning signs I had last time.
Sat:
2k wim session followed by a 9k run, all I kept thinking during the run was thank God for the rest week............
I think I made a little breakthrough with the swimming and was moved up 2 lanes

Rob

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Last week was a pretty easy one, I swam on Tuesday....ok so I splashed up and down for about 800mtrs, I didnt really feel like doing much.....
Friday: I did a 90 min bike session including some sprints
Sat: Hard swim with the masters, second time in the faster lane and I was able to stay with the group for about 1500mtrs then gradually dropped off the back. I did about 2000 total then went out for a short bike spin, I had a loan of a new bike and wheels for the race on Sunday so had to try it out (This is the worst race prep possible dont try this at home....) after 45 mins on the bike I reckoned I would be ok the following day.
I got back to the shop made a couple of adjustments and left it at that.
Fernando told me to treat this race as training, not to get stressed about it and remember that the only race that matters for the next 2 months is IM. As a result I was very laid back all week (Hence trying out a new bike and wheels for the first time on race day.... )
Sunday:
I decided I would push hard during the swim (On advice again from Fernando) I took my place in the lane and settled in 4th place, after about 500mts the girl ahead pulled over as she had lost the feet in front, normally I would just settle in and cruise home but decided to go all out for a couple of lengths to try to get back to the leaders, after 2 lengths I got on and cruised for a bit to recover. I got out of the water at 12:59 a swim pb by nearly a minute. I jogged out to transition and had a massive brain fart...........I lost about 20-30 seconds messin about with glasses before deciding I would do without them. I really enjoyed the bike leg, I caught a number of people on the way out but when I turned back I really started to go well and reeled in 3 guys who had been hanging about 500mts ahead for a good while. The disc on the back sounded awesome and the bike was really fast, I really enjoyed the bike like I havent done fopr a good while. I am starting to feel good on the bike thank God.
I got off and had a second crap transition, I couldnt get my shoes on and lost another 20+ seconds. I got going and settled into an uncomfortable pace (Not used to running fast....)
After the second turn around with 1.25km to go I saw there was a guy catching me and I reckoned he would catch me before the finish. I decided to ease up and let him get me and try to hold on as he went past.
He caught me and I surged with him, he checked over his shoulder too soon and I knew he was already close to the limit, he surged again and I held on when he looked and saw me still there he pushed on again and I stayed with him. This time the pace dropped off and he settled. After about 30 seconds I surged a bit to see how he was feeling and he responded so I sat in behind again, I reckoned I had a good chance to get him in a sprint so I waited. With about 600 mts to go I went full out and checked after 50 mts and was relieved to see I had a good gap, I kept going to the line and was delighted to see I had not only gotten a run pb but also a sprint tri pb.
All in all a satisfying day and a really enjoyable race.
Time 1:08:03 and 11th overall.
Rob

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That's brilliant, well done Rob! Crackin' race report!

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Thanks Ais,
The blog has taken a bit of a back seat of late as the shop has gotten very busy and I am trying to keep up with training however it has been a patchy 2 weeks. After the Northwest Triathlon I had a messy week and didn't get much done at all.
2 two and a half hour cycles in the mountains and a 1 hour swim were all I managed before Sunday.
Highlight of the week was the Wheelworx Squad cycle on Sunday with Peter Kern. We met at 10 and headed out for 3h40 on hilly rolling terrain. These squad sessions are really enjoyable and the weather was fantastic, we will try to do more of them.
Monday
Bike Sally Gap, Luggala and Wicklow Gap 105km cycle. Awesome weather again, I am starting to get the cyclists tan again...
Swim in the evening 3000mt
Tues off, I went in to the duathlon in the park which Katharina won comfortably.
Wed
I woke with bad back pain, I had an injury a number of years ago which comes back once or twice a year, I started my run but had to turn back after 1/2 km as the pain got worse very quickly with thoughts that of all the things I had pictured knocking training off the rails this wasn't it.........lots of painkilling anti-inflamatory tablets later and the pain had eased off by that night.
Thurs
I met Katharina, Aisling and Brendan for a long run and we did 2hrs about 26k steady. Another beautiful day
Fri
I am heading out on the bike in about 30 mins for hopefully 3 hours if the back holds up, I had a good physio session yesterday so fingers crossed.
Rob

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Fri: 3 hour bike
Sat: 3 hour bike
Sun off
Monday: Run 11.5k and 2k swim
Tuesday: Swim 1500
Wed: I went out for an 11k run but stopped after 6k because I could feel a pull in my hamstring, I had a massage due later on anyway.
Thurs and Fri off
Sat 2k masters swim, I have missed a good few swim sessions and am feeling it after about 1500mts in the swims, I need to concentrate on this a bit more esp during my 3 week taper.
Sunday: I did a small local sprint triathlon run by Kildare County Council, I had only entered at the last minute so was treating this as a training session and was not going to go too hard if I could help it. I had a good swim (By my standards anyway) and set a pb. I had 2 good transitions, something I wanted to work on after the mess last time. The bike was really windy and very technical, the road surface in places was really bad so it made for an interesting bike ride. The run started with a hill after 500 mtrs and the legs were really tight in the beginning and I was a bit worried about cramping burt they eased out and I settled into the run. I didn't have anyone from my wave around me during the run so didn't have the temptation of racing really hard and ran at a steady pace, I have only one week left for hard training before tapering and didn't want to go into it very tired especially after missing most of last week due to work.
I finished feeling good, I felt like doing a session afterwards so that is probably a good sign.
I watched the live updates from the Lanzarotte Ironman on Saturday and I am starting to get nervous, up to now it is a very abstract target it is hard to get my head around the distances. Whenever I try it is like trying to hold onto something slippery and my mind slips over it and wanders onto something else. Watching Fernando and Kims live updates every 5k on the run and seeing them slowing down, Fernando almost to the pace I am hoping to run made me nearly collapse with fright.........what the hell have I let myself in for????? Fernando is such a strong runner (Strong at all 3 actually) and to see him slow down that much was scary.
People always ask what time are you aiming for and I answer "No time for my first Ironman, I just want to finish" but really at the back of my mind there is a little part of me that has a target and that little part had been talking a little louder over the last few weeks but I think it had a heart attack on Saturday because it has shut up since then. At this stage I feel stupid aimimg for a time, all I want to do is survive and cross that line. All the rest of it all of the things that seemed like they were important like a medal, IM tattoo beating a certain time have vanished off my radar and in their place is a huge flashing neon sign in my head "JUST FINISH IT"
Signing off for today
Rob "Scared S~#tless" Cummins

Robs Blog Take 2..

Well done on your triathlon! Great stuff! Glad to hear a first hand account of it today!
I'm sure you're quite nervous now.....3 weeks.....yikes!

Robs Blog Take 2..

Thanks Ais it is amazing how much Ironman takes over all aspects of your life and moves into your head pushing everything else out until it fills all your waking thoughts.
I am sitting here at 5am after 4 hours sleep, showered shaved and finished breakfast but with no sessions planed, I just couldn't go back to sleep. I woke up and in popped a thought about eating on the bike during the race and BING!!!! I am wide awake with no chance of more sleep tonight..........
I find it is a constant companion now, I am almost afraid to talk to anyone who I dont know through triathlon as it is all I can think about and usually ends up popping into the conversation, I am probably boring my family to tears, training this, nutrition that, strategy the other.........
I am off down to TriAthy today too and am almost as excited about it as I would be if I was racing
We have a great race in store with 5 of the squad racing Elena, Katherina, Aileen, Trevor and Liam all raring to go. I think the womens race will be a cracking one.
At the registration last night there was a great buzz and I got to chat to Olympic hopeful Emma Davis and ITU triathlete Richard Stannard which was pretty cool. Emma is tiny you have got to wonder where she hides the huge engine she has
Anyway thats enough for now, gotta get some coffee.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

After spending the day at TriAthy on Saturday I was looking forward to racing myself at a race we have sponsored this year for the first time, The Wheelworx Garadice Triathlon in Leitrim.........



Getting there was a bit of a mission with several pit stops and a badly chosen cross country route we arrived at the hotel at 11pm. Straight in and into bed. Breakfast was porridge, muesli and a pot of coffee.

I headed down to the race with Brendan early to get settled in. I like being at a race really early, getting a good spot in transition and settling in and loafing around for a while, I get my kit set up and eat a bit. This time it was some of Aislings magic home made flapjacks, the best energy food you can get.

I was using a new energy drink with a lot of caffeine and a new wetsuit, I really like to break the "Dont try anything different on race day" rule and up to now I dont think I have been too badly stung, that was about to change.....

After the last 2 races going really well I was getting *censored*y and decided to get up to the front of the swim, this was a really bad idea. I am not a strong swimmer, I must remember this and get into the correct place at the start....the back of the pack.

I didnt panic too much but spent the first 600mtrs getting beat up (Swim was only 750...) by the time I finally got going it was all over, out of the water and the announcer kindly shouted out my name and the time 13:50ish.... damn I was hoping for sub 12 which would be a good swim by my landlubber standards.

Anyway into T1 quick change and out onto my favourite the bike, at this stage I was 38th, I got going and gradually started moving up the field and was 5th or 6th coming in off the bike I think. From the second my feet hit the ground I knew I was in trouble, my breathing was ragged and I was in the red, I backed off a little through T2 but knew there was a group of 4 close behind.

Out onto the run and I just couldn't get going I felt like I used to before I got to like running and my stomach wasn't great, I felt like I got out of 2nd gear into 3rd and was ready to move into 4th and the gear stick got stuck with the revs (My breathing) on the limit I just couldn't go any faster, 1k in and I was passed by the 5 guys. I felt so bad I wanted to stop running.....on a 5k!!! Anyway I finished without getting passed again and I even caught a guy at the end, I finished 10th a good result but frustrated that I could have gone better. I put the run problems down to a drink that doesn't suit me and the swim problems down to stupidity, hopefully neither will be repeated.

Tues:

Run 15k in the morning and 2000mt swim in the evening Thursday

Long run before work, I did 34k in 3 hours and felt really good both during and after. Thats my last long run before the IM, it is getting really close now.........

Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Best of luck Rob! You'll absolutely fly, you're so well prepared physically and mentally! We'll be following ya all the way!

Robs Blog Take 2..

Thanks Ais I am looking forward to it now. I am pretty relaxed about the whole thing at this stage. I have had a couple of sessions this week and am starting to feel fresher for each one.
Starting to get excited I have just gotten my race number and race briefing so it is getting very real.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

FFS Rob......... where is the report?????
Don't keep us waiting.

Tunney

Robs Blog Take 2..

Yeah "Big Engine"................and tell us about the Sprint Tri you did as a cool-down on Monday as well!

Robs Blog Take 2..

Well its done now, I will get a race report together in the next couple of days as we extended the holiday a wee bit so am only catching up on life now.
First of all thanks for all the text messages mails and calls over the last 3 weeks, I got a great boost from them. The body seems to be ok and I'm not as tired as I expected.
The week after I walked a good bit and cycled twice for about an hour each time to loosen the legs and the following weekend we spent a couple of days in the Alps and I rode the Alpe d Huez on Sunday and Monday. Sunday I felt pretty good but Monday I struggled a, but it is such an awesome climb and the expresso is so good at the top sitting in the sun I pushed on.
Tuesday I ran a very easy 5k and the legs felt pretty good and this evening before the duathlon in the Phoenix park I did an easy 20min run joining Aisling and Katharina on their warm up runs well done to both taking 1st and 4th respecitvely in the womens race.
I think I will continue to do short easy sessions as I feel like it for another week or so while I am trying to decide whats next.
At the moment I have a 1/2 Ironman in September entered and I have 2 or 3 other triathlons in mind.
I would also like to have another go at the marathon in Dublin again this year so I will sit down and make some plans after talking nice to Gretta

Robs Blog Take 2..

Race report now up for Ironman Nice here
http://www.wheelworxbikes.com/wwx/article.php?story=20080703220845738
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Its been just over 2 weeks and the sense of euphoria and the high I have been on hasnt abated, I'm enjoying the feelings and the fact that I have relaxed the diet, bed times and am getting to catch up on life in general.
I almost entered another Ironman in September but sense prevailed and I will wait until next season and pick a race I really want to do.
For this season I think my big target will be the marathon in Dublin, training starts next Monday.
I also want to just go and race, lots of races, running both on and off road, aquathlons, triathlons whatever I fancy and fits with my training plan.
I did the wettest spin in a long time early on Sunday with a couple of friends, it was cool to be able to go out and keep someone else company during their session after so many people helped me with mine over the last few months.

I suppose one of the things I realised during the Ironman was that while triathlon is an individual sport, for me doing the Ironman was only made possible with the support of a lot of people, both family and friends, and it was made enjoyable during the wind, rain, sleet, snow and hail of an Irish winter by a number of great training partners.
Thanks to all those who made a contribution large or small those who helped, advised, listened to me talk incessantly for the last 6 months about training, racing and Ironman, anyone who sent a text, mail, made a call or dropped into the shop to see how training was going, you all know who you are.
Every little bit helped.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

I had agreed with myself that I would take 3 weeks off from training, watching the diet and early nights. That finished yesterday and although I struggled a bit I managed a short run for just over 30 mins.
Today I headed out for a long easy bike ride and did 5 hrs at an easy pace with a friend who is preparing fOR IM UK in September, the longer spins are so much easier with company. We missed most of the showers and even saw some sunshine, dont you love the Irish summer...
This week I will try to just train most days, not with any particular structure but just to get the body back into the training mode.
Food is also a major target this week, coffee and sweet foods are for the chop, I developed a real tase for both cakes and coffee in France and will just try to kick both this week...well cut down the coffee at least.......I have to have some vices
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Oh yeah, I should probably also mention that I have entered my next Ironman...........

Robs Blog Take 2..

Wednesday:
I did a short run before work, this runing lark is tougher than I remember. It will probably take a week or two to get back to normal.
Thursday:
I have some things to work on over the next couple of months before getting back into full training, leg strength, core strength including a niggly back injury and running technique. These are the ones I will concentrate on for the next 2 months or so (Then I will look at learning how to swim properly there is a really big motivator for this.... I have entered IronMan South Africa and aparently they have sharks down there, jeez as if I didn't get freaked enough with jellyfish now I have to make sure I dont get eaten while in the water......) Anyway I started some bodyweight exercises on Wednesday and they felt very easy, I reckoned I was doing them wrong or something?? The pain in my backside and quads this morning let me know they are not as easy as I had thought and I was doing them right after all.
Friday:
I did a short easy run before work, 40 mins or so and I will do an hour easy on the bike this evening. Tomorrow is the first day in the pool in 4 weeks I reckon that will be as tough as the running.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

"I developed a real taste for both cakes and coffee in France and will just try to kick both this week...well cut down the coffee at least.......I have to have some vices"

Maybe a good start would be to not put power bar gels on your cornflakes every day.....

just thinking.....

Robs Blog Take 2..

But cornflakes are just sooo bland without caffienated green apple gels.........
Saturday
I was tired and skipped the swim.
Sunday
I met up with the Triathlon Ireland High Performance Development Squad on their training camp in Limerick and did a 3 hour bike spin with them. This was a really enjoyable session, the spin was quick but not crazy. I was lucky to arrive a week into the training camp so legs were probably not fully fresh.
I got to chat to Gav Noble for a while on the bike spin which was very interesting, you could really see the difference in his attitude and training of a full time pro triathlete.
I also got to spend some time talking to and watching Chris Jones, Chris is the head coach of the squad and has coached triathletes to World Championships. Its a long time since I felt like I knew so little about triathlon but Chris's knowledge is amazing. Watching him teach running drills on the track, something I was vaguely aware of was a real eye opener. All in all a very enjoyable day.
Monday
I did a 6 hour spin with Aisling in the mountains weather was really good to us and if Aislings coach is reading this we didn't stop for coffee and a sandwich
Distance was 85 miles/136k.
Tuesday I had hoped to do a couple of short sessions but after an easy hour on the bike I realised I was knackered.
I have started working with a new coach and he wants me to keep a record of what my motivation and energy levels are on a daily and weekly basis. Sunday and Monday would have scored 5/5 but Tues was down at about 1/5. I am going to switch sessions so Tuesday will be an easy day so I can recover after the weekend and my long day Monday.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Aw I had to admit to a small stop for coffee due to your puncture....I blamed you again.

Robs Blog Take 2..

I always get blamed, we stopped for coffee and it was Robs fault, we ran over 2 extra mountains, Rob thought it would be a good idea, I entered an some crazy race Rob made me do it....jeez
Anyway the week went from a good start to pretty sluggish...then stopped
Wednesday
I was hoping to do 3 sessions run, swim and strength/core work. I did the run and felt pretty good for the first time in a long while I then headed to the pool to find the schedule has changed and the session was over...
Thursday:
I met Aisling for a run thinking my running legs were coming back but after 30 minutes I was knackered, trying not to let it show that I was dying....nodding at all the right times, smiling and hoping I didnt look as bad as I felt.
After the run I went to the pool as I had skipped the early session and after 10 min of splashing up and down I knocked it on the head and went for lunch.

Robs Blog Take 2..

I was expecting a story about coffee and chocolate cake while swimming......

And all those things are SO your fault! I've no idea how I got suckered into an ironman, and since you're the first triathlete I ever met then logic says that's your fauilt too....

You looked fine today. You hide the pain well.

Robs Blog Take 2..

While my diet is not as good as it was earlier in the year I'm not quite eating cake in the pool....yet Although that could change if I can figure a way to sneak the plate and cup past the life guard.
Friday
Short swim and a short strength session.
I am hoping to work on the swim over the next couple of weeks. Although I felt good today, I just need to get the endurance back up.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Sat
I did an easy 40 minute run followed by my first proper structured swim since I started back although it wasnt a very long set, only 1400mtrs. I felt ok on the run but it was really slow, distance 7-8k. The swim was also an enjoyable session, starting to feel like a triathlete again. I always find swimming is the part that makes me feel like that.
Sunday
I was hillwalking for the first time in about a year, we had planed to do about 3-4 hours. We were climbing Croagh Patrick which we expected to take about 1:50 up and 1:30 down. We were still a long way from the mountain when we hit a traffic jam. Sunday was the pilgrimage day and there was expected to be over 25000 people on the mountain.
Instead of sitting in the car for ages not going anywhere we parked and started walking thinking it would be an extra 15-20 minutes. It turned out to be a big traffic jam and the walk to the start of the climb took over an hour. The climb itself was slow due to the number of people out the climb was full with queue's forming at narrow parts of the trail.
We finally made the top and had some food. Parts of the descent was really fun sliding down the scree and loose rocks. About 2/3 way back down it was decided that I would head back for the car so we wouldnt all have the long walk. I ran the last 1/3 of the descent and on back to the car. All in it was 6 hours walking/climbing/running so a really good session. It was nice to do something different while still getting some training in.
Monday
Bike session I did a 6 hour bike ride heading out early and getting back just after lunch. I didnt bring quite enough food and had to stop a couple of times to stock up. My apetite is coming back with a vengance since I have started training again, I am constantly hungry and constantly eating. Weight is holding at 65kg (Despite all the eating) which is about race weight for me.
Last week finished well with just under 18 hours training and this week is off to a good start with 6 done already.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Wednesday
I did a good structured swim session in the morning 2500mts. In the evening I did my first Irish Mountain Running Race, it was one of the trail league races so not too technical. The distance was about 9k with a couple of climbs then we turned around and headed back down the same way, good learning experience and a tough race.
Thursday
Swim session: I met a swim coach to see how bad my swimming really is....I was not surprised to hear I wouldn't make the next olympics but there is some hope for me improving, the only catch is that I have to actually swim regularly........

Robs Blog Take 2..

Friday and Saturday were off days but not according to any plan I just didnt get anything done, life getting in the way of Triathlon again...
Sunday
I did a 1 hour run and a 2 hour hike. I also went clay pigeon shooting which was interesting at the start but got old pretty quickly, I wouldn't have the patience for it and after an ok start missed a few at the end.
Monday
1 hour run and some strength work which I think I overdid a little bit and maybe strained my calves, which is sorta cool because they are swollen it actually looks like I have some muscles...anyone who knows me is aware that this will pass and I will be skinny legged again shortly......
I will swim this evening and maybe tomorrow and hopefully let them recover a bit.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Lack of motivation, new sessions, new coach, things are a in a period of change at the moment, For the Ironman it took over all waking thoughts and often sleeping thoughts too for a long period. Now without the single minded focus that accompanied it I am struggling a bit to focus fully on training again...
The main target for the next 2 months is to try and work on a couple of weakness and improve techniques in running and swimming in particular. While I am enjoying most of the sessions I am missing some of the drive to train hard that was there all year, I guess the next Ironman is so far away and the last 2 races this season are not really big targets there is no immediate "Need" to train hard. Hopefully this will pass it is probably just fatigue from the return to training and the Ironman.

Wednesday:

The plan was to do a 2600mt swim set but I cut it a bit fine to get into work on time (Which I didn't do anyway...) so just did a very short warm up then the main session and no cool down. The session was 400, 300, 200 and 100 mts getting faster each interval with less recovery in between, I then had to repeat it and get the same time for each one the second time around. I struggled for motivation right through the set constantly arguing the merits of getting out and going for coffee.....
I never really swim hard so I didn't really enjoy the feeling, fast work always hurts the first couple of times. Add to that the need to control breathing and concentrate on a couple of things I am trying to correct with my stroke I was glad to finish.
I was also supposed to run in the evening but never did and I dont even have a good excuse...

Thursday:
I went for a short run before work with a number of targets:

1 - Finish the session on time and be on time for work at least once this week....
2 - I am working a bit on running technique, trying to increase cadence, land mid foot instead of fore foot, improve knee lift. I managed to get the cadence up quite a bit I normally take about 78-80 steps a min and have been told to aim for 90. I concentrated on this for the first 10-15 mins and managed to get as high as 88 and didn't go below 85 for the whole run. Next was foot strike, I am trying to stop landing on my heel and instead land mid foot, this reduces the "Braking effect" and should in theory make me a bit quicker. The problems with this is increased load on the calves so it takes a bit of time to adapt to it. Knee lift was last and I don't know if I had as much success with this as the other 2 although it felt a lot better in the last 5 mins or so of the run.
I then headed into the gym and did a 40 minute strength session concentrating on core, triceps and legs. The run went well, speed is starting to get back to normal and I actually didn't feel like I was dying the whole time.
I'm due to train Friday and Sat and ride the Martin Earley 100k bike ride from Naas on Sunday

Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

I'm back training a little bit again, this week and last were my first sessions after almost 3 weeks off.
In reverse order:
Thurs: Gym 40 mins
Wed: Easy run with Bernie 10k 50 mins, flat route that might become a regular run, possibly a club session if there is interest.
Tues: I have started commuting on the bike, first day am: 22k followed by 40 mins gym session. pm 44k
Sun/Monday Off
Sat I was in the Alps for a couple of days cycling and we did a big day, 4 big mountains finishing on Alpe d Huez about 4 hours of climbing a little over 6 hours total.
Fri: 10k trail run
Thursday: We climbed Alpe d Huez probably a bit faster than was sensible and with no warm up....felt ropey at the top
Tuesday: Short gym session and 45 min 9k run.

Motivation is pretty good, energy levels are also good although sleep patterns have been a bit up and down so that has affected it.
I am going to try to just train consistently without any real serious structure. I want to get the routine of training but not the mental drain of hard/disciplined sessions. I am also starting to become a little more careful about diet again.
Thats all for now.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Friday was supposed to be a 2 hour bike spin but I had some workmen at the house and they ran late so I switched to a 1 hour run. This too had to be shelved as the work went on and on and on....
Sat: Swim 1000mts. First swim in probably a month or so, arms, back, lungs all gave out loads
I did a 45 minute gym session afterwards then into work.
Tomorrow will hopefully see me back with the cycling club in Naas for the first time in about a year, I hope to train with the cycling club over the winter, the spin is a good workout, very disciplined and it's great to just show up pedal and not have to worry about what route, where the wind is coming from or any of that stuff. As my spins get longer I will do the tri club session first then the cycling club spin and ride home which will be close to 5 hours each Sunday. All sounds very easy now sitting here typing in the comfort of the shop....lets see how the reality works out..

Robs Blog Take 2..

Sunday
3 Hour bike spin with the cycling club, a little hillier and faster than I had intended so I didnt do the full distance with them. I think one of the main things I want to improve this winter and next season is consistency.
I think I have always just trained for "This session" now, not thinking that going too hard even if I feel good will take from tomorrows or next weeks training. This would lead to missing days towards the end of a training block.
So when I realised that the spin would be a good bit longer and harder I decided to swallow my pride and head back. I could have pushed on and finished it but training this week would have suffered.
Tuesday:
Short gym session this morning and probably a swim this evening.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Ambition to train is far outstripping actual training at the moment....
Tuesdays planned swim turned into something that wasn't swimming and in fact wasn't even training.....
Wed:
Went a bit better today, I actually did make 3 sessions!
AM 1000mt swim and a short gym session
PM I did a really good run with Bernie, canal path, trail and across a golf course. Good pace and really enjoyable.
Thurs
AM Gym session
Friday
.....emmm....no training today...
Saturday
Back with the masters swim club and was hoping to sneak in unnoticed into the slowest lane...had a wee problem getting out of bed on time so was a little late arriving and they were in the pool when I got there and couldn't slip in without being seen...Anne put me in lane 2 after some serious protestations about not getting in lane 3 (Faster one) not ready for that sort of pasting just yet....
Some of these masters are really big guys, you know when you show up at the first session you think he doesn't look so fit....then you get in the next lane and when he goes by so quickly his bow wave splashes you right over the lane rope and into the wall....while trying not to swallow too much water and recovering from a mild concussion you vow never again to judge a book by its cover....
Anyway I had planed on a short 1000mt swim but did somewhere close to 2000 lost count after the concussion..
I headed up to the gym for a short session after the swim.
Sundays A big day of doing nothing....which I repeated on Monday, Tuesday would be different I vowed and had the kit bag packed Monday night for a run and gym session before work, 6am and I hit the snooze button, again and again for about 30 mins before giving up and turning off the alarm So no sessions today either....
Tomorrow I will do something if it kills me...
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Wed:
I finally manage to drag my ass out for a run, albeit a short one...5k easy pace, felt good and waaay more satisfaction than I deserve for such a short session....
Thursday:
Ran again this time going a little further, 6k... I'm getting really ambitious here...
Friday:
Unbelievably tired, ran with Brendan and it almost killed me....8k including some strides. If I hadn't been with someone I would have packed after 10 mins, I didn't even talk much, Brendan provided all the conversation thankfully, it helped keep my mind off how knackered I felt....gotta start getting some early nights..
Sat:
Masters swim 1600mts still tired but not as bad as yesterday. I also did a short gym session.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Sun : Bike Ride 2h30, easy spin on rolling roads. This was my longest spin on my fixed wheel bike and it went well except the new saddle nearly killed me....
The rest of this week was a bit of a disaster with only a couple of short runs the masters swim on Saturday and 2 of short gym sessions.
Sunday : Mtb spin 1h30 I was tired starting but gradually got into it and ended up pushing on hard for the last 30 mins. I quite enjoyed the session but still reckon I will do more road work over the winter, the mountain biking doesn't excite me the same way it used to.
Wed 45 minute run easy pace and an hour in the gym
Fri: Run 40 mins and 1 hour gym session, I am working mostly on strength work for the swim as this has always been a weakness for me.
Sat am: Masters swim, I struggled with this as the arms, shoulders and chest were still tired from yesterdays session.
Sat pm : Gym session mostly core work, I'm hoping the core sessions will help with running form, I found myself getting pretty sore on the Ironman run this year, I would put this down to zero core work....
Sunday am : Run 1 hour easy and a short swim.
All in not a great 2 weeks as regards volume but I am just trying to stay active at the moment. I think the core and strength work will pay off in the long run.
I have recently moved house and am still trying to find a routine that will allow regular training sessions, as I get settled into a routine I am hoping to gradually increase weekly hours to about 10 until Christmas then look at a specific build for the Ironman. Until then I will focus mostly on the run as I feel this is the area I can make up the most time on.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Sunday pm:
I had a free hour so headed out to the gym after work.
Monday:
I got a phone call from a mate to see if I fancied a spin, this was motivation enough and I headed out for a couple of hours. Weather was perfect for winter cycling, no wind, crisp and bright sunshine. We did a little under 2 hours.
Tuesday:
I ran with a friend in a local forest, we did about 9-10k. It was really enjoyable and a nice change from running in parks and on the road.
Wednesday:
Week is going well and I got a run in again before work, 10.5 k easy pace followed by a 30 min gym session.
Thursday:
Motivation is good, starting to feel like training is going well and I got 2 sessions done again this morning, 45 min run and a 30 min gym session.
I am really starting to get back into the habit of training even just for short sessions and am enjoying it again, the discipline in sleeping, eating, preparation and all that goes with it. I also like the satisfied tiredness that I am starting to get again at the end of the day.
Starting to hit the target of staying consistent with the training, thats something done 8 of the last 9 days.

Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Friday was busy and a bit messy so I didn't get either of my planned sessions done....just as I started to think I was getting some consistency....
I did however do a good gym session, i had avoided the gym for a long time thinking I wouldn't enjoy it but I am really getting into it the last month or two, I suppose its a change from what I would usually be doing this time of year.
Sat I was knackered and only did a short gym session before heading to work, no masters swim this morning I was just too tired.
Sunday I was doubtful about doing anything after how I felt on Sat but I woke early and felt good, I did an easy run of about 35 mins then headed out on the bike for a couple of hours.
Monday I again did a bike session 2h15 rolling route, we had really good weather for both bike spins, I love cycling this time of year when you get good weather.
Tues off and Wed is supposed to be my first time back with the Wednesday Night Runners, they have a flat run planned, I'm hoping to do about 13k with them.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

I did join the Wednesday Night Runners and was on a massive high the whole time, I had forgotten how good this run makes you feel. We did the flatter route which has some trail around the resevoir, it looked amazing in the moonlight. I can't wait for next week.
Thursday.
I did a fartlek run of about 50 mins followed by a 40 min gym session. The run wasn't as hard as I had remembered from last time but maybe thats because I might have been going a little slower...
Fri off.
Sat:
Swim with the masters and I am really feeling the lack of consistent swimming, my shoulders were aching the whole swim and I struggled to keep up....I have scheduled extra swims from next week and hope to sort this out.
I entered Connemara Marathon next March so now have a reason to get my ass out and sort out the running properly.

Robs Blog Take 2..

Sat:
I did a short gym session in the afternoon, mostly core and back. I have had a niggly back injury since before the Ironman which hasn't cleared fully, I'm hoping the core work helps sort it.
Sun and Mon:
I didn't get anything done, life and laziness got in the way
Tues:
I did a short gym session, if it wasnt for the gym I would be getting very little done at all....
Wed:
A slightly better start I did a 30 min swim and gym this morning before work and am hoping to do a long run this evening in the hills.

Robs Blog Take 2..

Wednesday evening run was a mixture of pleasure and pain I love running in the mountains, the smell of pine and wood smoke, the quiet, all you can hear on the climbs is the rythmic sound of breathing and feet hitting the ground. The pain bit was the body not being used to running hills anymore but that aside it was a fantastic run.
Thursday:
I did a short gym session again working on core and my left glute.... the physio reckons that my back problem is being caused in part by a weakness on my left side and mostly in my ass... so lots of one legged squats and similar exercises. If I have an oversized left ass cheek in a month he's in trouble...
Friday:
Short easy swim 30 minutes and planning on doing a run in the afternoon.

Robs Blog Take 2..

I ran intervals on the treadmill Friday evening, it was a lot easier than last week. The first week of harder sessions is always horrible, the last couple of years I found the same when I started intervals on the bike but the body adapts quickly enough to it. Its much earlier than I ever would have started with fast sessions before but I am going on advice from a very experienced running coach, hopefully it pays off. the plan is 3 runs a week, 1 easy, 1 long with hills and 1 fast.

Saturday morning I swam for about 30 mins, it is starting to get a little easier and slightly more comfortable but I still feel very sloppy in the water. I will aim to be in the pool at least 3 times a week so as not to loose any more swim fitness.

Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Sun
I did the Naas Cycling club spin, the later start suits me at the moment. I probably went a little bit too hard early on and found it tough later in the spin.
Tuesday
2 hour bike ride fairly easy.
Wed
Run 1h22 steady pace with the wednesday night runners on the hilly loop.
Thursday
Short easy swim and a gym session.
Friday
Swim during lunch and a hard run and gym session in the evening. The interval run this week felt a lot better than either of the last 2 despite adding an extra interval and upping the pace. I actually enjoyed it and am looking forward to next weeks.
Sat
Gym session in the afternoon. I didnt get into the pool as I had a serious issue getting out bed
Sunday
Mountain bike spin, this was a group ride mostly at an easy pace. I did get a little ambitious towards the end and had a silly embarrassing stumble...
Looking back on last weeks target of 3 swims and I didnt quite get there... only 2 all week in fact was a bit slack...I'm hoping to get a little more done this week. The running is starting to feel better but 2 runs a week isn't enough with an early season marathon planned. The bike went a little better with 2 spins this week but both were very easy and I should probably really be doing at least one longer one. The turbo trainer will be making a re appearance I think shortly..
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

In my last diary I mentioned that I had a little stumble while mountain biking, what I really meant was I went into a corner a little bit too fast and hit the deck, in the process landing heavily on my right leg and arm. Even while falling I was thinking that I need to get up before anyone sees me falling....the embarrassment had me back on my feet in about 2 1/2 seconds, I grabbed my upside down bike, flipped it over and jumped on. Then the pain hit, I couldn't clip in my right foot and my right wrist was pretty sore too. I rode about another 5 mins to the end of the trail and waited for the rest of the group to catch up. We had another 30-40 minutes riding before we got back to the van. At this stage I took off my shoe to see what damage I had done an my foot was already swelling and discolouring.

I reckoned I had torn something at worst and headed into work. By Sunday evening it was about twice its normal size and pretty sore. All I kept thinking was how the hell am I going to get the swelling down so I can run on Wednesday??

Tuesday;

I had accepted that I wouldn't be running Wednesday but I had a trip planned for the weekend, I was going to run Carantohill on Friday and head to the new mountain bike centre in Limerick for a day on the bike on Saturday. I was frantically trying to figure how I would manage the mountain run..

Wednesday:

A friend who runs a local physio clinic dropped in to the shop and I asked his advice about how to get the swelling down enough to mountainbike at the weekend, I had realised that running was out of the question so I switched to possibly mountain biking for 2 days instead of just one. When Mick had a look at the ankle and saw the bleeding under the skin above the ankle (Apparently a bad sign...) and felt along the bone he reckoned it was broken, I was gutted.....

The pain in the wrist also started to get bad today just to add insult to injury...bad pun....

Thursday:

I presented myself at the hospital and while waiting was trying to decide which would be least bad, a broken arm or a broken leg....I eventually settled on the arm being the better option as I can still run and cycle with a broken arm (Are you getting a sense of the addiction to training?) Anyway after checking the x rays he told me it was broken and he was putting on a cast I also had torn ligaments in my forearm, I reasoned with him that I wouldn't be able to cycle with a cast and could he not do something a little less drastic? He was having none of it. After being handed a pair of crutches, a wrist support, a prescription and an appointment card I was told to come back and see a specialist the following week.

I left dejected and more than a little gutted.....

Robs Blog Take 2..

I returned to see the specialist, with fingers and legs and anything that could be crossed crossed.
He came out and cut off the cast, examined the ankle and proceeded to ask me why I hadn't told the doctor that I had broken my leg before?
"I didn't break my leg before" I said
"Actually you did, see here" He said pointing to a black line on my x-ray
"Oh...right.." I'm pretty puzzled at this..
"You see its smooth at the edges, its an old break, the best thing you can do is swim, it will help it heal, start in the next few days, you should walk with the crutch for a day or so but walking will help too so do plenty of it"
I could have climbed over his desk and kissed him!
What about cycling on a stationary trainer?
"Yes that would be good too, just with light resistance"
He gave me two possibilities about the old break but I like one more that the other, he reckons I must have a really high pain threshold. I think this is pretty cool so this is now the official line
I couldn't wipe the smile off my face
First turbo session last night and I've never enjoyed it as much. I did 45 mins and hope to do 2-3 more short sessions on it this week.
All is good in the world
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

I managed my first run in over 3 weeks last night and despite a little pain and swelling afterwards I was delighted to be back doing some training, read on for more...



I did a 30 mins steady pace run in Naas yesterday evening, I was surprised that I didn't feel as bad as I expected and hope to do a short turbo session tonight, next session after that will probably be Saturday before work maybe a 40 min cross country run.

I hope to restart my training properly over the Christmas break with a good block of cycling and running, the early season target is the Connemara Marathon which I now think will be run for the experience as opposed to aiming for a time due to loosing nearly four weeks training. I am also looking at a summer Ironman and a late season adventure race.

I entered the Gael Force 6 with one of my regular training partners, Aisling Coppinger this week. She is also doing Connemara and my only target (Albeit maybe not too realistic...) is to try and stay in touch and finish with her. Aisling runs at a very high level having run on a number of Irish teams in international mountain races so I have my work really cut out for me.

Robs Blog Take 2..

I haven't managed a whole lot of training in the last week between Christmas in the shop, late nights and laziness so this is a short update....read on for more...



I did get out for just under two hours on the bike on Sunday. The ankle is feeling better all the time but I think it will take a while to get back to full strength. I rode the single speed fixed bike, I really like it and think I will do a good bit of my training on it. I brought the new tri bike home and will set it up on the turbo trainer over Christmas, the lads in the shop have warned me not to ride it it when the weather is nasty but it is really hard not to give in to temptation and head out for a short spin. I will spend the next month or two fine tuning my position on it before the racing starts in April.

I am planning on doing a fun bike/run/bike race in Roundwood on the 27th and an hour run on the 28th. Also planning on getting some bike work done over the break.



Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

I finally got training back on track...a little anyway.

Tuesday:

I did an easy 45 min run, the ankle was sore all day and I was worried about running on it, despite this I headed out anyway. It was sore for the whole run but didn't get any worse. I Iced it when I got home and hoped for the best.

Wednesday Christmas Eve:

The ankle felt great, the run last night and icing it afterwards did a lot of good, non runners think you are a bit mad when you tell them that running or biking on an injured leg can help it get better. I got a text during the day telling me the Wednesday night run was on, there was only going to be a small group I gave in to temptation and headed out. The run is about 15k and very hilly so I was taking a bit of a chance on the leg but decided I could turn back if it was a problem. I struggled a little with the pace despite Eugene, Niall and Aisling going easy. The downhills were worse on the ankle but as long as I slowed down it was ok. I headed home, had a shower and iced it again, the legs felt like I had run a marathon coming down the stairs. I was feeling nearly 5 weeks of no running...

Thursday Christmas Day:

I had a big fried breakfast and then headed to the running track where there was a charity run on (Not the best preparation I know....) I did a short warm up, then did the run and cooled down before heading off for Christmas Lunch, Christmas day is all about the food!

Friday

Off
Saturday:

I went to the race in Roundwood, they call it a biathlon. Its a bike, run, bike, very short and its a mass start on an uphill. I had it in my head that I'm not in great shape so I started at the back of the bunch, of course as soon as it started the competetive side came out and I started pushing, passing people all the way up the climb, kids and guys on mountainbikes mostly....then the burn kicked in and stayed with me all the way. I continued moving up the field until the run. It's been ages since I ran off the bike and it's just as nasty as I remembered. Back out and onto the bike for the last leg, lungs and legs were burning all the way but it was a great buzz to be back racing. Some of the Wicklow tri crew were near the finish and gave me a shout as I passed. The weather was great and I was delighted to get out again. While we were standing around afterwards we got a call asking did we want to do a long run in the mountains in the morning, of course I was still buzzing after the race so thought that sounded like a great idea...

Sunday:

We met the Wednesday night runners in Tallaght on a beautiful sunny winters morning, we headed out and were climbing after about 2 km. This climb is about 7k and steep in places especially at the start. I knew something was not going well as soon as I started climbing, my legs felt terrible I went straight out the back of the group and settled into the long climb. The saving grace was how nice the morning was, by the time I got to the top of the climb the sunshine was strong and one of the valleys below was covered in cloud, it was a great feeling to be above the clouds in the sunshine. I took the shorter option and finished with 17.5k done.

Monday:

Off

Tuesday:

I did a short run before work this morning just 35 mins, I was still a little tired from Sunday and it was freezing cold. I was glad to finish and get a hot coffee. The rest of the week will hopefully see me back on the bike and get at least 2 more decent runs done. I'm staying with my brother in Cork for new years eve so will run down there on the 1st and I will get back in the gym and pool next week.

Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Wednesday:
I did a 50 min run this morning, I headed out early and was back before the sun was up. It was very surreal to be out and back in the dark and see the sun rise while drinking coffee afterwards but great to get the session done early as I knew I wouldnt get anything done later in the day.
Thursday:
I started the new year with a run, legs have felt terrible since Sunday. I hope it's just the 5 week lay off...
Friday:
First bike spin in a while the roads were very icy so I didn't get much distance done, at one stage I had to ride in the gutter "Paris Roubaix" style to stop the rear wheel from spinning on the frost and ice.
I ran in the evening and the legs felt slightly better, just under an hour at a steady pace.
Saturday morning I did a short spin on the bike again, it was a beautiful winters morning, no ice and bright sunshine, perfect conditions for the bike.
Tomorrow I hope to do another short spin and am going in to watch the Dublin masters cross country in the Phoenix Park.
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Sunday:

I went into watch the Dublin Masters cross country in the Phoenix Park on Sunday, I did a 50 min very easy run and took some photos, I will post them later this week as I forgot the camera today.
In the evening I was still keen to do some training, I had it in my head to do a couple of hours and the short run didn't get it all out of my system. I headed out and did a quick 45 min run. The legs at last are starting to feel good.

Monday:

Today was the official start of my training, in my head anyway. Monday was my main training day all last year and it doesn't feel like I'm back properly until I'm doing a couple of decent workouts on Monday each week. Brendan came over and we headed out midmorning for just under 2 1/2 hours on the bike. We did some big gear work and tried to stay upright. There was still icy patches on the roads after we dropped the bikes and pulled on runners for a quick 15 min run. Brendan being a runner tends to take it out a bit on the run to get me back for what he sees as torturing him on the bike. I was glad to finish get into the shower and eat.
I ran again in the evening and did 50 mins really easy in what was the coldest I have run in ever, -3/4 degrees when we went out... All in all a good days training. Motivation is high and I'm enjoying being back at it.

Robs Blog Take 2..

Tuesday I didn't do my scheduled turbo session but on Wednesday I got back in the gym for the first time since the bike crash and I felt pretty good but experience has taught me that overdoing it in the gym first day back hurts about 24hrs later....and I wasn't far wrong..I'm still stiff.
Wed evening I ran the usual loop with the Wednesday night runners, I wasn't sure how I would get on as I died on this loop last time. I started steady and when 2 of the lads took off on the first climb I went with them, I had to work pretty hard but stayed within 10 mtrs of Niall.
I got chatting after the climb and settled when Niall and then Paul went on the second climb I didn't respond for a while but the legs kept on feeling good so I started chasing, I got almost all the way across and started to struggle, I managed to hold Paul to about 15 seconds but I really felt the lack of long runs on that climb.
I settled for a bit and ran and chatted until we got to the last big climb, I pushed on a bit again but didn't feel as strong as earlier and just held on to the top. A great run and I was delighted to find my legs starting to come back a bit.

Thursday:
I met Brendan mid morning and we did a 45min run at what I would hope to be IM marathon pace (I've a long way to go yet though...) and then we went in for a very short swim before I headed to work, I couldn't believe how hard it was to swim! I've gotta get back swimming regularly...

Friday:
I did a short swim in the morning before work and felt a little better, I have to find a way to beat the boredom in the pool, maybe I need to just keep telling myself "I love swimming" over and over every day until I believe it....
Anyway run and gym planned for today so I gotta go work a bit more so I can sneak out for an hour.

Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Friday:

I had planned on doing a gym and run session but life and work got in the way a little so didnt get either done, Saturday's run suffered a similar fate....

Sunday:

I was out on Saturday evening and didn't get back till verrrry late...bed at after 4:30....with a long run planned for Sun at 9:30 I was gonna really struggle to even make it out on time, I managed to get to the start albeit 5 mins late and felt ok for the first while, struggled from 1 hour mark but with 3k left we turned and had a tail wind and a very slight downhill all the way back and we flew. Finished feeling great and really glad I got out of bed.

Monday:

Bike and run session, myself Ellena and Brendan headed out and a 3 hour spin on rolling hills, legs felt good but I felt the half last hour. We ran hard off the bike. The same short loop as last week and it surprised me to find that despite the legs feeling like lead for the first 1/2 km I quickly settled into a strong pace behind Brendan. at a little over the 1k mark I pushed the pace....a lot and Brendan didn't follow, now Brendan being a much more experienced runner knows how to pace a lot better so I should have known from that that it might be a bit early and fast....anyway I of course felt good and decided to ignore the sensible voice and went hard to the 2k mark and started to feel bad...really bad....and Brendan looked good over my shoulder....he caught me with about 400mts to go and I couldn't stay with him, I finished about 20 seconds back but still with a negative split and faster than the same run last week.

Tuesday:

I arrived at the gym early and was knackered so had a sauna and shower and went into work.... In the evening I headed out for an hour run with Ais, she was very nice and took it easy on me...legs were pretty tired but glad I went out.

Wed:

I hit the gym and had a short session before work, this evening I have a long hilly run planned with the Wednesday Night Runners, Im feeling ok so far today, legs feel recovered after the last couple of days but I only know how I will go when I hit the first climb...

Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

Wednesday:
The long run was shortened slightly and I only did 1h10. I was knackered as soon as I started running so decided not to push it. The conditions were good though if a little cold with clear skies and the moon visible. We ran part of the waterworks trail, I always like this with head torches and tonight was no different.
Thursday:
I took the day off as I was still a little tired but the motivation was good, I often find that when I get tired I dont feel like training much.
Friday:
I was back in the gym in the morning and ran in the evening, it was an easy run with Aisling of about an hour. The body felt a lot better than on Wednesday.
Saturday:
We headed out with Elena and Brian on the bikes for an easy spin of about 2 hours. Brendan called me later in the day to talk to me about coaching, he is taking on triathletes and wants me to be his poster child...(Or I reckon what he is really thinking is guinea pig...) He says I need some structure and direction with my training, I wont argue with that so am looking forward to seeing what he has in mind.
Sunday:
Myself Aisling and Brendan headed to Punchestown for the first of the Wheelworx Dirty Weekend duathlons, this would be my first time racing one of them as soon as we got out of the house and saw how badly frozen the roads were we realised that it would have to be a run only event...damn I had my new bike and was hoping that any small advantage I would have would be on it, not on the run.....The distance would be 10k. Before the race the skies opened and we had sideways sleet and rain, this stopped briefly before the start but started again on the first lap so it took a while to get warmed up. I ran with Brendan from the start, he is a lot better than me at pacing so the plan was to stay with him as long as possible. I dropped off his pace a little at the start of the second lap loosing about 30 seconds but managed to pull back about half of that at the end of the third lap. It was the first time in a race I've started as slowly as we did but it's also the first time I haven't blown up and been passed. In fact no one passed me and I made up about 10-15 places during the course of the race.
I was very happy with the overall result and with the way I ran and am looking forward to the next race.
Monday:
I headed out into the snow with Con and Elena for just under 3 1/2 hours on the road bikes, it gradually cleared and we had bright sunshine and a biting cold wind but the roads were clear of ice so no drama. The legs felt a little dead on the bike but it was when I got off to run that I really felt it and I did the same loop as last week about a minute slower.
Tuesday:
Today was the seadline for getting back in the pool and doing an actual swim not just 6-800mts.... I had set a target of 1500 minimum. I grabbed a pull buoy for the first time in months, Elena suggested that it would help get the distance back up and sure enough it did. I managed 1300mts before I had to head to work.

Robs Blog Take 2..

I think you've left out an important event about the Saturday spin? Maybe it affected your head more than we thought.....

Robs Blog Take 2..

Ahh right thanks for that Ais....well maybe I made the acquaintance of a long hard piece of tarmac unintentionally, resulting in some road rash, a lump on the head and severly bruised pride....
Falls: Zero in ten years and now twice in 2 months....maybe I should quit the bike and take up knitting or something....
Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

I probably shouldn't mention anything round here about triathletes being soft then...

Robs Blog Take 2..

I still cant think of any witty/smart answer to that Ais.....so heres what I've been up to for the last few days.


Friday:
I got a couple of guest passes for a local gym where a customer works so I headed there for the run thinking that we could head to the pool (Read jacuzzi/sauna) afterwards. I got through the run better than I thought only to be told that it doesn't really count the same on a treadmill and that I should get out on the road next week...thanks Aisling...

Saturday:
I was getting really tired so decided that the bike spin would be really a easy recovery ride. Brian came over and we headed out for and did a 2 1/2 hour spin.

Sunday:
Myself and Aisling headed out for our long run and met a group running in the Phoenix park in the morning, the pace was a little quicker than planned for the first 1 hour 20 with the group so we slowed down a little after they finished. We ran the first 1h20 @ 5:10 p/km and the last 1h10 at 5:28 p/km. Overall average was 5:20. I was pretty tired afterwards but happy to be hitting 2h30 runs already.

Monday:
The wheels came off the wagon about half way through the spin and I rolled home sitting behind Con and Elena's. I've been pushing it a bit with a steady build for almost 5 weeks and no easy week so I'm not too surprised. This week will be really easy with 2 more runs on Wednesday and Sunday and maybe an easy swim. Next week then will be mostly running and swimming as I am covering extra hours in the shop and will struggle to fit in much cycling.

Robs Blog Take 2..

Running on a treadmill!!! What did I say before about soft triathletes??!!!

Robs Blog Take 2..

Jeez theres just no pleasing some people....I expect you will make the run tonight and no work excuses???

Robs Blog Take 2..

Fernando came up with a novel training idea for a long run/bike day. Himself and Peter decided they would load up a mountain bike with food, clothes and drinks and one of them would cycle it while the other ran. They did 1 hour stints before switching places averaging 12k per hour in the Wicklow Mountains, doing the Sally Gap and Luggalla twice each from both directions.
Fernando reckons that the bike spin in between runs helped recovery and they also took the opportunity to eat and drink during the bike sections. We will be planning a similar session over the next few weeks but I think I will aim for 3 runs and bikes rather than 4 and hope to hit 5-6 hours total. I'll keep you posted as we firm up the date and format.
Another session I will be doing for the first time is a 5-6 hour mountain trail run, Aisling has done this before and reckons its similar to a 3 hour road run in terms of the abuse the body takes and that recovery is similar too. We have it provisionally planned for Sunday 8h Feb and I'm already nervous....I'm just trying not to think about it too much at the moment.

Anyway heres what I've been up to for the last couple of days, it is a rest week so not too much.

Wednesday:
Gym session in the morning, just under an hour. I surprised myself by actually enjoying the gym work over the last few months and I keep the sessions short so as not to get bored with it.
PM: Mountain run with the WNR's from tallaght, we had quite a big group out and had Markus the big German triathlete we ran with last week join us for his first outing with the group on this loop. I think he's as hooked as the rest of us, there is nothing quite like the feeling of legs and lungs burning, vision reduced to the beam of your headtorch as you run up a2 or 3k climb trying to keep the approaching footsteps you can hear coming up behind you and not let them past. We ran pretty quickly taking nearly 4 mins off last weeks time with myself Alan and Aisling pushed hard for the last 1.5k it was almost a race....I'm already thinking of the tactics for next weeks finish. So much for an easy run during the rest week....that being said I felt pretty good for most of the run and I'm starting to feel the benefit of the easy week.

Thursday:
AM: Swim recovery session, I did this really steady concentrating on good technique, I'm really enjoying the swimming again and looking forward to some longer swims. Session 5x200mts with 1 min recovery in between, total time 22 mins. Swimming is still pretty slow but I'm not too worried as its still a long way to July and Zurich.



Rob

Robs Blog Take 2..

I never have excuses!! Speaking of which, where were you on Tuesday night? No sign of ya on Tallaght track??????????????

Robs Blog Take 2..

Aquaasho, I was emmm in the nice warm sitting room? Tracks are highly overrated....
Friday:
This was a long day in the shop so all I managed was a short gym session, Saturday was supposed to be an easy bike but instead was an easy lie in with coffee and scones in bed.

Sunday:
We met the gang in the Phoenix Park for a long run. About half way round the first lap Liam and Eugene started to tell us that they could tell how fast you could run a 10k by the size of your backside, Liam reckons that I have a 28 minute ass but only 38 minute legs....as I havent yet broken 40mins for a 10k I am still ok with that. I am a little worried that they were both checking out my ass though..... Anyway the rest of the run was pretty uneventful and we finished at 31k in 2h43.

Monday:
I had a gym and swim planned but due to the "Big snow of '09" I skipped the swim in the evening and had a snowball fight instead. I did make the gym session in the morning though so not a completely wasted day.

Tuesday:
I did an interval run in the evening on the treadmill as the track session was cancelled followed by a short swim. Run intervals are a killer! I did 4 x 800's the first in 2:47...too fast..then the next 3 at about 3 mins, lungs and legs really burned for the whole session.

Wednesday:
Gym session cut short, I was knackered tired. No particular reason that I could think of...I also skipped the planned run in the evening and went to bed early.

Thursday:
I finally went over 2k in the pool including a 1500mt time trial, I was a little slower than I had hoped but not too much and considering that I've hardly been swimming at all it wasn't too bad.

Tomorrows session is a tempo run which I will do in the gym again as it doesn't look like the weathers going to clear anytime soon...

Robs Blog Take 2..

What weather issues???????? Are ya made of sugar?????

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