Bike - 67.5 Miles. 3 x 21.5 mile outings on Monday, Thursday and Saturday varying in time from 01:10:22 to 01:14:08 and 4 miles in the gym on Tuesday. The wind certainly is a cyclists enemy- can really slow you down. Apart for spending time in the saddle the 3 other core skills required for cycling are:-
(i) uphills - just a matter of getting used to it by....you've guessed it cycling hills repeatedly. The 21.5 mile route i've been doing for the last number of weeks has 2 hills varying from 1.4 to 1.9 miles in length with grades varying from 3% to 6% (average closer to 4%). I may do a reconnaissance mission during the week to see/cycle the actual route i'll be doing next Saturday.
(ii) downhills - in other words speed. This is where the chicken in me comes out. On Monday's outing with Adrian the downhill after the 2nd hill had the wind behind me and I got up to about 33.5 MPH before braking. Adrian got to about 37 MPH before his inner chicken came out. I assume it's something you get used to.
(iii) cornering - I'm assuming downhill cornering - again chicken territory. Leaning over to one side on a thin strip of rubber at 25+ MPH on uneven surfaces is not where I go for kicks but for some reason I have even less confidence when cornering to the left (even in a car) - must be deep routed in my subconscious (trauma of birth maybe - don't go left!!!! I said don't go left). I understand that the route for the tri has a couple of hair pin bends - better check those brakes.
Run 34.2 Miles. All runs less than 10 miles. Still haven't gone into double digits since Cork.
Mon 23rd - am 5.34 Miles in 41:22 (07:45 pace @ 135 HR)
Tue 24th - Gym 10 min on the treadmill after the Bike (1.2 miles)
Wed 25th - 8.61 Miles in 01:07:35 (07:51 pace @ 134 HR)
Thu 26th - 1.9 miles after the cycle in 15:47 (08:16 pace @ 130 HR)
Fri 27th - 8.84 miles in 01:04:23 (07:17 pace @ 148 HR)
Sun 29th - 8.33 Miles in 01:03:57 (07:41 pace @ No HRM)
That's it folks, next stop Baltimore
Marathon Plan
With only 16 weeks to Amsterdam I will be starting my programme this week starting on week 9 of my previous 24 week "Brain Training" programme. That's good - i've just cut out 8 weeks of hills and start my speed sessions on the track on Tuesday. Who needs hills anyway - not required for Amsterdam. I'll have to change that tactic for the build up to Boston though (hear I am talking myself into it - Conservation between Abina, my mom and I earlier today goes something like this:-
Grellan: "Mom when are you going to Greece"
Mom: "September"
Grellan (daydreaming) "I wouldn't mind going"
Abina "What are you on about you're already going to Amsterdam and Boston, that should be enough"
Better to be a chicken than a crispy skinned chicken from gravel rash.
ReplyDeleteWas that a dream conversation, or did it really happen? Yes, save the hill training for Boston.
Good luck on Saturday - I hope the brain doesn't freeze. Keep the rubber side down, and run like the wind.
Good luck in your tri. You've got some pretty solid training in.
ReplyDeleteYou are a brave man. My inner chicken comes out when my ass hits the saddle (every bike I've own has landed me in hospital).
ReplyDeleteSwim, bike, run!? Is this the same Grellan I used to know? Good luck in the tri and keep the pressure on for Boston too!
ReplyDeleteBoston eh, do it! It'd be a riot to meet a bunch of you guys! Perhaps share a pint or two post-race. If not, you'll have to run vicariously through us.
ReplyDeleteAll the best with the triathlon training. Keep up the good work!