Sunday 29 June 2008

103.8 Miles.

Swim - 2.1 Miles. Getting better with taking off the wet suit - learnt a few tricks like letting more water in through the neck before finishing, kicking harder before getting out of the water to bring blood back into the legs to avoid that jelly leg feeling when switching from horizontal to vertical. Did my longest session in the sea at Inchydoney today - froze my head off again before acclimatising, i'll have to getting a woolly hat (toque to those in the know) I swam for about 32 minutes (i'll give myself 1,600m for that - left Mr Garmin on dry land).

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"



5 comments:

  1. Better to be a chicken than a crispy skinned chicken from gravel rash.

    Was 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.

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  2. Good luck in your tri. You've got some pretty solid training in.

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  3. You 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).

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  4. Swim, bike, run!? Is this the same Grellan I used to know? Good luck in the tri and keep the pressure on for Boston too!

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  5. Boston 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.

    All the best with the triathlon training. Keep up the good work!

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