Ah back at it. In the words of TP - 'A nice easy week to get you back into training...' Thanks PJ
Going to track weight and BF for the next few months, so happy to share until I eat too many roses, quality street and turkey over the holiday period. I might take a break for a few weeks then :)
Weight - 75kg
BF - 14.5%
Verdict - Lots of work to be done
Turbo session to kick off the week and the HR spiked higher than the session intended, but that wasn't too unexpected.
Tuesday's run session was replaced with a treatment session.
Then the fun began with the swimming, following two sessions in week 1, I know where most of my pain will be felt over the coming months. When will this get easy?
A 2 hour bike ride at the weekend, it was good to get back out on the roads. A bitterly cold morning, but an enjoyable bike ride. Not huge distances but I felt the effort.
Tuesday 26 November 2013
The break
The post race season break starts out as the most enjoyable part of the season (in some ways). Guilt free rest, guilt free copious amounts of food (padding for the winter they say) and guilt free glass of wine (ok bottle). :)
This break was no different and after a long season and disappointing marathon, I enjoyed it. Checking my mail from TP each morning and seeing 'PUT FEET UP AND RELAX'. Ah bliss.
After nearly 2 weeks I was starting to feel lazy and fat, as the most exercise I got was a walk with the kids. An ill fated race against my 4 year old over 50m in the park on a Sunday afternoon pointed out that my legs were no where near recovered. In fact it told me I had to get my knee checked out.
Thankfully nothing serious, just a bit of bursits of the knee. The body is a complicated beast and the knee problem was as a result of my glutes not working enough, which caused quads to cramp and in turn pulled the knee this way and that. Leg bone connected to the knee bone, the knee bone connected to the back bone..........
Lots of work to be done this winter on S&C
Anyway, got the go ahead to start back winter training, without the running, so all back on track.
Oh, I wonder when the next break will be.
This break was no different and after a long season and disappointing marathon, I enjoyed it. Checking my mail from TP each morning and seeing 'PUT FEET UP AND RELAX'. Ah bliss.
After nearly 2 weeks I was starting to feel lazy and fat, as the most exercise I got was a walk with the kids. An ill fated race against my 4 year old over 50m in the park on a Sunday afternoon pointed out that my legs were no where near recovered. In fact it told me I had to get my knee checked out.
Thankfully nothing serious, just a bit of bursits of the knee. The body is a complicated beast and the knee problem was as a result of my glutes not working enough, which caused quads to cramp and in turn pulled the knee this way and that. Leg bone connected to the knee bone, the knee bone connected to the back bone..........
Lots of work to be done this winter on S&C
Anyway, got the go ahead to start back winter training, without the running, so all back on track.
Oh, I wonder when the next break will be.
Wednesday 6 November 2013
When a PB is not a PB
One of my A goals of the year was the Dublin marathon, but more importantly a sub 3 hour Dublin marathon.
After the end of my triathlon season in August, the focus went completely on to marathon training and I felt it went well. The long runs were long as you would expect, the warm up half marathon in September didn't go exactly according to plan and the prescribed aqua jogging was em lets just say not my favourite use of time, but it kept me injury free.
In the week leading up to the marathon, the nerves really kicked in. For 2 main reasons, 1. Last time I started the Dublin marathon I had a very bad experience and ended up in the back of an ambulance and 2. I was starting to doubt my ability to run a sub 3.
Things settled at on the weekend of the race and I started believing again.
Fast forward through the expo, weekend carb loading and the final touches to the race prep and race morning arrived.
The weather was very good considering the forecast of stormy weather so we were off to a good start.
My warm up went well, I entered the pen and made my way towards the front, now feeling apprehensive but confident. The gun went and 15,000 runners started making their way through the streets of Dublin. I saw the 3 hour pacers up ahead and they were going slightly ahead of the 3 hour pace, so listening to the advice I received from coach that morning I maintained my target pace. Through the 5km mark very comfortably, I could see the 3 hour flag ahead. At 10 mile I was beside them still feeling good.
A lot of welcome cheers on the route from friends, clubmates, randomers alike, but it was the cheer from the family that really made me smile.
At 13 miles, there was a big head wind but I used the numbers around me to shelter. The race was relatively non eventful until 22 miles. At this stage I was still feeling good and started visualising the time at the finish line.
Unfortunately, soon after things went bad, very bad. At approx 23 miles my quads cramped, the right one more so and I could feel myself slowing down. The 3 hour flag moved ahead and as hard as I tried to get the legs moving I couldn't make any inroads on the flag, in fact I fell further back. And so it was to be from there on. The most draining, disheartening and soul destroying view was seeing that 3 hour pacer with his flag disappear onto the horizon as I suffered along.
In that last 3 miles, the number of times I contemplated just stepping onto the curve were numerous but deep down, and trust me I say deep, I knew I had to continue. With a mile to go, I again saw the family and they knew my 'dream' was over for another day, but yet shouted many words of encouragement. That was tough.
I crossed the line in 3.06.12. It was my best time to date but was not the PB I wanted.
Disappointment on the time is an understatement. I know I had the training done, I know I gave it everything on the day, hence the extreme disappointment.
A week on from the marathon, the pity party is over and I am starting to relax about the time. I know I am capable of running a sub 3 so I will be back and hopefully the 2013 DCM will serve as a valuable lesson.
Feet up now for a couple of weeks and then the real training commences......IM AUSTRIA 2014.
After the end of my triathlon season in August, the focus went completely on to marathon training and I felt it went well. The long runs were long as you would expect, the warm up half marathon in September didn't go exactly according to plan and the prescribed aqua jogging was em lets just say not my favourite use of time, but it kept me injury free.
In the week leading up to the marathon, the nerves really kicked in. For 2 main reasons, 1. Last time I started the Dublin marathon I had a very bad experience and ended up in the back of an ambulance and 2. I was starting to doubt my ability to run a sub 3.
Things settled at on the weekend of the race and I started believing again.
Fast forward through the expo, weekend carb loading and the final touches to the race prep and race morning arrived.
The weather was very good considering the forecast of stormy weather so we were off to a good start.
My warm up went well, I entered the pen and made my way towards the front, now feeling apprehensive but confident. The gun went and 15,000 runners started making their way through the streets of Dublin. I saw the 3 hour pacers up ahead and they were going slightly ahead of the 3 hour pace, so listening to the advice I received from coach that morning I maintained my target pace. Through the 5km mark very comfortably, I could see the 3 hour flag ahead. At 10 mile I was beside them still feeling good.
A lot of welcome cheers on the route from friends, clubmates, randomers alike, but it was the cheer from the family that really made me smile.
At 13 miles, there was a big head wind but I used the numbers around me to shelter. The race was relatively non eventful until 22 miles. At this stage I was still feeling good and started visualising the time at the finish line.
Unfortunately, soon after things went bad, very bad. At approx 23 miles my quads cramped, the right one more so and I could feel myself slowing down. The 3 hour flag moved ahead and as hard as I tried to get the legs moving I couldn't make any inroads on the flag, in fact I fell further back. And so it was to be from there on. The most draining, disheartening and soul destroying view was seeing that 3 hour pacer with his flag disappear onto the horizon as I suffered along.
In that last 3 miles, the number of times I contemplated just stepping onto the curve were numerous but deep down, and trust me I say deep, I knew I had to continue. With a mile to go, I again saw the family and they knew my 'dream' was over for another day, but yet shouted many words of encouragement. That was tough.
I crossed the line in 3.06.12. It was my best time to date but was not the PB I wanted.
Disappointment on the time is an understatement. I know I had the training done, I know I gave it everything on the day, hence the extreme disappointment.
A week on from the marathon, the pity party is over and I am starting to relax about the time. I know I am capable of running a sub 3 so I will be back and hopefully the 2013 DCM will serve as a valuable lesson.
Feet up now for a couple of weeks and then the real training commences......IM AUSTRIA 2014.
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