Not the biggest training week, but extremely high quality last week. With J P Morgan on Wednesday night, I had to load the end of the week, but came out really well. Happy to run so fast on Wednesday, I really didn't expect a 20 second pb over 5.6km! Huge weekend went really well with 280km of top quality km's banked, including 75 at target IM race pace (34.5km/h).
All on track for IM, soft taper starts about now!
12km swimming
400km riding
65km running
And, it's my birthday today, so no training!!! I love how my colleague at work believe me when I tell them I'm 27!
Johns blog
Monday, November 19, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
The last two weeks...
It's been a few weeks since blogging last - triathlon definitely takes up more time than running. Lots has happened since I last blogged, so I'll try to keep it brief.
I had a decent week of training after Port Mac 70.3. Whilst I wanted to recover well and set myself up for my first Olympic distance race a week later, my focus is on IM WA. I trained right through the week and went in without a taper. It was a relatively low key race so I didn't think I'd embarass myself.
2:12:37 10th overall, 2nd 30-34.
My timing chip must have malfunctioned because all I got was a swim time and a finish time. The swim was tough and very choppy - I struggled through in 27mins including transition (which includes about 10 flights of stairs up from the beach). T1 wasn't great, but on the bike, I put the hammer down. My aim was to try and totally burn up my legs and leave nothing for the run. I went hard and spent the whole time passing people (partly because I was in the last wave again). The course isn't flat and I found it tough - I'm simply not used to riding at 37kph for any length of time. I came in a little disappointed, but by comparison to others, I rode well, about 1:07 moving time. It doesn't seem to matter what I do on the bike, I always seem to have the legs to run, so I slipped into a great rhythm, overtaking heaps more people. No idea what time I ran. One mess up was a volunteer sending me the wrong way! Partly my own fault, I should have known the course.
I went fairly easy for the week following the race, but still chalked up 14km swimming, 300km riding and 75km running. Key session was a 100km TT on Saturday which included 1 x 1hr and 2 x 30mins at race pace + 20%. I smashed it! On top of that, I ran off the bike - 30km progressive, getting quicker every 10km, 4:55s, 4:37s, 3:55s.
Another big week this week - up at 4:30 this morning for 5km swimming because I had a meeting until 7:30! Only 1 more hard week after this week before taper time. Who knows how I'll go at J P Morgan with all the km's in my legs?
I had a decent week of training after Port Mac 70.3. Whilst I wanted to recover well and set myself up for my first Olympic distance race a week later, my focus is on IM WA. I trained right through the week and went in without a taper. It was a relatively low key race so I didn't think I'd embarass myself.
2:12:37 10th overall, 2nd 30-34.
My timing chip must have malfunctioned because all I got was a swim time and a finish time. The swim was tough and very choppy - I struggled through in 27mins including transition (which includes about 10 flights of stairs up from the beach). T1 wasn't great, but on the bike, I put the hammer down. My aim was to try and totally burn up my legs and leave nothing for the run. I went hard and spent the whole time passing people (partly because I was in the last wave again). The course isn't flat and I found it tough - I'm simply not used to riding at 37kph for any length of time. I came in a little disappointed, but by comparison to others, I rode well, about 1:07 moving time. It doesn't seem to matter what I do on the bike, I always seem to have the legs to run, so I slipped into a great rhythm, overtaking heaps more people. No idea what time I ran. One mess up was a volunteer sending me the wrong way! Partly my own fault, I should have known the course.
I went fairly easy for the week following the race, but still chalked up 14km swimming, 300km riding and 75km running. Key session was a 100km TT on Saturday which included 1 x 1hr and 2 x 30mins at race pace + 20%. I smashed it! On top of that, I ran off the bike - 30km progressive, getting quicker every 10km, 4:55s, 4:37s, 3:55s.
Another big week this week - up at 4:30 this morning for 5km swimming because I had a meeting until 7:30! Only 1 more hard week after this week before taper time. Who knows how I'll go at J P Morgan with all the km's in my legs?
Thursday, November 1, 2012
IM 70.3 Port Macquarie: 4:30:24 (43rd overall, 11th in AG)
I had 3 key goals on Sunday and I just about hit them all.
Goal 1- a good swim
I wanted to put down a performance that reflected all the effort I've put into swimming over the last 3 months. The wave starts helped along with some excellent navigation advice from my swim coach, Spot Anderson. It was a one lap out and back course and I put the hammer down on the way back, taking a really tight left line. Spot had told me I'd be all on my own, but clearly I made the right choice as I put a few hundred metres into the guys with me at the turn. Home in 30:21, not earth shattering, but kept me in the hunt.
Goal 2 - sub 80min run
I ran 80:34, so not far off my goal. I spent the whole run weaving in and out since I was in the last wave in the swim. Not too much difficulty, only a few parts where I started to feel my hamstrings tug a bit so I had to cut the stride and slow a little. I couldn't capture the whole run on my Garmin, but the data shows I did the last km in 3:34!
Goal 3 - sub 4:30 overall
Only 24secs off the goal (and it was a stretch target). It was a 7 min pb, so can't ask much more. There are a few mins still to gain on each leg, but particularly the ride. At 2:37, I think I could have gone quicker. That said, the bike course isn't easy and I was disadvantaged going out in the last wave as the wind always picks up later in the day riding towards Lake Cathie. The power meter was a good purchase as I was able to measure my effort into the wind.
I think I'm on track for IM WA. A couple of medium weeks, followed by two final hard weeks will get me to the taper. I'm racing my first Olympic distance triathlon at Huskison this Sunday. A low key race with nothing to lose, I plan to totally smash myself on the bike and try and hang on in the run!
Goal 1- a good swim
I wanted to put down a performance that reflected all the effort I've put into swimming over the last 3 months. The wave starts helped along with some excellent navigation advice from my swim coach, Spot Anderson. It was a one lap out and back course and I put the hammer down on the way back, taking a really tight left line. Spot had told me I'd be all on my own, but clearly I made the right choice as I put a few hundred metres into the guys with me at the turn. Home in 30:21, not earth shattering, but kept me in the hunt.
Goal 2 - sub 80min run
I ran 80:34, so not far off my goal. I spent the whole run weaving in and out since I was in the last wave in the swim. Not too much difficulty, only a few parts where I started to feel my hamstrings tug a bit so I had to cut the stride and slow a little. I couldn't capture the whole run on my Garmin, but the data shows I did the last km in 3:34!
Goal 3 - sub 4:30 overall
Only 24secs off the goal (and it was a stretch target). It was a 7 min pb, so can't ask much more. There are a few mins still to gain on each leg, but particularly the ride. At 2:37, I think I could have gone quicker. That said, the bike course isn't easy and I was disadvantaged going out in the last wave as the wind always picks up later in the day riding towards Lake Cathie. The power meter was a good purchase as I was able to measure my effort into the wind.
I think I'm on track for IM WA. A couple of medium weeks, followed by two final hard weeks will get me to the taper. I'm racing my first Olympic distance triathlon at Huskison this Sunday. A low key race with nothing to lose, I plan to totally smash myself on the bike and try and hang on in the run!
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