A long weekend - only 4 weeks to go!
The weekend started early with the early morning flight back from Nice. It had been a good holiday, I had the opportunity to relax and to train, even if I didn't follow the training plan.
It was a normal Friday with a club swim at Cripps. I felt tired as I had been up from 4am UK time to get the flight, and then tried to have a normal day. There were only 3 of us in lane 3 so plenty of space and I set the pace. I did 3x50m warm up, 1x400m in 10'12" then 2x50m, followed by 2x200m in 5'10" and 5'08", followed by 4x25m and then 4x100m all in the same time of 2'35". Then a bit of drills work - 2x50m sculling... not my best sets and then 2x50m with paddles making the swimming quite hard really feeling the extra effort required in my shoulders, followed by 2x100m cool down. The session last 1 hour covering 2050m. I felt good afterwards pleased I had made the effort.
The Saturday plan was for a 100mile bike and then 90 mins run at IM pace. I spent some time on Friday making minor adjustments to the bike and putting on an extra water bottle cage. I was most anxious about the weather forecast as hot and sunny, although good preparation for Austria. I didn't set out early as I needed some sleep so it was after 8.30am by the time I was on the bike. I was also experimenting with nutrition so I took 5 gels with me as well as 2 bottles of isotonic drink and some money in case I needed to buy some more drinks. My route was to head out to Banbury and then down to Oxford and back via Buckingham. In reality I went wrong again in the Bicester area, even going to the shopping village by way of a diversion, as well as getting mu Oxfordshire villages mixed up so some odd route choices. It was good riding, not to much traffic, some light cloud keeping the sharpest sun off most of the time. It felt very English countryside with many village cricket matches under way and even the Morris Men on the village green in Kirklington.
I covered 100.33 miles in 5hours 55'35" (100miles in 5 hours 54') averaging 17.1mph. My average HR was 129 with 53% in Z3 and 44% in Z2 so really pleased with the HR data. I felt good on the ride, my legs felt good even in the latter miles as I was able to ride at fast pace through Salcey on the way back. I saw Caroline and Parky as we were both finishing off our distance up and down Ladybridge Drive.
Home for a transition to a run, not quite as quick as it should have been as I wanted a drink and some food before heading out on the run. I set off feeling OK looking to try and run a steady IM pace once I had settled down into running more off the bike. I met Parky on the road and we headed off together up the canal towards Gayton Junction. I think I ran a bit fast to start with keeping up but still felt OK but paid for it later as after about 30 minutes I changed to a run/walk plan to try and get my HR down as I was finding the running hard work. It took me about an hour before I felt good running agian at more like normal IM pace but still mixed in run/walk. I ran for 1 hours 41'40" covered 9.13 miles at 11min mile pace - although according to the Garmin I did run at 102mph at one point! The HR data was also crazy with the data showing about 200bpm for extended perios of time. I did find the effort hard but do not believe the data, again. Not sure why I found the run so hard, I will put it down to the heat and dehydration, as I spent the rest of the day drinking large quantities and not going to the loo very often.
A Sunday swim at Box End with a difference, it was the VOTWO 3.8km swim series. The Wootton IM team were out in force, all ready to test ourselves. I was anxious as I was tired from yesterday, I hadn't slept very well and also my memory of this race last year. I settled down into a steady pace for the first lap, tried to speed up on the second lap but ended up going all over the place my sighting seemed to fail me, and the last lap I felt good thought I was gaining on some people in front of me and to get a good, for me, time. I approached the exit cautiously as last year I had not been able to stand up to get out of the water and had severe calf cramp, so I made the effort to move my legs much more to try and avert any cramp. I still found I was uneasy as I got out of the water but I managed on my own. My time of 1hour 31'43" was good, much better than last year, nearly 15 minutes improvement. Hopefully, I should bea few minute quicker in Austria as I will be rested although when I get out of the water then I will then be getting on the bike for 180km ride.
All in all a good weekedn. I feel that I am ready for Austria and can begin to taper towards the event and have a good race.
It was a normal Friday with a club swim at Cripps. I felt tired as I had been up from 4am UK time to get the flight, and then tried to have a normal day. There were only 3 of us in lane 3 so plenty of space and I set the pace. I did 3x50m warm up, 1x400m in 10'12" then 2x50m, followed by 2x200m in 5'10" and 5'08", followed by 4x25m and then 4x100m all in the same time of 2'35". Then a bit of drills work - 2x50m sculling... not my best sets and then 2x50m with paddles making the swimming quite hard really feeling the extra effort required in my shoulders, followed by 2x100m cool down. The session last 1 hour covering 2050m. I felt good afterwards pleased I had made the effort.
The Saturday plan was for a 100mile bike and then 90 mins run at IM pace. I spent some time on Friday making minor adjustments to the bike and putting on an extra water bottle cage. I was most anxious about the weather forecast as hot and sunny, although good preparation for Austria. I didn't set out early as I needed some sleep so it was after 8.30am by the time I was on the bike. I was also experimenting with nutrition so I took 5 gels with me as well as 2 bottles of isotonic drink and some money in case I needed to buy some more drinks. My route was to head out to Banbury and then down to Oxford and back via Buckingham. In reality I went wrong again in the Bicester area, even going to the shopping village by way of a diversion, as well as getting mu Oxfordshire villages mixed up so some odd route choices. It was good riding, not to much traffic, some light cloud keeping the sharpest sun off most of the time. It felt very English countryside with many village cricket matches under way and even the Morris Men on the village green in Kirklington.
I covered 100.33 miles in 5hours 55'35" (100miles in 5 hours 54') averaging 17.1mph. My average HR was 129 with 53% in Z3 and 44% in Z2 so really pleased with the HR data. I felt good on the ride, my legs felt good even in the latter miles as I was able to ride at fast pace through Salcey on the way back. I saw Caroline and Parky as we were both finishing off our distance up and down Ladybridge Drive.
Home for a transition to a run, not quite as quick as it should have been as I wanted a drink and some food before heading out on the run. I set off feeling OK looking to try and run a steady IM pace once I had settled down into running more off the bike. I met Parky on the road and we headed off together up the canal towards Gayton Junction. I think I ran a bit fast to start with keeping up but still felt OK but paid for it later as after about 30 minutes I changed to a run/walk plan to try and get my HR down as I was finding the running hard work. It took me about an hour before I felt good running agian at more like normal IM pace but still mixed in run/walk. I ran for 1 hours 41'40" covered 9.13 miles at 11min mile pace - although according to the Garmin I did run at 102mph at one point! The HR data was also crazy with the data showing about 200bpm for extended perios of time. I did find the effort hard but do not believe the data, again. Not sure why I found the run so hard, I will put it down to the heat and dehydration, as I spent the rest of the day drinking large quantities and not going to the loo very often.
A Sunday swim at Box End with a difference, it was the VOTWO 3.8km swim series. The Wootton IM team were out in force, all ready to test ourselves. I was anxious as I was tired from yesterday, I hadn't slept very well and also my memory of this race last year. I settled down into a steady pace for the first lap, tried to speed up on the second lap but ended up going all over the place my sighting seemed to fail me, and the last lap I felt good thought I was gaining on some people in front of me and to get a good, for me, time. I approached the exit cautiously as last year I had not been able to stand up to get out of the water and had severe calf cramp, so I made the effort to move my legs much more to try and avert any cramp. I still found I was uneasy as I got out of the water but I managed on my own. My time of 1hour 31'43" was good, much better than last year, nearly 15 minutes improvement. Hopefully, I should bea few minute quicker in Austria as I will be rested although when I get out of the water then I will then be getting on the bike for 180km ride.
All in all a good weekedn. I feel that I am ready for Austria and can begin to taper towards the event and have a good race.
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