Foe = Swimming, Running & Hills
Friends = Cycling & Flat
Since NZ Ironman, under a little bit reflection, this is what I am going to do. My mind set is going to change, I am going to become a runner!!
I have found myself a new coach, yes a COACH, not a program writer, someone who wants to see the athletes succeed, not one who is only about lining their own pockets.
Under a bit of research and investigation, I am happy with my choice of coaches and after meeting with him to discuss my 1st program, I walked away very satisfied that we were both on the same page wanting to head in the same direction.
With this in mind, we are going to hang the bike up and run. This is going to be my focus over the winter months, which I know will be hard to get my head around to start with however with the trust that I am putting in him, I am confident that my goals with be achieved by following the advice that will come my way.
With doing a little bit of training over the last week on the bike, and looking over the forthcoming weeks program, I am going to miss the bike, however I also know in the long run that my bike will not drop off, just my swim and run will improve. Everything is starting from basics, yep 1 hour rides, 1 km swims and 30 min runs.
I am going to enjoy the early "easy" training and then look forward to the "hard" times. For now, cycling is a recreational activity for me with running and swimming being the focus.
The running starts today and swimming tomorrow, interesting times ahead.
For now...
X-Man
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
2 perfect.....1 not so perfect.
Well, after a weeks r&r from a not so perfect NZ Ironman 2010, I thought I should recap the race and jot down very important lessons that I learnt.
The brief summary goes like this:
Was very complacent in my swim training which meant I gave the swimmers a start that I could not bridge the gap too. 59 odd min
Totally punished myself on the bike trying to get across to the leaders, underestimated the course, conditions and competitors. 5hr 7 min
Took the run very easy as after I knew I was not going to achieve my goals, I set about enjoying the remaining of the race and finished with Carla. (Something that I will never regret doing). 4hr 25min
Total time: 10hr 40min (give or take a minute)
The extended version:
I had the perfect position as the start of the swim, front row, very wide. With a straight 1700m before the first turning buoy, I was very happy with where I was situated. This was the calmest swim that I have done, hardly any contesting of position. I found myself swimming very comfortably and was able to push from the turning buoy to the finish. I didn't feel like I faded at all. Was very happy with my swim. (59 odd min with only 3 swims in the lead up).
Little did I know that the 30-34 age group was a star studded field and by swimming a couple of mins slower, it cost me a chance of even being competitive, let alone get the slot I went there for!!
So, with the long (400 odd metre) run up to transition, I was fresh and ready to get cracking on the bike to get myself into a position similar to Western Australia. So after heading out the first part of the bike, passing the usual swimmers on the way out, I was happy with how I was going. This quickly changed as I approached the turn around and counted no fewer than 8 athletes in my age group in the lead pack. Throw in another 1-2 just off the back, I found myself in around 15th - 20th position (hard to get exact spot on course) So at the turn around, my plan was to keep driving hard and bridge the gap by the start of the second lap.
Back into town, 90km down in 2hr 20min, REAL happy with how i was feeling and how i was going. Surely I had shortened the gap!?!?! (history shows, not even close!!!) So, I headed back out to the turn around (135km) and with the wind picking up, I decided to try and conserve a little bit of energy knowing that I still had to get back in reasonable shape. Being a little more reserved and not seeing many athletes along the way, except the odd straggler (which I became one) I realised that my dream of Kona 2010 was over. The lead bunch of age groupers were now putting considerable time into me, which is understandable with 1 rider trying to get across to a bunch of 15 or so.
Hit the turn around and tired to keep a constant tempo right til the end. This was going well and managed to get myself into a group of 4-5, not at my ideal speed, however, still some reprieve for a few minutes. This was going fine until I heard an almighty squeal from my rear wheel, WTF was that?? After coming to a screaming halt, I looked down and noticed that my spare had rattled loose and jammed between my frame and wheel. So, as if I needed anything else to make my job harder I had to dismount and TRY to remove the single, after about 1 min (yes not that much!!) I got the spare out and had to put it down my top to ride back. I then spent WAY too much energy trying to get back to the group and expended a fair amount of energy doing so.
Back into town and off the bike in 5hr 7min, about 10 min slower than what I wanted at the start. So, after doing too much on the bike, I took my time in Transition and walked the exit getting some nutrition down before I headed out for the run. As I knew my race was technically over (getting a Kona slot, going near my PB) I decided to take the run really easy to enjoy what was a tough day for me. The run was at a very moderate pace (slow!!) and after the first lap, I decided that I would wait for Carla and finish the run/race with her. So, with 10kms to go, I was heading home, still trying to get an idea how far she was behind me. I managed to convince 5 locals that they were holding my beer (after running the hill for the last time) and once they realised I would enjoy a beverage with them, handed over an icy cold beer (the label escapes me), but at the stage, the beer tasted great.
This was the order for the remaining part of the run and with 5km to go, I found another group of local lads and enjoyed another one of their finest beers, along with some biscuits & cheese whilst I waited for Carla. I may have sat down for too long because as she rounded the corner I got out the the most comfortable seat for the day and got a head start back to the finish line. Once the legs got mobile again, we managed to get into a good rhythm and ran the final 5k's in under 25 mins.....(maybe I am learning to run, or was it the extended rest I had?!?!)
Into the finish chute, finishing with Carla was one decision that I will never regret, nor forget. As many endurance athletes know, emotions run high during a race and finishing with her was a great moment (even if I was over 1 hour behind where I wanted to be!!).
Overall, I learnt a lot from the race - I CANNOT solely rely on my bike leg to get me near the front, I have to get back into the pool.
The atmosphere for the day was outstanding and is a race that I will be going back to.
From here, triathlon is the furthest thing from my mind. I am going to run the Geelong 1/2 Marathon in 4 weeks and hopefully improve on my time from 2 years ago and then head to Coleraine for the Tour of Coleraine over ANZAC weekend.
Anyway, as they say, 2 outta 3 ain't bad!!!
For now...
X-Man
Ps...The Erox wheels were fantastic and wheels that I will be using again in the future and wearing the Compressport gear was also great and very comfortable. Thanks Florian & Rudy for helping me out with these products. Will be passing on my thoughts to everyone!!! Unfortunately I was unable to wear the NEW Degani race suit due to a few technical issues for Ironman racing. I look forward to the release of the Ironman suit later in the year.
The brief summary goes like this:
Was very complacent in my swim training which meant I gave the swimmers a start that I could not bridge the gap too. 59 odd min
Totally punished myself on the bike trying to get across to the leaders, underestimated the course, conditions and competitors. 5hr 7 min
Took the run very easy as after I knew I was not going to achieve my goals, I set about enjoying the remaining of the race and finished with Carla. (Something that I will never regret doing). 4hr 25min
Total time: 10hr 40min (give or take a minute)
The extended version:
I had the perfect position as the start of the swim, front row, very wide. With a straight 1700m before the first turning buoy, I was very happy with where I was situated. This was the calmest swim that I have done, hardly any contesting of position. I found myself swimming very comfortably and was able to push from the turning buoy to the finish. I didn't feel like I faded at all. Was very happy with my swim. (59 odd min with only 3 swims in the lead up).
Little did I know that the 30-34 age group was a star studded field and by swimming a couple of mins slower, it cost me a chance of even being competitive, let alone get the slot I went there for!!
So, with the long (400 odd metre) run up to transition, I was fresh and ready to get cracking on the bike to get myself into a position similar to Western Australia. So after heading out the first part of the bike, passing the usual swimmers on the way out, I was happy with how I was going. This quickly changed as I approached the turn around and counted no fewer than 8 athletes in my age group in the lead pack. Throw in another 1-2 just off the back, I found myself in around 15th - 20th position (hard to get exact spot on course) So at the turn around, my plan was to keep driving hard and bridge the gap by the start of the second lap.
Back into town, 90km down in 2hr 20min, REAL happy with how i was feeling and how i was going. Surely I had shortened the gap!?!?! (history shows, not even close!!!) So, I headed back out to the turn around (135km) and with the wind picking up, I decided to try and conserve a little bit of energy knowing that I still had to get back in reasonable shape. Being a little more reserved and not seeing many athletes along the way, except the odd straggler (which I became one) I realised that my dream of Kona 2010 was over. The lead bunch of age groupers were now putting considerable time into me, which is understandable with 1 rider trying to get across to a bunch of 15 or so.
Hit the turn around and tired to keep a constant tempo right til the end. This was going well and managed to get myself into a group of 4-5, not at my ideal speed, however, still some reprieve for a few minutes. This was going fine until I heard an almighty squeal from my rear wheel, WTF was that?? After coming to a screaming halt, I looked down and noticed that my spare had rattled loose and jammed between my frame and wheel. So, as if I needed anything else to make my job harder I had to dismount and TRY to remove the single, after about 1 min (yes not that much!!) I got the spare out and had to put it down my top to ride back. I then spent WAY too much energy trying to get back to the group and expended a fair amount of energy doing so.
Back into town and off the bike in 5hr 7min, about 10 min slower than what I wanted at the start. So, after doing too much on the bike, I took my time in Transition and walked the exit getting some nutrition down before I headed out for the run. As I knew my race was technically over (getting a Kona slot, going near my PB) I decided to take the run really easy to enjoy what was a tough day for me. The run was at a very moderate pace (slow!!) and after the first lap, I decided that I would wait for Carla and finish the run/race with her. So, with 10kms to go, I was heading home, still trying to get an idea how far she was behind me. I managed to convince 5 locals that they were holding my beer (after running the hill for the last time) and once they realised I would enjoy a beverage with them, handed over an icy cold beer (the label escapes me), but at the stage, the beer tasted great.
This was the order for the remaining part of the run and with 5km to go, I found another group of local lads and enjoyed another one of their finest beers, along with some biscuits & cheese whilst I waited for Carla. I may have sat down for too long because as she rounded the corner I got out the the most comfortable seat for the day and got a head start back to the finish line. Once the legs got mobile again, we managed to get into a good rhythm and ran the final 5k's in under 25 mins.....(maybe I am learning to run, or was it the extended rest I had?!?!)
Into the finish chute, finishing with Carla was one decision that I will never regret, nor forget. As many endurance athletes know, emotions run high during a race and finishing with her was a great moment (even if I was over 1 hour behind where I wanted to be!!).
Overall, I learnt a lot from the race - I CANNOT solely rely on my bike leg to get me near the front, I have to get back into the pool.
The atmosphere for the day was outstanding and is a race that I will be going back to.
From here, triathlon is the furthest thing from my mind. I am going to run the Geelong 1/2 Marathon in 4 weeks and hopefully improve on my time from 2 years ago and then head to Coleraine for the Tour of Coleraine over ANZAC weekend.
Anyway, as they say, 2 outta 3 ain't bad!!!
For now...
X-Man
Ps...The Erox wheels were fantastic and wheels that I will be using again in the future and wearing the Compressport gear was also great and very comfortable. Thanks Florian & Rudy for helping me out with these products. Will be passing on my thoughts to everyone!!! Unfortunately I was unable to wear the NEW Degani race suit due to a few technical issues for Ironman racing. I look forward to the release of the Ironman suit later in the year.
Friday, March 5, 2010
1 more sleep....
Well, as I sit here in front of the computer, the weather is absolute magic outside. Clear blue skies, minimal wind and temperature around 22 deg Celsius. Yesterday was a different story, as tomorrow will be. The wind is forecast to be a southeasterly with chance of rain in the afternoon. As for the race, this means that there will be a tailwind for the outward journey on the bike and naturally a headwind on the return.
I have had a swim in the lake, tasted it also in the chop yesterday and thankfully, it is freshwater, so no spew if I cop a mouthful tomorrow!!! I also ride the first section of the bike with the only step incline on it and am very comfortable with this. (Must be the riding with Jas in the hills many many Saturdays in a row!!!) And also the run only has one incline which I am also confident with (thanks Arch & Trav!!).
So, for now I have to finalise my things to check into transition as everything else has been checked off my list. Fingers crossed that the race plan goes well and I have a "happy" race report post race.
For now...
X-Man
I have had a swim in the lake, tasted it also in the chop yesterday and thankfully, it is freshwater, so no spew if I cop a mouthful tomorrow!!! I also ride the first section of the bike with the only step incline on it and am very comfortable with this. (Must be the riding with Jas in the hills many many Saturdays in a row!!!) And also the run only has one incline which I am also confident with (thanks Arch & Trav!!).
So, for now I have to finalise my things to check into transition as everything else has been checked off my list. Fingers crossed that the race plan goes well and I have a "happy" race report post race.
For now...
X-Man
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Beauty....
With one week to go before Ironman NZ and well and truely into my taper period, which to date has gone well and has not affected me with the traditional "taper blues". Thanks to Florian at Erox for supplying my wheels, this will be my look for the race. I have ridden these wheels a few times in the recent weeks and have found them to be equivelant to my former disc wheel. The real test will ofcourse be on race day. However in saying this, if you are not comfortable with your wheels you will make excuses for not riding well on them.
THE BEAST...
I would also like George from Degani for supplying my race suit, so I will be in the Traditional Degani Black & White. With support from people like Erox & Team Degani, it does make competing at the pointy end a lot easier.
The legs are really starting to freshen up and with one more session with Jason, I know they will be in prime condition come race day. Carla & I fly out on Tuesday and no doubt will be inspecting the course to get familiar with it pre-race. I have been getting some really good advice from a few people who either have raced on this course before or have loads of experience in the caper.
I also re-discovered water this week and felt really good doing it. I have only had a handful of swims this year and have found that I have not lost to much fitness in the wet stuff!! Overall I am very happy with my condition and will definately giving it my all to grab that elusive "slot".
Finally, something that I have failed to do with previous races is to thank everyone who has helped me get into the shape that I am.
So, here goes:
Stormy; for all the texts at 4.30am confirming week day rides, and also making sure that every session has been quality and worth while.
Jas; for spending more time with me every weekend on the bike than what we do with our partners!! Also, helping me start to enjoy climbing hills, even if I am still no good at it!!! And no, I am not going to ever do a 24hour MTB race. Ofcourse, Bec his wife for cooking my pancakes post ride, and for TRYING to keep me quiet at 5am after 3 early morning coffees!
Trav & Arch; for really helping with my running, and dragging me to some undulating runs regulary to once again help conquer the hills.
And finally, Carla; When two people in the same household are training for the same significant event, it takes a lot of patience and strong will to both keep going strong and motivating each other.
So, after training solid since June '09, I am going to give it all at New Zealand like previous races. I have set my race plan, which will be slightly different to previous and will see if this pays dividends. Time will tell.
MTR-Racing is really taking off with some great early results and more and more interest from athletes who are interested in joining. Positive breeds positive!!
So with that and leaving ALL the excuses at the door, I might be able to blog once more pre-race but if I don't a in depth race report will be given post race with a heavy unfluence of the amber liquid!!
For now...
X-Man
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Playing the averages..
After reveiwing my training this year I have found a common thread with my training. I train better with a consistent weekly average rather than trying to "overload" myself. This theory has been tried in the passed and I have trouble keeping consistent the following week/s.
So with this preparation, I have just trained consisently week in week out with no specific focus on "overlaod" or "strength" training. By doing this I have managed a consistent 20hours per week for the passed 7 weeks with a peak of 26 hours in early January and a trough of 16 1/2 hours in the first week February.
My training has consisted of weekly riding of 450k's average with some racing, some interval training and long rides of a weekend. Once again I peaked at 700k's in 7 days and a low of 303 k's. I have found my happy balance at 450k's and can find that I get that amount in without much hassle.
My running has averaged out at 70k's per week, probably a little lower than I originally planned, however is a lot more than I have done previously. The minor hiccup that I had with the broken crank put a stop to running for a few days at the time, but has had no negative effect on my overall training. Just consistent running has seen my runs time decrease and my overall run fitness improve dramatically. I attribute this to Trav & Archie pushing me not only to get throu all the runs, but also to keep running even on tired legs. (See blog training partners vs training program).
My swim, well this has been on the back burner for a while to concentrate on the other two disciplines. I am not to concerned about my swim, as like many others, my swim times don't vary too much with consistent training vs occasional training (1-2 min over Ironman distance.)
So with all that in mind, I feel like I am in a very good place at the moment and as I have been told and discussed in depth with a few of my training partners. My 20 hours is quality every time, no junk k's!! This I would rather as you feel the benefit every training session as opposed to feeling like you are wasting time.
The garmin has been a very good tool also as I can track every session and will be good to look over once New Zealand is done and dusted. This will be the only way that I can judge how my training time and quality has been.
Next week, as stated in my previous post will be taper time and swim time. I will be well aware of the taper blues this prep and now know how to handle them.
Will post again after the weekend.
For now...
X-Man
So with this preparation, I have just trained consisently week in week out with no specific focus on "overlaod" or "strength" training. By doing this I have managed a consistent 20hours per week for the passed 7 weeks with a peak of 26 hours in early January and a trough of 16 1/2 hours in the first week February.
My training has consisted of weekly riding of 450k's average with some racing, some interval training and long rides of a weekend. Once again I peaked at 700k's in 7 days and a low of 303 k's. I have found my happy balance at 450k's and can find that I get that amount in without much hassle.
My running has averaged out at 70k's per week, probably a little lower than I originally planned, however is a lot more than I have done previously. The minor hiccup that I had with the broken crank put a stop to running for a few days at the time, but has had no negative effect on my overall training. Just consistent running has seen my runs time decrease and my overall run fitness improve dramatically. I attribute this to Trav & Archie pushing me not only to get throu all the runs, but also to keep running even on tired legs. (See blog training partners vs training program).
My swim, well this has been on the back burner for a while to concentrate on the other two disciplines. I am not to concerned about my swim, as like many others, my swim times don't vary too much with consistent training vs occasional training (1-2 min over Ironman distance.)
So with all that in mind, I feel like I am in a very good place at the moment and as I have been told and discussed in depth with a few of my training partners. My 20 hours is quality every time, no junk k's!! This I would rather as you feel the benefit every training session as opposed to feeling like you are wasting time.
The garmin has been a very good tool also as I can track every session and will be good to look over once New Zealand is done and dusted. This will be the only way that I can judge how my training time and quality has been.
Next week, as stated in my previous post will be taper time and swim time. I will be well aware of the taper blues this prep and now know how to handle them.
Will post again after the weekend.
For now...
X-Man
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The countdown is on!!
Yes I am counting down until the race. I feel like I am in better shape now than what I was pre- WA for the same period. My running is coming along and my cycling is holding firm.
I am really looking forward to post NZ as I have been going solid now since June '09 and am ready for a break to let the hair down.
I would like to shout out a BIG thanks to Florian at EROX for supplying my race wheels for NZ. I look forward to enjoying the setup supplied and posting a fast time. I will post a picture soon of my bike complete with wheels which will propel me for the bike leg.
Also a thanks to George at Degani Cafe & Bakery for supplying my race kit and training kit along the way.
This weekend will be my last BIG weekend of training and then taper will kick in. Fresh legs will be a new thing for me!!!
Don't worry, I haven't forgotten all my training partners who will get a big mention in my next post when I have more time.
For Now...
X-Man
I am really looking forward to post NZ as I have been going solid now since June '09 and am ready for a break to let the hair down.
I would like to shout out a BIG thanks to Florian at EROX for supplying my race wheels for NZ. I look forward to enjoying the setup supplied and posting a fast time. I will post a picture soon of my bike complete with wheels which will propel me for the bike leg.
Also a thanks to George at Degani Cafe & Bakery for supplying my race kit and training kit along the way.
This weekend will be my last BIG weekend of training and then taper will kick in. Fresh legs will be a new thing for me!!!
Don't worry, I haven't forgotten all my training partners who will get a big mention in my next post when I have more time.
For Now...
X-Man
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Stepping up!!
The move into "A" grade has been a learning experience for me. The step up from "B" grade means that pure strength and fitness is not only what you need, but some race tactics and patience.
The first thing that I have noticed in the 3 races to date is that the average speed is a lot higher. Now I found "B" Grade to average around the 38 - 39 kph for the duration, usually 50 - 55 min. In "A" Grade the average speed has jumped to between 42 - 43kph for the duration 1 hr - 1hr 5 min.
This might not seem like a lot by these numbers, however when you throw in an extra 4-5 km for the race, it does make a difference. The other thing that I have found is the attacks are more frequent, go for longer and HURT a whole lot more. This means that the recovery is shorter and the heart rate is high for a lot of the race (see links below).
Now for the 3 races; The first race for me was pleasing, getting around, however got stitched up a beauty!!! I am not one to roll around in the bunch, so I thought that I would do some work and help chase a few breakaways. First mistake!!! A big attack happened after I did a solid turn and BANG, legs went. Rookie error. So from there I managed to get around with the bunch until the end.
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Crit Race "A" Grade
The second race was a lot better for me with sitting comfotable in the bunch, doing the occasional stint at the front, however having enough in the legs to be in a few early breaks. This race was cancelled with 10min to go due to the rain coming in.
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Crit Race "A" Grade - rain interrupted
The most recent race followed 5 days totalling just under 600km in the legs with 70km running, so was always going to be interesting. Goal was to just hang in there. An early break got away and I was determined to stay in the bunch and just get around as averaging 42+ kph would be enough effort for me this race without throwing in any more self imposed efforts as the bunch makes an effort every lap.
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Crit "A" Grade - Crank Broke
So, 30mins into the race, I find myself 2nd wheel. Heading into the head wind, the left side of my bike seems to become very easy pedalling.....My crank snapped and was just hanging by my shoe....WTF?!?!? A sharp pain in my left ankle, and I realised that on breaking the crank, I smashed my left ankle into the bottom bracket.
OUCH!!
Now, I was happy with that, felt lucky really. Since I was sitting 2nd wheel and with 10-15 riders behind me, it could have been a whole lot worse. I was just lucky that it happened into the head wind, not in an attack as I am sure that I would have been eating bitumen for dinner and having bikes all over me. So I rolled casually back to the start finish. With every rider thanking me for not bringing the bunch down, I was more thankful myself that I stayed upright.
Where does this leave me? I have decided not to do Geelong 70.3 in fear of aggrevating my ankle any more, with New Zealand Ironman only 5 weeks away, I cannot afford any time off my ankle and race pace will do it no favours. I can still run on it, with a little pain, however is very managable. Ice and Voltaren are my friends currently.
Will this interfer with my training? No chance. This is not an excuse (too many people come up with them for poor performance), this will not change my performance, I will be 100% fit and recovered by New Zealand and in the best shape for a race. I know now that I am in better shape than 5 weeks out from Western Australia.
My goal is too qualify for Kona at New Zealand and no stone will be left unturned.
All the excuses will be left at the door when I go out for training every day.
For now...
X-Man
The first thing that I have noticed in the 3 races to date is that the average speed is a lot higher. Now I found "B" Grade to average around the 38 - 39 kph for the duration, usually 50 - 55 min. In "A" Grade the average speed has jumped to between 42 - 43kph for the duration 1 hr - 1hr 5 min.
This might not seem like a lot by these numbers, however when you throw in an extra 4-5 km for the race, it does make a difference. The other thing that I have found is the attacks are more frequent, go for longer and HURT a whole lot more. This means that the recovery is shorter and the heart rate is high for a lot of the race (see links below).
Now for the 3 races; The first race for me was pleasing, getting around, however got stitched up a beauty!!! I am not one to roll around in the bunch, so I thought that I would do some work and help chase a few breakaways. First mistake!!! A big attack happened after I did a solid turn and BANG, legs went. Rookie error. So from there I managed to get around with the bunch until the end.
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Crit Race "A" Grade
The second race was a lot better for me with sitting comfotable in the bunch, doing the occasional stint at the front, however having enough in the legs to be in a few early breaks. This race was cancelled with 10min to go due to the rain coming in.
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Crit Race "A" Grade - rain interrupted
The most recent race followed 5 days totalling just under 600km in the legs with 70km running, so was always going to be interesting. Goal was to just hang in there. An early break got away and I was determined to stay in the bunch and just get around as averaging 42+ kph would be enough effort for me this race without throwing in any more self imposed efforts as the bunch makes an effort every lap.
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Crit "A" Grade - Crank Broke
So, 30mins into the race, I find myself 2nd wheel. Heading into the head wind, the left side of my bike seems to become very easy pedalling.....My crank snapped and was just hanging by my shoe....WTF?!?!? A sharp pain in my left ankle, and I realised that on breaking the crank, I smashed my left ankle into the bottom bracket.
OUCH!!
Now, I was happy with that, felt lucky really. Since I was sitting 2nd wheel and with 10-15 riders behind me, it could have been a whole lot worse. I was just lucky that it happened into the head wind, not in an attack as I am sure that I would have been eating bitumen for dinner and having bikes all over me. So I rolled casually back to the start finish. With every rider thanking me for not bringing the bunch down, I was more thankful myself that I stayed upright.
Where does this leave me? I have decided not to do Geelong 70.3 in fear of aggrevating my ankle any more, with New Zealand Ironman only 5 weeks away, I cannot afford any time off my ankle and race pace will do it no favours. I can still run on it, with a little pain, however is very managable. Ice and Voltaren are my friends currently.
Will this interfer with my training? No chance. This is not an excuse (too many people come up with them for poor performance), this will not change my performance, I will be 100% fit and recovered by New Zealand and in the best shape for a race. I know now that I am in better shape than 5 weeks out from Western Australia.
My goal is too qualify for Kona at New Zealand and no stone will be left unturned.
All the excuses will be left at the door when I go out for training every day.
For now...
X-Man
Friday, January 15, 2010
Back on the Bike!!
Now, when I say that, many of you know that I have been doing BIG k's on the bike this new year.
I finally got back into the criterium racing last night and what fun I had. I eased back into "b" grade to find me legs as I have not done this kind of racing for some 6 months now. It took me around 10 minutes to find my legs and felt really good.
I even felt good enough to attack with 3 laps to go and held the bunch off until 200metres to go and got swamped by them to finish up around 9th.
I must say that it was good to get back into the saddle and have some fun whilst doing so. I will venture out again tomorrow to see if I can give the front runners a bit of a working over, depends on how the legs are feeling of course!!!
Anyway, I have to start attached my garmin file for the crit tonite, interesting viewing, especially heart rate!!
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Crit Race "B" Grade
For now...
X-Man
I finally got back into the criterium racing last night and what fun I had. I eased back into "b" grade to find me legs as I have not done this kind of racing for some 6 months now. It took me around 10 minutes to find my legs and felt really good.
I even felt good enough to attack with 3 laps to go and held the bunch off until 200metres to go and got swamped by them to finish up around 9th.
I must say that it was good to get back into the saddle and have some fun whilst doing so. I will venture out again tomorrow to see if I can give the front runners a bit of a working over, depends on how the legs are feeling of course!!!
Anyway, I have to start attached my garmin file for the crit tonite, interesting viewing, especially heart rate!!
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Crit Race "B" Grade
For now...
X-Man
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Ride Jas, perfect conditions, felt good
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Ride Jas, perfect conditions, felt good
This ride consisted of some good rolling hills, weather was ideal, wanted to keep going mentally, however my legs were telling me otherwise once the 100km mark was passed.
For now...
X-Man
This ride consisted of some good rolling hills, weather was ideal, wanted to keep going mentally, however my legs were telling me otherwise once the 100km mark was passed.
For now...
X-Man
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Ride Jas, 34deg
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Ride Jas, 34deg
This ride was tough with the temperature being around 30deg most part of the ride.
For now...
X-Man
This ride was tough with the temperature being around 30deg most part of the ride.
For now...
X-Man
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