Warm Up:
8 x 75m (50m Free, 25m Catch up)
Main Set:
8 x 300m
#1 & 2: Freestyle with 10sec rest
#3 & 4: Pull with 10 sec rest
#5 & 6: Paddle with 10 sec rest
#7 & 8: Pull & Paddle with 10 sec rest
Warm Down:
6 x 50m (25m finger drag/25m easy)
Total: 3300m
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
TimO Fortnightly Journal (Weeks 22-21)
Ironman training is hard....it's hard on a number of different fronts.....but if you are planning to compete in one you already know that!
Without finding some sort of balance the training becomes a real struggle. Finding an equilibrium is important for allowing every athlete (first timer to professional) to achieve their goals. It is finding a balance within each training session, a balance in nutrition and hydration, a mental balance, a balance of time, and finally a balance of finances. That's a lot of things to think about and get your head round!
I have had it good for the last 3 weeks, I've been on holidays and it's been easy to find this balance having not to worry about work. Things are about to change. For weeks 24, 23 & 22 I have had a 100% completion rate of training session (and a bit more). Week 21 has been a different story, whilst it hasn't been a horror week, I have missed 2 sessions which I guess isn't a big issue in the scheme of things but I have made a commitment to consistency of training from the start of the campaign to race day. Without this consistency throughout the campaign the sub 10hrs isn't going to happen.
Week 22:
Bit of wet week. The 2 cycle session (Wednesday and Friday) were spent indoors on the wind trainer, both 2 hr sessions working on strength endurance.
The sessions looked like:
10min easy spin warm up
10 x 7min efforts with 3.5min recovery in between. (53/12)
The first 5 were in a resistance of 2 of these, the last 3 were in TT position.
The last 5 were in a resistance of 3 #1 was out of the saddle the next 3 were TT and the last was sitting up.
10min easy spin warm down
Plenty of focus was on recovery this week with lots of stretching after session and a number of dips in the wheelie bin (my new ice bath)
The pool work is continuing and it's really got to be about patience and persistence with the swimming. At times a touch of frustration creeps in with the swimming but there is no need to panic just yet....there are still 21weeks of swim sessions to go.
The legs are still moving reasonably this week. There has a bit of Plantar Fasciitis hanging around the left foot and there has been some quick action in ensuring it doesn't get any worse.
The 'home' treatment involved a numbers of strategies:
Week 22 Stats:
Week 21:
This week was the first of many in juggling the work, life, training balance. There is a real importance of setting up a routine to ensure the truck stays balanced and keeps going in the right direction to successfully reach the destination.
There is need to appreciate the worth of lists....to-do lists and gear lists. Once a routine of training is established these lists are handy in ensuring that the right gear is put in the car for the week both training gear and clothes for work etc. There have been one occasion when I have had to wear bright yellow shoes with my work gear because I forgot to pack my shoes for the day....oops!
Training early this week was solid! The core felt comfortable and pushed the boundaries a little more this week.
The core session mostly looks like this:
Push-ups - 8 x 12sec (8 push ups) 18 sec recovery
Squats - 8 x 35sec with 25sec recovery
Prone hold - 8 x 45sec with 30sec recovery
One leg Prone hold - 6 x 30sec with 30sec recovery
Single leg squats - 10 x 30sec with 10sec recovery
Crunches - 8 x 20sec (16 crunches) with 20sec recovery
Resistance Band Twists - 10 x 30sec with 10 sec recovery
Bicycle Crunches - 8 x 20sec (30 crunches) with 20sec recovery
Gym Ball balance - 6 x 1min with 10sec recovery
Obliques Crunches - 8 x 20sec (14 crunches) with 20sec recovery.
Monday and Tuesday's run session were easy. It is been a real focus to ensure these are done at an easy pace. It has been a goal to keep the HR below 120 bpm and the pace above 5:15m/k.
Wednesday was a bit of right off in terms of training, these things happen. I was rather disappointed in not being able to make it the Pilates.
The rest of week was solid! Which included a brutal swim session on Thursday night which was just bands. Brutal but definitely worthwhile and my swimming is better for it!
The cycling on the weekend was a Nebo ascent then to continue on to make up 4hrs in the saddle. This was positive session, whilst climbing isn't my 'thing' its the benefit of the hill climbing and strength training that I need to know is going to benefit the bike in Busso.
Sunday was the first of many long runs, 1hr 50min. It was a great run, I tried to really focus on keeping it easy. In the end I gave up on the HR with the Garmin giving me HR's all over the place and ended up just worked on perceived effort. Ended up with a negative split. Avg Pace: 5:06m/k and Avg HR: 146 bpm, completing just over 21km.
Week 21 Stats:
Without finding some sort of balance the training becomes a real struggle. Finding an equilibrium is important for allowing every athlete (first timer to professional) to achieve their goals. It is finding a balance within each training session, a balance in nutrition and hydration, a mental balance, a balance of time, and finally a balance of finances. That's a lot of things to think about and get your head round!
I have had it good for the last 3 weeks, I've been on holidays and it's been easy to find this balance having not to worry about work. Things are about to change. For weeks 24, 23 & 22 I have had a 100% completion rate of training session (and a bit more). Week 21 has been a different story, whilst it hasn't been a horror week, I have missed 2 sessions which I guess isn't a big issue in the scheme of things but I have made a commitment to consistency of training from the start of the campaign to race day. Without this consistency throughout the campaign the sub 10hrs isn't going to happen.
Week 22:
Bit of wet week. The 2 cycle session (Wednesday and Friday) were spent indoors on the wind trainer, both 2 hr sessions working on strength endurance.
The sessions looked like:
10min easy spin warm up
10 x 7min efforts with 3.5min recovery in between. (53/12)
The first 5 were in a resistance of 2 of these, the last 3 were in TT position.
The last 5 were in a resistance of 3 #1 was out of the saddle the next 3 were TT and the last was sitting up.
10min easy spin warm down
Plenty of focus was on recovery this week with lots of stretching after session and a number of dips in the wheelie bin (my new ice bath)
The pool work is continuing and it's really got to be about patience and persistence with the swimming. At times a touch of frustration creeps in with the swimming but there is no need to panic just yet....there are still 21weeks of swim sessions to go.
The legs are still moving reasonably this week. There has a bit of Plantar Fasciitis hanging around the left foot and there has been some quick action in ensuring it doesn't get any worse.
The 'home' treatment involved a numbers of strategies:
- Icing (with a frozen bottle of water)
- Stretching
- Heel Lifts
- and wearing my orthotics all the time.
Week 22 Stats:
Week 21:
This week was the first of many in juggling the work, life, training balance. There is a real importance of setting up a routine to ensure the truck stays balanced and keeps going in the right direction to successfully reach the destination.
There is need to appreciate the worth of lists....to-do lists and gear lists. Once a routine of training is established these lists are handy in ensuring that the right gear is put in the car for the week both training gear and clothes for work etc. There have been one occasion when I have had to wear bright yellow shoes with my work gear because I forgot to pack my shoes for the day....oops!
Training early this week was solid! The core felt comfortable and pushed the boundaries a little more this week.
The core session mostly looks like this:
Push-ups - 8 x 12sec (8 push ups) 18 sec recovery
Squats - 8 x 35sec with 25sec recovery
Prone hold - 8 x 45sec with 30sec recovery
One leg Prone hold - 6 x 30sec with 30sec recovery
Single leg squats - 10 x 30sec with 10sec recovery
Crunches - 8 x 20sec (16 crunches) with 20sec recovery
Resistance Band Twists - 10 x 30sec with 10 sec recovery
Bicycle Crunches - 8 x 20sec (30 crunches) with 20sec recovery
Gym Ball balance - 6 x 1min with 10sec recovery
Obliques Crunches - 8 x 20sec (14 crunches) with 20sec recovery.
Monday and Tuesday's run session were easy. It is been a real focus to ensure these are done at an easy pace. It has been a goal to keep the HR below 120 bpm and the pace above 5:15m/k.
Wednesday was a bit of right off in terms of training, these things happen. I was rather disappointed in not being able to make it the Pilates.
The rest of week was solid! Which included a brutal swim session on Thursday night which was just bands. Brutal but definitely worthwhile and my swimming is better for it!
The cycling on the weekend was a Nebo ascent then to continue on to make up 4hrs in the saddle. This was positive session, whilst climbing isn't my 'thing' its the benefit of the hill climbing and strength training that I need to know is going to benefit the bike in Busso.
Sunday was the first of many long runs, 1hr 50min. It was a great run, I tried to really focus on keeping it easy. In the end I gave up on the HR with the Garmin giving me HR's all over the place and ended up just worked on perceived effort. Ended up with a negative split. Avg Pace: 5:06m/k and Avg HR: 146 bpm, completing just over 21km.
Week 21 Stats:
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Thursday's Morning Long Distance Swim Session
Warm Up:
300m Pull
4 x 50m Reverse Scull
Main Set:
1 x 400m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 300m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 200m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 100m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 100m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 200m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 300m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 400m Pull with 10 sec rest
Warm Down:200m easy with some form stroke.
Total: 2700m
300m Pull
4 x 50m Reverse Scull
Main Set:
1 x 400m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 300m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 200m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 100m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 100m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 200m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 300m Pull with 10 sec rest
1 x 400m Pull with 10 sec rest
Warm Down:200m easy with some form stroke.
Total: 2700m
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Towel Thursday - Long Distance Swim Session
One of those sets for that strength/endurance.
Warm Up:
5 x 100m (25m scull, 75m swim)
Main set:
10 x 25m (pull/band/towel) on 30sec
6 x 200m (band/towel/pull/paddles) with 20sec rest
6 x 100m (band/pull/paddles) with 10sec rest
6 x 50m (pull/paddles) with 5sec rest
Warm Down:
200m easy (mix it up with some form stroke)
How to set up your towel.....
Warm Up:
5 x 100m (25m scull, 75m swim)
Main set:
10 x 25m (pull/band/towel) on 30sec
6 x 200m (band/towel/pull/paddles) with 20sec rest
6 x 100m (band/pull/paddles) with 10sec rest
6 x 50m (pull/paddles) with 5sec rest
Warm Down:
200m easy (mix it up with some form stroke)
How to set up your towel.....
 |
| Step 1 - The equipment |
 |
| Step 2 - Tie the towel round the band (nice and tight) |
 |
| Step 3 - Place the band round the ankles (towel to the back) |
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
TimO Fortnightly Journal (Weeks 24-23)
Two weeks down! 22 weeks to go!
Week 24:
Easing back into it.....
Swimming....ha! It hurt a bit but time to make the dive back into the waters of the Valley Pool. Probably been a little neglected over the last 6-8 weeks but time to pull my finger out and find the love for the water again.
Cycling this week was a continuation of just spending time in the saddle. Easy time, time to reacquaint my backside and legs with certain pain involved with sitting on a bike for anywhere between 2-6hrs
The running this week was just maintain the current work I have been doing up to this point in time.
2012 Gold Coast Half Marathon
Sunday was the Gold Coast Half Marathon. Time to assess how the running has been progressing over the 'off season'
The previous PB for the 21.1km distance was 1:35:33. The thought was that this could be bettered based on current form, but it was by how much?
The strategy coming into the race was to stick with the 1hr30min pacer and see how long I could hang on. After 5km, I was feeling comfortable and started to pull away from the pace runner and at the 10km mark had done a PB of 41min flat which was a 7sec improvement on the 10km I completed at the QLD Half Marathon a few weeks ago. The interesting and confident building thing was that I did the next 10km in the GC Half in 40min17sec..another PB.
At the 16km the legs were starting to feel a little heavier but there was no giving up and I pushed through. I could see the carrot of a big PB ahead of me.
At the 19km mark things were starting to fall apart a little, I would like to paint a picture for you....I'm actually not sure what an 89 year old person looks like running at approx. 4min pace, but I'm sure I was resembling such a picture. The left hand was 'feeding the chooks' (those who run with me regularly will know what I mean here) not only feeding the chooks in my paddock but the paddock 4km down the road. (the left hand was flying everywhere) The legs were starting to splay in all different directions, it just wasn't pretty, but I was focused on not letting that pace drop below 4:10min. In the end I held it together to the finish, celebrating with a pleasing result. The final time for the race was 1h26m24sec, overall a 9min PB.
Week 24 Stats:
Week 23:
Easy week this week, well the first couple of days to allow the legs to recover. However, Tuesday run session was not one that I particularly found comfortable and a few niggles were popping up, specifically might have overdone it, straining the left hamstring.
A concern....but after Wednesday's easy bike the hammy felt a lot better and thought that I would give it a bit of a test on Thursday morning with an easy 40-50min run, hmmmm, good idea at the time....but 4km in, and it reared its ugly head and created some discomfort for the rest of the run.
It was off to the Physio on Friday for some urgent treatment before it got any worse, better I get on top of it now, there is still a long road ahead and it is now even more critical to get on top of niggles and potential injuries to minimize the time off training. It was decided to give it a break and not run until Tuesday. Returning to the Physio Monday and Wednesday next week.
The Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights I slept in my compression tights to aid the recover process.
A massage today helped with the injury treatment which involved some dry needling and cupping.
Swimming was BRUTAL this week, given my level of swim fitness at the moment. Time to get those feet/legs moving.....really????...kicking.....5min kick effort.....just put it this way...there wasn't a lot of distance covered!......persist...persist...persist.....
One session that I am particularly enjoying, and see some real benefit is the Wednesday evening Pilate sessions. It is a something that I haven't really explored in previous campaigns .....tough work....these small 1%ers are potentially game breakers!
Week 23 Stats:
Week 24:
Easing back into it.....
Swimming....ha! It hurt a bit but time to make the dive back into the waters of the Valley Pool. Probably been a little neglected over the last 6-8 weeks but time to pull my finger out and find the love for the water again.
Cycling this week was a continuation of just spending time in the saddle. Easy time, time to reacquaint my backside and legs with certain pain involved with sitting on a bike for anywhere between 2-6hrs
The running this week was just maintain the current work I have been doing up to this point in time.
2012 Gold Coast Half Marathon
Sunday was the Gold Coast Half Marathon. Time to assess how the running has been progressing over the 'off season'
The previous PB for the 21.1km distance was 1:35:33. The thought was that this could be bettered based on current form, but it was by how much?
The strategy coming into the race was to stick with the 1hr30min pacer and see how long I could hang on. After 5km, I was feeling comfortable and started to pull away from the pace runner and at the 10km mark had done a PB of 41min flat which was a 7sec improvement on the 10km I completed at the QLD Half Marathon a few weeks ago. The interesting and confident building thing was that I did the next 10km in the GC Half in 40min17sec..another PB.
At the 16km the legs were starting to feel a little heavier but there was no giving up and I pushed through. I could see the carrot of a big PB ahead of me.
At the 19km mark things were starting to fall apart a little, I would like to paint a picture for you....I'm actually not sure what an 89 year old person looks like running at approx. 4min pace, but I'm sure I was resembling such a picture. The left hand was 'feeding the chooks' (those who run with me regularly will know what I mean here) not only feeding the chooks in my paddock but the paddock 4km down the road. (the left hand was flying everywhere) The legs were starting to splay in all different directions, it just wasn't pretty, but I was focused on not letting that pace drop below 4:10min. In the end I held it together to the finish, celebrating with a pleasing result. The final time for the race was 1h26m24sec, overall a 9min PB.
Week 24 Stats:
Easy week this week, well the first couple of days to allow the legs to recover. However, Tuesday run session was not one that I particularly found comfortable and a few niggles were popping up, specifically might have overdone it, straining the left hamstring.
A concern....but after Wednesday's easy bike the hammy felt a lot better and thought that I would give it a bit of a test on Thursday morning with an easy 40-50min run, hmmmm, good idea at the time....but 4km in, and it reared its ugly head and created some discomfort for the rest of the run.
It was off to the Physio on Friday for some urgent treatment before it got any worse, better I get on top of it now, there is still a long road ahead and it is now even more critical to get on top of niggles and potential injuries to minimize the time off training. It was decided to give it a break and not run until Tuesday. Returning to the Physio Monday and Wednesday next week.
The Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights I slept in my compression tights to aid the recover process.
A massage today helped with the injury treatment which involved some dry needling and cupping.
Swimming was BRUTAL this week, given my level of swim fitness at the moment. Time to get those feet/legs moving.....really????...kicking.....5min kick effort.....just put it this way...there wasn't a lot of distance covered!......persist...persist...persist.....
One session that I am particularly enjoying, and see some real benefit is the Wednesday evening Pilate sessions. It is a something that I haven't really explored in previous campaigns .....tough work....these small 1%ers are potentially game breakers!
Week 23 Stats:
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Thursday's Morning Long Distance Swim Session
Session Objective
To further improve the forearm efficiency of the catch.
The further develop the athletes strength endurance focusing on the upper body strength.
Warm Up
600m: 100m Free/50m fist x 4
400m Pull
Main Set
10 x 200m (alternate 200's, pull buoy/pull buoy paddles)
The rest period is the time it takes to change over the paddles or 15sec.
Warm Down
200m Choice (mixture of backstroke and breastroke)
Total: 3200m
To further improve the forearm efficiency of the catch.
The further develop the athletes strength endurance focusing on the upper body strength.
Warm Up
600m: 100m Free/50m fist x 4
400m Pull
Main Set
10 x 200m (alternate 200's, pull buoy/pull buoy paddles)
The rest period is the time it takes to change over the paddles or 15sec.
Warm Down
200m Choice (mixture of backstroke and breastroke)
Total: 3200m
Sunday, July 1, 2012
BANG! It's on!
Week 24 is done! Finishing with a BANG.
The week was the first of my 24 week campaign into IM Western Australia (Busselton).
This campaign is a little different to all the previous 5, it's a 24 week lead in, 4 more than any previous campaign. Given that I have some experience in Ironman training and races now it is time to put some further effort and time into achieving a sub 10hrs at IM WA.
The 24 week campaign is broken up into 2 phases, over the first 12 weeks will be mainly strength/endurance work keeping intensity levels around 65-75% for the majority of sessions with some technique work thrown in. For the final 12 weeks there will be introduction of some intensity, some more specific strength/endurance work and increasing endurance.
The focus for this campaign is simple:
1. Stick to the plan
2. Stay disciplined
3. Don’t give up
Improvement is only going to come through consistency and commitment to the plan.
Sticking to the plan and putting faith in the plan. It is also about sticking to the specifics of the plan, if it says 'easy' then it important to make sure that the session is done exactly that way.....easy. There is often is a temptation within these types of workouts to go a little harder after a while because the body feels good. No...No...No! Some restraint is required and think of the bigger picture, its 'easy' for a reason and have faith that in doing this session 'easy' it will help to support other session throughout the week.
Stay Disciplined:
Again this is so true for so many things within an IM campaign. It's easy to undo all the good work with undisciplined behaviour. It is very much the small things that need the disciplined attention, diet, stretching, core, and recovery.The plan and discipline have a close relationship. Being disciplined enough to stick with the plan (and the specific instructions) must be a big part of achieving the goals.
It simple....isn't it?
It's a question to ask...which is stronger? The mind or the body? Many people will answer the mind....and this is why people give up. In fact the mind isn't strong at all, it can be easily influenced by many factors and therefore, again, there is the need to stay disciplined. But this is where the body can be an influence, it IS much stronger than the mind and in many athletes it has the capacity to physically push harder and longer. One of the challenges of any sport, not just Triathlon, is to harness the power of the mind for good rather than evil.
If I can maintain this mental and physical focus throughout the 24 weeks, then anything is possible.
The plan also consists of a few other areas which have been a focus for a while but only now I have had a break through.
The Diet......FINALLY I have turned the corner with my diet! Yes, I know, it's taken me a while but I have found that with KO participating in a 12 week Body Transformation Challenge, both of us have been introduced to whole new way of eating. The big thing, with this has been the discipline with the portions. Sometimes I look at the portions and think, 'this is going to be flat out feeding a mouse, let alone me' but I have been true to the philosophy and gone along with the idea.
Along with this has been a conscious effort to eat a lot less sugary foods.
The other big thing is that over the past 5-6weeks I have just had one (375ml) soft drink and this one was a diet variety. Water...water...water and the occasional cup of tea!
The Weight.....
Finally I have got the right formula of eating right and portion control. I have begun the 24 week campaign at a weight of 80kg. This is the lightest I have EVER begun an IM campaign (5-6kg lighter) and it means that, unlike other campaigns, I'm not chasing the weight down and can purely work on the training.
The Core....
If I can maintain this mental and physical focus throughout the 24 weeks, then anything is possible.
The plan also consists of a few other areas which have been a focus for a while but only now I have had a break through.
The Diet......FINALLY I have turned the corner with my diet! Yes, I know, it's taken me a while but I have found that with KO participating in a 12 week Body Transformation Challenge, both of us have been introduced to whole new way of eating. The big thing, with this has been the discipline with the portions. Sometimes I look at the portions and think, 'this is going to be flat out feeding a mouse, let alone me' but I have been true to the philosophy and gone along with the idea.
Along with this has been a conscious effort to eat a lot less sugary foods.
The other big thing is that over the past 5-6weeks I have just had one (375ml) soft drink and this one was a diet variety. Water...water...water and the occasional cup of tea!
The Weight.....
Finally I have got the right formula of eating right and portion control. I have begun the 24 week campaign at a weight of 80kg. This is the lightest I have EVER begun an IM campaign (5-6kg lighter) and it means that, unlike other campaigns, I'm not chasing the weight down and can purely work on the training.
The Core....
Critical! If it's not strong then everything suffers. I guess this is been something that I have neglected up until the Melbourne IM campaign but now I have it as a priority session, where before it would be the first session to be pushed aside. Including Pilates, these sessions are happening 3 times a week.
The Stretching.....
Critical..... I have found this again is a part of my training regime that was neglected in the past, mainly due to the fact is that you get home from a session and need to get to work etc. and just don't get time for it....well, it's a priority and I have made time. I have put together a 25min stretching routine that I do 2 times a week and a shorter 10-15min stretching session that I factor in after harder or long sessions.
The Recovery......
VITAL! The stretching is apart of this recovery.
It is the ice baths, whilst painful after the initial shock it is sooo valuable in bring the body back up to speed, giving those legs their 'zing' back.
The recovery shakes after longer and harder session or making sure I eat within 45min of a session to help the body to recover.
The massage are an important aspect of this recovery and will continue every 4 weeks up to 14 weeks out then will be every 2 weeks.
Sleeping in my compression tights is something that I have embraced and found further support the recovery of the legs.
It is early days in this campaign but there a distinct smell in the air this time round. There is a aroma of focus and commitment that was not possible there in previous campaigns. The weight alone is something that brings further confidence and opens up all sorts of other possibilities over the next 24weeks and, of course, on race day.
The Stretching.....
Critical..... I have found this again is a part of my training regime that was neglected in the past, mainly due to the fact is that you get home from a session and need to get to work etc. and just don't get time for it....well, it's a priority and I have made time. I have put together a 25min stretching routine that I do 2 times a week and a shorter 10-15min stretching session that I factor in after harder or long sessions.
The Recovery......
VITAL! The stretching is apart of this recovery.
It is the ice baths, whilst painful after the initial shock it is sooo valuable in bring the body back up to speed, giving those legs their 'zing' back.
The recovery shakes after longer and harder session or making sure I eat within 45min of a session to help the body to recover.
The massage are an important aspect of this recovery and will continue every 4 weeks up to 14 weeks out then will be every 2 weeks.
Sleeping in my compression tights is something that I have embraced and found further support the recovery of the legs.
It is early days in this campaign but there a distinct smell in the air this time round. There is a aroma of focus and commitment that was not possible there in previous campaigns. The weight alone is something that brings further confidence and opens up all sorts of other possibilities over the next 24weeks and, of course, on race day.
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