Paul’s Week 8 – ending 28/08/11 – 2 Strikes City To Surf

Paul’s Week 8 – ending 28/08/11 – 2 Strikes City To Surf

Swim – 3.4k (1 x session)

Bike – 57k (1 x spin class,1 x road session )

Run – 22.4k (1 x interval session, 1 x long/aerobic WALK !! )

Total –  8:10 hours

Monday – Spin Class

Couldn’t get a spin bike before class for the extra 45 minutes I planned so had to settle for a gumby trainer machine in the gym...really got to get these sessions sorted for the road...maybe from next week – plan looks pretty good to swap these out now from the spin sessions.

Ben’s class tonight, not too bad...assume he’s still learning so was a little dis-jointed but has promise. Heart rate chart doesn’t look as pathetic this week – couple of spikes and recovers, had tried to tell myself to hit some form throughout the class.

Maybe it is a good time to for a change..

time – 1:35

avg hr – 123

max hr – 152

Crap evening on getting home after land session with the Arena swim kids...had dinner then was just about to treat myself with some banana and ice cream (we all got one banana each this week in the shopping woo-hoo !!) as I scooped I noticed some really pretty coloured icicles...hang on, they aren’t in the ice cream – it’s my bloody vision !! Another ocular migraine was kicking in...wtf..no warning, nothing !!

I usually get a loss of peripheral vision, uneasiness then the fancy coloured light swirl scooting around my eyes !!.... but this time ...nah, straight to the coloured bits ! this must mean I’m ether getting worse or...they are getting more manageable ??..... who knows...let’s see when the next one comes.

According to my diary I’ve had one every 3rd week lately...anyways now that I know I’m not going to die from an attack and my brain isn’t going to explode I actually find them quite amusing.....still wash me out a fair bit after but am safe in the knowledge that the sensation only lasts for about 30 mins and can carry on as normal afterwards – amazing what internet research can do to alleviate fears, especially when you read something and go ‘man, that is exactly what I am experiencing’

Tuesday – Steady State Run

With feeling like crap last night I wasn’t too enthused to run this morning but went thru the motions of getting ready. Funny, cos I actually don’t really remember anything about Sunday’s run either – just know it was windy and hard...no finer details - maybe this was going to be one of those days........

Again, surprised myself and had a good run, got some good form and hit the planned targets

Session was:

15’ WU

3 x 2km TT HIM efforts with 1k RI

– which I roughly calculated to 9.00 on (2 x 4.30) and 5.00 off – I don’t really know my pace targets for effort running pretty much go by feel

Well, put the foot pod on the Polar for the first time in about 4 years and low and behold – I hit the pace requirements pretty spot on, which I was pretty happy with. Goal was to run at a controlled fast pace without losing form which I am more than happy did accomplish, finished strong and into a little bit of daylight so things are looking pretty darn good !!

Additional Rest Day tomoro which I am looking forward to and even tho’ it’s fine weather and a perfect day for riding I really don’t have any trouble holding back and resting when needed

dist – 12k

time – 1:00

avg hr – 138

max hr – 155

Wednesday – Recovery Day

Rest day more like crap day ! Felt really good mentally and physically in the morning and was glad for the mid week break but by the time 3pm came I was itching to go and do something and starting getting the guilt’s about not getting out for a session. Roads were wet again this morning so probably would’ve flagged ride anyways. Asleep on couch by 9pm again – I think the body is just so used to sleeping in doesn’t matter if I’m fully recovered or not, it goes into shut down mode !

Thursday – Recovery Swim

Endurance Set

400 free,

Main set 

1000 free buoy 

800 paddle and buoy 

600 buoy 

400 free TT 

200 paddles and buoy  

take a  20-30 RI 

3400 total

Felt average this morning probably due to over rest and also hadn’t swam for over a week. Was interested to see how the form went after about 2.5k...dropped a touch but wasn’t too bad. Happy to crack the 3.0k session but took almost hour and 10 so will have to trim these back to an hour only so I get into work at a reasonable time to get some decent hours in and then run when program tick over in two weeks.

Am thinking of locking morning swims on Tuesday with a interval run in arvo and then Thursday will be long run in the morning before work and a easy swim in the afternoon. Will swap these around a couple of times to keep it fresh.

Good to see the Arena Swim squad going thru their drills – pretty sure Bridie has a little while to go before she’s mixing it with them.....plus she’s a lot like Shelley and doesn’t do mornings – whereas Ellie, is way too much like me - cheery and chirpy once the birds are up.......well, for now until the teenage years approach

dist – 3.4k

time – 1:07

Entourage and 2 episodes of Suits and way too many drinks.....this Thursday night weekend heart starter is getting out of control.....4-5 hours sleep – not good. Crap week all round for snacking as well...gotta get my head sorted and core/strength program needs to get going too

Friday – rest day

Beer count –  0 !! 3 weeks an counting

Saturday – Ride – Hill Repeats

This morning’s ride consisted of all work being done at Reabold doing the Runners World figure 8’s. Each circuit taking approx 14-15 mins with efforts climbing the path side and then out to Wembley Golf Course and back again. Had planned to add an extra hour onto this session spinning down to Shelley Loop and back after grabbing a quick drink with the crew, but got to the Narrows and noticed a significant bump coming from my back tyre.

Stopped to check and a section of the side wall was bulging out and was looking like a bad teenagers pimple – ready to blow at any time ! Let a touch of air out and limped back to Runners World where my car was parked, deflated and re-pumped and everything appeared all ok. Not sure what was wrong with it as I hadn’t touched that tube or tyre for about 2 months from my last flat tyre, so bit strange. The only thing I can think is maybe the cold air pumping them up this morning had an effect ?? Anyways, replaced tube when I got home just in case and hopefully all ok now

dist – 57k

time – 2:45

avg speed – 26.1 km/h

avg hr – 130

max hr – 167

Had my first massage in 4 years at 11.30, man – bit of a love/hate feeling there..Scott (the masseuse !) said he’d go medium as hadn’t really had a massage before...... all I can say is I’d hate to see hard. Got him to work on my lower back as it’s been pretty tight since starting the program. I am used to a tight back most days and assume it’s a bike positioning thing but typical me will ignore it for the most part and pretend it’s not there. Really should get the road bike checked for setup but will see what happens when switching over to TT bike in the next week or so

Felt pretty washed out but strangely good afterwards and sat at netball drinking plenty of water..!!

Bridie’s team got thumped but they still played well right upto the end – only one more game to go, the girls have done really well after going up a grade and hopefully will all be teamed together for Spring netball.

Lazy arvo again – managed a 30 min nap, and a couple of drinks only as was picking up Bridie from the Blue Light Disco at 9pm. So funny going to pick them up from these discos, I know it’s going to be the same in about 7 years time only it will be from the nightclubs and they’ll be p1ssed as newts !! The hall they have it is an absolute mess as you walk in to collect your kids with loads of red faced tweenies, fog from the smoke machine, sweat and white noise everywhere ! She’ll sleep well as she had a 6am start at swimming and will be up for City To Surf in the morning

Sunday – City To Surf – walk with Bridester

Well, another City To Surf to forget.

Day started out really good, we got the train in and only had a 5 minute wait then off we go. Bridester did well to jog most of the way and we had a few walking sections but am proud as punch of her as she never really complains and as far as I know she enjoys being part of a massive community event. The only drag is we walk another 3k to meet Shelley to pick us up due to the road closures..that after a 1 hour 45 walk/jog/run. Once again we pb’d which was great and probably due to her last 2k finish effort – ran the whole way...hopefully this is something she will do for the rest of her time is she so decides, be great to see her doing it when she’s in her twenties and who knows kicking my butt at some stage (I am pretty sure that will happen as it is happening in the pool already !)

dist – 12k

time – 1:42

Well the reason to forget this one (again) is last year on course Shell rang to say that Indy our 15 year old Labrador hadn’t got off her bed for breakfast (not like a Labrador) and she wasn’t looking too good. Well we got home and in short it was time to say goodbye to the old girl

So this year me and Bridie had Indy in our hearts and was thinking of her as rode on the train into the city......

Anyways, we got to the Perry Lakes 4k section this time and Shell rang to say that my dad had collapsed and they were rushing him to St Charlies....great.... tried not to panic and realised that wasn’t much that could be done right there and then so we finished, got picked up and Shell dropped me down to the hospital

Well, he’s ok at the moment (at writing) they think he may have had a heart attack, he smacked his head on the railing where he collapsed so they were checking that out as well – he had the cheek to tell the ambo’s that Joany (his partner) had thumped him....so he hadn’t lost his sense of humour which is typical of me old man !! Joany rang later to say he was getting more tests and may have torn his meniscus in his knee as well ! So the poor old bugger has a few thing going on. Will check in later and see how he’s doing.....pretty humbling as we’ve been down this path before with dad and he’s always bounced back so fingers crossed he’s ok this time too. Good to see Gail and Dennis too, been too long since we’ve spoken

Just read about the guy who had a heart attack on the finish line, very sobering and very sad..............life’s bloody short........

Cheers

Paul