Feelin the Heat

Week 12 PJ ‘s Training Summary 17-10-11 to 23-10-11
Seven weeks to go till the big gig. I can’t believe it. Where is the time going ? I feel like these long weeks are taking their toll a bit…..feelin the heat. This is another BIG week on the training track. The plan is to absorb as much intensity as possible at the efforts I want to be holding for a full IM. Key session is Saturday’s brick of 100k ride, balls out TT backed up with a 1 ½ - 2 hour run to simulate the second half of the IM run.
Monday
I felt a bit shabby this morning after a very tense and stressful rugby semi final and way too much beer. However, no training this morning.
Evening was a 3.1k swim set. The pool was really busy today, school holidays obviously over !! I’m thinking I must get the wettie out and do some open water swims. Obviously Fluro is thinking the same thing as he has included an optional open water swim in my programme !!
Tuesday
I woke up at 4:15am to the sound of rain. Bugger !! I wasn’t going to ride for 3 hours in the rain today. I lay in till 4:30 and seemed to have cleared. I changed my plans and drove down to the Left Bank for “World Champs” I had some 20 min IM effort’s to do so started 6 mins ahead of the group. It was soon pissing down but at least it was warm. Along Melville Beach some of the group 2 boys passed me so I hung in with them. I knew Fluro and the big guns were starting 5 mins after the group. They caught us along Mounts Bay still pouring with rain. The pace was on now but I hung in. We got to Christchurch and a rider was down….going the other way. The road was pretty slippery. I hung in till Freo being very cautious. I changed shoes at the car and ran an easy 30 min form run off the bike.
Wednesday
I was stoked to have fellow Amigo Paulie for company on the long run this morning. This was to be the longest run I have ever done so was a little apprehensive. We left work on a beaut clear but cool morning heading along the river bank towards Freo. We had a good old chat and laugh and the time just flew by. Gels and fluids were going down at regulated intervals and the legs felt good. Before we knew it we were at the turn around point on Wauhop Rd East Freo. We refilled bottles at Point Walter before heading back to Canning Bridge. Paulie was only going to do 2 ½ hours but decided to hang in for the 3 hours I was doing. I was happy to have the company for the hard part of the run. At Waylen Bay, the 25k mark, the fatigue was kicking in to my legs. We made it to Canning Bridge with ½ an hour to go. We headed down past the Rowing Club towards Mt Henry. We turned just short of the Bridge for the final 15 minutes back to work. My quads were really getting sore at this point but we were almost done. Glad to be done and dusted, 3 hrs and 33.2k.
Thursday
I seemed to pull up well after the epic run yesterday. had some 20 min effort’s to do for bike intervals today. Fluro suggested I go solo from the Left Bank before the rest of the gang as they were doing a balls out round the river TT. I got a text from Paulie to see where I was as he was heading down to Freo from work. We hooked up at the top of Wauhop Hill. Two consecutive training sessions with Rat ?? wow….unheard of in this campaign !!! We got to the Narrows before the boys caught us. I thought I would hang in with them till UWA. Rat did too until he got his skinny ass dropped. The pace was on alright 46k/hr then Tom got on the front and took it up to 53k/hr. I let them go at the Uni and sat up and waited for Rat. They ended up averaging 39.3k/hr for their effort. Nice work boys. We got back to the Left Bank and I left Rat to do some more kays whilst I headed to 9 Seeds to catch the gang for coffee and trash talk.
Tonight’s run was not the usual intervals but just a 45 min run by feel….just on RPE, cover your Garmin. I opted for soft surface round the footy oval course. Legs still feeling good.
Friday
A 4k swim set to do this arvo. I set the PVR up to record the WRC third place play off between Australia and Wales and thought I could watch it with a few beers Saturday arvo. I feel like I’m going well in the pool at the moment. I probably haven’t gained any speed but very comfortable bashing out these longer sets. The pool was nice and quiet.
Saturday
Coach Fluro had a BDT planned for me today (big day training). The plan was to ride a 100k TT at well above goal IM pace, have one hour’s recovery then a 1 ½ hr run with the last 8k at tempo pace to try and dial in what the second half of the IM run will be like. I was to do the ride with Dr Rick and was looking forward to it as we are of similar ability on the bike. I got to Gateways on the freeway path south at the designated time of 5am after leaving home at 4:30am. No Rick. There was heavy cloud cover and zero wind. It was warm and I was getting eaten to bits by the flies. Great. 25 min later we were on our way. I was really having trouble dialling into the speed and effort Fluro was looking for. I kept up a nutrition vigil of drinking every 10 mins and eating every 20 mins. We turned at the 50k mark in site of the Pinjarra road bridge. We had a few showers come through but they were isolated. The clouds indicated it was coming down pretty heavy in some places. Heaps of TT bikes heading south. We were close to Safety Bay Rd when Amigo Dazz went flying past also heading South. I managed to shout out some abuse as we passed. We maintained non drafting position and pushed all the way and managed the 100k in 2hrs 57 min. Not happy with it but it seemed that’s all I had today. After getting home I quickly downed a protein bar and an Up & Go. Some more fluid. I had to pick Sam up from a sleepover so managed that and to get a load of washing hung out before getting changed for the run. I put my ipod on my Fuel Belt cause I thought I may need some good toones to get me over the line !! Running up the Robertson Rd killed first up and I thought “ this is gonna get ugly “ . By the time I got down North Lake Rd to the river the legs had loosened up and I was in a rhythm. I was at higher than Aet pace but it felt ok. There’s that running off the bike pace mentality again !! I got down to Melville Beach and passed a few IM guys clearly doing a brick session as well. Brad Hosking’s group maybe ?? Good to do the acknowledging wink, nod or thumbs up to other mad bastards involved in this caper. I got to the tennis courts at Waylen Bay and turned for home. Time to pick up the pace a bit. The legs felt good as I cranked it up. I was keen to dial them right into some pain so was running at about 4:50 pace. Along Melville Beach a bike pulled up next to me. It was my boss’s son young Ben Lyons. He has had a season racing tri’s in Europe for a French Team. Great to catch up with him and all the gossip. He had a ball and can’t wait to go back next year and do another summer of racing. The North Lake Rd hills back to home really took the sting out of my legs. I needed Prodigy’s “smack my bitch up” at full blast to get me up the last one. When I got home I threw the sluggers on and got in the icy water of the swimming pool for 15 minutes to get an ice bath effect. Worked well I reckon. Seriously cold water. I was knackered. The day was finished off with beer, snacks and Rugby reviewing.
Totals: bike 4 hrs 127.4k run 1 hr 27 min 16.7k 4055cals burned.
Sunday
I pulled up really well from BDT yesterday. Very happy. I opted to sleep in this morning and have a big breakfast with the family. The run today was one hour at Aet pace + 5 secs/k. My plan was to do this at the warmest time of the day. I was keen to get a short open water swim in as well. With all the domestic chores to do I didn’t really get time for that. Sam came with me and we drove down to Pt Walter so I could run on a flat course and take in some scenery. Sam rode his bike alongside me and kept me hydrated. Done and dusted we were back at home by 2pm and I was starting to get anxious about the rugby. The AB’s were unbackable favourites but the bloody French are their boggie team. The game was bloody tough and tight. I drank way too much beer….again but the tension was high. Although 8 to 7 was a close score line it made the victory sweeter against France. I am very happy for the Kiwi’s who have had to endure so much lately, earthquakes, floods, oil tanker spills, and general economic hard times. It’s been a long 6 weeks and I’m glad the Tournament is over so my liver can recover and things can get back to some normality. Maybe I can draw on the AB’s true grit in 6 weeks time ?? who knows…..
Hahaaa…..I think this blog is getting shabbier and shabbier. It’s getting harder to find the time to write though


Week’s Totals:- Swim 10.1k, Bike 222.9k, Run 74.67k 18 hours 4 min