I think my training is at a steady "sustainable" level now, and if all goes to plan, it will remain reasonably stable and only vary a little for the next 4-6 weeks (maybe an easier week in there somewhere). Well that is the plan anyway. This week has not been that exciting on the training front. Missed one optional swim - but the work "to do" list is on its second page, and I really need to tick some things off! So that is a bit more of a priority. I had some serious DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) on Tuesday and Wednesday from weights on Monday morning - except it was not really that delayed (I could feel it about an hour after weights)!
So for this week been - 3 swims, two reasonably steady at 4km and one slow/easy/ struggle of 3km. Two bike classes and school TTT training, with a long ride on the trainer ( weather permitting rule resulted in a trainer ride). The power on the harder ride was a bit higher than usual, which I will take as a good thing, and the easy rides felt easy too. A couple of easy runs and a long-ish (1hr30min) run, which was better than last week. With a couple of weights sessions in there too. On Sunday for my long ride I did the "birthday special" ride (bit over 5 weeks ago, that was after a run and swim). The power output of the steadier simulated climbs (up alp d'Heuz) were about 10% higher - which is also good, but probably not that comparable. As on the birthday special I was tired, and a little "toasty" (ie mildly over-trained!), as well as having swum and run before hand...
Off on a bit of a tangent (low excitement week) - here are a few memories I have training for my first ironman in 1989:
Back in 1989 Triathlon was a pretty new sport, and Ironman was a pretty new sporting event. The first "official short distance world championships" were in 1989! There was not much information on training, or coaching to be had, and it was pretty much just get out there and do it. In some respects it was good, as you were not intimidated by anything as you did not know what you were in for. In other ways it was bad - as you did not know what you were in for!!
I did not really have a burning desire to do Ironman, as I really enjoyed the shorter distance races at that time, and it was really just a great adventure. I think in the 1988 season in did something like 16 races over the summer - mostly sprint and standard (now Olympic) distance events. But the people I hung around with were inspired by the event, and it was just assumed you would do it. So I pretty much did it to get the T-shirt and say "yeah I have done that". I did not have any intention at that time to do a heap of Ironman events - just get it out of the way so I could do the other races!
I joined up to a masters/triathlon swim squad - and for the first of many times had a swim coach scratching his head when looking at me swimming. Now I pretty much taught myself to swim when I decided to do a triathlon - and I was 21 at this stage. Anyway, we were doing some 25m sprints, alternating kick and swim. As it turns out, I am not like many triathletes, as my 25m kick only was faster than my 25m freestyle sprint swim! I guess there was plenty of room for improvement from that point on...
The first time I really "bonked" or "hit the wall" in training was when I was out on a long bike ride. It was a 136km loop, with a few solid climbs in it, it had been going very well, it was a nice day (sun shining and all), and I had 20km to go. I started to feel a bit light headed, so stopped and got some food - more because I was hungry than because of any nutritional knowledge I had. Was not really sure what was going on. Sort of felt a bit better after a moro bar and an ice cream. Got another 7km down the road, and same thing again - so into a dairy, bit more sugar and a coke, a few deep breaths and off again. Got another 4-5km down the road, and made it to the city limits, and was not feeling that great again. Grandma's place was just up the road - I will call in to see her! Clean out her biscuit tins (nice ginger crunch) - and off for home - just make the 3km to home and crawled in the front door, found a corner, went in to the fetal position with a low quiet groan...
The long run was a bit of a mystery for me. I got up to 2 hours sort of OK in training, but man, did I get sore legs. I convinced myself it was probably over 25km, maybe close to 30km, I was getting through in my 2 hours. In reality is was probably 19-20km! I thought that I should just make sure I can run close to the distance for IM, so I had this loop that I rode, that was around 36km. Convinced my sister it was a great idea to ride next to me carrying food and water for a "few hours". The first 20km were OK, and felt pretty good. Legs got a bit rubbery at about 30km, and had to do a bit of a run/walk, and then progressed to a walk for the last couple of km's. Thanked my sister for her company, found a quiet corner, crawled in to the fetal position with a low quiet groan...
Gotta love Ironman...
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