Friday 27 August 2010

Rest and Recovery complete

Well Ironman seems ages ago now, really 4 weeks ago.  What have I been upto, now that I have decided to concentrate on Olympic distance I have been doing some speed work and trying to stay fit and well.  I have 16 weeks till Africa Cup Triathlon in Mauritius 19th December. 

15 August British National Tri Champs  13th out of 67 (30-35 age group)
This was a last minute entry to see what speed I still had in my legs, if any, after Ironman.  The swim was where I struggled (alot of work needed)  24:31min  for the 1500m.  The bike course was potentially a fast course but it was extended due to road works and so was a 43km completing in 1:06:44  (24.01 mph).  On the 10km run I felt very heavy legs and struggled to run freely, it was a very congested run course 3 laps flat and fast with 700 athletes on the course  39:04min.  Overall I was reasonably pleased with my efforts and saw where I need effort for change form endurance to speed. 

Come back down to earth and reality, I need to sit down and sort out my weekly day to day training to do myself justice as turning up on the start line for even just the lowest profile race, I need to be fit and well and have put the triaining in.  I have been involved in Triathlons for the past 18yrs, I have achieved many goals and targets.
21 Aug.  Nottingham Relays
This event is always a really good training session, being able to go all out for each event and having time to recover between Swim Bike Run.  Also I really enjoy the Social side of things with club and fellow Triathletes, catching up with the old and new over the years.  Tri-Anglia (my club) managed to collate 6 teams this year which was great and I was a member with Rob, Tom and Ian.  We managed to bag 6th place in the Open Team cat.  I decided to use my road bike with no tri bars as starting to prepare for draft legal races, I am hoping to get the chance to race in some next year as preparation for ATU Races in under Seychelles.
http://africa.triathlon.org/

Tri-Anglia 2 Open          03:25:04


Rob Lines         06:24    22:09    22:15
Tom Pullinger    08:29    23:48    20:59
Iain Robertson  06:47    29:17    17:08
Simon Brierley   06:52   22:13    18:38

WHAT IS NEXT.....................
 
12 Sept           Lowestoft Scores Race,   4.75 miles  including 409 steps
18/19 Sept      Round Norfolk Relay,      I am running Stage 11, 14.6 miles  starting at midnight
                       http://79.170.42.3/roundnorfolkrelay.com/course_map.pdf
10 Oct            Marriott's Way 10km Run
17 Oct            Great Notley Duathlon,  4km/20km/4km
            http://www.born2tri.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/competitorsnotesNotley2010.pdf

Thursday 5 August 2010

Ironman Lake Placid Report

IM Lake Placid 2010
After completing my first ever Ironman in Roth Germany 2009, I returned to my wife asking me if I wish to do another IM.  It did not take long till I was looking to see where to go and with making it a family holiday as well I let Nicola choose where.  Training was a lot clearer this time round as I knew what I needed to do and the “game plan” for an IM what it was all about.
7hr flight to JFK and then a very easy 6hr drive to Lake Placid, northern New York State.  On route beautiful scenery and then on the approach to Lake Placid town we started to drive on the bike course which was getting me excited for the route as it was beautiful.  Enough of the soppy talk from me and start talking hard Ironman stuff.  We arrived late Wednesday afternoon to showers and lightning,  was it going to be a repeat 2008 race day.  Thursday morning swim in the lake and run in the afternoon, Friday swim AM and bike the run course PM and Sat AM swim and bike drop off PM.

RACE DAY
The weather, you could not ask for a better day the rain stayed off avg 25C, slight cloud cover.

SWIM; 
                The elites had a no wetsuit swim as water was warm, thankfully we were ok for wetsuits.  2600 on the start line, my first ever mass swim start of the kind.  I found myself at the front just 5 back and maybe I entered the water a bit too early as I found myself treading water for 15 min to the sound of “Stars spangled banner”.  BANG we were off and for the 3 guys just in front of me, they should have not been there, sorry guys for swimming over the top of you.  If you have never experienced drafting in the swim this was the time to get dragged round the first lap, exited the first 1900m in just under 27min, finishing the SWIM 1:01HR.  Slower 2nd lap but hey very happy with it considering my lack of pool and lake time for training.

BIKE;
                “save something for the run”  this was the phrase going through my head through-out the bike.  In the first 5 miles you  go from flat to steady climb to the 2219ft (677m) then descending to 587ft(200m) in 5miles hitting max speed of 45mph.  On my 1st lap as approached the top of the descent I heard a tapping noise from front wheel, look down and saw a yellow mark going round with my wheel.  I ran my gloved hand on the tyre and it was stuck fast.  Decided to carry on to the bottom of the descent and then I stopped and only then realised it was a drawing pin, oops PHEWWW.  I pulled the pin and obviously had to then change my tyre, not bad I think it took me 6-7min.  The rest of the lap is an undulating with a out and back then head home to Lake Placid.  For the last 20miles is a steady climb totalling 350m, this course can blow some people to bits if you go too hard on 1st lap you will suffer the 2nd time coming home. 1st lap 2:50hr 2nd lap 3:00hr 5:50hr BIKE

RUN;
26.6miles the last time I ran this distance I walked most of it, so I was determined to do better.  My target was 4hrs for the marathon.  I felt good relaxed and ready for the run, I had to hold myself back for the early stages, so focused on no quicker than 8:30/mile, by 10miles I was on 8:49/mile and ran the first lap ½ marathon in 1:57:15 hr (8:56/mile).  My moto for the run of an ironman is that if you are going to walk, walk the feed stations, but walk fast.  As soon as you start walking it is difficult to motivate and get going, not any sort of encouragement will get you going again if you walk too slow.  Pump the arms and drive the legs take on the fluid and food, easier to do walking than running.  I walked feeding stations, I admit it but I finished the RUN 4:07hr and I was very happy with that.  Coming Home in TOTAL 11:10:23HR
BIB   AGE   STATE/COUNTRY   PROFESSION
354   31   NORWICH SEY   Fire Fighter

SWIM         BIKE       RUN       OVERALL                  RANK   DIV.POS.
1:01:07   5:50:40   4:07:22   11:10:23                        382       70

LEG                        DISTANCE                       PACE      RANK   DIV.POS.
TOTAL SWIM               2.4 mi.   (1:01:07)  1:36/100m     229       36

BIKE SPLIT 1: 30 mi.   30 mi. (1:22:25)      21.84 mph
BIKE SPLIT 2: 56 mi.   26 mi. (1:27:39)      17.80 mph
BIKE SPLIT 3: 86 mi.   30 mi. (1:19:47)      22.56 mph
BIKE SPLIT 4: 112 mi.   26 mi. (1:40:49)    15.47 mph
TOTAL BIKE                 112 mi. (5:50:40)   19.16 mph     350        59

RUN SPLIT 1: 5.7             5.7 mi. (49:48)      8:44/mile
RUN SPLIT 2: 11.9 mi       6.2 mi. (1:00:47)   9:48/mile
RUN SPLIT 3: 26.2 mi     14.3 mi. (2:16:47)   9:33/mile
TOTAL RUN                    26.2 mi. (4:07:22)   9:26/mile    382       70
    
TRANSITION   TIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE   6:55
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN   4:19