20 Weeks to Kona

A BIG training week!!!

Monday's Velo session was exhausting after a busy training week. Struggled to keep the intensity on flat legs. Ate heaps that day! 

Tough pacing at the Tan

Hard run at the Tan Thursday night. Ran with a much faster runner who I kept up with until the second lap.....then had to watch him run off as the legs couldn't hold his pace. Good training. Then came across Matty Green, there's always someone to run with at the Tan.

Tough morning on Wednesday with a big gear ride on Beach Rd...and 7 degrees! Another big food day. Smashed down a few Krispy Kream donuts, gave in to the craving. 

Had to miss the MTC AGM as I had to see my family. Missed swimming on Thursday as it clashed with my performance review at work. Unfortunately work does not have a measure for triathlon, so swimming training takes second place this time. 



 
This weekend was the world championship & high performance training camp at Wangaratta. Arrived Friday night for a start Saturday morning. It consisted of athletes doing the sprint and Olympic distance world championships in London, Hawaii Ironman and several other approaching events. 

 

Wangaratta accommodation. Didn't see much of this place!

Saturday started with a long ride over a 3 lap course with increasing intensity. That was 187km taking 5hr 50min with the last lap a flat out time trial, followed by a 75min run. Then I had 10min until we left for the pool to do 1hr 30min swimming. This gave me just enough time to smash down a microwave macaroni cheese.

All up an 8.5 hour training day. Massive!

Finishing the first climb

Just finished a 7.5hr ride/run session. Now I have 10min until the swim set.

All exhausted after the day's long sessions

Then back into it on Sunday. 

Did a 1hr ride in 0 degrees (developed frost on the body & bike) followed by a 2hr 15min run. The run was a negative split (slow out them faster back). We ran along the rail trail which was an awesome running track. There's nothing out there once I was out of Wangaratta. Was hoping to come across a town...nope! 

Did 4:30min/km pace for 1hr 10min out then turned around and ran back at 4:03min/km. Turned out to be a great run averaging 4:18min/km overall for 31km. An awesome feeling, didn't expect to do that pace!

Check out the run video from coach Foz:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0YpHl2b9Ps 

 
Sean Foster's Facebook comment:

Dale trained for 8:30hrs Saturday, including final 57kms of his 187km ride at TT pace, ran 75mins off the bike and a full swim session. Sunday after a ride averaged 4:18min/k's for his 2:15hr run, then finished with a paddles pool strength session. Great work
 

0 degrees and foggy for Sunday's run

 

Then after the run...I had 15min to pack up all my gear, put the bike on the car roof, eat some chocolate and go swimming for a paddle and tether band set. After that I stood in the shower and realised that I've never been so exhausted from training before. It was 2pm and we all went out for breakfast and debrief from coach Foz. 

What a weekend, what an achievement. 

A tough swim session

Debrief by the coach

             
 My comment to Red Bear on Strava:

One thing I learnt last weekend - the body can go beyond the limits we set ourselves. It sometimes takes someone else (coach) to push us to where they know we can go. 


Went to work the next day on a massive high

Training is coming along real well!

21 Weeks to Kona

Week 5 of the build & bike phase and the weather gave our first real glance at the approaching winter. It was cold, wet and windy.  

'The May Massive' Challenge on Strava - I've clocked up 220km running & 679km riding since 1 May 2013. That's 170th of 11,413 runners and 6,958th of 56,512 riders.





Back at Hawthorn velodrome on the Monday. The forecast rain held off, I was prepped to get wet. This week saw my first session back with the main squad. It was good to be back training with other athletes rather than the lonesome solo midweek training.

Big run set at the Tan on Tuesday night. Did just over 20km which included 3 Tan laps and after each lap an '860 loop' (hilly section to make the legs burn). This session, being the first back with the squad after qualifying for Kona, reminded me of when I first started with Fluid Movements. It was this time last year and the 2012 Kona qualifiers were training. Foz would call "Hawaii" and the team would walk over and Foz would go through their run set. I liked the sound of that and wondered what it took to qualify. 

On Tuesday night Foz called "Hawaii" and I walked over....that felt totally awesome! It was a great personal moment. THAT'S what inspires me to do the training. 

Didn't get home until 9pm after running then having to wait for the tram. it was a late dinner. 

Thursday morning was another of the long Dandenongs ride with 1:20 repeats. It was cold and raining, only did 2 of the 3 scheduled repeats. Did 3 hours on the bike then a 30 minute run. At least I had my rain jacket.

Posted the comparison temperatures on Facebook - Mt Dandenong v's Hawaii, hurry up October:

Hawaii - Sunny & 28 degrees

Mt Dandenong - Rain & 6.7 degrees

It was another cold & wet Silvan Dam ride on Saturday. I was well under-dressed and froze as we passed through Kallista (back of Mt Dandenong). Left my rain jacket at home. Still waiting on my new rain jacket and shoe covers from PBK, they can't come quick enough. Made burritos that night. Ate way too much but enjoyed a bottle of... 

Sunday's long run was at Port Melbourne with the squad. Had a 2 hour pre-run ride. It started raining a Moordialloc so got wet again. Just like Saturday...no rain jacket. Came across Red Bear, coach Ritchie and Ollie doing their pre-run ride. I slowed down for a chat.

The run started at Port Melbourne SLSC. Did 2 laps of Albert Park lake for the first time before heading out to Beach Rd. Great place to run, and the sun came out, what a morning! A great way to finish a big training week.

 4 months and 22 days until Ironman World Championship!

Kona slot wet for US$30,099 on eBay this week:
  

22 Weeks to Kona

After a review of last Saturday's tough Kinglake data, we climbed it in a good time! Surprising, it felt very average. Red Bear PB'ed, evidence of a tough session.

To top it off it was Star Wars Day - May the 4th be with you! We went to Doncaster where they built a big Lego Yoda. Awesome!!!

This week was adaption or 'recovery' week. Less training to allow the body to regenerate. 

Saturday I had a Maximal Lactate Steady State (MLSS) test with Brodie from Intune Sports. This determined my power, heart rate and lactate threshold. It generates my training zones and sets the basis for monitoring training progress. Riding to exhaustion is not fun. I've never done this type of test before so I got some good information. Timing is good as training ramps up for Kona. 

I train with Brodie who is a pro triathlete and practicing sports and exercise scientist. Get in contact with Intune if you want good testing that comes with great feedback from like minded athletes:

http://www.intunesports.com.au/

Brodie dialing in the resistance

Spinning the legs

Ran home from the city for the first time this week - 14km over a lumpy course. Hills are now a part of the run program. Saturday's run after the testing also called for an undulating course around Wattle Park.


But there was disappointment this week - Lost the Port Melbourne to Frankston KOM on Strava. My time of 1:04:42 at 39km/hr average set on 28 July 2012 is now 2nd. Shattered!

...And in the pool, swim coach Ben gave out some handy stroke correction hints. I take twice as many strokes as I should. Time to work on looooong strokes.

Mother's Day on Sunday was a full day off. Brunch and my parents then dinner at Lauren's. Sleep in, pancakes, bacon, sausages and chocolate. A great way to finish recovery week.

152 days to Hawaii.

23 Weeks to Kona

Did a ride run combo Monday to make up for missing last Sunday's run due to illness. Hit a massive pot hole on the bike which broke off my water bottle holders behind the seat and pushed the tri bars forward. Then ran for 75min slowly because I was still feeling lethargic. It's very quiet at the Tan on a Monday morning.

....Then stepped in dog sh!t while running and walked it into the office. Not a great start to the week. 

Bottles now go on the frame

Tuesday was the first group swim training session. Great to be getting pushed in the pool again. Really need to work on my kicking, keeping my head down, my hand entry, my stroke...need to work on my swimming.

Had work dinners on Tuesday & Wednesday which called for a training shuffle and associated tiredness from lack of sleep. Got on with it.

Kinglake was the destination again for Saturday's ride. Had a strong group that morning - Sean who took out the Gatorade series in his age group this season, Brodie who is leaving for Germany in 2 weeks to race with his pro team, Kristy the Fluid Movements pro, Red Bear a fellow Kona qualifier and Geoff who is lining up for 2014 Ironman Melbourne. Given last week's struggle I was worried I'd pop again. Still wasn't sure how I was traveling. 

Made it to St Andrews intact then managed to get up the hill towards Kinglake with Red Bear. We held Brodie's wheel until he turned off for repeats. Red Bear and I then pushed on to the round-a-bout just behind Sean. Survived it!

It was a cold descent which made the coffee stop at Smiths Gully a welcome break. We re-grouped and headed for home. It was when we got to Eltham that I started to feel the sting in the legs. I started to fade up the steep bits then was forced to chase the group on the downhill. Caught them each time but it was anything but pleasant. 

Off the bike for a 60min run. Started slow but then built up to an ok pace. Did the time.

Sunday's run started with a 1hr 45min bike 'warm up' tempo ride. Felt sluggish on the bike and struggled to get the heart rate up. Didn't matter, it's all about the run on Sunday. Started running off the bike, took a bit to warm up, bit of a niggle in the left knee which went away after 5min.

I ran on the Ironman Melbourne course for the first time since the race. I re-lived it all over again. Running down the finish chute brought a tear to my eye. All the memories from that day came back. The finish, where I saw my family, the MTC tent, the crowd, the elated feeling.


The run was good - 24km at 4:30min/km average. Saw a few MTC team members out running and riding. You're never on your own on Beach Road.
  
Cold water immersion followed. Unlike training in the summer months the water is now really cold.

Hit the pool for some paddle work then home. A good week's training with 19.5 hours. 

And this week a Kona slot sold on eBay for US$30,100!!!!

159 days to Hawaii. I checked the qualified athletes list on ironman.com, my name's on it!