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!