Roundup of the last 2 Weeks!

Another solid but unspectacular 2 weeks in the bank!

12.5 hrs and 14.5 hrs respectively!

Swim training starting to build momentum, not least due to my 39x100's birthday set on Friday last. all off 2mins in on av 1:33 so very happy with that. Arms felt good, bit of leg cramping at around 3km but it cleared after a few 100m!

Bike has been consistent, 17hrs in the last 2 weeks, been deliberately keeping the HR under 160, which has meant dropping back a group on my Club spins, but hey!

Run ok, averaging 2 runs a week, and i need to up that to 3 runs. However i've been doing trail runs once a week which is really helping my running strength!

so overall happy out, solid base mileage being done!

TSS Score for past 2 weeks = 630 and 675 (target for a medium week is 700) so getting close.

I have a recovery week this week, and i will be making sure i do just that!

then its into 3 big weeks over the Xmas period. I'm off work from the 15th, an am planning a 2 week Winter Camp over that time. Aiming to get 2 sessions per day, and over 15hrs each week!

Finally a snapshot of my PMC -

You can see i'm currently at 82 CTL with a target of exiting 2012 as close to 100 as possible. (note i entered 2012 at just under 40. This should put me in an excellent position to build on in 2013).



CTL levels per sport entering 2012, exiting 2012 ( as of Dec 3rd).

	into 2012	exit 2012	Delta
Swim	2.3	7.4	5.1
Bike	31.6	52.2	20.6
Run	1.2	17.3	16.1

See ya next time, refreshed and ready for the last push of 2012!

Club Person of the Year..... woo hooo

So first week of the formal program last week, plan was 11:45 and i managed 12:20, so solid consistency!

No swim last week, struggling with getting to the pool, as i've off-peak membership in Shoreline, means i have to be in by 6pm. Mon and Wed are my scheduled swim days, but i'm playing a bit of rugby on wed evenings with work!

had a solid running week = 3.5hrs, bike = 7:40, and 2 gym sessions, giving me a TSS of 630, which is good.

After a good few weeks on the MTB, i certainly felt the road spin on sat (95km), pace was fair to at 26.5kph... but really need to keep the momentum on the road bike now! no more playing on the MTB at the weekends unless its very bad weather!

Base 1 week 2 this week - 14:15 planned - Swim 2, Bike 8:15, Run, 2.5, Gym 1.5

Finished the week in style with the WTC Awards dinner on Saturday night, where i was honoured and humbled to be voted as Club Person of the Year. Thanks to everyone who voted, delighted!

a weekend of nothing!

Last week was always going to be a mixed bag, my plan had me down for 10hrs, its the last preparation week before i hit the main base phase. Mid week was fine, 2 swims, 3 runs including a nice night run in Devils Glen. 2 Turbo sessions and 2 strength sessions!

The weekend however was a very different matter, had an all day Stag on saturday, drinking (steadily, nothing manic) from 12noon until 9pm, and then onto an engagement party until 2am, meant Sunday was a total write off, the day spent stuck to the sofa watching rugby and other assorted crap TV programs

They say the odd weekend off does you good, i felt like i wasted 2 perfectly good days by not training, The stag was great fun though i have to say!

This week see's the start of the full programme to get me to Tri An Mhi in May! 

Base 1 - Week 1 - Target 11:45hrs, with a focus on longer runs as i build towards the 1/2 Marathon in Waterford on the 1st December.

signing off with the above photo, which makes me giggle every time!

Beasting Ballyhoura

well for a supposed recovery week, i certainly clocked the miles up on the bike!

Swim and Run were non existent this week, one very easy 8km shuffle on Wed evening!

Monday was Marathon day, so span around the course for 2hrs very easy pace!
Tuesday took the day off, and did a solid 3.5hr road spin with some good hills - 1000m climbing!
Thurs and Fri no training
then off to Ballyhoura for the weekend!

Saturday the Red Loop - 50km of trails

http://app.strava.com/activities/26803423

Sunday the White Loop - 35km, wet, cold and frozen!
http://app.strava.com/activities/26929775

11.5hrs on the bike, total training 12:20

Total TSS = 563

next week target 12:30, with 3 runs, 2 swims, 2 gym and 3 Spins!

Turbo Crazy!

Great week last week, 12hrs total, target was 14, but horrendous weather and a tired body on Sunday told me to take a rest day!

Bike - MTB Tue, 2hr Turbo Thurs and 3:40 MTB sat meant for another solid Bike week!

Running - 2 runs, totalling 2hrs,

Swim - Just the 1 swim this week, and 2 gym sessions.

highlight of the week was a great B2R turbo session, Eanna really knows how to keep you interested and awake on the turbo! ended up with 2hrs (longest ever for me), although it really didn't feel like it!

This week i'm on an easier week, i'm dropping the swim and gym sessions, and focussing on 5 spins +2 runs!

In Ballyhoura at the weekend, and have Mon and Tues off so will aim to get consistent week on the bike!

First big(ish) week

After a very solid block of preparation training, averaging 8-11hrs, last week was my first big week of training! My target was 14hrs!

Swim - 2 Pool sessions on Tue and Wed, clocked 6km! certainly felt it in the arms on the 2nd session, but a great start back to proper pool training!

Bike - target 9hrs, actual 8:48- pretty happy with that, very easy 45mins on the Turbo on Monday, then a 100min B2R turbo session Thursday, followed by over 3.5hrs MTB sat and around 3hrs on the road on Sunday!

Run - target was 3 runs, 2hrs total, only managed 2 runs and just under 90mins total

Strength - target 1hr (2 x30min sessions), managed 1x30mins session.

All in all a very solid week, Weekly TSS of 630 (ideally need to be above 700TSS for these bigger weeks!)

My CTL is now at 73.7, compared to this time last year at 58.5 is a great sign, my CTL then plummeted between Nov and Dec last year to 26.5 due to the back injury.

Also, my Monday morning weigh in came in at 91.7KG, so 1/2 kilo down on last week!

back from the dead..... AGAIN

resurrecting the blog for the umpteenth time...

new focus for next season, and a new winter approach!

Now that i'm pretty much over my back injury which put pay to 2011 and the best part of 2012 seasons, i'm now in a good place to re-set the goals for 2013, and get into some serious winter training!

2013 Goals - 
IVCA Road Racing - I turn the big 40 next year, which means i can now race IVCA. Been wanting to do this for a good while now, as they have a great setup, structured road races and time trials. So my primary focus is Road Racing and Time Trailing next season.
1/2 Ironman Triathlon - I wont be hanging up my tri shoes yet though, i still plan on doing 2 1/2 ironman events next season, one early (possibly Tri-An-Mhi) and then if it happens, Ironman Galway 70.3.
Open Water Swimming - I'm targeting 2 swims a week from now (october), which will build me to a solid base for the OW swim season in June.

Specific race / training targets

Swim - i clocked a seasons best 400m this year of 5:35. (my PB from a few years ago being 5:23). So i'm setting 2 swim targets for 2013.

• 400m Pool TT of sub 5:30, 
• Complete the 5km Open Water champs in Lough Dan. 

Bike - I've been chasing the ever elusive hour for the 25mile for a few years, now i'm focussing on the bike primarily, my goal is to break the hour this year. Also my latest tested FTP is 255 (which is the highest ive ever tested, so a great sign!), target FTP for 2013 is 280.

• Sub 1:00 for 25miles TT
• FTP = 280 Watts

Run - I have to be realistic with my run goals this year, having had almost a year out. Consistency over the winter will be paramount, 3 runs a week, Mon, Wed and Fri, building from aerobic endurance to threshold race pace work nearer to season start. I would love to break 50mins for a 10km.

• Consistency - steady running every week, minimum 2 runs
• sub 50mins for 10km

Triathlon - Nothing too lofty for me, with the above Bike and Swim targets, i'll be happy with 2 solid 1.2 IM races. No time targets, just happy with my performance!

so that's it for this post... setting the goals!