With so much going on last week, Phuket diaries, race report, TTH Christmas party etc. Etc. I have bundled weeks 9 & 10 together. Nothing major going on training wise, week 9 was all about a taper and week 10 was all about FUN!
The week prior to Phuket (#9) flew past and gave me a taste of what a real taper should feel like. Not at all like the drop everything, stop what you are doing and rest method I had tried out before, the tapered guide started on the Saturday and gradually went into cruise mode by Wednesday before the race. I think my real problem during these ‘lighter’ times is reducing my food intake. I was naturally not as hungry as usual but I do like m
y food and can tuck it away even when full! This is something I really have to rectify as coupled with my pre-race tension; I seem to suffer with a lot of bloating 3-4days before a race. This could be due to extra fluids onboard, but most of it is jittery nerves with my stomach telling me it is full when it hasn’t even had a meal. So once I do put food in the feeling just gets worse! Still, you can’t afford not to eat so I guess I will have to put up with the bloating for now and just try and curtail my habitual ‘picking’ when not full-on training to at least try and go into a race at my magic number. We all have a magic number we want to be for a race and I have tried to get to mine all year and it has not happened :( 
Week 10
At the awards dinner in Phuket, Coach Vinnie had told me to go out Monday and do an easy swim, bike or run for 30min’s. I really intended to, I did. But on Monday I felt really awful. Not hung-over so much but the attack of sea lice bites on my body had left me feeling very uncomfortable, I was dog tired and every time I sat down throughout the day I just went to sleep – the guys can vouch for this!
With Coaches words of wisdom ringing in my head all day, I still intended swimming even come evening. “Make sure you do something and when you get back home don’t just sit down, veg out and do nothing else it will be very hard to get started again,”. So even though Tuesday was a rest day (as we were travelling back), the flight was not until late evening. On waking, with the rest of the house in silence I popped into the little lap pool and did an easy 30minute swim. I then slipped on my runners and did an easy 30min run. The first few steps hurt like hell, but once into my baby step stride I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Got back and was greeted with looks of disgust from Ivie and Randy and eventually Bee, when she got up!
Wednesday, similarly light exercise, a turbo and run, even though I feel ok my legs tell me otherwise once I start asking them to work. Despite the run being a harder discipline than the bike (for me anyway) the bike legs seem to take longer to recover. That hollow feeling keeps coming back, and the lactic discomfort when warming up, those first 5/10minutes are nasty, nasty, nasty! I managed a wetsuit swim in the evening and a FUN ride on Thursday morning, (yeah for Malaysia and all her lovely public holidays!!)
It is Friday as I sit here typing this up and I have a rather fuzzy head and another very bloated stomach from overindulgence at the TTH Christmas Party last night. Will I manage anything to day? I predict not, but tomorrow is a 160k ride and there is a new plan on the horizon.
Cut to Sunday: My long anticipated Saturday ride was cut to 4hours (under instruction). To ensure a ride with the guys I decided to drive 20k out to a meet point, park up and go from there. After getting lost and severely annoyed I parked the car and set the bike up only to realise no helmet! Extremely ticked off cannot begin to explain my mood and annoyance at self. I went home and later in the day paid my penance at TBB with a 2hour; yes 2hour turbo session where my heart rate was way higher than usual due to the frustrations I was taking out on the trainer, once finished the shop had almost turned into an indoor swimming pool.
While everyone was out enjoying themselves at the annual Chin Woo Biathlon I quietly put in my 2hour Sunday run. It was not pleasant and this I predict was due to my snacking of late on peanut butter – more about what/how/why later – stupid, stupid, stupid.
Anyway the week with all its ups and downs is in the bag. Apparently it is quite natural to have a moody lull after the high of a race, with that in mind I would like to say I am raring to go, but with the new Ironguide plan still pending I am rather anxious of what I am going to be tackling over the final 10weeks. On hearing that one of Coach Vinnie’s age-group athletes just finished IM Bussleton in 8hrs26min (8th overall) I am experiencing some serious confidence issues and asking myself a lot of questions. Okay so the time was for a guy but still 8:26!!!
The first 10weeks went well, painful, yes, difficult, yes, but they were productive I found out a lot about what I can endure when at rock bottom and at the end of the day it yielded results.
Thank YOU coach Vinnie – I am at your mercy – throw me to the lions and I will endeavour to come back at you roaring!
The week prior to Phuket (#9) flew past and gave me a taste of what a real taper should feel like. Not at all like the drop everything, stop what you are doing and rest method I had tried out before, the tapered guide started on the Saturday and gradually went into cruise mode by Wednesday before the race. I think my real problem during these ‘lighter’ times is reducing my food intake. I was naturally not as hungry as usual but I do like m
y food and can tuck it away even when full! This is something I really have to rectify as coupled with my pre-race tension; I seem to suffer with a lot of bloating 3-4days before a race. This could be due to extra fluids onboard, but most of it is jittery nerves with my stomach telling me it is full when it hasn’t even had a meal. So once I do put food in the feeling just gets worse! Still, you can’t afford not to eat so I guess I will have to put up with the bloating for now and just try and curtail my habitual ‘picking’ when not full-on training to at least try and go into a race at my magic number. We all have a magic number we want to be for a race and I have tried to get to mine all year and it has not happened :( 
Week 10
At the awards dinner in Phuket, Coach Vinnie had told me to go out Monday and do an easy swim, bike or run for 30min’s. I really intended to, I did. But on Monday I felt really awful. Not hung-over so much but the attack of sea lice bites on my body had left me feeling very uncomfortable, I was dog tired and every time I sat down throughout the day I just went to sleep – the guys can vouch for this!
With Coaches words of wisdom ringing in my head all day, I still intended swimming even come evening. “Make sure you do something and when you get back home don’t just sit down, veg out and do nothing else it will be very hard to get started again,”. So even though Tuesday was a rest day (as we were travelling back), the flight was not until late evening. On waking, with the rest of the house in silence I popped into the little lap pool and did an easy 30minute swim. I then slipped on my runners and did an easy 30min run. The first few steps hurt like hell, but once into my baby step stride I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Got back and was greeted with looks of disgust from Ivie and Randy and eventually Bee, when she got up!
Wednesday, similarly light exercise, a turbo and run, even though I feel ok my legs tell me otherwise once I start asking them to work. Despite the run being a harder discipline than the bike (for me anyway) the bike legs seem to take longer to recover. That hollow feeling keeps coming back, and the lactic discomfort when warming up, those first 5/10minutes are nasty, nasty, nasty! I managed a wetsuit swim in the evening and a FUN ride on Thursday morning, (yeah for Malaysia and all her lovely public holidays!!)
It is Friday as I sit here typing this up and I have a rather fuzzy head and another very bloated stomach from overindulgence at the TTH Christmas Party last night. Will I manage anything to day? I predict not, but tomorrow is a 160k ride and there is a new plan on the horizon.
Cut to Sunday: My long anticipated Saturday ride was cut to 4hours (under instruction). To ensure a ride with the guys I decided to drive 20k out to a meet point, park up and go from there. After getting lost and severely annoyed I parked the car and set the bike up only to realise no helmet! Extremely ticked off cannot begin to explain my mood and annoyance at self. I went home and later in the day paid my penance at TBB with a 2hour; yes 2hour turbo session where my heart rate was way higher than usual due to the frustrations I was taking out on the trainer, once finished the shop had almost turned into an indoor swimming pool.
While everyone was out enjoying themselves at the annual Chin Woo Biathlon I quietly put in my 2hour Sunday run. It was not pleasant and this I predict was due to my snacking of late on peanut butter – more about what/how/why later – stupid, stupid, stupid.
Anyway the week with all its ups and downs is in the bag. Apparently it is quite natural to have a moody lull after the high of a race, with that in mind I would like to say I am raring to go, but with the new Ironguide plan still pending I am rather anxious of what I am going to be tackling over the final 10weeks. On hearing that one of Coach Vinnie’s age-group athletes just finished IM Bussleton in 8hrs26min (8th overall) I am experiencing some serious confidence issues and asking myself a lot of questions. Okay so the time was for a guy but still 8:26!!!
The first 10weeks went well, painful, yes, difficult, yes, but they were productive I found out a lot about what I can endure when at rock bottom and at the end of the day it yielded results.
Thank YOU coach Vinnie – I am at your mercy – throw me to the lions and I will endeavour to come back at you roaring!
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