A final update on my training (for those that care ;-)), this week has been full on tapering with not much to write home about at all. Few saunas and sports massages and some light cycling and running. Rest of time has been spent trying to get my bike into a bike box and program all my timing equipment to tell me everything I need and lots I don't.
The last serious exercise was on Saturday at the Hyde Park Tri. I took part in the Saturday Sprint distance (800m, 22.5km and 5km) along with Steve and Dan.
The event is awesome, I really liked it as it is where I do a fair amount of my training especially running and its just down the road - home ground, my back yard or "Who Works Here!" for the UCS boys. In fact a 16.30 start was distinctly civilised compared to a lot of others and the one coming on Sunday (07.45 - which is actually not that bad - hoping to finish by 19:45). Racked my bike next to Steve and Dan and nice to have some familiar faces to be lining up with and to cheer on round the course.
Lined up in the Serp and couldn't see the weeds I was used to, must have got rid of them when they were cleaning the blue green algae! Horn went and I went off as hard as I could. Not sure why as i can only sprint for 1 or 2 lengths so after about 100m I slowed having been out with the leaders up until that point. With pretty small waves (only c60 people) there wasn't many people to swim with so found sighting difficult especially with white buoys and grey sky. So felt like I weaved around for the full 800. Which may well have contributed to taking 17mins to get out of the water, that or my swimming technique.
Overall was hoping for a better swim and a PB to beat my Blenheim Sprint time, but with the long cycle (22.5km not 20km) and large transition area this was no long guaranteed - rather annoying. Off hard onto the largely flat course. Got my HR quickly under control and maintained it north of 160 for the entire cycle - dispelling fears that I can't get my heart rate up on a bike, its just I either don't try hard enough or just can't sustain the level for longer distances. Only got overtaken on the last lap, by some fresh legs and they were what I needed to pick me up on final lap. c40mins for the bike.
Back into transition and it was over an hour, was really going to struggle to get below 1:21 and the sub 1:20 I was hoping for. Still gave it a nudge and started the two laps of the serp. Something that I have done a number of times in the last 4 months so I really enjoyed it. Overtaking everyone and not really finding anyone to pace me, but felt good, didn't feel like I was going mega fast but ticking over nicely. Picked up the pace on the second lap and still no-one going at or near my pace until the end of the second lap when I found someone to chase down and kick past. On to the blue matting through the pros transition area and round the bend to the finishing straight.
Again no-one to inspire a classic sprint finish, well anymore than I put in anyway, but lots of people cheering (thanks to Nats, Roz, Gregg and my cousin for the encouragement on the way round). Crossed the line and stopped the watch at 1:20:10. Damn it I had missed the sub 1:20 mark, so was actually swearing as they put my medal on, but I had beat my PB. So I was a little down, that was until I spoke to Em who informed me of my actual times (the wonders of the internet) and the fact that to actually get a PB I had put in a blistering run of 17:57 for a new PB and 9th best run time of the day. So now well chuffed and hoping to take this form to the far longer distance version on Sunday.
Will definitely do this event again and again in years to come.
The last serious exercise was on Saturday at the Hyde Park Tri. I took part in the Saturday Sprint distance (800m, 22.5km and 5km) along with Steve and Dan.
The event is awesome, I really liked it as it is where I do a fair amount of my training especially running and its just down the road - home ground, my back yard or "Who Works Here!" for the UCS boys. In fact a 16.30 start was distinctly civilised compared to a lot of others and the one coming on Sunday (07.45 - which is actually not that bad - hoping to finish by 19:45). Racked my bike next to Steve and Dan and nice to have some familiar faces to be lining up with and to cheer on round the course.
Lined up in the Serp and couldn't see the weeds I was used to, must have got rid of them when they were cleaning the blue green algae! Horn went and I went off as hard as I could. Not sure why as i can only sprint for 1 or 2 lengths so after about 100m I slowed having been out with the leaders up until that point. With pretty small waves (only c60 people) there wasn't many people to swim with so found sighting difficult especially with white buoys and grey sky. So felt like I weaved around for the full 800. Which may well have contributed to taking 17mins to get out of the water, that or my swimming technique.
Overall was hoping for a better swim and a PB to beat my Blenheim Sprint time, but with the long cycle (22.5km not 20km) and large transition area this was no long guaranteed - rather annoying. Off hard onto the largely flat course. Got my HR quickly under control and maintained it north of 160 for the entire cycle - dispelling fears that I can't get my heart rate up on a bike, its just I either don't try hard enough or just can't sustain the level for longer distances. Only got overtaken on the last lap, by some fresh legs and they were what I needed to pick me up on final lap. c40mins for the bike.
Back into transition and it was over an hour, was really going to struggle to get below 1:21 and the sub 1:20 I was hoping for. Still gave it a nudge and started the two laps of the serp. Something that I have done a number of times in the last 4 months so I really enjoyed it. Overtaking everyone and not really finding anyone to pace me, but felt good, didn't feel like I was going mega fast but ticking over nicely. Picked up the pace on the second lap and still no-one going at or near my pace until the end of the second lap when I found someone to chase down and kick past. On to the blue matting through the pros transition area and round the bend to the finishing straight.
Again no-one to inspire a classic sprint finish, well anymore than I put in anyway, but lots of people cheering (thanks to Nats, Roz, Gregg and my cousin for the encouragement on the way round). Crossed the line and stopped the watch at 1:20:10. Damn it I had missed the sub 1:20 mark, so was actually swearing as they put my medal on, but I had beat my PB. So I was a little down, that was until I spoke to Em who informed me of my actual times (the wonders of the internet) and the fact that to actually get a PB I had put in a blistering run of 17:57 for a new PB and 9th best run time of the day. So now well chuffed and hoping to take this form to the far longer distance version on Sunday.
Will definitely do this event again and again in years to come.
| Swim | 00:17:15 |
| T1 | 00:03:26 |
| Bike | 00:39:46 |
| T2 | 00:01:47 |
| Run | 00:17:57 |
| Overall | 01:20:10 |
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