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Could I really do it?
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Thanks Wabo! How are you these days?
Yes training seems to have gone quite well.
Good things:
The bike has gone really well. And I seem to run ok the day after now. When I first started cycling my legs were dead when running the next day - so improvement there
Distance wise for the bike - I'm comfortable over this distance and have done quite a few bikes of a further distance because I am also doing the Dartmoor Classic 2 weeks after Bala, but mainly because I like the bike!
I have biked plenty too and done x-bike sessions
Happy with the bike.
Swimming - I feel relaxed in the water now and always swim 2k so know I can do the distance
I've done 3 or is it 4 open water swims and have at least another 4 planned. I'm lucky as I like swimming in open water whereas lots of people don't. I far prefer it to boring pool swimming!
Running - I feel very lucky to have got some long runs in. I'd like to get in one more - we shall see.
Not so good things
I have not done enough bricks simply because I detest them and they knock my confidence back as I feel rubbish doing them. I may do one or 2 more but I may not as the last thing I need to do is knock my confidence so close to Bala.
I have not done enough swimming because it is very boring
I have had a few running blips when I could not run at all mainly due to good old pesky achilles.
But overall - I really think I have been lucky and been able to get some good training in. Not as much as schedules suggest but I do feel happier about getting round now than I did before.
Training? Well yesterday I ran 5.6 miles at a very gentle pace. That went fine. Took in a bit of off road, ran with a friend. It was def a recovery type run as the pace was very slow indeed!
I skived off the swim - oops. So I will do it today - yawn! I may run again today - I may not - depends on time.
Tomorrow - will be doing a long bike. Will prob bike again Friday and may even bike again Saturday.
Sunday - dunno yet as may have a hangover and it is teenage scoobs actual 18th birthday
Next week - who knows it is getting nearer to Bala. What does one do? I will be fitting in one more long run though. Should I taper or leave that until the week before?
Hoping to get to Salford tomorrow for a swim
Had a great gym session last night, But only managed to run for 3 minutes before my ankle was agony
Got a training wknd this one then maybe just get some steady miles in the week after - no racing! See how I feel after this wknd.
Scoobs - I think probly leave the taper till the week before, thats my plan, but then, I've never done a middle before!
Thanks Colourin - my training seems to be a bit haphazard at the moment!
Yesterday I ended up cycling 63 miles.
Today I ended up cycling 46 miles.
Then I swam 1700m in the sea in the underwater jungle as it is full of kelp? type seaweed stuff. Got a bit of cramp though. It probably would have been better to swim and then bike - oops!
I did my practice in my tri suit today, so I cycled in it and then I swam in it. Apart from the fact that my backside got sore and I got a fair amount of ribbing from my fellow cyclists it went very well!
Very tired now as have biked over 100 miles in the last 2 days and I'm biking again tomorrow - hmm - I think my quads will be screaming! Still ''if the quads ain't burning then the legs ain't turning''.
Running 10 miles on Tuesday and have not a clue what else I'm doing just now.
Will keep going until the following week and then taper as Colourin suggests.
I'm sunburnt.
HI all
Boy do I feel ill. What I didn't say about yesterdays ride was that I left the others and went with a friend for a bit of a longer ride. He is much faster than me so I worked really hard to stay with him. Averaged just under 19 mph for this section which was about 23 miles. I got dropped on the hills though.
But not badly dropped.
Anyway when i got in and before I swam I had to have a little lie down on the floor.
Today I bonked good and proper. I have never felt so ill in my life and now know what bonking truely is and it is absolutely horrible. i know I was fuelled ok though and I was not dehydrated, but I simply did not have any energy left in my legs. This caused me to flake on every hill towards the end. I felt really sick too and found it very hard to concentrate. I kept wobbling about., then realising and putting my straight only to wobble about again.
It is boiling hot today and we did endless amounts of very steep hills. In the end I literally wobbled my way up them. How I did not end up falling off I don't know. I nearly hit the hedge many times.
56 miles done and I'm stuffed and feel really tearful - how sad and pathetic is that!
Rest day tomorrow.
Scoobs,
Take it easy girl !!
I think thats your body saying to think about taper time.... there is no point breaking yourself now with so little time before the race.
Dont think you will gain much now by pushing yourself but you could certainly risk being injured ..
You've already now done all the hard work, eyes on the prize !!
Best of Luck and I hope you all have a fab day at Bala
Adbru
(i will be looking for lots of in depth race reports to make me even more jealous
)
wow scoobs, you go easy now!
I am good, getting back into the cycling myself now. Went out Friday, sat and cycled in to work yesterday. Still running, slowly, but still doing it. Did flm again, 4.31, it was so hot! Nice to see you are getting on so well scoobs! Will keep an eye on this thread. Take care.
thanks guys - I felt fine by Monday. I ''made'' myself behave on Sunday so did not even swim, even though we went to the beach and I went in the sea in my bikini. I was SOOOO tempted to squeeze in a quick swim, but one look from teenage scoobs put paid to that idea! So I behaved and just bobbed around in the waves with her instead. See how good I can be?
Yesterday - I ran 10 miles. Flies like me and I ate loads. They also got stuck onto my contact lenses which proved to be interesting as I wobbled along trying to dislodge them from my eyes! - lol!
Today - I swam 2k and ''thought'' I had swam quite fast, until I checked my previous 2k swim times and realised that actually I swam quite slow - oh well! We can't have it all can we! After I headed for the stationary bike with the idea that my wet straggly hair would keep me cool in this hot weather. No chance - I frazzled in the gym as usual. I did keep the pace down this evening. Covered about 31k (from memory) in the hour. Usual level 11 on hills and NO it has not got any easier!
But have I done enough??? If I look at training schedules the answer is no! Oh dear! Too late now though. I have done what I can and did as much as I felt I could do so I'm hoping it's enough.
As I am actually going to make it I have decided to raise some money for wateraid. It is appalling how so many people do not have access to decent water. in fact it is quite shocking. So I am posting my link.
Please sponsor me. I don't care about the plea. even if you hate me, sponsor me anyway so that water can be made accessible for many that don't have any that is clean or decent!
Here you go
Wateraid page
QUESTION - what shoud I eat on the bike leg? How much? And how much water? Or should it be energy drink - HELP!!!
Day before yesterday I biked 41 hilly miles. we went down this amazing hill. I reckon I could def get a speed PB on that one! Clocked 46 mph on it but did hold back as was not sure what it was like. Now I know I shall be heading for that one again - hehe.
Yesterday I did another open water swim. Went ok but everyone and their dog seemed to be out in speed boats so although a fair way away had to be cautious.
That's me. Rest today, long bike tomorrow and taper next week so dunno but not much.
Hi Guys,
Just a quick note to wish you all the very best for this weekend
I hope that both the weather gods and the lactic acid gods are kind to you
Have a great day and soak up all the atmosphere, I will be thinking about you guys on Sunday (as I will be recovering from a function on saturday night !! )
Adbru
'lo peeps : )
Finally back on line, have I missed much? Is everyone ready for Sunday?
Good luck from me too.
Looking forward to the reports.
Hi all
Colourin - I think I'm ready and then I think about all the stuff i still need to organise and realise I'm not really ready at all!
Thanks k9 and Adbru!
Training? Well it poured down on Saturday and me, like all others out there on this day, got soaked through. Ditched long bike plan due to cycling in a river and came home for 37 miles of crazy riding with no brakes at the end. I then became rather attached to the hairdryer. That was after having just chucked my bike down in the garden, coming in and creating a flood on the kitchen floor as I was so soaked. So I wrang out my socks, dripped everywhere and stuck the hairdryer onto my hair whilst sticking the central heating on full blast. I was SO SO SO cold! Unfortunately I then fell in love with the hairdryer and used it as a very pleasant blow torch.
After half an hour it was looking like it was about to blow up, so I had to go cold turkey and shiver in the bathroom until the tub was full of heavenly hot water.
1 further hour later and Scoobs was re-vitalised back to some sort of normal state. I say 'some sort' as I don't know what normal is.
Sunday I rested as I'm a bit knacked just lately. Yesterday I ran just over 7 miles. Not sure about today. I'm so excited I'm not sleeping and felt a bit sick last night. Teenage scoobs has had a bug and lots off at work. Work have sent me home so I can get some sleep. Will try to as I need to really. I think they thought I would keel over - lol!
Would anyone be willing to sponsor me? I'm raising money for WaterAid. Link below.
Thanks
WAterAid
had the most fabulous bike ride this evening. Practiced staying onto my friends wheel. He gave me some more tips on what to do. He then pushed the pace up and I tried to stay with him. It was fab! I am lucky to be part of such a great bunch of cyclists. Covered just under 42 miles at av pace of 15.2mph. That is fast for me, well fastest so far around here anyway! YEY! That's my last bike ride before Bala, although I need to sort out my back brake as the wheel is not spinning freely and is sticking to the brake pad. Don;t want it doing that for Bala!!!!
Right must dash as need to shower...
You're welcome Scoobs
Seriously though - you've done all the training now....just go and have fun.
Wish I could have been doing it too - but you never know - maybe I'll get to do one next year.
I have entered an olynpic distance Tri in August, so if I can tease my injuries along until then i'll get to see what all the fuss is about! Don't think I'll be gettinhg much decent training in for it 9apart from ludicrous amounts of swimming still), but if I get round, and I'm not last I'll be happy.
Oh - and I've got the three peaks to do next week, and the West Highland Way a few weeks later, so keeping busy.
I'll await reports from the weekend...
well....
we're waiting .......
Well I know both Scooby and Colourin both finished, because I was there.
Will let them come on and tell you about it
Cheers SA,
Been following this thread so long now I felt I should have been there ! (instead when you guys were getting up yesterday I was heading to bed after a works night out
) lol
Great to hear they both finished
Sorry for the delay, been trying to get my legs to work!
Was great to finally meet Scoobs, and to see she did really well! Don't know her real name so don't know exactly how well, except that she was quicker than me cos I was the second to last pirate! But, I'm sooo pleased with myself for finishing, in one piece, with no injuries ans a huge smile on my face!
Had a brilliant race, the swim was very choppy, on the way out, everytime you turned to breath, it was touch and go whether you were actually out of a wave or not! So the sighting was a bit tough too, if you surfaced the wrong side of a wave, all you could see was a wall of water!
The bike bit was brill, some fantastic hills to whizz down and loads of pirates all over the place - fantastic support! But, you then have to go back up the hills, hence the legs not working!
Then the run, was quite nice that it was out and back, kind of broke it up into 2 shorter runs. The out bit was good, passing lots of pirates with cheers and hi fives, but the homeward leg was a bit soul destroying, on my own most of the way , but the last mile I could hear SA before I saw him! Just what I needed to bring me in!
Had a fab day, the pirate support was fantastic, and I finished! Can't wait for next year! : )
Well doen Colourin - you did so well girl - be very proud of yourself
Maybe I'll be there next year!
ahem
Scoobs
....a little report perhaps
waiting patiently for the news!
Will fetch report as I actually haven't posted it anywhere! Back in a min! It may be a bit long - not sure will check!
Bala Middle Distance Tri – Sunday 14 June 09
On Friday night I was supposed to be packing. Instead I found myself deliberately avoiding the task. I can only assume that my inner conscience had taken me into denial. I’d hardly slept all week on account of being ridiculously over-excited about the whole thing. In the end I finally managed to pack and ended up getting to bed really late yet again. Not great pre-race preparation really.
On Saturday we morning we drove to Bala and checked into the hotel. We discovered that the event venue was literally a few minutes’ walk away which was really good, so that afternoon we walked down to register. That’s when it all became real – this really was going to happen! I took a quick peep at the lake to discover that it looked very choppy. <wibble> By now the excitement had ebbed and the nerves had set in. What on earth was I thinking of!
Saturday night was spent clock watching, nothing new there then; I’d become accustomed to not sleeping.
Sunday
On arrival it became clear that the Pirates support was going to be second to none. I met a lots of Pirates and a few first timer fellow pirates and we all wibbled together. (It is much nicer wibbling in company)
On racking the bike I needed some time alone so I sent Mr Scoobs (who did the bike part of the relay) off with his swimmer – Phil. Because they were doing the relay it was a lot simpler for them, but I needed to go through all of my kit, fuel etc and set it all out beside my bike whilst also working out the process in my head. So the swim comes in here, the bike out is there etc. I was lucky as my bike rack was right beside a tree – easy to find then – yay! I have lost my bike in the past...
Then I headed off to get marked and re-joined them for the race brief. After a quick chat with some other terrified Pirates I put on my wetsuit and made my way to the swim start.
Swim
Out in the distance I could make out the great big orange buoys but, oh dear, they did seem to be a very long way away. The swim was a loop so we swam up the lake and back the other side. Time went by very fast and before I knew it the hooter went and we were off. I thought I had positioned myself quite well towards the outside of the herd, but I still found the beginning to be quite crowded with lots of legs and arms getting tangled up. As I swam I realised I had forgotten to start my watch so I had a quick float face down in order to turn it on. There was a rather nasty headwind on the way out which made for a bit of a slog and choppy conditions. Apart from that the swim went well. I always get very dizzy when I get out of the water and sure enough as soon as I stood up I fell right over into the water again. The marshals were great and literally hauled me out of the water – thank you marshals!
Transition 1
Dire! What can I say! I was terribly slow, I got into a right tangle trying to get my wetsuit off, generally hopping about the place, I could not get my socks on and took ages! In fact Phil asked if I would like to get my picnic basket out since I seemed to be there for so long! Oh dear! Eventually I grabbed the bike and made my way to the mount area.
Naturally I loved the bike leg. I had been looking forward to it. The course was an out and back so whatever you went up you got to go down. I overtook loads of people and for the whole 52 miles only 1 guy overtook me and stayed ahead of me. Yay. The course itself was really beautiful with no major big climbs. Having said that, we did climb for the first 11 miles but that also meant we would have a lovely ride back in at the end. We then had a gloriously long 10% descent which was fabulous, only I realised I’d have to go back up it on the way back. I had put my power bars into my top tube bag and remembered to munch my way through them on the bike leg. I also ensured I drank all of my water and energy drink. The Pirates were out in force on the course and the cheering that they gave me was awesome.
Transition 2
Better than transition 1 but still not great! Rack bike, off with helmet, off with bike shoes, on with running shoes, grab a gel and running bottle and out!
Run
This was the part I’d been dreading. I knew this was going to be tough. On top of that I had obviously eaten too much power bar and had the most awful stomach cramps - oops. My lower back was painful which was compounded with every step. So it was JFDI and HTFU. The run was much hillier than I had anticipated and was in a long winding high hedged narrow lane. This was also an out and back. The out was better than the back because every Pirate that came along gave me a high 5 which was brill. The Pirates had also erected ‘’Pirate corner’’. This consisted of Pirate flags and some pirates who went absolutely mental when they saw me coming along. They literally screamed their heads off and jumped up and down like complete lunatics. That gave me such a lift as I was going through a low patch. I got to 5 ½ miles and some way up a very big hill when I found I had to walk. I was very cross with myself for walking so soon. So what to do? Run/walk it is then. By now I was desperately looking for each mile marker. I swear those mile markers got further and further apart. It was really hot in the lane with no wind really. My whole body was aching. But on I went shuffling along. Eventually I got further on and could hear the crowd at the finish. I knew then that I was going to do it. My heart lifted, I really was going to do it! With my spirits lifting so did my feet! YAY! At that point I heard this most enormous yell. It was a friend that had come with us for the weekend. He had spotted me in the distance and he was hollering out my name. That was just brilliant. As I got nearer to my friends they all started leaping about. That again was wonderful. I am very lucky to have such good friends and support.
I saw the finish and then noticed that there were Pirates everywhere. They had formed a Mexican Wave and were hollering support as I ran by. Awesome! I crossed the finish feeling very relieved only to find my legs went - oh dear! But the St Johns guys were there and they caught me. A few sprays of water to cool me down, a couple of questions and I was fine.
An awesome experience, a fabulous race with the most amazing and fantastic support. I got to meet loads of Pirates. They really made this race for me. The support and encouragement I received was quite overwhelming to be honest. They really are a very special bunch of people and I was proud to wear Pirate kit and be associated as one
Well Done Scoobs
Great report and great effort, i know how much you were dreading the run !!
The downside of reading all these great reports from Bala is that it makes me very jealous.........
(note to self, do not bring visa card anywhere near the keyboard!! )
I hope you are having a good recovery and getting pampered loads
Well done , you are a Bala vet now
Huge well dones Scoobs
and great report
so
what's next
Adbru - I'll meet you at Bala next year