PSOF Championships 2013 - Challenge Henley

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  • Well we did it. But I've only just thawed my feet out, man it was cold. Anyway here's my verdict.  I like it! image It was a long drag up to Northend but nothing too troubling, just slow and I know I can train to get my speed up a bit. Going down to Greys Court was fast and fun, and although a bit of a drag back up nothing difficult at all. Missed out the other Northend loop and headed directly for the BIG one.  The road sign puts it a 10% and I'm pleased to report that I got up it. I was only going 3mph though and wobbling a bit and it seemed to go on and on, but I did it. The descent back into Henley was fast and even a downhill wuss like me got 30mph. 

    There is nothing on the course that isn't manageable although I suspect the 2nd lap will feel tough and the third one, well, I'm not even thinking of that yet. 

  • Cross post Fraggle. So we did go wrong afterall - oops. 

    Good to see you today and I'm sure you will get up the hill once your lurgy has gone. Well done. 

    image

     

  • Badger, how can a 37 mile ride be classed as "long"? Surely they need to be knocking on the door of 100 miles to be long? The furthest I've ever done is 70 miles, so it's not even in the frame. Truly, I do need to get out on the bike more.

    For me, it was 48 miles on Saturday morning, with the gang. Got a puncture halfway round and took FOREVER to fix it. I got some ridicule for that, especially as we were doing an unofficial time trial at that point. I context this was only my second one in 12 months.

    I am glad to hear that the Whore's Hill is manageable. I am seriously envisaging walking up it by the time lap 3 arrives. I can believe that my contact points would benefit from a massage by then anyway.

    BTW, has anyone else noticed the elevation profile for the swim section?

     

  • Bagder - Nice ride to end not such a great week., nice stats. Hope you have/had a good birthday.

    Soup - Glad to hear you think it is doable, hope you can feel your feet again now. I need to get over and recce so I know what to train for.

    Fraggle - Take it easy and get over the cold and I'm sure that hill will be yours for the taking.

    2nd week of fink, 9 sessions, 3 of each if the count 20mins run brick of the long ride. Total of 8:30 but long ride was only 2:00/30miles.

    Going to have to mix up the training schedule next weeks as I'm doing Roding Valley Half Marathon on Sunday.

  • Blisters - X-posted, nice ride for you today.

    GPS and map site elevations are often well out, the accuracy is just not there for vertical calculations (satellite separation and geometry work against them). If a horizontal distance was out be 30ft over a mile we wouldn't notice or care but with elevation we do. If in reality the difference between the start and turning point is more than 5-10ft I'd be very surprised and it is the current that will be of more of a concern than change in elevation any way.

  • Blisters wrote (see)

    Badger, how can a 37 mile ride be classed as "long"? Surely they need to be knocking on the door of 100 miles to be long? The furthest I've ever done is 70 miles, so it's not even in the frame. Truly, I do need to get out on the bike more.

    Well it's the longest of the week, in accordance with the Fink intermediate plan (actually, I was only supposed to do 90mins.) Not sure I've ever read a definition of a long bike needing to be 100 miles long. Remember, there's a hell of a long way to go yet! Hurdle 1: Reaching the start line in one piece. image

    p.s. Cheers Scuba for the birthday wishes! Have had a very large pub Sunday lunch in celebration. image

  • Will be signing up tomorrow as long as no more bills come in then better start training
  • Nice. Welcome aboard. Seems there's a fair number of us now! image

  • Hi drainman. Welcome to the gang.

    lol at long ride. My longest so far is 25 miles and that was today. image I'm up to 7 miles on a run and 1000m on swimming. I've got some training to do but there's plenty of time yet and I'm still on target with Fink, apart from the swim perhaps. Each to their own, and all depends on targets I suppose. 

  • Badger, sorry if I sounded a bit sour, I realised after pressing the send button that I could be mis-understood. Personally speaking, I'm crapping myself at the prospect of having to bike 180km as a "commute" between the longest swim I've never contemplated and a proper run.

  • thedrainman - Welcome aboard.

    Soup - sounds like we are in similar places, my longest ride ever was Saturday at 30miles. I think I'm up to about 1750m in the pool but i can never keep count well enough to be more accurate than that. Running isn't an issue, I'm doing 10miles regularly and could do more but saving my energy for the more problematic swim and bike. As you say its nice to be ahead of the fink plans at this stage.

    Blisters - Your doing a spring marathon right? Which one and what time you targeting?

    Badger - There does seem to be quite a few signed up now, there have been a few comments on other threads that it wouldn't be that full of pirates, I wonder how many there are.

  • No worries Blisters. I think it's fair to say we've all got work to do! image

    Scuba - there was a list I think nearer the beginning of this thread. I noticed the comments in a few of the other threads too. I will dig up the list and we can get it updated image I think we may be pleasantly surprised!

  • Good point badger. Latest list I could find:

    CH - entered
    Barley
    Blisters
    ChallengeCheggers
    Fraggle
    Gladys
    Iron SwissBobby
    Iron Dreamer
    M.eface
    Rafiki
    Scuba Trooper
    Soupy
    Ultimate Badger
    Ultra Cougie

    CH Half- arsed
    Bedders
    Hope

  • This thread keeps reminding me that I must start swimming again...  image

    I think Hope is out of the half-arsed btw. Lazy mare!

  • yes i think she has to be somewhere else that day....image

  • Scuba, I did have Gloucester marathon as a January target, but it got cancelled. Now I'm looking ahead to April and Shakespeare - Stratford. Always a good forum turn out for that, it's Mick n Phil's home town. The Glos people might even get around to offering a discount entry to something else on the basis that they haven't returned so much of a brass bean from the entry fee of £30.

  • CH - entered 
    Barley 
    Blisters 
    ChallengeCheggers 
    Fraggle 
    Gladys 
    Iron SwissBobby 
    Iron Dreamer 
    M.eface 
    Rafiki 
    Scuba Trooper 
    Soupy 
    Ultimate Badger 
    Ultra Cougie

    CH Half- arsed 
    Bedders 
    Hope
    Dubai Dave
    AA 

     

  • Good day today image 45 min Z2 run (fasted) at 06:30am and a 1 hour swim this evening done as 6x400m (alternating straight/pull) with a generous rest interval. I'm gonna smash this week as it's recovery week next week. Happy training all. 

  • Well done Badger. My recovery week is this week. It should really be next week too, but life got in the way the last couple of days. Got a 5 mile run planned tomorrow though. 

  • Yeah, life does that doesn't it! image

    List updated (Hope removed)

    CH - entered 
    Barley 
    Blisters 
    ChallengeCheggers 
    Fraggle 
    Gladys 
    Iron SwissBobby 
    Iron Dreamer 
    M.eface 
    Rafiki 
    Scuba Trooper 
    Soupy 
    UltimateBadger 
    Ultra Cougie

    CH Half- arsed 
    Bedders 
    Dubai Dave
    AA

  • Badger - Nice swim session.

    Should really be my rest week this week but saving that for next week after a half marathon on Sunday. After a swim and turbo on Tuesday and a swim and run Wednesday I did my long ride today (2:20 and 36miles) with 20min brick run and I feel totally spent now. Easy swim tomorrow morning and the Tri show in the afternoon (maybe try and fit in a little run too). Any one else at the Tri show tomorrow?

  • Sadly dont think i can get out of work early enough, so will probably be there Saturday. Thinking about it, I could also pick up race number for the Spring Spitfire 20 (Sunday) and get a few extra mins lie in image
  • I ain't got time for shows - I'm training! image

    Another 2km in the pool tonight (4.5km this week!) and a 45 min Z1 100+ RPM session at lunch. Going for my first cycle commute of the year tomorrow - must mean Spring's coming! image

  • Evening. I'm going to the tri show on Saturday and will be biking there. image

    A lovely 5 mile run home from work today. I almost dread the run days but after the first mile I love it, especially this easy zone 2 stuff. 

  • Swim session. Proper one. Today was another progress day.
    16L = 400m= 10:05 without trying
    64L = Mile= 41:39 PB by about 2 minutes.
    100L= 2.5km= 65:35 PB
    I started off the session trying to be ultra smooth and breathing every 3rd stroke. Amazingly I actually managed to get decent air on my unfavoured left side. That alone would have been considered to be progress. But I'm counting lengths because they all count, so reverted to RHS breathing only.
    I do need to keep doing this sort of session, because it's what will build up the feeble arm muscles, and I need to do this plus 50%, with it all feeling under control. I was a bit tired around the 80 mark to be honest.
    Happy swimbler.

  • What's your 400PB Blisters? Do you get any coaching?

  • I did 65 miles on the bike yesterday and ran and swam. Today I've just been and done what may be the best 120 lengths I've ever done. I can't believe it's really down to it but I had 2 large americano's at the local coffee place before I went - I may have to try the caffeine gels out now.

  • Well done on the swim cheggers and blisters. 

    Blisters I would also recommend swim coaching, A lot of it is technique that can make it feel easier. Having said that I have coaching but I'm only up to 1000m - but its not tiring and I stop if feel I'm struggling so as not to implant bad form. I'm a very slow swimmer as well, my best 1 mile time has been 48 mins (open water) and my best 400m time is 9.5 mins in the pool. Don't think I've ever done a mile in the pool but going to give it a go soon. 

    Caffeine eh? The caffeine gels help my running when I'm tired I know that, but never had them for swimming. 

  • I've not been swimming properly for a full year yet, and I get Tri club swim coaching as part of a group on Sundays. My progression has been in steps and consolidations, with this past 3 weeks seeing a significant leap forward. That coincides with the last 400TT, which compared with a race time of 9:56. I'm pretty sure that a race time set with a group of similarly paced folk would see it destroyed, or even set with the people in my coaching lane.
    At my end of the swim spectrum I can actually feel the improvements in the water.

    The truth is that I've spent 10+ years running training, and always HATED swimming. I don't mean disliked, I do mean HATED. I am so overjoyed about my current ability, you wouldn't credit it, in fact I'm enjoying spending an hour in the pool. In fact, I am currently approaching a point where I am at risk of getting close to my wife's mile (40min) and 2.5k (60min) times. The fish like elder daughter need not fear though.

  • Top biking Cheggars.

    Keep trucking Blisters! You've definitely got the swim endurance already. I'd try and bias your training towards technique now with drills etc. There's plenty of time for long swim sessions further down the line. I don't do long continuous swims in the pool (I save those for open water) and do shorter intervals really trying to hone my technique. My 400 p.b. from a few weeks back is 7:19 and I still have technique flaws image   

    75mins on the bike today as an extended homeward commute.

    Oh, someone buy me some Zipp 404's whilst you're at the Tri show? I'll post you a cheque... imageimage

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