Hmmm thanks for that Debbo I hadnt thought of it in those terms. Yes 15mins for 400m is plenty - hopefully I will be around 9mins by then. And it then gives longer for the bike leg which I know is going to be my struggle. Still loads of time after FLM to get that right and lots of hills round here for me to practice on.
I will stop worrying about the cut offs and concentrate on getting good enough for them to be no problem!
i am very average on the bike and not that quick on the run - I've just dipped below 2 hrs on a 1/2 mara once. Doing Hastings in a few weeks so will be interesting to see what time i'm doing then. I'm not completely racing it as i don't want to get injured. Those are genuine comments btw - not a sand bag in sight. My triathon experience is limited to spints only and only a couple of them so this really is a journey into the unknown although by the time we get to Vit i will have done Cowman (1/2IM) in July so will have more of an idea about how good/bad/fast/slow I am
Barley Crashie Debbo kittenkat Mouse PSC GOM Gyraffe Holly_G (only considering as I have my eye on an adventure race the same weekend....) Rio Squishy Thomas Peoples Troglodytes
Ok finally convinced myself I do not need to worry about the swim! Did 1850m last night at the club in the hour (and that included rest periods too which would have amounted to around 10-15 mins in total. So I know I can do the distance in the time!
Barley Crashie Debbo kittenkat mellifera Mouse PSC GOM Gyraffe Holly_G (only considering as I have my eye on an adventure race the same weekend....) Rio Squishy Thomas Peoples Troglodytes
Rio - just rode up a huuuuuuuge hill into work for the first time this year. Very glad this is still many months away - it would probably take me 7 hours just for the bike leg at this rate!! My 'normal' half mara is 1.50-1.55 hoping 2.30 is about right although I know it's going to seem a lot longer on the day!
I guess it's worth taking an extra 10 minutes for the swim to be more rested on the bike - but then again the confidence of a good swim could set you up for the whole day... any thoughts?
About the bike folks - if it's the same as last year then it isn't 85km, it's shorter. As I remember, more like 80km so that gives you a little more time. Also although there are a few hills - not too bad but slow you down a little, there is also an exceptionally fast 8 miles section on the lap. It's a very gradual down hill from Upingham to Morcott, then flat to down hill from Morcott to Ketton on good roads.
Gyraffe your half time is quicker than mine. My pb is 2:08 so I will be nearer 3 hours for the run leg I should think. Have to start getting out on the bike for some decent long rides after this FLM training is over. At least I dont have to worry about the running element too much anyway
Rio - we'll be so used to long training sessions by then a regular 2-3 hour ride should just seem 'normal'. I'm looking forward to early morning outings in spring with the buds bursting and no traffic on the roads..........
I know. I am going to replace my long run with a long ride and my tri club do 3 hourish long runs on a Saturday morning which would be perfect.
I do enjoy my bike when I get out on it. I am just nervous about thinking about it as a friend had a very nasty accident along one of the roads I was going to use as my long ride which has made me twitchy
Melli's right, the bike isn't too bad. There is only the ripple, and then one other long slow climb, from memory. Nothing else significant, but some fast bits too.
If you don't cane the bike leg then there is no reason why you shouldn't get close to your normal run time - mine last year was 12 minutes slower than my half pb. And it's not that my running is improving - it's not, in fact it's getting slower!
weekly 3hour runs are too long I think. training frequency is important too and for most people the recovery required following a three hour run will limit their ability to train consistently. the longest I went for IM was 2.5hours - once! I did about 8 two hour runs. and those don't need to be done on a weekly basis - instead over 3-4 weeks take you longest run from 1hr to 2hours.
the ripple has 3 lumps - the first after the railway bridge is a bugger as you've just come off a fast slightly downhill section and it kicks up straight away; the second is the long one but no big deal really; the third is hardly noticeable......
and as debbo says - there is one other longish hill just as you turn back after Ketton but it's not bad at all....
there's also a couple more short rises on the way back towards the lake which will make you sweat a bit on the 2nd lap especially if it's into a headwind
three hills and the third is hardly a hill...isn't that two then?
none of the hills are difficult if you are in the right gear.* of course they make you slower but they aren't that hard. be a doddle after nice for most
*and i do live in a very flat part of the country.
i lived in morcott from ages two to fifteen; primary school in north luffenham; secondary in uppingham. my parents still live in morcott. it's not called the ripple locally.
Comments
Hmmm thanks for that Debbo I hadnt thought of it in those terms. Yes 15mins for 400m is plenty - hopefully I will be around 9mins by then. And it then gives longer for the bike leg which I know is going to be my struggle. Still loads of time after FLM to get that right and lots of hills round here for me to practice on.
I will stop worrying about the cut offs and concentrate on getting good enough for them to be no problem!
I honestly don't think the cut offs will be a problem for anyone - BtS was incredibly slow last year and it wasn't a problem
You'll have 30 minutes in hand from the swim too, if you do 9 minutes per 400m.
worrying only wastes energy I reckon!
Me too, not going to do it any more. Thanks Debbo!
And there are 7 more months to get fitter too - it will be a doddle.
Ok I will go for a 7:30 finish and hope to get inside that!
Rio - there's a note stuck up next to my pc which says:
1900m/1.2 miles (45m)
85km/53 miles (3h 45m)
21km/13 miles (2h 30m)
= 7h
It's been there a few months now............... but I don't think about it much.
Debbo - LOL re your comment earlier! Not sandbagging honest!
Gyraffe - thanks for the KM/Miles thingie - going to put that on a post-it i think and stick it on a wall somewhere.
if I could do 1.40 for 100m I'd be more than delighted, and I probably wouldn't bother swimming more than once a week!
PSC - I suppose you're going to say you can't ride a bike or run either!?
Racing:
Barley
Crashie
Debbo
kittenkat
Mouse
PSC
GOM
Gyraffe
Holly_G (only considering as I have my eye on an adventure race the same weekend....)
Rio
Squishy
Thomas Peoples
Troglodytes
Considering
JPenno
Supporting:
Mrs GOM
Ok finally convinced myself I do not need to worry about the swim! Did 1850m last night at the club in the hour (and that included rest periods too which would have amounted to around 10-15 mins in total. So I know I can do the distance in the time!
Now where is my bike???
did we decide to abandon the previous list?
Vitruvian end of season jolly
Racing:
Barley
Crashie
Debbo
kittenkat
mellifera
Mouse
PSC
GOM
Gyraffe
Holly_G (only considering as I have my eye on an adventure race the same weekend....)
Rio
Squishy
Thomas Peoples
Troglodytes
Considering
JPenno
Supporting:
DrM (though maybe he'll race)
Mrs GOM
Mellifera - sorry if I dug out the wrong one.
Rio - just rode up a huuuuuuuge hill into work for the first time this year. Very glad this is still many months away - it would probably take me 7 hours just for the bike leg at this rate!! My 'normal' half mara is 1.50-1.55 hoping 2.30 is about right although I know it's going to seem a lot longer on the day!
I guess it's worth taking an extra 10 minutes for the swim to be more rested on the bike - but then again the confidence of a good swim could set you up for the whole day... any thoughts?
no need to be embarrassed
About the bike folks - if it's the same as last year then it isn't 85km, it's shorter. As I remember, more like 80km so that gives you a little more time. Also although there are a few hills - not too bad but slow you down a little, there is also an exceptionally fast 8 miles section on the lap. It's a very gradual down hill from Upingham to Morcott, then flat to down hill from Morcott to Ketton on good roads.
Sounds good Melli
Gyraffe your half time is quicker than mine. My pb is 2:08 so I will be nearer 3 hours for the run leg I should think. Have to start getting out on the bike for some decent long rides after this FLM training is over. At least I dont have to worry about the running element too much anyway
Rio - we'll be so used to long training sessions by then a regular 2-3 hour ride should just seem 'normal'. I'm looking forward to early morning outings in spring with the buds bursting and no traffic on the roads..........
I know. I am going to replace my long run with a long ride and my tri club do 3 hourish long runs on a Saturday morning which would be perfect.
I do enjoy my bike when I get out on it. I am just nervous about thinking about it as a friend had a very nasty accident along one of the roads I was going to use as my long ride which has made me twitchy
Melli's right, the bike isn't too bad. There is only the ripple, and then one other long slow climb, from memory. Nothing else significant, but some fast bits too.
If you don't cane the bike leg then there is no reason why you shouldn't get close to your normal run time - mine last year was 12 minutes slower than my half pb. And it's not that my running is improving - it's not, in fact it's getting slower!
That is all so reassuring. Thanks
all of the above is very reassuring. thanks.
What is the ripple exactly? Im guesssing that it is a series of short undulations.....?
rio - don't look now but we might shortly be glad of some proper hard training in advance of the vit.... what have you got planned for 2009?
aren't there three? mind you I'm sure last year one of them was so small I missed it as I only noticed two
I'd agree about the runs - I didn't do any over 2 hours either, and I'm a very slow runner, so only running 11ish miles in that time.
Bala was my longest run before Austria, and the Vit my longest before Florida
and as debbo says - there is one other longish hill just as you turn back after Ketton but it's not bad at all....
there's also a couple more short rises on the way back towards the lake which will make you sweat a bit on the 2nd lap especially if it's into a headwind
oh yes, I forgot about them FB, I seem to remember a small one coming out of that last village? into the wind
it's not a bad course at all though I reckon
three hills and the third is hardly a hill...isn't that two then?
none of the hills are difficult if you are in the right gear.* of course they make you slower but they aren't that hard. be a doddle after nice for most
*and i do live in a very flat part of the country.
i lived in morcott from ages two to fifteen; primary school in north luffenham; secondary in uppingham. my parents still live in morcott. it's not called the ripple locally.
lol!
2.5?