goal for triathlon number two!

seeing as i'll be doing the same course as last time, i've got a good chance of guessing my times - and even better, can set some (hopefully) realistic goals!

so here's the results again from last effort:

(400 m swim) 00:07:54
(23 km cycle) 00:54:16
(5 km run) 00:31:14
(total) 01:33:24

this time around i'd like to get into the top 20. to do this, i need to be faster than 01:17:24 total (based on last year's results.) SO - I'm going to aim for the following times:

(200m swim) 00:04:00
(23 km cycle) 00:52:00
(2.5 km run) 00:14:30
(total) 01:10:30

if i do manage to get these times, I'll actually be placed in the top 10. but that sounds a little bit too hardcore, even in the 'novice' category. So top 20 will be fine with me.

2.5 weeks until triathlon

the personal trainer dude (paul) has done the maths. something i couldn't ever be bothered to do. but he's done it.

for me to run quicker (than a grannie) - i need to have the treadmill set to 10. minimum.

now i know this doesn't mean a lot to anyone but me and the treadmill, but let's put it like this;

at the moment i'm running 2.5 kms in 15 minutes. this is sloooooow, and not helpful in my attempt to compete in the upcoming tri with any level of competitiveness. as such, i'm running on the treadmill at about 8.5, maybe 9.5 on a good day.

i now need to step this right up to at least 10 - which will see my time being reduced to 14 minutes. still not amazing, but a start!! i kind of wish i didn't know this. ignorance is comforting. and less sweaty.

so, what have i done this week?

> 30 minute cycle
> 30 minute gym routine (included 10 min treadmill run)
> 10 minute run outside
> 20 minute run outside
> 30 minute gym routine (included 10 min treadmill run)
> 1.5 hour cycle

i'm keeping the focus on running, and making my runs shorter, but harder. also concentrating on breathing as after each run my breathing would be very shallow - so am trying to breathe a lot deeper in the hope of better results. it's worked for the last two runs, so fingers crossed.

and in other news - i can now do 8 man pushups! sooooooo excited (too excited, really)

training steps up

i've decided to return to my ye olde blogging post system of shortlisting the week's workout. i think a few people assume that to participate in triathlons you need to dedicate a *whole* lot of time, but i don't believe that's necessarily true. like anything, what you put in, you get out.

so, over the last week, i've done;

> 15 min hilly run outside
> 20 min drill run outside
> 2 hour gym session (incl. 15 min run)
> 3.5 hour cycle
> 1.5 hour gym session (incl. 15 min run)
> 10 min drill swim session
> 2.5 hour cycle

i'm stepping up the training in light of next month's tri; and will do something 5 days a week (that's about as specific as my training plan gets!!)

the biggest change to the routine over the last week has been the results of my personal training session on the weekend. Paul, the PT man, was really fantastic, and has turned around my lacking enthusiasm for the gym with a killer routine filled with stuff i really can't do. love it. so the top aims are:

> man push ups (can currently do five, barely)
> unassisted pull ups (hot)
> improve core (hopefully will help with running)
> run faster (his new speed treadmill session is currently uncomplete-able. another thing to aim for)

i jumped in the pool with the stopwatch the other day, and did 100 metres in 1 min 53 secs. that's the first swim in a couple of months, so am thankful the super sprint is only 200 metres!! hopefully can get away with not too much swim practise, as i'd really like to focus on getting my running and cycle time down.

PT man was trying to convince me to buy a heartrate monitor, but this seems a bit hardcore for me. does anyone use these?? i'm not sure how useful it would be, other than being a new gadet to distract me from the usual pain...

first tri of 2009 here we come!

thanks partially to some encouraging words, and partially due to inherent insanity, i've now registered for the first triathlon of the season! hello 2009!

i've now got four weeks to shape up, but have opted for the super sprint to keep things marginally easier. that'll be a speedy 200m swim, 23 km cycle, 2.5 km run.

my biking has been feeling really strong lately, so no worries there. swimming isn't going to take long to get back into the swing of things, but... and there's always a but... my running is still hideously lacking resembling anything running (think more very slow jog, granny shuffle, small child with bad leg...)

i went out this morning. felt great on the down hill (ran fast past super fit woman in matchy matchy workout clothes). ten minutes later i'm going uphill and stop for a little breather (i know, shouldn't admit that) and who should fly past but the matchy matchy woman. my eyeballs were narrow, even without oxygen.

anyway, slight diversion, back to task at hand! running!

tri-experienced richard has given me some top tips (which worked for the first run, but struggling to maintain efficiency as always). he's also lent me a fabulous tri book which is top of the easter long weekend reading list. saturday is a session with the personal trainer, and a looong bike ride in the afternoon. really looking forward to that.

in other news, i'm twittering. am new to the game, but follow me if 'tweets' means anything to you:http://twitter.com/al_moore