Race report - Panasonic People's Tri (Oly)

…aka the “where the hell did that come from” race! I surprised myself today with a 7 minute personal best and a time which I didn’t think possible on (perceived) current fitness and form…funny how often that happens :)

Going into this early season race I did expect to knock a few minutes off my (relatively weak) Olympic distance PB , and likely sneak under 2:10, but it’s a deceivingly difficult course this one…not very hilly nor particularly windy, but enough of each to test you throughout and knock a little speed off your best efforts. The road surface is just plain awful too…very rough chip seal and poorly maintained with bad edges and no smooth flattened “tyre tracks” typical of our rural roads. They changed the run course this year extending the outward leg (repeated twice) and removing a little bastard of a hill on the return...not sure why they did it because it really added to the character of the race...it's likely the run times were a minute or two faster as a result.

Pre-race expectations were for a 21ish swim, 1:04ish bike and 42ish run…a few quick transitions and sub-2:10 was likely. This series has no chip timing and I didn't take exact splits, but based on a few glances at the watch I ended up with...

Swim…21:30
T1…1:00
Bike…1:01:00
T2…1:00
Run…41:00
Finish…2:05:30 (this was in fact my official result)

Pretty cool stuff. That time was good for 1st in my AG and 3rd overall on the day...awesome! Keep an eye out for the results in the NZ Herald tomorrow...they usually publish the top 3 (a quiet long-held ambition of mine...ha!).

The Polar said 2:05:08 so a little off somewhere there… ave HR 166, 0:00:15 Z1, 0:00:45 Z2, 0:48:40 Z3, 1:15:28 Z4 (bike zones throughout) with max HR 175 and 302m climbing.

So zone 4 for the bulk of it, which equates to zone 3 on the run...managed to keep it up close to 170 on the last return leg, unusual for me. That was really tough, but the next guy was closing in fast on every pass so I was running scared. Had a good swim with good positioning throughout...out of the water in 4th OA, right on the heels of 3rd (with 5th on mine), but a long way off 1st & 2nd. Surprisingly fast ride, dropped the 3rd guy in our group and blew past the swim winner so off the bike in 3rd OA...if you have a look at the pics below the athlete "Harvey" in the Tri NZ suit appears in just about every in-race pic...we stuck together like glue from the opening minutes of the swim right up to 1km into the run, where he then proceded to blitz me and take 2nd on the day. 1st OA was simply in a league of his own...and I assume shut it down once he knew the win was safe.

Al just bought herself a fancy new toy and spent most of the morning happily snapping pics from the race...courtesy of her Canon EOS 1000 DSLR:

The weekly training wrap...09/11 - 15/11

Core - 90mins (W, F, Sa, Su)…2 x 30mins, 2 x 15mins. Just squeezing it in where I can.

Swim – 12,200m (M, Tu, Th, F, Su)…includes 1,500m from today’s race. Short sessions but all sharp. Hitting a good patch of form in the pool…very pleased.

Bike – 5hrs, 35mins (M, W, Sa, Su)…pretty strong interval-based sessions on Mon & Wed, a short(ish) steady-state ride with a few Oly race efforts on Sat (in full race trim), then race day Sun. All good workouts, all objectives achieved.

Run – 2hrs, 50mins (Tu, Th, Sa, Su)…pretty standard week from a scheduling perspective, shorter sessions than usual though with the Sunday race in mind. Good hill rep workout on Tues, good steady-state offroad run Thurs and a short brick run off the bike on Sat. No complaints…

Next week…afters today’s race I’m sure I’ll wake up raring to go Monday with the usual residual fatigue kicking in a few days later. No reason to plan anything other than the standard weekly structure but will keep a close eye on resting HR and in-session fatigue, aches & niggles. If I can knock off work on time might have crack at Wednesday’s Stroke & Stride!

The weekly training wrap...02/11 - 08/11

Core - 90mins (M, W, Su)…going back to 90 minutes minimum a week. My back has been feeling some fatigue in the pool and on longer rides this off-season…not really sure what the cause is but it coincides with my decreasing focus on these sessions so we’ll step it up again the last season’s levels and see what happens. Good start this week…

Swim – 13,133m (M, Tu, Th, F)…bounced back well after the disappointing weekend. All sessions were fast and focused, a good mix of threshold interval work (some w/paddles), IM, some hard short VO2max stuff and a new T30 time trial PB on Thurs! Very happy and somewhat surprised to hit 2100m this week…a small improvement of 20 or so metres. The T30 (swim 30mins hard and record distance) determines your threshold pace, thus helps in setting interval times & send-offs. This result means I’ve lowered my pace to 1:25/100m…the bad thing is I’m in for a world of hurt trying to hold intervals on this base :(

Bike – 5hrs (Sa, Su)…rested the legs for most of the week, was raring to go by Saturday. Strong stimulating 3hr+ hilly ride with long intervals at HIM effort, and an easy flat spin the next day. Pretty sharp.

Run – 50mins (Sa, Su)…a quick 10min easy transition run on Sat, and the usual 40min Sun morning tempo effort on the local walking trails. A bit sluggish, yesterday’s efforts on the bike were probably a bit much.

Next week…more or less a standard weekly structure with shorter long run (Th) and ride (Sa) as my tri season opens on Sunday with the Panasonic People’s Tri at Maraetai. Expecting a good result in this race…while not a "fast" course by any means, I set my (admittedly poor) PB here in 2007 on a run-focused build for the Auckland Marathon a few weeks prior. I’ve never really had an opportunity to top it with a recent history of Ironman focus and some injury disruptions meaning I haven’t actually raced an Oly with good preparation or for anything other than a hard training hit-out since :)

Race report - adidas Auckland Half Marathon

I'd rather forget this race so I'll keep it brief:

The details...1:28:54 (results page here)…120th overall, 98th male, 52nd in AG. From the Polar…ave HR 170, 1:00 Z1, 7:58 Z2, 1:10 Z3, 10:00 Z4 with max HR 180 and 210m climbing (all averages as HRM played up late in the run).

So a pretty lacklustre effort...in hindsight I was foolish thinking a PB was a formality. Wanted to pace myself at 4:00/km throughout, got a bit behind at the start due to poor self-seeding (thus congestion), only kept target pace to 12km or so then faded pretty badly. Lots to think about, was just the wake-up call I needed. Came into the event a little heavy...got complacent over winter and just didn't do the work. A deserved result…

The weekly training wrap...26/10 - 01/11

A late update, sorry…this week included a mini-taper for the adidas Auckland Half Marathon on Sunday

Core - 40mins (W, F)…actually forget to fill out the complete hour late in the week, the first time I can remember cutting this discipline short. Not a good omen…

Swim – 9,067m (M, Tu, Th, F)…a poor week. Started with a swim in an unfamiliar outdoor 50m pool (New Plymouth), things just didn’t click for the entire week…too many throwaway sessions, poorly focused.

Bike – 3hrs, 29.5mins (M, Sa)…started with a really solid ride with race effort intervals in the countryside just out of New Plymouth…I was wondering why I felt so slow in the first half, turned then noticed by the elevation down to sea level how significant the false flat was that I’d just climbed, therefore absolutely flew back into town (the tailwind helped) at 40+kmh. Awesome. Skipped a session mid-week with work commitments. Saturday was just an easy 2hr spin with the half mary the next day.

Run – 3hrs, 13mins (Tu, Th, Sa, Su)…includes the half marathon on Sunday. Felt good on the feet for most of the week. All short sessions tapering towards the weekend. Race report to follow…in short, very disappointing, and very humbling.

Next week…will stay off the feet Mon-Fri and let the legs recover from a painful weekend. Need to get focused in the pool again, then pick up where we left off from Sat. Got a busy few weeks with a couple of early-season Oly distance races in quick succession coming up soon, also want to try my hand in the local Stroke & Stride series.

Whoa...what's it been, a month already?!?!

Really really sorry to anyone who actually reads this stuff with regularity...been super busy and just not getting as much time lately to sit down, think and write. Also struggling to come up with original content :)...in a triathlon sense I've just been going through the motions the last few weeks in preparation for the upcoming season.

Training has been a little inconsistent...some really strong sessions, some not so good. Since the last regular update I've had weeks of 13hrs:29mins, 13:49, 11:00, 14:24 and 15:19...this week will be a little shorter with a mini-taper towards the Auckland Half Marathon this Sunday.

Not really sure what to expect in this race...when I signed up I was all about PBs & progression but I'm not feeling as fit as I'd like and somewhat daunted by the task at hand. A reality check might be just what I need with the really serious stuff (tri) just around the corner, but then again I've surprised myself before so I'm keeping an open mind...

The weekly training wrap...14/09 - 20/09

Back-to-back 15hr weeks are a good thing...pleased with the consistency in the program.

Swim – 12,599m (M, Tu, Th, Fr)…a bit less volume than last week with the Tues session cut very short due to a late start. The PM sessions in general though working out very well, allowing time to get the quality long endurance sets in. My old favourite Speedo goggles have been discontinued for a while now and are getting very hard to find, so started looking round for a substitute and might’ve struck gold with blueseventy’s Nero RZR...worth a look! Also needing a new wetsuit for the upcoming season so have had one eye on TradeMe for a few weeks looking for a bargain. I may have just stumbled across the deal of the century...will keep a tight lid on this one so none of you bastards out-bid me! More next week ;)

Bike – 7hrs, 10.5mins (W, Sa, Su)…good week in the saddle. Strong mid-week ride, good solid Saturday long group ride with Ben & some of his PBT clients, and a nice easy Sunday arvo spin to cap things off. A few creaks & groans from the bike so probably due for a strip & rebuild in time for summer.

Run – 3hrs, 48mins (M, Tu, Th, Sa, Su)…same as last week, only session skipped this week was the Wed pm run. Getting through the hills reps early in the week and another decent “long” steady-state run home from the office on Thurs.

A funny thing happened on Sunday…I won a 10k running race! It was my first at the distance, and like all great athletes I may just decide to retire on top…one & out I say ;) Ok, lining up at the start line with pre-pubescent students & a few parents pushing strollers it’s fair to say I might’ve been the only person actually intent on “racing” the Glendowie College 5/10km fun run/walk, but I’ll take it, and hopefully reap some benefits from a solid race pace hit-out. My finish time was pedestrian at 40mins+ (about 2mins slower than anticipated) but gees that was a tough course…it hurt!

Core – 1hr (W, F, Su)…3x20min sessions in front of the TV where & when possible. Mostly swiss ball…

Next week – I’m expecting to suffer the consequences of the 10km early in next week’s schedule so will likely take it pretty easy up to Weds. Nothing else out of the ordinary planned…just trying to do something quality every day and stay consistent.

The weekly training wrap...07/09 - 13/09

Finally! Some consistency...

Swim – 12,933m (M, Tu, Th, Fr)…much more like it. Moved my Mon & Tue swims to pm so I could focus on early week running & cycling in the am…worked out really well with good energy & motivation late in the day, and best of all, less crowds! Good long threshold sets on Mon & Thu, a solid medley session on Tue, faded a little on Fri but still got in 800m+ of hard VO2max effort speed work.

Bike – 7hrs, 2mins (W, Sa, Su)…much like the swimming, back to where it should be. Good mileage this week, still training by time x effort but noticed the average speed picking up nicely…gotta love that low aero position. Feeling comfy & strong now…looking forward to those nice long days of summer.

Run – 3hrs, 40mins (M, Tu, Th, Sa, Su)…only session skipped this week was the Wed pm run, but it was scheduled as a throw-away filler session so didn’t impact too much on this week’s objectives. Good hill rep session on Tue, interesting & stimulating “long” run on Thu (ran home from the office) and a solid offroad tempo run on Sun rounded off a good week’s work.

Core – 1hr (W, F, Su)…still plugging gaps with the 20min session. More swiss ball stuff, the rest just basic static & dynamic core stability/strength work.

Next week – the focus now is really just on stringing together consistent weeks...if I can repeat the above for the next 6 weeks I'll be a happy man. 15hrs+ was a little more than expected but worked out surprisingly well. First 10k open running race next Sunday…not really sure what to aim for, will be a good early season tester…we’ll see how we go.

Polly's Park

Kiwi readers will know the story well...

A few weeks ago 3 News showed a story of this neat little 82 year-old lady who'd spent the best part of 16 years painstakingly upkeeping an unused section of government (Navy) land on the North Shore as a tribute to her deceased daughter. This was by no means an easy feat...the thin strip of coastal land is steep & narrow, banking down from an abandoned grass space to mangrove swamps. Polly Pollack toiled away without complaint carrying buckets, pushing wheelbarrows, building retaining walls out of old tyres and laying slabs of rock paving while planting over 3000 native trees, many paid for out of her own pocket, on this 2.8ha section of land mis-treated for many years an an illegal rubbish dump. The Navy gave her an "eviction" notice a few months ago, but have sinced buckled under public pressure and reversed their decision...a happy ending for all.

Al & I went for a lazy Sunday drive to Devonport on the North Shore to see what all the fuss was about...

The weekly training wrap...31/08 - 06/09

Aargh! Spewing at blogger right now! It has this annoying habit of wiping text when high-lighting…needless to say my weekly wrap was lost and I can’t be bothered re-typing :(

Somewhat better week approaching 12hrs but still a few too many schedule disruptions…

Swim – 9,067m (M, Tu, Su)

Bike – 4hrs, 57mins (Sa, Su)

Run – 3hrs, 25mins (M, W, F, Sa, Su)

Core – 1hr (Tu, Th, F)

Next week – nothing major on the schedule. Just trying to keep the swim & bike frequency going (4 & 3 respectively), grow the midweek hill rep session, and extend “long” run & ride incrementally (75mins & 3hrs 15mins). Found a 10k fun run starting just around the corner in a few weeks which I’ll probably sign up to…ouch :)

The weekly training wrap...24/08 - 30/08

A really disappointing week to cap a poor training month. We're so busy at work right now the overtime is playing havoc with the training consistency...have ended up just plugging workouts in when & where convenient. I shouldn't be complaining as others have it so much tougher (shift work, children, study, etc)...I guess my relatively "easy" run of the last few years had to turn sooner or later :)

Swim - 7,733m (Tu, Th, F)...another abbreviated swim week with Monday off to recovery completely from the oral surgery (one week). Started very slowly with easy paced intervals and never really took off from there. Not entirely bad, but never felt fluid in the water.

Bike - 4hrs, 54mins (W, Sa, Sun)...the only discipline that went largely to plan. The last few weeks I'd been eager to get back in the aerobars and reclaim my identity as a triathlete, so I had Ben @ PBT rig the bars back up and away we went. HR values for the entire week (bike & run) were sky-high so didn't take much note of them and rode largely to RPE. Some solid sessions, feels good to be riding long, low & aero again, and noticed an immediate improvement in speed.

Run - 2hrs (Tu, Th, Su)...only 3 runs this week, very poor consistency. Felt pretty comfortable straight off the rest week(s) though so not all bad. Good (albeit short) steady-state run mid week and a solid tempo effort on Sunday. Finally convinced Alex to give me massages twice a week now so they're really helping with the recovery...felt fresh & ready to go Monday morning.

Core - 1hr (M, F, Su)...standard 3 x 20min squeezed in where possible (plugged a few gaps where S/B/R workouts were skipped).

Next week - well I can't see the workload in the office easing off any time in the next 3 or 4 weeks so I'm guessing it'll be more of the same, just plugging gaps. Whangamata half-marathon is defintely off the cards with my current fitness...I haven't put in the work and it would be risky to go that hard this early (last year's race resulted in a medial tibial stress fracture, which resurfaced early this offseason).

The weekly training wrap...17/08 - 23/08

Swim - 0m...

Bike - 0hrs...

Run - 0hrs...

Core - 1hr (F, Sa, Su)...after Tuesday's morning dental surgery it took a few days to feel comfortable enough stress the system, grit the teeth, etc.

Next week...having Monday off will give me one full week since the extraction(s) so hopefully the swelling will be completely gone and I'll be comfortable enough with heavy breathing and opening the mouth wide enough not to swallow gobs of water. Will pick up the normal weekly routine from Tuesday, albeit somewhat shorter and less intense from where I left off.

The body feels fresh & rested and weighs a smidge over 66kg, so I did a decent job not over-indulging in the week off (I often lose muscle-mass pretty quickly when not training though which helps in that regard)...wish me luck :)