Ironman Diaries 2 – My ‘DIY’ Training camp

Saturday, March 03 2007 @ 11:55 AM GMT

Last week from Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 February my first 'DIY' training camp took place in and around various locations around Dublin , Wicklow and Meath. Basically is was a intense tri training week – a bit like the warm weather trip abroad each year without the good weather, the transport hassle and the disadvantage of not having someone at your beck and call. I had a week off work and was all set for nothing but tri, tri and more tri. I had put together a plan and was all set for a hard week and the ‘pain’ than goes with it.

Well maybe pain is a bit strong but anyone who has done a training camp and worked hard during one of those weeks knows how wrecked/ tired you feel at the end of the week. That’s what I wanted. A hard week but not getting injured. I had quickly got rid of travel thoughts as usually I would be away travelling at this time – I have several friends who were either skiing [or trying to with the little snow] or else jets setting on a city break. Funny enough I wasn’t jealous, I wanted to stay at home and do this. I think the travel bug has also slowed a bit also. I had been looking forward to this for a while and knew it was another step in my IM Journey 2007. Heres a rough plan of what I did.

Saturday 17 February – Nice easy start to the week – Up at 830am – After food, short bike to the Phoenix Park (30 mins) – Meet with some of the club for the club run session. Small numbers but a few to run with me. Warm up, exercises, Warm up lap [20mins] – on to our training course route, high knees, strides, sprint , which I just love, pushing yourself against the person beside you till your heart rate explodes – [only joking – IMers don’t do that kinda stuff :)

Liuwe was down and John, the club run coach had increased the routes up to tens – no bother I thought at the start! - just pace yourself. Tough work – strides [as in the long jump type strides get much tougher after 5 – 6] but I hang in, have some of the others, Matt, Seamus, and Paul to egg me on. We do another warm down lap, some stretching exercises and its already well after 12 so a good run. Back on the bike and a 1.5hr cycle ‘home home’ with a few hills thrown in. Shower and stretch.

Sunday 18 February - Up 8ish. Few of us meet earlier at 9am in stepaside for a long cycle. The piranha southside group meet at 930 but we decided to go long. Matt C, Niall S, Chris and myself make up the gang. Head down to bray, head the coast to greystones, kilcoole, Newcastle , rathnew and brittas bay. Managed to get dropped big time. Wasn’t feeling tired but a massive gap just came from nowhere – this was all I needed – I felt shit now couldn’t understand why I couldn’t keep up. I thought my cycling had improved. Headed to Brittas bay and came back the N11 which I wasn’t looking forward to. The N11 from rathnew is bad enough but from brittas bay – it just seemed far. Up and over along the deadly N11 – never seen so many roadside memorials – Again just hanging on the back for a while but got some back. Niall departs us at Rathnew as he has to be back and we have a short break at rathnew. Drive home from stepside. Some stretching later. Tired enough in the afternoon. Take an unplanned short nap. We did 105.5km. Feel good but know the real fun starts tomorrow.

Monday 19 February – Decided not to get up too early. Up 830am. Head to Westwood for a recovery swim – Did drills and technique – did 2500m. Pool was quite which was great, my own lane! but plenty for the mind to wander. Victor is beside me in the other lane - Im convinced he was fish or dolphin in the another life, its depressing to watch how well he swims. Do a Weigths session in the gym. Follow this by a stretching workout. Home for lunch. Take a nap – plan to take 40 mins – doesn’t happen – take nearly 2 hrs. I go into a deepish sleep and start dreaming, not ideal I know.

In the evening I go to Irishtown for the track session. Havn’t been down all winter at this, so eager, as usually I cant make it. Only a handful there – rainy for a while but have Colm there to run with. We warm up, do 8 x 1000m , 3mins jog between each one, keep hr to a certain level, cool down. Home, food, bed.

Tuesday 20 February – Up 545am – breakfast and 5km cycle to WW. Cycle through the city which is always interesting at this time provided it isn’t pissing rain. Honestly I feel like a bus has run over me this morning. Its from the track last night. I feel shit in the water but feel fine once the set is over. I nip in behind someone and just keep the head during the set. Do a set of 3200. Followed by a weights session in the Gym. A short core workout follows. 5km cycle home for a second breakfast and a nap. Manage to get asleep and get up after an hour and a bit, an improvement from yesterday. Run gear on – and head to Herbett park for a long slow run – One hour – mainly on grass. Low Hr. Back home for lunch. Leave the apt at 6ish and head to WW for swim technique session. Do 1600 including loads of back crawl, lovely! [not really] Home for dinner.

Wednesday 21 February – Sleep patterns messed up abit which is normal - i remember it was the same last year in Italy. Cycle planned. Few hours off in the morning. Meet Gav and Karl in Sandymount and head towards wicklow. Up through the suburbs and head to stepaside and on to the familiar path of bray, greystones, kilcoole and Newcastle . Myself and gav cut across to the N11 [my favourite road!] and work the slog back to stepaside. One or two hills in inland on the way back. Gav gets a puncture approaching stepaside. We change it and motor in back into the city. Well over 4hr on the bike. I end up doing a 10 min brick as I am late for a sports massage. It was good and needed. Managed not to cry when the elbow went into the ITB. I have the evening free to watch the match, ah bliss.

Thursday 22 February – up 545am. Cycle to WW – 5KM. Swim set with the club – Did 3500 – extra warm up. Weights session and core workout follows. Cycle home 5km. Food and Nap. Up for run for one hour – slow and long – low hr. Tough going as Im tired. Change the route in the park but it is tough going. Lunch . Back to WW in the evening for swim tech class. Do 2200m. Gav’s swim challenge encourages me otherwise I wouldn’t have moved.

Friday 23 February – up 545am. Bike to WW. Swim set of 2950m. Get 2nd breakfast at WW afterwards as cycle planned. Cycle along the coast to howth, Sutton, malhide etc. Meet Neil along the way as planned [gav gets a better offer and bails out at the last minute, I dont balme him!] and we head out the coast towards lusk, balbriggan, rush. A few hills throw in but steady. Storm starts coming in from the sea on the way back on the coast road. I get a puncture. Just what I need, and its raining and Im getting hungry. Well actually it is, as I need the practice. Managed to change it and get back to WW. We wont say how long it took – or mention the slight bulge on the wheel. I ve been on the bike for about 5 hrs so I get lunch at ww and do a light cycle home.

Saturday 24 February – Up 830ish - rest off the bike and swim. Run training at the park. Fartleks session with a few of the others who turn out for the session. Park is so busy with loads of other clubs and a x country race on so a good buzz. Great, pushed myself. Home to relax. One final day tommorrow – long cycle planned.

Sunday 25 February – Up 8ish, Meet Chris at stepaside for 9am for a 105km spin down to Brittas Bay . Different route from last week coming back, we avoid some of the n11. Feel good. Eat loads and more regular and it helps. Surprised how good I feel. Expecting to feel heavy after awhile. Home to relax and reflect on the week.

Tough week, but really enjoyed it. Got such a buzz from being out on the bike midweek. Weather was pretty good some of the days. I’ll take it a bit slower this week. I was conscious about getting injured but I have been training consistently. I also built in recovery via breaks, naps, food and bed early. It can be a tough job, training– its all the other stuff that happens when your training finishs – food, prep, clean up, planning etc. Was surprised where all the time went. Well worth it though!

Next stop – Ballycotton training weekend…..

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