Sunday morning, as regular as a church outing, we are out riding. Coach Dave decided it was that time of the year when we should be getting back into the hills, but post-earthquake our options have become quite limited. Half of the Summit Rd above Christchurch is closed due to rockfalls. Evans Pass, the road between Lyttelton and Sumner is also closed, and is apparently so munted it possibly won't reopen.
So we took the only other real option: up Hackthorne and Dyers Pass Roads to the Sign of the Kiwi, turn right onto the part of the Summit Road that is open, head all the way along until we hit Gebbies Pass, turn right and head down Gebbies, right onto the main Akaroa-Christchurch highway and back home via the compulsory coffee stop at Tai Tapu.
It was a gorgeous day, not too cold, no wind and beautiful views across to the snow-capped southern alps as we headed along the Summit Road.
It was also a day when I had the opportunity to reflect yet again on the progress I've made in the last 12 months. This time last year I would have been freaking out about biking up Hackthorne, especially in a group. However today I chugged my way up, led the way down and when we stopped at Tai Tapu for coffee made Coach Dave do a double-take with my comment:
"I really enjoyed that".
Who would have thought...
Monday, August 8, 2011
Doing a Duathlon - Just for Fun
Came across my debrief notes for Coach Dave after the JD Duathlon in June. Even though it's a couple of months old I thought I'd post it here as it provides a really good reminder about how sometimes we need to get outside our comfort zone and do something different. No matter what the experience, there's always something to learn and gain from. So, this is my email to the coach:
Yesterday was pretty awesome - exceeded my expectations :)
I guess my main goal was to not come last (because that was my biggest fear) ... which I achieved, so that was all good! I remembered what you said about staying within myself and did that, but tried pushing my pace as well. The aim was to stay strong and steady. I intentionally started out at the back and it was a good mental boost to be able to chug my way past a couple of women. And then at the end of the run I found myself caught up to the last male and so gave it a burst to get past him as well and that also felt good (nope, not competitive at all!).
Looked at my time at that 1km mark on the run and it was 5:45 so that was good. Didn't have my Nike band on so don't know what my pace was for the rest of it, but it felt much the same.
The bike was a blast. I went hard and passed pretty much everyone that came into my sights. Got passed by some of the blokes and 3 of the girls but that was about it. Had an average cadence of 90, av speed of 32.2km/hr, max speed of 37.0km/hr and max cadence of 102; wasn't wearing heart rate monitor. Pete took a quick video of me going down the main straight on one lap ... woohoo!
One of the best things about the bike leg is that I nailed the art of taking out my drink bottle and drinking while pedalling AND staying on the aero bars. Haven't managed to do that before, so was really happy. Because I was riding so aggressively I took a swig from the drink bottle a couple of times on each lap - really wanted to make sure I could maintain my pace and not die from lack of energy.
I got back into the second run and my hard ride was telling on the legs but I knew I only had to do 2.4km so pushed it again and tried to maintain a reasonable pace (for me).
I did feel strong to the end but also completely stuffed by the time I crossed the finish line. And while I was a bit tired last night I've recovered well again and had no aches or pains today. We did an intense wind trainer session at Andi's this morning (Time Trial Power session on DVD) and my legs did remind me that they had raced yesterday so I flagged a little bit midway, but overall I've felt pretty good. After our bike this morning I also did an easy 30min aquajog session with Pete - a bit of active recovery.
So, despite my scepticism and complaining, I'm glad you convinced me to do it. And I can see I should be doing several more of them ... for training purposes :) A race definitely keeps the pressure on, that isn't there in a training session, and that's got to be good for me - right?
Plenty to Reflect On
OK, so my blogging has been horribly sparse over the last couple of months. I have no real excuse except for the fact that life gets in the way sometimes and other priorities take over. It's not been from lack of enthusiasm, or from lack of training and, in fact, there have been at least four draft blogs that I started writing but which are now so out of date that it seems pointless publishing them.
As I said, though, training hasn't stopped and, if anything, it's been an interesting time for reflecting on the progress I've made in the last 12 months. What a difference a year makes, so to speak.
So, some edited highlights -
Wellington Half Marathon:
St Pete and I went up to Wellington and I had high hopes of nudging a PB out of it. Coach Dave, however, suggested a not so lofty goal which as usual was entirely sensible given it would be the first race of the season, or race in the off-season, and first race trying out the new running style. So rather than a PB he suggested I focus instead on a good technique run. So I did that, but still secretly really wanted to nudge my PB (yep, just a touch of stubbornness there!).
On the day the weather had other ideas. It howled with wind and threw in a bucketload of rain as only Wellington can. I did, however, put in a solid performance which included flashes of brilliance when I wasn't leaning into the gale force northerlies. Eight kilometre splits (of 21) were at sub 6 minute pace, compared to last year when I only managed one kilometre split at sub 6 minute pace. My overall placings (overall, age group, gender) were on average 12% improved on last year, so I came away very satisfied.
JD Duathlon:
Coach Dave suggested I do this event "for fun". I was less enthusiastic. A 2.6km run, 15.5km bike, 2.6km run is way too short (and fast) to be my idea of fun but, hey, who am I to argue with the coach? So St Pete put up with my grumbling on the morning of the event and I did my best not to embarrass myself at the back of the field. In the end the positives far outweighed the negatives - I maintained good form on the run (check out that photo!) and had a blast on the bike. Being held on a motor racing track meant there was no traffic to contend with and a fantastic smooth surface so it was head down, aero position, going for it....hehe.
Swimming:
The last couple of months have been good for reflecting on my swim. It's amazing how the mindset can change as soon as you've knocked off a 3.8km ironman swim. That leg holds absolutely no fear for me now and I am totally in tune with the idea of finding another 15 minutes off my swim time next year. I've found rhythm and power in my stroke and have gotten used to the feeling of exerting more power from my shoulders and arms while swimming. Coach Dave suddenly hasn't got much to tell me when we have our group sessions and I'm enjoying the workouts much more.
Biking:
My strongest and favourite discipline hasn't changed much. I'm still happiest on the bike and noticing an improvement in my climbing. A ride out to Sefton a couple of months ago had me shouting for joy as I crested a hill in the middle of pack. It wasn't a big hill but last year I didn't have a hope of keeping up with the group as we climbed. More recently we headed out to Kaituna Valley where the turnaround point is at the head of a reasonably steady climb. And while I was not trying to be at all competitive, it was a very happy irongirl who made it to the end of the road (and top of the climb) in second to last place in the group (rather than last place!!!). It's the small things that delight...
Running:
After a couple of hard months getting used to my new running style my perseverance is starting to pay off and I am feeling less and less like a penguin and more like a runner. Others have noticed my improved form - more bouncy, less ploddy (!) and my speed has definitely picked up. I am now managing to maintain around a 6.00 minute pace on my 10-14km runs whereas last year I was about half a minute slower per kilometre. That half marathon PB is in my sights!
Weight:
Always a bone of contention, last year I resisted the idea of consciously trying to drop any weight before ironman. It's been such a lifelong battle for me and I felt that my real focus had to be getting to the finish line no matter what my weight was. Fuelling my body adequately in order to properly prepare it was more important than shaving off a couple of kilos. In the end I lost about 5kg leading up to Taupo, which I certainly didn't complain about. This time around, with a 2 hour improvement to focus on, I found myself mentally prepared to make a slight adjustment to my diet and see how much I could drop over the winter months before training ramps up again.
So St Pete and I downloaded an app onto our iPads called Tap and Track. It's a comprehensive calorie counter which records all the food you eat and the exercise you do. You program in initial data and what sort of weight goal you have, ie goal weight and how much you want to lose a week. From that it gives you a daily calorie allowance and therefore provides you with the tools you need to make sensible decisions about what you eat. Diets don't work and so I am not on a diet. I've simply made a slight modification to my routine with the aim of dropping no more than half a kilo a week. With the app I can, and do, still have my favourite chocolate. I can still have McDonalds for lunch. The only difference is I now know when I've done enough exercise to be able to enjoy those treats without feeling guilty or wondering if it's blowing my calorie intake for the day. So my McDonalds Angus Burger, fries and hot apple pie is truly savoured guilt-free after a minimum 3 hour bike ride (for example).
So far it's working really well - I've lost 5kg since ironman and I don't feel like I've been on a diet, so there's no sense of undue restriction. It's just a way of life, just like training is now a way of life.
As I said, though, training hasn't stopped and, if anything, it's been an interesting time for reflecting on the progress I've made in the last 12 months. What a difference a year makes, so to speak.
So, some edited highlights -
Wellington Half Marathon:
St Pete and I went up to Wellington and I had high hopes of nudging a PB out of it. Coach Dave, however, suggested a not so lofty goal which as usual was entirely sensible given it would be the first race of the season, or race in the off-season, and first race trying out the new running style. So rather than a PB he suggested I focus instead on a good technique run. So I did that, but still secretly really wanted to nudge my PB (yep, just a touch of stubbornness there!).
On the day the weather had other ideas. It howled with wind and threw in a bucketload of rain as only Wellington can. I did, however, put in a solid performance which included flashes of brilliance when I wasn't leaning into the gale force northerlies. Eight kilometre splits (of 21) were at sub 6 minute pace, compared to last year when I only managed one kilometre split at sub 6 minute pace. My overall placings (overall, age group, gender) were on average 12% improved on last year, so I came away very satisfied.
 |
Coach Dave suggested I do this event "for fun". I was less enthusiastic. A 2.6km run, 15.5km bike, 2.6km run is way too short (and fast) to be my idea of fun but, hey, who am I to argue with the coach? So St Pete put up with my grumbling on the morning of the event and I did my best not to embarrass myself at the back of the field. In the end the positives far outweighed the negatives - I maintained good form on the run (check out that photo!) and had a blast on the bike. Being held on a motor racing track meant there was no traffic to contend with and a fantastic smooth surface so it was head down, aero position, going for it....hehe.
Swimming:
The last couple of months have been good for reflecting on my swim. It's amazing how the mindset can change as soon as you've knocked off a 3.8km ironman swim. That leg holds absolutely no fear for me now and I am totally in tune with the idea of finding another 15 minutes off my swim time next year. I've found rhythm and power in my stroke and have gotten used to the feeling of exerting more power from my shoulders and arms while swimming. Coach Dave suddenly hasn't got much to tell me when we have our group sessions and I'm enjoying the workouts much more.
Biking:
My strongest and favourite discipline hasn't changed much. I'm still happiest on the bike and noticing an improvement in my climbing. A ride out to Sefton a couple of months ago had me shouting for joy as I crested a hill in the middle of pack. It wasn't a big hill but last year I didn't have a hope of keeping up with the group as we climbed. More recently we headed out to Kaituna Valley where the turnaround point is at the head of a reasonably steady climb. And while I was not trying to be at all competitive, it was a very happy irongirl who made it to the end of the road (and top of the climb) in second to last place in the group (rather than last place!!!). It's the small things that delight...
Running:
After a couple of hard months getting used to my new running style my perseverance is starting to pay off and I am feeling less and less like a penguin and more like a runner. Others have noticed my improved form - more bouncy, less ploddy (!) and my speed has definitely picked up. I am now managing to maintain around a 6.00 minute pace on my 10-14km runs whereas last year I was about half a minute slower per kilometre. That half marathon PB is in my sights!
Weight:
Always a bone of contention, last year I resisted the idea of consciously trying to drop any weight before ironman. It's been such a lifelong battle for me and I felt that my real focus had to be getting to the finish line no matter what my weight was. Fuelling my body adequately in order to properly prepare it was more important than shaving off a couple of kilos. In the end I lost about 5kg leading up to Taupo, which I certainly didn't complain about. This time around, with a 2 hour improvement to focus on, I found myself mentally prepared to make a slight adjustment to my diet and see how much I could drop over the winter months before training ramps up again.
So St Pete and I downloaded an app onto our iPads called Tap and Track. It's a comprehensive calorie counter which records all the food you eat and the exercise you do. You program in initial data and what sort of weight goal you have, ie goal weight and how much you want to lose a week. From that it gives you a daily calorie allowance and therefore provides you with the tools you need to make sensible decisions about what you eat. Diets don't work and so I am not on a diet. I've simply made a slight modification to my routine with the aim of dropping no more than half a kilo a week. With the app I can, and do, still have my favourite chocolate. I can still have McDonalds for lunch. The only difference is I now know when I've done enough exercise to be able to enjoy those treats without feeling guilty or wondering if it's blowing my calorie intake for the day. So my McDonalds Angus Burger, fries and hot apple pie is truly savoured guilt-free after a minimum 3 hour bike ride (for example).
So far it's working really well - I've lost 5kg since ironman and I don't feel like I've been on a diet, so there's no sense of undue restriction. It's just a way of life, just like training is now a way of life.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Post Earthquake Swimming
One of the big challenges with the earthquake is that your routine is completely thrown out the window. For several weeks after the 22 February earthquake all of Christchurch's swimming pools were closed and the damage to the city's sewerage system meant that the only safe open water swimming option was the lake at Pegasus.
Cycling has also been a little complicated with cordons, damaged roads and more concentrated traffic on those streets that are in working order.
The timing of the earthquake in relation to ironman couldn't have been much better. The lack of facilities during March and April wasn't really missed as I was on a programme of rest and recovery. Structured training was off the menu and it was a case of doing some fun stuff and making the most of the down time.
This lack of activity can last only so long, though, before you move past the rest and recovery phase and into the fat and lazy stage. Add to that the need to get back into a normal routine in order to aid the emotional recovery of the earthquake and you can imagine that reopening of Jellie Park was very welcome.
When I say "reopening" I guess I should clarify that as a partial reopening. You see Christchurch has one other 50m pool and that is at QEII Stadium, venue of the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Problem is, as mayor Bob Parker would say, it's munted. So that means that Jellie Park is the city's only 50m pool, and it's an outdoor one. And usually it would close for winter by Easter each year.
However we are now heading towards the end of June and Christchurch is still chronically short of swim space - and it's a problem that's likely to be around for a while. The city council operates four indoor swimming complexes: QEII, Centennial, Jellie Park and Pioneer. Of these QEII is closed indefinitely and Centennial is also closed pending a structural assessment. Jellie Park and Pioneer are operating and doing their best to accomodate the demand from the closed facilities. In addition we have two private pools, Wharenui and Aquagym. Wharenui has just reopened and Aquagym is hoping to reopen in August.
Jellie Park has therefore been keeping the outdoor pool open and this has been well supported by swimmers, which has been great. Every time I go in it seems the closing date has been extended further and the current expectation is that it will close mid July. After that we will be limited to the 2 x 25m pools at Jellie, 1 x 25m pool at Pioneer and 1 x 25m pool at Wharenui.
Fun times!
Cycling has also been a little complicated with cordons, damaged roads and more concentrated traffic on those streets that are in working order.
The timing of the earthquake in relation to ironman couldn't have been much better. The lack of facilities during March and April wasn't really missed as I was on a programme of rest and recovery. Structured training was off the menu and it was a case of doing some fun stuff and making the most of the down time.
This lack of activity can last only so long, though, before you move past the rest and recovery phase and into the fat and lazy stage. Add to that the need to get back into a normal routine in order to aid the emotional recovery of the earthquake and you can imagine that reopening of Jellie Park was very welcome.
When I say "reopening" I guess I should clarify that as a partial reopening. You see Christchurch has one other 50m pool and that is at QEII Stadium, venue of the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Problem is, as mayor Bob Parker would say, it's munted. So that means that Jellie Park is the city's only 50m pool, and it's an outdoor one. And usually it would close for winter by Easter each year.
However we are now heading towards the end of June and Christchurch is still chronically short of swim space - and it's a problem that's likely to be around for a while. The city council operates four indoor swimming complexes: QEII, Centennial, Jellie Park and Pioneer. Of these QEII is closed indefinitely and Centennial is also closed pending a structural assessment. Jellie Park and Pioneer are operating and doing their best to accomodate the demand from the closed facilities. In addition we have two private pools, Wharenui and Aquagym. Wharenui has just reopened and Aquagym is hoping to reopen in August.
Jellie Park has therefore been keeping the outdoor pool open and this has been well supported by swimmers, which has been great. Every time I go in it seems the closing date has been extended further and the current expectation is that it will close mid July. After that we will be limited to the 2 x 25m pools at Jellie, 1 x 25m pool at Pioneer and 1 x 25m pool at Wharenui.
Fun times!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Learning How to Run Again - from Boxer to Penguin
A couple of weeks before ironman Coach Dave saw me run for the first time. It wasn't a pretty sight. Well, it probably wasn't such a bad sight, but like all aspects of ironman, there's always room for improvement. And in my case, a lot of room.
"Did you know", he said, "you run with really tight shoulders?"
"Yep", I replied. "I run like a boxer." High shoulders, arms tight and swinging in front of me, my hands actually rub against my front as I run. It's been my strange way of trying to conserve energy for those long runs and I've done it that way for my entire running career. I'd been aware that I should probably try to relax my arms and drop them down a bit but somehow I had never been able to manage it and, truth be told, the incentive was never there to do anything about it. I had managed before, have 11 half marathons and 2 marathons behind me and so why change?
Things are now different, though. Now I want to run better so I can achieve this goal of taking 45 minutes off my marathon time in 2012.
So it was off to the park with Coach Dave and St Pete for some running drills, video analysis, and a complete rejig of my running style.
The focus is now on keeping my elbows bent at 90 degrees and perpendicular to my body so they swing parallel to my legs rather than swinging across my body. My hands, instead of brushing my chest, need to be brushing my hips. To start running I hold my elbows behind me, rise onto the balls of my feet and fall forward, starting a process of bouncing on the balls of my feet rather than a step initiated by a heel strike. The stride length is shorter but the running cadence is faster and you lift your knees more.
The first time I tried it, we ran about 50m across the park and Coach Dave asked me how it felt. My first reaction was that it was like I was running with a plum in my mouth. I felt very stiff, and prim and proper! However Dave was like a kid at Christmas, he was so excited. He took an "after" video and played it to me, talking about how my chest was much more open (allowing me to breathe easier) and my overall technique looked much more relaxed.
Tell me, how can something that feels so stiff look so relaxed?!!
However I am persevering, and have been at it for a couple of weeks. And it's been hard. Really hard.
The level of concentration required is huge. And concentrating so hard on your technique is exhausting. The first time out I'd be stopping and restarting every kilometre or so just to reset my positioning and get back into the right mindset. I found that my left arm was more stubborn than my right arm in trying to swing in front of my body. And I figured out that it was wanting to do that because it was overcompensating for my left leg which wasn't doing as much work as the right leg. So changing my arm swing exposed the natural dominance of my right over the left.
Things are slowly improving though. Overall I have graduated from running with a plum in my mouth to running like a penguin.With this new technique I am running slightly faster and on Saturday I did my longest "new-style" run at 10km.
Old habits die hard, but I've got plenty of time to knock this one on the head.
"Did you know", he said, "you run with really tight shoulders?"
 |
| Look how high those hands are! |
Things are now different, though. Now I want to run better so I can achieve this goal of taking 45 minutes off my marathon time in 2012.
So it was off to the park with Coach Dave and St Pete for some running drills, video analysis, and a complete rejig of my running style.
The focus is now on keeping my elbows bent at 90 degrees and perpendicular to my body so they swing parallel to my legs rather than swinging across my body. My hands, instead of brushing my chest, need to be brushing my hips. To start running I hold my elbows behind me, rise onto the balls of my feet and fall forward, starting a process of bouncing on the balls of my feet rather than a step initiated by a heel strike. The stride length is shorter but the running cadence is faster and you lift your knees more.
The first time I tried it, we ran about 50m across the park and Coach Dave asked me how it felt. My first reaction was that it was like I was running with a plum in my mouth. I felt very stiff, and prim and proper! However Dave was like a kid at Christmas, he was so excited. He took an "after" video and played it to me, talking about how my chest was much more open (allowing me to breathe easier) and my overall technique looked much more relaxed.
Tell me, how can something that feels so stiff look so relaxed?!!
However I am persevering, and have been at it for a couple of weeks. And it's been hard. Really hard.
The level of concentration required is huge. And concentrating so hard on your technique is exhausting. The first time out I'd be stopping and restarting every kilometre or so just to reset my positioning and get back into the right mindset. I found that my left arm was more stubborn than my right arm in trying to swing in front of my body. And I figured out that it was wanting to do that because it was overcompensating for my left leg which wasn't doing as much work as the right leg. So changing my arm swing exposed the natural dominance of my right over the left.
Things are slowly improving though. Overall I have graduated from running with a plum in my mouth to running like a penguin.With this new technique I am running slightly faster and on Saturday I did my longest "new-style" run at 10km.
Old habits die hard, but I've got plenty of time to knock this one on the head.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The Holiday is Over
Image by pierre pouliquin via FlickrI did confirm a very important characteristic about myself, though. If the coach doesn't prescribe it, it doesn't get done. It seems that I need to have an actual program, with tasks I can schedule in my diary and tick off. If it's not important enough to schedule then it obviously doesn't matter if it doesn't get done - well that seems to be how my brain works...
Coach Dave had been really relaxed about my training over this recovery period, but he probably wasn't anticipating I'd be quite as relaxed as I was! However I did suggest that it was time he gave me an actual programme to follow again, as I did recognise that I was starting to go slightly stir-crazy - and he has.
I've also had about 7 weeks without stepping on the scales, so the start of training also meant the dreaded weigh-in. Thankfully it wasn't as dire as I had expected. A couple of kilos have found their way back to me but I'm confident they won't be around for too long, and I expect with my more aggressive training schedule this year there will be a few more kilos being kicked into touch, which can't be a bad thing if I'm going to succeed in slicing 2 hours off my 2011 debut IM time.
310 days to Ironman New Zealand 2012 - here I come!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Avoiding Complacency
One of the biggest dangers about repeating an event, I've found, is complacency. The first time you do something you train really hard for it. You have a goal to achieve (to finish) and you want to make sure you're well prepared. That was certainly true for ironman. Everything I did the previous year leading up to it was all about getting me to the finish line and the fear of failure provided part of that motivation. Training was rarely missed and Dave's programmes were followed almost to the letter.
This time around, though, I don't have that fear of the unknown to deal with and train for. I know I can do it. I've done it before. And that's where complacency sets in and before you know it you're going slower at your next event, not faster.
So to get around that, to avoid complacency, I've set new goals with Coach Dave. And while Dave believes they are realistic goals, they're ambitious enough that they should keep the pressure on and keep the big C out of the picture.
My goal for 2012 then? To take 2 hours off my 2011 time.
Yep, that's right ... 2 hours.
And the plan is to achieve it by doing the following:
Swim - 15 minutes
- stronger pull action
- increase stroke rate (faster swim stroke)
Bike - 1 hour
- more hill work
- continue focusing on high cadence
- St Pete buys me new time trial bike (!)
Run - 45 minutes
- increase fuel intake on the bike to avoid bonking on the run (Based on what I recall taking in on the bike Dave thinks I simply bonked on the run - because I hadn't eaten enough during the bike leg)
- focus more on maintaining pace rather than timed workouts
It's going to require more aggressive training but I'm up for it. Should be an interesting year!
This time around, though, I don't have that fear of the unknown to deal with and train for. I know I can do it. I've done it before. And that's where complacency sets in and before you know it you're going slower at your next event, not faster.
So to get around that, to avoid complacency, I've set new goals with Coach Dave. And while Dave believes they are realistic goals, they're ambitious enough that they should keep the pressure on and keep the big C out of the picture.
My goal for 2012 then? To take 2 hours off my 2011 time.
Yep, that's right ... 2 hours.
And the plan is to achieve it by doing the following:
Swim - 15 minutes
- stronger pull action
- increase stroke rate (faster swim stroke)
Bike - 1 hour
- more hill work
- continue focusing on high cadence
- St Pete buys me new time trial bike (!)
Run - 45 minutes
- increase fuel intake on the bike to avoid bonking on the run (Based on what I recall taking in on the bike Dave thinks I simply bonked on the run - because I hadn't eaten enough during the bike leg)
- focus more on maintaining pace rather than timed workouts
It's going to require more aggressive training but I'm up for it. Should be an interesting year!
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