Friday, July 31, 2009

Weird Month

I've been meaning to et on to this for a few weeks now but well, since he crash, motivation has been a bit hit and miss, more miss than hit. I stupidly came off the antibiotics too early and then my elbow got re-infected. It was a few days before I realised so I had to go onto the antiboitics again. The following week, I put in a hard week, 200km on the bike, 45km run and 3-4km swimming combined, felt great but come the following Monday I was shattered, That sort of a training week shouldn't hurt me but I was wrecked. It took about 3 days before I had any energy to train  again.

22/07/09 - WTC Aquathlon II

After a couple of weeks of not o great training, the second WTC Aquathlon came about. I had entered so went straight from work to the race in Bray. I wasn't overly excited, still felt tired. I was picking up my new wetsuit that evening and was dying to try it out, the Orca Alpha. Just before the race I had a little run down the prom with Mark. He did a few pick ups but I had nothing in the tank, felt shitty at that point. I took a gel 5 mins before the briefing and then off we went to the start line. 

It was a sea start, I started ok, got to the first buoy, turned left, not too much bunching, which was gret, found a rythem and then then found someone swimming a similar speed so I paced myself off him and we both got out in 12.30 mins. The suit worked out great, felt free and easy with my arm turnover. This time I had planned a quicker transition after the debacle of last months. This time around the quick release laces were in the Newtons. I exited the swim with Mark, which was excellent as I'm normally a min behind. We both transitioned together. Mark pulled away in the first 200m, I let him go and got into my own pacing. At the beginning of the first hill I saw Mark again and this time moving more slowly, I like running up hills, soleaned forward and passed him, he was wrecked, I then focused on the next club member Collie, got him on the straight, then passed Brian. I was aware that John Mercer was behind me so had to push really hard to stay infront, we are both very similar in pace on the run. At the final turnaround, 
I pushed to catch Jim and stay ahead of John, but as hard as I tried to get him I couldn't, I closed alright but when we crossed the line, he was 5m ahead of me, close but no cigar. Still I stayed ahead of John, a first. 19th overall in 31.40min, not bad considering I was shattered at the start.


Next Race: 1/2 IM in Estonia, 08/08/09, what will that bring I wonder!!

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