So, on Monday morning I found myself sat in the bath wearing black padded cycling shorts and a black compression vest...
Since my last post I've done quite a few rides and runs and tried to focus mostly on transitioning from one to the other, this has been going pretty well although I'm starting to think that running is shaking my joints apart! I've largely ignored swimming as I know I'm a decidedly adequate swimmer and won't be able to improve on that in the remaining time.
There is now less than a week to the event so I'll have a few more days of training then I'll rest up. This weekend I've been for a 50mile ride on Saturday and then a 6mile ride followed by a 3mile run on Sunday.
So back to my idiotic bath-time... I didn't feel like embracing the humiliation of going to the public swimming baths looking like a member of the Goth version of Right Said Fred, so bathing while clothed was my alternative way of testing out the swim-cycle transition. Having leapt out of the bath and legged it downstairs while futilely towelling myself down I hurriedly pulled on socks, cycling shoes and bike helmet, while simultaneously attempting to convince Clare that this is a perfectly normal way for her husband to be starting a bank holiday Monday...
From leaving the bath to setting off on the bike took 1min 25secs, at least 25secs of which was me struggling to pull socks over my wet feet.
Fortunately it was a fairly mild morning so cycling while sopping wet wasn't too uncomfortable and I had one of the best rides I've had in a while. I covered approx 12.75miles (which is further than needed for the event) in 38mins and 12secs and maintained a 20mph avg speed (very pleased with that).
Once back home I kicked off my helmet and shoes and pulled on my tatty old trainers, I then faffed around switching my GPS tracker from cycling mode to running mode. This transition was about 1min, but much of that was due to me fiddling around with the GPS.
I found the run hard work and was 30-60secs slower per mile than usual, but covered 3.5miles (again, further than needed for the event) in 29mins and 27secs.
Towards the end of the run the underneath of one of my trainers was starting to hurt my foot. I suspect they're at the end of their useful life but I'm reluctant to use new, unfamiliar and not yet worn in kit for the race, so hopefully they've a week's worth of use left in them...
Overall, the whole session took 1hr 10mins & 7secs. So adding 6-7mins for the swim and deducting the phone faffing time hopefully means I'm on target for a 1hr 15mins-ish time.
For Tuesday and Wednesday I'll do some more cycle-run transition practices and get a couple of swims in too then that should be it till the big day!
Gulp...
Since my last post I've done quite a few rides and runs and tried to focus mostly on transitioning from one to the other, this has been going pretty well although I'm starting to think that running is shaking my joints apart! I've largely ignored swimming as I know I'm a decidedly adequate swimmer and won't be able to improve on that in the remaining time.
There is now less than a week to the event so I'll have a few more days of training then I'll rest up. This weekend I've been for a 50mile ride on Saturday and then a 6mile ride followed by a 3mile run on Sunday.
So back to my idiotic bath-time... I didn't feel like embracing the humiliation of going to the public swimming baths looking like a member of the Goth version of Right Said Fred, so bathing while clothed was my alternative way of testing out the swim-cycle transition. Having leapt out of the bath and legged it downstairs while futilely towelling myself down I hurriedly pulled on socks, cycling shoes and bike helmet, while simultaneously attempting to convince Clare that this is a perfectly normal way for her husband to be starting a bank holiday Monday...
From leaving the bath to setting off on the bike took 1min 25secs, at least 25secs of which was me struggling to pull socks over my wet feet.
Fortunately it was a fairly mild morning so cycling while sopping wet wasn't too uncomfortable and I had one of the best rides I've had in a while. I covered approx 12.75miles (which is further than needed for the event) in 38mins and 12secs and maintained a 20mph avg speed (very pleased with that).
Once back home I kicked off my helmet and shoes and pulled on my tatty old trainers, I then faffed around switching my GPS tracker from cycling mode to running mode. This transition was about 1min, but much of that was due to me fiddling around with the GPS.
I found the run hard work and was 30-60secs slower per mile than usual, but covered 3.5miles (again, further than needed for the event) in 29mins and 27secs.
Towards the end of the run the underneath of one of my trainers was starting to hurt my foot. I suspect they're at the end of their useful life but I'm reluctant to use new, unfamiliar and not yet worn in kit for the race, so hopefully they've a week's worth of use left in them...
Overall, the whole session took 1hr 10mins & 7secs. So adding 6-7mins for the swim and deducting the phone faffing time hopefully means I'm on target for a 1hr 15mins-ish time.
For Tuesday and Wednesday I'll do some more cycle-run transition practices and get a couple of swims in too then that should be it till the big day!
Gulp...
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