The hurler on the ditch...

hurler on the ditch ‎(plural hurlers on the ditch)
- (Ireland, idiomatic) A person standing on the side of a hurling field issuing (unsolicited and usually unwanted) instructions to the hurlers.
- (figuratively, Ireland, idiomatic) An opinionated person who offers (unsolicited and often unwanted) advice on the best way to handle a situation.

Going Coast to Coast in Ireland

Time for me to step up to the plate and register for some other races in 2015.

My wife has expressed interest in Adventure Racing so after a bit of discussion and looking around we settled on taking on the Non-Stop Coast to Coast Challenge from Co. Sligo to Co. Down in May for our own bit of team building exercise:

16 – 17 MAY 2015 – ENNISCRONE, Co SLIGO – NEWCASTLE, Co DOWNNON – STOP & 2 DAY MULTISPORT RACE ACROSS IRELANDIreland, an island steeped in history and mythology with scenery which rivals that of any other sights around the globe. For many years visitors have flown or sailed to Irish shores to take in these sights and to go home with great memories of this fantastic island. For one week in May many travelling will have their sights set on a truly iconic event – the 26 Extreme Coast to Coast Multisport Race Across Ireland.
Traversing Ireland in a west to east format the route of the 26 Extreme Coast to Coast will pass through unspoilt rural locations, through quaint villages and along one of the most famous waterways in Ireland – The Shannon – Erne Waterway. Whether you choose to race the NON-STOP version or the TWO DAY version you will follow a route which winds its way along 316km of the best cycling, paddling and running terrain Ireland has to offer. Competitors will be truly astounded at the scenery and challenge laid down before them in this fantastic event.

We’re entered to do the Non-Stop version.

Ireland – Coast to Coast – Saturday 16th to Sunday 17th May 2015
Course Option: Non-Stop
Team Type: Pair
Class: Mixed
Club: Team #TriHarder ARTeam Type Name: Gotta Run
Team Member 1: Sean Conroy
Team Member 2: Edel Conroy

Apart from enjoying the experience and completing the main goal for us is to see how we get on together working as a different kind of team, without the kids around!! 

As most Adventure Racers will know there is a dynamic to the team and how it works together before and during a race. It is this dynamic that I think will be different because we are a couple and life partners too. I’m really looking forward to this as it opens a whole lot of new doors for us. What else could be better than finding out that both of you love Adventure Racing?!

Imagine a whole new world opening up for holiday destinations!! 

I've laid out my training diary and goals for each week, I'll post shortly with those. Be sure to follow Team #TriHarderAR as the entire team continues to work on core training fitness towards this years bug goal race.

–

See you out there!

Sean

[Training Diary] Week in Review & Back to Ballyhoura

Week ending 19th October: 

Date	Run Distance	Bike Distance	Time	Avg BPM	AvgPace/Km	KCal
13 Oct 2014	9.5		00:49:38	147	00:05:13	787
14 Oct 2014		9.6	00:23:40	141		343
14 Oct 2014	11.82		00:57:59	156	00:04:54	1009
15 Oct 2014	9.52		00:52:01	148	00:05:27	830
15 Oct 2014		9.5	00:25:15	137		355
16 Oct 2014		9.73	00:27:29	137		387
16 Oct 2014	11.63		00:59:56	156	00:05:08	1059
19 Oct 2014		23.74	02:00:43	148		1933

Taking a look at the second half of the week the basic premise is I am wrecked.
The kids, daughter mostly, have attrocious sleeping habits. It's like a merry-go-round in our house with everyone swapping beds. I'm normally a sound sleeper but when I'm woken in the night I don't go back easily and often end up reading for 2 or 3 hours.

Going for goal - Sub40 10k

In the absence of an Autumn marathon goal - it was to be +TCS Amsterdam Marathon - due to circumstances this year these plans were shelved early and I've been drifting along with no structure or training format.

Things have changed recently which means I can be a little more structured in my approach to work and exercise so I have decided to train towards a sub 40 minute 10k in November.

The +Amphibian King West - Galway Clarinbridge 10k will be a bit ambitious, with just 7 weeks to go, but I need a target. Aiming for Fields of Athenry while suiting most training plans is not imminent enough to motivate me.

Doing proper speedwork is going to be new to me, I've never really tackled it properly in the past. I at least have an advantage of having the course literally on my doorstep so come 7 weeks I will know every single step and stone on that course.

Here we go....Week 1 awaits!!

Creating workouts on Polar Flow

Tinkering around a bit with @PolarGlobal Flow website at the moment (it's still in Beta) trying to be creative with a few workouts and set up a Training Diary again.

Unfortunately it is no ProTrainer5 software nor is it like the setup on PolarPersonalTrainer.com where phase limited but advanced workouts could be created. Hopefully this will change when the next firmaware update on the #V800 includes cycling metrics like power and cadence.

For now I am working with time based phases with Heart Rate limits to bring my turbo sessions back on stream. Anything is better than nothing at the moment and if I give the bike a good 45 mins this evening sure it can do me no harm.

Can it?

Seasonal Slump

Often at this stage of the year your body can go into a little bit of a slump. The weather is changing, the days are getting shorter, you're tired after a long summer with the kids under your feet, work has been hectic and you have been squeezing exercise into an ever decreasing time slot.

You're bound to be tired. You are bound to be demotivated somewhat.

But do you know what?

Forgetting about the plan for one or two runs won't spoil your overall goals. Head out for something different, if you are road running go to a trail for a few runs to find the gra for it again.

By taking the pressure off and changing the route you will be amazed at the difference it makes and how quickly you will find that running mojo again.

You gotta #TriHarder

Lough Derg in the morning.

A review of last weekend's training - Time for some teamwork.

With the Beast of Ballyhoura just over 2 weeks away it was kinda getting to the time for a little team work. Mike and I had worked well in #Endure24 and didn't kill each other (apart from noxious gases) over the long hours in close proximity, I think laughing had a lot to do with that. It was time to bring some of the jigsaw together last weekend.

To be honest I was a bit anxious as history shows I'm not the best Mountain Biker in the province, by a long shot. So far in my MTB experience I'm a '2fer' (Out twice, accident twice) so I was wary of what we would be up to.

Plan was Saturday night #MTB on the Ballyhoura trails. This was after less than 5 hours sleep on Friday night, a Saturday morning trail run, a day in work so I was all set up to test the endurance and effect of tiredness.

Anyhow, down to Ballyhoura, met up with TriHarder teammate Kate, made the introductions, offloaded the bikes, kitted up and off we went warming up on the road to the trails. Warren was to meet up with us in a wee while so we did a couple of laps of the Skills Loops starting with 1 and then Skills Loop 2. Back to the carpark and discovered Warren was still on route somewhere and we'd have an hour so quick decision to head off on the longer brown trail and set him the task of the green so we'd finish sometime together.

Kate experienced a spectacular off. I was at the back and just watched as her bike, bucked, bounced and fired her off over the bars. On inspection we discovered she'd clipped a stump which launched her into the heather between two piles of rocks. Poor Kate giggled her way down the hill with bruised & cut knees nursing her front wheel which was destroyed.

Perfect alignment for cornering!!!

Limping back to the cars, the one positive was my bike no longer squeaked the loudest!. We met Warren on the road, easily identified as a #TriHarder as we were the only eejits biking up there at night :)

Warren had his own issues with a puncture and was making his way back to the car too.

Loaded up and off we went to Mikes for showers, tea, repairs and discussion til the wee hours.

Mike the Mechanic

Got to the point at 1:30 where, "ah sure we may as well go on out for a trek." "Sure, we're on the bikes in 3.5hrs, no point sleeping now" at which point I nudged Warren and told him to make a break for bed. Kate full of beans on adrenaline was bouncing around the place like a bluebottle. She was next to be sent packing!!

2hrs of kip on the sofa broken only by the vision of Mike trying to suffocate me with a blanket and we were back on point. Coffee, porridge and more coffee and we were off to Killaloe for Day 2.

Parking at UL Activity Centre we followed the marked trails for the East Clare Way and MTB'd our way up making a decision to dump them and trek our way to the top.

(Note: Our maps were slightly out of date so we dumped earlier than necessary ~1km)

Job done, time to hump it back down, pick up the bikes and let her rip to Killaloe where the plan was to go up the other side looking for Graves of the Leinster Men.

A minor navigation error kept us on the main road rather on the walking route, but chief mapreader Warren soon put us right and up towards Tountinna where we biked to the top, enjoyed the view, grabbed a sandwich before hiking over the top to look for the Graves.

We allocated time to our search as we had to be back at UL Activity Centre for 11am. (Yes! Most of this was done before many had rolled over in their beds! :) )

Checking the map we realised the Graves were in a very arbritary position and we were the wrong side of that for easy access. About turn, back to the bikes and

WHEEEEEEEEE!!! all the way down again :) :)

Kate caught a rear puncture. 'Pitstop Pete' changed it in 4 mins from stop to go and we were off again catching the boys who we reckoned were in Ballina slurping down a 99.

A

All that was left was a 2 hour practical lesson in handling sit-on-top kayaks with Mike Jones. This was a steep learning curve for me and part of my issue is trying to understand the physics of what my paddling is doing rather than just finding a groove and letting it happen.

As the team said, we've 53km in the Beast to figure it out!! (Minimum 53km)

All in all a great weekend of training, bonding, figuring things out, planning and we're all about set for a few more 'wind-down' sessions before toeing the line in 2 weeks time!!!

Have you ever done anything like this before? All advice is welcomed.

The Beast is Stirring

So with #Endure24 behind us now, the full focus is on The Beast of Ballyhoura for the coming weeks.

Information is being 'leaked' about the course and the sense of tension is palpable as the team learn more about the challenge each day.

At the start of July we received the following information:

2014 Beast Route Minimum Distances For Each Section.

• Start Short Foot Orienteering 1km
• Section 1.1 Kayak 20km
• Section 1.2 Swim 600m
• Section 1.3 Foot Orienteering 11km
• Section 1.4 Kayak 13km
• TA1 Kit/Bike Boxes
• Section 2.1 Mountain Bike 50km
• Section 2.2 Water Based Task 3.5km
• Section 2.3 Mountain Bike 38km
• Section 2.4 Foot Based Task 1km-5km
• Section 2.5 Mountain Bike 28km
• TA2 Kit Boxes
• Section 3.1 Kayak 20km
• Section 3.2 Foot Orienteering 25km
• TA3 Kit Boxes
• Section 4.1 Mountain Bike 27km
• Section 4.2 Foot Orienteering 5km
• Section 4.3 Mountain Bike 20km
• Finish

And then we learn a little more about each discipline:

Race Disciplines

• Mountain biking – teams should be prepared for a range of riding including single track, steep hills, gravel roads and sealed roads.


• Trekking – will involve travelling by foot through rugged and diverse terrain. The Irish hills can be wet and boggy in places. 


• Kayaking – kayaks will be provided by race organizers. Kayaking may be on inland rivers or lakes. Generally kayaking will be permitted during both day and night. Some of the rivers may have weirs. Teams will be advised in advance about any obstacles. There will be a dark zone in operation for the kayak stage


• Swimming - teams will be required to cross rivers. there will also be a swim section (minimum of 2 members per team must swim) 2 * 300 meters, PFD’s will be available if you feel you need one.


• Rope work. Could include abseiling, traversing, ascending etc.


• Orienteering – orienteering is an extremely important part of the race. The course is not marked and teams are required to navigate using maps.


• Special - as always you should expect some surprises, and special tasks

The night kayak could be interesting though the total (minimum) 53k of kayaking is going to be a hell of an upper body workout!

Currently looking at some training day options to see if we can all day hire kayaks and throw in a little bit of orienteering / mountain trekking to clean up rusty map skills. Ropework, swimming and trekking is fine. Mountain biking, well you know my history there, but a planned 163k (minimum!) could feel like 300k if there is loads of climbing.

Plenty of planning to arrange the kit and ensure each zone is properly fuelled and equiped. At least we will have access to the transition zone or team kit boxes 3 times so the travelling load can be broken up a bit.

Not called The Beast for nothing!!

#thirteen

It's funny how perspective changes things. 

This time last year I would have thought nothing of running out a Thirteen.

With just being back I had notions of a Thirteen (miler) but even getting to a Ten was going to be a reach as a first LSR for a while.
Mid afternoon saw me heading out the door for a nice trot through the woods. I enjoy those loops and always find the mental hurdle of starting the second one a nice little 'High 5' moment. More so now as I run myself back to fitness.

Under no illusions, heading into 2 loops I was thinking: "No, be sensible, 10k is enough" (I am a triathlete after all) 

 But with the weekend that was in it, 13k seemed to be far enough and a nice cut off point that would stretch me but not leave me punished for a few days. 
Oh yes, the next few days are important. They are going to cement the 'Back to Training' attitude.  

 

Gonna see that HR vs Pace graph changing over the next few weeks.

13k seemed like a challenge for me today, another couple of weeks and I'll be through Thirteen and it'll seem like the break never happened.

Every journey starts with a first step...

...and mine starts here!

After an extended layoff from training due to a plethora of excuses of which injury was not one, I finally stepped back on the training wagon after stepping off the scale.

Thanks to a self motivation decision to take part in the Beast of Ballyhoura with an exclusively boards.ie team I need to get my ass in gear and fly the flag for the older competitor.

With that in mind, apart from the #Zero25k running group and the odd occasional, unstructured turbo session I have done little or nothing in the past couple of months.

Well, that my friends, is about to change.

No more messing around with apps and beta testing apps, kicking my heels waiting for the +Polar #V800.
 
No sir. No more excuses or laziness

Time to setup my endurance plan and start the Heart Rate training again to find the base level to work from.

Workout 1 done and to show how much my fitness has slipped, my 'Easy' pace would now be considerably over 6min/km:

A little over 10km in a little over 1 hour with AvgHR of 140bpm.

Its a starting point...

It's almost February & nothing done.

Tacx i-Flow VR Trainer

How quickly a month passes!

I started 2014 with no race goals or targets. I simply stated that I want to train for fun and enjoy a couple of events this year.

Cue a lazy approach, a very easy laissez faire, manana type procrastinating attempt at training. I did a couple of runs and a few turbo sessions.

My turbo sessions were more setting up and getting to know the software type that any actual sweating and going nowhere. I picked up a Tacx Flow with multiplayer software, pretty cool piece of kit but very easy to get distracted from real work and just play 'games'.

Chatting with a pal at the weekend I discovered he has the same trainer software and he introduced me to the idea of using the Google maps interface to recycle old training routes.

Last night I cycled from Lahinch back up the coast road over the Cliffs of Moher towards Kinvara all without leaving the comfort of my training room.

This I could get used to :-)

#Runstreak Week 1 in Review

A week can seem like a long time.

 It doesn't seem like a week since I was running in the dark with a dead headlamp
or indeed running around in circles like a hamster but as the week went on myself and Edel fell into a pattern of pushing each other to get out and complete the daily run task.

There were no records set. I'm definitely struggling with elevated HR and slow pace at the moment. I have been snuffling and coughing for the past fortnight or so, so there is a bit of seasonal adjustment and dietary adjustment going on. I've cut back on the junk and processed stuff now that the training mojo is coming back and a couple of those ill-gained kilograms have shifted again, so happy days.

#Day1 - 6.5k, PaceAvg 05:23/km
#Day2 - 5.3k, PaceAvg 05:40/km
#Day3 - 5.0k, PaceAvg 06:00/km (treadmill preset, hill interval)
#Day4 - 6.95k, PaceAvg 05:45/km
#Day5 - 6.11k, PaceAvg 05:01/km, HRAvg 146bpm (treadmill)
#Day6 - 6.95k, PaceAvg 05:20/km, HRAvg 148bpm
#Day7 - 12.13k, PaceAvg 05:38/km, HRAvg 142bpm 

Total for the week 55.76km

Now onto Week 2 and more of the same though I might stretch this week to a 45 minute minimum for myself.

#Runstreak #Day1 - Until the Lights Go Out

My Kilcornan training ground

Now I'm not going to bore you with #Day1, #Day2 etc for the next 31 days.

It'll be a weekly summary at most, unless something worthwhile happens.

We've started a Runstreak for the month of December and invited everyone to join us for 30 mins (minimum) every day. Its a great way to get yourself in the habit of time-out everyday and does wonders for clearing your head of life's stresses.

Out yesterday with the family to see Santa in Oranmore, the kids loved it too! It was getting dark when Edel headed out so I was persuading her to bring a light. It was only afterwards when I caught the kids playing shadow puppets that I realised she'd only the flashy red lamp which would be useless in the dark for running Kilcornan.

Cue loading the car to go find mum. She arrived back as we went out the gate, typical!

My turn.

Gear grabbed, light on and out the door I went. As I went down the avenue through Kilcornan ready to start the first loop back around my lamp suddenly dimmed. 

Oh dear! Of all the running I'd done through the evenings it had to be this evening that my batteries run out!! I'll never live this down!!

That was the end of that, 18 mins down the avenue turn around and head right back where I started. No way was I chancing the woods with low batteries as I'd be stumbling around with a broken ankle in no time.

Home with my 'wear a headlamp' tail firmly between my legs for a brief 36min run.

Ah well, run 1 done, another one makes a #runstreak.

Going for a #running streak.

Its been a week of nothing.

No training, no running, no cycling. Nothing.

After running the AK Clarenbridge 10k last Sunday an irritating, annoying niggle started in my left foot. It feels very similar to the one I had in the right foot the week before.

Unususal as I rarely get niggles or soreness from running. Even with my volume greatly decreased in the past month or so there would be less chance of a niggle developing. Anyway been a busy week, tiring and with a lapse in my normal well behaved diet, I feel low in energy and have developed a bit of a headcold. So a week of rest.

New month starting this weekend so going to have a bash at being disciplined and running for 30 mins each day through December. Be sure to join in.

Post by Amphibian King West.

25th November - Last Week in Review

An easy week of running last week. I've had a pain on the top of my right foot which is a new thing. Not sure if I tied laces too tight or what, but it's uncomfortable, so sort of a semi rest week to see how it heals.

By Thursday I was fit to burst though & just had to get out.

So did one of my usual loops and back to meet Mrs. AKW for a second loop before heading to work. These loops through the woords are definitely one of my favourite places to run and they are always guaranteed to put me in good form.

Not much for the week.

Thursday - 12.3k (6.1+6.2)
Sunday - 16.2k AK Clarenbridge 10k run with warmup and cooldown
Total: 28.5k

15/11/13 - Diary Update

I've binned my #running Endurance Program.

I'm going to spend the next few weeks just getting out. 

I'm going to run as and when I want to, as far as I want to and as slow or fast as I want to. Same goes for cycling and, dare I suggest, possibly swimming! :O

It's a long season, balanced with lots of long hard(ish) hours in work and I want to enjoy myself and avoid 'having' to train all the time. Gonna be plenty of runs in the woods and just chilling taking photos en route.

Having said that, half marathon on Sunday in SixMileBridge.

Be rude not to :)

Slow start back #training

No goals yet, other than just to maintain fitness, get stronger and hit 2014 leaner and in a better position than I was at the start of 2013.

Having said that part of it is doing weekly Strength & Conditioning classes with Limerick Sports & Fitness Clinic first class was on Wednesday evening. We also got to play with the +Polar Team app and H7 Bluetooth heart rate monitors.

Wednesday S&C
Class started with a bit of introduction by Paul, then onto the floor to do some 'open the hips' stretching. All dynamic stuff, inchworms, fire hydrant, squat jumps etc. Then onto the circuits which I was informed are 'bilateral' (whole new area of training for me) working both sides of the body in balance - barbell squats from a standing position, calf raises & reverse row (hanging off chains) 3 sets of 8, then deadlift (with a full tutorial on lifting technique), Romanian Dead lift and pull-ups (Yay!! :/ ). After this was some floor work, plank, side plank, Superman, alternating plank and just to wrap it all up 4 mins of pushups, tricep dips, burpees, and something else. HR drove through the roof with the burpees. I hate burpees!

Felt great afterwards.

Felt like I'd been hit by a car the next day!!

Thursday

After a couple of runs where I really struggled to keep a controlled heartrate (I thought my strap was faulty until I ran with a double strap, one connected to my watch and the other to the Polar Beat App via H7 on the ipad, yes, I ran with an ipad, purely for scientific reasons of course) I realised my body was probably still in 'shock' after the marathon and any activity was causing an overreaction. As in, "you're not doing this to me again!!"

With my ass killing me, my arms feeling like I was carrying a bag of spuds in each hand, I had to go for a run to try and loosen out.

Distance: 7.4k
Time: 40mins or so.
HR Avg: 146bpm

Saturday
After a particularly stressful Thursday & Friday I did nothing on Friday and with Edel & the kids away for the night I wanted to go for a run after work. I ended up running in and out from Oranmore to collect a couple of movies. World War Z - grand; After Earth - pure sh1te.

Distance: 20.3k
Time: 1:44:15
HR Avg: 156bpm

Sunday
Up early for my first spin in a few months with my buddy Conor. Haven't been on a bike since the start of August so this would be entertaining!

Nice easy spin, good aul chat along quiet roads.

Distance: 45.2km
Time: 02:08:14
HR Avg: 126bpm

Plan for this week is to run x4 times, turbo x2 and do a S&C session.

Strength & Conditioning for Runners

Heading to do a new first for me tonight.

I'm joining a class for Strength & Conditioning training in Limerick.
The program which will run right up to Christmas is specifically for runners:

Paul Harman: Strength Training for Runners: Research has shown that strength training is effective for providing muscular and neural adaptations that can prevent injuries..

I'll be bringing along the +Polar Team app and a couple of H7 Bluetooth #HeartRate transmitters to track the efforts of the class members including myself.

Polar H7 compatible with iPhone and many Android devices

Looking forward to a new challenge.

Back to the start with +Polar

Feels like a confession: Its been a week and a bit since my last run.

Since then I have eaten crisps, chocolate, biscuits and drank beer.

I have had infrequent thoughts about running and even then only in the briefest of moments where I consider a flirtation with running.

Now it is about to change.

I have logged into my +Polar PersonalTrainer.com website and revisited the pages of my Endurance Program.

The first step is to define my anticipated activity level, duration of activity and anticipated level of exertion. After that the program determines a level of training (13/20) and maps out sessions for the next 6 weeks.





After 6 weeks the program will evaluate my history and decide whether I am fit enough to move up a level. There is a possibility of staying at level 13 or even dropping a level if targets are missed.

So x16 sessions, 17hours (& 25 mins), 10,500kcal and 132km is the goal for the next 6 weeks.

All of this training is done to Heart Rate. No longer am I pace focussed as I have been for the past 6 months with the marathon training. This is all about base fitness, cardio vascular development and running for health.

Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of speed work involved, each week has a Tempo session and an interval session, but again governed by HR. Over the course of 6-12 weeks I should see an improvement in speed / pace at a particular HR.

Almost there!

My wife is right. I don't say that often.

I have a default setting in that I can only do something 100% I have to be fully immersed in it, to give it my all. She said this to me when I was talking about tackling +Ironman Triathlon Frankfurt in 2014.

She actually worded it in such a way as to enable me to convince myself that she was right and I was wrong. I wouldn't be able to devote to the right training scheduleon account on work & family especially with the store in Limerick.

She was especially right when she observed that I wouldn't be happy doing an event in which I knew I not fully committed to in training.

She's right.

Now that I'm tapering I'm starting to doubt myself.

Training volume is reduced (obviously) so after weeks of high volume and high intensity training I feel like I'm doing nothing. I've suddenly got available time.

So what do I do?

Fill it with something else. Not for me the idea of relaxing, storing energy, saving the body. No I'm up and about getting to events, preparing banners, hanging them, taking them down. Zipping around the place.

The danger is, that 'little' 9k training run doesn't take precedence. "I can do it in my sleep", same goes for the 40mins easy, "M'eh! too busy!"

So last week I didn't miss any sessions, I made a conscious decision not to bother with them, this is not good. I haven't once done this this year. Things crop up, sessions get missed, that's different. Not like me to get complacent and I really don't like the idea of rot setting in with days to go.

 

They're all being done this week. Including the little 20min session on Saturday. Probably will be right after being off the plane, but it's getting done

After that, it's feet up and time to trust my training, my legs and my self.