A quick update

The summer is taking shape.

With The Beast of Ballyhoura taking centre stage in August I have along with my wife Edel and Beast teammate Micheal signed up for Endure 24 which takes place over 27 - 29th June and involves 24 hours of running laps on a trail in England .


Micheal and I are using this as a (serious) training event. We expect it to be hard, to test us and also to see how we cope under 24 hours of strain before we head into the 40 hours of The Beast.



Following the Endure24 I have been invited to take part in #RacetoKinvara2 with +Saucony this is in July.

Race To Kinvara from Saucony on Vimeo.

The Beast in August.

And then in October Edel & I are heading to +TCS Amsterdam Marathon where we both have our own targets in mind.

All in all it is going to be a busy running summer! :)

For now though, some light, but necessary reading.

I wanted momentum

I said last week I wanted to "keep the momentum going for a while". Well by definition:

The momentum of an object will never change if it is left alone. If the 'm' value and the 'v' value remain the same, the momentum value will be constant.

By increasing mass or velocity you can increase the momentum. I want to decrease the mass (body weight) and conserve the momentum so I have to increase the velocity (quanity of training) proportionally.

So

Tuesday 22nd April
Little light recovery run after helping with putting the kids to bed.

Run: 7.53km, HRAvg 143bpm, PaceAvg 05:41/km

I messed up my morning on Thursday and missed an opportunity to do a session before work. I drove to Limerick & back as I had mixed up where I was working. I'm blaming sleep deprivation :(

Friday 25th April
Out on the bike. Still missing my Polar CS600x head unit so not getting to do any work to power at all. Out on one of my favourite race preparation courses. I hit the main N6 between Oranmore & Loughrea, a rolling route with a few drags and always a bit of wind!

I hit Loughrea and took off out the link road which is a Club TT route that we use. Of course just as I got into rhythm I could hear the phone ringing in my pocket. It was an expected & important call so I got to mid point and called back.

From here I spinned back home with a nice tailwind :D

TT Bike: 75.31km, HRAvg 152bpm, SpeedAvg 28.8km/h

Saturday 26th April
Very similar to last week I had my #Zero25k run group in Oranmore to take out so time for a little 'Runmute'. Was up early so got porridge and coffee into me all set with a fantastic morning for a run.

Lap 1: 50.09 / 9.81km / HRAvg 151bpm
Lap 2 - 10: is the Zero25k sessions
Lap 12: 52.37 / 9.59km / HRAvg 152bpm

Arriving back home in time for work.

Run: 23.82km, HRAvg 148bpm, PaceAvg 05:36/km

Sunday 27th April
Early morning text has me out towards Claregalway to meet up with Paul. Delighted to say I found my bike computer so the Power was back on! Plan was time in the saddle but Gibbo had other plans. As mentioned in Training logs elsewhere, his easy and everyone else's easy are two entirely different things.

It was a great morning, just the right side of chilly with plenty of sunshine and hills.

TT Bike: 92.9km, HRAvg 142bpm, SpeedAvg 26.8km/h, PowerAvg 197

Good week all told. Even squeezed my first swim of the year in during a wetsuit demo. It'll be grand :)

35km run total, 185km bike total for the week.

We have momentum!

Endure 24 - Stepping Stones to the Beast

It's amazing how easily you can be lead astray once an idea is introduced! :)

Through the middle part of last year when I was really enjoying my running I toyed with the idea of running longer and longer. Something really appealed to my sense of adventure, running late at night / early in the morning with a headlamp is something I really love doing.

Some of my best headclearing runs were done, just me, headlamp and pouring rain.

Rain I can do without but the peace and silence of the night appeals to me.

This year I'm undertaking a team challenge The Beast of Ballyhoura in August. The toughest thing I've ever thought about doing and with no idea really how to train for it (you know what you gotta do for a triathlon, so you do it) I've flying by the seat of my pants at the moments.

I had never heard of Endure 24, however when you are invited to take part in  a team by one of your suppliers the interest & temptation level goes up. Here's the low down:

 

How does Run24 work?

 

You can enter the race as a solo runner, two runners (pairs), team 5 (3,4 or 5 runners) or team 8 ( 6,7 or 8 runners).

 

Solo runners  

 

Start with the main race at 12.00pm, they then carry on running as many laps as they can for 24 hours. They may have support i.e. a helper to feed them on course or stop for rests and food when they wish.

 

Pairs & Teams

 

Start with the main race at 12.00pm, they then carry on running as many laps as they can for 24 hours, each member of the team must complete at least one lap. You cannot substitute runners or use runners not registered in your team.

 

Laps & Breaks

 

You can take a break anytime you like but always leave/enter the course at the correct point. You can carry on and do more than one lap or handover to your partner or team member.

 

Night Running

 

The course is not lit but is marked with glow-sticks. It is compulsory for runners to wear head torches or carry a hand torch from 8.00pm, ideally both.

 

Feed Stations

 

There are feed stations at the exchage point and at half way. Solo runners will also have an area next to the course where they can leave their own food and drink.

 

Results

 

All runners have a time chip and each lap is recorded as you pass the exchange point (a real time screen will update the positions in each catergory so that you can check your progress).

 

Runners can set out on a final lap as long as they reach exchange before 12.00pm and this lap will count towards the final result.

Image from the Endure24.co.uk website

Having been invited, sure it'd be rude not to go and it's one way that myself and Mrs. AKW can get away for a weekend. I hope she'll like the surprise ;)

Watch this space.

That's more like it.

Lalalala, long weekend!!

Bit of time off over the long weekend meant I got stuck into a relatively solid bit of training. It had been a poor week as the roll over from the events of the previous Saturday night (daughter in A&E), van breaking down etc etc disrupted the entire family.

Cut to the chase and get back on track.

Friday 18th April

Was going out on the bike early but settled for a turbo as I could be at home in case I was needed. Stuck 'The Hobbit Desolation of Smaug" on the laptop and spun my Roveagh to Limerick GPX route. Just solid staedy state stuff hovering around threshold effort.

Turbo: 56.2km, HRAvg 146bpm, Duration 02:26

Saturday 19th April
Had my #Zero25k run group in Oranmore to take out so time for a little 'Runmute'. Fantastic morning for a run so with a little light toast, nutella & banana (coffee too!!) I was off out the door.

Lap 1 51.12 / 9.56km / HRAvg 148bpm
Lap 2 - 12 is the Zero25k sessions
Lap 13 53.29 / 9.49km / HRAvg 150bpm

Arriving back home time for breakfast proper, took a gel just before the run back, and then prep for work.

Run: 23.03km, HRAvg 146bpm, PaceAvg 05:49/km

Sunday 20th April

I went out early to lay out the Easter Egg hunt for the kids in Kilcornan Woods. After all the storms there is a huge amount of damage in there with a lot of trees down over each other. It made for a magical glade of discovery for the little ones who really enjoyed themselves.



After that it was out on the MTB for a quick loop to ensure all was in order. It was.
I also managed to map the planned 5k loop for The School Run in June.

MTB: 10.26km

Monday 21st April
MTB and run planned. Do a bit on the bike and run off the bike, back on & off a few times.

Body quite sore after the previous days efforts but to be honest I think digging the vegetable garden was the biggest culprit!

I got out nice and early, the woods were fantastic, just me, the trees and nature. As the trails are twisty, technical trails I was never expecting much other than time in the saddle and that's what I got.

Total:  20.98km, HRAvg 129bpm, Duration 02:13 Here's the file.

Then it was back to double digging and cleaning the vegetable garden for 2 hours in the afternoon! Cross training :)

Now I just need to keep the momentum going for the next while.

Well that escalated quickly

Not a training update but a state of affairs update.

I had a notion at the start of the week and I thought the worst had happened on Saturday morning with the bike mini-disaster.

Not so.

On her way to bed my daughter slipped and smacked the back of her head off the sink. We did all that was advised, iced it, no loss of consciousness, watched her, spoke with her and when she fell asleep naturally an hour later we were somewhat relieved but still worried.

Being woken at 3:40am to be told your daughter vomited is one way to do a super transition. I was fully dressed, in the car, engine running and on the way to the hospital before my two eyes were open.

Blood pressure, ok. Blood oxygen 99%, superb. Alertness, good for a little girl at silly o'clock.

Text to wife, to say Dr. ok but keeping her under observation for 24hours.

Little one napped, I sat vigil until we moved to the ward (got to see London Marathon on the TV) in the morning and mum came in to tag me out so I could take over with the little man at home.

Needless to say training was not a priority as a result of that and weekly goals went.

Back wheel keeps on turning

That's all that went through my head as I pushed off from the junction.

Clipping into the pedals, the legs spun and spun and spun. What the heck?! Momentum carried me across the road before realising that it is now time to CLIP OUT!! as the back wheel keeps on turning and you are going nowhere.

8 years of faithful service in cycling and the freehub has finally packed in. Good innings, just not convenient when I'm already pushed for time anyway.

I did Tweet the start of the week:

When your van battery is dead on a Monday morning you get the sinking feeling it could be one of 'those' weeks.
— Amphibian King -Sean (@amphkingwest) April 7, 2014

And it's haunting me. Good week training, but now a little mini-disaster that will force a change for Sunday.

Thursday 10th April
Day off as long day driving and working in Limerick. Changing this next week.

Friday 11th April
Limerick again and while I'd a rough idea to run am and turbo pm, between staff arrangements and travel it meant I would be back in Oranmore for the evening, so #runmute home

Run: 9.6km, HRAvg 151bpm, Pace Avg 05:15

Saturday 12th April
Aimed to run into that the #Zero25k group but a late wake up left be scrabbling for my bike.
Positive - meant extra few km on the bike = less pessure on Sunday
Negative - short on run km so make-up required.

As per intro, plan went to hell in a handbag. Required a pick up and delivery to bring the group out as arranged (30 eager souls ready & 'willing' to run). I'll need a run this evening as out early doors to do a looonnnng cycle on my TT bike.

Run: 3.8km HRAvg 131 bpm, Pace Avg 08:34

Might miss the bike target for the week but solid start & room for improvement next week.

Thanks for reading.

Rollin', rollin', rolling...

Laid out my plan, I did.

Goal is 40-50k running and 200k cycling for the next 3 weeks and then work from there. Shock the system back into action, kick this ass into gear burn off some excess kg's and crack on.

Monday 7th April
Treadmill running, nice and steady planned but just to alleviate the drone I threw in a km with a little bit of pace.

Funny now but not at the time.

Not much pace mind you but enought to have me thinking: "Man 4:45 per km and your struggling for 1k!!" The annoying thing sbout using the phone for music is the constant bleat and whistle of Twitter, Facebook and email alerts (Note to self - Airplane Mode in future). Anyway one of the emails was a response to an enquiry to a CMod from earlier in the day which needed an immediate action from me. Hence the step off for a moment.

Run: 8.01km, HRAvg 136bpm, Pace Avg 05:49

Tuesday 8th April
One of my usual favourite runs in the woods. Two loops reversing for the second loop. Wearing the Hoka Bondi trail / road shoe & my quads are thrashed!! These will take a bit of getting used to, or maybe my runs are just not long enough yet.

Night time run so had the place to myself pretty much and it was lovely.

Run: 12.06km, HRAvg 157bpm, Pace Avg 05:30

Wednesday 9th April
Turbo time with Tacx.

Using one of the preprogrammed workouts with rolling hills I went for a little over an hour, steady and solid. Missing my bike computer head at the moment so no power info to refer to.

HRM kinda mirrored the gradient too.

Turbo: 33km, HRAvg 141bpm

Good start, now to keep going for the rest of the week. Long day Thursday as in Limerick and late night shopping on Friday so plan to keep the run / bike / run / bike going through to the weekend.

As always comments or suggestions welcome.