It was the best of weeks, it was the worst of weeks. Actually it was a fairly sh1t week, but a week I enjoyed. I won’t bore with details. Key events of the week were forgetting to eat, doing a long ride to the inlaws, finding out it was a fast day. “Eh no savage head wind, a slow day”. “No a FAST day” “Ohhhh” and there was no food in the house. Borked me for Saturday. Then long run Sunday was both horrific and brilliant. Horrific in terms of form and pace. Brilliant in terms of ignoring the chest pains, the naseau and HTFUed and kept goin. The fact that after 45 minutes I puked a little and instead of stopping and nursing my tender tummy I stuck my fingers down my throat until my tummy felt better and continued on. The fact that when I got issues the other end I didn’t waddle home, I jumped in the bushes. The fact it got done.

Really could do with one integrated unit…………..

A reasonable week. Back in the pool. Longest swim for ages 2100m, faded a little to the end but form was okay.

Nice ride yesterday, Cold though, minus one for a while. Good group, five of us (Mr Tango, The Hurler, The Pro and Sir BrakesAlot)
Mr Tango was suffering a bit. The Hurler wouldn’t stop laughing. The Pro looked the dogs – works for Rabo and has full Rabo kit – helmet and ex-team bike the lot. Looked class. A reminder that kit should always match Fcking cold though, took most of the day to warm up.

Even got to watch the Tour of Flanders with the wee lad yesterday. He was gutted when Cancellera went down.

Sunday was 16 weeks to Roth and I weighed myself, 12 stone 1. Race weight is 10st 8. A weight I don’t feel obsese at is 11st 6. Annoyed I decided to organise a cycle OUTSIDE for the Monday. Got four takers. mloc, bambatta, mr tango and a club mate. Plan was for club mate to be at mine at 0825, meet bambatta at 0845 in the Phoenix park and the other two at 0915 at Avoca on the N7.

0825 came and went. Didn’t stress too much as had planned using the 5&5 rule. 0835 and no sign of club mate, no text, no call, his phone off. Texted everyone else, hung on another 15 minutes and then said “fvck him”. TT’ed to the park, massive head wind. Met bambatta. TT’ed to Avoca. Firstly Mr Tango can go fvck himself if he thinks we are using Avoca as a regular meeting point. 4km for him. 32km for me. We are going back to Templeogue Bridge. The head wind was savage. My mood not helped with the knowledge that we were riding at 50 watts above my FTP and 50 watts below bambatas. Noticeable from the one side conversation, he was also only out for a recovery ride. Met mloc and Mr Tango, 1:05 riding and 32km, fvcked.com

On to the first hill of the day, a cheeeky one that I hadn’t done in years. Bambatta rode off, not sure he noticed the hill. I told myself I was sticking to his wheel even if it killed me. That lasted 20 metres. Up the top and down, at this stage I suspected that on the next hill I may be last up. After the descent I suspected something else. The rest were bad descenders. Some woeful, some just not at the same level as their ascending. Almost suggested stopping at a bike shop to get spare brake blocks.

Anyways onto Sally Gap. A tailwind. Given that the reason Mr Tango beat me up the Gap the last time was down to my inability to generate power at low torque I thought happy days. Turns out that was a lie. But anyways I skip ahead. Base of the climb I went hard. Except I didn’t my going hard is now not that hard and Mr Tango caught me instantly. He then rode away, I tried to stay with him and get back on his wheel but failed. The sound of mloc and bambatta riding 5 minutes behind me chatting away happy out while I bust a gut did little for the mood either. I may not have been last up the hill but I was the weakest link.

Rode home, had lunch. Motivation back. Three more names on my hit list.

Plan for this morning was a turbo. Aoibhe (2) decided that last night she wanted to sleep with Daddy. “Daddy UP, Daddy UP. Daddy mommy night night” 10pm to 3am
5am alarm ignored.

50 minute run at lunch was nice though. Work night tonight. Plus one of my advisors(LCD) has vetoed evening sessions until 12 weeks out.

I’m running 4:50 easy per km. Could knock out a sub 20 5km but not much better.
I’m swimming 1:50 easy per 100m. Could knock out a 6:40 400m short course TT.
I’m riding 180 watts at IM pace.
I’m 12 stone 1 pound.

Goal for April is go get to 4:45 per km easy running. 1:45 easy per 100m swimming and a 6:30 400m short course TT. 190 watts at IM pace and get to 11st 10. Thems the goals.

Swim time: 1:33
Swim distance : 3.6km
Bike time: 10:29
Bike distance: 302km
Bike work: 6691 KJ
Run time: 3:07
Run distance 38km
Total time: 15:09

It died and was out of warranty a while back. I sent it back to Exposure who repaired it free of charge. Then they however shipped it to the wrong address 12 days ago (Dublin, UK rather than Dublin, Ireland despite my return address having been specified as Ireland). So its now lost in Heathrow for a while.

They are shipping out a 2010 or 2011 model to me as a loaner, a loaner that I may get to keep if the 2008 makes its way back to them and they feel nice.

Anyways no spot for tonights ride to Cavan however there is this
A tail wind

And it feels fvcking great.
I got dropped a few weeks back on a club ride and it hammered home its not all about FTP. Have to be able to produce the watts at a range of wattages and low rpm, high torque just wasn’t there. So have rethoought my cycling training, and more importantly started back.
I made it to the pool before it opened this morning, was in the water at 0635, battering grannies who had not pool ettitequte at 0645. (Two wrongs DO make a right here).
I’m watching my diet too and embracing hunger as a friend!

Roth may not be the race I wanted it to be but I’m laying foundations again for a rebuild for 2013-2014 and have some ideas for the back end of 2012 racing wise.

A productive trip to AK in Bray to get new runners for myself and herself was followed by a walk on the beach. (Note to self: Bray is a bit of a kip.) The last 9 months was summed up by herself – “You’d never have entered Roth if you knew what was going to happen, if you’d known how tough September to now was going to be.” And she was right.

Arrived in AK with two kids and the wife. By this stage the wife, who used to run 5ks, 5milers, 10 milers and halfs for fun (i.e. not competitive but still serious enough), had decided that if the kids let her that she would also try to get some runners.

Anyways arrived, said hello to Damian and about this stage I realised “Tunney you’re a d1ck, rather than posting on boards that someone didn’t ring back you should have rang asked for Damian and he’d have sorted it.” 9.5s and 10s in both colours of Nike Zoom Elite 5s there waiting.
Before I got to try them on the toddler noticed a big box of toys in the corner and settled in to play. Family friendly, meant nothing to me a few years back. Means a hell of alot now,

Tried on the Elites on and they felt just like I hoped that they would. Sized fractionally larger than the Elite 4 but not enough to warrant a change in size. Watched myself running in them on the track on video and discussed the other runners I’ve been trying out. Happy out I said that if after a few hundred km that I still thought they were like the Elite 4 I would be back to stockpile them.

At this stage the toddler also wanted shoes. Very pleasant obliging staff brought out the smallest shoes they had (kids sizes) and she was happy out with them and the toys so that meant Mommy got to try 4-5 types of shoes. She settled on a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12s and these combined with the copy of “Run fat b1tch run” that she got yesterday mean she is firmly committed to getting back running. (On the book I laughed and slagged it and then read some of it, actually very good, harsh but fair and I am taking alot away from it.)

Anyways Elite 5s sitting in the corner of the room waiting for me to take them out tonight and I cannot wait. If they work out then I am back having a runner that I will be happy doing stupid mileage in again.

I used to shop in AK but changed for geographical reasons to a northside Dublin shop. After this week I am back being a loyal AK customer.

Struggled in work, tried a run at lunch and cramped all over. Miserable form and still felt hungover. A hangover is fine when you’ve been drinking, not when you haven’t been.

So I knew on the way up to the Man with The Tan that I was in trouble. The cramps on yesterdays run and swim. The cramps at lunch. Generally feeling sh1t. I knew that I would seem far worse that I was pre illness and I resigned myself to needing another session next week. What I hadn’t expected was that he’d barely be able to work on my. I was hopping off the table. Worse than ever. Worse than when he worked on me after the bus. Had to basically call it quits as he couldn’t do what needed to be done. “Its either a side effect of the anti-botics or a viral infection Dave” he told me. I called into the local chemist, JJ sound bloke, and asked the name of them and side effects. “None David, you’ve had it loads of times”. So viral infection then. Non-specific symptoms, just ride it out.

C0ck