Training Goal: Best Effort in All Workouts
Personal Goal: Just get it done
Distance Covered:119.35km
Duration: 9h26m
Elevation Gain: 772m
Overall Training Completion Rate (Actual Vs Planned):
51%
Swim Time:
0h38m
Swim Distance:
1.7km
Bike Time:
4h22m
Bike Distance:
83km
Elevation Gain:
528m
*For indoor bike - time measurement only
**Including brick
Run Time:
3h36m
Run Distance:
34.65km
Elevation Gain:
154m
*Including brick
Time Spent Doing Strength/Core/Stability Exercises:
40h59m
*Including rest/chit chat
Time Spent Stair Climbing (ascent):
8m27s
Elevation Gain:
90m
*Based on what was recorded
Unaccounted for
~ run drills
~ stair - descent
Training Notes for Week 22:
1) 1 swim session and that was it.
2) Manage a quite intense tempo ride which was good. Push on the brick ride as well. Please with that ride.
3) Did all the prescribed runs. The tempo run wasn't that good since I overpushed it. The foundation run was done in the targetted HR zone. Some runs were done after the bike so pace was off from usual.
4) Brick run was ok. No cramps. I felt like crap but still could run/walk. Pretty slow but still moving. Don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Feeling Notes for Week 22:
1) This week's volume reduce a bit but not much. The swim volume was still high but I executed the opposite. The bikes and runs reduced maybe about 25% from last week so that's still a lot to do. But I was feeling tired and I was away for 2 days because of work. So I might as well just start tapering this week by resting more. I do what I can.
2) Lately, my grandfather was really ill and the baby is due soon. So had to cancel workouts and I just wanted to get this Ironman done. It's stressful to think that I might have to miss the Ironman due to uncertainties in life. So I am just basically doing what I can and just let everything unfold and make decisions then. I'm feeling helpless and not in control.
3) Taper for the next 2 weeks and we'll see whether I start the race. The feeling now? Just want to get this done and get on with life. I'll probably remember the Ironman for all the time it has taken away from me, the guilt, this helpless feeling and the unproductive 4+ months I have ever been in my entire life spent thinking about this race. Maybe that'll change, but for now, that's what the Ironman is.
Training Goal: Long Run
Personal Goal: Long Run / Ride
Distance Covered:km
Duration: hm
Elevation Gain: m
Overall Training Completion Rate (Actual Vs Planned):
69.8%
Swim Time:
58h50m
Swim Distance:
2.4km
Bike Time:
8h38m
Bike Distance:
201.16km
Elevation Gain:
818m
*For indoor bike - time measurement only
**Including brick
Run Time:
4h40m
Run Distance:
40.52km
Elevation Gain:
205m
*Including brick
Time Spent Doing Strength/Core/Stability Exercises:
46h31m
*Including rest/chit chat
Time Spent Stair Climbing (ascent):
13m17s
Elevation Gain:
122m
*Based on what was recorded
Unaccounted for
~ run drills
~ stair - descent
Training Notes for Week 21:
1) Swim training is officially over. From now until race day, I will just be in the water swimming as much as I can without any specific objective. I'm not expecting any improvement from swimming at this rate. I just hope I can at least hit the pool once a week and not lose the feel of the water.
2) Tempo bike was ok. Skipped the cool down. Long ride was quite ok. I was bonking at 100km. Stopped, had coke and a mars chocolate bar and suddenly had this adrenaline rush. Feeling fresh, I went on and maintained a pretty decent speed the last 30 km+. Helped by the fact that I was already late for a wedding.
3) Run was great. Had to run off the bike to save time. Ran quite hard and was feeling the effects on the long run session. The tempo run which was done the day after the long run also felt terrible.
4) Brick was ok. No cramps but running was sluggish perhaps due to the high volume this week.
Feeling Notes for Week 21:
1) This was suppose to be a big week. And i think I did quite ok considering life issues almost put a stop to a lot of the long workouts. However, for swim workouts, I am declaring that it's over. Work issues are also piling up as I try to get everything done before the baby is due and before Ironman.
2) To say I'm not dissapointed about missing workouts would be a lie. Looking at the charts/tables I kept to keep track of the swimming I've done, I can say that I am a bit dissapointed at the current state of my swim. But I tried to be consistent and show up whenever I can eventhough I know completing the prescribed distance would not be possible. This also applies to the run and bike as well. Overall, limited time and logistic issues significantly contribute to the way things are but I'm not going to let that bother me too much.
3) Some of it is also because time/distance kind of ramped up a bit in the last few weeks and I just can't posibly fit everything. I tried, but no. I was also dealing with other things in life. It's not the usual day to day stuff. Most of it are ad-hoc and I can't foresee some of this stuff coming my way.
4) With everything going on, I know it takes a lot to go my way before I can even get to Langkawi yet alone finish the Ironman. So I have to remind myself to do whatever possible to finish this whole thing because finshing the Ironman is what this whole thing is about. To get that closure I desperately need.
5) But the last few weeks also provided me some perspective. It's always good to be reminded that there are other things than the Ironman that is worth my effort.
Training Goal: Absorb training
Personal Goal: MPKJ Half Marathon
Distance Covered:130.63km
Duration: 14h12m
Elevation Gain: 890m
Overall Training Completion Rate (Actual Vs Planned):
103.4%
Swim Time:
2h40m
Swim Distance:
6km
Bike Time:
5h55m
Bike Distance:
88.7km
Elevation Gain:
587m
*For indoor bike - time measurement only
**Including brick
Run Time:
3h19m
Run Distance:
35.93km
Elevation Gain:
238m
*Including brick
Time Spent Doing Strength/Core/Stability Exercises:
2h10m
*Including rest/chit chat
Time Spent Stair Climbing (ascent):
7m1s
Elevation Gain:
65m
*Based on what was recorded
Unaccounted for
~ run drills
~ stair - descent
Training Notes for Week 20:
1) The week started well with me having some time to get in some swim done. Did all the prescribed workout. No improvement. Just focusing on rhythm.
2) Not much bike since its recovery week. Didn't do anything out of the ordinary. No long bike ride.
3) Run was great. Did few tempos to prepare for the half marathon on Sunday. More on that on race notes.
4) Brick was ok.
Feeling Notes for Week 20:
1) Was still feeling a bit fatigued. But this week I rested better and ate better. So as of now, feeling quite ok despite the hard half marathon effort on Sunday. I am not getting lazy judging by the wordcount for this week's training notes, just that my focus has shifted to racing the Ironman. So now it's basically just getting the training done. Not much to reflect about in terms of training.
2) Got my bike serviced and also booked the ferry. As I shift my attention to getting to Langkawi, I also realized that this last few week is gonna be tough. The baby is due soon. Hopefully everything turns out fine.
3) I was quite involved with family matters and missed some workouts. Lately, as I try to match my training comittment to life committment, I also discovered all the trade off I've made. So missing workouts actually made me realize the things I've foregone. As race day draws closer I don't think the missed training days will matter much. I figure, it's better for me to have more rest at this point but at the same time try to do as much as I can when time permits. I am grateful for the life I have and training is currently still a significant part of that.
4) I'm not nervous about the race as I have other important things going on now and also after the Ironman. I'd probably just get it done and go back home. I'm actually looking forward to just finishing the race and go back to real life. Ironman training has taken a lot from me. But it also provided me with valuable insights about life and how to make training sustainable.
Race Notes for Week 20:
1) This was my last race before Ironman. The MPKJ Half Marathon was the race where I set a target to finish Sub-2 and also plan to push the effort a bit as always in races. The race plan was to be comfortably hard in the first 15km and go all out in the last 5km. The negative split or 2/3 negative split has been my go to strategy for races.
2) Preparation was not ideal. I arrived just in time. I was at the back of the pack but it was a long race and I needed to warm up anyway, something I learned the hard way at the Semenyih Eco Trail Run. I warmed up during the first 2 - 3km. There were some hills and I focused on keeping the effort steady. The same strategy I employed during the Mantin Hill 2 Hill Challenge except I didn't have to walk the hills this time. Got passed a lot but it didn't matter. Previous tune up races taught me to race my own race. So after the halfway mark I stepped it up. This time I was pacing a guy who matched the pace I could sustain. At one of the water station he stopped but I continued. I had 7km left but it was at that precise moment I decided to go full gas till the end of the race. I manage to did that with the downhill section facilitating the process. At that time my pace was faster then anticipated and I knew even if I jogged, I will sub-2ed this race.
3) Eventhough Sub-2 was imminent I still pushed on. I finally finished in 1h44m. Didn't get any placing card. I later learned that the winner was actually at least 30 minutes faster so it was quite naive of me to think that I can get anything from the race. A PB for me though, so that was nice. Hung around, met some people and waited for the award ceremony where a training buddy got in the top 10. Also used the time to observe normal people run as a reminder of how lucky I am to be doing what I'm doing and also some stretching.
4) To be honest I knew I can sub-2 this race since I've been hitting and maintaining race pace in training. I am also pretty much aware that a difference of 5bpm in heart rate can mean a lot in terms of energy exertion. So this race was just to validate my training and my thoughts on effort. I also used this opportunity to observe my aerobic limit and match that to a heart rate number as a guide for Ironman.
5) So a PB. But what was most rewarding was to see all the training paying off. And also got to observe how pushing my limit correspond to the way I feel. I will probably still need a heart rate monitor especially during the start of a race since that's when heart rate and effort/pace don't actually match. Other than that, this race also serve as a confidence builder for the Ironman marathon. I agree with Eric Orton (the coach for Chris McDougal author of born to run) that an athlete needs to know their body and I believe for this race, I was in control of everything my body was doing. I didn't care much about pace as I view pace as the outcome of the many outputs that I can control. There's still plenty to learn and discover as training continues.
6) As for the race, it was close to home, had timing chips and pretty decent water station. Nothing to complain about the course. So, overall it was a cool race. Will do it again since I don't have to get up super early to reach the venue.
7) Next week, I have to cancel the longest ride scheduled for this whole training plan. I do have a long run, a long brick and a long swim still in the pipeline before taper. Other than that, still a lot of tempo workout to be done but with reduced volume, so maybe I can see how fit I've gotten before Ironman. And for the baby, I hope everything will turn out fine.
Training Goal: Long ride @ IM effort
Personal Goal: Stay in the zone and complete as much workout as possible
Distance Covered:195.93km
Duration: 11h07m
Elevation Gain: 810m
Overall Training Completion Rate (Actual Vs Planned):
49%
Swim Time:
0h52m
Swim Distance:
2km
Bike Time:
7h57m
Bike Distance:
182km
Elevation Gain:
663m
*For indoor bike - time measurement only
**Including brick
Run Time:
1h21m
Run Distance:
11.9km
Elevation Gain:
51m
*Including brick (none this week)
Time Spent Doing Strength/Core/Stability Exercises:
0h47m
*Including rest/chit chat
Time Spent Stair Climbing (ascent):
8m48s
Elevation Gain:
96m
*Based on what was recorded
Unaccounted for
~ run drills
~ stair - descent
Training Notes for Week 19:
1) Had a meeting on Wednesday and thought about skipping the swim. However I felt like I had to do my swim some justice but the cumulative fatigue finally caught up to me that day as I got this massive headache and just felt so tired. So I was forced to take the whole day off. It was probably due anyway. By the end of the week, only one swim session was completed. Swim progress are getting worse and performance seems to follow the same downward trend.
2) Managed a tempo ride on Tuesday. Probably went a little too hard and didn't do enough in terms of nutrition. Paid for it the next day. The long ride on the other hand was suprisingly good. Maybe the lack of elevation or the weather (not too sunny) played a big part. Explored new routes too and I was in the aero position most of the time so that was good.
3) Did a recovery run on Monday. Planned to run on Wednesday but got headache so that's basically it for this week.
4) Had some family matters as well and only manage to brick on Saturday. Ran faster than I should and almost rolled my ankle. Other than that, it was ok.
Feeling Notes for Week 19:
1) I was down with a headache and I think dehydration and fatigue was the main factor. I didn't sleep well and did some pretty big workouts the past couple of weeks. I had to face the effect of all those deficit (neglected nutrition pre and post workout) in my training that I've been accumulating. Training volume will peak around Week 21/22 and will be the biggest week yet so I better get my shit together.
2) Now, I shift my focus on getting to Langkawi (hopefully) smoothly. That means staying fit, getting my bike and also logistical matters sorted. Lately Pace/Speed is an aftertought in training as the IM simulation done couple of weeks ago provided the clearest sign of all that this shit is for real. So, I better stop dreaming about going sub-this or sub-that. Focus on getting the effort right and just let the training unfold.
3) I haven't panicked or have this anxiety attack yet so that's good. But I am feeling a bit worried about the peculiar Ironman specific things. For instance the whole transition and special needs bags. What to pack etc. I'll try to go as minimal as possible and go with the less is more concept. That way, I won't forget as many.
4) I have come to terms with missing workouts. Some days, there are just no way around it. This week completion rate was the worst BUT I'm glad/grateful weeks like this don't come too often. A half marathon next and this time the plan is to go sub-2. The last time I set an output based target (placing/timing) I screwed up big time. Eventhough the target is sub-2 but I will try and translate that to effort (process based target) which if I can manage just at high aerobic/below threshold I can probably get that sub-2 pace (around 5:40/km). Doable but felt like I can still fuck it up.
5) It's no time to rest but I will listen to my body and if I have to take it a step down, I will. No point getting to the start line burnt out.
Training Goal: Race specific swim time trial
Personal Goal: Complete IM Simulation
Distance Covered:141.24km
Duration: 12h53m
Elevation Gain: 778m
Overall Training Completion Rate (Actual Vs Planned):
89.2%
Swim Time:
1h32m
Swim Distance:
4.26km
Bike Time:
6h31m
Bike Distance:
109.3km
Elevation Gain:
667m
*For indoor bike - time measurement only
**Including brick
Run Time:
3h6m
Run Distance:
27.95km
Elevation Gain:
84m
*Including brick (none this week)
Time Spent Doing Strength/Core/Stability Exercises:
1h43m
*Including rest/chit chat
Time Spent Stair Climbing (ascent):
3m18s
Elevation Gain:
27m
*Based on what was recorded
Unaccounted for
~ run drills
~ stair - descent
Training Notes for Week 18:
1) Missed two swim session because of work. Did a short swim on Friday and an open water swim on Sunday. Swim progress this week was terrible. Focus was keeping the feel of the water and improve muscle memory. For the OWS, sighting was ok and kept a steady effort throughout. Got kicked early on and had to weave through traffic. After a while got into the groove. Water was a bit choppy I had to conciously ensure effort was sustainable. I'm glad I had the opportunity to swim in the open water. Need to pick up swim training in week 19 onwards.
2) The bike session was done on the spin bike and at an easier pace since quads were still sore and hurting. The tempo ride was suppose to be done at a higher intensity but couldn't really push it. Still tired from last Sunday's effort.
3) Running only started on Friday with a tempo. Did an hour run on Saturday and had to skip a session because of my quads. It was just about getting the miles in.
4) The brick/IM Simulation was perfect to gauge pace, effort and also whether I'd be disciplined enough to stay in my target zones. On the bike I was in the right zone for about an hour or so before I decided to invest my energy to gain some time especially on the descent. It was windy, hot and the decision to push did come with a price. Data showed I actually slowed down eventhough heart rate was noticebly higher. Regardless of the extra effort put in, I was slowing down. And on the run I felt pretty crappy as well. I had a feeling it was going to happen as I felt like bonking towards the end of the ride. Got some calories in at the aid station before making my way out on the run. Couldn't really keep the heart down even by walking. By the end of the run I was just so tired and my legs didn't feel like running anymore. I was left wondering, how the hell am i going to complete a full marathon feeling like that. Lessons: - Bike pacing is crucial. If I was to make a pacing mistake, let it be on the slow side; - Nutrition. I didn't take any gel at all which probably contributed to the overall low energy level; - No stomach issues. Took water and sports drink. Some salt and fruits. Ok; - Didn't cramp but, legs were really, really heavy. - Heart rate. Too high on the run for my liking.
So after looking at the data on the bike and run, I have a number that I'm gonna stick to and fine tune in the following weeks. It's going to be slow but that's the reality. Training pace and racing pace is going to be different and I have to accept it. It's all about managing effort from now on.
5) 2 Core session. No stairs this week. Quads couldn't take it.
Feeling Notes for Week 18:
1) My quads were hurting for days. It peaks on Tuesday. On Wednesday it was still hurting but I thought I could probably run on it. Plan to run but, felt really tired and sluggish. I slept and ended up skipping the Wednesday session. This was my initial concern when I started training. If I go overboard with training I'd be sore and also risk dropping my energy level. I would then have to miss subsequent training to recover.
2) Nutrition could well contribute to the slow recovery time. I didn't eat particularly well/healthy pre or post workout. I didn't stretch after the race which was a big mistake. So there were a lot of things that I was suppose to do but didn't and ended up paying for it.
3) There were times I was suprised with how I did in training. PRs and finishing near the front of races. It was all good. The IM simulation also provided suprises of its own. I know I was going to be slow but I was suprised at the huge gap in training vs simulation pace. There's a real possibility that I am going to be so slow on the run no matter what. I don't think I can get fitter with a month left so I have to ensure I stay in my target zone for future long rides because that will be the difference on the run. No negative split strategy etc. It's about managing effort and to finish within the cut off time. It's literally about surviving the swim bike run.
4) It was refreshing to also see other triathletes undertaking this journey to IM Langkawi. Some first timers and some had done it more than twice. Heard stories of DNF and also conditions on the island. It was like my first time climbing mount Kinabalu. I imagined how it'd be by the stories and pictures etc. I couldn't wait to get on top of it. Nothing comes close however, to the feeling of experiencing it yourself.
5) As far as personal life is concerned, it's going to be a tough month. I have to prioritize and accept that I'll miss training. Baby is coming along fine and I hope everything will turn out ok.
6) A final half marathon in Week 20. But for now, I have to ensure I get on the start line as fit as possible. I'm going to try and stay in the zone for future long ride and also observe nutritional needs.
