Training Goal: Concentrate on getting work out done
Personal Goal: Get work outs done - Big Wednesday/Fri Long Run
Distance Covered: All Activities: 41.2km
Duration: All Activities: 12h51m
Elevation Gain: 299m
Overall Training Completion Rate (Actual Vs Planned):
78.9%
Swim Time:
2h51m
Swim Distance:
7.2km
Bike Time:
4h5m
Bike Distance:
0km
Elevation Gain:
0m
*For indoor bike - time measurement only
**Including brick
Run Time:
4h4m
Run Distance:
34km
Elevation Gain:
165m
*Including brick (none this week)
Time Spent Doing Strength/Core/Stability Exercises:
1h35m
*Including rest/chit chat
Time Spent Stair Climbing (ascent):
14m25s
Elevation Gain:
134m
*Based on what was recorded only
Unaccounted for
~ foot workout
~ run drills/warm up/cool down
~ Stair descent
Training Notes for Week 15:
1) Swim focus was on form this week. Not be too choppy in the water. I'm wasting plenty of energy as it is with poor body position in the water. Plan was to break up the long swim session to complete the volume but manage to complete it in 1 session.
2) This week bike was limited to the spin bike and trying to replicate effort on the road. Sustain comfortably hard effort for a longer duration. Long ride become a whole lot longer and going towards IM pace. However, I have to push forward the long ride next week as I'm all tied up this weekend. Starting to worry for future workouts as volume and life commitments goes up.
3) Run intervals was tough. Every time the watch beeps to indicate the next round of run interval I fear I could not finish it and yet I did. It's quick as well. Less than an hour and you're done. The long run was less painful afterwards. Didn't push anything and just focus on having high cadence. Really felt tired during the few last kms. More arm swings and that helped bring cadence up though it increases the heart rate. Was at zone 2 for the whole run so the trade off was minimal. Was at Kuantan for Raya Haji and did a slow 30 min touristy run just to complete the run training.
4) Mid week brick means spin bike + run. The run was pancake flat and I went comfortably hard. My calf was hurting but it was good as a new 5 km PR was set on my garmin. I'm getting faster but at a cost. Run efficiency still remain something I need to look into.
5) It's almost the start of peak phase so distance and intensity will go up. The first week of a new phase is always the toughest. Every phase provide specific stimulus needed for the body to react/ respond and afterwards adapt to a new level of endurance and strength. Hopefully it'll translate to speed as well though form and efficiency plays an important role in that too. Especially on the run.
6) Having missed the long ride really pulled the overall completion rate down and I do feel this was a ride that I have to simply replace due to its importance.
Feeling Notes for Week 15:
1) It's the last part of the build phase and my sleeps and appetite are going haywire. I notice that this always happen at the start of a new phase or at the end of a phase where volume and intensity are at their current highest. Some days, I'll have trouble sleeping and eating and some other days I ate like Michael Phelps and doze off easily. The body is still adjusting and it's probably some signal that changes are happening. Good or bad changes, I don't know. Speaking of bad changes, I'm also having dull aches and soreness about every other day. I feel like going to a chiro to just crack the hell out of me. Or have a nice massage. I'll probably going to schedule one in the near future.
2) To elaborate further on triathlon (IM to be specific) becoming a capitalist sport, one can observe the yearly technology/gear upgrades showcased and advertised. It is dizzying. As triathletes/consumers, these gears promise speed, strength etc and we feel obliged to get them. But I feel like all of this are just businessmen trying to sell stuff. I mean, there are plenty of gears out there and judging by domestic races, some are won on average/not too expensive gears which makes you wonder. I just have a hard time accepting that I have to "buy" my way for this whole IM experience.
3) Perception is also another thing moulded by what is happening overseas as information are easily available/shared through social media. I believe the majority of them especially training advice are correct but culturally we're very different and it's hard to adopt 100% what they're saying/we're seeing. I do believe that whatever we see on the surface is a manifest of solid principles and foundations. Granted, we are some way behind the westernes, but why can't we form our own opinions on things instead of just accepting that it's the norm because some guy said so.
4) The book born to run acknowledges both of issues of sport becoming a business and how that assimilated in the culture of the US running community. For example, one must acquire a gear in order to succeed. It's branded as the tool for the job. Another example is that, if we don't do what the pros are doing, we're not doing it right. Judging by how some people just do whatever they like/believe and still succeed, I'm sort of in the middle. Do I conform to the idea that I have to do things a certain "accepted" way or should I just go out and do what I like and see what happens. From what I can conclude, whatever it is, there seems to be a common acceptance that principles will never change regardless of how a businessmen would try to exploit it or what a purist make of it. From all of my information gathering, I try to search for common principles or the why of things and come up with my own opinion. So far, I'm more confused.
5) The economics of triathlon/triathlete consumer behaviour has been on my mind lately as I'm in the midst of calculating the cost of doing an Ironman. I made some simple cost calculation of IM vs a reasonable challenging/satisfying sport like the ultramarathon. Both sport required some gear but running doesn't emphasize on gear so much. Maybe because there are less gear (just good shoes) and the focus is on stuff like comfort and less on speed per say especially fore long distance running. Speed in running is a product of training. So runners are less concerned about being aero for example. I don't know for sure but in terms of sport as a capitalist business, Ironman probably embodies this rather fittingly. The elements are there such as the ads, the "IM" brand, entrance fee and other "products" offered. I'm not sure about ultramarathons though and I'm interested to find out. Though that would be another major project to undertake but running was the reason I venture into triathlons/IM anyway so it's cool to sort of compare both sport.
6) Well, I'm "stuck" training for the Ironman. I guess I got sold with all the ads and sensationalization of IM Kona. But to be perfectly honest, triathlon as a sport, is satisfying but at the same time very, very, resource consuming. It takes a lot to be successful in the sport (hell, even to finish one) and one have to really think hard to attempt to do one. Well if you are a purist at least. If you just enjoy looking cool in aero products, train haphazardly and don't mind paying thousands (plus the time working out) to survive through the whole thing just for the IM title, I guess that's a different story. It's interesting to see IF once I've completed the IM, my perception/view of IM will change.
7) I'm going to do a mid term review maybe after Week 16. It's almost half way through and it's good to visually see progress and what was actually done. I'm glad I've undertaken the effort to record all of this to facilitate the decision making process of doing another IM. Sometime I can be irrational and actually seeing the numbers/hours put in (plus cost .. ouch!) can curb my enthusiasm a bit for proper judgement.
8) Next week I'm off to visit my parents and also have to attend to some personal matters. Again, will try to fit in whatever training I can (salvage mode).
9) 59 days to Ironman Langkawi.
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