I joined the East Essex Tri club in Feb, but I hadn't managed to get down for a training session prior to this week. But in week 3 of the countdown I succeeded in going to the pool for a 400m time trial and also got up stupid early on a Sunday morning to go on a 40 mile Cycle with some of the club.
Both the swim and the cycle had there poor moments, I particularly enjoyed going out into the foyer of the swim centre wet, in just my baggy green shorts with a towel over my shoulder to ask the assembled people if they were the East Essex Tri club. The fully dressed people with the confused looks on their faces confirmed, they infact were members of said club. It felt too awkward to just slink off and meet them pool side so I spent the next 5mins chatting to some of the members before they went and got changed whilst I went back to the pool.
My evening didn't improve hugely, I had set myself a target time somewhere between 8 and 10 minutes and I managed to complete the 16 x 25m lengths in 9mins 30secs around 35seconds a length. For large parts of the swim I felt I was drowning, and this feeling was not helped by the guy I was sharing a lane with called Toby who succeeded in finishing in 6 and a half minutes and ending up at least 4lengths ahead of me. The evening was rounded off with me desperately trying to haul myself out of the pool and finally with no style and a big dollop of embarrassment eventually succeeding. Next month I will definitely use the end lane and the steps!
I fared little better in the cycle, getting myself to the carpark ahead of the half 7 in the morning deadline, and meeting Gemma, I also met Sue who had timed me at the swim time trial and she joined me in the third group whilst Gemma joined the second. We headed off and all was going well, some flat and downhill and fresh legs will do that for you! But after just 13 or so miles of the planned 40 miles my day worsened considerably.
We were going on some fairly well worn and mucky country lanes and I succeeded in getting a puncture. Disaster! I tried aimlessly to change it, succeeding in getting the wheel out, before Matt saw my struggles and changed it for me. I watched on helpless, I really have to learn to change a tyre. The gators were not as bullet proof as promised and are a devil to get on and off, but no excuses my tyre changing abilities are nil!
But it didn't feel right, and neither me or Matt could find anything in the tyre, so half a mile further on the tyre once again had gone flat and so I had to nick Matt's inner tube as I was all out and like a trooper he once again got me back on the road. Thankfully the second inner tube lasted for the remainder of the ride. My fresh legs however did not!
The first half of the ride, was taken fairly leisurely and then with my punctures the ride time average was around 14mph perhaps a touch over. But after the half way point, everyone seemed to put the hammer down so that by the end of the ride after I had dragged myself around the final 20 miles and up Crown Hill the average was pretty much dead on 15mph. I cruised the mile home and parked my butt on the bed exhausted! All that done by Half 10 on a Sunday morning! But having checked my fetch the 40miles I cycled today was my longest ride by some distance since LEJOG and at 15mph that is not to be sniffed at. I have no idea how I will ride that fast for 112 miles and then follow it up with a Marathon but that is what training is for! Cycle training proper, starts post Two Oceans and Ross Stag Do.
In other training news I commuted to and from work every day and I managed to fit in 4 short runs (should have been a final long run before Two Oceans) including a 4 mile run tonight after the 40 mile cycle this morning and a big Mother's Day meal out.
Training Summary for the week
Run - 4 Times - 18 Miles
Cycle - 11 Times - 102 Miles (Longest 41 Miles)
Swim - 1 Time - 400Metres (9:30 400M PB)
Training Time 9Hours 30 Mins
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