tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65905609626441563352024-02-07T03:11:19.792-08:00Martin Muldoon - Ironman AthleteA blog following my progress as an athlete during the work/life struggle! Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-89908102702227057482017-05-05T05:11:00.001-07:002017-05-05T05:11:55.927-07:00The Ironman Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbumuB9SZnBhWFNU5EhLqetdB0s2MxVGb5kSs7IXCf7r2THV9nmn1ojaGPnpNgxXT15ovf5gRdwCh19w0sWbHcVlFA0lAsEl33EdfmRSAcU0A6e7uCvFsbNytraU37Zofg-8i5F5a5l8/s1600/photo+%252825%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbumuB9SZnBhWFNU5EhLqetdB0s2MxVGb5kSs7IXCf7r2THV9nmn1ojaGPnpNgxXT15ovf5gRdwCh19w0sWbHcVlFA0lAsEl33EdfmRSAcU0A6e7uCvFsbNytraU37Zofg-8i5F5a5l8/s320/photo+%252825%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So here I am, at the end of a long journey, a great but tough
journey and until the middle of last year I enjoyed every minute of it. The big
training weeks, the long blocks and the tough race days, I loved
all of it. I travelled to some fantastic places, and met some amazing and
inspiring people. I learned a lot about health & fitness along the way, and
I learned a lot about myself. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many of the lessons can be applied to other parts
of life. The usual stuff you hear, never
give up, the ability to achieve things you previously thought impossible. If
you do want to achieve something, even if you don’t think you’re up to it, get on
and try it, you might surprise yourself. Ignore anyone who tells you otherwise,
drop the negative friends and the naysayers. There are too many good people out
there, and life is too short. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">The end of the road<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Like any challenge in life, if your heart is not in it, the
task becomes hugely more difficult. I wanted to start moving away from my extreme
approach. I wanted to get back some time in my schedule, I could keep doing it
forever, but I wanted to try some other things with Sarah, and there are many
things to aim for in life, in and out of sport. I was also starting to suffer
from recovery issues. It may have been related to nutrition/stomach issues, but
I was working very hard, and not seeing improvements. Ironman Roth in July 2016
was when I decided Kona would be my last Ironman. My CTL was 175 (#if you don’t
use Training peaks – this just means I was extremely fit – usually only pros
get above the 170 mark) but I felt ordinary in that race. There may have been some
illness going on, but regardless, I didn’t enjoy the race. In Kona in October,
I crashed heavily and that became a really miserable day as well. Kona itself
is a great event, but it was becoming a bit repetitive for me. The hardship was
becoming less rewarding. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8lSmLyE_jElz76s1EGL93j0Ro80oKliooA-Nq0P2S_fL1qLN6Y-DQFBkXWI4cyX_eeTq9ERLhH7tYxeOLlhipsszf0N8W-1kJWcoNkIi3O6DJWiS4dbrHsthkD75BvnTU73LTJjcdHQ/s1600/pre+swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8lSmLyE_jElz76s1EGL93j0Ro80oKliooA-Nq0P2S_fL1qLN6Y-DQFBkXWI4cyX_eeTq9ERLhH7tYxeOLlhipsszf0N8W-1kJWcoNkIi3O6DJWiS4dbrHsthkD75BvnTU73LTJjcdHQ/s320/pre+swim.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ironman is a great sport, a great activity for body and
mind, and it’s a good way to spend money. The Ironman brand are extremely
capitalist, but I guess no different from many other industries, so if you’re
going to spend money on something it might as well be something that at least
improves your wellbeing. Now on that subject of wellbeing, I think it’s obvious
that triathlon is good for you, especially if done in moderation. My problem
was (and is) just that, moderation… Going to extreme measures, it’s why I had
some decent results, but I’m sure it’s also the reason I got injured, and sick
along the way. Alan always erred on the safe side, I was always pushing the
crazy end, and we usually met in the middle </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For me now doing 12hrs/week exercise feels easy, but as I’m
always fresh (low ATL, high TSB) I feel good. To be fair it took me a good few
months to deal with not being an athlete anymore, which was part of the identity
that I left behind in the sport. I’m glad, and lucky that I have a challenging
job to fall back on. I don’t want to get too carried away and turn it in to
another Ironman, but taken in moderation, there is enough learning and
development out there to satisfy some elements of the Ironman mind-set that I
am leaving behind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">Career Highlights <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Apart from getting a decent fitness and health boost, this
is partly a reminder for me of some of the things I went through. I started the
sport to help myself through some dark times, and I enjoyed it, but it is good
to look back and remind yourself that you achieved some things along the way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">14 * Ironmans (plus Challenge Roth) <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7 * Kona (best time 9:19, best run 2:58, best
position 7th)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3 * sub-9 finishes (Austria, Copenhagen, Roth) <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Best time 8:49, this was the first Irish sub-9,
and was the national record 2011-2013. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Best run split 2:49 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">Endurance Corner and Alan Couzens</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I started following Gordo Byrn and Endurance corner after
hearing about them through a friend around 12years ago. The culture they
project is that of long term health and fitness, not just shorter term
performance. They have a huge resource of knowledge and methodology that helps
people from all backgrounds and abilities, from beginners to top professionals.
They have a non-aggressive, no-ego approach that was refreshing. Gordo writes
in a selfless manner, tackling subjects inside and outside sport, including
family and mental health issues which can affect athletes. He was an elite
athlete himself, transitioned like many of us from overweight oblivion to
fitness and wellbeing. His writing helped me as an athlete, and helped me deal
with the transition from obsessed athlete to moderate person (work in progress
:-). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCT7HbYevoq-9r5puGrsO5OtnIiDNuY4CIl9cCd_-ocJIMazK9dnD5JAszOde7bEJGGdFQAw7bGMu2Ynt-DpRsFBZ_mpNYJJ5q5YL_m3dda7B3ukRbt5WpuOmmxnMeMbeqFqLvF9bKx_Q/s1600/alan+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCT7HbYevoq-9r5puGrsO5OtnIiDNuY4CIl9cCd_-ocJIMazK9dnD5JAszOde7bEJGGdFQAw7bGMu2Ynt-DpRsFBZ_mpNYJJ5q5YL_m3dda7B3ukRbt5WpuOmmxnMeMbeqFqLvF9bKx_Q/s1600/alan+1.JPG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While reading many of their articles I was always very
impressed and motivated by the writings of their chief Scientist, a tall Aussie
named Alan Couzens. A modest guy with the ability to break down complicated
physiological and performance theory and make them accessible. I’m from a
scientific background so I especially enjoyed his blog. His ability to write
about complex subjects in a clear manner was very impressive. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eventually I started becoming more serious about my own
performance. The selfishness and single minded focus was kicking in, and after briefly
working with a few other coaches, I contacted Alan and was delighted when he
said he could take me on. He was no disappointment. If his blogs were good, his
coaching was like an enhanced version, getting detailed analysis and accurate
predictions for training and race performance. A true genius, he has this
ability to analyse large amounts of output data and help you appreciate how/why
they could be applied to your training input. Many times I was frustrated about
a training session output or performance, and he would always have the answer,
without fail. He takes his work seriously and is one of the best in the world
at his craft. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWHlxzTkXIjcNC9Wt9RHczIUVB-WiHPr3wZmxhfgPQjeBR8Hirub3HM4NTYa6NeTabsSgMyNIszZC6JfeRuCi8IuG8CP3YABQ1awIZQxn4EFn1y92XKqX8pQybpy1kIGhrsmrwpCmShc/s1600/ctl2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWHlxzTkXIjcNC9Wt9RHczIUVB-WiHPr3wZmxhfgPQjeBR8Hirub3HM4NTYa6NeTabsSgMyNIszZC6JfeRuCi8IuG8CP3YABQ1awIZQxn4EFn1y92XKqX8pQybpy1kIGhrsmrwpCmShc/s320/ctl2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I spent 6 seasons with him (see attached CTL chart), I learned so
much and he helped me achieve more than I had ever planned. For that I’ll
always be thankful. One of the hardest parts of ending my Ironman career was
stopping working with Alan, but I will always follow his writings.<o:p></o:p><br /></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To Alan, Gordo, Justin and all at Endurance corner, I’ll
always be thankful, and you have a life follower here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">Sponsors/Family<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4-MM60i-J8WgQvB_DmpFqor_82HX8W7E4KB_-YL0hwYZ3l1aMPFX_UxiEF8W22-pT8BvoY_cKipzp_5ST8XsMtrwplvFVeRlKQnKXKpclM4yJutFMq9FKxrIsjt803LkYYCwI8o5tKI/s1600/10003071_10152913682377494_6855214924559494483_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4-MM60i-J8WgQvB_DmpFqor_82HX8W7E4KB_-YL0hwYZ3l1aMPFX_UxiEF8W22-pT8BvoY_cKipzp_5ST8XsMtrwplvFVeRlKQnKXKpclM4yJutFMq9FKxrIsjt803LkYYCwI8o5tKI/s200/10003071_10152913682377494_6855214924559494483_n.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had many kind sponsors over the years, some longer term and
some for single seasons. I’m thankful to all, but for those that were with for
the longer ride, I want to say a special thanks. Champion System kept me in the
best up to date race and training gear, staying with me when I was injured and
going through rough patches. My friend and sports therapist Kinga (Bornemisza)
has done more to keep me injury free over the years than I can thank her for.
Brilliant at what she does, and modest, I will miss working with her too! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to thank my family and especially Sarah for her
patience as I followed my little selfish dream for a few years. I’m glad it was
a self-improvement program or the guilt may have overcome me sooner </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">What next?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hopefully nothing extreme. I’ll always be a fan of the
sport. I could watch an Ironman from start to finish, especially if I know
someone racing, and I know a lot of people racing! I always loved watching IM,
but since having suffered through a few of them, it is a lot more interesting
knowing what those folks are going through. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT73_5tOa8DDmfHmNe3LqVy5gqAcy32zau6rYG4uctJ1byJvPA1Nyttbuj-xYeLV_H2xXp0K9iiUztC7cK5UV3vvtHJirwVs4kZ2xD8U0C8qSq8jqp6_hCNW4ZYZlnZ62dpaHs-Gruw9Y/s1600/IMG_1131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT73_5tOa8DDmfHmNe3LqVy5gqAcy32zau6rYG4uctJ1byJvPA1Nyttbuj-xYeLV_H2xXp0K9iiUztC7cK5UV3vvtHJirwVs4kZ2xD8U0C8qSq8jqp6_hCNW4ZYZlnZ62dpaHs-Gruw9Y/s320/IMG_1131.JPG" width="320" /></a>After 7 years racing Kona, I am
looking forward to watching it again this year. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I have never ran a marathon, I’d like to
experience that, and see how it feels to start one on fresh legs. I’ll keep my
blog open, so that if I find myself on an adventure worth writing about, I have
somewhere to put it down. Thanks to all my competitors over the years, and I
hope to see you out there at some kind of event in the future! </span><br />
<br />
Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-43650705732943276152016-12-21T11:33:00.001-08:002016-12-21T11:33:45.088-08:00Ironman Hawaii 2016My 7th and final Kona!<br />
<br />
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I came in to the race with an overloaded hamstring, but it really
only affected running and I had still done some good work in the build on a Lanzarote
camp. I experienced the usual race nerves but had a ½ decent swim, the course was accurate for a
change. Out on the bike I felt ok, but 30mins in someone overtook me and pulled
across quickly, I seen it too late and hit the road at about 40kph. I lost a
fair bit of skin but my hip took most of the impact and it didn’t want to move
after that. It clicked and made it difficult to focus on the race. I was
bleeding a lot on the arm/elbow and it was sticking to the tribar, I struggled
mentally and it became a very tough day. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uFciJ39_FT5ccYnSCSNONHURn0xK8Fv4R9-xPJL8Aa6NOwBT_rZMHXbM9ouDs5Y_HtMcP2hw4nHylc4S4LxPDCvX92fNTeJi8WhidJ5zbMvzy6AauLqzxTbm1K2SpASlqK2IyF02fCw/s1600/kona+swim+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uFciJ39_FT5ccYnSCSNONHURn0xK8Fv4R9-xPJL8Aa6NOwBT_rZMHXbM9ouDs5Y_HtMcP2hw4nHylc4S4LxPDCvX92fNTeJi8WhidJ5zbMvzy6AauLqzxTbm1K2SpASlqK2IyF02fCw/s320/kona+swim+2.jpg" width="213" /></a>I pushed on as much as the body would
let me but I lost a lot of time. At the start of the run the hip was very stiff
and it became a slow process, but I tried to keep positive and aim for staying
under 10hrs. I thought I was moving ok until I seen other people passing me :-)
I made it to the finish line but missed 10hrs by 1 minute, the first time I’ve
slipped over 10! but still I was happy that I finished when many times during
the day I thought I couldn’t. Kona never fails to
challenge! :-)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Swim: 1:02</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike: 5:25</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: 3:25</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Total: 10:01</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-63921147279824396122016-12-21T10:33:00.003-08:002016-12-21T10:33:58.028-08:00Challenge Roth 2016<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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High fitness heading in to this race, but I felt a bit flat
in the water and on the bike. Bashed in the swim, had Garmin smashed. Never felt
strong on the bike, lost the pack 50k in while slowing down to pee, so had to work hard against wind
alone. Took a while for hr to drop on run, found rhythm after 5k but had to
dig last 10k to stay under 3hrs, and subsequently 9hrs. Didn’t feel it was
a reflection of fitness but could have been worse. Was hoping to be faster on
the day, but still a nice race and great support. </div>
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Swim: 1:00 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike: 4:52 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: 2:58 </div>
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Total: 8:56 </div>
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Position 7<sup>th</sup> (34 OA) </div>
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Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-64597787164085349782015-12-11T03:45:00.001-08:002015-12-11T05:20:20.787-08:00Ironman Cozumel 2015<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ironman Cozumel 29-11-15</span></span></span></h3>
<table border="0" class="right" id="athelete-details" style="width: 175px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><b>Swim</b></td>
<td>57:04</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Bike</b></td>
<td>05:12:50</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Run</b></td>
<td>03:11:57</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Overall</b></td>
<td>09:28:24</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Position: 3rd M40, 26th OA<br />
<br />
Summary:<br />
Swim was fine, rolling start meant less energy wasted. Bike felt strange from start, high hr, low power, similar to last year, heat/humidity issue. Was alone for the most of the bike, kept an eye on power in to headwind on north section. For 2nd and 3rd lap started to feel a little stiff, shoulders tired on 3rd lap, the flat course meant TT position for 5hrs. First 10mins of run felt uncomfortable, but then got going well for 10-15k. Had issues with stomach for 3 days before race, this now started to bug me from 15k in. 3 portaloo stops and a lot of discomfort meant I lost some time. Recovered with 7k to go and paced well to the line. Wanted to stop and walk often from 15k, just managed to avoid it, mentally one of the toughest races I've ever done. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKBe8Nq-FCOi9LkS9rCxR-2vt3uMiFuIZpviwcLKypC0UZAGLIHZrdW6W8uWnNCSJCjDl1-FueFkJB_rRc30eaDmMZFC1n96wnNBqjmhIvA8_nqJZAcqLuq4Ap3hT-fluusE9ikg00Jc/s1600/coz+run+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKBe8Nq-FCOi9LkS9rCxR-2vt3uMiFuIZpviwcLKypC0UZAGLIHZrdW6W8uWnNCSJCjDl1-FueFkJB_rRc30eaDmMZFC1n96wnNBqjmhIvA8_nqJZAcqLuq4Ap3hT-fluusE9ikg00Jc/s320/coz+run+2.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNl65Wtj7T542V0snoF50hug8WolD3c-kPpQMYeYKc70Y6Vjt-_60GvVlbITy3F5Ik1d_598LJwESaEBqtTf5L1xtOeZEWpg1ryTeR2phyphenhyphen657pHDO_XR5r5YPHUfDxLY2RpjTF2NWzLko/s1600/coz+finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNl65Wtj7T542V0snoF50hug8WolD3c-kPpQMYeYKc70Y6Vjt-_60GvVlbITy3F5Ik1d_598LJwESaEBqtTf5L1xtOeZEWpg1ryTeR2phyphenhyphen657pHDO_XR5r5YPHUfDxLY2RpjTF2NWzLko/s320/coz+finish.jpg" width="211" /></a>Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-79318347127762837242015-11-13T07:55:00.001-08:002015-12-11T05:16:07.563-08:00Kona 2015Ironman World Champs 10-10-15<br />
<br />
<br />
<table border="0" class="right" id="athelete-details" style="width: 175px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><b>Swim</b></td>
<td>01:06:06</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Bike</b></td>
<td>05:02:10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Run</b></td>
<td>03:13:38</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Overall</b></td>
<td>09:30:39</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Position: 7th M40, 107th OA. <br />
<br />
<br />
Summary: <br />
After a crash in April, got CTL back to a decent level, arrived in good form race day. Struggled in swim as usual, felt better on bike than previous years though heat was apparent from climb to Hawi. Struggled from start of run, slowed down and walked early aid stations for ice/energy, felt better from 1/2 way on Queen K. Very hot day!<br />
<br />
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<br />
<table border="0" class="right" id="athelete-details" style="width: 600px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><b><br /></b>
<b>Swim</b></td>
<td><br />
<br />
01:02:40</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Bike</b></td>
<td>05:34:57</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Run</b></td>
<td>03:12:13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Overall</b></td>
<td>09:57:09</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table border="0" class="right" id="athelete-details" style="width: 600px;"><tbody>
<tr><td>Position: 5th M40, 59th overall<br />
<br />
Summary: felt ok race week but some stomach trouble race eve and race morning. Good start but possible zigzag on swim, stayed easy on bike, espec in hills. Felt good start of the run, got tired 30k in and tried to hold on til finish. CTL not great coming out of winter, enough to get through. <br />
<br />
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</tbody></table>
Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-44313766651469662642014-12-20T12:23:00.000-08:002014-12-20T12:33:08.044-08:00Ironman Cozumel and 2014<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ironman Cozumel 2014</i></b></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax8zC9fbNZlneE-xX7YnJ8_06I5CURZhtdv-ZpiArnQmY2HKj6WLexxtqaPgjNwV5BbMJgQAteYsLKwHhmEHC-AMOjwjgeCE6i7XRa5Ug-ZEz9XmU7sAfxdyFKpnI40IL9k9dgFF6zos/s1600/PC010294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax8zC9fbNZlneE-xX7YnJ8_06I5CURZhtdv-ZpiArnQmY2HKj6WLexxtqaPgjNwV5BbMJgQAteYsLKwHhmEHC-AMOjwjgeCE6i7XRa5Ug-ZEz9XmU7sAfxdyFKpnI40IL9k9dgFF6zos/s1600/PC010294.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">So here I am having my best ever start to a race, pb swim,
up there on the bike, and feeling good, then technical problems start. I
thought, this can’t be happening. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_pp3icFFNCOjiZSH4rQmiG2cGYW2NV0wxYhjY28xMuJiSEaWJg_Wc-k4iRkLKlsxcAKlx-I-hLWIudKJMXU70Ut79oSX11HgAXfrh4rCSKeOwLY0bqw9LGw3pmo0DXkvkgsFKPo0V9Q/s1600/PB300293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_pp3icFFNCOjiZSH4rQmiG2cGYW2NV0wxYhjY28xMuJiSEaWJg_Wc-k4iRkLKlsxcAKlx-I-hLWIudKJMXU70Ut79oSX11HgAXfrh4rCSKeOwLY0bqw9LGw3pmo0DXkvkgsFKPo0V9Q/s1600/PB300293.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">nervous but feeling ready, with Geoff, race morning.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">I’m not one for writing reports soon after races, but this time I purposely decided to leave it a while and
let some frustration pass. I was a bit down after the experience in Cozumel. The
place itself is pleasant, the people are friendly, but it was the first time I
DNF’d in an Ironman and it felt very strange. I thought I’d get back to London
and back to work and let the negativity leave naturally. My friends Geoff and
Caoimhe were out there and that helped me a lot before and after the race.
Since I got back Sarah and I have been doing normal social stuff, having a few
drinks and catching up with some people. It’s been a nice few weeks. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax8zC9fbNZlneE-xX7YnJ8_06I5CURZhtdv-ZpiArnQmY2HKj6WLexxtqaPgjNwV5BbMJgQAteYsLKwHhmEHC-AMOjwjgeCE6i7XRa5Ug-ZEz9XmU7sAfxdyFKpnI40IL9k9dgFF6zos/s1600/PC010294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> The race in Cozumel was going well. It’s a current assisted swim,
so that helps, but I had been working hard at the CSCSC masters class, and had
seen some good splits in the pool in recent months. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWcK6dz8eFbim7QO-bSrO7N6So-G1jfVvejUGM3_WaAd5sdo-lLbMYPn6lBbX3AUwYRlUo4jNHmAy2jSpV-ILnqHCcW2sc4pYUoF9mfWr1Z6Ass_fC0lPlYoLfMkqRUPr0zU19kNODqU/s1600/swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWcK6dz8eFbim7QO-bSrO7N6So-G1jfVvejUGM3_WaAd5sdo-lLbMYPn6lBbX3AUwYRlUo4jNHmAy2jSpV-ILnqHCcW2sc4pYUoF9mfWr1Z6Ass_fC0lPlYoLfMkqRUPr0zU19kNODqU/s1600/swim.jpg" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">in form, with a pb swim split</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">This is the swim I felt I
should have had in Kona. I found some good feet early on, after a lot of
pushing and shoving to get the front right corner (the current was pushing us in
to shore on our left, so I thought right side was safer). There can be a very
strong current in Cozumel, and Alan had said swim draft is less effective with
a strong tail current, so just to find some space and get a good start. But on
race morning the wind and current had died, so I decided in these conditions drafting
was back on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">The guy I chased was just slightly faster than me, and
seemed to know where he was going, so I stayed on him like a magnet. A few
times when we were passing earlier waves he surged to get around people, and I almost
lost him, but I always managed to find him again when the bubbles cleared. When
I seen 53:08 coming out of the water I thought I was on for a good day :-) </span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">fighting big headwinds on east side</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">At the start of the bike we were flying along, low power, and
high speed though I was seeing a fairly high hr, maybe the heat was at work.
Anyway I settled in and found a couple of similar pace guys for the head wind.
They knew what they were about, and stayed legal, however I dropped my head a
few times when we were going through some traffic, and lost concentration, next
I knew the 2 guys were gone. I didn’t want to risk the higher watts yet to
chase them down, so thought I’d let them go and find them on the 3<sup>rd</sup>
lap. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">I never would see
them again, because 10k in to the 2<sup>nd</sup> lap (of 3), the gears started
playing up. I hit a pothole in the road, and the back derailleur froze. This is
protection mode where the rear dr separates the solenoid to avoid damage.
Problem was I couldn’t see the control unit light while moving, I didn’t want
to stop so I was trying to adjust it and reset it at 25mph.</span></div>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">At one point I got
it to reset, but it went through the gears and stopped in 1<sup>st</sup>, the
lightest gear. Now, on a mountain climb this would not have been a problem, but
IM Cozumel is pancake flat (the highest point on the island is 14m!!), and I
would soon be getting a big tail wind. So I stopped several times to try get
the gears shifting again. No luck. I tried myself for quite a while, before
stopping with aid station mechanics. We spent about 30mins trying all
combinations to kick it back in to life. Nothing.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">It was a strange experience withdrawing from the race, but
really I had no choice. The last 110k in 1<sup>st</sup> gear on a flat course
didn’t make any sense, so I handed in my notice and got a ride with the police
back to town. The cop looked at me funny when I told him I wanted a ride to
town, he asked me a lot of questions first: name, country, race number etc,
I assume just in case I was trying to set a very fast 20k split and rejoin the race from
town <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:-)</span></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">I then when to a restaurant for some ‘normal’ food. Sitting
there was quite difficult, it was a bit surreal, hearing the race commentary,
and here I was sitting in a restaurant out of the race. It felt like a bad
dream. Some people seeing me in race gear realised I had withdrawn, they were
kind with words but I was in a different place, my head was in the clouds. Some
other people looked at me funny, I assume they thought I had finished already,
I don’t speak Spanish but I think they were saying ‘look at the head on this
show off eejit’. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">I spent a week’s holiday and a fair chunk of cash to get out
there, and it means I have to reschedule my race options for 2015. Not that I
assumed qualification, but looking at the results, it should have been fairly
straight forward to get the slot. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Watching the race was an experience in itself, it was hot
and I seen from the outside just how long and crazy our sport is. A lot of very
fast people looking not very fast as they suffered on the latter stages of the
event.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">On reflection I could have done some things different, but it’s
done and I have to move on. The negatives are obvious; but at least one
positive is that I swam well. So considering I ran well in Kona, I just need to
sort out a good bike performance and we’ll be there <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:-) </span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">As Alan says the fitness built over the past few seasons,
and even with breaks here and there, a good bulk of that fitness (and ability
to get fit) carry’s over. That means I am certainly not starting from scratch,
I will take a short break before hitting it again. At the moment South Africa
is a strong candidate, as I still want to do Roth, but Alan may not be so keen
on that, we have been fighting over that one for 5 years <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><b>:-)</b></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reflection on 2014 </i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">2014 was a funny year for me, I started out well in January but
then bust my Achilles in Spain. I managed to hold enough fitness to qualify in
Melbourne in March, and then started a long build to Kona. I had to fight along the way
with food intolerances after a stomach bug in February. That battle still goes on, but now I know much more about it, and have learned how to work with it. With
Alan and Kinga keeping me right, I got to Kona with my highest ever fitness figures wrt
CTL and Vo2. Kona itself was an akward day, apart from a crash and puncture, I felt sluggish in the swim and bike sections. Alan’s calculations say I only
reached 80% of my back home power on race day due to heat and time zone acclimation. If I make it back there, I’ll be
going 2 weeks ahead this time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">With 2015 training starting soon through the possibility of South
Africa, I’m hoping to have a better start to the season than last year. My
motivation is still very good, I’m not totally sure why, but I assume it won’t
last forever so in the meantime I’ll be busting myself the best I can for
another year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">I hope everyone is enjoying their winter break and recharging
for another good year. If you’re not sure what to do differently this winter,
here are a few ideas from the boss: <a href="http://www.endurancecorner.com/Alan_Couzens/basic_limiters?utm_content=buffer0ae14&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer">http://www.endurancecorner.com/Alan_Couzens/basic_limiters?utm_content=buffer0ae14&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer</a></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">I have a few things to fix myself, I’m enjoying the break, but the
work starts again soon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Thanks as always to my great sponsors <a href="http://www.k-sportsmassage.com/" target="_blank">Kinga</a>, <a href="http://www.champ-sys.com/" target="_blank">ChampionsSystem</a>, <a href="http://vitacoco.com/uk/" target="_blank">Vita Coco</a>. Good luck to all for 2015! </span></div>
Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-69886341524474215742014-10-31T09:09:00.003-07:002014-10-31T09:09:41.513-07:00Ironman Hawaii 2014 Race Report<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcSS-3oPZfkYm2cjhC22pdIkpBN8Fjy8PGrNlJGRNn18pedjwjFJ-yPON9uSnzTG6bh-b2DiYMAJFeMZ_LnPI9RmqWFCl06qXgGM1wDpgjdLNXTJO_6ymnpJTK1WFDZ0IJh2sc4K8DZY/s1600/IMG_0934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcSS-3oPZfkYm2cjhC22pdIkpBN8Fjy8PGrNlJGRNn18pedjwjFJ-yPON9uSnzTG6bh-b2DiYMAJFeMZ_LnPI9RmqWFCl06qXgGM1wDpgjdLNXTJO_6ymnpJTK1WFDZ0IJh2sc4K8DZY/s1600/IMG_0934.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This being my 5<sup>th</sup> time on the big island, I
should know what I’m doing by now. For many elements of the race I do, the less
variable logistical elements that is. For the race itself the conditions are
never the same. The only thing guaranteed is wind, heat and humidity. When and
where those things will present themselves is an unknown, and it can change
within minutes on race day. This year the swim was choppy and swells caught out
anyone coming in beyond the 1hr mark. I swam very conservatively; I was going
by feel based on output from the Hola swim a week earlier. I had swum then in
speedos with jetlag and come out in 1:01. So thought I could do same on race
day, like last year, catch a good draft and stay in contention. I got to the
turn around in 28, so was really happy and thought I was going to cruise back
in under the hour. As the hour approached and I still couldn’t see the shore, I
became frustrated and knew the swells had pushed us out. I was getting sea sick
in the last 10mins so I was trying hard to stay positive. When I seen the time
at swim exit I knew I was on an upward struggle. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSMfBNx6B9czr9F82_EuuagUvgmZAAPWrxJMtFCeSq9VqBzyj6kX5qiszfmHG8wpppQRPRWCOp69cosXpGBHrmSXvLCVUFIJwxWohlUBCXH_1lx7dvSQtanpaoiuA5TZxTk5dcwnJebA/s1600/IMG_1065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSMfBNx6B9czr9F82_EuuagUvgmZAAPWrxJMtFCeSq9VqBzyj6kX5qiszfmHG8wpppQRPRWCOp69cosXpGBHrmSXvLCVUFIJwxWohlUBCXH_1lx7dvSQtanpaoiuA5TZxTk5dcwnJebA/s1600/IMG_1065.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Out on the bike I seen a lot of athletes coming down Palani
and knew I had my work cut out. When I started out to the first turn around,
the legs were not responding, low power, high hr and a general feeling of
lacklustre. That didn’t improve much out on the Queen K, and instead of getting
away strong with some decent watts, I was already low on the average power that
I had discussed with Alan. These numbers I had held in race sims in the
previous weeks and months before travelling, but the legs were just not playing
ball. I got to the turn around in Hawi and still felt very ordinary, the watts
were still a bit low on planned average and hr a little high. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just after the turn around I slowed down on the right side
by special needs to fix a problem with my shoe, someone from behind must have
been riding with their head down and hit me full speed, it knocked my bottles
and nutrition off and the back wheel took a large shunt, but I somehow managed
to stay on the bike. The poor sod (eejit) behind came off in a clatter but the
special needs guys all ran to their help. I was left with a scobing back wheel
and eventually had to stop to fix it, I realigned the wheels and moved the
brakes, which helped but the wheel started again rubbing and I knew something
was not right. Just after the main decent of Hawi, the scrobing got worse and
the tyre blew, it seemed the impact had pushed the tyre off the rim and the
tube came out and blew. At home and in training I am usually fast at changing
tyres, but the situation stressed me and I panicked a bit. I spent ages just
getting the accessories out of the bag, they were taped up so hard I think I
had not realistically planned to be using them! It was the first time I had punctured
in an Ironman. When I started back I had lost some ambition to be fast on
the day. I was low on race plan but thought I’d hold some respectable pace to
town as I had some friends and family shouting me on. I went through the
motions but thought I could still run well if I had no more mishaps on the
bike. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4ItZ1cBoK6Dq_kv4paFYsHLLHNVvkSQy4vDB8ZURxP3df7DUsrPq9Md26gGfwwUSLQtr4oc-uCrYa8FC_687sQjzLNTpj0tIERjzDsYsmfksmUH0RnuhHafs88H6h3fn7HwIHoiP8eg/s1600/IMG_1116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4ItZ1cBoK6Dq_kv4paFYsHLLHNVvkSQy4vDB8ZURxP3df7DUsrPq9Md26gGfwwUSLQtr4oc-uCrYa8FC_687sQjzLNTpj0tIERjzDsYsmfksmUH0RnuhHafs88H6h3fn7HwIHoiP8eg/s1600/IMG_1116.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I started out on the run I felt fresh, but I always do out
on Ali’i. It is the way back to town and up Palani that tells you how you’re
really feeling. I was badly traumatised from Palani last year where I stopped
and almost didn’t start again. This year was very different, I was holding 4:15/k
pace and it felt easy. I had been running well in training and did many long
run sims at a higher pace than this, so my confidence grew as the run went on.
I may have had a bad swim and bike on the day, but my numbers (mainly CTL and
Vo2) were higher than they’d ever been so logic would have had it that I should
be able to hold this pace even in the heat. Still, this is an Ironman and often
the performance of your brain and body separate on race day.As I passed more and more people struggling on the Queen K,
my confidence grew and I started to up the pace from the energy lab for the
last 8mile home. With about 5k to go I was still on 4:16/k pace and knew I had
to maintain that to get under 3. I upped a little more and bashed my feet on
the front of the shoes down Palani as I headed for the line. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_B5ArsX1o_uTJ9AYK3vtL9-tlFxZuseRCtSmXwyVd_wy1wyQcOaWht4toH-wxBy_HKR_HExv4aEKDJ42xJ50dJh95hgYr3W8Rf-n3Oe6Xlo5hOL3uSAp6c2t8McqZ-WxTAC9Twh0Lcls/s1600/ivan+finish+line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_B5ArsX1o_uTJ9AYK3vtL9-tlFxZuseRCtSmXwyVd_wy1wyQcOaWht4toH-wxBy_HKR_HExv4aEKDJ42xJ50dJh95hgYr3W8Rf-n3Oe6Xlo5hOL3uSAp6c2t8McqZ-WxTAC9Twh0Lcls/s1600/ivan+finish+line.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
I ran 2:58 and passed about 450 people on the marathon, but it was too late, at 9:37 it’s my
slowest Ironman for some years, and the worst bike split in all my 10 Ironmans,
but I was glad to have gained some running confidence back. This sport is
cruel but no one ever asks us to do it, it owes us nothing, we do it for the
challenge and Hawaii is always the biggest challenge of them all. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now 2 weeks on, I am supposed to be racing Coz Mexico in 5
weeks, but I’ve picked up a bad cold on return to work, so we’ll test the
numbers and form before deciding on that trip. It is a lot of time and money,
and with just 3 slots, we need to be realistic about my chances before committing.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alan and Kinga got me in the best shape of my life for this
race, and Sarah really stabilises me when the work and training schedules get
crazy. The 3month build to Kona was one of the busiest periods of my life. But
once that horn goes, you are on your own. Support on the course gives you a
lift, but your legs must do the work. During the race I hated the sport for a
while, but as soon as I got over the line and was chatting with Ivan, I loved
the sport again, and I can’t wait to get out there training and racing again.
Owen Martin was also in great shape for the race, and had similar issues to me,
but I hope we’ll be toeing the line again next year in top shape. kona #5 done and the fight
goes on. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1brO-Sd7jBT0KmRT1lbqVz5lNeOXQ4ImOZyomQkr97RdlsmNjO049lFA3R-5AwWNLXc8aNDaACKfvrmMbh6fdFJoBjck-zJ5JfR9E_IJeP8HvJeRDWH7br_eU7MoxxE3kYdyU2faKqY/s1600/IMG_1144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1brO-Sd7jBT0KmRT1lbqVz5lNeOXQ4ImOZyomQkr97RdlsmNjO049lFA3R-5AwWNLXc8aNDaACKfvrmMbh6fdFJoBjck-zJ5JfR9E_IJeP8HvJeRDWH7br_eU7MoxxE3kYdyU2faKqY/s1600/IMG_1144.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
After chatting with Alan we think I was not fully
acclimatised, this is the closest I had ever arrived on the island before the
race (just one week out). The other theory I have is that Madam Pele found out
I am an atheist, and punished me for it. I’ll say a few prayers to her next
year ;-)
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now we move on to liars:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><a href="https://twitter.com/QuoteFrTed/status/413720553732972544">https://twitter.com/QuoteFrTed/status/413720553732972544</a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
just kidding, that’s it! hopefully I'll be reporting from Mexico
next month. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks as always to my great sponsors, <a href="http://www.champ-sys.com/" target="_blank">Champion System</a>, <a href="http://vitacoco.com/uk/" target="_blank">VitaCoco</a>, and Kinga at <a href="http://www.k-sportsmassage.com/" target="_blank">Soft Tissue Therapy</a>. Thanks to Una and Denny for putting us up, and putting up with us for another year in beautiful Hawaii. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final splits were: <span style="color: red;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S - 1:08</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
B – 5:22</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
R – 2:58</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
T – 9:37 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Position 27<sup>th</sup>)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until next time, Mahalo! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aloha! </div>
Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-89706448782515888842014-06-13T03:09:00.000-07:002014-06-13T05:58:24.433-07:002013/2014 season and Melbourne AustraliaThe start of 2014 was really an extension of 2013 for me. I
only had a 2 week break after Kona 2013 and even then I was quite disciplined,
keeping active and being careful with nutrition. I didn’t do my usual month off,
hitting the self-destruct button. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
It meant I was in good shape come January
but some sickness and injury followed before an aggressive and desperate
attempt to regain fitness for Melbourne in March. I was in Lanzarote and going
well in all disciplines, but a track session with Owen Cummins put paid to that after an 8*800
ended with the torn Achilles and me out for 5 weeks, looking unlikely to start
in Melbourne. I was going to Melbourne anyway as the trip was a visit to
Sarah’s family and homeland, but if I could somehow get back in to shape for
mid-March then racing there was still a possibility. Kona qualifying was becoming
a distant thought after consultation with the sports doc, but as each week went
by I got some more movement and 4-5 weeks later I tried a run, it was nervous and
awkward, but I was running and my confidence grew from there, racing became a
possibility again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
At the start of February I rode to
Henley on a cold day with 6 layers on, it was a race simulation that I normally
carry out in summer conditions, it was tough and my immune system took a
bashing. I woke up the next day with a cold and stomach bug, the bug was gone in 4
days but it left me intolerant to some forms of dairy and wheat among other
food types. The symptoms include headaches and lethargy, but the main issue is
power and energy levels in training. I’m still trying to understand this but I
am learning each week and it has opened my eyes to the deep world of nutrition
intolerances. Anyway it made Aus prep more complex, but I made it to the start
line. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Ironman Melbourne
race report 2014 <o:p></o:p></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Xo1EGHRz6kD8Eft3nPdoV-E_m9Tc3NsyXU_raY0nVMfXfX4gNBmJa8AeeXPxtXdKsJSVESilDshE7Z6UwpOC3BH_jXK5BZSmb09ZL5V5U6EewJT5Zhx-wXEfLxeCGNnRIxQCh23UrXc/s1600/aus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Xo1EGHRz6kD8Eft3nPdoV-E_m9Tc3NsyXU_raY0nVMfXfX4gNBmJa8AeeXPxtXdKsJSVESilDshE7Z6UwpOC3BH_jXK5BZSmb09ZL5V5U6EewJT5Zhx-wXEfLxeCGNnRIxQCh23UrXc/s1600/aus.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
You could say my IM Melbourne race report was late, but then
it almost never happened at all, with travelling in Aus, then work taking over I got distracted, so it was forgotten about completely! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I was disappointed after the
race, but my fitness going in to it probably meant it was never going to be a
big performance, <a href="http://www.endurancecorner.com/taxonomy/term/90" target="_blank">Alan</a> had pointed out that my fitness numbers were 10% down on late
2013, but stubbornness had me thinking I was still going to race
well regardless. Of course Alan and the numbers
were correct, and I struggled. I qualified for Kona but it was a tough day and
it hurt me physically and mentally. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u></u></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Short version:<o:p></o:p></u></i><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
Swim (calm/cloudy) – 59 (nervous start but felt good/relaxed
after few mins) <o:p></o:p><br />
Bike (cloudy/windy) – 4:58 (felt just ok, not special, power
dropped near end)<o:p></o:p><br />
Run (sunny/hot) – 3:11 (felt good for 15-18miles – then fell
apart!)<o:p></o:p><br />
Overall: 9:16 <o:p></o:p><br />
Position: 13/431 <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Long version: <o:p></o:p></u></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
I went in to Melbourne very pensive, I was swimming well
with the club, but in Aus I struggled with my stroke and generally felt tired. Jetlag
was part of it no doubt, but I had been struggling with the food intolerances since
February which was hitting energy levels. On race day I was very nervous
before the swim, the Aussies have a big reputation as strong swimmers. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NUZWT7q3MCPqmLRiT7roncgq59r_ZvfUV1JW5MbXP6mVVgiUumQIxadq-tUBpUpxEUUJdxrBQFeauaGjPHZzJ17MRCvrmbvU5JWoJqD4Y5XQvmCgvhkF4W_V1DtbDclIPmxLKMZB7b4/s1600/aus+swim.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NUZWT7q3MCPqmLRiT7roncgq59r_ZvfUV1JW5MbXP6mVVgiUumQIxadq-tUBpUpxEUUJdxrBQFeauaGjPHZzJ17MRCvrmbvU5JWoJqD4Y5XQvmCgvhkF4W_V1DtbDclIPmxLKMZB7b4/s1600/aus+swim.png" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
I got
away well and stayed just left of the main pack behind a good guide, this guy kept
me out of trouble, then I swapped feet a few times from the first buoy. I
stayed comfortable and came out in 59 even though it was measured long on the
day. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Good start to the day but the bike was a heavier effort than
I expected, the way out was fast, and for good reason, the way back was a full
on headwind. I used the power meter and tried to work with a couple of guys in
a paceline but was left exposed as the others didn’t hold the pace I was pushing
back in to town. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
I was disappointed to see a huge
pack come by near the end of the first lap. There were about 50 of them and a
big unfit looking guy right in the middle not pedalling at all, on a road bike!
Anyway as you do with big packs, I let them go ahead, anyone with a power meter
knows why it is unwise to try ride around them. They seemed to split up end of
first lap anyway and I didn’t see any large groups after that. Annoyingly there
was 2 motorbikes riding alongside this pack but they didn’t seem to do much
about it. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQfSW5nELIbcj8jaCwyah0c47ZfwZ7n6rt3VxAlRITLxp4P2bcicZ1smwY0TrahR2FDNfdPvEv86BnWvuQnJSp4oqq7cbMTv9l4Mmv_-fQ1FmlatHTlSO1AJ2ToFeuHZxj5d19qQNquQ/s1600/aus+bike+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQfSW5nELIbcj8jaCwyah0c47ZfwZ7n6rt3VxAlRITLxp4P2bcicZ1smwY0TrahR2FDNfdPvEv86BnWvuQnJSp4oqq7cbMTv9l4Mmv_-fQ1FmlatHTlSO1AJ2ToFeuHZxj5d19qQNquQ/s1600/aus+bike+2.png" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
Things thinned out a bit in the 2<sup>nd</sup>
lap and I again tried to organise a pace line with 5-6 guys on the way back
against the wind. I seen the pros doing it perfectly, but with us there was one
guy who kept screwing it up by dropping in right in front of others within the
draft zone, I tried to explain the paceline to him and how to keep it legal,
but he didn’t seem to get it, and kept infringing, so I told him to get lost in
the nicest possible way, he disappeared after that. I got back in to town disappointed
with 4:58 but as with Ironman, it’s still early days, now lets see if I have
any running legs! <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhda1ArDzYEKWXIlUd3U-NGKzuET9UJRR7mGSwjDIKy-4ygmJ81kF4X1IZutyEFeUIFJ1Ix0Cp7A6GOPLeeD67kAdh0WqDb0mqqTgpZ5mVGPjM4Y-0mRUESEuyhQal79i8-2Tf5pYqPjeg/s1600/aus+run+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhda1ArDzYEKWXIlUd3U-NGKzuET9UJRR7mGSwjDIKy-4ygmJ81kF4X1IZutyEFeUIFJ1Ix0Cp7A6GOPLeeD67kAdh0WqDb0mqqTgpZ5mVGPjM4Y-0mRUESEuyhQal79i8-2Tf5pYqPjeg/s1600/aus+run+2.png" height="320" width="213" /></a>Going on to the run I felt ok but my stomach and feet were
uncomfortable. I was running well for the first ½ of the marathon, pacing back
and forward with an aussie guy who was moving well, we were at around 3hr pace.
At half way I still felt ok, legs and breathing fine, but mentally I remember
thinking, jes, same again!? not a good sign. From there each km seemed to take
forever and after 25k I really started to feel the distance, and cramps started
to appear. At around 27k I slowed at an aid station to get some extra carbs and
take on some salt, but that was the turning point, I never really got going
again. I couldn’t get back to the pace I had been on and I watched as the guy
disappear off in front, and it became another war of attrition to reach the
finish line. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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I had done a lot of good work til
that point so the next guys in my AG were well back thankfully. I shuffled to
the line in 13<sup>th</sup> and was very glad to see Sarah and her family all
there smiling and shouting at me, felt like it took forever to get to that
point but boy was I glad to be finished. Turned out I was well inside
qualifying time, but extremely frustrated about the melt down. It was the 3<sup>rd</sup>
time in as many races that I fell apart in the latter stages of the marathon. <br />
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</div>
With these bad finishes, in each case there have been
problems in the build, sickness, injury, etc, so there is usually an
explanation. I am sometimes reluctant to accept a lack of fitness (because I
feel good), so I pace it as normal and pay the price. My race day brain is in a
different state than my resting brain! but I hope this is the last time I make
this mistake. <o:p></o:p><br />
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I qualified for Kona again which was the main goal for the
race, yet I am so competitive that it hurt to finish so far back from where I
wanted to be, afterwards Alan prescribed a month of down time, as I hadn’t
taken a full break after kona 2013. I fought with him on this for some time before
giving in to his analysis and common sense. I always struggle against losing
fitness and eventually Alan’s numbers and common sense comes out trumps. He
asked me to pull out from Roth, which I reluctantly did. Now 2 months on and
with fitness building again, it feels like it was the right thing to do. With 4
blocks still to go for Kona, I have time and motivation is strong. As he always
says, if you want to get fit, stop racing! Not easy for us competitive/active
types, but we sometimes have to obey the numbers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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With these intolerances, my diet is pretty close to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Paleo for athletes</i>, it is lactose/gluten/wheat/processed
free and I feel a lot better for it. I have more expendable energy for training
and work. I currently have no injuries, no sickness, and I am learning each
week how to better deal with these intolerances and fuel for the training. For
now, with CTL building, it’s all guns blazing for Kona no.5! <o:p></o:p></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
Thanks as always to my sponsors who supported me through the
year, <a href="http://www.champ-sys.com/">Champion System</a>, <a href="http://vitacoco.com/uk/">Vita Coco</a>, Kinga from <a href="http://www.k-sportsmassage.com/">Soft Tissue Therapy</a> and <a href="http://www.neovite.com/">Neovite</a>. <br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
2014 thoughts and the season Ahead</h3>
<br />
<o:p>As of now June 2014, I am not racing at all until Kona in October. This could change, but I am working with Alan with the aim of a top 10 in Hawaii. My best yet is 19th, but this will be the first time I have not raced close to Kona, and if I can avoid injury/illness then this will be the first time I've had a consistent build to race day. All being well we are heading for life best <a href="http://www.endurancecorner.com/wko_definitions">CTL</a> values after a relatively high start point in May. </o:p><o:p>After pulling out from Roth I am still aiming for a PB attempt at some stage in the future, but it will have to be 2015 by now. Roth or Sweden are potential candidates as they seem to produce the fastest results in IM distance. I am racing Ironman Cozumel in Mexico in November, the idea being to qualify early for 2015 using my 2014 Kona legs, after a short break we'll do another build and try tick the box a year in advance - leaving me open for 2015. </o:p><o:p>Aging up in category this year does not seem to have dropped the pace at all and I have some very fast people to compete with. Motivation is as strong as ever and I have many fast guys older than me to use as inspiration, Owen Martin and Alan Ryan to name a few. </o:p><br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p></o:p><o:p>I've recently thought a lot about what I want from the sport, apart from the obvious benefits of being and feeling fit and healthy. I also see it as a lifestyle thing, not something I am in to do short term, to hit a few goals and move on, but to have it as part of my life for as long as possible, forever if I can! I swim with an Aussie guy called Russell, he is in his late 50s and he has been on the podium in Kona. He is fitter and has a better attitude than many 25 year olds I know, but he takes it all in his stride and is always smiling. It's an attitude thing and I think it's a good way to think going forward. </o:p><br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p>In the meantime I am trying to adapt my sports attitude to other parts of life, family/relationships, work, learning. To constantly try to improve things, any failures of the past are in the past, this life is short and there aint no second chance. I read everything Alan and Gordo Byrn publish, and try to read and think outside the box as much as possible (sorry for the cliche!). I am trying to get stuff done, the way Sarah does, no faffing around. </o:p><br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p>I know there are many bigger issues in the world outside our comfie middle class luxury hobbies, but while we are aware and try to help and support those in need, we might as well do it while improving our own outputs and aim for happiness. Those in power (governments and the super rich) do and will for a long time in the future screw the rest of the world over, especially the poor (i.e. most of the worlds population), but for now we can use our priveleged sober position to think straight and help out where we can. With the emergence of Wikileaks and the internet as an enabler for many people to communicate their mistreatment, we can silently protest in numbers... and we can still do this while participating in our selfish hobbies. </o:p><o:p>Anyway enough philosophy from me, I better get back to work! </o:p><br />
<o:p></o:p><br />Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-55673480125096821872013-10-25T04:50:00.004-07:002013-10-25T04:50:39.093-07:00Ironman Hawaii 2013 Race Report <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kona number
4 came and went so fast, it was a great trip as always, warm and friendly with
a fantastic buzz in race week. We stayed on Ali’I Drive with our friends Una and Denny who
are always fun and welcoming. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I felt very
little pressure this time around, I had such a messed up year approaching the
race, always battling back to fitness after mishaps so I was just happy to be
there. </span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu155IBPw70NUYnT9R5LbPow-QhqkwYnf43wkTp0at1js7dO2dNS37ylBuKhFkQMym4q5FqdcdhWu6iaue_UfVgz_KDAzQl_BlN8MzeJHu7DInR1lxet_k7qd363CffEihEitkBmRNBYY/s1600/parade+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu155IBPw70NUYnT9R5LbPow-QhqkwYnf43wkTp0at1js7dO2dNS37ylBuKhFkQMym4q5FqdcdhWu6iaue_UfVgz_KDAzQl_BlN8MzeJHu7DInR1lxet_k7qd363CffEihEitkBmRNBYY/s320/parade+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parade of Nations</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Racing Copenhagen a little tired 6 weeks out I took a while to recover
and missed quite a few sessions. Race week I was relaxed, and happy to accept any
sub-10 time with how I was feeling. But 2 days out Alan had told me the numbers
were looking not too bad, that I only had to drop one bike section by
10watts, otherwise we were good to go with race plan. I was pleasantly
surprised but I only told Sarah as I didn’t want to get my hopes up or put
pressure on myself by telling others who I’d been downplaying my form to. I
found it hard to believe, but I thought if Alan is right (which he usually is) and I have a good race
in me, then it is a bonus, but for now I will maintain the relaxed attitude, it
was too late to get worked up over anyway. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I started in
my usual wide left position, avoiding the craziness on the right side of the
mass. I chatted to Nico Theopold and Alistair Duffield, keeping the nerves at bay and
enjoying the atmosphere. I had planned to stay with Nico as long as possible,
I can stay in his wake during pool sessions. When the gun went, he went and I
got dropped within 50m and Alistair took off like a bullet, a proper swimmer! I
managed to catch a few other feet and generally maintain a good pace and stay
away from trouble for 5mins. But then the usual fun started, guys coming
through from behind, swimming over the top, barging, punching, kicking. I got
locked in again at one point and was very close to panic mode. I held it
together and stayed with these guys, I wasn’t giving in this time. One of them
gave way and I was swimming with the fast boys. I still got the odd guy coming
through from behind but otherwise I held pace and seen 27mins approaching the
turn point. I had one good draft from about 1km through 3km, then it got rough
again. I got a fairly deep gouge in my hand were some gobshite was swimming all
over the place left and right over me. On dry land I would have punched him,
but in the ocean I try not to waste energy, it is hard enough to get around
that course as it is. I came out in 1:02 and was smiling to myself, finally
cracked a decent swim in Kona. I had done a 1:04 in the timed course swim the
previous week, so I knew this was possible, but race day is unpredictable to an
unnatural swimmer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">O</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">n the bike
I pushed a bit harder out on the way to Hawi, I used legal paceline where I
could but still got left alone a few times as I surged ahead and tried to catch
people in the distance. At Hawi I was well under my planned time, but there was
unexpected headwinds on the way back down. Again I tried to be smart
and worked with a few guys, staying 20m back but going to front here and there
to keep the pace high. I seen a few packs go by, it was very frustrating to
watch and there were some people in the middle notably a few girls who were not
even pedalling! I tried to go around them, but got swallowed up and spat out
the back. I decided to let them go and sure enough seen some of them alone on
the way back to town at a very different pace without their windshield. I was
struggling a bit with gels and salt, I think the higher pace put my stomach
under pressure and so I focused on getting more cals in using the Perform drink
at the aid stations. I was pleased with the bike split, similar watts to last
year but a lot faster. Conditions were obviously in our favour compared to last
year so I thought if I can run any decent pace here I’ll be in a good position
to get a pb. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meltdown on Palani</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Early on the
run I was ok but didn’t feel as comfortable as normal. I had come in to T2 with David
Condon so we ended up running together for a while on Ali’I. I knew David was strong (he was 5th overall in Ironman Hawaii 70.3) but I was following
hr and so pushed on a bit after 4miles. After about 8miles I started to feel
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a bit odd, Sarah came along side to
encourage me but I was getting frustrated trying to answer her with yes and no
answers, a bad sign that I was struggling. I hadn’t even reach 10mile yet! On
Palani the real fun started. It is always difficult there, but this time I felt
like I was in a furnace, I tried to take my top off then I stopped at the
Palani aid station and seriously considered not starting again. 16 more miles
feeling like that did not seem possible, but I kept moving. I had to stop and
drink coke and get ice at every station after that. It became a war of
attrition, I would feel ok for 2-3mins after an aid station – high on coke, then I’d
die and struggle to make the next station. David came past again and gave me a
shout, but I couldn’t go with him. Like so many others he disappeared in to the
distance as I battled in my head to keep moving forward. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I seen Nico
and Matt out there, but I had given up any ambition to catch people, I was constantly
at war just to make it to the next aid station. On the way back I came
alongside Matt at an aid station, we passed a few words but neither of us were
looking too healthy, but he dug in and stayed within a minute of me. And so the
run went on and I struggled my way to the line in survival mode. I knew then I’d
get home but I didn’t care when, I stopped checking the garmin after 10miles. Nico
went on to finish 2mins up the road from me, after training with him this was
no surprise to me, the big man done well in such heat. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When I reached
the finish line I was surprised at the overall time. I think it reflected some
general fitness, but also better conditions than last year. The strong swim and
bike times created the pb, but I’ve no doubt they came back to haunt me on the
run. I had not run properly since Copenhagen, so maybe I should have dropped my
run expectations instead of setting off at the usual 3hr pace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The main
positives are that I now know how to be fast on the swim and bike in Kona, I just
need to get to the race without mishap and execute a full performance. It’s 2
weeks past now and I’m starting back soon for the Melbourne build. Since I
started working with Alan Couzens, I have continuously improved my IM times,
and knocked 10mins off my Kona time each year. I’m now looking forward to a
hard winter of training with him and hoping for a season without mishaps or
injuries to see how fast we can go. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Next year
will be Kona #5 for Owen Martin and myself, the score sits at 2:2, but as I
have whooped him 2 years in a row now, the psychological advantage sits firmly
with me. Next year may be my last race there for a while, so it’s important I
take it to the Silverbridge man. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYVo7_KeBWETTEIwYTALKZotAn6T1kN9h-ulufmw_fhCmpSVt2ppAMBmWnBx27X8O3zx92bXuaVc01OyPS-U0uF7OFVi3jDdXQwU7Dt6tJJRnW7ohZvVW-5e9PQaNzgz3Dc5Ft2t-FYo/s1600/road+markings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYVo7_KeBWETTEIwYTALKZotAn6T1kN9h-ulufmw_fhCmpSVt2ppAMBmWnBx27X8O3zx92bXuaVc01OyPS-U0uF7OFVi3jDdXQwU7Dt6tJJRnW7ohZvVW-5e9PQaNzgz3Dc5Ft2t-FYo/s320/road+markings.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls art work gave us a great lift during the day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I’d like to
thank all my sponsors again, they stuck with me during a difficult early-mid
season and for that I am grateful, see their links on the right hand column. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sarah was
supportive during the year as always, through highs and lows, she is my stable
platform without which training and competing at this level would be
impossible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Until next
year, Mahalo Hawaii, Aloha! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Splits:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">S- 01:02:42 <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">B- 04:52:53 <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">R- 03:16:23 <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Overall- 09:19:00<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Position: 24
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span>Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-25687835524271182272013-08-31T02:06:00.001-07:002013-08-31T02:38:17.262-07:00Ironman Copenhagen 2013 (and warm up races!)<br />
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After being out of action post the bike crash in Spain in
April, I started in to an aggressive 10 weeks training. The numbers were coming
back and I started to reach some decent fitness. I had entered Ironman 70.3
Wiesbaden as a backup to my main qualifier, this original qualifier (Eagleman
70.3) never happened because of the crash so I needed another IM qualifier. IM
Louisville was a possibility, albeit a hot race with a large time zone change
and a longish tiring journey. Luckily Matt Molloy was at his vigilant best and brought
to my attention the deal bringing Copenhagen Challenge in as an Ironman.
Similar date to Louisville, GMT time zone +1hr, cool conditions and just a 1hr
flight, perfect! Chatting to <a href="http://alancouzens.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Alan</a> I convinced him to allow me to do both Wiesbaden
70.3 and Copenhagen, even though they were a week apart. He said I should do
Wiesbaden as a lower priority than Copenhagen. With there being more Kona slots
and the full distance more suited to me, and that although there was risk, I
might just get off with it. I decided I would take the risk and aimed for Wiesbaden
one week out from Copenhagen. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWJdW9KnacteEYi1w7mgfvn0VPgWqFq7RO8rBaeMb3XxoA_GEQ-o7LCOEFGx8Mj2UXOi_-c2UmDeTZY84h58Vd7MsrC2FFYUmfoLyc8M76YAo4kCgcczClJyf3Xda63SwVSLPgWaNnoU/s1600/wiesbaden+finish.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWJdW9KnacteEYi1w7mgfvn0VPgWqFq7RO8rBaeMb3XxoA_GEQ-o7LCOEFGx8Mj2UXOi_-c2UmDeTZY84h58Vd7MsrC2FFYUmfoLyc8M76YAo4kCgcczClJyf3Xda63SwVSLPgWaNnoU/s1600/wiesbaden+finish.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWJdW9KnacteEYi1w7mgfvn0VPgWqFq7RO8rBaeMb3XxoA_GEQ-o7LCOEFGx8Mj2UXOi_-c2UmDeTZY84h58Vd7MsrC2FFYUmfoLyc8M76YAo4kCgcczClJyf3Xda63SwVSLPgWaNnoU/s320/wiesbaden+finish.png" width="214" /></a>A week before Wiesbaden I did a small Olympic distance race
as a warm up and as Alan put it ‘to blow the cobwebs out’. It was an Event
Logic standard distance in the Cotswolds, and served its purpose well,
practicing each discipline under race pressure and testing transition legs. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Wiesbaden 70.3 itself was a great race, a solid course that
took no prisoners. The swim was nice, good temperature and fairly
straightforward. The bike super hilly and the run fast-ish; though there was a
lot of traffic back in the waves when I got started on the run course. Alan’s
instructions were strict; I was not allowed to hammer myself on any discipline,
but my bike power was still decent throughout, and I ran fairly solid off it, a
good sign for Copenhagen. The standard in this race was nuts, a great challenge
and a sure sign that Germany is one of the fastest places in the IM world.
Coming out of the race I felt ok, calf a bit tight but otherwise legs were not
too bad. However the logistical challenges in the week between were not ideal -
coming back to London for a few days of work before heading off again to Copenhagen
all bags in tow, although it was at least a fairly civilised taper week
compared to pre-Wiesbaden. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyjtFOW8w4JeWCB_8vjr2vw-tUVIRr7QzQmDBTwu6EL2ifqEfKhPFJL3-Vrbw-x0tPJhH3MyvcMjyr5n_cvjZg6CWfhh4Pk73Tu18PnzkfEuLIgoTkUeyBcV0xPdfmrpDE61vitrKm5Q/s1600/ironman%2520copenhagen%2520web%25201.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyjtFOW8w4JeWCB_8vjr2vw-tUVIRr7QzQmDBTwu6EL2ifqEfKhPFJL3-Vrbw-x0tPJhH3MyvcMjyr5n_cvjZg6CWfhh4Pk73Tu18PnzkfEuLIgoTkUeyBcV0xPdfmrpDE61vitrKm5Q/s1600/ironman%2520copenhagen%2520web%25201.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyjtFOW8w4JeWCB_8vjr2vw-tUVIRr7QzQmDBTwu6EL2ifqEfKhPFJL3-Vrbw-x0tPJhH3MyvcMjyr5n_cvjZg6CWfhh4Pk73Tu18PnzkfEuLIgoTkUeyBcV0xPdfmrpDE61vitrKm5Q/s1600/ironman%2520copenhagen%2520web%25201.png" /></a>Copenhagen would be my first Ironman outside Hawaii since
Austria in 2011. When I arrived at the flat I had arranged in Copenhagen I was
shocked at the layout – 5 floors up, with a very tight steep staircase and no
lift… After one night pondering a solution I just got up and booked a hotel for
the night before the race onwards. I had to break the rent deal, and the landlady
was not happy, but she was never going to win an argument about this situation,
guess she has never seen anyone walk after an Ironman. By race day eve I had done
a lot of running around with the usual last minute issues. Up and down these 5 flights
of stairs did no favours to my legs. I didn’t feel too bad in general, but by
the time I settled in to the hotel the night before the race I was tired but my
head was buzzing, I worried that sleep might be an issue. My fears were
realised as I watched the clock and counted the minutes, then the hours as time
passed and I got more and more stressed about what this could mean. I kept
telling myself lots of people don’t sleep before races, my problem being, I
normally do. At about 3.30am I had checked my watch again and thought maybe I
should pull out, I mean what if I don’t sleep at all..? but then it was 4.30
and alarm went, so I think I got an hour of sleep. <o:p></o:p><br />
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</div>
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I was up and determined to be positive, and focused to make
things happen, but I can’t deny I felt pretty rubbish. After a quick breakfast
and off to transition, the trains were delayed and I left it a bit tight getting
to T1. I met some nice Irish folk (team Gale Bremus and supporters) on the
journey and had a good chat with them which helped my nerves. After a few stressed
moments with a soft disc tyre I headed off to swim start about 10mins before we
set off. </div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUe-rYGjtiFWLHfnF8gtLPyTulLwV9NUC990Q_dmjtLQqDZERWJShoTETvcky5xk4glCVPg5uLNCn3XPw972GcP-bQbQePxA64NQOJoVsCY01Vnb7CPTbVVSaTNnUCAysatcl6cG5uHI/s1600/swim1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUe-rYGjtiFWLHfnF8gtLPyTulLwV9NUC990Q_dmjtLQqDZERWJShoTETvcky5xk4glCVPg5uLNCn3XPw972GcP-bQbQePxA64NQOJoVsCY01Vnb7CPTbVVSaTNnUCAysatcl6cG5uHI/s320/swim1.png" width="213" /></a></div>
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I had no water warm up but thought I’d pace first 500m to
warm up and get into rhythm. I started on right side to avoid having to cross
over traffic as the first turn was a right turn – about 200m out. This worked
well and after turning the first boy some big fella came past, easy kick,
decent pace, not many bubbles – I thought – that’s my man!! I got on those feet
and I stayed on them – the whole way to the exit. I had to fight a few guys off
his feet a few times using old Gaelic football tactics, but it was worth it, I
was so relaxed in his wake, I was comfortable yet swimming faster than usual. I
was checking the time at distance banners on the bridges – and knew I was on a decent
pace. Exiting the water I thanked the guy, he was prob wondering what I was
talking about as I didn’t make my presence known in his draft. Unfortunately some
guy had been tapping my feet the whole way, I didn’t waste too much energy
kicking him, and risk losing your big man’s feet. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
Transition1 was smooth for me – makes a change after some
comedy changeovers in the Cotswolds and Wiesbaden. Out on the bike I felt
pretty good, strong pace along the coast with a slight tail wind. My HR was a
little high but I thought it will settle a bit as I get into it. My wave was first off after the pros and women, so I was very
aware of the lack of people around me, there was a few girls ahead that I
quickly passed from the previous wave, but no one else. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_1sfiIeR-RQBb-1AwLc09oBXjVyaTQkZ-H5qWJTpHuJZbeue4nEo93RH_pddZdkbqPHvBSi4F4w4SST4F-rjDUsg2r1Jp4wME3Hjcw0k_G_3AT_1fGBoEVEbDPrBB9vJE9uCl6ULXXk/s1600/bike+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_1sfiIeR-RQBb-1AwLc09oBXjVyaTQkZ-H5qWJTpHuJZbeue4nEo93RH_pddZdkbqPHvBSi4F4w4SST4F-rjDUsg2r1Jp4wME3Hjcw0k_G_3AT_1fGBoEVEbDPrBB9vJE9uCl6ULXXk/s1600/bike+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_1sfiIeR-RQBb-1AwLc09oBXjVyaTQkZ-H5qWJTpHuJZbeue4nEo93RH_pddZdkbqPHvBSi4F4w4SST4F-rjDUsg2r1Jp4wME3Hjcw0k_G_3AT_1fGBoEVEbDPrBB9vJE9uCl6ULXXk/s1600/bike+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_1sfiIeR-RQBb-1AwLc09oBXjVyaTQkZ-H5qWJTpHuJZbeue4nEo93RH_pddZdkbqPHvBSi4F4w4SST4F-rjDUsg2r1Jp4wME3Hjcw0k_G_3AT_1fGBoEVEbDPrBB9vJE9uCl6ULXXk/s1600/bike+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_1sfiIeR-RQBb-1AwLc09oBXjVyaTQkZ-H5qWJTpHuJZbeue4nEo93RH_pddZdkbqPHvBSi4F4w4SST4F-rjDUsg2r1Jp4wME3Hjcw0k_G_3AT_1fGBoEVEbDPrBB9vJE9uCl6ULXXk/s320/bike+1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="215" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long lonely ride</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</a>The pros had started
first, they were gone and I was not at a pace to be caught by many from the wave
behind. I had one guy trail in behind me for quite a bit, he stayed there
(looked legal distance to be fair) but a little annoying that he was just
always there, and did not come around to the front, until later in the lap when he disappeared
off. Anyway, it became a time trial, me and the course and a bit of wind. On
return to town on each of the 2 laps you were in to a head wind, not crazy
strong, but with a few rolling hills it slowed the pace a bit. The part I found
most difficult was the lack of drive from other athletes, I was alone for a
long way and had no one to pace off, I lost focus a bit having no-one to work
with. On the 2<sup>nd</sup> lap it was so quiet I was checking for marshals in
case I had taken a wrong turn! My HR was still high but power was not great,
flat courses are like that for me, I find hills easier to maintain higher
power. Anyway I was concerned about the slightly high HR I had held on bike and
what the consequences might be later on the run. Near the end of the 2<sup>nd</sup>
lap I went past Peter Jack who’d started in one of the later waves. I didn’t
realise til I was past him and he shouted encouragement with his usual positive
enthusiasm, that gave me a great lift.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeoc4f0rie5OH95h_ksdslIImrqGCu2cPaPhDFwZBHJWeHZL3g54n5jKMUjdRHzQsk3b-VqatLS5e12YOUzdRUYzgpYrJjrAzepKaZfLe2MMyVMUSrCf2YvgwOe73oGSKUZMcW1EEvZU/s1600/bike+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeoc4f0rie5OH95h_ksdslIImrqGCu2cPaPhDFwZBHJWeHZL3g54n5jKMUjdRHzQsk3b-VqatLS5e12YOUzdRUYzgpYrJjrAzepKaZfLe2MMyVMUSrCf2YvgwOe73oGSKUZMcW1EEvZU/s400/bike+2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
T2 was again pretty smooth and no comedy moments. I had
planned to set off on the run at 3:55/km and staying below 4m/km, but immediately
my HR was higher than plan, but pace was only 4:05/km. I held this until about
half way without too much pain, but I would not say I was comfortable, I was
accepting at this stage that I must have been a bit tired coming in to the
race, these numbers were well behind what I’d been training at. I seen Liam Dolan
coming out of transition when I was only 3k in the run, I had spoken to him
before the swim and knew he started 20mins behind me. I thought holy fe#k
either he had an amazing swim (unlikely <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span> ) or he’s had yet
another monster bike. Actually he had a decent swim and a bike faster than the
pro winner. On the run we passed each other at similar spots so we were on
similar pace, Liam as always looking like he’s about to die, he really knows
how to bury himself. <o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwiUCj0_CXIjsPSXClIenzwiHfXqgKfLnXPC-c1jZMeOx35yaTB7tDv7uE81qcwBf0QG767M-wuR6Sx5r30AZ_n8H3oLHa6kMYJeS_Qube3CBCTc7QsaNSs_tJ7zvzCwUGAATr5TuYI0/s1600/CAM18105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwiUCj0_CXIjsPSXClIenzwiHfXqgKfLnXPC-c1jZMeOx35yaTB7tDv7uE81qcwBf0QG767M-wuR6Sx5r30AZ_n8H3oLHa6kMYJeS_Qube3CBCTc7QsaNSs_tJ7zvzCwUGAATr5TuYI0/s400/CAM18105.JPG" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Head dropping - not a good sign!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At half way I started to struggle, I was still holding pace,
but my HR was still high and I really started to feel tired. With 13k to go I had
held 4:09/km pace, but by then I felt terrible and started wondering how I was
going to make it to the end. I could not hold the pace anymore and wanted to
stop. I walked a few aid stations to see if it helped; it did for all of about
10 seconds before returning to my feeling of nausea and general fatigue. I felt
overheated strangely and threw my visor to Liam’s fiancée Annette in the crowd.
I somehow convinced my legs to keep moving towards the line, physically I was
gone, and mentally I was just holding on. At around 4k to go I calculated I had
just over 20minites to still get under 9hrs. My hr had dropped through fatigue
and although I was moving slowly I knew I’d make it. Coming in to the finish
line the MC shouted there was a sprint for 2<sup>nd</sup> place, except I was
not sprinting, the legs had stopped working. Jogging over the line I was very
glad this thing was over! The job was done, perhaps more painfully than I
expected or planned, but goal was achieved. Kona in the bag, and the bonus of a
podium and another sub9. The last time I’d seen Liam I had calculated he was on
an 8:45 and he held it right there, he’s raised the bar again for us all. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWVccfGvq0rdMtPK6ED0r2m3ZhQJjyLXyZZfroczGuwoVhyphenhyphenfv6chr1jyH9RDwyeiDbowoxxHqtSJaLB_9-wJtgdm0g95KK8AyKKZ2N6SDXnIaQu_jOkGblN-GG4PRbl9b45pbfF-1dd0/s1600/run1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWVccfGvq0rdMtPK6ED0r2m3ZhQJjyLXyZZfroczGuwoVhyphenhyphenfv6chr1jyH9RDwyeiDbowoxxHqtSJaLB_9-wJtgdm0g95KK8AyKKZ2N6SDXnIaQu_jOkGblN-GG4PRbl9b45pbfF-1dd0/s320/run1.png" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish line at last!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I tried to eat with Liam, Annette and a Danish friend
<a href="http://kennethcarlsen.com/" target="_blank">Kenneth</a> afterwards, but I felt a bit useless for a few hours. By the evening, I
had recovered and dinner was a more civilised affair, even if I still couldn’t
handle many beers! We went back to the finish line and shouted in Peter Jack,
his usual lively self, even after an Ironman. Great finish to a big day. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Coming out of the race I have no injuries (apart from a strain
from a kick-about with my ever stronger nephews Peter and Shea last week). I
have 6 weeks now to prep for Kona and am feeling ok. Liam won’t be joining us
as he has an even bigger occasion planned the day before Kona. Good luck to
himself and Annette, a great couple they are. Alan has given me a rest week and
I’ve enjoyed some down time with Sarah. The girl who has put up with me all year
between the usual monk life style, post-crash depressed eejit, hyper psycho
athlete; she’s been through it all. And only because she wanted to go to Hawaii
again, well you’re going now so we’re even right? ;-) <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wob6QAyqvtihR4duvhoXeVR8wTbV_56aoM0jG6VS0zTmlylbIu6GQMVDMNCAEtH2NMZYo_bln_looSrmpwU3DrZg4U1jfqtmkHJg40pf1Gfsgxv62A4vKVWNapQs84gFe81RjXAA1TU/s1600/1176184_10151854701454468_788838296_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wob6QAyqvtihR4duvhoXeVR8wTbV_56aoM0jG6VS0zTmlylbIu6GQMVDMNCAEtH2NMZYo_bln_looSrmpwU3DrZg4U1jfqtmkHJg40pf1Gfsgxv62A4vKVWNapQs84gFe81RjXAA1TU/s320/1176184_10151854701454468_788838296_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back to the finish line after a long day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I’m very happy to be heading back to the Big Island for the
4<sup>th</sup> time. Whether I’ll be able to produce a decent race or not we’ll
establish in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, I’m just happy and honoured
to be going back. 3 months ago I thought I was going nowhere, so now a week
after the race it has sunk in. My main priorities now are to have a good time
out there, and of course to give Owen Martin a hard time on the Queen K. <br />
Una- stick the kettle on… Aloha!! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvQ4jw2cpokDXbvrUqfZiONmqCaI53fJ5KY7GIdhD1bRPx8PDG21OuB9gA3qyHZDm1iJMzNRcJXQoMr8DoJK2KWGjc_PZHmHoYPdM-B4Y4Jxnubd1VBLjGHuRtKgUHqdPOe3MQ_w6rSc/s1600/peter+mm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvQ4jw2cpokDXbvrUqfZiONmqCaI53fJ5KY7GIdhD1bRPx8PDG21OuB9gA3qyHZDm1iJMzNRcJXQoMr8DoJK2KWGjc_PZHmHoYPdM-B4Y4Jxnubd1VBLjGHuRtKgUHqdPOe3MQ_w6rSc/s320/peter+mm.png" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out with the legend that is Peter Jack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thanks again to my sponsors for sticking with me through my
early year difficulties. I was telling them I’d get to Kona even when I doubted
myself, glad I held my word <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span> <a href="http://vitacoco.com/uk/" target="_blank">Vita Coco</a>, <a href="http://www.champ-sys.com/" target="_blank">Champion System</a>, <a href="http://www.softtissuetherapist.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kinga (Soft Tissue Therapy)</a>
and <a href="http://www.cherrygood.com/" target="_blank">CherryGood</a> – thanks guys. <o:p></o:p>
<br />
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Splits for the day:<o:p></o:p></div>
Swim: 57:59<o:p></o:p><br />
Bike: 4:50:29<o:p></o:p><br />
Run: 3:01:54<o:p></o:p><br />
Overall: 8:55:10<o:p></o:p><br />
Cat Pos. 3<sup>rd</sup><o:p></o:p><br />
Overall pos. 27<sup>th</sup> <o:p></o:p></div>
Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-60578926434576077652013-07-06T07:26:00.000-07:002013-07-06T07:26:05.511-07:00The 2013 Season – Martin Muldoon<h2>
The 2013 Season – Martin Muldoon<o:p></o:p></h2>
<br />
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It’s been a while since I’ve put a blog out there, I have
been waiting for my 2013 race schedule to stabilise and it only now has, I hope
it stays that way! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
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Slow start to the
season<o:p></o:p></h4>
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I’ve had a challenging year so far. In January after busting
my calf in a hilly 5k race, I crashed the mountain bike in snow and broke some
ribs, putting me out of swimming and running for 5 weeks. During recovery I
picked up a stomach ulcer from NSAIDs I was using, which was more painful than
the ribs themselves! I recovered from all this in March and was still very
positive because during these issues my motivation remained strong and I held
discipline on nutrition and whatever training I could manage (I was still able
to bike aerobically during this time). <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
In April I was starting to feel good and headed out to Rhonda
in Spain with Nicolas Theopold, a strong German who is also coached by <a href="http://alancouzens.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Alan</a>.
The camp was going well but during a long ride I crashed heavily on a decent. It
was one of those high speed crashes you hope never happens. I came in to a
double corner at 40mph and met a car, with nowhere to go I swerved and hit a
rock face full speed. The moment before impact is unclear to me but I remember
feeling like an outside observer, hearing myself clatter off the wall and then
hearing the bike land somewhere in the distance. There was a lot of superficial
cuts and blood, but I knew right away it was the shoulder that had taken the main
impact. It cut the trip short and after all the x-rays and MRIs it appeared I had
disrupted the two main ligaments in the AC joint as well as again damaging the ribs.
No swimming for 6 weeks and a definite loss of form all around. <br />
<br />
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Unlike the previous crash, this time it hurt me mentally, I
went from good form to zero inside a split second crash, and it got to me.
After 10 days of depression I finally got back in to the mood for training
again. The main thing that got me through it was Alan’s advice and also the
realisation that I could have been seriously injured had I hit my head or back
during the fall. After 2 weeks I was able to bike and run to some degree albeit
with limited upper body mobility. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzah-t7xd2mUfnwokUq-b5KzHiv6qxJMxHCRb-f46tn165NekP2D1_RAq3vm3-fKEap2vQX8UjY0HG9VX2ntE4El5_fm7WYq42N2D55F0BBvLG89TziFCLA8DsTGPKUx6IEdpD-B-6Sg/s1600/sling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzah-t7xd2mUfnwokUq-b5KzHiv6qxJMxHCRb-f46tn165NekP2D1_RAq3vm3-fKEap2vQX8UjY0HG9VX2ntE4El5_fm7WYq42N2D55F0BBvLG89TziFCLA8DsTGPKUx6IEdpD-B-6Sg/s200/sling.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer fixes injuries</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thanks to <a href="http://www.softtissuetherapist.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kinga</a> and
the guys at Pure Sports Med (Lucy and Matt), the remedial work has gone well
and I am recovering strong. The shoulder still clicks and probably always will,
but at least I can swim pain free now and have started to ramp up the swim
hours again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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My calf issues are also staying away for now. Earlier in the
year I had travelled to Belgium to see ‘The Foot Doctor’ <a href="http://www.podologie-website.be/" target="_blank">Walter Houben</a>,
renowned for helping many athletes deal with complex foot issues. I met Walter
in Kona 2010 and he recommended I come see him. I’ve been to him twice now and
he has helped me with orthotics and shoe choice based on his analysis. It seems
to be working and I’ve been running injury free for some months. I’’ll pay him
one more visit before Kona, that’s hoping, not assuming I’ll get there!<o:p></o:p></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<h4>
Sponsors<o:p> </o:p></h4>
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I am excited to have picked up a new sponsor <a href="http://vitacoco.com/uk/" target="_blank">Vita Coco</a>! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7_ge87RDO_N_lQwgTrbRMWSE1c2Efmfa7ojOrm9jJAVym2WAjTBq32LIxXdxKF9UJzxNGcacqSNVQPqRS1xMB80RFB6oYiOz3jtBec1S0EMtNUpYy2d2DEjw1wHDlU0-i47urSBmH9g/s1600/LOGO+&+NATURAL+COCONUT+WATER_AWK+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7_ge87RDO_N_lQwgTrbRMWSE1c2Efmfa7ojOrm9jJAVym2WAjTBq32LIxXdxKF9UJzxNGcacqSNVQPqRS1xMB80RFB6oYiOz3jtBec1S0EMtNUpYy2d2DEjw1wHDlU0-i47urSBmH9g/s200/LOGO+&+NATURAL+COCONUT+WATER_AWK+-+Copy.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
I have always loved their products so it’s great to have them on board for the year! A great natural product for recovery or general hydration. </div>
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I am glad to be continuing working with my other main sponsors
again this year: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOySAeVAbzOwFSr0AyO5y-mt_ciKMCBbXlfK9EsqyfRA5Ic34tHLy4G_g8Qt0NvEQ1q3FOvG2X0O31e7YBYxIW9AezRZZ09yi7aj_s-sPdkh4GDG_gRqEge6oKDtjNPKfgc0Xv10xqW4/s1600/Soft_Tissue_Therapy_Logo+FINAL.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOySAeVAbzOwFSr0AyO5y-mt_ciKMCBbXlfK9EsqyfRA5Ic34tHLy4G_g8Qt0NvEQ1q3FOvG2X0O31e7YBYxIW9AezRZZ09yi7aj_s-sPdkh4GDG_gRqEge6oKDtjNPKfgc0Xv10xqW4/s320/Soft_Tissue_Therapy_Logo+FINAL.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The lovely and talented Kinga at <a href="http://www.softtissuetherapist.co.uk/" target="_blank">Soft Tissue Therapy</a>, who keeps me walking while I abuse my body in training and crashing!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUDYCME5T1E7Nqy53hsfxnNRJkIjaQD7g1t2wxM26WJ0wi_9Xdxtgx1JlKCv0vNK_KN_M_Nhk_GfUY_ANwaSx2RAveGD3dD8ePRMLrP98tTvysUgtGjTrHItR8RzceU8wMo9UUyheGV0/s1600/cherrygood+hi-res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUDYCME5T1E7Nqy53hsfxnNRJkIjaQD7g1t2wxM26WJ0wi_9Xdxtgx1JlKCv0vNK_KN_M_Nhk_GfUY_ANwaSx2RAveGD3dD8ePRMLrP98tTvysUgtGjTrHItR8RzceU8wMo9UUyheGV0/s200/cherrygood+hi-res.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
The kind people at <a href="http://www.cherrygood.com/" target="_blank">CherryGood</a>, another product I love and use regularily for recovery, this stuff is full of antioxidants. </div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hHBuVXdzWJFYtHr0dSq2LzkUMXo0DdqwM-YNHD9CGOXRWoW1aiJ0cAvCaLSILrSKsdw0zNpuoixoQx4SiupVRK2cSK_3Ct4bguaXHP7nm3H3UORmk0C6jU_9s56eY1H-pJrpLhTUh6g/s1600/20130706163039.Martin_Muldoon_Triathlete_GB0181_JER001_Normal_V4_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hHBuVXdzWJFYtHr0dSq2LzkUMXo0DdqwM-YNHD9CGOXRWoW1aiJ0cAvCaLSILrSKsdw0zNpuoixoQx4SiupVRK2cSK_3Ct4bguaXHP7nm3H3UORmk0C6jU_9s56eY1H-pJrpLhTUh6g/s200/20130706163039.Martin_Muldoon_Triathlete_GB0181_JER001_Normal_V4_01.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.champ-sys.com/" target="_blank">Champion System</a> who have kindly produced my kit for another season. Quality gear that is completely bespoke. Here is my 2013 version, still work in progress but not the final version!<br />
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</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I am also getting some help from other companies that can be
seen on the side panel above, thanks to all for their assistance. <o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Charity</h4>
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I have not raced for charity since I started racing triathlons
some years back, but when <a href="http://www.active.com/donate/teamblazeman/blazemanMMuldoo" target="_blank">The Blazeman foundation</a> offered me the chance to race
for them at Eagleman 70.3 this year I thought it would be cool to give towards
a good cause. Sadly I was unable to make Eagleman but I decided to race for
them for the year through whatever events I can make. You may be aware of the
charity through the likes of Chrissy and Leanda where they roll over the finish
line, here is an excerpt from the foundation:</div>
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<span style="color: #4f604f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3X701ZvHIy3ITDUp-eZkRoHSyP4HnUi-rbhSqxGEKJa8iWlaNZPiiCqhZfal0yx7m94kLpaQOEamG1ZStEa0oKz-GZHwZYz5leKoF2PDot4WiESfWU6FSVQqOhCYvXafLzGIbM-CcgA/s1600/blazeman.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3X701ZvHIy3ITDUp-eZkRoHSyP4HnUi-rbhSqxGEKJa8iWlaNZPiiCqhZfal0yx7m94kLpaQOEamG1ZStEa0oKz-GZHwZYz5leKoF2PDot4WiESfWU6FSVQqOhCYvXafLzGIbM-CcgA/s200/blazeman.png" width="193" /></a><span style="color: #4f604f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;">On May 2, 2005, twenty-year Multi-Sport veteran Jon Blais a.k.a.
"Blazeman" at age 33 was diagnosed with the fatal motor neuron
disease ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Blazeman dubbed himself the
"ALS Warrior Poet" and brought his battle to the big island of Hawaii
on October 15th that year, where he became the first person with ALS to
complete the Ironman World Championships. It was his last race. In 2006, a
number of athletes, inspired by Jon's 2005 efforts, rolled across the finish
line in Hawaii in honor of Jon and his battle against ALS. In 2007, the
Blazeman Foundation for ALS expanded Team Blazeman, comprised of "Blazeman
Warriors" who have committed to raising awareness and funding a search for
a cure for ALS..."So Others May Live."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
I watched Jon in the Kona special program a few years ago so
it’s a good source of motivation when I’m complaining about my little injury issues!
I have already met my sponsorship goals, so no pressure to give anything, but
the page is there if you ever feel like donating to a great cause:<o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="http://www.active.com/donate/teamblazeman/blazemanMMuldoo"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.active.com/donate/teamblazeman/blazemanMMuldoo</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Race schedule<o:p></o:p></h4>
<br />
Anyway all this crashing and injuries meant my race schedule
has been changing constantly. My main aim for the year again is IM Kona, but as
I said my qualifier race of Eagleman was too soon and sadly I had to withdraw.
I’m currently aiming for 70.3 Wiesbaden as a qualifier, however with the
standard of competition and lack of slots there I am being realistic and so
have a backup race of IM Copenhagen. This will double as a replacement for Roth
which I also had to withdraw from as I struggled to recover on time. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
After just finishing a week in Lanzarote with a heavy
cycling focus, my bike form is starting to come through and with no running injuries
things are starting to look positive for the first time this year. With
Wiesbaden and Copenhagen on the horizon I need to just keep working on the swim
to get it back to where it was, and to avoid crashing in to anything! I hope
the next blog will be a race report and not about any mishaps. Looking forward
to finally getting my season under way and fighting for that ticket to the Big
Island. Good luck to all for their season and see you out on the circuit!<br />
<o:p></o:p>Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-2062560257261563232012-10-19T08:37:00.001-07:002012-10-19T10:34:02.846-07:00'You're not here for the sing song!' Ironman Hawaii Race Report 2012<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKDC9Qruc2pLM1uFKmXqBkFow-GZP_sj-tCwbef_CYtma3IjZ8DoY3o8IgHmU9Embg70jWBbBEdqxuHvXVaTs88BtEpcO7PsSIP8xyVoIdBvuoKsS9JmSDpT_lrhatf6memQ9MSrgOBA/s1600/IMG_0990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKDC9Qruc2pLM1uFKmXqBkFow-GZP_sj-tCwbef_CYtma3IjZ8DoY3o8IgHmU9Embg70jWBbBEdqxuHvXVaTs88BtEpcO7PsSIP8xyVoIdBvuoKsS9JmSDpT_lrhatf6memQ9MSrgOBA/s400/IMG_0990.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the squad at the Parade of Nations</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This was my 3rd attempt in Hawaii and I had some demons to quash. I love the Big Island and the trip is always special, but this year I was determined to not get distracted by good coffee and the relaxed, friendly atmosphere. My friend Una from Tyrone who lives on the island said this year I’m not to be ‘coming for the sing song!’ I was on board with this and ready for action. When I raced Tri-Limits 70.3 in Tyrone in June, a chat with Owen Martin kicked me in to action. I found discipline again and after 4 months non broken training and diet, I knew I was going in to the big race in good shape. I missed an opportunity to race a 70.3 three weeks out when I couldn’t get a flight to the Lost Sheep tri in Kerry. Instead I raced the London duathlon Ultra distance in Richmond park on the same day, I seen decent numbers on bike power and run pace, my swimming at the club was also looking half decent. I had also spent 10days in Lanzarote hitting some key bike and run sessions in the heat. I was swimming every day and even fitted in a couple of sessions with Dan from SFT who were there on an openwater camp. <br />
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We arrived in Kona 10days out and I struggled as usual for 3-4 days with sleeping and of course bike power numbers were down. Running was good though, and I enjoyed the daily swim from digme beach as it got busy leading up to the big day. Owen and myself had a couple of very good hit outs of around 2.5k with 5mins wu and cd. In one key session we swam 2.6k at 1:33/100 pace, no mass start to deal with but at least our straight open water swimming was in a decent place. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nervous times (photo - Richard Melik, Freespeed) </td></tr>
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As always before a big race, things go wrong and I had a few technical and physical based concerns, but all were fixed with various levels of stress before race day. Sarah had picked up an infection on the trip over and the first few days were a bit difficult but she got antibiotics and picked up quickly to start enjoying the trip. I was relaxed the day before race and had a decent sleep, but when race morning came I could hardly eat anything, the nerves were kicking hard, but I had prepared well and guess felt I had a lot to lose by not performing well. <br />
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Lining up at the swim start was the usual slow advance forward with the paddle board officials shouting for us to move back, the line was straight…almost! I started my timer close to 7am to avoid having to start it when the gun went and getting swallowed by the monster, but I seen it was at around 3mins before the madness began. I think in all my sporting life it’s the most violent and energetic experience I’ve ever been involved with. The atmosphere and nerves makes it even more aggressive and I love it in there. Scares the hell out of me but as they say go in hard and you’ll come out better. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not for the faint hearted (photo: Richard Melik, Freespeed)</td></tr>
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Like last year I went at it pretty hard for the first 5-6 minutes, but it was less constant this time, people were being thrown around a bit and although I had a few brief drafts they would shift quickly, I’d get blocked in, then a gap would open again. The outward 2k was hard work and inconsistent, I had my goggles knocked off twice and got a very hard shunt at the turning point, I was jammed against the ropes and 2-3 guys were on top of me, but bit by bit after a few stops to see where I was I got some space and rounded the buoy to come home. I found a great draft again like last year, it was the perfect pace and about 3-4m left off the main pack. The guy I was drafting was drafting someone else who seemed to have great sighting from the checks I made on progress. Now and then the pace would surge but I knew from experience how important it was to stay on his feet and went in to the red to stay there, it worked and I stayed with them for prob 1500m on the way back. About ½ way back some guy came in from outside and tried to steal my draft, we had a tussle but I held him off, although he did manage to knock my garmin 310 off, I very briefly thought about turning to dive for it but realised quickly that was a foolish idea. <br />
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As I stayed on the draft I started to formulate a backup plan for hr on the run now as the 310 was sinking it’s way to the bottom of the ocean! I let my draft go about 200m from T1, the surges were becoming too fast for me and I was hyperventilating, I decided I was close enough to shore to let them go. Running through T1 I was asking other guys the time, sounded like we were out around 1:06 so similar to last year and I was happy enough as the Kona swim is so arbitrary, you could produce same output and get two results 5mins+ apart depending on draft/blocking, etc. <br />
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In the last days before the race my power had come back and I was confident of what needed to be done on the bike. I was keen to stick closer to Alan’s power plan this time, and be patient. I felt good, relaxed and the power numbers were strong at the start, I kept an eye on upper caps. The wind changed a lot and at a few sections near Kawaihae the side winds were strong and shifted direction, almost throwing me off. This normally only happens at Hawi and so I knew the wind was irregular and we were in for an interesting return journey. The road up to Hawi was it’s usual full on head wind but I was on a decent pace and felt a lot better than previous years at this point. I was keen to stick to nutrition/hydration plan, 3 salt tabs\hr, 1gel per hour, 2 bottles per hour of electrolyte (perform) including my own 2 made up with perform, H5Extreme and nunn. I had serious issues with cramping last year and Alan had prescribed me around 2250mg of sodium /hr this time and I was keen to hit that. <br />
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With my power numbers up significantly from last year, it felt easy enough to hold the power plan and still eat / drink. My previous Hawaii experiences are riddled with nausea and difficulty with absorbing calories but this time it was different. I had also popped a Biestmilch booster race morning about 90mins out, one at bike start and then one nearing bike end 4.5hrs in which seemed to help.<br />
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On the way back down from Hawi we had the side wind but when turning back at Kawaihae I realised the big head winds had turned and were not going away. I kept the head down and stayed within watts and remained patient. I knew from avg speed that it was becoming a slow day, but I kept an eye on power now starting to think about the run. My running has been going well and I thought it would my chance to make up some places. The last hour coming past the airport I felt unusually fresh and knew I had some running legs, at least to start off with! Rolling in to T2 the times were not fast but same for everyone and now I was ready to roll. <br />
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I felt good from the start on the run, carrying the fuel belt is a pain but I lost 5kg last year and Alan was keen for me not to create more than 1L per hour deficit inc hydration taken on board, so it was necessary even with the 11 bottles on the bike. I managed to get a backup garmin for the run, it was not set up for me and only reported hr, so I had no idea of time or pace. <br />
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I kept what felt like a decent pace out to the 5mile turnaround and back in to town. Judging from those I seen on the way back in and where they were, I knew I was on a decent race. I started to feel the start of some fatigue coming back in to Kailua, but it was manageable and I felt better than most people looked to me. Sarah was positioned at different points and apart from some great encouragement also picked up my used fuel belt to save me some weight when I threw it.<br />
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Running up Palani is always hard and I stayed calm and waited for the start of the Queen K before stepping it up. I had a chat with Adam Zucco who I raced in St Croix, before getting hr back to plan for the next 16miles. I noticed some mild cramps lurking, but I kept on top of the aid stations drinks and sodium tabs (these tabs had 330mg sodium each), using perform as well as coke this time to get the extra electrolytes. The Perform bottles have 550mg so well loaded and so far it seemed this was working as it was now extremely hot yet I was running faster than last year. I passed a lot of people and very few stayed on pace with me but I noticed a few guys ahead who were hard to catch. One guy was wearing all black and had a similar strong running style to Owen Martin with little upper body movement, but I knew Owen was behind (thank feck!! ;-) As I approached this guy I thought I recognised him, it turned out to be Alan Ryan. I’ve never raced Alan and had only read about him so was unsure how he operated, but I was aware of how dangerous he could be, experience is huge on the Big Island. We passed a few words to each other and I pressed on, I remember thinking jes that’s a hardy boy! Alan has done 13 consecutive sub 10 Ironmans and used to hold the Irish record so I didn’t want him coming with me! <br />
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My pace seemed consistent to the energy lab and a surprise breeze there was very welcome. Sarah was out there shouting me on again along the Queen K telling me I looked good, but I thought she’d tell me that anyway! It is such a lonely place, all you can see for miles ahead is the long hot road of the infamous Queen K. When I reached the energy lab I was ready, ready for the heat, ready for the run home. It’s intimidating, being tired yet knowing you have 8 miles still to run, but you also get the feeling you are almost home. My friend Una who is a teacher in the Energy Lab (NEL) was there as always at the special needs station, orchestrating the kids. The whole course was full of tri-colours and messages for the Irish team, the NEL was green white and orange everywhere you looked! As I reached the Special needs Una shouted something to the kids, they had been prepped, and about 50 of them started screaming at me, it was very sweet and had me laughing my head off to the turning point a mile later. When I came back I asked her for the salt tabs only as I didn’t feel I needed the 2nd fuel belt I had left in special needs. Having a good friend with that much clout in the energy lab is a definite advantage so apologies to my fellow competitors :-) <br />
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From then on, I was able to step it up a bit on the way back, but was cautious too as it was still hot out there and the wind on the bike had had its effect on all of us. A few runner lads who I’d let go at the start of the marathon were coming back in to view, and as I passed each of them they came with me and after the elastic band broke they’d each fall off. On the return route you get to see who is behind and how far, Alan was still there, Ivan O'Gorman was moving up and Owen was still looking strong, but for a change he was outside striking distance – btw that’s 2:1 Owen, I'm catching you :-D New lad Mike O'Brien was on the chase as well as Liam Dolan, all within minutes of each other.<br />
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Reaching Palani I felt good and thought I’d pace up for a strong finish, I started off to a sprint pace and was amused by the amount of guys who tried to come along, even though it was still a mile to go. I covered the last mile in 5mins so was pleased to still have some life left in the legs. I was strong over the finish line and pleased with the time. <br />
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The conditions were hard out there and overall times seemed 15-25mins slower than previous years depending on category. I went to medical as a precaution but certainly wasn’t in the state I ended last year! I was 9mins faster than 2011, so considering the conditions I was happy with the outcome. I was 19th in AG and 108 overall inc pros, first time I've been in top 50 in Kona.<br />
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Splits for the day:<br />
Swim: 1:07:11<br />
Bike: 5:10:18<br />
Run: 3:05:51<br />
Overall: 9:29:51<br />
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There was 12 Irish finishers this year and as the sport grows in popularity and participation at home, so does our qualification numbers on the big island. Matt and Rob had some trouble on the day, and Sharon suffered in the heat but did great in her first visit to the Big Island, but they all finished, 6 of us went sub 10, that's 50% of our whole representation! Alan never lost much time on me being the hard nut he is and gave us all some pride by getting his 2nd podium on the big island with a 3rd place. Seeing him lift the bowl at the Awards ceremony inspired me and will help me get through the tough winter ahead - we all dream of that podium. <br />
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Hawaii is always an immense and magical experience, the long trip out, the nervous build up, the breakfasts at Lava Java with live music looking over the ocean. Race day comes so soon and then it’s over and you’re celebrating at the awards ceremony, the K-Swiss party and hoping you can just stay another week.<br />
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It’s my best race there yet in the hardest conditions I’ve experienced, but I enjoyed it and realised I’m starting to get a handle on how to execute in Kona, I’ve already started to plan my attack for next year. Now taking a break of course, but again we’ve discovered things that need to be worked on this winter. Back to the rain and cold with no holidays now til the new allocation in April, it’s been a great year, with some brilliant experiences. <br />
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The next few months may include some cross country and off road bike/du races, I look forward to catching up with some people who have not seen much of me this year. After Sarah spent the first few days in Kona sick, she recovered to enjoy the last 10days of the trip and I'm looking forward to doing some normal things with her before I return to monk mode. <br />
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We're all missing Kona already but we look forward to our next visit. Someone told me that Madame Pele was not happy this year, but she didn’t punish me more than anyone else, I’ll be back to see her again before long, I'm not finished yet. <br />
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Mahalo Hawaii<br />
Aloha! <br />
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<b>Sponsors and thanks</b>.<br />
A few mentions to my helpers along the way, to Alan, the guy who adds value and constantly tells me stuff no one else can, a genius who knows me better than I do. To Kinga for her great work as a physio/massage therapist, keeping me moving through those big weeks when the body is complaining so hard! I usually train alone but have regular bikes with Rowan, when he's in the mood he hurts me more than anyone and no doubt helped my bike power build over this season, strong and full of mind games, the perfect bike buddy ;-) To Geoff Bamber and David Vaughan for both providing me with a front wheel after I bust my Zipp in Lanza, and for both givimg me a good test on a training ride! I spent an hour weighing up the 2 wheels before going with the HED. Thanks to Sarah and Richard Melik for great photos. My sponsors have all been so helpful in getting me to race day in various capacities, to them I am grateful for their support, please see the right hand colum for their links. To Sarah, for always being there, always. <br />
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<b>The fun bits.</b><br />
We had all been sacrificing and working hard for a long time but there is plenty of fun things happening around the race, here's a few photos of the fun bits.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The underpants run</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fat boys</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The support crew on a coffee break</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The support crew hard at work</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The K-Swiss party</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan finds his legs after some refuelling</td></tr>
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<br />Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-35079017160534188982012-06-30T16:49:00.001-07:002012-06-30T16:49:38.048-07:00<u><b>Planes, Trains and Disc Wheels. 21-6-12</b></u><br />
This latest blog is a rolling update to what I’ve been doing since St Croix in May. The last month has involved a lot of travel for training and racing. I raced the tri limits ½ start of the month in Co. Tyrone, then I got the go ahead from the boss for 2 weeks away from the office, it was touch and go with projects coming in but I didn’t need to be told twice when he give me the nod, I was booking flights within minutes! I’ve put each section separately so you can skip to the bits that interest you, the BS70.3 report is at the bottom.<br />
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<u><b>Tri Limits 70.3, Co. Tyrone </b></u><br />
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On 2nd June I raced a half distance at home (Tri Limits 70.3 [<a href="http://www.trilimits.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tri Limits</a>]) in Tyrone, which is a tough but scenic course. It’s always great to be racing at home but I really enjoyed the extra challenge of Owen Martin being in the field. He’s a strong competitor and we are always close enough in each discipline that it becomes a proper race on the run leg. He is one of very few people I fear on the run and for good reason, he has taken me out on the Queen K and there is only ever minutes separating us on the run and overall wherever we race. In Tyrone we swam together, biked together, but he pulled 30secs out of me at the end of the bike to give himself a small cushion on the run. I knew what he was doing but I was confident in my run after St Croix 3 weeks earlier running through the field in a hot and hilly course. I kept the gap at 30 secs for the first of the four 5k laps aiming as I always do to step it up in the latter stages of the run, but coming out in to the 2nd lap my calf started to strain and I had to stop and stretch it out a few times. Within 200m the pain became significant enough to start me thinking of the long term effects, so I stopped completely and walked back to the trainsition. I was really disappointed to have to stop as I was loving the chase and the fight with Owen. He went on to win by almost 8mins. My brother John Joe had a great race too and finished 7th overall. It was a great event and I hope to go back next year - and finish this time! I also hope I can give Owen a better run for his money in Kona ;-) Liam Dolan raced too but he was on a pace cap from his coach so was not in the running. <br />
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<u><b>French Alps</b><b> Training Camp</b></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwuneg-MdtY-89mAThyphenhyphenJ3wyNL97NK1S9xQPVpIcvdfRTDHBdhp3TJ68wB2Hk6JrAejYwuRYzCnBoxrhISSJuHsUt4LEasJkCqR4fqDmYvEvQr8wYBir79ZsqYrBXw6Ji9KQMofMs3jbQ/s1600/P6120114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwuneg-MdtY-89mAThyphenhyphenJ3wyNL97NK1S9xQPVpIcvdfRTDHBdhp3TJ68wB2Hk6JrAejYwuRYzCnBoxrhISSJuHsUt4LEasJkCqR4fqDmYvEvQr8wYBir79ZsqYrBXw6Ji9KQMofMs3jbQ/s320/P6120114.JPG" width="320" /></a>A week later I headend out to the French Alps for a 5 day camp staying on Alp D’Huez. We stayed on the 16th hairpin which is a great spot but required a bit of commuting for running and swimming sessions. Each commute ended with the 6 hairpins from the bottom of the Alp which happens to be the steepest of them all :-) The local pools were closed so we commuted to a pool up in Vaujany and also found a great lake in Valbonnais for open water sessions. I trained with my buddy Rowan and we stayed with his father Tom who was based there for 6 weeks. These lads are cycling fanatics and it was a great hearing stories about past champions like Hinault and all things cycling, it was very fitting given where we were staying. Dinner in the evenings was enjoyable chat with good food, great views and the odd glass of red wine. We covered off some good rides there, including the Lautaret and the Galibier. Rowan was on a different training schedule to me but we compromised and did most sessions together. <br />
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His cycling is strong and it kept me on my toes, swimming in the pool and open water was also a close knit affair. We both had running related injuries so that took a back seat. I was there for 5 days and came back through Geneva which was a huge mistake as the travel options from Bourg D’Oisans to Geneva are terrible, I could have flown to India in the time it took to get back! On the last day we did a 40 min run together and the injuries were manageable so I decided to go ahead with the Boulder/Texas trip.<br />
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<u><b>Boulder, CO, USA – Meeting the boss, Alan Couzens</b></u><br />
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After a short stop over in London to repack and get race kit together it was off to the US for 12 days, firstly to meet my coach Alan and also check out this Boulder everyone talks about, before heading to Texas for the Buffalo Springs 70.3. I was trying to avoid a full ironman partly because of the recovery time required, but mainly because of my calf issue and concerns that it would not withstand 3 hrs of pounding the street at the end of an ironman, until I can get it properly fixed I will avoid the full distance. <br />
Boulder was impressive from the start, the heat, the beauty of the surrounding mountains, the facilities and the fantastic choice of healthy foods. I could see right away why so many pros live out there. I was a bit dazed for the first few days and I struggled with the altitude (the city sits over 1 mile up), but I was still able to train there for a week and get some decent sessions done. I was concerned originally about the output on some sessions but Alan had warned me the heat and altitude does this.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXzLUiHhGrh_Ghkf0fEX7Wtx_IRuNOPqWY3TmM1NtKMIxNXc3BxKMJmRpozQuhw1kXZ4JLoegVMWaMvmhEPcAu5lOTbd6Khip36R84vKN7-w9rnsfYfwm-YyB4rHj6i8p_pk2gRp8bx8/s1600/P6200198.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXzLUiHhGrh_Ghkf0fEX7Wtx_IRuNOPqWY3TmM1NtKMIxNXc3BxKMJmRpozQuhw1kXZ4JLoegVMWaMvmhEPcAu5lOTbd6Khip36R84vKN7-w9rnsfYfwm-YyB4rHj6i8p_pk2gRp8bx8/s320/P6200198.JPG" width="320" /></a> I was also talking with Ivan O’Gorman at the Retul headquarters, he told me this was normal and to give leeway on HR and power values given the conditions. Ivan is a Limerick man I met in Hawaii last year, he just qualified again by winning his age group in IM Coeur d’Alene. He recently switched from a P3 to a Trek and as I am considering moving on from the P3 I was interested to see how he faired – ok it seems! <br />
It was great finally getting to meet Alan who has coached me remotely since post Hawaii 2010. A few of us rode together to a pool out near his place where he analysed our strokes and passed some useful points across. I also got to meet some other Endurance Corner Athletes from the forum, kyle Fredin and Paul Lynck. I had a chat with Gordo also, who is the founder of Endurance Corner. Scott and Carol who I stayed with in St Croix were in town so I had lunch with them before the heading off. The week in Boulder went past so quickly and it was soon time to head South for the Buffalo Springs 70.3 where the weather reports were scaring the life out of me.<br />
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<u><b>Texas USA </b></u><br />
I had arranged to stay with <a href="http://emeraldracing.net/" target="_blank">Emerald</a> team mate <a href="http://robbiewade1.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Robbie Wade</a> in San Antonio before driving up to Lubbock. That was until he told me it was a 6hr drive! No thanks boss I'm flying that one ;-) Instead we met in Lubbock where Robbie was staying with his SA club mates, and a lovely crowd they were. <br />
Lubbock is a strange place, industrial, a big city of blocks, block after block, with no real downtown area. Outside the city was farm land, big farms, and oil fields that go on for miles, literally. I arrived in enough time to look around but there wasn't a huge lot to do other than prepare for the race. The hotel I stayed in had a lot of big guys wearing baseball gear (more likely supporting than playing). I once shared the lift with 4 of them, it was big enough for 12 normal people, but the 5 of us had her bursting at the seams and I don't take up much room :-) <br />
Lubbock was hotter than Boulder and reports of 110F in last year’s race had me concerned. It is a dry heat though and more bearable than the humidity of Hawaii or St Croix. Hydration and electrolytes were still going to be of prime importance. The race was very well organised and has a great history. The officials were helpful and friendly as were all the locals. The Hawaii slot availability was obvious as I noticed lots of familiar faces from other qualifier races, and for such an abstract town in the middle of nowhere there was a very high standard of entries. <br />
In the 2 days before the race I got out to the race site and did a session in each discipline, this allowed me to check parts of the course and the swim area. It also gave me an opportunity to test some heat and hydration management. The course was hilly and windy, but to my dread the thing that concerned me most was the intensity of the heat. When moving in to the wind it was fine but in wind shaded parts it was difficult to breath and I found myself gasping for air and water constantly. <br />
The expo was good and I stocked up on a few items for the race. Unlike St Croix I was not going to be trying anything new this time around! I made sure to mix protein in to diet the day before rather than full carb loading. I hydrated well with carb drinks and plenty of electrolytes. <br />
I didn’t have a great sleep but race morning came and I accepted I would have a little fatigue from the lack of sleep and just from being on the road over the past few weeks. The training in boulder was not too crazy, an aggressive taper but controlled and although some fatigue was expected it was not crippling. Logistics at race site were good regards traffic, parking and getting in to transition. The usual nerves were evident but the darkness soon turned to dusk as we neared race start time and the athletes started splashing around to get used to the water.<br />
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<u><b>Buffalo Springs 70.3 – Showtime!</b></u><br />
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The race was done in waves 2mins apart with the pros off first. Mine was 4th wave and off we went in to a traffic jam of bodies. There may have been some draft benefit from the crowd in front but it was difficult to get through the melee trying not to waste energy getting around the slower swimmers. I got some breathing space around the ½ way mark and picked up a good draft from some big guy who was steady and easy to follow. Coming out in late 28mins I was delighted as it's the first time I’ve swam under 30. The transition was easy to navigate yet I still managed to lose time to my competitors. Coming out of T1 there is an immediate 10% climb so a nice surprise for anyone who hadn’t checked the details. The course had a few climbs in the form of canyons which was surprising for this otherwise very flat and non-eventful land.<br />
I felt ok at the start of the bike, the sun had just appeared and so was still quite cool. The pace was good and I could see the standard was high with a few guys out there checking each others AG status. I went with one guy early on, I stayed about 30-40m back on the flat but on the hills he would slow down and I would sail past him. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-gOgFCsRj95GC32qixfq4j4T-b8eV_JxSY5-OOSfamG1DOYjJX3Q3Iav9z50NLm18JyFeVBZAz0Qu6w0-jB5vdSDtj9MtpXR19DaAd2e-a_gt1eX3maW1vcpHFUJlWDP1s6BHkwGWXc/s1600/texas+bike+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-gOgFCsRj95GC32qixfq4j4T-b8eV_JxSY5-OOSfamG1DOYjJX3Q3Iav9z50NLm18JyFeVBZAz0Qu6w0-jB5vdSDtj9MtpXR19DaAd2e-a_gt1eX3maW1vcpHFUJlWDP1s6BHkwGWXc/s320/texas+bike+6.JPG" width="211" /></a>The first half of the bike felt quite easy, the pace was fast and the wind was mostly from behind or the side. The 2nd half became more difficult as we headed towards the climbs and the headwinds coming as we started back towards T2. I had slowed down for a toilet break in the last 30mins so your man disappeared off completely, so I ended up alone with big head winds but I was trying not to expend too much energy. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_ZHkKK93k0PveLGDtjeS74PGhfVWz-iNiR62FLqA6BG6InsE9QU4ENABmqrMxpKbjuR5weiacEj7plW_GFrd25T9aDy_jR2VVS2mqmNxk1jhOV8C-2mgvy9nZ9AjbQKerIknQF4KF-Q/s1600/texas+bike+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_ZHkKK93k0PveLGDtjeS74PGhfVWz-iNiR62FLqA6BG6InsE9QU4ENABmqrMxpKbjuR5weiacEj7plW_GFrd25T9aDy_jR2VVS2mqmNxk1jhOV8C-2mgvy9nZ9AjbQKerIknQF4KF-Q/s320/texas+bike+3.JPG" width="212" /></a>Alan had warned about big power output resulting in big heat generation so I tried to behave myself as we readied up for the run. I could have pushed harder on the bike but with so little running in the last month with the calf issue I was reluctant to chance any more output for the sake of a 2mins faster bike. Coming in to T2 the heat was manageable but I was feeling some cramping in the calf and hamstrings. Leaving T2 I had to stop and stretch the calf, and rubbing it out to the entertainment of the commentator and the crowd! The crampy feeling stayed for a while so I took the start of the run very easy. Again I had some guidelines from Alan with respect to pacing during the race in the conditions and these felt about right once I settled in. I thought I’d leave it 20mins or so before stepping up the pace and heading for the podium. On the main climb out of the canyon I heard some guy coming behind breathing like a train, you could hear him a mile away.<br />
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He was a fast runner though and quickly went past me and the other guys around me. I thought it was a good time to step up the pace so I went with him, not right on him but kept him within 20-30m. I was tired going in to the race and the step up in pace was an effort, much more so than I normally feel in the run. My lack of running and the calf issue was right in the forefront of my thinking regardless of how much I tried to ignore it. At the bottom of the big decent there was no breeze and I really started to feel the heat. It was a dead heat and I started to become uncomfortable. As I chased the heavy breather boy we dropped the others quickly and started to pick off runners ahead, but as we were now in the top 30 overall there were very few slow guys ahead at this stage, each runner about 100-200m apart so picking them off was really hard work in the heat.<br />
After the decent the road rises again out of the canyon for another big climb. Now the pros were coming through and I couldn’t believe it when I seen Robbie flying down the hill in 4th place. He was gliding with a beautiful stride that only a proper runner could produce. I was proud to see him up there with the big names and well ahead of Luke Bell. I shouted him on and with his Waterford accent he screamed for me to ‘’Keep Charging!’’ It gave me the lift I needed to get further up the field. There is then a right turn out to a section aptly named after the Hawaiian 'Energy Lab'. It was a straight road of about 4 miles with zero protection from the sun and by this stage it was burning the life out of me. At least a small breeze was present as we headed out to the turning point. It was also a good place to figure out who was ahead and I counted myself in around 6th place by now in my AG, though still some distance back on the podium. As we hit the turn point the gentle breeze was gone and dead heat created that eerie silence any triathlete dreads in hot conditions. Your man was still 20m ahead and I was in a bad place but it was now or never for the podium, so I attacked. I moved up on him as calmly as I could because I knew he would respond, so I had to go past hard. As I got to him he was aware of me and his breathing pattern changed, as did his cadence. Runners don’t like being passed so he was ready to fight. I upped the pace as much as possible without going in to the red, I was suffering but I didnt want him to sense that. Of course he came with me but his breathing was out of control and I moved from the middle of the road to the edge to make him use more energy, I gave it one more kick and he was gone. I went in to auto after that. That was one man down but there was at least 5 more guys ahead in my AG all fighting for those Kona spots. The numbering system was hard to decyypher and so to minimise risk I thought I’d just keep that pace as long as possible and pass as many as I can without blowing up.<br />
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I seen no one for a while but then ahead at the big climb back to the entrance of the park there was a bunch of runners grouped together. This was about 4 miles to go and although I was suffering I knew by the look of these guys they were tired too, so I attacked again and picked off about 5 or 6 on that hill alone. My calf was on the edge and probably prevented me from kicking too hard and blowing up, but I was back in the park now and with less than 3 miles to go I was becoming confident I had passed enough guys to get me in the podium position. <br />
I passed a few more athletes in the last mile but by then everyone was fried and just trying to get over the line. Another 1% effort and I think I would have fell unconscious. I came over the line and spent the next 10mins drinking and showering in about 6 water bottles. My immediate thoughts were of sympathy for those now just leaving T2, the midday heat was now in full force and vicious. <br />
I was in 3rd place and Tim Hola who I’ve read much about and knew would podium was in second, but I knew in advance he had already qualified so I could rest easy knowing I was heading to Kona again. Yes back to Kona - to suffer like this again only for twice as long! We really are a crazy bunch... <br />
When I checked the results I was pleasantly surprised again! Robbie had passed for the podium since I spotted him. A great result against big names in a big event. He’s only 30 so I think we can expect big things from him. Only for his wife he was close to giving up and going back to running, I think we are all glad he stayed!! We had a few beers at the after party and toasted a good day.<br />
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I went in to the race tired and a bit broken, I was still confident I had enough in me to get the spot, and I only just did. But now I will be sensible and recuperate properly before doing any more racing, especially full distance. Alan agreed and wants the focus on Kona without any big races to jeopardise injury or fitness. <br />
I had a fantastic time away, for now it is back to the cold and work. I’m looking forward to seeing Sarah in real life instead of on skype. Supportive and understanding as always, like my family she is always there for me and on hard days it is great to have this.<br />
As always I am so grateful for the support and help of my sponsors. Without them this sport would be so much more difficult and I am glad to be working with them towards the world championships in Hawaii. <br />
# <a href="http://bespokecycling.com/" target="_blank">Bespoke Cycling and Performance Lab</a><br />
# <a href="http://www.champ-sys.com/" target="_blank">Champion System</a><br />
# <a href="http://www.barefoot-design.com/home/" target="_blank">Barefoot Design</a><br />
# <a href="http://www.compressport.uk.com/" target="_blank">Compressport </a><br />
# <a href="http://www.cherrygood.com/" target="_blank">Cherrygood</a><br />
A big challenge ahead but there's nothing like a bit of team work!Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-56482012074107638572012-05-18T16:13:00.003-07:002012-05-18T16:40:57.612-07:00Ironman 70.3 St Croix 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The last time I was in the Caribbean was a short trip post 70.3 Clearwater 2008 and I spoke to my father when I got back:<br />
‘ah you were away on holidays there, how’d it go?’, <br />
‘Da, I was at the Ironman 70.3 world championships’, <br />
‘Oh aye, one of your hardman things, how ‘d you get on? Did you take the bike? Auld Seamy Bradley died there when you were away, did you know him?’ <br />
Not totally sure who the guy was that died but I gave up on the Ironman talk… Luckily a few years on our sport is better understood and my father certainly knows a lot more about it, he played Gaelic football for Derry in his time so he appreciates sport and fitness. <br />
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Ironman St Croix is a race of legendary status with all the greats having won there over the years from it’s origin back in the 80s, Mark Allen, Mike Pigg, Dave Scott and more recently Craig Alexander and Terenzo Bozzone. The week there was a great experience, the island, the beaches, the people. My friend Karen introduced me to many islanders she has met there over the years and they took great care of us. I spent the first few days with Scott and Carol, a very welcoming home with the most stunning views and a tri mad house (their pets are named after races!).<br />
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The island is well versed for the race and locals appreciate the influx of tourists and no doubt the input to the economy. With the island’s oil refinery shutting down they have their own economic issues and big spending triathletes I imagine are a welcome sight. They were also excited as we all were that Lance Armstrong would be racing towards his goal of Kona this year. The local TV and radio stations were reporting on this superstar’s arrival. At the ‘jump up’ festival before the race, a local girl asked us if we had a photo of this guy Armstrong, we didn’t but she then said how cool it was that she was going to see the first man who walked on the moon… I guess it was a similar theory that allowed Ronald Regan to become a US president! <br />
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Schoolboy errors: St Croix was exactly what I thought it would be, hilly, windy, very hot and humid. On race day it rained hard, but this did little to curb the humidity. Once again I struggled in the heat, but there are other factors that may have caused me issues on race day. I broke a golden rule – twice! ‘Never try anything new on or before race day!’. I was concerned about missing out on hydration and minerals in the conditions so I was trying different methods to load up the day before without stuffing myself with food. Some of the other athletes were taking sodium chloride the night before the race; it is regularly used in medical after the race, so it seemed like a good idea. It certainly hydrated me but perhaps too much, it meant I was running to pee all night and so I had a very broken sleep. I also tried ensure, a supplement drink that has everything we lose in a race, but this seemed to run straight through me as well! <br />
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This left me buzzing the night before the race, feeling very restless and certainly not tired enough to sleep, and to boot I set the alarm on my phone which was still set on uk time, when it woke me at 11pm, in my sleepy state it took me a while to figure out if my phone or wrist watch was correct and subsequently it took me some time to get back to sleep. I then slept right through my correct alarm at 4am to be woken by Dedrick who I was staying with before the race. He was heading down to race start to run the medical tent and so was wondering why my room was so quiet. He banged on my door at 4:45, 15mins before transition opened and only for him I would have missed the race altogether! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYu3YXHJt4ZAlpQ1wGhsi4qa3tYkXgtwH4rE_6wY1ToZVGaCZCNHbmwHZ-DyO_tZKj2JoQr0FGyICPuFDluWBsHe-wzmLNbBliklM7y3D3A4gdmo-DEFNnF5gpGoQJfNL4Ye4VSKEsl-Y/s1600/st+croix+swim+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYu3YXHJt4ZAlpQ1wGhsi4qa3tYkXgtwH4rE_6wY1ToZVGaCZCNHbmwHZ-DyO_tZKj2JoQr0FGyICPuFDluWBsHe-wzmLNbBliklM7y3D3A4gdmo-DEFNnF5gpGoQJfNL4Ye4VSKEsl-Y/s320/st+croix+swim+1.JPG" width="213" /></a>Race morning I felt sluggish, whether is was the lack of sleep or the dehydration I’m not sure but I didn’t let it get to me. Athletes must swim across from the main island to the small island for the beach start, I proceeded with the warm up Alan had set me, it included some race starts and race pace efforts. On the small island athletes were gathering nervously as the pros lined the start area. This was useful as we got to see how they positioned themselves and what method they used for the beach start. Each group was being sent off in 2mins intervals, we were up 5th group and the largest of the age groups. <br />
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I started front left with the plan to get away sharp and swim near the rope to avoid the roundabout route and also the mêlée in the middle of the pack. I think this worked ok but the fast swimmers were already taking off and I was struggling to stay on the fast feet. I veered left out of trouble when we went through the ‘gate’ buoys, but after that point I struggled to find a draft as the athletes were either too fast or too slow for me to work with, this was to be indicative of my day ahead. I felt sluggish and went anaerobic quickly when trying to stay on any fast feet. I exited the water in 33mins and knew something was up as I had swam the same course 2 days earlier in 31 dead. <br />
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On to the bike and the rain started hard, it was to stay like this for the next 2½ hours. Not the type of rain we get in Ireland but a warm rain that creates huge puddles in the road. I had planned around 250w avg. This course is so hilly that I was way over that early on and had to stay focused on bringing the power down, with the beast ahead it was a challenge staying below 250w. As soon as the bike started 4 guys went past me, not just drafting but working as a TT team, within 5 inches of each others wheel, each taking a turn. I gave out a bit of grief to them, I got a response that I didn’t fully understand but I don’t think he was welcoming me to the Island! As a motorbike came up behind I thought that would split them up, it didn’t and the biker seemed more interested in showing off his Harley Davidson skills with no hands on the handlebars. <br />
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I had ridden the coastal road a few times so I knew the corner before the beast was sharp and slippy as it was covered by weeping trees that hang over the road. Just before it some guy came past wearing tequila sunrise speedos, I don’t want to assume he was German but I was impressed with his Faris like turn out. Anyway he didn’t seem to know the course as he went head first in to the hedge on the slippy corner, not hard and he stayed upright. On the beast he came back past me and started zigzagging over the road as we reached the 26% section, I could have wasted a lot of energy shouting but decided to reserve my energy. He was providing some entertainment and distraction from the pain so I let it go. <br />
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After the beast the course drops downhill for a few miles then goes on a non stop rolling coastal route, with constant headwinds. I managed my power plan easily enough but just never felt very good. Working alone in the headwind I raced my own race but was unaware of the leaders in my age group pulling away miles ahead. I came back in to town in 2:42 and seeing some of my age group out on the run already realised I had a lot of work to do to catch up. We had planned for me to ease off a little on the bike in return for a good run, this may not have been the best strategy considering the others team tactics and even though my normalised power was 271w, I can’t help thinking that many of those watts were wasted. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAug1dqrz-8J8ZLVaEJ1AnY9ixoVoOGOZILcNVBGG3ocVQhTQkOh0jZT4sdwZGFAgbwOLmtt_zrW4Q25WSs_OIJ1eMO45gJyRsaIzNERpjH4Qa6ob6l5Fxiz6F677wtC2LoFb_h2yogU/s1600/st+croix+run+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAug1dqrz-8J8ZLVaEJ1AnY9ixoVoOGOZILcNVBGG3ocVQhTQkOh0jZT4sdwZGFAgbwOLmtt_zrW4Q25WSs_OIJ1eMO45gJyRsaIzNERpjH4Qa6ob6l5Fxiz6F677wtC2LoFb_h2yogU/s320/st+croix+run+2.JPG" width="215" /></a>My running was strong going in to this and no injuries meant I could chase from the start. I recognised two guys ahead from my age group but one of them was so far ahead I had to let that go. Sticking to around 150HR I worked my way through the field, the hills coupled with the smothering heat made for hard work on this challenging course. I recorded the run as 500m long too, but this should have benefited me. <br />
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I recorded a 1:23 run, it was the fastest amateur run and 6th fastest overall, but not enough to get me in the top 5. Coming in 6th, the kona slots went to 4th and Jan Siberson in 5th was just 20secs ahead of me. The two guys who came 1-2 in my age group had identical splits up until the run, there is ‘working together’ and then there is ‘Working Together’, but if running 10mins in to someone is not enough then maybe I should be more streetwise next time! <br />
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My biking was strong going in to this race, my power was up on my best from last year but I think I could have used my wattage and energy better, working alone in these conditions was not smart. I don’t mean drafting like I witnessed early on the bike, more so working with someone of similar pace, staying legal distance and using them for motivation and pace reference. It could have made the 3mins difference for the Kona slot. <br />
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It’s the freshest I’ve ever felt after a 70.3, especially considering the tough course and conditions, after a minute of getting my breath back from the sprint finish I felt great and was chatting to my friend John from medical on the finish line, but of course I had immediate thoughts of ‘could I have hurt myself more’. Kona slots are not easy come by, and in the 70.3 shortcut to Kona those 2 slots are extremely competitive. Missing the kona slot by 3mins, it’s hard not to think of the many things I could have done differently to make up this time, but the race is over and I have to focus on my next attempt.<br />
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Next up is Tri Limits 70.3 distance, Co Tyrone in early June, and at this stage I’m hoping to try IM 70.3 Buffalo Springs in Texas for another shot at a Kona slot in late June. It is very hot there, but a dry heat rather than the humid type. Again the competition will be rife and those 2 slots hard fought for. I like a fight so I’m hoping I can make the trip happen, my Emerald team mate Robbie Wade has offered to keep me over and recce the course with me so it’s a strong possibility. For now Roth is still on the cards but it depends on the outcome of the BS 70.3, if that fails then IM Switzerland is another option. By then I can’t say I didn’t try the ½ distance qualifier! :-) My goal for the season remains getting to Kona. <br />
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St Croix. is a great race and a great experience, it has a well earned reputation and I recommend it to anyone who likes hills and heat! The island makes for a great holiday too, when we were hanging out with local A&E doctor John who often spears his own fish for lunch, you know when you’re far from home :-)<br />
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Good luck to my Emerald team mates racing this weekend around the globe, my brother John Joe is racing Austria 70.3 as well. Hope the terrain and weather suits your strengths guys! We’ll all be watching online! <br />
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Thanks to all my sponsors for their support: Bespoke Performance Lab, Champion System, CherryGood, Compressport and Barefoot. See the links on the right colum for more details. I’d also like to thank therapist <a href="http://www.softtissuetherapist.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kinga Bornemisza</a> for keeping me injury free in the run up to the event, good work!Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-6026396138450031842012-03-13T18:01:00.004-07:002012-03-14T05:13:41.026-07:00The Season Ahead - 2012<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With the season starting last week for some of my tri buddies at Abu Dhabi, comes the realisation that we are already in March! I’ve been organising my 2012 sponsors and of course there is the launch of our new team Emerald Racing (</span><a href="http://emeraldracing.net/"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://emeraldracing.net/</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> ). A great concept by world class duathlete and founder David Vaughan, the all Irish team was announced 2 weeks ago and already we are seeing a lot of hits and interest from the multisport community. All 10 members are at the top of their game and racing internationally for Ireland at various distances.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Triathlon is predominantly an individual sport and I haven’t played much team sport since my Gaelic football days. I wasn’t a great player but the Bellaghy team I played for was strong and we won everything in the county under age. I just made the team back then, and looking at the new Emerald Racing team, again I think I just made the cut! I see this as extra motivation to keep me moving on those cold rainy days. The sport is picking up at home and it’s exciting to be part of such a strong professional team. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On to sponsors for 2012, this list is not final and as we promote and progress through the season I expect this to expand/modify through the needs of the team, my sponsors and myself. This year I am proud to be backed by the following sponsors:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bespoke Cycling - </span></span><a href="http://bespokecycling.com/"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://bespokecycling.com/</span></span></a><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Champion System - </span></span><a href="http://www.champ-sys.com/"><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://www.champ-sys.com/</span></span></a><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Barefoot Design - </span></span><a href="http://www.barefoot-design.com/home/"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://www.barefoot-design.com/home/</span></span></a><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Compressport - </span></span><a href="http://compressport.uk.com/"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://compressport.uk.com</span></span></a><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cherrygood - </span></span><a href="http://www.cherrygood.com/"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://www.cherrygood.com/</span></span></a><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last year I experienced a couple of good races and seen what I was capable of, working with Alan we also learned that I can lose fitness quickly and struggle to peak properly more than once in a season. However this could be more a mental issue than physical as I get distracted by various external interference. This coming season I was hoping to peak early for St Croix 70.3 as it is a Kona qualifier, and Roth, just because I want to be fast there. But Alan knows me well, he is technically brilliant and has the numbers to back up his theories, so he is only allowing me a minor peak for these races with the main aim being to race well in Kona. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kona Hawaii is a race that has always intimidated me, but I love the challenge, this year will be my 3<sup>rd</sup> visit to the big island and I’m hoping to execute properly this time. My previous attempts of 9:48 and 9:38 were reasonable for the conditions, but I want to get much closer to 9hrs. Before planning Hawaii I first need to qualify, St Croix is one of very few remaining IM70.3s that are Kona qualifiers. It is subsequently very competitive and a tough course in conditions similar to Kona, which I do not have a good record with. There are just 2 qualifier slots that never roll down and already a handful of names in my age group mean I will need to have the race of my life. If I fail to qualify there the plan is to drop Roth and replace with a European full IM as a qualifier, a revisit to Germany or Austria are potential candidates. A risky strategy but we all like a challenge in life ;-) I’m also hoping to race a few more Irish races this season and use them as an excuse to get home more, my sisters are good at letting me know I don’t come home often enough! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My planned races for 2012 so far:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ironman 70.3 St Croix</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roth Germany – Long Course (Ironman distance)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tri limits half Ironman, Co Tyrone</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lough Neagh Tri</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Powerman Austria Duathlon**</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ironman 70.3 Vegas *</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ironman Hawaii * </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*pending qualification</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**thankfully Vaughan aint racing this one ;-)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Training has been going ok, I’ve been getting the sessions done but only just. This year has been very challenging at work as we try to close some highly stressful and technically difficult projects. My colleagues are very dedicated individuals and I often feel guilty when I leave work at 7pm to train for 3hrs while a lot of them are still there sweating over some foreign trading exchange who are losing traffic and giving them a hard time, but we’re all in it together and when I’m sitting on a conference call at 3am with a similar issue the guilt leaves and my priority becomes - fix the issue asap and get some sleep before that session tomorrow. I had a dream a few weeks back where I was in a race and so far behind that I was still in the swim but could see the finishers on the lake side drinking and celebrating their results, the referee was thumping me with a paddle from a boat, he turned out to be a senior director from my business and he was adamant that I finished. When I woke up sweating I realised it was time to start managing my work and training stress in a more structured way, I certainly was not going to give in to it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes I wish the stress didn’t exist but the truth is I thrive on it, we all need challenges and I like the buzz of a frightening situation. It is similar to the pre race nerves and doubts, and if you’re reading this blog, then you probably know what I’m talking about already. It’s a buzz that we are all addicted to and we wouldn’t be happy without a hit every now and then. Key sessions in training have a similar effect. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A friend of mine told me recently that they did a 45km run, got lost and did an extra 10k, so just the 55km run then… on a Sunday. I asked if they listened to any music, they said they had only one album on there, on repeat, it was a Cher album… It made me laugh but also made me realise what a bunch of headers us long distance athletes are. It’s no secret we are all running away from stuff, but it also can be as simple as ‘it makes us feel good’. There are great endorphin highs abundant in this sport and many of my friends at home are getting in to running and cycling, it’s like a drug and we are all hooked, except this drug prolongs and improves the quality of our lives! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Later this year I plan to launch a small coaching setup with a training buddy Rowan O’Driscoll. A powerhouse from Cork with more organising and coaching skills than myself, Rowan is a good man to have around, together we work well and hope to make it a solid setup in the coming months. We train a lot together as Rowan’s biking is strong and some of my best race prep last year was spent trying to drop him on race SIMs (I didn’t drop him). We have started by trialing our methods on a small number of athletes with the plan of expanding as we see fit through the year. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s all for now folks, will be posting some updates and details from the team and sponsors as we progress through the year. Happy training and have a great season! </span></div>Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-67284393725575680602012-01-04T17:46:00.000-08:002012-01-05T07:14:17.199-08:00Triathlon Ireland High Performance Training Camp, Aguilas, Spain, December 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQfvcfn7GYPXSQixKnMpx5sq_KxJCbmpJ541uToVvge1Nw6riI72I7Es_yo2jxhUoCAZV3Q_kgKJ58qW4ZI_SFbyvipEpN7m5Ht8QSLQClTuu9jLML5u021MUkj4SLPa1ieGKw8_GlbY/s1600/CIMG9069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQfvcfn7GYPXSQixKnMpx5sq_KxJCbmpJ541uToVvge1Nw6riI72I7Es_yo2jxhUoCAZV3Q_kgKJ58qW4ZI_SFbyvipEpN7m5Ht8QSLQClTuu9jLML5u021MUkj4SLPa1ieGKw8_GlbY/s400/CIMG9069.JPG" width="400px" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I met Chris Jones at the TI Awards night in Dublin, he was giving me some tips on power extension over long distance. His record is more with short course athletes but he clearly had knowledge on longer distance discipline and has helped the likes of Chrissie Wellington. He asked if I was interested in training with the squad on the upcoming camp. I was concerned that the short distance pace would not suit a long distance athlete and my swimming was too far behind, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity! I was looking forward to getting away from the cold weather to train solidly for 10days, and when the details came though it was exciting as I knew I’d be training with some very fast people. Apart from the main ITU squad, there were some junior athletes and also single discipline athletes. The following athletes attended the camp:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_CsF6lWXuqXdeVQLAnXXVrrEQnt_2NLchpI-lf85FZ4RLLrcKtGsop_shmC3upThkUf2XeogZnaEqAVscuJmLaMNQYfsASAP5Vd1KImF_vIp6Hsmp-IG2DtG3HiadvilHJm-XoBGrN4/s1600/CIMG9051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_CsF6lWXuqXdeVQLAnXXVrrEQnt_2NLchpI-lf85FZ4RLLrcKtGsop_shmC3upThkUf2XeogZnaEqAVscuJmLaMNQYfsASAP5Vd1KImF_vIp6Hsmp-IG2DtG3HiadvilHJm-XoBGrN4/s400/CIMG9051.JPG" width="400px" /></span></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Athletes:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elite Triathlon: Gavin Noble, Conor Murphy, Bryan Keane and Aileen Morrison (Bryan in rehab from bike accident)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Junior Triathlon: Con Doherty, Aaron O’Brien</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cycling: Phillip Deignan, Caroline Ryan, Jack Wilson</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Track athletes: Darren McBrearty, Thomas Chamney</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Coaching team:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Performance Director - Chris Jones – mainly triathlon, but also looking after single discipline sports for the Olympics. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cycling - Tommy Evans who also helps out with the run and swim coaching. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Junior Squad - Elena Maslova. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Physio/conditioning - <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Deirdre Burrell</span>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got to see why the others call her Magic Hands! she had worked me out within seconds by just looking at me, and the treatment was quite unique. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Aguilas and the Camp:</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The town of Aguilas is a perfect training ground, on the southern coast of Spain where the temperature in December is close to 20c. The hotel we stayed in was well located by the beach for open water swimming and had many run options on and off road. It was 5mins drive from two swimming pools and the cycling was fantastic with quiet roads and lots of scenic climbs. The hotel itself was great and the food spot on, a buffet style with lots of variety – though they probably didn’t know what hit them when a bunch of athletes turned up! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before heading out there, </span><a href="http://www.endurancecorner.com/Alan_Couzens" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Alan</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> didn’t set me exact sessions to do as we decided this would not work on a camp with mixed distance athletes, instead he set me a few rules on maximum HR (or at least rules on how often I was allowed to break my HR caps! ;-) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Day 1 started in the pool, I was regularly swimming sub 5:55 for 400s in the week before, but now I was in with people who swim sub 4:40! the nearest person to me was a 17mins 1500m swimmer... </span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEopC1z2bBPcHImlPTTGzGrM-AXLBnZAcpCIoGSgupnVLtHqQ2t6MlZbi5bek0NAi6bTdJJ1iT5mwDhVPB33OLYwHCtNiyFl5rm1WtJYkgSOpiOPYo0UU2_vEP5WL89nlEwmWhdiDHIY/s1600/ti+camp+swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="168px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEopC1z2bBPcHImlPTTGzGrM-AXLBnZAcpCIoGSgupnVLtHqQ2t6MlZbi5bek0NAi6bTdJJ1iT5mwDhVPB33OLYwHCtNiyFl5rm1WtJYkgSOpiOPYo0UU2_vEP5WL89nlEwmWhdiDHIY/s400/ti+camp+swim.jpg" width="400px" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chris was understanding as I had warned him about my swimming so he put me in a separate lane and modified the sets slightly to get me through them. He noticed I was lying on my left arm too long and needed to up my cadence. The guys were swimming over 6k some mornings but I covered a shorter distance. The bike sessions we mostly did as a group but running was more optional and left to suit the individual athlete. When the coaches would be off with some guys testing, the others would do their own run for example. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When out on the bike and on the runs I was more comfortable and glad to leave behind the isolation of the pool. I was room sharing with Conor Murphy, a sound lad from Portadown who is aiming for 2014 Commonwealth Games and Rio 2016. We train for different race distances but were both trying to work the camp as aerobic so we did most sessions together. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbxd9sNahyphenhyphenwA4_IWoTzDhWzC-__l3Awh0jCCEIlfT9v9T7VEvahOPVTKkG9LJZdSZns_eVCZmovac1PwKJOvBqGJFHLx-X4lFSz2qnPVkdz4lMSrzN2FttgscZmdVYIBZjTAw2S2IpqU/s1600/CIMG9056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbxd9sNahyphenhyphenwA4_IWoTzDhWzC-__l3Awh0jCCEIlfT9v9T7VEvahOPVTKkG9LJZdSZns_eVCZmovac1PwKJOvBqGJFHLx-X4lFSz2qnPVkdz4lMSrzN2FttgscZmdVYIBZjTAw2S2IpqU/s400/CIMG9056.JPG" width="400px" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The bike sessions were predominantly aerobic and when some of the guys were riding the hills I tried to avoid getting caught up in it. We did go at it at times but mostly within the 10% rule Alan had set me (mostly!). Tommy Evans was always there telling us what each session was for, imparting lots of technical advice and knowledge, but also to keep us in line - namely for me to stop riding close in the pack and to stop descending like an eegit!<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #c0504d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2;"> </span>Tommy is a former RAS winner and Olympian so no shortage of experience.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The following is a log of the sessions done. NP is Normalised power, TSS is Training Stress Score. If you’re not familiar with these terms have a read of this: </span><a href="http://www.endurancecorner.com/wko_definitions"><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit;">http://www.endurancecorner.com/wko_definitions</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Totals for the week:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-collapse: collapse; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: auto auto auto 4.65pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 648px;"><tbody>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 56pt;" valign="bottom" width="75"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 149pt;" valign="bottom" width="199"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">week1(3days)</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 137pt;" valign="bottom" width="183"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">week2</span></span></div></td><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 144pt;" valign="bottom" width="192"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">Totals for 10days</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 56pt;" valign="bottom" width="75"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">hrs</span></span></div></td><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 149pt;" valign="bottom" width="199"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">13.7</span></span></div></td><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 137pt;" valign="bottom" width="183"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">27</span></span></div></td><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 144pt;" valign="bottom" width="192"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">40.7hrs</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 56pt;" valign="bottom" width="75"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">TSS</span></span></div></td><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 149pt;" valign="bottom" width="199"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">895</span></span></div></td><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 137pt;" valign="bottom" width="183"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">1761</span></span></div></td><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 144pt;" valign="bottom" width="192"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">2656TSS</span></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">More details for the geeks, summarised from my Training Peaks log:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: auto auto auto 4.65pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 663px;"><tbody>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; height: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div></td><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">swim</span></span></b></div></td><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">bike</span></span></b></div></td><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">run</span></span></b></div></td><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">cross</span></span></b></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 45pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">09/12/2012</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">fast sets, mixed swim/pull. 90mins</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">steady, few efforts above aerobic, 2hrs45, NP 214W, 169TSS</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">steady run off bike, no hr monitor used. 25mins</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">30mins core/stretch</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 60pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">10/12/2012</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">400s/300s/200s with 50s in between of s/d/s. 90mins</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">short ride with CP values - Tommy had us test<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- cp0.5/4/20. Total ride 1hr49, NP 262W, 170TSS.</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">easy/steady coastal run. 1hr, mixed terrain, 80TSS</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 45pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">11/12/2012</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">pool closed</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">4hrs, 3 climbs. Mainly aerobic, few climbs above 80% hr. NP 235W, 303TSS </span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">no run</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">30mins core/stretch</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 60pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">12/12/2012</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">main set mixed 300s & 600s, 90mins</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">no ride</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">“Steady” long run, 11miles normalised pace 6mins/mile. 75mins, 1223ft climbing. 150TSS!</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 75pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">13/12/2012</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 75pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">wu, mixed intro, ms 3*800, 90mins</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 75pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">long ride hilly, 4hrs, 3600ft climbs, NP227, 290TSS</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 75pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">Track, drills and circuits: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">wu/drills, 4*500/200 on/off track, ccts, 4*400/100, ccts, 4*300/100, ccts, 4*200/100, ccts, cd. 1hr42, 149TSS.</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 75pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 45pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">14/12/2012</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">wu, 40*50, various pace, 80mins</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">short ride including 15min intervals at 80%. 145TSS, NP233W. 1hr57.</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">no run</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">30mins core/stretch</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 45pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">15/12/2012</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">recovery set 80mins (didn't feel like recovery to me!)</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">longish ride, fairly pacey, NP 248W, 266TSS, 4400ft climbs, 3hr10.</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">no run</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 45pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">16/12/2012</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">no swimming for me, the guys went to pool.</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>easy bike with short sprints (8*10secs) 1hr30</span></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">easy long run - same route as on 12th - but 15mins slower! 90mins, 114TSS.</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">30mins core/stretch</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 30pt; mso-yfti-irow: 9;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 30pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">17/12/2012</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 30pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">open water swim with wetsuits - got dropped even with fins on!</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 30pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">easy spin on bike</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 30pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">no run</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 30pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<tr style="height: 45pt; mso-yfti-irow: 10;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">18/12/2012</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">pool closed</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">long bike aerobic, 2 climbs, 4hrs, 3750ft climbs, NP 233W, 300TSS.</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">45mins steady run, few climbs, 45TSS</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 45pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">30mins core/stretch</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 30pt; mso-yfti-irow: 11; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td nowrap="true" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 30pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 64.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="87"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">19/12/2012</span></span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 30pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 113.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">1k wu, 2*400, 3*50, 2*300, 3*50, 2*100, 3*50, 400 cd. 1hr</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 30pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 127.6pt;" valign="bottom" width="170"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">travel</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 30pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 120.45pt;" valign="bottom" width="161"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">travel</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 30pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 70.9pt;" valign="bottom" width="95"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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</tbody></table></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During a track/drills session, I noticed a big difference in balance on the single leg exercises where Gavin and Conor were very stable, but I was all over the place. I do a fair bit of core and strength work but this made me realise I have a lot more to do to get that imbalance corrected! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As an athlete and a fan of the sport, it was an exciting place to be, there was always something going on. The coaches had a busy time running around between sessions and dealing with various athletes. There was a support vehicle on most rides and there were various types of testing going on throughout the camp. It was great to see how these guys operate and learn how they do things. It was well organised and rare that anyone was late for a session, us lads here could learn a few things ;-) The athletes were knowledgeable about their sport and their competitors as you’d expect and although they seemed to be just getting on with it and having fun, they each had a steely determination that I’ve only seen in a handful of my competitors and training partners. This is what I think separates them from the most of us, regardless of talent. I was explaining to Aileen Morrison about my issues with racing in the heat, she said it was most likely in my head and I needed to stop lying to myself, I'll be studying that one for homework!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the 10 days I felt great, a bit tired but not overly so, as the last few days were less intense and lower in volume. Probably the best shape I’ve ever been in this close to Christmas and certainly in a better place than I was this time last year! I write this after returning to work, with an immediate rise in stress levels - I’d swap for a month in Spain anytime! The 10days camp left me with ½ day annual leave until April so it will be cold weather and early starts from now til then unfortunately. At least when I’m stuck in my concrete office I can still be inspired by the experience. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHOwE0pS8-41QLReB8zkpyKvFUE5Cp-heLZU_q_ibRJ4WX8MhDGLLe9V2ougIUxxTXigyH8I7l0zx1VvCdjyTdIR6ILviXKOBDPUe2HFnP4M3WegwUvPiecLpYh6pRBr-Kjtlg1mi8Pg/s1600/CIMG8998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 318px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHOwE0pS8-41QLReB8zkpyKvFUE5Cp-heLZU_q_ibRJ4WX8MhDGLLe9V2ougIUxxTXigyH8I7l0zx1VvCdjyTdIR6ILviXKOBDPUe2HFnP4M3WegwUvPiecLpYh6pRBr-Kjtlg1mi8Pg/s320/CIMG8998.JPG" width="320px" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">The session I remember most from the camp was a run out along the coastal trails on multi-terrain that ended on top of a small mountain. It started out as a long steady run, but I soon realised I was going to have to work outside my comfort zone to stay with the pack as Gavin set the pace. As the run developed I got in to it better, the scenery was great and the pain of such an effort suppressed by the beauty of our surroundings. I tried a short burst at the end to test max HR but couldn’t get it up at all, perhaps too tired or low in energy. I thought this might not be popular with the coach but it was just one wee session! ;-)</span><a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/134356984"><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit;">http://connect.garmin.com/activity/134356984</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-50986387677120378302011-10-11T14:45:00.000-07:002011-10-17T12:35:27.489-07:00Ironman Hawaii 2011 - another hard day at the office<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another tough race that was. I doubt I’ll ever have a Kona race that is not a significant experience. As many people who have raced ironman distance know it is a big challenge to get around, but throw in a lot of heat, humidity and wind and you’ve got yourself a challenge that will take you to new levels of effort. The day started out good for me, I was very keen to swim well and I had worked fairly hard since Christmas to try sort my swimming out. Even the good swimmers struggle here as the swells and non wetsuit rules make for a difficult start to a long day. I had spoken to a few people who swim well here and two tips that stuck with me were a fast aggressive start and a shorter stroke. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I started out fast and expected it to be tough for the first 10minutes before things settled a bit. I had a near panic attack when I was locked in to a bunch on both sides where I was touching elbows on every stroke. I tried to block it out and manage the stress thinking it will be over soon, sure enough the group split up a bit and I found some breathing space. I focused on the short wide stroke and keeping my head down as much as possible. At the half way point it was pretty crazy and it seemed easier to do a kind of freestyle/breast mix as there were bodies everywhere. I noticed the time split of 32mins so already way ahead of last years pace. From the turnaround point I found a great draft from a guy who had a mild kick and decent pace so I stayed with him most of the way back. At various points other swimmers tried to take his feet but I was quite boisterous to hold on to it as it was working well for me. Coming on to the beach I saw the time at 1:06 and thought I had a good swim for a change . T1 was slow but nothing new for me. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjas2eAVnR-CxZidOzRoHpVkNYaBwFjenjKT5S-zNxyNy1zDcR6eIkuwT4IGLVIFsOYcE4owrFsFiWUOB650GSUVeBBJEYgNlwtdHcA_0IFQYRVObQZpsW4jb8xnskuv_jeUjCYvhCp1GM/s1600/IMG_0636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjas2eAVnR-CxZidOzRoHpVkNYaBwFjenjKT5S-zNxyNy1zDcR6eIkuwT4IGLVIFsOYcE4owrFsFiWUOB650GSUVeBBJEYgNlwtdHcA_0IFQYRVObQZpsW4jb8xnskuv_jeUjCYvhCp1GM/s320/IMG_0636.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Right outside T1 a rear cage bottle jumped out as the road had some bumps and as this bottle was a heavily loaded part of my nutrition I went back for it and noticed a lot of people had dropped bottles there. The first section out to the first turn and back is always fast as people get carried away with the screaming crowds and their fresh legs. It was a good atmosphere but I was keen to get out on the Queen K and find rhythm. As soon as I got out there it was quite busy ahead unlike last year where it was quiet on the first section. About 10mins in on the Queen K I was watching my HR/power but also looking out for some good guys to work with, there was a few of us trying to pull away from the crowd and there were a few motorbikes around. One came up beside me but I wasn’t concerned as I felt I was well outside the 10m box. I had been using the cateyes on the side of the road as a guide as a few guys had told me they were around 10m between, so when the bike slowed down near me I stayed where I was maintaining the distance between me and the guy ahead, but all of a sudden she pulled a red card and told me to check in to the next penalty box. I asked her to repeat it as I couldn’t believe it. I stayed where I was and argued that the gap was legal but she wouldn’t respond, instead just repeating that I should check in next penalty office. I was in shock, The bike hadn’t even started and I was being told to stop for a 4minute penalty. I was so disappointed that I felt like immediately turning and trickling back in to town. I kept going but the penalty tent was a long way up the road and all I could think about was the fact I had been penalised. I was devastated and it distracted me from my race plan. I was determined to not let it bother me but in truthfulness it dominated my thoughts for a long time and it wasn’t until the pain of the run later on that I stopped worrying about it. When I was in the penalty tent I was chatting with another guy and we were laughing at how we were usually giving out grief to drafters and here we were standing in the tent. Not much we could do but laugh about it, and to top it off some pro photographer was snapping us standing there looking bemused. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84lCwG1MS6nkw-FQN_jeYX7Zs185k5vCo4nF-sc7LRMhiuw4EyJb-kg_Ai2oRkZqVGuDmsI1bAbU2skJVLM1GcctbrUGsmd-cSXz_V_7RmzRqP1AHbfaKDSu10HDHdqmYD-5S4wY9wws/s1600/IMG_0660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84lCwG1MS6nkw-FQN_jeYX7Zs185k5vCo4nF-sc7LRMhiuw4EyJb-kg_Ai2oRkZqVGuDmsI1bAbU2skJVLM1GcctbrUGsmd-cSXz_V_7RmzRqP1AHbfaKDSu10HDHdqmYD-5S4wY9wws/s320/IMG_0660.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Much like 2010 the bike was tough and the road up to Hawi heavy on Watts and it was difficult to keep the HR down. I had noticed Craig Alexander in the lead pack as the pros passed when I was climbing. it’s such a great thrill to see what’s going on with the leaders and it helps with the threshold pain of the race. I always maintain the only bad thing about racing Hawaii is that you don’t get to watch the pros in action, but we do get the odd glimpse when they pass. The road back was immediately fast and felt good after the long grind against the wind. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">About half way back to Kailua Rob (Wormald) passed me looking comfortable and I stepped it up a bit as we headed back to town. Not long after, I seen Rob at the side of the road with a puncture, but he was quick to fix it and didn’t lose too much time in the end. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I knew my bike split was slow but was dissapointed with the final split of 5:13, I still held hope that I could run well and better last years time. My legs were tired in T2 but I felt quite good going out on to Ali drive for the first 10mile of the run. I was hot but I stuck close to the 140 start hr and it felt comfortable. I was taking on nutrition and water/ice as I knew it would be very important for the latter stages of the run. At the turning point I saw Owen close behind but i still felt very comfortable. Coming back in to town I saw Pete Jakobs pass to the finish and Raelert soon behind, I figured these guys were on very fast times.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Palani was harder than I remember last year, as the breeze dropped I really felt the heat and my pace to keep hr down was close to a jog. On the Queen K I felt alright but decided now to move hr up to 145 earlier than last year. It seemed a long way out and I was very aware of the 16mile still to go. I just kept my head straight and focused on nutrition and heat management at aid stations. The pro women coming back lightened the load a bit as I watched the leaders go by and figured out what was happening there. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpaUQxLHgReCRKOgwaAdN9phfnP42s9MIZA7BbiDoTX6LPvOl-xLFns5Y_P71I9H0hB2u5bYHwEy0MbIWIHs8tkjaNbATtOy7uuE_GeMsk1qbXkeGroQNYNj8eCn-StwqobcSvGqrdwo/s1600/IMG_0718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpaUQxLHgReCRKOgwaAdN9phfnP42s9MIZA7BbiDoTX6LPvOl-xLFns5Y_P71I9H0hB2u5bYHwEy0MbIWIHs8tkjaNbATtOy7uuE_GeMsk1qbXkeGroQNYNj8eCn-StwqobcSvGqrdwo/s320/IMG_0718.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I reached the energy lab I was quite tired but comfortable enough and still had some bounce, but I felt the first of a light cramp on my right hamstring. I thought it might be salt so I took on some salt tabs. In the energy lab my friend Una was screaming her head off and that was a nice lift but at the turnaround I seen Owen was very close and I thought I should lift it a bit to try and get away from him. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I lifted it towards the energy lab exit the effort brought on the hamstring cramp again so I popped more salt tabs. I had been drinking coke and what I thought was enough water, but the cramps stayed. I was also feeling fine engine/breathing wise so it was more than likely a dehydration cramp. I looked back and seen Owen getting closer so I tried to hold pace but any time I lifted the pace the hamstring locked up. I knew Owen was breathing down on me so when I heard him closing and lifting his pace to go by I lifted the pace to hold him off for a while and make him work hard to go past me. This kept him at bay for a bit but the cramps were coming and going and as I reached out for the next aid station he went straight by (obviously we’ve both read Macca’s book </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> ) I got some drinks down and got straight on his feet, and stayed there for a mile or so, but by the next aid station the hamstring locked up completely and I had to stop and stretch it. I had enjoyed the battle with Owen but he disappeared quickly and now my next worry was getting moving again and finishing this thing. I managed to start again but coming off Palani the leg went and I had to stop again. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stretching was not working and some guy said run backwards, I no doubt looked silly but about 10 seconds of this got me running again, so I stayed at a jog to get to the finish line. At least I enjoyed the home straight this time as I couldn’t run fast, and was determined not to stop and stretch in front of the crowd </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzk7_bzLpnlr06T2-xr_2_aKh-VJJ7xf1O4Ik7oncHBdoV7VgpKGvvF95RyCAmkwbBfvjcScWEQzeTLwIaaZdLLujE8sReySi3l6uR3Jo7VrveVnngs1ScZLl7ErgjkVRVhbqlqOALtVM/s1600/IMG_0873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzk7_bzLpnlr06T2-xr_2_aKh-VJJ7xf1O4Ik7oncHBdoV7VgpKGvvF95RyCAmkwbBfvjcScWEQzeTLwIaaZdLLujE8sReySi3l6uR3Jo7VrveVnngs1ScZLl7ErgjkVRVhbqlqOALtVM/s320/IMG_0873.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Coming over the line I felt weird so they had me in medical within minutes to raise my temp and get me on the drip as I weighed 10lbs less than before the race. The drip helped replace electrolyte levels and I got an ice bath before leaving too so I was very impressed with the medical setup. It’s the first time I’ve had medical and it really helped me recover after the severe dehydration. A very tough day and a great but painful experience. This race is always my biggest challenge but I can’t wait to get back for the next round!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been a long but enjoyable season, I peaked in Austria but had struggled since to get back in shape. I was not able to repeat the months of consistent training that I had in the build up to Austria but at least I got to race Hawaii in one piece. I’ve really been looking forward to the end of the season so Alan has given me a month down to regroup and relax before we start our assault for next year. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m writing this from Waikiki in Honolulu where I plan to have some proper rest and keep my feet in the air. I will give the body and mind the rest it needs and I look forward to getting out there and improving for next year. Mahalo, Aloha!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Splits:</span><br />
<br />
<table border="0" class="right" id="athelete-details" style="width: 175px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><b>Swim:</b></td><td>1:06:52</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Bike:</b></td><td>5:13:41</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Run:</b></td><td>3:10:22</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Overall:</b></td><td>9:38:15</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-66580516079322242642011-09-06T09:42:00.000-07:002011-09-09T02:29:04.027-07:00Ironman 70.3 Ireland 2011<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">A tough day out in Galway...</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpHs2BWk5-LLSVhRwOrdlhOhO2u7OBIKJSC1biR9jUP7WeGpNWmwxtVZREPaAAQhG4VHfpqBdOHRHuG8PLZPaxrJlgkydTpy5GIdZSgdteyQ-_-zr-B7AB9DlpVwiZpv6WqOXSyX5Di4/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpHs2BWk5-LLSVhRwOrdlhOhO2u7OBIKJSC1biR9jUP7WeGpNWmwxtVZREPaAAQhG4VHfpqBdOHRHuG8PLZPaxrJlgkydTpy5GIdZSgdteyQ-_-zr-B7AB9DlpVwiZpv6WqOXSyX5Di4/s320/before.jpg" width="213px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If only I knew what was ahead!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s good to have a tough race now and then. When planning goes well, and the race execution is at or just below projected effort, it can often feel quite good out there, I don’t mean easy but because you are kind of programmed for the effort ahead, it often doesn’t feel that difficult. Austria for me was actually one of my ‘easier’ races. Galway was a toughie of the kind that hardens you mentally and physically and sets up some future motivation for when the going gets tough. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I was excited to race an Ironman event at home, and for the most part I think they got it right. The weather played a part in the difficulty of the race but there was great character shown out there by finishers, many of them first timers! I haven’t suffered this much in a race since Germany 2009. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Race morning was windy and cold, so much to the joy of many athletes including myself they shortened the swim to a reported 750m (it turned out to be over 1km), but with the waves it felt a lot longer. The fastest pro time was 14mins so it seems everyone had a hard time dealing with the current and choppy ocean.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I got a good start at the front of the largest wave but it was so rough that it was impossible to tell which direction you were going forget about drafting or following others. I swallowed a lot of saltwater but as it was a short swim I was never going to suffer for too long out there. The beach exit was easy on the feet but then started the very long run out through T1, I think it was about 800m from swim exit to leaving the transition, this included a long run on bare concrete, having dodgy calves this was a scary 5mins for me. <a href="about:blank" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I got out on the bike to a very lonely road, there seemed to be very few cyclists around, I had somehow come out of the water high up in my wave. I’m usually away back in the pack so was surprised to see so few cyclists on the road. The first section was rolling and had a coarse surface but without potholes. My power has been up in recent weeks, and I noticed it fairly high at the start of the bike without me pushing too hard. There was some wind and the small rolling sections normally raises the power a bit. At Barna we turned right and inland towards the main out and back section, the terrain was hilly and uneven but I felt comfortable and power and HR was fairly stable. When we turned on the main out and back though, I didn’t seem to be making much ground on the guys ahead, my power and HR were quite high, but I was slow at reeling in the leaders. Energy levels felt fine but I didn’t seem to be getting a lot of speed for my input. There was a few guys up near the front with me and we were pacing together staying within 50-100m of each other. At the turning point my normalised power output was around 270w and I thought it would be easy to keep it there as there was now a healthy head wind for the return leg. The rain never ceased on the bike section, it made it difficult to stay warm and I really struggled with lack of dexterity. Opening gels, bean packs and changing gears became a challenge. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6PhjprwvfWQn_W3QbqHcuqnJRmWRrSK12odUL3ZoPgUB0HznV32Gw4NA6Dn51qGWgXAYY34-8bEtOWwmucIJHkAiBhqfF3gVUY4mJi1S6k9f2gKVisH9QywfUHm1y_1332OCrKMEWSM/s1600/bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6PhjprwvfWQn_W3QbqHcuqnJRmWRrSK12odUL3ZoPgUB0HznV32Gw4NA6Dn51qGWgXAYY34-8bEtOWwmucIJHkAiBhqfF3gVUY4mJi1S6k9f2gKVisH9QywfUHm1y_1332OCrKMEWSM/s320/bike.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of a very cold bike ride!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">With about 20k to go I pulled away from the other guys in my age group, but coming in to town I didn’t feel like I had any real sting and my power was starting to drop. The transition again being so long it felt like an eternity getting to the run bags. I had to get assistance opening my helmet strap as my fingers were not working at all. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Early on the run I felt great, but I think this was just adrenaline as it was not long before things turned on me. I managed the 1<sup>st</sup> lap of 3 at a good pace, but early on the 2<sup>nd</sup> lap I started to feel weird and my legs just stopped working. From about 10k in I could have stopped and lay down and slept on the road, my legs felt like lead and I didn’t feel like taking more energy on. I had no bounce at all and it really became a case of survival.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even as I slowed down to a low pace it was a struggle to keep moving. As I faced in to the wind on the last 4k, I started to get blurred vision, my HR went to near maximum and I felt so weak I slowed to a jog pace, fighting to avoid walking. The last 1km to the finish line felt like a 10k and I had no control over my movement, it was as if I was watching myself in a video from outside my own body. Coming over the line I felt as if I had just completed a full ironman, it’s a long time since I had a proper bonk in a race. It was a sobering experience and even now 2 days on I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus. I’m glad I finished but I’m a little frustrated with not knowing exactly what went wrong.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPCQ59H-rdAkT0cDsyXJmPHO8w2vS108jEtm6dCMOd5RamrthSHtGwZh0JDNxkb_1Nr4QmyZx9DnlV7GcopPBUpTPhEYCNLCqQqrG-TSvjXEWf2r_S886Ypu9DdJcfsPD5YuxcfLC_0g/s1600/run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPCQ59H-rdAkT0cDsyXJmPHO8w2vS108jEtm6dCMOd5RamrthSHtGwZh0JDNxkb_1Nr4QmyZx9DnlV7GcopPBUpTPhEYCNLCqQqrG-TSvjXEWf2r_S886Ypu9DdJcfsPD5YuxcfLC_0g/s320/run.jpg" width="213px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dying on my feet!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I may have been a bit low on energy as I did not take on a huge amount during the race, it may have been the effort on the return leg of the bike where I was fighting the wind alone for most of it. But even then I did not put out a crazy amount of power and my HR was actually fairly normal for a 70.3 effort. I think it could have just been fatigue from a stressful week at work and very little sleep in the 2 days before the race. I was supposed to taper down from 21 to 12hrs but I only managed around 4-5hrs in total last week as I could not get the sessions fitted in around work, this is different from the heavy taper I did for Austria so maybe the slow twitch muscles went to sleep on me. Perhaps I was just expecting too much for my current fitness level. I’ll be chatting with Alan over the next few days to get his opinion on what may have happened. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I had been struggling to get back to fitness after Austria so I guess this will do no harm as a very tough training session, but running will have to wait as my calves are bruised up now. Nothing injured though and my foot surgery never bothered me at all during the race. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">It was nice to race at home and even though the weather was atrocious, it is great that we are now hosting our own M dot event and it all went without mishap. There are some issues they need to address for next year, mainly the length of transition, but in general it was well run and they organised it very well considering the number of athletes participating. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Tough day for everyone and some great results out there, namely Matt and Lucy who had outstanding races. If the dates work next year it would be good to try again. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Splits:</span></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-collapse: collapse; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Swim</span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">T1</span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Bike</span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">T2</span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77.05pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Run</span></b></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77.05pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">total</span></b></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">19.46</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">5.21</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">2.29.03</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">3.37</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77.05pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">1.26.33</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77.05pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">4.24.37</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Age group pos: 1<sup>st</sup></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Overall pos: 19th </span>Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-57164158372895465572011-08-17T07:03:00.000-07:002011-08-17T07:03:20.026-07:00New KitWork in Progress, my kit sponsor Champion Systems are currently producing some new gear for me including cycling and tri outfits, here's a sample of the tri kit:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSq_BW6HDInCiaKeh-Oyzs1MSnBmKqC7Hm7GR1o2gHYQ233RCFUWFDzG5Litt1ST8w0JSpzfKUQwolvgHRIjVPzMUfblfyjuN0tbB1MdUvxisWriNsxLoIGPk0pjGXv_uL9UAwc1VMYc/s1600/Martin%252520Muldoon%252520Triathlete_GB0181_MLK020_Normal_V1_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSq_BW6HDInCiaKeh-Oyzs1MSnBmKqC7Hm7GR1o2gHYQ233RCFUWFDzG5Litt1ST8w0JSpzfKUQwolvgHRIjVPzMUfblfyjuN0tbB1MdUvxisWriNsxLoIGPk0pjGXv_uL9UAwc1VMYc/s320/Martin%252520Muldoon%252520Triathlete_GB0181_MLK020_Normal_V1_1.jpg" width="226px" /></a></div>Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-10421772721424295942011-08-17T06:18:00.001-07:002011-09-11T04:53:29.466-07:00Ironman Austria 2011 Race Report<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">My preparation had been good and I was feeling confident, race day arrived and my goals were as follows: </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Sub 9</span></div></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Irish record</span></div></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">kona slot</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">in that order where each goal was likely to take care of the proceeding goal, etc. (i.e. if I went sub 9 there was a high possibility the other 2 goals would have also been met). In any case if I was slower than 9:15 then all goals would have passed. Europe and Austria in particular are fast so there is no room for mistakes, a puncture or a really bad swim and you’re out of the game already.</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiD413DdREI3f5ECuPrMeAKjmEj7nOUIVdt_t3tq6totiRwSH3ZTdD9FefS2GJRJd1FGq4TMPKV4SCoKJmegE1FT4ABe9Tv2knHbCIaMHVLbviGPE4x9E0ndWqmgvpUKehrIuOmENyPw/s1600/ready+to+go.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiD413DdREI3f5ECuPrMeAKjmEj7nOUIVdt_t3tq6totiRwSH3ZTdD9FefS2GJRJd1FGq4TMPKV4SCoKJmegE1FT4ABe9Tv2knHbCIaMHVLbviGPE4x9E0ndWqmgvpUKehrIuOmENyPw/s320/ready+to+go.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">With almost 2500 people trying to start in a relatively narrow area, there was really no way to avoid the violence. I got away well but as usual I had people swimming all over me within seconds, Owen Martin (Setanta) had warned me it would be like this so I had resigned to the fact that the first 1km was going to be contentious. I tried not to waste too much energy with the constant grabbing and nudging but there was a lot of stop start action as I got blocked and also had people coming up behind me using my legs as part of their catch! </span></div></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">At times during the swim some spaces appeared and I tried to use them, I got a couple of decent drafts but nothing consistent. After the turning point we were facing in to the sun so I just used the feet in front for coordination as I had no idea where I was going. I reached the turn point in around 22mins but the way back was much longer, I reached the canal at around 45mins so I knew my goal of a sub 1hr swim was at risk. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxvJWFR6tgOa3bafMyt-HdGrqYPh5Ofd0-O7YqvfknSOSbTyMVR5to9hTAnSjb2NSyQLXnDnxO9AgAXN138JIHEATeaINv7z_TxkBxO2QZ28pVaXP5H_MILacsJdkKea80NPfUI3AAeg/s1600/swim+start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxvJWFR6tgOa3bafMyt-HdGrqYPh5Ofd0-O7YqvfknSOSbTyMVR5to9hTAnSjb2NSyQLXnDnxO9AgAXN138JIHEATeaINv7z_TxkBxO2QZ28pVaXP5H_MILacsJdkKea80NPfUI3AAeg/s320/swim+start.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The canal section was good fun with both sides lined with thousands of screaming spectators but I didn’t feel I was going at any great speed. I reached the swim exit in around 1:02 and started already worrying that I was now about 2 minutes down on my first goal pace. Ironman racing is a long day, but it never really feels like that. When you’re in there the time seems to go quite fast, however I had time to make up for the slower swim, a fast bike was crucial. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The long run up to t1 was surprisingly quick and I was out on the bike within about 4mins. The start of the bike is fairly flat and fast for the first 20k, having recced the course back in May with Matt Molloy I knew this section well and didn’t concern myself with the low wattage. High speed for low watts was the plan, I knew the power would rise later as I reached the hills as that’s how it happened during the test weekend. I felt good on the bike and loved the fast pace out along the lake. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">My coach Alan Couzens’ advice was ride hard when the race is slow, he has written some excellent papers on power distribution during the bike. This is the strategy I had practiced and was following during the race. Unfortunately early on the bike my Quarq crank stopped emitting a signal, the watts blanked then came back with a huge figure of 2500 watts (not even Cancellara could reach those figures </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> ) I was a bit shocked as I had done 6months training on power and now I had no idea how many watts I was pushing! Quarq crank worth almost £2k and it was malfunctioning, great! </span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIddAO8iXQ9D_W6crMCc9HqYKDJdgGEYPrVSGgdFgXMVgtxK3AbxwG1sog7bw3NYS89mQskJanalq-xGYpr61u73nTAo99WgD2FxnSf2D5wSvLdWsuF7pbGDqcJMSkUPc30ZMGWKdmDAI/s1600/web-bike+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIddAO8iXQ9D_W6crMCc9HqYKDJdgGEYPrVSGgdFgXMVgtxK3AbxwG1sog7bw3NYS89mQskJanalq-xGYpr61u73nTAo99WgD2FxnSf2D5wSvLdWsuF7pbGDqcJMSkUPc30ZMGWKdmDAI/s320/web-bike+1.jpeg" width="320px" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Luckily I have also done a lot of work with HR so Alan also had given me precise numbers to follow on that. For most of the first lap I was alone passing a lot of people, but a few really fast guys went by, I assumed they were either too fast for me to go with or they didn’t know what they were doing, either way I was staying in my own race plan range. Seemed quite windy out there and I stayed down on the bars on the flats and up for the hills to modify the position when possible.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Half way through the first lap I couldn’t find my salt stick container, I had it in a small side pocket and my race belt riding upwards seemed to have squeezed it out without me noticing, 40k in to the bike and I had lost my salt!!! This stressed me so much I started shouting at other athletes on the way past if they had any – no luck. I seen Joyce Wolfe on the main climb and she didn’t have any either. She was going well and high up in the womans race. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynM-9MMrwEf9K-z7IdCQfoZx_i0ThIljijstDlx5bXEzT7-1J67r_jTBkyuJ15iVUEGzy2IaSWVwKTo2ykYn4OHptYUo9w-Cbs-hw5caaLcEgRfX_HylqTBMP816_DETKYyznQuDDfKo/s1600/web-IKEN0402+bike+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynM-9MMrwEf9K-z7IdCQfoZx_i0ThIljijstDlx5bXEzT7-1J67r_jTBkyuJ15iVUEGzy2IaSWVwKTo2ykYn4OHptYUo9w-Cbs-hw5caaLcEgRfX_HylqTBMP816_DETKYyznQuDDfKo/s320/web-IKEN0402+bike+2.jpeg" width="320px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I was working in metric this time around but as the average pace changed so much on hills to the flats it was difficult to estimate what pace I was on for the bike, though coming through the ½ way turn point in around 2:22 I realised I was on for a good split as I was feeling quite good. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Later in the 2<sup>nd</sup> lap I came up behind a group of guys who were doing a good paceline, there was 5 or 6 who seemed to be working together. I tried pacing with them back and forward but would drop off when the pace or HR didn’t suit me. They seemed to be good at pacing together staying well outside illegal distance so the referee motorbikes were happy with them. Keeping them within eye shot from time to time helped me maintain focus and pace. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I took on most of my nutrition in the first lap of the bike as planned, keeping one of the h5 extreme mixes with the electrolyte as I had a limited amount of this. Also picking up a powerbar bottle each time one emptied. I had 3 powerbar bottles from the stations in total and grabbed some quick water sips in the aid station before throwing the bottles within the station area. In the 2<sup>nd</sup> lap I finished off whatever energy I had on me. Rolling back in to t2 I seen the split was good at 4:49 and I got through transition in around 3mins. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Early on the run I felt good, keeping my hr to Alan’s plan between 135 – 150, sitting around the 140 mark mostly until I settled in. The garmin was reading around the 4min/k and often dipping under so I wondered if it was accurate because it felt very easy. The only issue was that my stomach felt slightly bloated though not quite enough to stop me running. My buddy Matt Molloy was out ahead, he’s an incredible swimmer and I knew he’d have at least 10-12mins on me there. I’d recced the bike course with him few months back and so I knew he wouldn’t get any time on me on the bike, I estimated that he was around 10-12 mins ahead on the run because of his swim split. The course layout was good for spotting other people ahead as you turn back on yourself quite a lot. I seen Matt about the 5k mark and he was coming back at around 7k so I estimated about 8-10mins between us. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5i4jucQJtwvzyB8My1JJfLw6KXRnqokxj33RB7SL-UsM-M9U4jAr1OChKkzRiT-KUffWW6pt2gmA2_GPUl6T_ZqM3BpuddQrmdzArNjxWvQbkZQXXNTaQ9PIsVMnZmYWh0H_mmCf_vs/s1600/web-IKBI1924.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5i4jucQJtwvzyB8My1JJfLw6KXRnqokxj33RB7SL-UsM-M9U4jAr1OChKkzRiT-KUffWW6pt2gmA2_GPUl6T_ZqM3BpuddQrmdzArNjxWvQbkZQXXNTaQ9PIsVMnZmYWh0H_mmCf_vs/s320/web-IKBI1924.jpeg" width="212px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I knew he was going to be strong and I would have to run my socks off to catch him, but my stomach cramps were getting worse and after about 8k I decided to pull in to a portaloo. I tried but just couldn’t go, the mental pressure and anxiety just seemed to block any chance of this happening so I just got back out on the run after a few minutes. I was panicking that I had lost approx. 2minuutes here and I thought it was the start of me having stomach trouble. Strangely though I started to feel a bit better when I got back up to pace, perhaps the drop in hr with the unsuccessful toilet stop was the reason. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">From here I started to get in to rhythm and really started to enjoy the run. The garmin was consistently reporting sub 4min/k and I started to believe this was accurate when I calculated some of the run splits as we passed the km markers. Could I really be running 6min miles here??? My worry now was that this was unsustainable. Something will blow if I keep this pace! But my hr was only 140, in fact sometimes dipping down below 140. Since Italy 70.3 three weeks earlier I knew my running was good, but I’ve had so many injuries and run issues in the last 2 years I still thought it was too good to be true. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Rory (Maguire) was coming the other way and giving me splits, Owen and Rory were both flying at around 8-10mins back and I knew if I had the slightest issue these guys would have been past me like bullets (They were both running sub 3 pace!!). At the far end turning point in the town (around 15k in) I seen Matt again coming the other way and counted about 7mins between us, considering I had a 2mins toilet stop I knew I was reeling him in. I kept on the coke for energy and Iso for electrolyte. The temperature was perfect and I felt no urge to slow down at any point, in fact I had to pace back a few times when I seen my hr go above 140 as it seemed so natural to speed up. I thought I’d save that for the 2<sup>nd</sup> lap. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In to the 2<sup>nd</sup> lap I felt very good and was starting to realise I was on for a sub 3 marathon, the pace was improving and I started to move my hr up cautiously towards 145. I reached the spot where I seen Matt in the first lap but this time hadn’t yet seen him, I carried on for a few minutes and still no sign, this made me think I was getting close so I had to keep controlling my hr as I was getting carried away in the chase by raising hr above 145, only ever for a few seconds as I then brought it back to within Alan’s orders. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Matt is an amazing natural athlete all round, he wins just about everything he enters and has little if no weaknesses. Coming in to this I thought my only chance if getting him was to chase him on the run and just outpace him, here’s a guy who runs 1/2marathons in 1:13 so I knew he wouldn’t be running slow. When I came up behind someone who looked like Matt at around 26km, I was surprised to see him so soon. As I approached I noticed his pace had dropped a bit and he was suffering, I felt great so I knew I was going well past, but I worried that Matt was dropping his head so I shouted that he was still well inside the Kona slots. He said afterwards he was in a bad place at that stage but he picked up and got motoring again. Matt did a 3:11 run in his debut and matched the previous record Irish record at 9:02. This is one of the fastest debuts on record.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">When I pushed past Matt I again seen Owen and Rory in the opposite direction, still flying and looking good. We were all giving each other some acknowledgements and encouragement, but now my thoughts turned to something very exciting, the small subjects of the Irish record and a sub 9. It got me slightly emotional, I had dreamt of being in this position and visualised it so many times. My main priority was to keep getting nutrition without slowing down, and most importantly to keep running fast. It occurred to me that this was my chance, opportunities like this do not appear often in life and I was going to hurt myself as much as it was required to make this happen. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I had the motivation, the thought processes in place, and importantly the legs. I had a slight hard patch about 30k in and my right thigh was getting tight but I thought I’m running 6min/miles here of course it is going to hurt!! I had to keep an eye on hr as the prospect of breaking 9 got me so excited that a few times I got carried away and hr went up to 150. Soon as I realised I quickly brought it down and stayed calm. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">With about 8k to go I knew I was on target and all I had to do was keep moving, I seen Rory as I raced the last 5k towards the line and he shouted I was going to smash the record, then Michael (Joyce Wolfe’s husband) shouted something similar as I sprinted for the line. Strangely I still felt good and the last few km seemed to fly in. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOTIqKhNay9ZqCi67oypOWaZFs3xTzEswoBGnqmH6RqBHWaBeMb3N-6kV-gfH2d-TvDSY30F-PlUdWh3KfMP1jDo9w0v0RK774U28avTrjOPLlBs6m4pr57HLi9xNpdD_xiM7GIYRYU8/s1600/web-IKEF0103+finish+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOTIqKhNay9ZqCi67oypOWaZFs3xTzEswoBGnqmH6RqBHWaBeMb3N-6kV-gfH2d-TvDSY30F-PlUdWh3KfMP1jDo9w0v0RK774U28avTrjOPLlBs6m4pr57HLi9xNpdD_xiM7GIYRYU8/s320/web-IKEF0103+finish+1.jpeg" width="213px" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I showboated a bit over the line which is unusual for me but it was like a dream happening before my eyes and I couldn’t contain myself, I don’t remember some of the race but I think the brain shuts out painful memories in the same way trauma is removed after accidents. I do remember seeing a lot of people I knew out there and us all shouting at each other. Some nice Irish girl handed me a small Irish flag and I waved it heading over the line, I still don’t know who that girl was!!??</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">When I realised what had just happened I felt a deep sensation of joy, I knew it would take some time to sink in, but I’ve worked hard for a long time to realise this dream and I was going to enjoy it. I’ve had so many kind wishes and shouts since, I’m on a great high that will last a while. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">As if I wasn’t happy enough my good friend Owen Martin came across the line also inside 9hrs, we were both so excited we were practically dancing around. I met Owen in Germany 2 years ago in my first Ironman, we both went under 10hrs and Owen was even back then a focused and strong athlete. To see how he has turned himself in to an elite is a huge inspiration and he’s the guy I look at to make myself feel guilty when I am having lapses in focus or will power. Before Switzerland last year I was having one of those lapses and he brought me straight back in to line! We celebrated together in Hawaii last year, and now in Austria. We are racing again this year in Galway, Vegas and Hawaii, it’s very exciting and in the best hearted way we will be fighting it out in every one of them!! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Matt came in at 9:02 for a great finish and a huge achievement, he had pressure on him to perform and he delivered, top athlete and much deserved kona spot. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">A few minutes later and young maguire was sprinting to the line in 9:06, for someone his age he is such a great example to all those kids at home in Ireland on what you can achieve if you really want to. Rory has a big future and I hope I’m part of it for a while yet, anyway maguire needs someone’s heels to look at on the run! :-D </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">A few very strong Irish athletes are racing the fast Roth course this weekend so my record may not last long but I have set these guys a good target, if any of them get under 8:49 then they will fully deserve the title. These are exciting times in Irish triathlon and Ironman and I love being a part of it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m joining Owen in Kona again this year as he was also top ten in my age group. Matt got a slot too and although he was unsure at the time of taking it, I told him he would regret it later if he didn’t take it, will be good to have him along. Rory came 6<sup>th</sup> in his age group but just missed out on a slot, he may try again in Regensburg, but he has years and so much potential. He is verging on sub 9 in a tough sport. All 4 of us will be fighting it out in Galway, let the smack talk begin!!! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">My splits for the day:</span></div><div align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 480px;"><tbody>
<tr style="height: 16.75pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="background: black; border-bottom: #ece9d8; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: #ece9d8; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 16.75pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.05pt; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm; width: 52.5pt;" width="70"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 160%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 160%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">SWIM</span></div></td><td style="background: black; border-bottom: #ece9d8; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: #ece9d8; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 16.75pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.05pt; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm; width: 86.25pt;" width="115"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 160%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 160%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">BIKE </span></div></td><td style="background: black; border-bottom: #ece9d8; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: #ece9d8; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 16.75pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.05pt; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm; width: 86.25pt;" width="115"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 160%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 160%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">RUN</span></div></td><td style="background: black; border-bottom: #ece9d8; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: #ece9d8; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 16.75pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.05pt; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm; width: 75pt;" width="100"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 160%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 160%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">OVERALL</span></div></td><td style="background: black; border-bottom: #ece9d8; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: #ece9d8; border-top: #ece9d8; height: 16.75pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.05pt; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm; width: 60pt;" width="80"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 160%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 160%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">DIV.POS.</span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #ece9d8; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: #ece9d8; border-top: #ece9d8; padding-bottom: 2.55pt; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 160%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 160%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1:03:16</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #ece9d8; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: #ece9d8; border-top: #ece9d8; padding-bottom: 2.55pt; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 160%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 160%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">4:50:19</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #ece9d8; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: #ece9d8; border-top: #ece9d8; padding-bottom: 2.55pt; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 160%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 160%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">2:49:03</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #ece9d8; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: #ece9d8; border-top: #ece9d8; padding-bottom: 2.55pt; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 160%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 160%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">8:49:45</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #ece9d8; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: #ece9d8; border-top: #ece9d8; padding-bottom: 2.55pt; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 160%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 160%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">3/444</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"># fastest amateur run at 2:49 (including a toilet stop! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">), 5<sup>th</sup> fastest run including pros. </span></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"># 3<sup>rd</sup> M35 AG, 28<sup>th</sup> overall inc pros.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrm9l4hSduoJdXtJNbuhsqBlNHQZNnmymTkx2tcktPJ_51h44HzBHHEfE9wK-uqXW1vPXrxziDWXjekAb5UmX_nDNBYai2NBq1VjOS2YNYNAKUUZwHFplPa-LZewqokA1Hc-AeRdD4ORQ/s1600/awards+muldoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrm9l4hSduoJdXtJNbuhsqBlNHQZNnmymTkx2tcktPJ_51h44HzBHHEfE9wK-uqXW1vPXrxziDWXjekAb5UmX_nDNBYai2NBq1VjOS2YNYNAKUUZwHFplPa-LZewqokA1Hc-AeRdD4ORQ/s320/awards+muldoon.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-70957415972619523772011-08-17T06:17:00.001-07:002011-09-15T01:58:59.232-07:00Ironman 70.3 Italy 2011 Race Report<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ironman 70.3 Italy 12<sup>th</sup> June 2011. Race report, Martin Muldoon.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ironman Italy is a new course so we didn’t really know what to expect from it. I like to study the details but the website was poor on the low level details that we geeks live on so I had to wait until we arrived in Pescara. The temperature was hotter than London but manageable, the water was beautiful and fairly calm day before race. We drove the bike course on the Saturday and although very scenic Italian countryside, it was seriously hilly, we knew this was a biking course and there was no conservative way to get through it fast. Bel sat in the back seat looking more and more worried as we drove hill after hill (as we all were </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> ), she ended up having a great race with 9<sup>th</sup> in her AG so she needn’t have worried! </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><stroke joinstyle="miter"></stroke><formulas><f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></f><f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></f><f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></f><f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></f><f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></f></formulas><path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></path><lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></lock></shapetype><shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1033" style="height: 247.5pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 444.75pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="ironman_703_italy_bike" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></imagedata></shape></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8d4RJecyCk_mLRVFaCx1Z2xUG023cqurrvnMtHipLI6MvI_nt__SsP4x1WuusujBnjG5Uj_bZ_N1sij9kZ5sbtrD5igdmD3a26GS8WN1AXClTBB6I5ZTDjetZ1P1vwNNJp1FfUeRjIn4/s1600/swim+exit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8d4RJecyCk_mLRVFaCx1Z2xUG023cqurrvnMtHipLI6MvI_nt__SsP4x1WuusujBnjG5Uj_bZ_N1sij9kZ5sbtrD5igdmD3a26GS8WN1AXClTBB6I5ZTDjetZ1P1vwNNJp1FfUeRjIn4/s320/swim+exit.JPG" width="216px" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On race day the start times were very relaxed with pros setting off at midday and then waves of 250 or so setting off in 10min intervals until 12.30. I was off at 12.20 and in the largest AG, we also had some M40-44 with us for the beach start. From the start the swim was completely chaotic, I’ve been racing for a few years now and this was the most violent confusing swim I’ve ever been in. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The wind had picked up and the waves were quite big but the first 100m were still in shallow water and so it was a mix of dolphin diving, swimming and surfing (and a bit of karate)! There were people all over the place arms flying, feet in the face, I got quite a few hard knocks to the head but the worst was when the pros coming back to shore met us in the middle between the buoys (the course went parallel to the beach up and down one loop always keeping buoys on left), the pros were being pushed in by the waves and we were trying to stay out of the beach so we hit them head on. I got punched full suck on the nose by a pro in a silver hat (might have been a woman </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> ). I found sighting difficult and I had to tread water a few times to find the beach to check direction, the waves were significant enough that I couldn’t really see the buoys so I just followed everyone else with the same swim cap as me. After a lot of energy wastage we got back to shore and I was running through the long transition in around 32 mins which left me about 4-5mins down on the front guys. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1032" style="height: 273.75pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 184.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="swim exit" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image002.jpg"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></imagedata></shape></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As soon as I grabbed my bike I noticed the back wheel would not move and it was squealing as if the brakes were on. It was fine when I checked before the race but the direct sunlight seemed to expand the tyre and it was now jammed against the frame so I had to take the wheel out and reset it with a gap to the frame. This worked and stayed in place but I lost about 90seconds or so before getting out on the bike course. My T1 time of 3:17 was about 90secs slower than the leaders in my age group. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTpxzlkrZpOUrWORJ2kpsdgaolgm7-RFKMO_YUXspQTWrkZI2AGJzK2ic-VSuvB7AHlResfDAjF9B3zdrdOV3hDGgSiAdT3o1SM9N-UBxE27U2Bbaxvmco55VZ7W22_wdyNqTwQPLNqI/s1600/bike2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTpxzlkrZpOUrWORJ2kpsdgaolgm7-RFKMO_YUXspQTWrkZI2AGJzK2ic-VSuvB7AHlResfDAjF9B3zdrdOV3hDGgSiAdT3o1SM9N-UBxE27U2Bbaxvmco55VZ7W22_wdyNqTwQPLNqI/s320/bike2.JPG" width="215px" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I started out on the bike I felt good right away, Alan had me tapered in to the race a bit and the rest had me feeling very strong and ready to go. The bike started flat but in to a head wind, though very quickly we were climbing and I felt very strong passing people with ease and enjoying the buzz. There was only a few guys out there that seemed to match pace but they soon dropped off and I was hunting down the leaders as the athletes thinned out and I worked my way through the earlier waves on the hills. It was hot and although the wind was fairly strong the watts were high on the Garmin (705) and my HR seemed to be under control below 150. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_i1031" style="height: 294pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 198pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="bike1" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.jpg"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></imagedata></shape></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had decided to go with one bottle on the bike to save weight and hassle, this meant I needed to hit the aid stations at 30k and 60k to pick up and replace my energy drink to have 3 in total during the bike, but I rushed through the first aid station and picked up water by accident as I couldn’t hear the volunteers properly. I knew after a taste that this was trouble; it meant I had to do the next 30k with just water and at the threshold I was pushing I was not in fat burning zone! I did have one gel and an energy bean pack but 200cal would not get me far, I also topped up with a few salt stick tabs, but I did notice a slight drop off on watts as I went through the hills over the next hour or so before reaching the 60k mark. I made no mistake this time grabbing an energy drink and a gel before settling back into rhythm. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The hills got harder and I knew I’d gone off a bit fast but I guessed I was fairly safe as this was ½ distance I could hold on for the last 30k. My wheel choice of disc back and 404 front was the perfect combination as I think it was too windy for the 1080 front wheel. On one of the fast descents I overtook some guy in the middle of a corner and the back wheel left me. I just about held on to it but a passing referee on a motorbike looked at me like I was crazy, no rules broken so I got back to work. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape id="Picture_x0020_4" o:spid="_x0000_i1030" style="height: 297pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 199.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="bike2" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image004.jpg"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></imagedata></shape></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last 20k was tough because although it was the flattest part of the bike there was a strong and constant head wind and I was still slightly low on energy below race plan. It was a long grind on my own riding through a now very sparse field of the front end guys, I kept the head down to avoid wasting energy in to the wind and soon enough I was back in town. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I squashed the last gel down, it was horrible but I knew I needed it for the run so I just got it done. As I came in to T2 some guy 50m ahead went head over heels while getting off his bike so I was extra cautious dismounting. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was pleasantly surprised to see how few bikes there were in T2, I knew I was up there and just needed to execute the part I was most worried about – the run! I’ve had a terrible winter again through injury and running has been the discipline that I had to avoid, but over the past month I started again and Alan has allowed me to run on a treadmill so I was keen to see if I could still produce some leg speed. I’ve had issues with calf, knee and Achilles injuries but I’ve been doing more stretching and foam roller work, always being on the edge spoils confidence and keeps you worrying. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape id="Picture_x0020_7" o:spid="_x0000_i1029" style="height: 281.25pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 188.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="run" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image005.jpg"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></imagedata></shape></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHXgTH8TSHv_ARMG68myuAXfucHuCDEylKFjRSguug0akAlliNPL0eQXjD0gyFcoYSsGwplrcP7dmoO7IEu5cs7fXVVUy0atjZHRVW-zKTWpbhXnyiNsSB-CWUTM9VFG7km8zDXsyNsw/s1600/IMG_0353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHXgTH8TSHv_ARMG68myuAXfucHuCDEylKFjRSguug0akAlliNPL0eQXjD0gyFcoYSsGwplrcP7dmoO7IEu5cs7fXVVUy0atjZHRVW-zKTWpbhXnyiNsSB-CWUTM9VFG7km8zDXsyNsw/s320/IMG_0353.JPG" width="213px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I aimed for both HR and pace this time using a Garmin 305 (I now have a 310XT but it didn’t arrive until after the race!). I was more keen to monitor HR for the first 2 of the 4 lap run, to avoid blowing up, but I also kept a good eye on pace. I seemed to hit sub 6:20 pace without too much stress so decided it was a safe speed to stay at, my HR responded well to this sitting around 148 and only changing when I slowed down to get drinks and had to then speed up again to get back in to rhythm. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">½ way through the first lap I seen Rowan in the opposite direction and he was moving well with very good stride and posture. I have more of a running background than him but he had pretty much held me on the swim and bike, as we train together I knew this would be the case. This meant he was a good ‘carrot on a stick’ for me to push towards. I slowly closed the gap on him but this was hard work and took some focus. While doing so I passed a lot of runners and the only person who passed me was in running shorts so a relay runner, but I got him back later. I got past a few of the pro men in the run and knew then I was running well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape id="Picture_x0020_9" o:spid="_x0000_i1028" style="height: 280.5pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 188.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="run2" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image006.jpg"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></imagedata></shape></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I closed on Rowan we shouted at each other and agreed starting the last lap that if we blew now it didn’t matter with 5k to go, I upped my HR to 158 and dug very deep to hit that 1:20 mark. Rowan held strong and upped his pace for a very respectable top ten AG finish and 29<sup>th</sup>overall, the result of some consistent and well organised training. The last lap of the run was the only part of the race where I really suffered greatly but it was a safe place to do so and I think I timed it well as looking at the results the run times were quite slow out there after a tough bike. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape id="Picture_x0020_10" o:spid="_x0000_i1027" style="height: 279pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 185.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="run6" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image007.jpg"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></imagedata></shape></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had the 7<sup>th</sup> fastest run of the day (1:20) including the pros to finish in 4:32 and a minute off winning my age group. I ended up 4<sup>th</sup> amateur and 18<sup>th</sup> overall including the pros, my fear of not being able to run was quashed and I got some confidence back. It’s been a tough winter of training but it seems to have been productive as this is my first ironman 70.3 podium. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape id="Picture_x0020_6" o:spid="_x0000_i1026" style="height: 278.25pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 185.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="IMG_0438" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image008.jpg"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></imagedata></shape></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have spent a lot of time and money on kit and technique this year including bike power, I also had a Retul bike fit. All these things chip away at the time splits, but the main thing I changed was my coach. After a very big rest from Hawaii I started with Alan Couzens in December, a proper scientist at work, I have gained a lot from working with him. I hope now I can execute over full distance, time will tell. Roll on Austria! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Splits:</span></b></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-collapse: collapse; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Swim (1.9km)</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">T1</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bike (90km)</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">T2</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77.05pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Run (21.1km)</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77.05pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Overall </span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">31:14</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3:17</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2:33:20</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1:54</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77.05pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1:20:45</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #ece9d8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #ece9d8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 77.05pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4:32:45</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Position:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Age Group M35-39: 2<sup>nd</sup></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Amateur overall: 4<sup>th</sup></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Overall inc. pros: 18<sup>th</sup></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Full results:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="http://ironman-italy.com/results-2/"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">http://ironman-italy.com/results-2/</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IePVGTE67kM4ZCjDBaVdf9EvKIebpqaDLH3eevVpZG9svBeGaLm3nbdlCi5-c-iOxTgDZWkEghPvhQ5HVQdCJpXTdebKBk4S3XPLLZO5xErEMGHpDtuwF99Gwe5sbrxMFK9OMtfdWW8/s1600/IMG_0440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IePVGTE67kM4ZCjDBaVdf9EvKIebpqaDLH3eevVpZG9svBeGaLm3nbdlCi5-c-iOxTgDZWkEghPvhQ5HVQdCJpXTdebKBk4S3XPLLZO5xErEMGHpDtuwF99Gwe5sbrxMFK9OMtfdWW8/s320/IMG_0440.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape id="Picture_x0020_11" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 278.25pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 185.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="IMG_0467" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image009.jpg"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></imagedata></shape></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6590560962644156335.post-83506967375492830432011-08-17T06:16:00.000-07:002011-09-09T03:27:11.065-07:00Ironman Hawaii 2010 Race Report<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Ironman World Championships, Kona Hawaii 2010. Race report by Martin Muldoon.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><stroke joinstyle="miter"></stroke><formulas><f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></f><f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></f><f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></f><f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></f><f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></f></formulas><path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></path><lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></lock></shapetype><shape alt="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs772.snc4/67235_482860187493_556762493_6887106_4653243_a.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_1" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 164.25pt; visibility: visible; width: 219pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="67235_482860187493_556762493_6887106_4653243_a" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg"></imagedata></shape><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I arrived Monday 27th September, almost 2 weeks before the race on Saturday 9th October. The idea was to acclimatise to the heat and 11hr time zone change. The flights out from London and LA had quite a few triathletes on them, obvious from the bike boxes and skinny physiques. The atmosphere had started already and I wasn't even on Hawaiian soil yet. The hotel was recommended by Jenny Gowans and couldn't have been more convenient, a 1min walk to the swim/race start! Jenny ended up having a tough time on race day with a stomach infection, she was wise to withdraw during the run and they kept her in hospital for 2 days. She's well on the mend now. The build up to race day was fun meeting athletes from all over the world. I did a normal taper, careful not to tire myself for the big event.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3zJaqvHOqcDBDPr7OcelGAszDeL79uKpwWqb_2u1-cfMu3M9v_AO9hTefqogTCIBNtFWujL0WSNQ0PB79YDRekeOvlchOWbui0Qp9sScM75W_8Z13HEeELq6iRxM8ZUR5iNYbnba5-w/s1600/pre+swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3zJaqvHOqcDBDPr7OcelGAszDeL79uKpwWqb_2u1-cfMu3M9v_AO9hTefqogTCIBNtFWujL0WSNQ0PB79YDRekeOvlchOWbui0Qp9sScM75W_8Z13HEeELq6iRxM8ZUR5iNYbnba5-w/s320/pre+swim.jpg" width="212px" /></span></a><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Race day arrived and I’d slept very well, almost 7hrs straight which is the most I had in the previous two weeks. Being so convenient to race start I didn’t have to stress too much, I woke at 4.30 for a 7am start, I had a quick breakfast and headed for number marking and swim check in around 5. This was pretty straight forward and I then checked bike tyres and placed drinks bottles for the ride. I was keen to get to swim start on time for a change so I then went back to hotel and got swim gear together. I was nervous but not overly so, I worried slightly that I was a bit too relaxed!</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I got down to the beach start area just before the pros set off, they had the starting ceremony with traditional drums and dance. It created a really nice atmosphere, but nothing could take our minds from the huge task ahead. The very powerful cannon from the pro start was the first time when I really felt a touch of nerves, it was the realisation that this was it, show time…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Just after the pros left shore I swam out to the floating car, warming up a bit and hanging on to the buoy and trying to negotiate with the marshalls that we should be allowed to go left of the floating promo car as it would otherwise be too tight. Through sheer numbers of swimmers they gave in and we were able to go well left of the car and spread the mass start a bit thinner. I was using a Polar 625x with time of day display along with lap time and HR, the HR monitor blanked 5mins before start and in fact never came back until I reset it on the bike. I knew they wouldn't count us down so I was ready from about 2 minutes to go, the loud cannon boomed and we were off.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape alt="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs398.ash2/67657_483110587493_556762493_6890284_5206882_n.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_2" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_i1026" style="height: 193.5pt; visibility: visible; width: 287.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="67657_483110587493_556762493_6890284_5206882_n" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.jpg"></imagedata></shape><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hWmJaPYUW1i8J5vBr9n2fzUqjB0p5wqcvCi1KPEuOcVA9TcohENBT7pVY3SrMHLy1NphcqktWoXDxII0xbwj6vdCSPXrcUdjdzbHL4Lf8xxRSCnEQDj7SGPPlknt-Qhbfe176WLrEf0/s1600/swim+start4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="215px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hWmJaPYUW1i8J5vBr9n2fzUqjB0p5wqcvCi1KPEuOcVA9TcohENBT7pVY3SrMHLy1NphcqktWoXDxII0xbwj6vdCSPXrcUdjdzbHL4Lf8xxRSCnEQDj7SGPPlknt-Qhbfe176WLrEf0/s320/swim+start4.jpg" width="320px" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I started fairly aggressive to find a bit of space but I didn't waste energy by fighting anyone, trying to avoid too much kicking and seeking a pair of feet to draft. I once got a huge shunt from my left as I turned to see NED in large letters, couldn't see the face to check if it one of my Dutch friends :-) I did get caught a few times at the start thinking, wow can't believe I’m here - in the crazy start of Kona, shouldn’t have been thinking about this but it just seemed a bit surreal. I never really suffered too much in the water, I enjoyed the swim and felt as if I was moving along nicely. I was surprised and disappointed with the time of 1:15 but thought I had a long day ahead to make up some time. I excited and had a fairly uneventful T1, although my neck was cut up from the swim suit. I was out on the bike in around 3mins.</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape alt="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs769.snc4/66915_483111387493_556762493_6890303_2034661_n.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_3" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_i1027" style="height: 286.5pt; visibility: visible; width: 192pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="66915_483111387493_556762493_6890303_2034661_n" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image004.jpg"></imagedata></shape><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The start of the bike was a bit awkward with people all over the road and lots of corners and the non-overtaking Palani Road before the turn around and back in to town. I took it fairly easy at the start of the bike and was keen to find a good rhythm, but the headwinds started out pretty soon and I was working at 140-145 early on the Queen K. I had hoped to get on a pace line but there was no one similar pace and I ended up going it alone. I noticed quite a bit of drafting and people grabbing my wheel while I passed, but I didn't waste any energy getting annoyed about it. The road to Hawi was long and the head winds never ceased, what lifted my mind from the effort was when the pros passed in the opposite direction. The helicopters in the distance meant they weren't far way and I was wondering who would be behind Lieto. I probably shouldn’t have been paying so much attention to the other side of the road but I’m such a huge fan of the sport that I couldn't help get excited to see all the big names fly past in the opposite direction. Lieto was smiling, Stadler, Macca and Voenecker were all up there. I was surprised how far Crowie and Lanos were back but they obviously made up ground in the closing stages. Later as the pro women came past I noticed Julie Dibens had a big lead as expected with Chrissie Wellington out of the race.</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape alt="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs402.ash2/68076_483111527493_556762493_6890307_5074878_n.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_4" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_i1028" style="height: 189.75pt; visibility: visible; width: 286.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="68076_483111527493_556762493_6890307_5074878_n" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image005.jpg"></imagedata></shape><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvxrT4zWG_cq3Tp-x1QhuMlatDcwVig8ntrd2LvphDd8ozPrlhY8Rp3bABRO40xnwboAuCDWGHdwtMfsQrIr8Tdz7Qtj4MsxIwkZwDwJGq85u2sjqoPbMdMUmp5s2o0kmotWFWpdGF68/s1600/bike2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="212px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvxrT4zWG_cq3Tp-x1QhuMlatDcwVig8ntrd2LvphDd8ozPrlhY8Rp3bABRO40xnwboAuCDWGHdwtMfsQrIr8Tdz7Qtj4MsxIwkZwDwJGq85u2sjqoPbMdMUmp5s2o0kmotWFWpdGF68/s320/bike2.JPG" width="320px" /></span></a><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The last 10k or so towards Hawi was all up hill and the wind although sometimes from the side was strong and I had to work a high HR to get any decent speed at all. I recognised a few guys coming the other way and I realised then how far I was behind from the swim, I tried to ignore this and keep pushing. By the turn around in Hawi I was feeling the work and my stomach started to play up. I started thinking that my recent efforts to reach race weight had resulted in me losing a bit of power on the bike so I was working harder than race plan. Regardless of the dodgy stomach the road down from Hawi was good fun, I love downhill and the extra challenge of the powerful back to side wind was quite a rush. At one stage I was doing over 45mph but the bike was at a huge angle as I fought the side winds. Each time I passed a gap in the hedge a gust of wind would throw me 2-3m across the road, it took a lot of lateral work to prevent me coming off on the decent – all that core work was paying off now!</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape alt="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs445.ash2/71817_483114627493_556762493_6890337_168547_n.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_5" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_i1029" style="height: 287.25pt; visibility: visible; width: 188.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="71817_483114627493_556762493_6890337_168547_n" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image006.jpg"></imagedata></shape><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I overtook a lot of people on the way down from Hawi but as soon as it evened out again I was disappointed to feel the notorious headwinds in the other direction again. As I continued to work against this my stomach was stirred up and I was sick a few times, the high 5 extreme didn't appeal anymore so I stuck with water and coke from the aid stations. My average speed came and went and my HR was always a little higher than I wanted, but I got back in to Kailua with an average of around 21.5mph for a split of 5:11.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39ylaWayhUxwLA-ZOwMbhD09rxbJ4Suu_5dRjKIeij6GdR9y40gq0uaYy0QbBoOrRhdWxTcgIKi7uNxrHR1EALMg05gDARIkcf7M05nCWUOvotgInvXggFLodNnX9AdqgVzufOPdcTVo/s1600/run2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39ylaWayhUxwLA-ZOwMbhD09rxbJ4Suu_5dRjKIeij6GdR9y40gq0uaYy0QbBoOrRhdWxTcgIKi7uNxrHR1EALMg05gDARIkcf7M05nCWUOvotgInvXggFLodNnX9AdqgVzufOPdcTVo/s320/run2.JPG" width="213px" /></span></a></div><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Just as I was coming off the Queen K near the energy lab the pro men were heading out on their run. Macca had a decent lead by now as Raelert and Voenecker were chasing hard. Crowie was so far back I thought how strange it was to see the champion in a position where he couldn't attack. These guys looked awesome on the bike and run, their concentration and pace was so impressive. Unlike mine so I stopped race watching and got back to business!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">T2 was again pretty clean, not very fast but without mistakes and I was on the run in around 3mins feeling relaxed and immediately trying to get to my target HR of 140. I had planned to keep it here for most of the run until the latter stages where if possible I would step it up for a strong finish. In the first section out to the turnaround point I had to stop at an aid station cubicle, felt like the longest pee of my life but then I was in a rather big race! About ½ way out to the first turn I noticed a tri colour on a fence that had the names of all the Irish squad on it, a cool gesture that give me a nice lift – no doubt the work of Owen Martin’s wife Ashling!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I kept my policy of water, ice, cola, sponge through all aid stations and felt comfortable at 140, never allowing myself to sneak above that. I had put on a fuel belt in T2 that had 3 small bottles of high5 extreme and one water. Idea was to have something to wash down the salt tabs with and the H5 extreme for an extra kick. Even early in the run the high5 bottles tasted terrible, so when I seen Ashling on the way back from the first turn around I dropped my fuel belt with her and kept just one of the small bottles. I was now packing light with the salt tab bottle and one h5 extreme bottle each in a side pocket which seemed much less burden than the clumsy fuel belt. Not only did the extreme taste bad, but I was getting enough energy from the coke so I think in future I’ll just take a small bottle of water for emergency between aid stations and mainly for washing down the salt tabs. You don’t want a salt tab on your tongue without water, I’ve tried and don't recommend it!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape alt="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs399.ash2/67773_483111957493_556762493_6890316_1930802_n.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_6" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_i1030" style="height: 287.25pt; visibility: visible; width: 189.75pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="67773_483111957493_556762493_6890316_1930802_n" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image007.jpg"></imagedata></shape><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As I turned on to Palani my HR started to rise as we climbed but I immediately slowed to hold it below 145. I remembered the short steps and high knees an old coach Paddy Downey taught me when I was 15 – that’s a while ago but the method works. A lot of people were walking up Palani but I never felt the need to lower cadence. As I reached the QueenK I spoke with a few guys about the mens race as the pros were passing the other way to the finish line. Timo Bract, Faris Al Satan and Eneko Lanos had just went past for their top ten finishes. I wasn't aware yet that Macca had dropped Raelert in the last 2 miles for the win. Very inspiring to see him come back after an average year for such a big win.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Meanwhile back on the Queen K things were heating up a bit with reports of ground temperatures of 120F, and as a precaution I was putting 2 lots of ice down my front and back at each station. This was becoming 2nd nature now and I didn't really slow down at the aid stations at all. I was still focused on keeping my HR at 140 in case the heat or humidity started to play with me but it never really felt that difficult, I had lost weight before the race to help handle the heat and this seemed to be working. I decided that when I reached the energy lab I would step it up to a more aggressive pace if I hadn’t started suffering too much at that point.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape alt="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs911.snc4/72445_483114792493_556762493_6890339_38514_n.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_7" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_i1031" style="height: 287.25pt; visibility: visible; width: 190.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="72445_483114792493_556762493_6890339_38514_n" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image008.jpg"></imagedata></shape><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It seemed like a long old way out there but I reached it feeling fine and ready to step things up. I seen fellow Serpie Rachel Joyce pass the other way, I shouted that she was in the top 5 but she was well aware of it anyway as she had been battling it out with Yvonne van Vlerken for 5th place for some time. She eventually dropped Van Vlerken and went on for a 5th place pro finish!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As I reached the energy lab I felt good so I put the hammer down and moved my HR up to 145, this felt like a considerable step up in pace as I started passing a lot of people but I was comfortable and knew I could hold it there without trouble. I found out afterwards that my pace from entering the energy lab with 9miles to go changed to 6:36 per mile, I held this pace til the end but wished then I had stepped up the pace earlier because I never really suffered on the run.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">On the way back in on the QueenK I passed a lot of people and some that I knew, some of them had blown but I encouraged them to hold it as they were so close to the finish. Most of these guys held on for a sub 10. As I had lost full race timing from earlier in the swim, the only way I could work out overall time was from time of day setting on the polar, this turned out to be fairly accurate as I knew I was fighting to get under 9:50. My calves were so tight as I turned off the Queen K on to Palani but I was thinking this is my last race for a while I would keep sprinting for the line, my knee was fine throughout. Running down Palani was fun, I let go and ran like a child with no control arms wailing all over the place, the crowd was amazing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaPQsXOrnmAZ_ivRzJn7CeebaN00-zFNUWjf6GDJCufzxS4J9eCTiB5kwOiZi-95uniSiwGm1XdntMIDIggtjAb1LnsQc8lHzhs67ZW8D4X2KPdVeFmk9B-tU5DyY7yrmjFmCg6ZHd1w/s1600/finish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaPQsXOrnmAZ_ivRzJn7CeebaN00-zFNUWjf6GDJCufzxS4J9eCTiB5kwOiZi-95uniSiwGm1XdntMIDIggtjAb1LnsQc8lHzhs67ZW8D4X2KPdVeFmk9B-tU5DyY7yrmjFmCg6ZHd1w/s320/finish.JPG" width="213px" /></span></a><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As I turned on to Ali'i drive the atmosphere was incredible and for the sake of 30 seconds I wish I had slowed down to soak it up a bit. Coming over the line in Kona is a fantastic thrill and one that I hope to do again many times. The clock read 9:48 and for the tough course of Kona things could have been worse for me. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape alt="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs004.ash2/33544_483112207493_556762493_6890320_7998383_n.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_8" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_i1032" style="height: 288.75pt; visibility: visible; width: 193.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="33544_483112207493_556762493_6890320_7998383_n" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image009.jpg"></imagedata></shape><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As a triathlete I’m very self-critical and I was disappointed that I didn’t hurt myself more in the first ½ of the run, a 3:15 run is not fast and it’s frustrating to have finished so fresh and reflect on how I could have done it differently. It’s wise to respect Kona as many big people have fallen apart in the heat, but I gave it too much respect and left my surge too late. I think the heat plays with HR and next time I will use a GPS system to monitor pace and avoid following HR so closely. My HR for Switzerland was similar but the pace was completely different. I know I can go a lot faster, I’ll have to wait a year but I’m positive and look forward to getting out there and doing some damage.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">My usual post-race nausea soon set in and it was an hour or so before I could eat or drink properly. A nice mellow atmosphere surrounded the finish area with pros and age groupers mixing and chatting about the race as the sun went down. As a competitive triathlete I soon was analysing the race and finding things that I could have done better and realised areas I need to work hard on this winter, namely swimming and bike power. I’ll take a month off now to recuperate and try get my leg strength imbalance issues sorted out. I’m signed up for Austria next year where I hope to get another World Champs slot. Kona is an amazing experience and I look forward to trying again next year. Mahalo Hawaii, Aloha!!</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape alt="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs902.snc4/71502_483113172493_556762493_6890329_7448587_n.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_9" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_i1033" style="height: 228pt; visibility: visible; width: 210pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="71502_483113172493_556762493_6890329_7448587_n" src="file:///c:\DOCUME~1\701989~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image010.jpg"></imagedata></shape><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img height="63px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvxrT4zWG_cq3Tp-x1QhuMlatDcwVig8ntrd2LvphDd8ozPrlhY8Rp3bABRO40xnwboAuCDWGHdwtMfsQrIr8Tdz7Qtj4MsxIwkZwDwJGq85u2sjqoPbMdMUmp5s2o0kmotWFWpdGF68/s320/bike2.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 432px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 769px; visibility: hidden;" width="96px" /></span>Martin Muldoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17216195459582774883noreply@blogger.com0