College life nearly at an end

Its been a bloody hectic few weeks

I have a load of HUGE projects due, one last week which went in fine, one last friday which went in...no idea how good it is....and my big one due on the 15th. Still havent fully shifted this cold but at least i can train again.

Had another weeekend in Manchester. Got some training done in the National Aquatic Centre over in the city. Nice pool, little too warm maybe, but not to bad, kick ass facility. Cheap as chips too! Got a nice run in one evening and ate much curry over the weekend. Was Pauline's birthday and Ide and Una were over so ended up doing a good bit of touristy stuff too!

Had a bit of a flap at my project on monday. Got a bit worried and decided not to do the session i had planned. Pool session and a run yesterday made up for it. Neither were too long or demanding, i just need to get back into said groove after the cold. Planning a quick session tonight before dinner, just get out on the bike for an hour, then back to the book's/laptop for the evening.

Bit of work coming up over the next few days too, damn i'm broke!

Cough, sneeze , splutter!

Bleugh, that's all i can say.

It's still not gone! I've been up to my ears in Vit C and water, but it still wont go away!

I reckon the combo of college and training have finally got to me. I've had to back right off the training. I need to shift this, only 40 days to go and I've had this a week so far.

Went to work on Saturday on the side of a cold windy rugby pitch, to watch a terrible game!

Sunday i was up at stupid o'clock to get to the park with Grainne for 8:30. Doing another beginners in triathlon coaching days. I was running a clinic on cadence and pedalling tech. Generally ranted on about efficiency and how its important! Then we had a mock race/duathlon.

Only a 2/10/2 km circuit but still fun. Took it easy on the run and the first lap on the bike. Chest opened up ok which i was surprised at, came home first off the bike, 3rd in the end. Could feel the lungs giving up at the end, green phlegm all over the side of the road. Was happy out, i reckon i did the slowest transition i have ever done for T1! Not even funny, i even stopped to have a quick banter with Jag :) Ok i said like 3 sentences to him!

Cycle home was hell on earth, in the rain, into the wind and it was fucking freezing. Came home so cold, got into the shower and stayed there until it was so warm it hurt. Nice. Had a snooze for an hour to get better, felt so good.

Monday; lots of college work and ppl getting panicked all over the shop.Just got my work done then went off on my own, i don't do other peoples panic. Helped Jane sort some stuff out that was about it.

Was going to go for a quick run, but i'm starting to feel better so i figure, push it back another day and i should be ok for a 5km to see how the legs are.

40 days

Stupid cold

Still sick

Wanted to go training last night, but forced myself to stay in!!! Arrrhhg its bright until nearly 9 and i can't go training!!

It's nearly gone, i had no green phlegm this morning so i know its going, just have this annoying cough now.

Soon it will be gone and all will be good.

I think i shall have some Lemsip. The laughing lemon will make me better!

Its been a random few weeks

Well the few days after the race i recouped. Just took things easy and let the legs recover. Pauline was over for a few days so nice to just chill out from college and de tune for a while. Thursday saw the annual Clubs and Soc's awards in college. We had 3 tickets for the club, but ended up having about 6 people there! Combined with getting the Juggle soc on our side we had loads of cheers.

Long story short, we had a free night of booze and food. Such a good meal even though it was being hosted on campus by the regular catering people. Well we won Best Sporting Event for the Cycling Intervarsities. I was so happy and so proud, so much work went in and it was great to get some gratitude in return. Suppose that's what putting events on is all about.

The beer and wine kept flowing, and even though we cycled out to the event i managed to stay just about sober enough to cycle home. Next morning I was so tired, very little sleep the night before :) Had college work to do on friday, didn't get a huge amount done to be honest :(


Saturday was another random day, work with my new job in the Irish Tag Rugby Association. We had a training day out in Malahide RFC with more free Volvic than i could ever wish for, and so much coffee. I was peeing like a horse all day. Then we played tag rugby after the training for a bit. I hadn't played in ages, made me feel great to be going nuts on a pitch again. However i did miss the not being able to cream people :)

Then the drinking started after the work. We got all done up in our glad rags, had a beer in the bar, and got onto this random bus with blacked out windows, a guy with a guitar, and a FREE BAR! An hour of the bus with free booze and no toilet. Dear god my bladder nearly burst by the end. We ended up in Enniskerry in Wicklow where the bus unloaded 40 or so very very drunk people onto a poor poor restaurant. Free food, more booze, and more free food. 2 hrs later and back on the bus of doom, made sure i pee'd this time!! 11pm i got dropped in town, i was quite well on my way, more so than Thursday night!

Sunday morning was not the best. I was not in the best of form, not hungover, but my legs were in bits from not stretching!!! This continued for the next 2 days. Only by Tuesday was the pain dropping off, i have not had such bad DOMS ever. Such unreal pain. Add to this a bloody cold. I have honestly never had such a bad weekend of training and sickness in over a year. It sucked!

So its Wed and i have just about shifted the D.O.M.S and the cold is dissipating. Got out on the bike for the first time in ages today, felt good this morning on the way to college. The i was involved in some filming for EuroNews. They are doing a story on the sensor vest that NCSR are developing and they needed someone to replicate Top Gun. I got to cycle along racing planes. Mad what these freeking artsy people want. However i had to do about 10 full on efforts for about 500m into a savage head wind, felt like puking during the last 2 efforts. Then i got a puncture. I forgot to bring my gear to fix it too. 30 min's later in the freekin cold i got picked back up. So so cold. can't wait to see myself on the telly!

Race, snow and suckage

Well the race was interesting yesterday. Woke up, turned on the radio and heard them talking about snow....got scared. Looked out window. Dry...hmm. Went outside. Fuck it's cold! Brrr, re packed bag with warm clothes.

Spun the bike out to Wag's to meet him and Peter, and noticed that the mountains had a nice dusting of snow. Uh oh me thinks... Packed van and drove to the race. Arrived to find many many more people than the day before at the pre-ride. Somewhat confused but not worried. Went warmed up and went to the start finish area. 70 people lined up in our class! Unreal so many people and the first lap was going to be hell! Oh the commissar decided we were doing 3 laps not the 2 laps. Git.



Charging the first section, hell everywhere, people crashing and overtaking in stupid placed, but sure its all in the nature of the race :) Took it easy on the first lap, didn't want to crash wanted to suss the course out. Slower on the second lap as i got held up by some twat on Gran Canaria and the third lap was decent pace considering that it was the last lap. Made up a load of places there. Snowed allot during the race, and massive hail burst all the time, made for some odd racing in shorts and a jersey! Was still freeked by that section i fell on Saturday so lost time there every lap, i reckon i was loosing a minute a lap on it. But just goes to show all this time on the TT bike has affected my mountain biking, that and my brakes were on backwards.....and my bars spun half way through a section. But i the end, it wasn't a technical, i just didn't have the balls. But in a good way, cause i haven't crashed and mangled myself :)

Came 34th out of the 70, with 27 people on either (+1) lap or more i was just happy to finish! Great race, could have done a few more laps, wasn't actually tired, but was deffo feeling fit.

Mud glorious mud

Went for a spin after college today. Myself and Macker from the club. Up to Howth straight onto the trails on the nice little light weight XC bikes! On the way out Macker broke his chain accelerating away from some lights, then again as we started up the first big hill of the day! Got it fixed, then headed off too the trails at full speed!

Macker had only the front brake, which decided to fail half way through the day. Which made for some fun when we hit the harder parts of the trails, the tight corners didn't quite suit him, or the trying to brake on the shale with only the front brake! Slidey slidey! Mud all over the place some nice little puddles to catch you out :)

Going to do the pre-ride and race entry tomorrow at the K-Capital race out in Djouce. Hope it dries up a bit, starting to rain, and Djouce is known for roots. I hate roots. I hate them more when they are wet.

Dehydration sucks

Yesterday i had to loose 3% of my bodyweight. That was 2.5kg weight. God it sucked. Made sure i was well hydraetd going in, was 82.4 kg when i was measured after being 81kg that morning! Go me!

Heart rate went through the roof after the test and i felt rough that evening. Real bad for the rest of the college day, i will not be doing that again.

Couple of meetings to go to today, then going to go for a spin on the MTB this evening about the Trails in Howth, just to get used to how it feels on more technical trails and to get another spin out before the weekend.

A week of ups and downs

Well I've been busy, both with college and life.

I have allot of work to do for my FYP so i've decided to not go to Holland. Couldn't get track time anyway so it makes no difference, just a pity as i was looking forward to the break.

I need to get some more people for my project, one more should do, but i need to get working on it, and my other two projects.

Picked up the Rocky Mountain, very very happy with it. Went for a short easy spin today with Wags and Grainne. I like it, its very very quick, and accelerates like a beast. Looking forward to racing it....oh wait this weekend!

Even though i have to spend the next two days up to my eyes in work, i do get to race at the weekend. Out in Djouce on trails i haven't seen in 3 or 4 years :) its alllll good.

Dehydration trial in the morning for me, then behind a computer all day :(