Hell of the West Kilkee

A race i've wanted to do for years. Missed a few entries in the past, forgot other years, and then other reasons as well. Race has a reputation for being a hard race, i do like a hard race, but i also like a good party, which the race has a reputation for too! With the Europeans next week Pauline wasn't going to race, so a bit of persuasion had me a driver for the day. Thanks Pauline! Nice drive down on Friday pretty relaxed evening and off to tent city early enough.

Nice late start (10am) ment that i could take my time with food and prep. Signed on the night before so rolled into transition at 9:15 to set up and then wait about for 30mins as they faff. 10:30am and we are in the 'chest high' water (aka deep water start as we all sneak forward) in brilliant skys, clear water, and a massive first wave. Good swim, felt fine in the water, pushed hard at the start to get to clear water, settleed in after about 100m, bit of fistycuffs over first bouy, ok otherwise. Found some fast feet at the turn around and just sat in. More aggression leaving the water and exited with a club mate (Archie) who i'd been swimming with all the way round! Happy with the swim, wasnt the fastest though.

Nice quick T1, lid on, shoes on, run out. Hop in, aim for upwards. Felt great on the bike, looking at HR i didnt push enough, felt as though i could have held that pace for the day so interesting to look at the power output later. Probably close to IM pace for me at the moment. New position on the bike is fine for Sprint and Oly, not sure for IM though. Wheel covers worked wonders with only one or two moments on what is a windy course. Not to much drafting that i saw, and some excellent course marshalling and markings.

T2, same old same old, in - out, run. Run, felt great leaving T2, running hard, about 700m in something went twang in my left leg, lost all power, on a 5km uphill run to the turn i thought about jacking it in, didnt. I have NEVER DNF'd and i wasn't about to. Thoughts of a 43min 10km went out the window. Gutted at myself, pushed through, not happy at restult overall.

Crossed the line and just walked off to go sit in the sea and have a bit of a sulk. Thankfully the post race cake and drinks and then more drinks and chippie made it a little better. Body was not happy the day after but we just did some tourist stuff and had a fun day. Today i feel like i have been through a mangler, body is in bits. Time to go stretch.

Planning a nice holiday

Good week last week training wise. Work wise, not so much. Still trying to find that focus that i need. Lists are going to be the way, write a list, complete the list. At least that way i'll feel as though i've achieved something with my working days.

Weekends training was heavier than i expected. 2hrs of interval work on the MTB on Friday evening on the local trails working on the hills and descents. Another 2 hours 30 on the MTB on Saturday, working hard for the first hour then a steady pace for the last hour half working on some technical stuff. Very hot weather had me in shorts and shirt for the day, excellent riding, but stuck to the woods mostly as the trails on the head would be covered in walkers. Sunday was planned asa 3-4 hour ride on the TT bike with a run off the back.

The plan failed, an hour in and i felt like muck, no power in the legs and mentally in the wrong place. Sat down for 5 mins, ate some food, figured i'd push on for 10mins and see if legs came round. No such luck. Turned for home and rolled back, putting in efforts where i could. Nice to be in the sun, but an example of a perfectly bad session. Wipe the slate, start again, all hours in the bank.

In between work today i have a plan to be hatched. Holiday plans, well i say holiday i do mean week of training. A week in the UK trying to get in as much training as we can between some mountain biking, some running, and some open water swimming.

Assuming it goes ahead (some issues with people not signing up!) Hit the North summers race is the main focus of the weekend. Trails, fun, racing, and beers. Then thinking a spot of riding in Lee Quarry and Crag Quarry followed by a spin North to meet some friends of Pauline, and a spin about Gisburn early on Monday morning before hitting the ferry to the Isle of Man.

Once there, who knows, maybe sit on a beach all week, maybe do something with our time :) Probably the latter. Haven't been there in years, but some internetting and some research has given me a few ideas for trails and some excellent running options. Add to the fact that the place is an island and you have a near perfect swimming location. Maybe get a point to point swim in somewhere, that'd be cool!

But i digress. Back to work.

Focus

If you can find my work one please return it. Currently i feel like this pup. Playing chase the tail is much easier than actually doing things i should be doing.

Training is happening albeit not very structured. Had a very good run week while over in the US clocking up 50km before i succumbed to air conditioning endued sickness. A few days of travel and planes put an end to any chance of recovering fast from that so i just sucked it up and got on with it. Few short rides on the fixie to work at low intensities and one hard ish 2 hour ride on the MTB last week at least let me get my legs back into bike mode.

The UK last weekend was a good chance to catch up with some swimming as i got a session in a pool for the first time in a few months (need to go pay my pool fee's), gotta love the pay and swim attitude in the national training centre in the UK. God knows why we try to rape people when they want to train at the NAC, and if they want to use the 50m pool....oh that'll be a leg sir. Saturday was mostly reading, sun and thinking. Work never leaves my brain (Which is unfortunate) so when it decideds it wants to work i try to let it. Just need to figure out how to get it to work on que.

Sunday was post curry dinner run after a few hours of faffing. Think the US jet lag had not totally gone away and a sleep until 11am pretty much proved that. So much for our early run in the mountains. Eventually rocked up in Settle at about 3pm, crammed some coffee and cake in at 'Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe' and then headed up to Whernside.

14km run in 1hr 40mins at a nice easy pace. Just tipping along for most of the run. Taking the ups hard but not to hard, then easy on the downs and flats. Even rain as we hit the top wouldn't turn my first proper long hill run in a while into a bad day. Running in a singlet and shorts in the rain on top of a mountain has a perverse effect in me. I love it, mood goes from good to great every time it happens. Something special when you run past hill walkers and they look at you without understanding and a bit of shock.

Eventually back to Settle looking like drowned rats, into the chipper for some healthy recovery food, then into the car back to Manky. Usual early morning farce of a flight (why do i get these stupid early flights) then off to work to sleep for the day. Legs still hadn't come right last night so 3hrs 30mins on the bike appeared to be the thing to do.....this whole IM training is going to be interesting.