Light Run

Light 4 mile run to stretch out the legs before hitting the beach for the afternoon!!

Montauk Brick

We spent the weekend out in Montauk with Jackie and Arturo which is always a good time. Before cooking up a lovely BBQ dinner and tucking into the vino on Saturday night I put in single 28 mile circuit of the mighty man bike loop (the bike leg of the actual race consists of 2 circuits of this loop) followed by a 3 mile run. I was very slow on the bike today; last time I cycled this course it took 1:45 mins but today it took nearly 2 hours. There were very strong winds which are partly responsible but I think accumulated fatigue in the legs from a big week of training is really to blame!

Double Squash & Swim

A double squash game today plus some pool work. First match 7:30am (!). The legs were still a little sore from the BRICK on Monday but they warmed up ok. After an hour on court I hit the pool for a 1 mile (80 lap) set incorporating my usual drills. Then this evening another hour on court. This second game was a tough fight right down to the final point. I don't think I've played a match quite that hard in a long time and I suspect I'm gonna be feeling it tomorrow morning!!

Jumbo Brick!

My biggest BRICK so far! I put in 50 miles on the bike followed by a 7 mile extended double bridges loop. The bike route was basically loops around central park (plus the travel there and back) so a good mix of gradient and flat road. It felt pretty good although towards the latter stages of the ride I started to feel cramped (as in cramped for space not muscle cramps) and my right little toe and left little finger were starting to go numb! I was glad to get off the bike and into the run. I stuck to a moderate pace and it was only the last mile or so that the legs started to feel a little sore and I wanted it to be over but I think that was more psychological than physical! Feeling pretty good afterwards - ready for a big dinner!! Sweet!

Extended Double (again)

What a great run this evening! After the storms hit New York and nearly flooded the city, the temperature dropped from the nineties to low sixties. I put in the same extended double bridges loop as Wednesday but I absolutely flew it completing the loop in 64 mins including traffic stops (probably around 62 mins running time). It felt great - fast, fluid and relatively easy until the last mile or so crossing the Manhattan bridge when I had to dig in for the finish. I wish every run were like that!!

Squash and Swim

Played an early morning squash match against Becca at the HR mid-town starting at 7:30am. Not my usual style to get up and active so early but it wasn't actually as bad as I expected! We had a good 1 hour on court and a decent game. It's funny how the Triathlon fitness creeps up on you; she was by no means unfit, but by the end of the hour she was pretty much done and could be easily beaten with simple drop shots because she didn't have the energy to run whereas I honestly could have kept going for another hour!! After the game I hit the pool and put in a solid 1 hour set - warm up, drills, builds and cool down.

Extended Double Bridges

Ran a slow 7 mile extended double bridges loop. Insanely hot, temperature in the mid 90s. I must have lost around half a stone on this run despite drinking 2 water bottles of Gatorade on route!!

Coombe Hill Loop

Another late night drinking wine and singing songs courtesy of the Burns family of Skibbereen made for a tough run today but I managed a decent 5 mile loop up and over coombe hill, through the local farmlands and along the country back roads. It's a great circuit, and run late afternoon it worked up a perfect thirst for a sunset pint down in Baltimore followed by boat ride to Turkhead and a fab evening BBQ

Swimming Loche Ine

Training was somewhat interrupted this week by a trip to West Cork, Ireland for a family wedding. Naturally such occasions involve copious amounts of food, drink and late night revelry, none of which is conducive to quality exercise. Nonetheless we did manage to shake off the post-wedding hangover on the Sunday with a 0.5 mile swim in Loch Hyne (Ine) and followed by a 5k run home. The swim was lovely although the loch was COLD. At first I didn't think I was going to be able to swim a proper crawl because after each set of around a dozen swim strokes my head was frozen so much it felt like it was being crushed and I couldn't breath properly!! However after a little while my entire face went numb and after that I was incapable of feeling any pain... The run was short and sharp. From the loch you climb up a pretty steep country road for around a mile and half back to the main Baltimore road where you hang a right and continue another mile and half back to the legendary town of Skibbereen.

Bike & Squash

Out early this morning to put in a couple of hours on the bike around prospect park before breakfast - a nice way to start the day! Then this evening another squash match - this one only marginally easier than last night. Sore legs this evening!