We sure are getting to the pointy end of training now, and the race is not far away. I’m starting to get pretty nervous at the mammoth task ahead of me, and already looking forward to the rest I will get afterwards!!
My longest ride so far – we are up to 82km. I am doing shorter loops closer to the house (for safety reasons). So I have a 41km loop and a 22km loop. My 82km ride was the longer loop twice.
On that day, my parter was at home and came out to cheer me on as I cycled past the house to start lap 2. It sure was great to have that motivational post mid way through my ride.
But, truth be told the long rides are very very hard for me, and not that enjoyable. I actually dread them (but at the same time know they need to be done).
This has made me re-evaluate my goals in the longer term and I have come to the conclusion that Challenge Wanaka surely will be a challenge alright, but at this stage I have no desire to go back and do it every year. The extra 30km that is added to the bike leg for the aquabike race just pushes it over the edge for me. I think 80-90 would be about my limit given a choice.
Weather
I truly never used to care about the weather and would be out training in all weathers, all times of the year. My outlook on this has changed dramatically in more recent years.
Due to my physical disability and psychological injury (PTSD) I have a massive mind block getting out as it is. The slightest wind or rain compounds that. I am way past the years I used to enjoy that side of things. I don’t even know when it happened but I discovered on my last ride that I am definitely looking for enjoyment out of this, I no longer need to be fastest / hardest / best or whatever I used to strive towards.
The above photo is after my latest long ride outside. Again, I was planning to do the 2 x 42km loops. I ummed and aaaahhhhed for ages that morning because I couldn’t decide firstly whether to go, and secondly what the weather looked like it would do.
I was not having too good a day. On those types of days I know that I have to get up and get going on whatever my plans are without delay, otherwise the likelihood is I won’t do it at all. The forecast said cloudy with the sun coming out later in the day. The sky did look grey, but no rain was forecast and the wind was not supposed to be too bad.
So, with a shirt, base layer and cycling long sleeve jacket (more layers than I have worn in a long time) off I went.
On the back section of the loop – furthest away north west from my starting point, the wind began whipping up. This didn’t please me because my leg was not playing ball and the pain levels were high. This is something I can’t control, and can’t figure out. The patterns aren’t obvious at all, so some days I cycle and it’s ok, some days it isn’t and I usually have no idea what type of day it is going to be.
Then it started raining. I was around 30km into the ride at this point and already not having a fun time with my temperamental leg. For the next 12km my mind swung back and forth between pushing on and quitting when I got back to the house. I just didn’t know what to do.
Some of the things going through my mind at the time
- I should push on, I would have to if it was race day
- My leg hurts, this is not fun at all.
- Maybe the cold is making it hurt worse, can I really tolerate this for another 60km?
- Is it wise to continue? What will the fall out cost be for me later if I do
- I hate this I am not enjoying it now at all.
What is the cause of my pain?
One thing I want to get clear first. The pain I get is claudication pain. It is the pain caused by the increased oxygen demand from my muscles when I exercise, an increased demand my vascular system cant keep up with because that leg has no main artery any more. Basically my muscles are oxygen starved. It isn’t a pain you can push through. It is a pain that stops you dead in your tracks. I then have to wait (for the blood flow to catch up) then I can carry on. No, it does not do permanent damage to anything. It just is what it is and it will likely always be there.
The fall out cost
What I mean by fall out is extreme fatigue caused by overworking myself. This was a really massive problem when I first started out on this race specific exercise plan . Boom and bust has always been something I have to be mindful of. My capacity overall is reduced by over half, by my disability, bear in mind.
When I do too much, the fatigue can be severe and long lasting. I have been completely wiped out for the rest of the weekend, up to 5 days or more, at various times in the past. I am VERY conscious that I do not want to do that again, the cost of my bloody mindedness is just too significant now for me to box on when I feel like I want to.
So, on this occasion I decided to stop at the end of the first lap.
To make up for that I did a walk parkrun the following day (on purpose, to work those tired legs)
Decision time – how to train
I have been doing a wee bit of research. In general the thoughts seem to be that 2 x consecutive shorter rides have similar fitness benefits than those longer ones. Some points to note here:
- Shorter sessions are easier to recover from
- Fitness decays as you rest. So you will eventually reach a point where the amount of time needed to recover from that long ride will be greater than the benefits, making 2 shorter ones a better fit.
- Biggest factor in play to make long rides successful is nutrition strategy.
So, in short, it seems I made the right call, and I should not feel bad if this happens again in the next few weeks. What I perhaps need to do next time is head out the next day and do the rest of that ride I did not finish. In fact, If I wanted to continue racing long I perhaps need to use the 2 x ride strategy more often.
Race strategy
People have been asking me what my hopes and goals are. to be frank I dont give a stuff about the time. My goal is to finish the damn thing!!
Swim
THe swim course is two laps (thankfully I don’t have to get out and get around anything on the beach at the end of the Lap!) It is a beach start, so I will have to start in the water, to the side of the main wave of people.
My plan is to swim wearing the socket but not the foot, and Peter to have the foot at the swim exit. I am hoping that will make the exit and journey to transition a bit easier. Of course, some nitwit decided that I cant use the fin because somehow it is an unfair advantage. Like WTAF?!
Bike
The bike course looks like it can be mentally divided up into 3 sections, roughly as per the aid stations. One thing I remember reading many years ago in a pro triathletes biography is that she broke the marathon run down into 4 x 10 km runs. I have always liked that way of looking at it, so I think I will do the same with the bike course in 30km sections.
The aid stations are set up for you to cycle past and do a flying bottle grab. That was NEVER in my plans. I will definitely be stopping each time. The added advantage of that is my vascular system on my left leg gets a change to catch up with the muscles each time as well.
I am going to ignore the elevation statistics at this stage, or I will get myself worked up too much. It quite simply is what it is!
The start lists are published at the end of this month. That is when I get to find out if there are any other paras in the start lineup, or whether I am it!
Next few weeks of training
The plan is to get the swim up from 2.4km to closer to race distance, one stay though, I am not worried about the swim.
And the bike – aim is 95km long ride. But I also have the back to back shorter ones as a back up plan if that doesn’t work out.
I probably won’t be back at parkrun participating till after the race now.
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