Auckland Half IM Race Plan

I have got a pretty straight forward plan this year... Don't f..k up! After last year do not want a repeat...

Gear
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* Got some new googles TYR technoflex jr clear tried them and are good,
* Will wear my Orca shorts and Xterra black top, familar and comfortable,
* Xterra wetsuit will be good,
* On the bike will use my aero LAS helmet and HED Alps wheels (need and upgrade),
* On the run will don a cap and glasses and my Nike flats,
will take the time to put on a pair of socks.
* Areo bottle on the bars so allow lots of drinking easily...

Food
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* For the ride will use Leppin squeezes diluted with salt tablets desolved and
* Leppin Enduro booster.
* For the Run will take 3 GUs and have one per lap (beginning) and water/Pro4 first lap then,
* coke/water after that.
* Might have a couple of salt tablets first and second lap too.

Race Plan
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Pre race
* Get bike togehter, tyres pumped up, shoes on right pedals,Put fluid into front bottle and,
* Other drink on.
* Put helmet on top of bars with spares and repar kit in it.
* Layout post swim bag for easy storage of gear.

Run bag
* put shoes in heals first with socks in each shoe half inside out,
* then put in cap (with three GU's, salt tablets and sun glasses)

Pre swim
* quick run warm up 10 mins
* put wetsuit on and body glide,
* zip up and get in water for a 5-10m swim warm-up leave no more than 5mins before race.

Swim
* Start on the left away from bad things...
* Swim steady right from the get go... get on someones feet if possible,
* Otherwise concentrate on good stroke and relaxed dps.
* Take a look ever 4th or 5th stroke once going ok.
* Check half way time at 1k and decide if need to swim harder,
* If rough weather then just try to get through without drinking too much water and going off course.

T1
* As coming out water take off top part of wetsuit, unzip and pull off arms
* take off googles and cap and carry
* hit lap button at T1 entry,
* At bike, but googles and cap in swim gear bag,
* Pull off wetsuit, roll up and shove in swim bag,
* get spares and place in top,
* Put helmet on
* unrack bike and head for exit,

Bike
* hit lap button, and start bike speedo,
* jump on bike with left pedal forward, stand on left shoe push forward and get right foot onto right shoe,
* get up to speed and then put left foot in first, then get some more speed on,
* then do right shoe, now go!
* settled, have a drink...

Tactics
* Start strong... put in a bit of effort until 30Km,
* settle in
* steady on the hill but do not kill yourself,
* wind it up on the flat/down hill/tail wind parts,
* do not over do it into the wind,
* At turn around evaluate where you are - how far back,
* maybe another steady - hard session.
* do not go too fast on hill on the way back

T2
* hit lap button,
* Get run bag,
* hand off bike (and helmet ? not sure)
* empty bag contents,
* get spares out of pockets,
* put sock/shoes one one foot at a time,
* get glasses and run to exit putting glasses and cap on,
* put GUs and tablets into pockets,
* hit the exit hard at full speed.
* press lap button

Run
* settle into a good fast pace perhaps faster than ususal about 4m/km,
* take a GU at first drink station
* first lap drink pro 4 and water, take salt tablets, at each aid station,
* 2nd and 3rd lap take coke if available

Tactics
* 3 lap course out and back want to average about 14mins per half lap,
* check splits at each end,
* More downhill on way back so if need be make use of them!
* take splits against anyone in front, try to catch earlier i.e. lap 1 or 2
* Hang on for last lap!

Finish
* Have a drink!

A few running weeks

The report out of Polar software now shows the last few weeks as 54, 73, 63, and this week 52Km for running weekly distance, with still two more days to come. I'll do a long ride tomorrow with a short brick, then a 90min steady effort Sunday to bring the total to over 70Km as well. Hopefully the body will hold together...

Starting to look like a good consistent block of running... I'll give it another couple weeks before deciding to enter the Marathon. I'll make a decision after the 15th as during that week I have a goal of 100Km for the week. If that goes well then we'll enter otherwise I'll just look towards doing the Huntly half in the later part of May.

Not doing anything really hard yet just trying to run at a 'fast crusing pace' without getting the heart rate too high... incorporating a bit of fartlek too. There are not too many hills around here, just rolling but will try to get some bigger hills in on this weekend's longer run..

Taking on Super Coach

The day broke overcast and windy, the sea quite choppy.

Here's Super Coach coming out of T1 first... 2m40s ahead... not looking to happy!

I had no end of problems getting on my bike being completely out of practice I nearly crashed when I failed to put my feet on top of my shoes! Arrrrh!

The bike was rolling with some short step climbs... I made up about 30s giving coach 2mins out of T2...

Then onto the run! The legs just did not get going the first lap and it was still about 2 mins back with 5km to go. I lifted the pace and closed the gap to about 30 secs quite pleased, but no cigar. Super coach got the free lunch! Top Stuff.

A Marathon in 7 Weeks?

Here I am in the middle of training for the Auckland Half Ironman with thoughts of tackling the Rotorua marathon!

I don't think I'm crazy... but I have not done a marathon since London in '98 and want to see just how fast I can run one currently. I guess I'm thinking of a possible Ironman NZ next year and want to know what a reasonable pace would be...

It is 7 weeks away and I have been doing a reasonable amount since beginning of November including 6 weeks over 40Km and about 7 runs of 20Km or more... or am I dreaming???

I could go out tomorrow (Sat) and run 2 1/2 hrs comfortably, but instead I'll be doing a long ride (4hrs with some steady intervals) plus a 20min brick, then follow that up with a 1 1/2 hr ride and 2hr run on Sunday...

Me in action

At the Mount... can't tell what lap though. Good enough for fastest bike split for the age groups...