Training Update

I've cut down on the training, from the 6 sessions a week I was doing to around 3-4. This is mainly for time reasons, but, training for an endurance event it would seem sensible to do longer training sessions. I try to include 1 long run + "my club run" , 1 bike ride, 2 gym sessions and 2 pool sessions. There really should be more emphasis on the bike, given that is probably just about my weakest discipline of all 3, but it takes a lot more organising to do, then there's safety concerns. OK, OK, Ijust don't like doing things that I'm weak at. Having said that, I do enjoy the swimming as I feel I am learning as I swim, whereas on the bike I don't know were I'm going wrong. Although I don't have a heart rate monitor (top of my Xmas list!) I know I am not exerting myself, cardiovascularly (?) but my speed is capped by the tight feeling I have in my legs almost constantly. Could be the set-up (see previous entry - numb nuts), could be that my leg muscles can't keep up with my CV fitness from running - this would seem odd as I have rather large legs and I'm not sure how this could be remedied, either. Options include going into a bike shop and asking them to do it, downside: dealing with the spotty kid who says it's fine and that I just need to practice more. I think I'd rather just fiddle with it until I get it right, even if this risks another (less serious) bout of numbness.

So far my best times for each part of the Kendal tri are:

750m swim - 15 mins 30 secs - I could have miscounted the lengths though, perhaps 16 mins 30
20Km bike - 55 mins - Lots of traffic lights - I think I could have done this in less, perhaps 50
5KM run - 22 mins 32 sec on the road, 22mins on the treadmill (after a long exercise bike session).

So, given that I'll be doing them consecutively, that the route is hilly and adding in transition times, my current estimates are:

Swim: 18mins
Bike: 52mins
Run: 25mins

Giving 1hr35min total. I really would like to bring it down to 1hr 30 mins, but I genuinely can't see where I could make up 5 mins.

One area my be diet. I've been reading snippets about gylcogen strorage in muscles and fat-burning. I thinking if I can properly fuel-up and peak/get the proper amount of rest in then maybe there's a minute or two here and there.

The big gains are still to be made on the bike and a bit in the pool...must motivate self to practice what I'm weakest at. I should also let it be known that I've entered the Derby triathlon on September 14th, I'm usng this as practice for the main event in Kendal. Will hopefully get me used to all the transition business and race event details that I'm bound to mess up the first time.