So...where are we 14 days out....

So......after a weekend of testing myself in my race kit - will all the trimmings including the pointy wizard hat (my Lazer Tardiz helmet) how do I feel?

 

Swim (yesterday)

Felt really good – smooth flowing and fast. I lost my pace a little in the middle but it all came together at the end – happy with 23:08 for the 1500m as that was in pretty weed infested water with noone else to pace me :-)

Bike

WooHoo!!! an average of >30kph!!! First time I have ever managed it and that was including traffic and traffic lights in Cambridge!! Everything worked well (although I do need to reindex the gears and probably change my chain – it is a little short now (going from a compact to a full size...)), the nutrition side of things was good however I am seriously pondering just using bottles on the race as I seem to take in air as well as fluid when using the straw....hmm...I can carry 3x bottles on my frame (2 in my Xlab wing and 1 on the frame itself), 1 will be for gels but that leaves 2 – will it be enough for a 70.3, not sure 1550ml??? (plus I would be able to pick up extra water (but not nuun) en route at the aid stations if needed...

Anyway physically it felt good - knees and ankles all okay. The hills were hard seated - I didn't stand once on them :-) but my knees did not feel like they were going to explode which is good!

Run

Not quite as positive...good things first:

Pace was good off the bike, and I didn't feel rubbish off the bike, I felt fresh! I kept a good pace throughout (6:00-6:30) and ankles were totally fine

However....bad things:

My knee started to ache and get sore at about 7.5km so I cut the run rather than push it. Also I tried the same formula with gels as I do on the bike (50ml water+gel in a bottle) and I felt fine GI wise before taking any gel on but felt ropey after (about 1/2 a gell (by vol))...I think coke/water on the run may be the way forward...

and finally – I am tired!! This week will either be a hard week or a gradual taper depending on what my coach says....and then at the end of the week I head out to Galway to prep for the race! :-)

The last few weeks and today's swim

The last few weeks have been hard, after coming back from illness and injury following the UK 70.3 I have been builing solidly. This week was a rest week - not that it felt very restful as work has gone nuts (probably because I finish my current role in a week!!). 

Well after a long amount of consideration I decided not to do the Marlow Mile based on the expected water quality - I don't want to get amoebic dysentry two weeks before the Irish 70.3!

So instead I tried out a new OW venue - Redrick's Lake (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=116356055056128) just outside of Sawbridgeworth in Herts. It is a nice, small, friendly lake with good parking and showers (albeit a little basic). The lake has fabulously clean water although at the moment there are times when you could almost walk across the lake (due to weed growth!). Even with that to contend with I managed a 500m warm up, a 23:08 1500m TT - very happy - a faster pace than my race at the Great East Swim and not only did I feel less tired but I was solo swiming and sighting properly (as there were no big buoys!) and a 300m cool down!

Very enjoyable!

The TT GPS track is below:

Tomorrow is 70.3 practice day - 2:30 of Z3/4 TT bike followed by a 15km run...lets hope the knee/ankles hold up!