Training Log Archive: simmo

Came down with a cold this morning, just as we were heading off to Margs for the week.

Around the river including Mt Henry. On a whim, and because I was in no particular hurry, I followed the river paths around Heathcote and Majestic. Then in the same vein at Point Walter and on to the (not very good) path above Blackwall Reach. Continued to Blackwall Reach Parade, then up the 'Mur de Braunton' which more than made up for missing my usual Majestic and Stock Rd climbs.

With a stiff NEly blowing, I had to work hard up the coast and all the way home.

Almost 40,000kms on the Beemer, and 7,500kms so far this year - should make it to 10k easily.

State Long Champs at Abercorn Rd. GPS 4.73km, 200m climb. Took longer and safer routes to 1 and 2, then more direct and faster going to 3 and 4. Slight error at 4 going up the wrong creek for 30m before realising and correcting. 5 was an uphill slog, but made sure of the approach - others lost a fair bit of time here. From 5 to the finish was slow, but I was careful again, and pulled up from 6th place on the course at 4 to 2nd at the finish - ahead of M65s again. Tough but very enjoyable course - reminded me of days in the 80s at places like JFNP, Kalamunda, Walyunga and Radnor.

Course 6 - Splits

WA Sprint Champs at Murdoch Uni. GPS 2.32km. Scrappy sort of run with hesitations. Route choice errors at 11 and 15, and a nav error at 15 as well, costing 20 secs and 40 secs. Beat all the M65s, but way behind the other classes on the course (M & W16, W21, M & W55). Arguably M16 and W21 should be on a longer course, and us older folks should have a 1:3000 map (both my errors were caused by lack of legibility on the run).

C • Ten year age classes 8

2 - Splits

Around the river. HR profile appears fairly normal, so Wednesday's recording must have been a technical glitch.

West Coast ride - used the Garmin again, but something appears wrong with the HR data. The top of the profile is completely flat for most of the ride, and a max of 101 can't be right - especially ascending Reabold, and the ascent of Hale Rd shows an HR of -80 for the whole climb. Wrist HR monitors don't have a good reputation, but up until this ride mine has been pretty consistently in the ballpark.

Pulled into the car park above the City Beach groyne to check out the surf and the progress of the supposedly advancing cold front. The former was a good size, but too sloppy, and the latter was not really discernible with relatively dry-looking clouds as far as I could see.

Wind was NWly, but not too strong.

Around the river, via Curtin, Aquinas & Mt Henry. Foggy between Mends St and Waterford - could barely see the City from the South Perth side.

Used the Garmin even though I'm reluctant to since falling off the bike and cracking the screen last year, but I wanted to see the HR data. However, seems like there's no replication of very high maxima when riding.

Bassendean ride.

H4 course at Gunapin Ridge, GPS 5.32kms, 4 or 5 stops totalling around 8 mins for HR/breathing issues, plus some slow walking.

Went around the bottom of the rocks to 1, almost a problem due to unmapped watercourse leading me to think I had gone too far, but the clearing and bare rock confirmed I was ok. However, was slightly high coming over the spur that the control was on - 30 secs. Followed the bare rock and clearing to 2, keeping the large rocks on the edge of the spur to my left, and ran straight into the control (fastest split, and into the lead). Felt slow on a bearing to 3, and had to stop for a minute in the clearing before the control, but only 3 secs off the fastest split (Noel), and still in the lead.

Craig came past at 3, but I had to walk slowly up the hill to 4, stopping for 2 minutes on the way, then for another 2 after punching, before walking the first half of the leg to 5. Slow to 6 and had to stop for another 2 minutes after punching it. Able to jog to 7, sped up a bit when tRicky came past, but lost sight of him going down the rocky spur to the control.

Ran to the mapped location of 8, passing a confused-looking LostRichard coming the other way, his confusion explained by the lack of a flag. While hunting around, the breathing went bad again, so stopped, then decided to go on to 9. Just then happened to glance left and saw Noel punching a control on a cliff 60m away - lucky so and so just stumbled on it without having to go the extra distance to where it should have been.

Got more breathing problems going up to 9, and had to rest again, before mostly walking to 10. Felt ok by this time, and ran fairly hard to the finish. Without the breathing problems I might have given Noel a run for his money.

Think I need to have the exercise ECG done, as the last few events it hasn't been just a breathing issue, the ticker has been going like a bomb.

C • ECG 3

H4 Course - Splits

Around the river to meet Noel at EF. Had a bit of time up my sleeve, so included the Mt Henry loop.

Two rivers ride.

Around the river including Mt Henry.

H4 course at Julimar, GPS 5.74km. Went a bit wide to 1 rather than go straight up the hill, and wasn't intending to use the trail bike tracks, but came upon the Eastern one after cresting the ridge. When it came really close to the Western one I took a bearing to the control, but came out to the wrong control on a creek, 100m E of mine, so I think the tracks aren't mapped accurately.

Climbing up to 2 brought on the breathing (and apparently increased HR to 160+), and after the short leg to 3 I was probably in need of a rest. Didn't take it, and consequently went N for 3-400m instead of W. Eventually realised I should have been going downhill, so turned S and came to a large rock surface which told me where I was (400m NE of control 4). Very, very slow from there to 4, 5 and 6, HR reaching 180 before 6, so after punching sat on a log for a few minutes, then was able to run again. After being in 2nd place at 2, dropped 10 mins at 4, 3 mins at 5, 10 mins at 6, and 4 mins at 7 to finish well down, 30 mins behind Noel & Anthea.

H4 - Splits

West coast ride.

Di2 charge at 39,382 kms.

Around the river - meeting Noel at East Freo. Cold - just over 5C when I started.

Around the river including Mt Henry.

Bassendean, followed by Causeway lap.

Trail-O at Fred Jacoby Park. Course was listed as 3.7km straight line or 5.0 on trails. I took 3-4 X-C options but they don't appear to have saved me much. Well-set course for the purpose, and enjoyed the run.

H3 - Splits