Racing a great form of training!

So only a couple of weeks to go (9 weeks to be exact) to Port Macquarie Ironman and here I am lining up to do a couple of running races and some triathlons!  Probably not what I need, but I’m approaching these with a different mindset, not necessarily to race as fast as I can, but to continue the layers of fatigue!  Training through these races and racing them fatigued!

I have decided not to do a full blown taper at all for these races, some I intend to not even back off slightly, actually I may ramp things up if anything!  I decided some time ago that the Gold Coast Sprint – Luke Harrop Memorial triathlon weekend would be my last EPIC weekend of training before the ironman.  I have booked a couple of days off work and hope to get away from home for a mini training camp.

Here’s what I plan to do on this weekend:

I have always prescribed to the philosophy that the best form of training is racing.  So the weeks coming up follow that philosphy pretty close.  I have previously documented the runs and triathlons I am planning on doing during my preparations.  I have already completed the first of these races and it hurt ALOT!

28/2/16 – Sri Chinmoy 15km at New Farm – Sri Chinmoy Races / New Farm complete in 1:22:51.

Sri Chinmoy, New Farm Park – 15km Official Results

So a brief run down on this event, I rode 65km before, deciding to do Mt Gravatt & Mt Cootha on the way into this event, elevation gain of a little over 800m.  Arriving with exactly 15 minutes to the start of the run.  Just enough time for a ironman transtion!  My wife and alot of our friends from parkrun Capalaba were running also, so this was going to be a good day, regardless of the run, but becasue of the company!

65km warmup cycle – ironman climbing!

Sri Chinmoy 15km Run – Putting myself in the hurt locker!

The long slow aftermath – like watching a car crash, all in slow motion!

The temperature continued to rise during the run & I struggled running from 10km to 12.5 with the wind, the heat almost had me ready to pull the pin.  Thankfully the encouragement of other runners & the breeze allowed me to struggle through to the finish!  Those things and the thought of the famous pancake breakfast kept me going!  If you’ve never run a Sri Chinmoy run, I recommend it, their pancakes are amazing!

So over the coming week I will continue on my merry way layering the fatigue through the following events:

6/3/16 – International Women’s Day fun 5km at Southbank – Womens day fun run

13/3/16 – Mooloolaba Triathlon 51.50 – Mooloolaba Triathlon 2016

20/3/16 – Twlight Running Festival Half Marathon, St Lucia – Twilight Run St Lucia

27/3/16 – Sri Chinmoy 15km at Shaw Park – Sri Chinmoy Races Shaw Park

10/4/16 – Luke Harrop Memorial Sprint Triathlon, Gold Coast – Gold Coast Triathlon, Luke Harrop Memorial

Obviously it all peaks with:

1/5/16 – Ironman Australia, Port Macquarie – Ironman Australia, Port Macquarie

I will be looking forward to my taper by the time Port Mac rolls around.  Between now & then stay tuned for updates and report on my progress.

Till next time build consistency, keep smiling and live to Tri!