New IMUK Bike loop attempt #9
Areet…..
This week it was time for one of my favourite ‘race specific’ training sesssions….
40 min swim in the flash (just like we will do on race day)
12 mile ‘pre loop’ flash to Horwich (just like we will do on race day) – (Or should that be 18 mile?? – more on that later)
One lap of the main 47 mile IMUK race circuit (just like we will do on race day).
Then 12 mile back to flash…
Here is how it went……
40 Minute swim in the flash
So it was down to the flash for the first open water swim of the season.
Without doubt, the biggest battle as far as open water swimming is concerned is the one that goes on in your mind.
All week I have been uneasy about returning to the flash, playing all sort of ridicuclous scenarious out in my head.
What if I get into trouble and nobody seees?
What if I get cramp?
What if I just start sinking all the way to the bottom without a trace….
What about me little girl???
You know the sort of crazy things….
I blame me old school teachers.
At the end of the day, You cant keep telling an 8 year old child that ‘deep water is dangerous’ over and over again without the child (me) becoming mentally scarred about it for the rest of their lives.
Lets have it right, if you get into trouble in the local pool, you put yer foot down and hey presto you can stand up – plus there is a lifeguard sat waiting to rescue you in a heartbeat….
But you get into trouble in the middle of penny flash mate and you are fooked my friend…..
However upon arrival, I looked out to the 3 buoys in a triangle on the ‘short’ course and thought to myself…..
‘Is that it’
Dont get me worng, gets in and its fookin freezin…..(as always).
But after a couple of minutes ‘prancing about’ I got stuck into it and soon settled into my rythym.
I was really pleased with how that first OW swim went….
I have to say I much prefer swimming open water.
there are far less distractions….
Like a wall every 25metres for example……
Or people doing ridiculous things in ‘your’ lane.
In open water, It’s just you, the water, your breathing and your stroke.
The only things that pissed me off were the fact that I (somehow) lost me white swim cap and the fact that they wouldnt let me tumble turn against the safety boat at the end.
You aint got a hold on me no more Penny Flash…
12 Mile ‘Pre Loop’ flash to horwich (Or is it 18 mile?)
One of the lads on twitter made a really good point about the ‘pre loop’ in the week…
‘Rookie you are saying that the ‘pre loop’ flash to Horwich is 12 mile but its not it’s 18 mile to Queens Park (T2)
He made a good point.
Here is how I see it…..
Flash to the crown at Horwich is 12 mile and here we ‘double back’ on ourselves to ‘start’ lap 1.
I say this because when you hit the crown @ Horwich for the second time you will have completed one full circuit of the ‘main’ bike loop…..
However Queens park (T2) is 6 mile further on.
So where will lap 1 officially start and end???
Will it be the Crown at Horwich or will it be Queens Park???
I would like to see IM ‘adding’ the extra 6 mile onto the back end of lap 2 (please do this IM)
Here’s why….
It took me 51 minutes to get to the crown at Horwich (start/end of one full circuit) (broadly within plan)
But it took me 1:07 to get to Queens Park 6 mile further on.
It’s only 16 minutes, but it has the potential to have a big impact on the cut off times dependant on where IM class the first lap as starting and ending.
The last thing you want to be doing is starting yer first lap huffing, puffing, wheezing & whacked because you have ridden the ‘pre loop’ way too hard to give yourself a chance at hitting the lap 1 cut off time…..
All will hopefully become clear on this once the athlete guide is released on 14th June….
Main 47 Mile IMUK circuit
I was pleasantly surprised with how strong I felt early doors.
I ‘had it’ with one of the Team Deaners on his second lap but that was a big mistake….
You dont fuck about with the Team Deane lads…..
I was OK until I got to Roman Road and here I began to struglle.
But it was once I got to the ‘forest of doom’ (The bit between Edgeworth and Blackbutn Road) that I began to come seriously unstuck.
That section is an absolute bitch.
Its one long, slow, continuous ‘subtle’ climb that always depletes what little energy I have left and it feels like trying to cycle uphill through treacle 50 mile in.
God knows what this is going to be like on lap 2…
Some of the Ironmen came stomping past me which just shows its not the loop its me but that section can kiss my arse.
SHL in reverse was not as bad as I was expecting.
Shot over to the crown to complete one full circuit after prior shinanigans in 3:50……
Make no mistake, work required.
Crown @ Horwich back to flash – 12 mile
This is a relative piece of piss compared to ‘all of the above.’
All in all a good day at the office.
Swim in the flash plus 70 odd mile…..
Getting there…
I need to eat food now and sleep for about a week….
www.strava.com/activities/2396840935
Next Update…….Sat 1st June
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