training weekend

4 days in the ardennes

teasing the legs

Saturday before the race:
Teasing the legs in a short ride
teasing the legs in a short run
teasing tha arms & legs in a short swim
then ly with the feet high and load them carbo's

evening run

One week to go before the first long distance race, and nearing the end of a big block of training.
This evening I set out for my usual Thursday long run. Empty the head and watch the world go by!

swimming in busy lanes

For the last few weeks I’ve been swimming…a lot! With this, I’ve learned a few tips when swimming with a handful of lane swimmers and non-lane swimmers alike!

Tip #1: If you want to feel like you’re going fast, swim in the recreational lane and weave in/out of the bobbers (aka breast-stroke swimmers with a belt on)!

Tip #2: If your lane is right beside the ‘play’ area for kids and you find kids swimming/playing with your lane rope, grab one of those dangling legs as you swim past. You’ll go much faster, even for just an instant! And your next lap will be free of obstacles!

Tip #3: Don’t pull on your swim cap too much…it splits in two!

Tip #4: If you’re swimming with 6-8 swimmers in one lane and you’re all swimming at different speeds, pick your time to start your intervals. Give yourself a whole lane length between the next swimmer. If this isn’t possible, try Tip #2.

Tip #5: Swimming HURTS. Remember this for every stroke.

Fail

Kampenhout, on the way between Antwerp and Leuven!

long ride

the plan: the knooppunt route sticking on the top tube


underway 1: monument for the victims of the 1953 inundation


underway2: all of a sudden the road 'ends' into the water


done - another bail of hay in the barn!

Antwerp 10 miles

How I love this race, but truthfully run-races scare me. It's like running with gazelles. They're just a different breed. The thing I love is that the competition drives you to be your fastest on that course.
But yesterday leaves me with some homework to do. Got to fix the pacing problem that I have.
Plan was to start out mellow and build into the race and finish off with a negative split. I started out slowly allright, but apparently my legs love the longer distance pace, and want to stay there. So there was no picking up the pace or no negative split at all. I was ready to run, eager to go hurt, but the legs just said 'we love this pace you train us at and we stay here'. And that was that. Trying to find another gear was no use. The legs just wanted to hang out in the 4min/km zone. I guess I have them well trained for that. Firing up the pace was causing leg carnage big time - especially on the long uphill in waaslandtunnel!
When all was said and done I was stoked to pb by over 15 minutes!! 335th place in 1.05.17 for the tunnels in tunnels out race isn't bad after all! Must be my start was not as mellow as I had planned it...