Fartlek round the Oval

For some reason, sports fields in Adelaide are often referred to as Ovals. The closest oval near to our apartment has a 2.2km track (better than bitumen) that provides a good place to train while the kids play in the field.

Last Thursday, I did a fartlek run (5 min at HR 160, 10 min at 150) x 2, and yesterday the same 3 times, bracketed by 15 min warm up and cool down. Yesterday's weather was a little cool (about 16 deg C), but it was sunny. Not many folks out on a Monday morning.

MBH commented that folks here seemed to be very fit and healthy, judging by the number of runners around the Oval. Indeed, our regard for the fitness of Australians in general have been high. One theory is that Australians love their sports and kids are encouraged to play sports from a very young age.

Is it any wonder that some of the top triathletes are Australians?

North Haven 58k bike ride

After a couple of hot days, the temperature dipped to a high of 21 deg C over the the weekend. Today's weather was better than Saturday's - no rain. So I headed out for a long ride that I recce'd a few days ago. It drizzled when I left the apartment, but soon cleared up for a sunny ride.

The ride through Adelaide city was uneventful, though there were a few traffic lights to negotiate. Traffic was light for Sunday afternoon. As I reached the Henley Beach, it was really bright and sunny. 12 km to HB. Went up north. The road along Military Road was nice and fast, especially along West Lakes. Good speed about 30 kph, at my favorite gear combination and high cadence.

Turning into the historic coastal Esplanade road, it was a little slower with many roundabouts and a big carnival. The last stretch Lady Gowrie Road was fast - easily above 30 kph, and at stretches, reaching about 40 kph. Wow, I thought I was getting better....

However, the truth hit home when I turned around. Immediately encountered strong headwinds. The strongest I'd ever experienced. The closest was along the Lakeshore in Chicago. Each strong gust of wind veered the bike off line. It took full focus just keeping the bike under control. Had to go slow... crawling at 15 to 20 kph. All 10+ km.

Decided to turn off earlier at Grange Road where the wind was a little better. Later I found out that it was a 37 kph SW wind. Sure took its toll on me.

After a gel break, I felt better and managed the last 15 km. Got a little lost on the way back, and took the river track back. A nice long ride. It had been a while since I went above 50 km.

30 minutes after getting home, it rained again. What a weekend. What an experience riding against strong headwinds. No wonder I didn't see many cyclists out this afternoon.

Lesson learnt - check weather conditions AND wind conditions before riding. :)

Torrens River 30k easy ride

Summer was definitely here. 30 deg C this afternoon, so I opted for an evening ride along Torrens River, heading west towards the sea. The paths in the City were well marked and paved. But those in the outskirts were narrow, windy and gently undulating.

Interestingly, I rode past woods, on paved road (due to construction), cemetery, wooden pathways and overhands, bridges, through residential suburbs, farms (yes, the smell of cow shit was undeniable) and finally, the beach (West Beach/Henley South Beach). Because of the narrow path, road condition and afternoon glare (riding towards the setting sun), the speed averaged only 19+ kph. A few short but steep inclines to keep things interesting.

Passed many other cyclists, mostly on mountain bikes, as well as runners. Most were friendly.

I didn't particularly like this route for biking, but would be a great route for running. :)

View ride in Garmin connect.

Torrens River easy 10k run

The feeling of running in a dry cool weather under a clear blue sky, along a picturesque river bank would best be described as ... uplifting. Yes, I ran an easy 10k this morning along the Torrens River in Adelaide, South Australia. And for the next month or so, my posts would be about running and cycling in Adelaide.

After a red-eye turbulent flight, settling into our apartment, grocery shopping, and orientating with the city, it was good to be out for an easy run. Chose the easiest route - head toward the river and run along it.

The cool air (15 deg) along with the sun made for an easy affair, HR about 140 to 150.

See run in Garmin connect.

Assembled the bike (took more time to dismantle and pack!) and all ready for an easy ride. Planning to ride toward the ocean, possibly on the weekend.

Training-wise, it'll be more running to prepare for the Jan marathon.

Now to find a swimming pool...

Mandai and Rifle Range Road

There's nothing like some nice slopes to get excited over, cycling-wise. Have not been up Sembawang Road since our first ride. Usually turn left into Seletar Reservoir, and since Jodan told us that going straight up is more challenging, we thought we'll check it out.

There are two long slopes. At the top of the first slope, we turned left into Mandai Avenue for the second long climb. Certainly longer than the reservoir route and yes, it was challenging! The other factor was the wind along Mandai Avenue. Somehow, I felt the crosswind today, especially with the 50mm wheels.

Towards Mandai Shell, AY and JN overtook PK and I on the fast sprint portion. JN would later overtake me on the incline towards Namly. He is really improving!

Next up was RRR. As usual, the first 1 km or so set the tone. It was tougher going up than coming back. Good workout!

Distance: 44km.

Total Immersion revisited

Read Terry's latest book on TI swimming while on the plane to Chengdu. It's an update, less wordy and covers more pointers such as imagining a track with shoulders on each rail (hence not crossing over), lowered arm and curled hand, etc. There's also a few chapters on TI for breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly style.

So what's theory without practice?

Today's swim session was mainly to put the latest TI tips to work. Slowed down considerably just to get the gliding motion back again. The key change was to hold my hand by the side (or in the latest TI terminology, tucked into the jeans pocket) so as to glide more. Another was to start counting strokes again (18 to 20 per 50m). With the slowdown, I had to resist the temptation to kick more. The most significant improvement was a better sense of balance.

The verdict? I was happy that I could cover 60 laps comfortably (HR would be in the 140s) and for the last few laps, I was happy to shave off 15 sec per lap just be increasing the pace.

Longest swim session todate. Good workout.

Conceivable and achievable

John Bingham in a recent RW article notes that the marathon has gained in popularity because it is increasingly conceivable and hence achievable. How true.

Having completed 7 marathons and a 50-k ultra, I find myself in a strange but familiar place of contemplation. The contemplation involves speculating on the possibility of completing 84k within 15 hours.

Why the familiarity, you may wonder? Just two years ago, when I laid hands on the Aviva 70.3 tee, I could not conceive how it was possible to cover such distances. And I told myself that it would be my goal to complete the distance, even though I couldn't swim a decent 300m. That was the point of conceivability (is this a word?). Now I work towards achieving that goal.

More recently, I accomplished another goal of running 50k before age 50. That was conceived after I completed my first marathon. So conceived, so achieved.

So naturally, the next step up is the 84k.

The contemplation involves examining calories from gels and cereal bars and electrolyte drinks, having learnt how ultra-athletes fuel themselves while on endurance races/training. I contemplate various race strategies and outcomes. I wonder if I can do it.

I vacillate between doubt and faith. But doubt appears to be receding (just like my hairline).

The point is this: 84k has become conceivable. And I am pondering the hows.