Getting there...gradually

This passed weekend was Australia Day. It is a great day of the celebration of all this Australian and it is really nice to see the pride people have in their country.

Flags flying from cars and homes, people dressed up in their Australian finest, city air and firework displays and an extra day off work!


Not having had much training in the way of swim training we (whole herd) decided that a trip to the local pool was a good idea. We could cool off and I could get in a little training while we were there.

After splashing around the kiddies pool for a while, you know getting acclimatised in water than only just comes up to my knees, I abandoned my wife with the two boys and headed to the main pool. For a warm day on a long weekend it was surprisingly empty. Most lanes had only two people per lane..all bar one. I am sure that the chap was thrilled when he saw me skip over to the lane he was savouring on his own!!! After the initial shock of the water temp being significantly lower than the kiddies pool (must remember not to whimper so loudly when the water hits the crotch in future) I set about swimming some laps. As it has been a few weeks since my last swim I decided that I would take a pyramid approach.

2 x 50 ; 4 x 50; 6 x 50; 6 x 50; 4 x 50; 2 x 50.

I managed to work on my bilateral breathing for both the 2 x 50 sets...not so much for the middle bunch. Overall, I was pleased with a time of 29:38 for the swim...still class it as my baseline. I am flying to the UK for a quick trip at the end of the week (for two weeks) so was planning on looking at getting a wetsuit/swimsuit there and starting my open water training once I get back (Dad - take note!).

Sunday (after 14 hour transition - must speed up)...I took a ride to the city and back. Part of the way there I decided that I would ride up into our main park and get a shot of the city for Facebook for the day.



Cheese....

 Happy with the ride overall. A whisker under 50k with a really generous hill climb halfway and a pretty firm headwind on the way home! Plus please note - 92 "records" beaten on the route :) This is a new riding app that I am trialing and it is pretty generous with my current PRs....

 

I do think that this ride and the inadvertent headwind training that I have on the way home is helping my overall riding fitness as this morning was a genuine record on my way in...

And 66 PRs along the way!

That sub-hour ride in is coming...soon!!!

The plan this week is to hit the stairs tomorrow and then a gym session (and maybe a morning swim) on Thursday prior to flying to the UK on Thursday night. The eagle eye amongst you will notice the lack of run training of late. There have been a couple of runs (nothing more than 8k to be honest) but it is my intention that the next two weeks in the UK will have a bigger loading of run training (and swimming - indoor!).

Running layers already packed!

In a strange way I am looking forward to running around the old town that we lived in for 10 years but on the other hand..........ITS COLD!!!!

Still, I look forward to posting my training from across the world and any slow down in speed etc will be blamed on jet lag, cold weather and altitude :).

Have a great one.

DG