Tough Intervals!

When I started on the 1st set, I was thinking to myself: Alright, I feel good. This should be an easy session. How wrong it turned out to be!


HR of 130, 140, 150, 160, 150 and last set of anything turned out to be a rough day out. Especially the 4th set of 160. I hit 4:32/km for the 4km and boy I just could not raise the HR to 160. I thought my legs were turning jelly. Hovering above 155 for most of the 2nd half and above 150 for the 1st half. I did a similar interval 2 weeks back? I felt fine then? I just cross referenced - it was a 2km interval and not 4km. Darn! Underestimated today totally!


Anyhow, thereafter was thinking of hitting the last set at 150 HR but could manage a meager 139 average. Well, the only consolation I had was that it was my ironman pace. Yikes!


Anyway, did a 6:45/km (26:59), 6:15/km (25:02), 5:03/km (20:14), 4:32/km (18:10), 4:58/km (19:53) and a 6:00/km (24:01), with 1km walk in between. Well, maybe the evening sun got into me yet again... Denial denial denial... But I must say that I dont think I have even done such intervals in my life before. It felt good completing them. Yes, I feel stronger than when I was doing my IMWA last year. I am covering my miles now than then. BUT IMWA was flat, IMJ is a step higher. I just hope that I have done enough to survive the outing in June.


Nigel and Clifford are due to race at IM Utah on 1 May. What an irony? To labour during labour day? I saw the bike leg course profile and my jaw dropped. If I had thought that IM Japan was bad, I think Utah will be worse! But Nigel is a superman, a bike climber and great runner. Clifford is a 9 time ironman - this will be his 10th ironman outing. I believe they will live to tell their stories to all of us. Cant wait to hear what they have to share!


My wife just told me last night: I can only do ONE ironman next year. No more repeat of 2010. Darn... Looks like it will have to only Japan 2011. But I will probably sneak in a Phuket 70.3 if it were still in December... :-)


Now, my gluts are aching. Legs are jelly. Time to work on stretches and massage. Where is my roller???