102km Saturday

With Tim off to Brisbane and Roly in Adelaide, I met up with Mike H, Mark and a.n.other for a ride this morning. Compared to recent weeks, it was a relatively civilised starting time of 6.30am. With Catherine away, I was keen to push for a longer ride and run with only three weekends left before Canberra.

After meeting up with the guys at Dan Murphy's, we made our way up the Beaches and on to Church Point before taking the West Head turn off, looping back to McCarrs Creek and Terrey Hills. Mike had brought his TT with him and so I bent his ear on the way up to West Head talking all things tri. Always useful to feed off someone more knowledgeable than me. Mike did Canberra and Nepean last year.

It was also useful following Mike along the West Head loop as he was aero more often than not and so gave me an idea of when I should be down rather than up. Basically anything that isn't uphill I should aim to be aero.

After the pull up to Terrey Hills, Mark scooted off home with Mike and I deciding on an additional loop out to Duffy's Forest for an extra 10km. A lovely flat route gave me yet more time to get aero, a position that I am now starting to feel more comfortable with on the P2.

Once back in Terrey Hills, it was the normal route back along Mona Vale Road/Forest Way and the Wakehurst Parkway, leaving Mike in Seaforth, and finishing along Sydney Road and along the Manly seafront which was engulfed in a strange, thick fog by this time.

Got home for 90km in just over 3.15. Not bad considering the hills.

The legs felt tired, but I was determined to run off the bike and so after a quick change and a gulp of water, I headed off on the same 12km route I had done the other week (that time off a 50km ride). I shovelled down some jellies and quickly got into a rhythmn along Kenneth Road.

Although I felt that I struggled during the run, especially the long pull up to Sydney Road, I was determined to keep the pace under 5 min/km's.

Made it back to Manly and back into the fog which was actually pretty cold and a welcome relief. From there I ran out to Shelley before turning around and retracing my steps to the QLSC for 12km all up in 58.50 - 4.54's and only 40 seconds slower than I had been last time. Not bad considering the longer ride and the temperatures!

As has become usual, I finished up with a dip in the sea to cool down the legs before making my way home thoroughly satisfied with my morning's work.

All up probably the longest training session I have ever done outside a race, but good to get the longer ride in with the run too...also good to catch up with Mike H and Mark who will also be in Canberra.

I may take the day off tomorrow...but then again Roly is swimming Manly to Shelley return which might tempt me depending on how I pull up in the morning...