Wind down

3 weeks off from Ironman Western Australia, and the shorter ride on Saturday was most welcomed. I decided to give the Spiuk Kronos helmet a try and it turned out pretty comfortable. My forehead started sweating in the beginning of the ride, but after a while, with the slight breeze, it felt pretty cool and I took no notice of it.

The helmet didn't cover my ears as much as the Bell Meteor, which is good as I'm more alert to my surroundings. It's difficult to tell whether it made me cycle faster but it did feel easier riding into the headwinds as compared to a normal road helmet. One thing for sure though, many people including cyclists and pedestrians gave way to me yesterday. Probably because the helmet shell is much larger and longer, making me look more intimidating haha.

I completed the 120km ride in 4 hours 5 minutes, averaging 29.4kph. There were some moderate winds, strong enough to give a bit of challenge but generally pretty mild compared to the previous rides I had.

Sunday morning, the plan was to do a 21.6km run (5 loops of 4.35km). I donned a pair of cheap compression leggings bought off a Korean website, G Market, just to try them out. They served their basic purpose, but they were no 2XUs or Skins. I started off the first two loops pretty well, just under 19 minutes (4:23 per km) but by the third loop, my right shin felt tight and I felt a bit fatigued. So I called off the run after the third loop, finishing it just under 19.5 minutes (4:30 per km) and completing 13km in total in 57:22 (average 4:25 per km).

Slightly disappointed that I couldn't do my planned distance but I supposed being aware of my body signals and being cautious was probably the wise thing to do. I'll probably run in the pool next weekend just to play it safe.

I wore my Asics GT 2140 trainers for the run, which I suspect was one of the reasons for causing the shin tightness. I've had these shoes since Christmas last year and they have well worn out. So, later that morning, as Li-Ann and I did Sunday shopping at Westfield Innaloo, which was open for Sunday Telethon, I got myself these!

An updated version of my current trainers, the GT 2150. And at 25% off, I couldn't resist! And I had Rebel Sport season pass $20 voucher and a Westfield gift card, which made it all worth it. Though I probably won't be able to test them prior to the race. I still have only 1-2 runs left to do, and I have yet to test out my race shoes.