HELL WEEK 2009 – The Journey
by sarah ‘rocket’ grove
Much hype surrounded Hell Week this year (2009) as many of the new athletes to the Tri Alliance squad had yet to experience what Hell Week was all about. Questions were flying around ‘do we really ride every day?’ ‘do people really train on Christmas Day?’, ‘how does your butt feel after 7 days straight on the bike?!’. The answers? Yes, yes and sore!
‘Hell Week’ as it is so aptly named is a tough week of training over the Christmas period. Previously, for 7 days straight Tri Alliance athletes rode as many kilometres as they could in the week – last year saw some athletes amass between 700-1400kms in just 7 days!!
This year Coach Ollie decided to modify the format, this year consisting of a ride, run and swim everyday for 7 days straight.
Beginners will clock up 350km on the bike, 20km of running and 7km in the bay swimming. Immediate/sprint athletes will clock up close to 500km on the bike, 56km of running and 15-20km in the water. And advanced athletes will tick over a mammoth 770km in the saddle, 70km pounding the pavement and 20-25km churning their arms in the water. Plenty of food, sleep and the right recovery is paramount to ensure athletes reach the end of day 7.
Over the course of the week, I’ll be putting down on paper my experiences during Hell Week 2009. The highs, the lows, the pain and then the glory of finishing, but most of all I look forward to reaping the benefits of the extreme training. I’ll be ready to race faster, stronger and mentally tougher come Sandringham Olympic on 10th January, 2010.
Day 1 – Wed 23 Dec
The first day – is often the best, but can also be the hardest. Spirits are high, legs are fresh, athletes are keen to hit the road hard. But those experienced to the long tough week of training, know not to go out too hard too early – that is, if you want to last the distance. Three groups rolled out of Elwood Lifesaving Club, group one heading past Frankston and up Olivers Hill to clock up 90km, group two heading to the end of Station road for 70km and group three making their way to Mordialloc for their return trip of 50km.
We had a nice solid ride down to Franskton, taking turns out the front with the slight headwind. For me, I love being out the front of the pack. Not only so I can see (I find it hard to see what’s happening behind the guys in the group!), but also so I earn my keep in the pack. I’m not afraid of the hard work and I know it will only make me stronger in the long run. My motto: Hard work and sacrifice is the key to success. This may not be for everyone, but it works for me.
It was the first time up Olivers for a couple in the group. The grind up though, is worth the ride on the way back down with a top speed of 63.3km/hr clocked on the Garmin. The group hit their straps on the way home, averaging 45km – which made the ride home hot and fast, and to see the look on guys faces as you fly past them is priceless. J
Post ride saw me down a berry protein shake, protein tablets, followed by cereal and yoghurt then legs up and eyes shut for an hour. Ahhhhhh.
The run at lunchtime was HOT to put it mildly. Two loops of Albert Park knocked me around hard. With no shade to speak of and the sun beating down, the body cooked hard. The legs were feeling the aftermath of the mornings ride. All I could keep saying to myself was ‘the first is always the hardest.’ This gave me hope for the rest of the week.
The bay swim at Sandringham was as expected. Choppy. But good none the less, not a jellyfish in sight, clear water, and a good crew. Big thanks to the Scotsman Paul for refreshments as we rolled out of the water.
Bring on Day Two!
Daily total: Bike 93km, run 9km, bay swim 3km. 2700 calories.
Day 2 – Thursday 24 Dec (Christmas Eve)
Day 2 for me was going to be an easier one, with Christmas arriving a day earlier for the other half’s family. But there was never a chance that I wouldn’t be out on my bike. (Did I mention I love my new Cervelo?!) So we drag ourselves out of bed half an hour early (4.45am is an early wakeup call!) to be out on the road at 5.30am. We managed to clock up 60km on the bike before racing home, food, shower, change and then heading to the families for food, Christmas presents, more food and a sneaky sleep on the couch!
Daily Total: Bike 60km. 830 calories
Running Total: Bike 153km, run 9km, bay swim 3km. 3,530 calories.
Day 3 – Friday 25 Dec (Christmas Day!)
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Christmas day was put on the program as an ‘optional day’. And only those who are crazy (yes me included!), love their bike more than their families (hmmm… could be me…), or are international ‘orphans’ (our loving friends from around the globe), generally make it out on Christmas Day. Wake up call was again at 5am. And it is days like today that you sometimes wish you didn’t set the alarm. But none the less, I knew once the ride was out of the way we could enjoy the rest of the day. Relaxing and eating. The roads were eerily quiet, a few packs of riders, but barely a car in sight. PERFECT for Beach Road riding!
With Jono proudly wearing his Santa Cape, we made our way down to Frankston in solid time, up Olivers Hill, a quick pit stop at the BP, photo opportunity and then Ollie unleashed on the way back from Mordialloc to get home in good time.
The body was feeling pretty good once it got going. Apart from the butt starting to feel the effects of 3 days of riding, the legs are holding up just nicely. All going to plan so far.
Daily Total: Bike 103km. 1240 calories
Running Total: Bike 256km, run 9km, bay swim 3km. 4,770 calories.
Day 4 – Saturday 26 Dec
I learnt a valuable lesson today. Not enough calories in and too many calories out = hitting the wall hard! The day started off well, good solid ride, nice tail wind on the way home, and winding up the pace from Mordialloc (thanks boys!). 93km down by 9.15am. Calories out: 1225, calories in: 400 (warning sign!). Back at Elwood we dumped our bikes, threw on the runners and set out at a solid pace at 4.30min. Legs surprisingly felt good until I hit the 3km mark. The head started to feel light, legs getting heavier with every step. I could feel the wall coming, but could do nothing to stop it. With no gels or food on me all I could do was keep trying to push through it. I got to the 4km mark and had to turn back. The pace slowly started to creep up to 5.30min and it was all I could do to hold on for as long as I could. It went through my mind a few times to stop and walk, but Ollie’s voice saying ‘You never walk’ is all I could hear in my head, so instead I pushed on. I struggled back to Elwood, tired, hungry and dehydrated. I salvaged a muesli bar (as the cafe wasn’t open – damn it!), a Gatorade and then managed to throw on the wetty for a swim in the bay. The body was telling me otherwise though. So a 800m swim and I was down and out for the day.
Heading home, I jumped on the scales and just as I thought. 1kg down and dropping under 47kg for the first time since high school, I downed a protein shake, and ham and spaghetti on toast. Enough to satisfy my hunger for the time being!
The rest of the day was spent sleeping, eating, resting, movies, eating, resting…… Perfect recipe for a tired athlete!
Daily Total: Bike 93km, run 8km, swim 800m. 2150 calories
Running Total: Bike 349km, run 17km, bay swim 3.8km. 6,920 calories.
Day 5 – Sunday 27 Dec
Sunday saw the fifth day straight out on the bike. If you aren’t feeling a tad sore in the ‘nether regions’ then there is definitely something wrong! Two pairs of bikes shorts and plenty of vas helps, but doesn’t alleviate the tenderness. J
We have been blessed with near perfect conditions again. Slight head wind on the way down, as the group rolled over turns at the front. Brad Riddington had a blinder up Olivers Hill. He was wearing a yellow gursey, but should have had the polka dot on, as he flew up Olivers Hill to take line honours at the top!
I learnt my lesson from yesterday and ensured I continued to take in calories throughout the ride. A bottle of Gatorade, bottle of optimizer, banana, mueslie bar and a handful of lollies did the trick as I had energy to spare on the 8km run off the bike.
Another dip in the bay and training for done for another day. 5 days down, 2 to go! And it’s the last two days that can make or break you.
Daily Total: Bike 93km, run 8km, swim 700m. 2330 calories
Running Total: Bike 442km, run 25km, bay swim 4.5km. 9250 calories.
Day 6 – Monday 28 Dec
Today was the first day I could feel the legs starting to get heavy. The ride down to Frankston was a little less comfortable (both in the quads and on the butt!) and a little lethargic.
With minimal fresh legs to drag us along, there were quick turnovers at the front on the pack, and at one point we had to rein back in the Scotsman Paul and his ‘fresh legs’ to ensure we didn’t lose him. A couple of ‘tag alongs’ joined us down to Frankston but blew up pretty quickly as we rolled them through to the front. So we were left with only 6 riders – two fresh and four tired. But spirits were still pretty high and the ‘mandatory’ fly back home from Mordy made sure myself and Nick got back in smoking time again. Another great ride down, only one left to go!
Lunchtime run was quiet with only Kathryn and Jason joining me for a 9km run to the Tan and back. The clouds had dispersed by now and we felt the heat. A few water stops along the way had us ticking over the km’s at a comfortable pass. I was actually surprised how light my legs felt in the run. So pretty happy with how Hell Week is panning out.
You may have been wondering why my swimming has been on the light side. I’ve got some tenderness in my left shoulder which has been restricting both the movement in my left arm and reducing the power I can pull in the water, so I have been erring on the side of caution until I can get in to see our physio Simon at Bounce Health.
So I offered to take our beginners out into the Bay at Sandringham. For those who were down there, they would all agree – it did resemble something like a washing machine – and a surfboard would have been appropriate! But none the less, I was extremely proud of everyone. A few pointers on how to navigate, pound your way through the churn to the open water, and beat the waves at their own game by catching them on the way back in and the beginners were proud of their efforts. A few hit outs to the poll and back, a near brush with some rocks on the bottom, and plenty of mouthfuls of water – but everyone survived. Well done to everyone!
Only one day left body – hang in there!
Daily Total: Bike 103km, run 9km, swim 500m. 2180 calories
Running Total: Bike 545km, run 34km, bay swim 5km. 11,430 calories.
Day 7 – Tuesday 29 Dec
Day 7 – the last day of Hell Week. My body is really feeling the effects of the weeks training now. Getting out of bed was relatively easy – there’s never a day I don’t generally jump out of bed to get on my bike (I’m sure I might have mentioned that I LOVE my bike?!?!), but as soon as the legs started ticking over on the bike, they had other things planned for me. Any rise in the road felt like a mountain and stopping at the lights was a killer to get going again!
It was my turn out the front just as we hit some hills and I felt like I was going nowhere fast. Thanks to a little shove from the Coach to get me moving as I willed my legs to peddle harder. But they were having none of it. It took the ride all the way to Frankston until they warmed to idea that they were not in it for the free ride.
We refuelled at the BP, waited for the other group to join us, then rolled out of Frankston for the 7th (and last!) time for the week.
I sat out the front of the pack and my legs instantly felt great – finally! Nick came and joined me as we wound up to a comfortable 38kms/hr with a tail wind again our friend. Once we hit Mordy, it was again on. We made a few friends who wanted to come along for the ride and ride we did! Holding 45km/hr, we smashed out the last 15km of the ride. A comment from a rider holding onto our wheel ‘who needs a motorbike pacer when I’ve got you guys!’ A great finish to what has been a great week of riding.
A soak in the bay to sooth the legs, food and sleep and then it was time again for my last run. Another 9kms down around the tan. More food and rest and rest. My body was starting to wear very thin. By the time it was ready to go for a swim I could barely muster the energy to say hello to others let alone turn the arms over in the water. My body was nearly at its physical limits. With my appetite down and not being able to refuel sufficiently, I was both mentally and physically exhausted. It was at this point that I thought to myself ‘is this what it’s like to be an elite athlete?’
But I had come this far to not go through with the last training session, so I muster what energy in left in my body, put on the wetsuit and take some of the guys out for a swim in the bay. The water was again very chopping, although not as bad as yesterday. Once we got through the white water, all we had to contend with was the current and rolling waves. 400m down and my shoulder was feeling the pinch. I could barely lift it above the waves as my right arm did all the work. But I managed to the pole, waited for the guys to regroup and let the waves push me back into shore. Body surfing is so much fun – if you don’t get dumped that is! 🙂
As I hit the shore I took a moment to reflect on the week I’ve had. The kilometres and hours spent on the bike; the sound of my own feet on my run, and the struggle through the open water swimming. I felt I had not only completed Hell Week, but I owned it. I took it on, accomplished my goals and can’t wait to reap the rewards. For now. Some R&R.
Daily Total: Bike 103km, run 9km, swim 700m. 2350 calories
Weekly Total: Bike 648km, run 43km, bay swim 5.7km. 13,780 calories.
Congratulations to everyone who participated in Hell Week. If you were only able to make a few sessions, or completed them all – you now deserve the time off! Enjoy your break, have a great New Years Eve and I will see you faster, stronger and tougher next year!!
