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There have been no new posts about preparation for the last two weeks just because I had a cold or flu a week after the New Year, I don't know for sure. And the second week my family and I moved from Ukraine to Thailand, namely to Koh Samui. Here I plan to spend the next three months living, working and, of course, training. I will say right away that following my coach's program does not work because sports on a tropical island is a test of strength and a search for compromises. That's what I'm doing. For example, today I mastered barefoot running and it's INCREDIBLY COOL!
It all started with the fact that I was puzzled about how to transport a bicycle — a very expensive and fragile carbon fiber device that had to be transported along the route Kiev → Dubai → Bangkok → Koh Samui by three airlines. It's stupid to take such a heavy flight with such luggage, but the question here was the price. We found tickets for $300 cheaper per person. How can I not buy here?
According to the conditions of carriage of the airlines UIA, Emirates and Bangkok Airlines, which by the way are very different precisely because of the sports equipment, you can carry 20 kg of cargo. If you have a bag with a bicycle, then you have to pay for it. Bangkok Airlines has the most draconian transportation conditions: your bike must fit in 50×100×50 cm. For example, the UIA allows everything that does not exceed 165 cm in larger dimensions. The draconian measures of the Thais are explained by the fact that the 70-seat ATR turboprop aircraft has only three seats for bicycles and similar equipment. Moreover, you must write a letter two days before departure and warn that you will be great. Otherwise, they may refuse you if there are "competitors" in place. Their answer looks like this:
The bike was disassembled by me, and its shock-sensitive frame is wrapped in foam material that I asked for at the bike shop.
The disassembled bicycle was placed in a special non-rigid casing, which was bought in a bicycle shop for 400 UAH. It will not protect you from bumps, but it will save you from scratches and you will not be refused at the baggage acceptance. It is ideal to transport such a device in a hard suitcase, which costs from $ 400, which I did not find :)
I was very worried about my carbon friend, but at every transit he pleased me at the issuance of dimensional luggage and reached 99% without problems. There was a small problem, but I solved it in 5 minutes without experience. Transportation of vela cost me $0.00.
We live here:
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It's very humid, very hot and very hilly. When I first came to this island a year ago, when I got off the plane, I thought only about one thing — WHAT WILL I BREATHE? I learned to breathe and decided to train here.
The first training session was at 16:00 on a sunny day on the road near coconut plantations — I was attacked by dogs, the sun was frying. I was able to do only 3.55 km . I could have done more, but why break yourself?
Then there was a race early in the morning at sunrise for 8 km. It is noteworthy that even at 8 in the morning it gets hot on Koh Samui, and therefore it is worth getting up at 5-6 in the morning to work out normally. There are a lot of beautiful men and women running around on the island. I nicknamed them "Jason Bourne" to myself — they run so cool. Russian boys and girls are a sharply contrasting minority. But we get the lag on the bar. Sadly.
Then we found a house, but there was still a problem — we had to somehow get 14 km away without a moped and come home from there by bike. So I made the first duathlon in my life :) I ran 14 km, took a shower, and then went on a bike.
To get so far in this tropical paradise, I had to get up at 6:30 and start. It's late, as I got into a very intense heat literally after 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Then, for the first time, I got on a bicycle outside my house — before that, I only rode it on a machine. In short, there is nothing in common with those "ordinary" bicycles that I rode earlier. Once I fell at a traffic light when I couldn't snap the bike's left foot to the pedal and lost speed. Hello to Vova Degtyarev, to whom I told that I don't understand how you can fall because of this :) And yet, I almost flew to the steering wheel at a speed of ≈45 km/h from the mountain when le-go-nech-ko wanted to slow down! In general, I ride very badly, VERY BADLY and this is my pain. The result of this race and bicycle return.
The improvised duathlon was not heavy at all, only ponatiral everywhere in places that are not written about ;)
Riding a bike and running on Koh Samui is nice — no one scares you, no pressure, no one shows that you are worthless, because you are not driving.
On Koh Samui, I accidentally met our reader Roman Tsapin, who inspired me to run along the beach. Well, what can I tell you? It's brilliant, it's fantastic, it's a real buzz! I ran almost 8 km along the gentle Chaweng beach. The only thing that stopped me was the rubbing, and so — the sea wind, the cooling of the body through the legs on the sea water, the topless girls and the fat young men with beer who are not worthy of them for the most part. If you haven't run like this and you can try it, then I guarantee you will love running. Make sure that the beach is flat, not very sloping and not loose. It is necessary to run at the edge of the incoming waves.
And yet, such runs inspired my five-year-old son, and he made a whole kilometer "back and forth" to the affection of people on the beach! Proud of myself and them.
It so happened that I managed to take just one lesson from a swimming instructor, and then I got sick and left. I need to swim 2 km three times a week. It's not very difficult if you don't fight the water, but swim properly. Surprised, right? :) For training, I chose the technique of "Total Immersion" (Total Immersion). Its essence is revealed in the book published by "MYTH" — "Full immersion". If you show a little ingenuity, you can find a training video on this course on the Internet (a copy of the DVD). I've done three workouts so far based on the book and video and I can say that I'm starting to understand where speed and endurance come from in this type of swimming. Try it, you won't regret it.
Naturally, it is impossible to train in the sea — it is too salty, there are too many waves. That's why we were looking for a house on Koh Samui with a swimming pool. Only 12 meters, but to practice the movement is what you need!
Come visit if you live nearby.
While I plan to run only early in the morning. Absolutely so.
And for the rest of the disciplines I will be starting from the new week according to the program.
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