Building Distance

It's been a few weeks of fairly low-key training, although I've been building my long run every other week. I'm up to around 15k now. I'm still on six to seven runs/rides per week but I've been a bit lacking on the treadmill interval sessions so I'm going to make that a focus for the next few weeks as well as continuing to extend my long run every other week.

Still Progressing

 I rounded out the final long stage of the Tour de Zwift the week before last, with a cracking ride. 90mins at threshold. Beautiful. Finished the run version the following day with a ramped effort, 6.7km. The final short route of stage 6 was also a cracker. Absolutely NOT a zone 2 ride. I was on the limit for the 40-minutes of the 27km virtual ride. 247W average earned me an FTP increase of +6W, to further extend my highest ever FTP.

The Sunday before last I was over to the mountains to do the race timing for the Pen Tir fell race. I got there early for a jog out and back along the race route beforehand. Only 7k but 350m so a decent little workout.

This Saturday, I completed my longest run of the year so far, just under 15k. I'm looking to keep building to about 20km. Sunday was some zone 2 before a rest day Monday - and I needed it.

Up today was a banging 51km Zwift at not full throttle but still my best 1 hour 45-minute power for goodly while - and I managed 90 minutes on the piano and day 2 working on the second of the ABRSM Grade 1 pieces - which went even better than the Zwift.

There Probably is Something to Zone 2

I've been cracking on with the Tour de Zwift. I've now completed the long, medium and short courses of stages 1 to 5 with stage 6 incoming next week, where I will earn the badge of honour for completing all 18 stages/routes. It has been good training as I've 'raced' hard on the long course and zone two'd the medium and short each week. On the running side, there's only one route and I used it for a threshold each week and that's been good training.

As to the zone 2, I'm starting to build my long run back up and yesterday's 12k was steady. I worked on the hills and inclines but wasn't pushing for PBs. Now I've re-conquered the hills around these yer parts I'm aiming not to be reduced to a walk ever again, so I worked hard enough to get up the hills but without bleeding through my eyeballs. On the flat my effort was more towards steady. It was a surprise to find I'd beaten my previous best on the 'legs or lungs' climb by 21s as I wasn't "trying". All of which, I think, means I shall be keeping on with the zone 2 training.

I Hate This Cold Weather

It does not make it a very attractive proposition to get out for a run. I have been out a few times but most of my training over the last couple of weeks has been indoors with the usual mix of intervals and zone 2. It's currently Tour de Zwift season in the virtual world, a set of six stages, run and rides. They're not technically races but generally attract loads more people than normal and a lot of people do race.

There can often be 1000+ riders or 50-100 runners and do make a really good place for some hard time trial action. With lots of people ahead it allows for some really solid efforts to try and bridge across to the next group in front. I've treated the runs as time trials and pushed reasonably hard but not all out. My speeds, not directly comparable to running outside, are up there and a bit beyond what I've run before in these events. I've not pushed to the limit yet but will try and edge a bit nearer the limit in some of the upcoming stages.