50,000m Above The Sea

Slight change of training plan today. I swapped out the row for a bike but kept the run. Being so close to the magic 50,000m total climb in #Zwift I decided to get the job done. And a group ride on the Bologna TT route, with its 236m of ascent per lap, was the perfect fit. At 2-2.5W/kg it also fitted with the easier week plan - although it hasn't really been that easy, or at least hasn't felt that easy. Anyway, I hit the magic number half way up the climb on the second (and final) lap. Job done. Ready the Tron bike...

After a 2 hour rest I fired up the running shoes for a jog round the village. It didn't go fantastically well. It was slow and too hard work. On the up side my heart rate didn't go sky high, it was more down to the legs. With hindsight I should probably have gone for the run before the ride...

Still Feeling Off Form...

It was a run day today but it was just too hot for me. I do not like the heat and today was excessively hot. I'm still feeling fatigued despite the easier week and a run in this would make things worse so I changed the plan. Instead I did a hill ride. Not a specific training session, just a steady, medium power hill climb, 20k, 570m. Hopefully it will be a bit cooler tomorrow...

Harder Than It Should've Been

So my easy week continues but tonight's easy jog was harder effort than it should've been. My legs felt okay but my heart rate was higher than it should've been for the pace. I even got a stitch half way through. Not ideal for an easy week. I was a bit dehydrated before hand and I did take a big drink only a few minutes before hand which might help to explain things - well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. 

Keeping It Easy

Well I've had a couple of days off so it was time to get back on the case - albeit at low intensity. Yes, I'm not intending to hammer any session this week. It's easy, easy, easy all week long. I started back with a steady 2000m row - finally managed to get the heart rate monitor working with it. After that it was an easy 30 minutes on the bike, power less than 70% ftp. More easy stuff up tomorrow...

It's Been Surprisingly Difficult...

...to not do any training and give myself a rest yesterday and today. I very nearly gave in this evening and did a short bike session but managed to hold resolute. Roll it back six months and I'd have not needed any excuse. Doing nothing was the norm. I'm going to be back on it tomorrow but I'm keeping the week easy. My target TSS is low.

One Word, Knackered

Today's race was hard from the off. Within minutes my legs were shot and pretty much the entire almost 12k was just plain pain. The few flat bits offered some respite and I did enjoy the rough-ish descent where I managed to actually overtake a few people rather than being the overtaken. Other than that it was kilometres of hurt - and I paid a few quid for the privilege!

To be fair it was quite a good route and were I fit I would probably have enjoyed it. What I've learnt from today's outing is that I need a good couple of days rest and an easy week. I've adjusted my plan accordingly as I need to recharge the batteries... 

Another Good Effort

After yesterday's rest day it was a run and bike session today. The run was just a steady one but even so I found it hard going. The bike session was even harder effort. Pretty sure I've ridden the Triple Bumps session before - and I found it hard going. The final ramp of each of the three sections was a real leg burner. I think I'm going to take another rest day tomorrow ahead of Sunday's race, Myndd Twyn Glas, and even then I'm pretty sure I'm not going to feel fresh for it.

Next week I start into a more planned phase of training - rather than going at it randomly and potentially over egging it. I'm setting a proper plan on a four weekly rota, setting a weekly target TSS (training stress score). Every fourth week will be a recovery/easy week. I'm going to set the sessions a week at a time with the aim of meeting the TSS target and fitting it around 'racing'. Here goes nothing....

On Plan But Hard Work

I found tonight's session hard going. Seven 500m's off 300m recovery. I just made it through each one but it was hard. My legs really wanting to give way under me in the last few metres each time. Still it's another session done. Might need to change tomorrow's plan, row intervals and a steady state bike session. I'll see how it goes....

Wasn't Feeling It...

But I stayed on plan to put away a medium effort row and easy recovery bike session. The 2000m started steady, building each 500m faster than the preceding one. The bike was 30 minutes at medium power. I didn't push it as my legs felt a bit dead. All set for a higher effort run tomorrow.

And Today A Recovery Run

My legs felt a bit stiff today. The achilles is okay though so tonight it was an easy 30 minute jog. I'll be cranking up the effort from tomorrow with a bike and row and then some running intervals Wednesday. And that's it.

A Recovery Day

My achilles was ever so slightly sore this morning. Sore's not really the right word but I don't know how other to describe it. It's eased up now though so I'm pretty happy it's still all systems go.

Today's training was an easy 70 minute on the bike. There were a few higher effort sections but two thirds of the session was in the endurance zone vs tempo, threshold or above. I finished off with a 2000m row, starting easy (2:20/500 pace) and ramping to 2:00/500 pace. And now I'm off to work out the coming weeks training plan - yes, I've taken to planning my training. Not sure how long that will last....

A Change In The Weather

I awoke this morning to rain, lots of rain and cold, it was cold, so very cold. I had to dig out my thermal jacket - and I was wearing a fleece too. It was so cold I ducked back into the house just as I was setting off, to make a thermos of hot coffee for after the race, to warm up my cockles - ooh matron. F*(king waste of time that was. By the time the race got underway the sun was out, shinning bright and it was boiling - okay, that's over stating it but anyway, suffice to say, by the time I'd run I didn't want a cup of hot f*(king coffee. An ice cream from the Mr Whippy parked atop the Tumble would have been more welcome.

So back to the race. It was a good work out if nothing else. The stats show I was working in my threshold heart rate zone for 90% of the race - now that's a decent work out effort. Garmin reported that it was a level 5.0 training effect - or as they categorise it, Overreaching!!

Unsurprisingly it was my slowest Coity race to date for the 9km and 300m ascent but my achilles held up fine so I'm pretty happy to plough on full steam ahead with more 'racing'. Which will be continuing at next weekends Myndd Twyn Glas race.

Intervals Again...

But on the rower tonight. A thirty minute session consisting 8 two minute reps at 1:58-2:00/500m pace off a one minute recovery. It was just about the right level for where I'm at right now. I struggled on the last couple but just about made them, although the pace did drop outside 2:00 for a bit on the last one. Certainly provided a solid workout and hopefully hasn't taken too much out of my legs so that I'm ready for tomorrow's fell race, Coity. It's going to be interesting to see where I am in relation to where I was before the achilles lay off...

Six Eight Hundreds...

Back on the running tonight. Six 800m reps with 300m recovery with a 1km ramped warm up and cool down. My legs aren't feeling fresh but it was a good solid workout. I'm starting to feel the early signs of getting back in the habit - and I'm not talking nuns clothing.

Just A Double Tonight

Tonight's training was, you guessed it, a 2000m row and followed by a bike training session. The row was an easier one, a warm up for the bike session. The bike session was four high power spikes to start followed by two sections of 12 minutes. Each of those sections consisted three repeats of 30s above FTP effort followed by a ramped tempo effort for 3 1/2minutes. It was just about right. I was able to complete the session but without too much to spare.

Up tomorrow is another run. I'm not sure about Friday as I'm back on the racing - in real life - at the Coity Fell Race on Saturday, so I might need some recovery ahead of that. Sunday will no doubt be back on it.

Tonight's bike analysis chart

Trio Of Training

After a rest day yesterday I was back on it today. I started the days training with an interval session on the treadmill during my lunch break. 6 x 500m reps at 14.3kph with 250m recovery. The same speed as Sunday's session but double the distance. Where Sunday's felt comfortable, today's definitely didn't. I was wishing the last 100m away each rep. Got the job done and then it was back to the grindstone.

After work I hit the rower for my regular 2000m blast - can I claim 'regular' when it's my sixth in ten days? And I did blast out hard and then held on to improve on my season's best again, by 1.8s this time.

After that it was onto the bike to finish me off with a quick 10k. My legs burnt whenever I tried to put down the power but I managed to average 182W for a decent tempo effort.

Bloody Knackered

I started the days training with an interval session (running) of 8 x 250m with equal recovery. It felt surprisingly comfortable - going to have to up the stakes next time.. After a brief rest I hit the #Zwift for an age category race of 53km with 700m of climb.

I went at it pretty hard and got into a good group so our speed was high. That meant we rolled along [merrily] gathering in a few solo riders along the way, expanding the group ever larger. Then we got to the Epic KOM climb (about 8km of climbing and most of the routes ascent) and it broke apart. Happily I found myself pulling off the front and broke clear. I worked hard, putting out solid, steady power all the way to grind out a new climb pb by a massive 8s!

After the descent I found myself in another group, only three or four of us though but we worked well to keep the pace going. As we hit the final, shorter climb I decided to go for it and broke away. I got 30-40s clear but I'd burnt myself out. They stayed as a group and as we hit 5km to go I crashed and burned. I got the shakes and they very quickly gathered me in, spat me out and left me for dead.

I pushed through to the finish with all that I had left but it was painful. And that was it for the weekends and indeed the weeks training. It's been a solid week, 12 assorted sessions. Feel totally zonked now. Despite only being a virtual race, the effort was real. Going to sleep soundly tonight. Definitely a rest day tomorrow...

Really Enjoyed That

Another day, another virtual race - and I really went for it today. 24k on the Giro d'Italia prologue time trial course. Up, down and back up again and I really threw down the power. I went into the anaerobic reserves early in race, on the first traverse of the 'up' (middle chart on the graphic). I don't think I've ever gone so far into the red but I just kept cranking it out - I was very almost into the 'cheat' zone as I registered 3.2W/kg average, which is top of the C category. I'm on the verge of having to up category to the B. And to re-iterate that, I took the #ZwiftPower category win! (Only a tiny field mind, but my highest average to date). 52 minutes of effort that seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

I finished off with another 2000m row - and took a season best (by 2s) to top off a good days training. The tiredness seems to have gone.

Feeling Tired

but I managed a short, sharp #Zwift race on one of my favourite race loops, the Innsbruckring. It was only two laps, so just over 17km but that meant threshold power all the way... My average power was towards my top end and I especially enjoyed blasting the short, sharp climb each lap. That didn't prevent me coming in the bottom 25% of the field though - but there was only twenty something of us and in the smaller fields it tends to be packed towards the stronger end - that and the fact that close to half of them were putting out above category power.... It's not big or clever to ride the wrong category! One guy who beat me was putting down B category power - and he was entered in the D! (I'm C). That aside it was a good burn up.

Yesterday I managed just a 2k row - and that was hard, heart thumping effort. I should take a rest day but it's the weekend so can't really allow that...

An Easy One...

On this, Global Running Day. My left hamstring is a bit sore. Whether that's a side reaction of my recent achilles issue, also on the left, I don't know but it's a bit out of the blue. Anyway, I was able to pootle a 5k. And that's it for today.

Sort Of A Rest Day...

Just a ride and a row tonight. The ride was a very easy, low power 34k affair. The row wasn't a recovery. I didn't manage to keep to yesterday's pace but by god I was blowing up by the end. My arms and shoulders are aching. On the upside, I did at least manage to record it properly tonight, with all its wholesome, geeky, datery goodness. Probably going to give the rowing a miss tomorrow.

The Three R's

Yes, tonight's training was a row, a run and a ride and despite none being overly long the combined effort was pretty high.

I started with a 2000m row and went at it a bit hard. I overcooked it in the first 1000m, held it together in the next 500m and then began to die in the final 500m. I was rewarded with a time 13s quicker than yesterday and what's more I have even more motivation than ever to continue with the rowing now that I've found out that there is an Android app for the Concept 2. It logs heart rate, power and various other geekish data - and I love that s#!t. Nothing motivates me more than having meaningless data to analyse! It even automatically exports to Strava - but only if you take the log card out apparently - which I found out after I'd finished. So no data today but next time. I'm itching for next time...

After the row I hit the treadmill for an interval session. Seven 250m reps with equal recovery. The first at 13.5kph, the next three at 14.5kph and the final three at 15.5kph - and I even pushed the final one out to 300m.

Then I was onto the bike for a 10k tempo effort on Zwift. It was a bit ropy to begin with and I struggled to get the power going but within a couple of minutes I was off and running, um, er, so to speak.

Felt a bit shaky afterwards but nothing some grub didn't sort. Onwards and upwards...

Should've Guessed

By the name, 'The Wringer', that the bike session I chose to ride today was not going to be easy. I'm not sure my quads have ever burnt as much at the completion of each rep as they did today. It really was full on painful.

The session, after the warm up ramp, was 12 reps of 30s at 188% of FTP (or 400W). I hit the spiral of death on the first rep as I was caught unawares, expecting a brief rest after the ramp, there wasn't one and my cadence dropped too low to recover. The other 11 reps were achieved but oh my goodness, did it ever burn. Good session.

I started off the training with 2000m on the rower. I've decided to bring that into the mix to bring in a bit of upper body workout. It's been a while - and it showed. 2:04/500m which is a long way off the 1:54 but I've got the target. It'll take a while.

Double Day

A run and ride day. 5k run, nudging the speed up every 250m followed by a 10k cool down ride - with a bit of effort thrown in here and there (mainly on the climb). And that all I have to say.