Almost Needed A Sweeper Myself...

Well that was bloody hard work. Sweeper at the Fan Brycheiniog fell race. 15.2km, 750m elevation. As sweeper I was only just able to keep up. Still struggling. My legs don't seem to want to work. Even with an almost week of full rest - other than work - I still felt far from rested. I enjoyed being out there so it's not going to stop me and I'll just put with things and hope I get through it, what ever it is.

Better But Not Totally Convinced

I expected to feel stronger on today's easy Zwift. I felt less of a burn but I still feel like I'd have got the burn too soon had I increased the power. Definitely better but not what it should have been after four days rest. I guess sweeping the Fan Brycheniog fell race on Saturday is going to be interesting - I just hope some really really slow runners turn up...

RHR Getting There...

So my resting heart rate is heading back towards 50 - or so my new gadget tells me. Sunday it was north of 60 - according to the same gadget. I have been resting - apart from the burden that is work. I might try a gentle bit of Zwifting tomorrow to test the water as it were but it won't be anything too energetic as I have to be capable of traversing 16km/850m ascent as sweeper of the Fan Brycheiniog fell race on Saturday. And if I survive that it will be all systems go again.... or not.... as the case may be......... We'll know come Sunday.....................

A Day Of Rest

and I still feel tired. Not looking forward to back to work Tuesday. The 05:40 alarm call is not going to help with the tiredness levels. Resting heart rate is elevated. Tomorrow is almost certain to be another exercise free zone and I'm going to keep resting until my resting heart rate falls back to normal levels and my 'body battery level' starts hitting 100% recharged - I love all the new data analysis bulls#!t reported by my new watch...

That Was A Tad Hot

and not totally inline with my week of rest. I feel bloody worn out. It was so hot I practically steamed in my "marshals outfit" at the entrance to the finishing field at the Severn Bridge Half Marathon. Last year I got soaked and frozen half to death, this year almost got heat stroke. And then, with no rest for the wicked, I headed to work to sort out operational problems. Finally got home at five, thoroughly bloody worn out.

Forgot How Nice Dymock Woods Are

And there are lots of tracks and paths packed into a relatively small area. Plenty of room for route variations to keep it fresh. The nicest part is the variety of trees. The worst part? Well that's down to me being worn out. I think I'm suffering a tad from overdoing it. Not that I've been running particularly fast during the overdoing it, just lots of sessions and too little recovery. I've been suffering on the bike. My power is way down and today my legs were fatigued within a few minutes. My heart rate wasn't overly high. I'd normally register a higher average. It was just my legs hit the burn at a pitiful pace. I enjoyed the run on the grounds of where I was running but I think I'm going to take a week off. May be a couple of very short, low low effort sessions to keep me sane more than anything else but other than that I think I need the recovery.

Oh, and the new Garmin was good. The routing function was great. It was so easy to map up a route and then have it instantly appear ready to activate. Didn't need to concentrate at all on which path to take as the watch told me all. Giving me a beep at the appropriate point to make a turn. Made the navigation an absolute doddle. Didn't need to refer to the map and compass at any point.

Today's route (clockwise)

Six Of The Best?

Okay, so not really that good. My legs are still hitting the burn too soon. It was my final required #Zwift Academy Ride/Race and tonight it was six short laps with a sprint section. I like the short lap as you tick them off in quick order and before you know it you've finished. As I said to begin with, my legs were burning too soon and despite giving it solid effort my power was down - as was my finishing position. Normally I'm mid pack. Firmly in the bottom half tonight though. Anyway, I'm over to Oxenhall Wood tomorrow to try out my new Garmin with its built in mapping.

Just Easy One

Nothing special and I'm still puffing more than I should but I'm keeping on with it. 5k on the treadmill. My legs are feeling a little less heavy so hopefully I'll not get the burn so quickly in tomorrow's Academy workout.

Feeling Tired

But managed a short blast on the #Zwift - where, unlike the ad slogan, fun was slow tonight. It was one of the academy races but I didn't really race it. I did work hard enough to get some good leg burn but it was leg burn at lower power than where I should get burn. Definitely not feeling fresh. I will give myself a rest in a day or two. Sunday's definitely going to be a rest day on account of a prior engagement to go trooping....

Jog On

the treadmill followed by an easy twenty minute warm down on the bicycle. No great power laid down, it was just an easy one today. Aiming to complete another Academy workout tomorrow but I'm not sure my legs are going to feel totally rested.

Managed To Complete Today's Rematch

but my legs definitely didn't feel fresh. I chose a different Academy workout today, number 3 - couldn't face number 7. That one was some seriously f~*(ed up hard s#!t which I will fight another day. Number 3 was better. And despite the legs not feeling great I managed to complete it and rack up a new 25s power best, 625W - mind you, I almost blacked out when it was done. Finished off with 3k of 250m/r250m reps at 10% incline on the treadmill. Legs are done.

Going Through A Bad Patch

Not sure what's going on. My calf muscles felt tight when I woke. Had a good night's sleep and on the back a couple days rest and practically not really much yesterday I wasn't expecting that and I still felt somehow fatigued. I decided to give the Coppett race a miss as I knew I'd be struggling. Instead I decided on a steep incline on the treadmill. 10% rising to 15%.,slow pace with efforts.

My legs were tight for twenty minutes before they eased a little. The effort, at 10 to 15%, was a good solid effort and it wasn't a bad session. I didn't feel unduly worn out so after an hours rest I decided to try another Zwift Academy training workout. As it turns out I was totally worn out. I managed just 25 minutes before I had to call it a day. I was suffering. Legs burning on the early reps there was no way I could complete the longer ones. I was almost on the spiral of death as it was and aborted.

Feeling on a bit of a downer at the moment. I shall retry tomorrow....

A Couple Of Days Rest...

and I still feel bloody knackered. Not sure if I'm going to do the Coppett Hill race tomorrow or not. I'll make a decision tomorrow morning...

Really Need A Rest

...but I want to keep cracking on. Tonight's workout number five of the #Zwift Academy was hard. My legs were burning on the sections when they shouldn't have been. Was a bit of an odd session culminating in two 1 minute all out power tests. I didn't get going on the first of those but really put it down on the final one. The initial surge was too much and I was hanging on but just held on to equal my best one minute power (as per my records - or Strava as it's known).

Yesterday was a short, sharp row interval session. Ten 30s hard, 30s recovery. A thirty second effort sounds almost nothing - but 30s recovery ain't much either and by the end of the short session I was more than happy to see repetition number ten sail past.

I've a run planned for tomorrow before a much needed rest day on Thursday and possibly Friday. The weekend brings the possibility of the localish Coppett Hill race. I've never run it before and know I won't be feeling fresh, even with a few days rest, but it'll be a good hard training session before maybe heading into what I think sense dictates must be a very light week...

That's Me Done

Another double day. First up a group run with incline on the treadmill. Varying incline up to 8%. Legs weren't in top shape but not terrible. Decent enough effort. Then it was into the saddle for a #Zwift Academy race. I used the session as a recovery ride with a bit of an effort here and there - is that even a thing? I didn't want to sit and effortlessly pedal nor did I really want to race.

I got in a small group, working at about 2.5W/kg. That provided enough of a work out in order to stay with the group. A few times I started to get dropped on the short hill 'blip' but had enough to close back up - not without getting some good leg burn though and raising the heart rate for a minute or two.

Tomorrow is a rest day...

Bit Lacklustre

I was puffing sooner than I should've in today's run. My heart rate was higher verses the pace. I seem to be on a bit of a plateau. Ho hum. Finished off the training with the planned hours group ride and despite only being 2W/kg 'pace' I found it wasn't as easy as it should've been.

Solid Workout

Still had a bit of yesterdays intervals in my legs but I've a schedule to keep to - or more accurately #Zwift does. That's the problem with following a bike training plan while also trying to train for some two leg action. Tonight was the Team Dimension Data session two and it was hard work but doable - just about. Not sure I'm going to be in the mix for the Pro contract at the end of it all but hopefully I'll be a little fitter.

Up tomorrow, an easy run... and maybe a sneaky row interval session, but I'll wait to see how I feel on that one. Don't want to burn out.

Intervals

It was a bit of a make it up as I jogged on and ended up being ever increasingly pacey 300m, then 250m reps with 200-250m recovery. The peak of my pace was 3:50/km and I was blowing. The sad thing is that tha's slower than my long forgotten 10k pb pace and it lasted just 250m. Quickly putting that to the back of my mind. Can't dwell on what was, just got to keep pushing forward...

Even Harder Work...

and I probably shouldn't have but it's the start of the #Zwift Academy and I don't want to get behind. I'm going to struggle to fit training in tomorrow and by Wednesday I'd be feeling guilty for having had too much time off so tonight it ruddy well had to be.

My legs felt heavy but the session didn't look too tough. My mistake, it was surprisingly tough. Mainly, as mentioned, because my legs probably should've been resting. My heart rate didn't go too high but it felt really hard work keep to the legs turning. Job done though. Rest day tomorrow and then back on it Wednesday with a run of some sort.

That Was Hard Work

Maybe not quite as hard as it was for those doing the real thing but with my legs a bit sore from yesterday, today's three times up the virtual Box Hill was hard enough for #Zwift's short course ride London event. My power was down on account that my legs were sore. Despite that I certainly didn't take it easy - although I did have to stop on the second ascent to take delivery of my new Solomon Speedcross 4s - so that gave me a slight breather. After some crap racing I thought I'd treat myself to new footwear to give me some motivation to get out there and use them...

Back to the virtual riding, it was a good 90 minutes in the in the saddle and despite that lack of power, I was dripping by the end. 45k, 600m ascent.

Not My Best

Llanthony Show fell race. I went but I was a long long way off conquering... It was only 6k and 330m ascent but I never really got going. I was puffing from the off. The climb was a struggle and then finally on the top ridge I started to cramp up. I got across the top and then almost came a cropper on the descent. Caught my foot on a stone and narrowly avoided taking a dive into a boulder but just managing to stay on my feet. Eventually made it to the finish a long long way behind the winner. Definitely not my best.

Gentle Jog

Back on the 'racing' tomorrow so it was just an easy 5k pootle on the treadmill tonight. I'm still getting the odd twinge on the achilles here and there. Sometimes I wake up to it feeling stiff - ooh matron, behave - the achilles. Not painful just stiff. Today was one of those days. It's not much trouble other than that. Tomorrow I'm off to battle for the wooden spoon at the Llanthony Show fell race.

Virtual World, Real Riders

Tonight's #Zwift training session was a pre-PRL workout led by Dani Rowe. I've not decided which one to do Sunday. The 70k or the lesser 45k?

I've been feeling a bit tired today and almost gave things a miss. I didn't want to aimlessly ride easy and equally didn't want to do nothing so the pre-PRL session was spot on. Mostly easy with a few efforts. The efforts shouldn't have burnt as much as they did but there was plenty of recovery. Up tomorrow is an easy run.