I've Been A Silly Boy...

Only gone and got sucked in to running the Bath Half Marathon as part of a team from work. It's only nineteen weeks away and at the moment 10k is struggle, my pace pathetic. My half PB of 1:22hr seems a lifetime away. At my current level of fitness I'll be lucky to make it round in 2:22hr.

On to tonight, I repeated last weeks 5k session. Short warmup followed by five sets of hard (400m), harder (200m), easy (200m). I increased the session pace by 4% from last week. It felt hard by the last effort - ooh matron, behave - but no harder than last weeks session. So maybe, slowly, slowly, I'm making gains.

19 weeks though!..... Eek.... Not... enough.... time.........

A Decent Weeks Training Complete

Yesterday was an hours bike workout, speed endurance. Today was a repeat of last weekends 10k, increasing the pace 4% this time. It's all going in the right direction if somewhat slowly but I'm keeping to the plan. It's the final destination that counts, not how long it takes to get there. Probably a rest day tomorrow or maybe a very gentle spin on the bike.

Much Better Today

After a rather disappointing effort yesterday today's session went to the schedule. 6.4k ramping the pace up in 200m sections to the midpoint and then back down again. It's another session I'll run again, increasing the effort a few percent each time to gauge my progress.

Went Through The Motions

I've been feeling a bit tired this week, today I've a bit of a sore throat and if I'm honest I wasn't feeling it. That all built for a very short go on the treadmill. Going to get a good night's sleep and get out there for something more ambitious tomorrow.

On other running news, I've discovered a low key running group right here in the village. They run Monday nights so I'm going to try and get along to that when I can. 

Intervals

5k's worth of intrvals on the treadmill today. 400m effort followed by 200m harder effort and then 200m recovery. Rinse and repeat. I could feel it in my legs come the last couple so the effort was about right. Didn't push things too far over as I'm still not ready to risk over egging it. I'm happy to inch forward slowly rather than crash and burn like before. It's either an easy bike session or full rest tomorrow. See how I feel.

Enjoyed Today's Group Ride

I decided to ride the same session as last week. Two laps of the Harrogate course as a group ride with the last 7k, starting at the final climb, switching to all out war. I had a bit of trouble early doors with my rear cassette shifter. It was mis-aligned and kept flipping between gears. Must have knocked the bike or something. Anyway, I persevered for a lap before deciding I couldn't put up with it anymore.

It was like a Tour de France pit stop. I hopped off the bike and gave the barrel thingy a bit of a twist to visually align the coggy things before jumping back on. Despite being still in the group ride phase, I was well dropped. Dead last but I blasted for it - as best I can blast at the moment. I had to hit it hard for a good five minutes and at first I didn't think I was making any headway but finally I could see the gap closing and I got back on. I was a bit wasted for the effort but had a few kilometres to recover before the racing kicked off.

The earlier effort had taken the edge off. The climb was okay but I paid for that earlier effort. Still it was a good solid ride in to the finish. A good days training. Back on the treadmill tomorrow...

Slow But A Bit Further

So I decided to increase my time on feet for today's run. I kept the pace pitifully low so I was able to complete the full 10k at the defined pacing. I set up the work out in TrainingPeaks so I can repeat it and slowly, over the weeks, nudge up the pace. My heart rate was steady at the top of my Tempo zone, just nudging into Threshold - so I really am that unfit - or broken, as things were a lot better three months ago... 

Bike Workout Tonight

Thought I'd try a structured workout tonight. It was alright but I'm still not sure everything is as it should be. The effort wasn't beyond me but I felt my legs were working harder than they should have been. It's a run day tomorrow.

So So

Struggled a bit with the training today. Yesterday was a bit of a fail as well. A bike session that I aborted twenty minutes in as I couldn't keep up with the relatively low power group ride. I put it off as one of those things but today's run wasn't great either. Not a total disaster but I felt I was ready to nudge things on, instead the session was a slight step back as I needed a few extra easy sections. I did hit a higher top speed though.

A Good Days Training

Started with a group ride on #Zwift around the virtual Harrogate UCI loop. Really enjoyed it. We rode as a group for the first 20k before hitting the final climb, from whence the fence was turned off and the racing began. I felt I was working reasonably hard during the group ride section despite my average power only being 2W/kg or around 65% of my old FTP. So it was a totally surprise to be able to put down power 'well' above that old FTP on the climb, and managing an average 3W/kg or 95% FTP over that last 7k. Really happy with that. Perhaps some of my perceived lack of power is down to being subconsciously afraid to push it in case I overdo it like I did before...

Anyway, I gave myself an hour and a half recovery before hitting the treadmill for a 5k 'race' effort. I almost didn't because my legs were definitely feeling it from the ride but I did despite that. No ramping this time - well almost none...

After a brief five minute pre-race warm-up, I was straight into a pace near the top of my last few ramped runs - which is admittedly still pitiful but it is what it is. Turns out even that was a bit ambitious at this point in my rehabilitation, having to resort to 200m recovery, 800m effort in order to keep going as my heart rate kept heading too high. As penance, I did at least nudge up the pace on each subsequent 800m section and covered the 5k much quicker than during my ramped runs.

It's still all moving in the right direction and I feel I'm getting a bit more balance to the training. Recovery and rest tomorrow....

A Incy-wincy Bit More Pace

Another treadmill session, ramping to a slightly faster pace (from a slightly faster starting point as well). A little less distance though but I'm trying to keep things moving forward without overdoing it. Not gonna lie, it got hard - ooh er matron - towards the end - ooh er misses. Bike session tomorrow.

Back To It

After the long, tiring day that was yesterday I was back to it tonight after work as planned. I do like the way I can devise a session in TrainingPeaks and it shows up ready to run in Zwift. It really helps me stick to the plan. As to the plan, tonight's was another gently ramped session on the treadmill. Still keeping it at a pretty lowly pace but today's run added another 0.6km, taking the session up to 7.4km.

Up tomorrow is a free form bike session - aka, make it up as I go along, zero planning....

Well That Wasn't At All A Slightly Stressful 13 Hours At Work!

Suffice, by the time I got home, there was no easy spin so a second rest day it was. Tomorrow should be easier so I'm hopeful I'll get home at a decent time in order to hit out the scheduled run.

Third Day In A Row Now Time For Recovery

So I finished my third day of training in a row with another slightly longer and faster session on the treadmill. We're not talking a massive increase and it's all still pretty pathetic, just a few seconds per kilometre pace increase by the end but every little counts. I'm being careful not to over do it. I was puffing by the end of the session but my legs weren't burning as they did. I'm so far back but I'm just going to keep plugging away. Full rest day tomorrow - apart from having to go to work - then maybe an easy something on Wednesday.

Feeling A Bit Better

and some reasonable training. I started with a 17km time trial on #Zwift. I'd not tried the new format since the upgrade, which now actually sets each rider off 30s apart. Catch or be caught....

I had a target wattage in mind and started slowly at 140W and wound it up to the target 170W with a couple of kilometres to go and maintained that to the finish. I had more in the tank but I was definitely working. No one in my category came past and I managed to catch one rider on the line. Pleased with the session, keeping it low key, making marginal gains and I definitely like the new format TT.

After a couple hours break I hit the treadmill for a gentle 5k. No reps this time, a continuous ramped effort at low intensity. Planning another run of some sort tomorrow, maybe slightly higher effort before a day off Tuesday followed by some recovery.

Been Feeling A Little Off

Missed a couple of days of planned training. Tried a bit of #Zwift yesterday but it wasn't happening. Haven't been feeling exactly topper today either. Went to bed nine o'clock yesterday and slept in till 10am this morning - and I still feel tired. Decided I couldn't miss another a day so did some easy work. It was more for my own sanity than anything else. An easy group ride of an hour and some easy reps for a 5k on the treadmill. Hoping I feel a bit better tomorrow...

Definitely A Rest Day

My legs are feeling it today. Yesterday's run was definitely highest effort since I've been back at it. Likely to be just an easy one tomorrow unless my legs feel totally recovered.