Another Decent Session

Some 2km reps with sections over and under target pace with a short recovery in between. It felt pretty good. I could probably have upped the over a bit but that's not really the point at this stage. In all I covered 10k. Probably going to do another run tomorrow as I think my legs will feel okay. I finished off the training with a 10k cooldown on the bike.

Easy Recovery Ride

I was quite surprised that my legs felt a little fatigued today. Tuesday and Wednesday's sessions, despite being quite short, must definitely have provided some reasonable training affect otherwise the legs wouldn't be feeling it slightly today. But that's good as today's planned session was an easy hour ride on the ol' Zwift. And that's just what I did.

Another Pretty Good One

Ran a couple of longer reps, broken into 200m sections alternating between a little above target pace and a little below, with a recovery in between the reps. Didn't want to push too hard as I did a session yesterday but it felt good. The unders felt well within my capability and the overs not too bad either. Heart rate just about stayed in zone 3 and it feels like my over fitness is edging slowly in the right direction. Going to try and work in a medium duration run on the weekend if I can and then it's all fine tuning to the start line...

Felt A Bit Easier Tonight

It's not long now till race day. Just twenty days. From on in it's about maintaining things. Tonight I ran some 500m ramps and for once they felt good. For my current fitness, the ending pace of the ramp was pretty high and I wasn't dying at the end each ramp either. What's more, the section of the ramp on my target race pace actually felt easy - well relatively so. For the first time I felt like I could have maintained that pace for a bit...

Bloody Good Sprint Finish

So I didn't do the long run. My running legs didn't feel up to it. I ran a 1km tester on the treadmill and knew it wasn't happening. Not too worried though, I know I've got the distance in my legs for the HM - I don't have the pace. And if the legs do fail me I'm sure the old memories of pain will see me through to the end.

So instead I opted for a stage of the Tour of Innsbruck on the bike. 24km, 500m ascent and I went at it pretty solidly, especially on the climb. I picked off a good number of riders on the way up. Once back onto the flat I found myself in a group of about ten and as we rode towards the finish I was feeling up for a sprint. Of late I've not been bothered but I felt like a burn up, but when to go....

I started to keep a close eye on those around me as we entered the final kilometre. I wasn't going to be the first to go but didn't want to get caught out. A couple of guys went with about 500m to go and I upped the wattage. Not all out but a good effort. From there I steadily cranked it up. The testosterone was flowing and with 200m to go I attacked and went past - but they weren't done and started to come back. I went again and held it by about 2m - but by 'eck I was blowing. Practically keeled over as I crossed the line but it was worth it. A very satisfying burn up...

That Felt Better...

After a somewhat lacklustre start to the weeks training with an aborted session on Tuesday, things were much better tonight. After a short tester jog yesterday, today's was a proper job. Four 1 kilometre ramps with a 1 kilometre warm up and cool down. It felt good to be get to a decent pace by the end of each ramp. Definitely a session to run again. There's plenty of scope to increase the number of reps and tweak the start and end paces. The 100m steps kept the interest and focus. Undecided as to the weekend's workouts...

Bike Workout Tonight

After an aborted run yesterday - the legs didn't want to do the business and I was just plain struggling - it was back to business tonight. I opted for a fairly randomly selected group workout. During the first section I was slightly worried that it was going to be a case of back to back failures... but I stuck at it and after a brief couple of minutes out of the saddle in order to avoid the 'spiral of death' things started to get 'easier'. That's not to say they were actually particularly easy but I was able to hit the powers, working hard but it was manageable to complete the 54 minute session. Back to the running tomorrow and I'll try a longer warm up - which is where I think yesterday's session may have gone wrong... 

Another Run and Ride

...in the dry. Started with an 8k group run. The first 5k was with the treadmill set to 1% elevation, the final 3k raised to 9%. I'd dropped a bit back in the group before the climb and I managed a few efforts on the steep stuff. Finishing pretty strongly, catching back up to quite a few in the group. Good work out.

I followed that up with a group ride on a hilly route. It was a 48km ride with 900m ascent but after the first climb I could feel my energy levels dropping. So at that first summit, 20km in, with 500m ascent climbed I decided to pull out, not wanting to over cook things - I obviously 'rode' the downhill. Can't be turning down 7km of free kilometres!!

Let's be honest...

The long run, into the eye of Storm Dennis, was never going to be a thing for me, Fair Weather Dave. Instead I decided on something a little different.... A virtual duathlon in the storm free world of #Zwift.

I started with 3km on the track, steadily nudging up the pace. Then it was the transition over to the bike for 20km in virtual Harrogate. I went at it steadily putting in a few sections of harder effort. Then it was another transition back to the treadmill and the final 3km.

It wasn't exactly the long run it should have been but it felt like good training...

Nice Little Burn Up

Opted for a short blast on the two wheel Zwift. 16km, done and dusted. It was a group ride - but everyone goes at it. It wasn't a large field but enough to be grouped, for the first few k's at least. The first sprint on the Richmond UCI course comes at about 4k and I put down some power for a little interval. Not my fastest. Not my slowest. Eased off too much and the group came past leaving me in a solo TT for the rest of the ride - doh!!

I actually quite enjoyed being left stranded and gradually cranked up the power, turning it into a good TT effort. I even managed to catch a few riders on the climbs. All in all a good half hour in the saddle that was over before I knew it.

Not sure how to rejig the weekends training. I need to get my final long run done but Hurricane Dennis is going to put paid to that me thinks.

Wasn't Planning That...

and probably illegal but I did another interval session! Hot on the heals of yesterday's 4x800s. I espied a group workout on the ol' #Zwift with a goodly number of runners booked in - it's always better when there's loads of fellow runners. The deal maker was that it was on the virtual track so there was no sad plodding all alone on the virtual pavements. My legs felt fit for action so I thought, what the heck, where's the harm?

The session was a different format to normal. More informal, with textual instruction rather than the normal rigid interval list and it was time based so we were all putting in the effort - and taking it easy - at the same time.

There was a ten minute warm up before getting down to business. The workout consisted two sets of a 4 minute interval at 10k pace followed by four intervals of a minute at mile pace. I actually found the short efforts too easy at mile pace (at my current mile pace, that is) so edged up the speed a little. Think I could have taken it up a bit more but I didn't want to over do it. Good session. Definitely a recovery day tomorrow. A bit of bike Zwifting me thinks...

Injecting A Bit Of Speed?...

It's all relative. I've got plodding down to a tee so now it's time to try and make the legs go a bit quicker. It's not going to be a quick fix - boom, boom. Tonight I ran four 800m reps off 400m recovery. The pace was 8% quicker than my target Bath HM pace. Not a massive step up but enough. It equates to about 18s quicker over the 800m. I'm going to repeat the session next week, adding an extra rep. Rome wasn't built in a day - and don't I ever know it...

I've Earned A Rest Day

So I managed to get my ass out the door this morning to complete my long run. With storm Kevin or whatever it's called, coming in overnight there's no way I'm venturing out tomorrow so it had to be today.

I'm pleased with the increased distance, 16.8km, but it was hard work. I think Kevin's niece, Ciara, was blowing through early as the section around to Blaisdon and beyond was right into the wind and a bit of a struggle if I'm honest. But I got through the run in one piece and the pace was a tiny fraction faster than last weeks run with an extra 100m ascent to boot, 370m total.

I didn't sit on my backside afterwards though as I had a bit of Zwifting planned with Andre Greipel and the Fight ALS Mega Ride and over 6000 other riders from every corner of the planet, helping raise an equivelent amount for ALS. The ride almost certainly set a new rider participation record for a single ride on Zwift. After the hours ride I'm feeling a little tired...

And That's A Wrap!

All fourteen stages of the Tour de Zwift done and dusted. Seven in the saddle. Seven on the plimsolls. Pleased with my run tonight. It wasn't fast. Fast is beyond me right now. I aimed to start slow and finish above my target half marathon pace - which I did. 5.7km complete.

I'm finally starting to feel like I did twenty - yes, twenty - years ago when I first started running. To all intents and purposes it's like I'm starting over again from scratch and I'm really starting to get into the habit. Scheduling runs, mostly sticking to the schedule or managing to rejig the schedule when things crop up.

Being cajoled into 'running' the Bath Half Marathon has been just the kick up the arse I needed. Just need to set a goal once that's out the way. Maybe the Autumn Forest Half? Never done it. Maybe I should?....

The End Is Nigh...

No, not the Coronavirus, the final stages of the Tour de Zwift. Tonight I finished off the bike tour with the two laps of the virtual Harrogate worlds loop for 28km. I almost dropped down to the single lapper but I stayed strong. Enjoyed it. It's a good course. Lots of steady climbs. Nothing stupid steep but decent enough at 4-7% and 1-2km at a time. It's mostly either up or down. There really isn't much flat. I applied a decent level of effort throughout. Good workout. Up tomorrow or Friday is the final final stage. A 5.7km run on the mini loop on the same virtual Harrogate turf...

Had To Give It A Miss Yesterday...

My legs were sore after my long run. Happily I seem to be recovering a little quicker than of a month or two ago and my legs felt okay today. Maybe not 100% recovered but certainly plenty enough recharged to round out stage 6 of the Tour de Zwift on foot. I didn't manage to get fully warmed up before the off as I was faffing and rushing after getting home from work a little on the tight side. Overall I was happy with the effort.

As Expected...

I found this morning's long run hard going - that's what happens when your easy Zwift ride the day before ends up not being an easy ride. I never learn. As per last weeks run, I got the hill out of the way in the first half - there's always going to be a hill when you live in Longhope. The downhill was much more enjoyable. The short off road section, to avoid having to run on the A40, was less fun. One word, boggy. Might take my chances in the traffic next time....

After that, it was back on road to join up with the second half of last weeks run into Blaisdon and back along Velthouse Lane. I managed to run the Velthouse section 20-30s quicker than last week so, despite it feeling like a plod, things are moving in the right direction - slowly. Plus today's run was almost 3km longer at 14.3km.

Worked Slightly Too Hard...

For the recovery ride it was meant to be. It's always difficult to ride easy when you're part of big group ride, aka stage 6 of the TdZ. I'm aiming for the long run tomorrow so today was meant to be just an easy leg spin but I worked too hard on the climbs and now my legs feel like they've had a work out. I always get caught up chasing the next group down the road... Doh.