A Different Week

I was planning on k reps Tuesday, but I wasn't feeling it. After a new 5k time and my longest long run over the last couple of weeks I decided to defocus for a week and just do some running and Zwifting.

So, instead of the k reps I just went for a run. As I ran, I realised I was headed towards one of the Strava KoMs that's on my list to claim, so on the spur of the moment I attacked it. It goes up through the fields towards Hobbs Quary, about 1.2km and 100m of ascent. Mission accomplished, I took the KoM by 17s (and a PB by just over a minute).

The rest of the week has just been a couple of Zwifts and an easy run until today when I decided to see where my Zwift fitness is with a crack at the hour on the Alpe du Zwift - Zwift's virtual version of the classic Alpe d'Huez climb, a beast at 12km and 1040m of ascent. I've never broken the hour - until today, that is, 58 minutes 32s and a PB by just under 4 minutes and a new hour power average over what I set a few weeks. After that I put in an 8k zone3/4 on the treadmill as a recovery - and it felt surprisingly easy considering the hammering I'd taken on the virtual climb. I'll round out the week with another run tomorrow and then, after a rest day Monday, it will back into structured training once more...

Twenty

Yes, I've reached the milestone of my first 20-kilometre training run -  and it was not a flat one either, with some 500+ metres of ascent. It's a few weeks until the second anniversary of starting my comeback and the time has absolutely flown by. Progress has exceeded my expectation. I didn't think I'd ever get back to the levels of fitness I once had. I'm not there yet, mind, but I will get there...

 

Parkrun Overdue but How Did I Do?

My plan to run a Parkrun once a month has panned out more like every two months. But that's okay. Fitting in the long runs, short runs, hills, intervals and Zwift isn't always easy. Training and my mojo for it, continues unabated, and my desire to go faster, longer, higher unsatiated. My interval speeds have been moving nicely upwards so I decided it was time for another Parkrun this morning, pushing my long run to tomorrow - where it will morph into a recovery run because legs won't feel up to anything more. My resting heart rate is slightly elevated which isn't surprising considering my training load and I feel a bit fatigued, but I still felt it was worth a go.

Anyway, I'll stop stalling... I had a pace in mind - or more accurately, programmed into the watch, but the focus was hitting the far point in the course inside 12:47, the time check from my previous run/PB. I ran the first kilometre slightly too hard and worked hard on the ever-ascending trail. I hit the corner 14s to the good but I'd pushed just a little too much. I did not feel I was running quickly enough on the gentle downhill, fading back from the couple of runners I was with at the top.

...but I needn't have worried, I crossed the line 21:51 for another PB, 19s to the good. So, despite feeling I wasn't going well on the way back, I still managed to grab another 5s on the downhill. It's sounds better now the PB starts 21...

The rest of the week has seen me complete two interval sessions on the treadmill, long and short intervals and a couple of Zwift sessions, an all-out hill climb effort on the simulated Col du Rosier and the other, an easy ride.

Enjoyed That...

..Wednesday night's group ride. A cracking 46km tempo group ride on Zwift. Despite being in a big group I was pushing on the front like a time trial. Two 23k laps with a decent cat 4 climb near the end of each lap - my killing ground. Despite not pushing to the absolute limit - except for the climbs where I ground it out hard each time, I still managed my 2nd best ever hour power, and that was literally only a couple of watts shy. If I knew I was so close to the power hour I'd have put the hammer down. Bodes well for my fitness.

Treadmill Tuesday was longer intervals, treadmill Thursday was a ladder of faster efforts 60s down to 150s and back up. Friday was an easy ride - albeit with my best ever 30s power sprint. After that, I was feeling a slight ache in my left achilles do I didn't go for a long run yesterday. Up today was a short - but pretty fast - run on the treadmill followed immediately by a Zwift climb portal blast. Happy to have claimed the Polka Dot Jersey on the Col du Rosier. It's not often I claim a Zwift vest so I'll take 'em when they come.