Start of the Tour

But the main question is when to do my last run and bike before the big day? It's been so long I can't really remember how I used to taper. I decided I needed to at least get stage one on the bike out of the way but didn't really race it. I'll likely try a very gentle stage one on foot tomorrow so at least I'll have both stage ones of the Tour of Watopia out the way. Probably skip stage two as it's too close to the main event on Sunday. Might be my last training session tomorrow but maybe a very gentle effort Thursday. That'll definitely be the last before Sunday...

As to tonight's stage on the bike. I started slow and easy but really got going. In fact, despite feeling a bit tired before hand, and the legs feeling a bit dead, by the end I was going as well as I have for a while - without really feeling like I was putting the hammer down. Maybe there's something to my secret beetroot pills...

Feeling A Bit Off

I am feeling better today but yesterday was a right off. Was feeling lacking energy. Had an early night and that has helped. Managed 8k on the treadmill today followed by a half an hour workout on the bike. Neither was super high octane but then I need to look at getting myself fully rested with just one week to go till Bath. That is definitely going to be a challenge but I will get round.

Set The Target Slightly Too High

After an easier half hour on the bike yesterday I decided to run a 3.2km tester tonight. After 1km warmup I set off. The target ramped pace was a little too high and I started to blow in the last k. Had to take a couple of pace drops but still ended significantly faster than the same session two weeks ago. If I set my pace targets a little better [read lower] I could have ended up with a slightly quicker time but irrespective of that, happy to have gone quicker. Still bloody slow in the grand scheme of things but it doesn't put me off. I will get there...

Following Yesterday's Bike Ramps...

It was the two legged version tonight. I decided to repeat last weeks session of six ramps but I increased each ramp by 100m this time. So it was six 600m ramps and it all felt pretty good again. Overall I feel the effort at the middle of the ramp, which was around about my target HM pace, was feeling easier to maintain. In reality, it's a bit late in the day to make much difference to the outcome of BHM-Day in 12 days time but it feels like I'm giving myself a good base on which to slowly build on from over the coming months. I might even target myself an autumn HM by way of a further goal...

Solid Session on the Bike

Opted for a group workout tonight. Warm up, cool down with four power spikes and four ramps. The end of each four minute ramp was hard but doable without coming out of the saddle. Definitely needed the 90 second recovery though as my legs were burning as I hit the end of each one. It felt satisfying to complete it as I knew it was going to be a tough one and I went in thinking I might need to nudge the effort level down a few percent. Didn't need to do that though, so I'm happy with that. 

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...