Nine Tonne Has Done For Me

So as expected, my back and shoulders are aching after yesterday's evenings exertions spreading 9 tonne of chippings over the shared driveway area - 9 tonnes wasn't enough so there'll be another 4 tonnes arriving next week - doh. Hopefully my back won't ache quite so much after shifting the next lot.

It was a bit jarring to run and although I was itching for it I knew it wasn't really an option. Instead - yes, you guessed it - I hit the turbo and selected a race. 30k with several climbs and a couple of sprints. I was up against ten other riders and, as I'd be warned, they shot off like a loaded gun at the start. I didn't keep up and was dropped pretty quickly. After a couple of kilometres their pace dropped and I was able to keep even pace with them but wasn't able to get back on terms. I did manage to get one place back by the finish so didn't come last. As a bonus though I took a second place on one of the climbs and won both the sprints!

Later in the day I still had pangs of guilt at not having managed a run and had the idea of a hill session on the treadmill where I could keep the jarring to a minimum. I set the treadmill to 5% elevation for 500m and then 10% for five 250m reps. Not totally happy with missing a proper run but I'm hopeful for tomorrow...

Increased FTP

Still feeling tired. The heat is just too much to feel energised. I didn't manage a double but it was a good Zwift bike session never the less. And I even registered an increase in my FTP, up to 181 from 176. (Although I'm not really sure what it is but it's some kind of measure of cycling so indicative of increasing fitness).

I rode the Richmond UCI full course and put in the efforts on the 3 segments (1 sprint, 2 climbs). I think that's what did for the FTP increase. I'm still finding the whole virtual riding/running really incentivising and don't have any issue being motivated for it. Long may it continue. Definitely a run day tomorrow and maybe a little bit of bike if I'm lucky - that's assuming that spreading 9 tonne of gravel later this evening doesn't do me in...

Mish-mash Of Intervals

My legs are still a bit heavy but there was no way I missing another session. I decided that getting my legs moving a little faster than normal might help get the blood flowing. It was a pretty good session. The faster 400m reps felt about the right speed verses distance. I followed that into a longer rep and then 600/800m slower intervals to warm myself down. The pegs feel a bit better now. Hopefully I'll feel up to a run and bike tomorrow...

Still Feeling A Bit Heavy Legged

Despite a rest day yesterday my legs still felt leaden. At work, wandering around site (yes, I've had my induction) carrying out my tasks, my legs felt rubbish - and I can't blame it all on wearing heavy boots. So I decided to try out a Zwift group bike training session tonight and give the running a second rest day. It was quite motivating riding in a big virtual group but I'm somehow not sure about it...

The hour passed quickly and the session was over before I knew it but I'm not sure about the total training benefit. The software sets all the targets and resistance based on previous rides/efforts but it just felt a bit odd. Each interval was quite fatiguing and the required effort to complete enough that I was glad to reach the recovery phase each time but somehow the overall training effort just didn't seem quite as good as riding Bkool and a hilly route, having both hard ups and easy downs to recover.

Still I think there's probably a place for it. Mixing all the different types of sessions is going to help keep things fresh and interesting and a mix of different types is probably a good philosophy. Not every ride or run can be all out can it? - but I certainly want to make sure I do plenty of hard work work and don't just go through the motions.

Bit Random Today...

Started with a short Zwift as my legs felt a bit sore. After that the soreness seemed to have gone so I decided to try out the bike version of Zwift and over ambitiously jumped straight in with a race (after a very short warm up). That was a bit much. It was a two lap race of 30km total but I had to abort after one lap as I was absolutely dying. I had really good power output but it was just too much.

Twenty minutes after that I couldn't face that I'd not completed the session so hopped back on for another twenty minutes of effort. That finished me off. Then later in the day I got a second wind and went for a real run. Just the local 5k loop but it exorcised the guilt of this mornings rubbish run.

I've burnt some calories today and after six days straight, eleven training sessions I think I've earned myself a rest day tomorrow...

That Was More Like It

No delivery distractions today although I did have a longer lie in than I'd intended. It was meant to be up and at it early but ended up being at it mid morning. Still, I was at it, so that was the important bit.

I decided to run the full Flaxley loop, 9k. It was far from my fastest but the stats show I'm covering the various section of the route faster, little by little. I'm glad I had the cover of the trees for most of the run though because I was roasting by the end.

After the run I was onto the the turbo for a 30 minute blast with a good solid category 4 climb to finish - me off completely. My quads burnt as pedalled with everything I had left. I was only twice as slow as the record time!

I feel the training regime of run and bike is working though. I feel stronger. Nowhere near what I used to be but I'm inching there and I really do think I'm beginning to get the old addiction back. Being a geek and erstwhile anorak I think the computery virtual stuff is really helping fuel the addiction. It's like being a geek and runner/rider all at the same time!

More of the same tomorrow...

Not Quite What I Had Planned

but it felt like a pretty good training session despite that...

So I was intending to venture into the Forest - but then I remember I had a delivery coming. So I waited in (and did a bit of gardening to fill the gap) but as time edged ever onwards I couldn't face the thought of waiting too long and slipping back into my old ways, namely losing the will to train!

So having waited as long as I dared I hopped on the treadmill - and wouldn't you know it, 2km in and the damn delivery arrived - doh! By then I was committed to the mill and carried on to complete a lap of Zwift's  London “Classique”, 5.7km. Tomorrow it will be a real run as I've definitely not got any deliveries booked...

After that I was straight on the turbo for ten laps and 10k around Canary Wharf and despite feeling knackered I pushed my legs into action to crank out a few "fast" laps.

And by way of a change, here is a chart of my 'fitness' progress. It's heading in the right direction....

Killed It Today...

I went for another crack at the Bkool Tour de Suisse 2018 stage one TT training route. Last time 31:04, this time 27:48 and it was fair to say I was gunning for it. I set up some of the 'ghost riders' from other Bkoolers who'd been a little quicker than my first attempt but I very quickly left them in my wake - I should have been more ambitious and selected some even faster ones.

I really pushed it. My quads burnt on the two main climbs. I just kept grinding it. Legs are fair wobbly now but recovering quickly. It's a run day tomorrow...

Solid Day

So I decided not to wait till after work and mustered for another midday session. A 5k Zwift. More of a steady recovery than a hard session but even so I felt quite a buzz afterwards. I think that helped me really break the back of the software I'm working on as the way forward suddenly came into view with crystal clarity... (no I don't know what I'm babbling on about either!)

So after work I was to the turbo for a solid session of just under the hour. A 25k ride from Cross Ash to Crickhowell - virtually at least. I put it a decent amount of effort, focusing on keeping the power average up. It was a really good session.

Really beginning to feel like I've re-found that which was lost...

Reunited At Last...

Yes, after several years away my colleague and I finally managed to get back out for what was once a weekly appointment - the lunchtime run. We ran the same route I reccied last week. It was good to be back and we're hoping we can resume some level of regularity. Maybe won't happen every week but hopefully a couple of times a month,

As to the run. It was a pretty tired affair despite taking a rest day yesterday. I still felt pretty empty and my legs didn't feel like playing ball. I was about as quick as last week but somehow it didn't feel as strong a run and I really struggled in the last kilometre. To make matters worse I left my watch at home so had to resort to carrying my phone in hand to record the run - can't be not recording the data for later analysis on Strava, Smashrun and Runalyze....

In light of today's tired run I decided to forgo the bike session tonight in the hope I'll be feeling more recharged tomorrow. I'm aiming for a double tomorrow however I feel.

It's Better With A Fan...

Although it should have been a rest day as I very quickly found out. Training was really laboured today. I knew I was struggling within the first few minutes. It didn't get any better from there. Add to that I was on the local loop with a decent climb - suffice to say I didn't climb it decently. Pitiful would be an appropriate adjective.

After eventually making it back to base 6.7k later I thought I might as well finish myself off completely with a 20 minute lap of Central Park - and, of course, I wanted to test how the new fan would improve things on the turbo. And it really did. There was almost no dripping! Okay, so I wasn't gunning for it as my legs were shot and I was generally pretty much pedaling on empty but even so the evaporatitive effect was brilliant.

Absolutely a rest day tomorrow. Despite not wanting to miss a day I need to as today's run really was a bit of a waste of effort and I'd have benefited more from a rest day.

Done And Dusted By 10am

So I was up and at it early - early for a Sunday, not early as in early. Giving the running a miss yesterday had done the trick and my calf was no longer feeling sore or tight. Off I headed into Flaxley wood.

I wasn't feeling as sprightly as I thought I would but then I probably haven't been resting as much as I should either. Even with the enforced non-run, I still hit the bike pretty hard yesterday. Anyway, although I wasn't feeling fast I was feeling like I had a decent level of torque and managed to crank out the run steadily without stopping - apart from the stiles, road crossing and the big steep hill at the start - which is going to take quite a while before I have the power to conquer.

After the run I hopped on the bike for a quick 10 laps around Canary Wharf. That takes my tally to 27 training sessions in 24 days.

Think I Over Did It...

Woke up this morning with a sore and tight left calf muscle. I took a few strides outside to see if I could run but it wasn't good and I decided I'd do more damage than good. It's a bit of a spanner in the works. I was planning a 9-10k run which I'm pushing back to tomorrow - fingers crossed.

Being sensible I should probably have taken a rest day but I couldn't help myself and did a thirty minute session on the turbo as my calf muscle didn't seem to be a problem riding. And then I got carried away and pushed hard to beat my previous power average best.

Hopefully the more fitness I get the more robust I'll become - like back in the old days when I was practically indestructible. When nothing could stop me. But then I guess I am a little older now, no bloody wiser, mind, so perhaps I need to put some structure to training to avoid getting any niggles...

Another Double

I managed to keep my internal promise and got my arse out of bed before work again for another quick 5k Zwift on the treadmill. I've been gradually inching up the speeds as the session go by and this was my quickest to date.

So after work I hit the bike for a session in the virtual Black Mountains, up the virtual A4067, past the virtual Cray Reservoir and down to the finish in the virtual village of Defynnog. A virtual 22k with 340m of virtual ascent. After all that I'm virtually knackered.

Beginning to feel the training buzz...