50,000m Above The Sea

Slight change of training plan today. I swapped out the row for a bike but kept the run. Being so close to the magic 50,000m total climb in #Zwift I decided to get the job done. And a group ride on the Bologna TT route, with its 236m of ascent per lap, was the perfect fit. At 2-2.5W/kg it also fitted with the easier week plan - although it hasn't really been that easy, or at least hasn't felt that easy. Anyway, I hit the magic number half way up the climb on the second (and final) lap. Job done. Ready the Tron bike...

After a 2 hour rest I fired up the running shoes for a jog round the village. It didn't go fantastically well. It was slow and too hard work. On the up side my heart rate didn't go sky high, it was more down to the legs. With hindsight I should probably have gone for the run before the ride...

Still Feeling Off Form...

It was a run day today but it was just too hot for me. I do not like the heat and today was excessively hot. I'm still feeling fatigued despite the easier week and a run in this would make things worse so I changed the plan. Instead I did a hill ride. Not a specific training session, just a steady, medium power hill climb, 20k, 570m. Hopefully it will be a bit cooler tomorrow...

Harder Than It Should've Been

So my easy week continues but tonight's easy jog was harder effort than it should've been. My legs felt okay but my heart rate was higher than it should've been for the pace. I even got a stitch half way through. Not ideal for an easy week. I was a bit dehydrated before hand and I did take a big drink only a few minutes before hand which might help to explain things - well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. 

Keeping It Easy

Well I've had a couple of days off so it was time to get back on the case - albeit at low intensity. Yes, I'm not intending to hammer any session this week. It's easy, easy, easy all week long. I started back with a steady 2000m row - finally managed to get the heart rate monitor working with it. After that it was an easy 30 minutes on the bike, power less than 70% ftp. More easy stuff up tomorrow...

It's Been Surprisingly Difficult...

...to not do any training and give myself a rest yesterday and today. I very nearly gave in this evening and did a short bike session but managed to hold resolute. Roll it back six months and I'd have not needed any excuse. Doing nothing was the norm. I'm going to be back on it tomorrow but I'm keeping the week easy. My target TSS is low.

One Word, Knackered

Today's race was hard from the off. Within minutes my legs were shot and pretty much the entire almost 12k was just plain pain. The few flat bits offered some respite and I did enjoy the rough-ish descent where I managed to actually overtake a few people rather than being the overtaken. Other than that it was kilometres of hurt - and I paid a few quid for the privilege!

To be fair it was quite a good route and were I fit I would probably have enjoyed it. What I've learnt from today's outing is that I need a good couple of days rest and an easy week. I've adjusted my plan accordingly as I need to recharge the batteries... 

Another Good Effort

After yesterday's rest day it was a run and bike session today. The run was just a steady one but even so I found it hard going. The bike session was even harder effort. Pretty sure I've ridden the Triple Bumps session before - and I found it hard going. The final ramp of each of the three sections was a real leg burner. I think I'm going to take another rest day tomorrow ahead of Sunday's race, Myndd Twyn Glas, and even then I'm pretty sure I'm not going to feel fresh for it.

Next week I start into a more planned phase of training - rather than going at it randomly and potentially over egging it. I'm setting a proper plan on a four weekly rota, setting a weekly target TSS (training stress score). Every fourth week will be a recovery/easy week. I'm going to set the sessions a week at a time with the aim of meeting the TSS target and fitting it around 'racing'. Here goes nothing....

On Plan But Hard Work

I found tonight's session hard going. Seven 500m's off 300m recovery. I just made it through each one but it was hard. My legs really wanting to give way under me in the last few metres each time. Still it's another session done. Might need to change tomorrow's plan, row intervals and a steady state bike session. I'll see how it goes....

Wasn't Feeling It...

But I stayed on plan to put away a medium effort row and easy recovery bike session. The 2000m started steady, building each 500m faster than the preceding one. The bike was 30 minutes at medium power. I didn't push it as my legs felt a bit dead. All set for a higher effort run tomorrow.

And Today A Recovery Run

My legs felt a bit stiff today. The achilles is okay though so tonight it was an easy 30 minute jog. I'll be cranking up the effort from tomorrow with a bike and row and then some running intervals Wednesday. And that's it.

A Recovery Day

My achilles was ever so slightly sore this morning. Sore's not really the right word but I don't know how other to describe it. It's eased up now though so I'm pretty happy it's still all systems go.

Today's training was an easy 70 minute on the bike. There were a few higher effort sections but two thirds of the session was in the endurance zone vs tempo, threshold or above. I finished off with a 2000m row, starting easy (2:20/500 pace) and ramping to 2:00/500 pace. And now I'm off to work out the coming weeks training plan - yes, I've taken to planning my training. Not sure how long that will last....

A Change In The Weather

I awoke this morning to rain, lots of rain and cold, it was cold, so very cold. I had to dig out my thermal jacket - and I was wearing a fleece too. It was so cold I ducked back into the house just as I was setting off, to make a thermos of hot coffee for after the race, to warm up my cockles - ooh matron. F*(king waste of time that was. By the time the race got underway the sun was out, shinning bright and it was boiling - okay, that's over stating it but anyway, suffice to say, by the time I'd run I didn't want a cup of hot f*(king coffee. An ice cream from the Mr Whippy parked atop the Tumble would have been more welcome.

So back to the race. It was a good work out if nothing else. The stats show I was working in my threshold heart rate zone for 90% of the race - now that's a decent work out effort. Garmin reported that it was a level 5.0 training effect - or as they categorise it, Overreaching!!

Unsurprisingly it was my slowest Coity race to date for the 9km and 300m ascent but my achilles held up fine so I'm pretty happy to plough on full steam ahead with more 'racing'. Which will be continuing at next weekends Myndd Twyn Glas race.

Intervals Again...

But on the rower tonight. A thirty minute session consisting 8 two minute reps at 1:58-2:00/500m pace off a one minute recovery. It was just about the right level for where I'm at right now. I struggled on the last couple but just about made them, although the pace did drop outside 2:00 for a bit on the last one. Certainly provided a solid workout and hopefully hasn't taken too much out of my legs so that I'm ready for tomorrow's fell race, Coity. It's going to be interesting to see where I am in relation to where I was before the achilles lay off...

Six Eight Hundreds...

Back on the running tonight. Six 800m reps with 300m recovery with a 1km ramped warm up and cool down. My legs aren't feeling fresh but it was a good solid workout. I'm starting to feel the early signs of getting back in the habit - and I'm not talking nuns clothing.