A few weeks on from my “November Issue” and it’s just before christmas and i’m hanging onto the schedule I set myself…until this week that is!
The Monday Swim Only has been going well, I’ve just been doing the 10x100m at CSS pace but each week I’ve been forceably slowing it down and i’m still coming in around 5-10 seconds faster in each 100. I guess that’s progress but i’m always aware that I maybe pushing myself a little too hard at times when this session is supposed to be comfortable.
The Tuesday AM run has been progressing well, last week I was upto 80 minutes steady which only covers about 9-miles but i’m hoping my bike fitness will progress my aerobic fitness and this session serves as a physical preparation of running for that period of time rather than a progression in fitness.
The Tueday PM turbo (Wattbike) session has been going well, not one session has been missed and I’m glad to say that has increased my FTP by just a touch. Over the past 6/7 years I have always used FTP to judge my fitness but I’m noticing my “all-day pace” has increased even though my FTP hadn’t last year. I’m still doing the tests every 6 weeks but I’m less bothered about the result if I’m having a bad day and the FTP doesn’t go up as much as 5% as the experts seem to suggest. I’m also conscious that team-mates around me are up around 4 or even 5 watts per kilo and I’m languishing in the 3’s but seem to still be there at the end of a long ride.
The Wednesday AM weights session has been going well and although it’s hard to get up at 5:30am and get down the gym to do it, once I’m there it’s all good. The progression on weights has been steady and this week I changed my rep-range from 15’s to 12’s. It’s a standard periodisation plan I’m using as I used to many years ago as a Personal Trainer so I know it’s tried & tested. In 6 weeks’ time it’ll drop to 8’s and then I’ll do some drop sets or negatives or some weird pyramid stuff to make it fun just as we go into the racing season.
This Wednesday was going well right up until I starting warming up on the kettlebells, an audible pop in my hip (with my headphones on) and I stopped immediately and feared the worst – a disc just like several years ago where I was laid up for months. A quick foam roller and some stretching and I was (kinda) ok to carry on. I must say I’ve been suffering with it since then – I think it’s a hip-flexor issue. I’ve been stretching it and foam rolling it but it’s always there niggling away at me – I guess a visit to my favourite sports therapist is due!
Wednesday nights is an easy bike for 30-60 minutes and a swim set which was randomly selected. The use of fins (flippers) has been hard to adjust to but I think I’m nearly there. The full 90-degree head-turns still plays up my dizziness, in fairness I haven’t followed this up with my GP as there have been other issues more pressing.
Thursdays are simple brick sessions, a 1hr Wattbike Tempo set and then a fast (race pace/threshold) run session straight after. The legs are working well and although not fast for some people my sub 4:30 per kilometer is quite impressive for me considering I’m touching 90 kilos.
Friday did start out as my 6am trimasters swim set at the local swimming pool but I’ve bowed out of this the past few weeks and either stayed in bed or (this morning) did an easy hour bike to catch up on Wednesdays’ missed session.
Saturdays always start with a Park Run, one easy week and one hard week. Weather was….well, what you’d expect at this time of year so the times reflected when I go hard aren’t exactly great but the heart rate data afterwards definitely reflect a hard session.
I did always do a 90 minute tturbo session in the afternoon but the last few weeks I’ve not been doing that as I’ve been out with the DAP guys on Sunday morning and feared my tired legs from this session would have an adverse effect on the Sunday ride less than 24hrs later.
As I just said the last two Sundays I’ve been riding with the DAP guys for 60-70 mile rides which always sit around 20mph. The efforts is moderate and the last few miles are always “race effort”. It’s almost a race to get back to The Bell for first orders and bragging rights when downing your first Cappuccino or Pint!
It’s been really difficult to get back into the DAP chaingang from my anxieties and experiences in recent months. I kept quiet on the first week and stayed at the back of the group, just being there was stressful enough, but the owner of the club has been very supportive and has helped me get back out with the guys. The second week I was more at-ease and joined in the pace setting from time-to-time although I had no top-end race power at the end in the race for the pub. I will try & continue it over the winter as the training effect is great, you just can’t replicate that on a turbo trainer. Also, mentally it’s rewarding, both on a acomplishment level and on a social level. Sitting at home staring at four walls isn’t the best your you’re suffering but sometimes that’s all I wanted to do.
In the afternoon i’ve been disappearing with Suzy to the gym to do a 2nd weights session of the week and then a good steam & jacuzzi to relax.
It’s been pretty hard to hold this schedule recently as we’ve just moved house and there’s been several days where no exercise has taken place. If I were to tell my clients anything it’s “do not play catchup” if a day/session is lost due to something else happening but here I am, catching up and missing only my swims this week. Everything else is (now) back on track.
The stress that moving house does take it’s toll on your body both physically and mentally and although I should take time out I haven’t and I may pay for that sooner or later.
Adding to this I’ve had a health scare recently with a lump in my chest, after meantioning it cadidly to Suzy and a couple of people I’ve “had that look” and been pretty much reprimanded for not going to the doctors sooner. The fact the lump started to hurt (a good sign apparently) I went to the GP, got referred, examined, scanned and the things you’d expect to eliminate the possibility of it being more sinister I was eventually given the all-clear and told if it gets bigger then they’ll just cut it out!
The consultant was quite blase about it all, I guess he sees quite a few chests in his working day and is quite desensitised to it all but for me it was a big relief and I could get back to thinking about what to do with my life in 2019!
Suzy had been on a business trip to Canada for a week so I was without her. In fairness I just got on with the day-to-day stuff, almost robotic mode but all that does is distract you and sweep things under the carpet for a while but once she was home I had a bit of a moment and got my anxiety off my chest – no pun intended.
All in all it’s been a busy month, keeping to the schedule and dealing with life’s curveballs. Onwards…..oh, did I mention me & Suzy are doing Paris Roubaix Sportive next April on my birthday? Yeah, she was keen right up until I showed her the roads (cobbles) she’s going to have to ride on. I also showed her videos of the Pro’s crashing etc. on this great event – she’s not so keen now!
Training Peaks Geeks Time….
Week 4
Fitness 110. Fatigue 130. Form -21.
Swimming 6000m. Bike 190k. Run 24k.
12hrs total. 891 TSS.
Week 5
Fitness 111. Fatigue 119. Form 0.
Swimming 4300. Bike 232k. Run 28.5k.
12:45hrs total. 815 TSS.
Week 6 (Easier week)
Fitness 110. Fatigue 114. Form 12.
Swimming 4100. Bike 233k. Run 29k.
12:55hrs total. 757 TSS.
Week 7 (this week)
Currently 103 fitness. 80 Fatigue & 19 Form.