Another week has passed, several more workouts, quite a bit of sweat on the floor of my spare room, the treadmill & gym floor. The weather has played an important part of this weeks’ efforts. The “Beast From The East” pretty much put paid to anything outside at the weekend. Even on Wednesday the gym shut it’s doors at 5pm so no swim for me that evening. I grumbled a bit to myself about it closing early but then I remember when I worked in the industry and how I grumbled at customers wanting to come in the club with just 30-minutes to go or on Christmas Day of all things! At the risk of turning into one of those members I grumbled about I just put the session to one side and got on with the 90-minute turbo set I had planned.
The extra travel time to work & back in the snow, including two hours to go 10-miles earlier in the week proved a little too much to ask to get this swim session back. I was aiming to do it later today (Sunday afternoon) but my 2-hour turbo session almost killed me so it was rest & relax for the rest of the day. Looks like I’m going to have to let that one go forever….maybe.
The bike sessions have been going well, my new improved FTP number (only by a couple of %) on Tuesday had a small moment of celebration. There was that “that’s good to know I’m getting stronger” but then it dawns on you that your next 4 weeks are going to get that much harder! A few days into this I knew it was harder, the weekend’s session put me in a box each time. If it wasn’t for my nearest & dearest motivating me and calming me down I would’ve lost the plot and thrown the bike out of the window. I knew the structure was going to push me that little bit more but I didn’t realise how close I was to the edge already. 7:30hrs riding and nearly 300kms has pushed me to the point of contemplation but I have to keep visualising that goal on October 7th.
Running has picked up, the pace is a little faster this week and distance has gone up a bit too. What was a boring Monday distance session has just turned into an interesting session as I’m doing long(ish) intervals and it’s helping breaking it up. Park Run was cancelled so it was a swift 8km on the treadmill BEFORE my 90-minute threshold session on the bike. Reverse brick session so-to-speak! My legs paid the price for this idea, looking back I should’ve done the proper way round – you live & learn.
Swimming…..well just one session….on Monday. I might have to put 3 session in this next week just to stop myself from feeling guilty.
Totals for the geeks: Swim 1200m, Bike 291km, Run 18km. TSS: 712. Fitness: 77. Fatigue: 98. Form: -16.
As the sessions start ramping up in volume, I hope not in intensity, I’m going to have to start getting up early in the morning to do AM/PM sessions just to get it done. That swim session was my first box “not-ticked” and I hope this won’t happen again. Already I’m feeling the pressure to finish each session, tick each box and rest as best I can.
Onwards!