Training Review - Week 4 - Jan 18 to 24

I am still carrying my cold from last week. It is getting a bit annoying now. I decided that rather than go out in sub-zero temperatures I would spin out 30 minutes on the turbo to get a double session and cut into the biking backlog. The cold was still bugging me though so I slipped another day of yoga in favour of going to swimming. That might not have been the best choice as I then struggled through swimming fighting the cold. 

Tuesday I went for an easy run straight after work. Still struggling with the cold and by the time I got back I was feeling a bit dizzy. I started the next yoga session but only lasted about 10 minutes before I felt too sick and had to quit. A couple of minutes of sitting quietly was enough to dampen the nausea. I then spent the rest of the evening with a gradually increasing migraine as the pressure in my sinuses continued to increase.

Wednesday morning I didn’t feel much better after a pretty terrible night of sleep. I had the last of my lemsips at work and managed to survive the office. I was in no state to train though. I thought about just spinning 30 minutes on the turbo to get something in but I couldn't manage even that. And the yoga slipped yet another day. 

Thursday I was still a bit sniffly but I planned a long easy run. My training buddy then got stuck late at work. I took the delay to squeeze in the next yoga session. It was a very short one but a much moe interesting one than most have been. At least that was back into completing sessions. Then took the long easy run, very easy. 

Friday was date night so I didn't get a chance to even squeeze in my yoga session. We went to try out Byron Burgers and see the Big Short.

Saturday I got up early to go for a swim but I was still struggling with the cold that just won't go away. I was going so slow that I cut my 4x400 session to 3 x400m and it still took as long as the I had originally planned. Then I headed straight out to Kirkhill for an easy loop to finish out my running for the week. I don't really believe in 'junk miles are junk'. I think every mile has some value, even if it is only in terms of calorific burn. But when I was being overtaken by a middle aged lady jogging along with her two dogs I was tempted to change that view. 

Once I was home I tried to do the next yoga session but it was a really boring one and again I only managed about 10 minutes of it before giving up on it. This time I did a bit more on my own though. 

Sunday should have been Westhill Duathlon but I decided between the cold I have had and the recent weather there was no real value in racing it. Instead I decided to stick to just getting some cycling in and getting the bike outside for the first time this year. I got up early with a view to riding out to meet the Kintore group, doing an hour with them, then heading round to Westhill to watch the duathlon. That plan lasted about 3 miles until I had a puncture. 

A quick bit of maths and I realised I couldn't repair it in time to get to the group start time. I stopped to change to my spare tube. I remembered to check inside the tyre for whatever had caused the puncture. Turned out to be a lovely sharp piece of glass which took a slice out of my thumb. I cleared it out and put my spare tube in, and used the CO2 to fill it up. I tried to leave some gas in the canister in case I needed it later. Took about 15 minutes. Then I rode on and missed the group start by about 10 minutes. 

I decided to cut a few miles off my planned turning point to make up for the tyre stop and the lack of a group to push the speed. That meant I still got back to Westhill in plenty of time to watch the race briefing and take some photos. By the time they were out on the bike I was getting pretty cold so I went out and rode a reverse lap just to keep myself warm. Then after the race I took a recce of the commuting route I haven't tested yet. That was going really well until I had a second puncture, but not a second spare tube. I tried the foam but whatever had cause the second tear was too big to seal. I tried calling for some team car support but she was out shopping for shoes. So I eventually gave up and rolled the last 3 miles on a flat, doing plenty of damage to the rim in the process. 

A good week for miles, as I stay ahead of both run and swim stretch targets and close up the backlog on the biking. The only thing I missed this week was a core session and the yoga is covering a lot of that at the minute.  




Target totals - Swim 1.9 miles. Bike 45.5 miles. Run 15.3 miles. 1 short core, 1 short light weights and 0 short stretching sessions. 60 mins of yoga.

Monday - Turbo 30 mins 7.5 miles.
Swim with TPT 2,200m in 56 mins.

Tuesday - Run 4.2 miles in 38 mins.
Yoga session 10 mins. 

Wednesday -  Rest day.

Thursday - Run 6.5 miles in 61 mins. 
Yoga session 15 mins.

Friday -  Rest day

Saturday - Swim at Bucksburn 0.7 miles in 25 mins.
Kirkhill easy loop 4.6 miles in 47 mins.
Yoga session 25 mins.
Light weights session.

Sunday - Total cycling 45.7 miles in 3 hrs 22mins 

Actuals - Swim 2.1 miles (3,400 m) Bike 53.2 miles. Run 15.3 miles. 0 short core, 1 short light weights and 0 short stretching sessions. 50 mins of yoga.

Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 6.7  (5.8)  [6.6], 
B 123.2  (136.6)  [170.8],

R 62.0  (52.4)  [59.3].