No specific plans for this week. Not going to do Narin 10k on Sunday.
Might go outside on the bike in Sunday, depending on the weather.
Monday - Easy run.
Swim session.
Tuesday - Turbo session.
Light weights session.
Wednesday - TPT Fartlek.
Swim at Bucksburn.
Yoga session.
Thursday - Yoga session.
Easy run or turbo.
Friday - Rest day.
Yoga session.
Saturday - Long run.
Yoga session.
Sunday - Long ride or turbo.
Core session.
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, 29 February 2016
Training Review - Week 9 - Feb 22 to 28
Monday I started with an easy run round Dyce to try and clear out my legs from Sunday's long run. It didn't really help. I did force myself to go to swimming though. Hated almost the entire session. I had to alter or ignore almost all of it and was getting overtaken by people from lane 2.
Tuesday I decided just to sit on the turbo for 30 minutes easy. Wednesday was snowing so I got back on the turbo and did another 30 minutes. This time as 10 min warm up, 10 min rep, 10 min warm down.
Thursday I got home from work early and managed to get out for a run while it was still daylight. I also managed to get into a nice pace without any kidney problems and put in my fastest paced run of the year. Then I also forced myself through yoga session 25 and then did some of a weights session while watching Rocky Balboa.
Friday I had a rest day.
Saturday I went for a steady 2k swim at ASV in the morning and then Dexter came round in the afternoon. We went out for a long run at Kirkhill without him grumping too much till about the 5 mile mark.
Sunday I planned 30 miles in a couple of hours on the turbo. 30 minutes in and I couldn't get the speed over 11 mph. At that rate I was going to take nearly 3 hours to get the miles and I was feeling terrible. I decided to just get through an hour.
A decent block in the middle of the week spoiled by a terrible Sunday. So the bike numbers slip further away.
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 - Recovery run 4.1 miles in 36 mins
Swim with TPT 1.1 miles in 50 mins.
Tuesday - Easy turbo 6.5 miles in 30 mins.
Wednesday - Turbo single 1 x 10min rep, 8.8 miles in 30 mins.
Thursday - Steady run 5.1 miles in 37 mins.
Yoga session 24 mins.
Friday - Rest day.
Saturday - Swim at ASV 2,000m in 40 mins.
Run at Kirkhill with Dexter 6.3 miles in 63 mins.
Sunday - Turbo 11.2 miles in 62 mins.
Actuals - Swim 2.3 miles (3,800 m). Bike 26.5 miles. Run 15.5 miles. 0 short core, 1 short light weights. 24 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 15.1 (15.3) [17.6],
B 302.6 (364.4) [455.5],
R 146.5 (128.9) [145.7].
Tuesday I decided just to sit on the turbo for 30 minutes easy. Wednesday was snowing so I got back on the turbo and did another 30 minutes. This time as 10 min warm up, 10 min rep, 10 min warm down.
Thursday I got home from work early and managed to get out for a run while it was still daylight. I also managed to get into a nice pace without any kidney problems and put in my fastest paced run of the year. Then I also forced myself through yoga session 25 and then did some of a weights session while watching Rocky Balboa.
Friday I had a rest day.
Saturday I went for a steady 2k swim at ASV in the morning and then Dexter came round in the afternoon. We went out for a long run at Kirkhill without him grumping too much till about the 5 mile mark.
Sunday I planned 30 miles in a couple of hours on the turbo. 30 minutes in and I couldn't get the speed over 11 mph. At that rate I was going to take nearly 3 hours to get the miles and I was feeling terrible. I decided to just get through an hour.
A decent block in the middle of the week spoiled by a terrible Sunday. So the bike numbers slip further away.
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 - Recovery run 4.1 miles in 36 mins
Swim with TPT 1.1 miles in 50 mins.
Tuesday - Easy turbo 6.5 miles in 30 mins.
Wednesday - Turbo single 1 x 10min rep, 8.8 miles in 30 mins.
Thursday - Steady run 5.1 miles in 37 mins.
Yoga session 24 mins.
Friday - Rest day.
Saturday - Swim at ASV 2,000m in 40 mins.
Run at Kirkhill with Dexter 6.3 miles in 63 mins.
Sunday - Turbo 11.2 miles in 62 mins.
Actuals - Swim 2.3 miles (3,800 m). Bike 26.5 miles. Run 15.5 miles. 0 short core, 1 short light weights. 24 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 15.1 (15.3) [17.6],
B 302.6 (364.4) [455.5],
R 146.5 (128.9) [145.7].
Monday, 22 February 2016
Training Plan - Week 9 - Feb 22 to 29
Another week where I have written a plan but more out of habit than any intention of following it. I haven't done a weights or core session since January 2nd despite writing them on every week, and I still have 4 more yoga sessions to do from January. I have pencilled them all in for this week as I would at least like to get to the end of that programme.
Aboyne Duathlon is on Sunday, but I hadn't planned to do it anyway, so missing it is not a problem.
I have swapped Monday's turbo to Tuesday to try and improve my chances of making it to Club swimming. That comes with a risk that while working less hard I am much more likely to directly aggravate my kidney.
I am running out of reasons not to cycle outside or even to commute to work.
Monday - Recovery run.
Swim session.
Tuesday - Turbo session.
Light weights session.
Wednesday - TPT Fartlek.
Swim at Bucksburn.
Yoga session.
Thursday - Yoga session.
Easy run or turbo.
Friday - Rest day.
Yoga session.
Saturday - Long run.
Yoga session.
Sunday - Long ride or turbo.
Core session.
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.
Aboyne Duathlon is on Sunday, but I hadn't planned to do it anyway, so missing it is not a problem.
I have swapped Monday's turbo to Tuesday to try and improve my chances of making it to Club swimming. That comes with a risk that while working less hard I am much more likely to directly aggravate my kidney.
I am running out of reasons not to cycle outside or even to commute to work.
Monday - Recovery run.
Swim session.
Tuesday - Turbo session.
Light weights session.
Wednesday - TPT Fartlek.
Swim at Bucksburn.
Yoga session.
Thursday - Yoga session.
Easy run or turbo.
Friday - Rest day.
Yoga session.
Saturday - Long run.
Yoga session.
Sunday - Long ride or turbo.
Core session.
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.
Training Review - Week 8 - Feb 15 to 21
My new speed sensor arrived on Monday so from now on the estimates on turbo distances will be replaced with 'real' values. Although there is still some challenge as to the accuracy because it is entirely dependent on how tight I screw the resistance on the turbo. Anyway, first test of it suggests that my previous estimates for distances based on 15mph average were probably about right. A higher intensity ride was just over 17mph.
I decided to miss out on swimming. My kidney was bugging me through the day and a heavy kick set after the fast turbo session wasn't going to improve that any. Going to Bucksburn to swim on my own wasn't going to be a benefit with the kidney issues and stress from work causing tension in my back and shoulders.
Tuesday I had a bad day at work and my depression meant that the evening was spent curled up wishing the world would go away. The rest of the week was pretty similar and it was only my GymPact app that forced me onto the turbo on Wednesday and Friday and got me out for a very slow run on Thursday evening.
Saturday I woke at 4:30 with a migraine. That meant definitely no swimming at all, and running and biking in the morning were out. I did manage to sit on the turbo in the evening for long enough to fill out my weekly bike target.
Sunday was a slow run around the Garioch Half Marathon route. Good for miles, terrible for pace, and kidney annoying me from mile 10 which shows clearly as my heart rate drops off.
Four turbo sessions and a ridiculously long and slow Sunday run have put an unfair gloss on the numbers for this week. It has been a shitty week right through. No swimming at all means that I have gone from being ahead of my stretch target last Saturday to now being well behind my standard target.
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 40 mins ~11.3 miles.
Tuesday - Depressed.
Wednesday - Jog 4.1 miles in 35 mins.
Thursday - Turbo 40 mins ~10.3 miles.
Friday - Turbo reps 40 mins ~11.6 miles.
Saturday - Turbo 50 mins ~13.3 miles.
Sunday - Long run 13.3 miles in 2 hours 2 mins.
Actuals - Swim 0 miles (0 m). Bike 46.5 miles. Run 17.4 miles. 0 short core, 0 short light weights. 0 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 12.8 (13.4) [15.4],
B 276.1 (318.8) [398.5],
R 131.0 (113.6) [128.4].
I decided to miss out on swimming. My kidney was bugging me through the day and a heavy kick set after the fast turbo session wasn't going to improve that any. Going to Bucksburn to swim on my own wasn't going to be a benefit with the kidney issues and stress from work causing tension in my back and shoulders.
Tuesday I had a bad day at work and my depression meant that the evening was spent curled up wishing the world would go away. The rest of the week was pretty similar and it was only my GymPact app that forced me onto the turbo on Wednesday and Friday and got me out for a very slow run on Thursday evening.
Saturday I woke at 4:30 with a migraine. That meant definitely no swimming at all, and running and biking in the morning were out. I did manage to sit on the turbo in the evening for long enough to fill out my weekly bike target.
Sunday was a slow run around the Garioch Half Marathon route. Good for miles, terrible for pace, and kidney annoying me from mile 10 which shows clearly as my heart rate drops off.
Four turbo sessions and a ridiculously long and slow Sunday run have put an unfair gloss on the numbers for this week. It has been a shitty week right through. No swimming at all means that I have gone from being ahead of my stretch target last Saturday to now being well behind my standard target.
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 40 mins ~11.3 miles.
Tuesday - Depressed.
Wednesday - Jog 4.1 miles in 35 mins.
Thursday - Turbo 40 mins ~10.3 miles.
Friday - Turbo reps 40 mins ~11.6 miles.
Saturday - Turbo 50 mins ~13.3 miles.
Sunday - Long run 13.3 miles in 2 hours 2 mins.
Actuals - Swim 0 miles (0 m). Bike 46.5 miles. Run 17.4 miles. 0 short core, 0 short light weights. 0 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 12.8 (13.4) [15.4],
B 276.1 (318.8) [398.5],
R 131.0 (113.6) [128.4].
Monday, 15 February 2016
Training Plan - Week 8 - Feb 15 to 21
I have written a plan for this week just to try and keep me doing something. Runs especially will be at the mercy of my kidney problems and everything is down to being more annoyed about missing them than I am depressed about doing them.
Monday - Turbo session.
Swim session.
Tuesday - Recovery run.
Light weights session.
Wednesday - TPT Fartlek.
Swim at Bucksburn.
Yoga session.
Thursday - Yoga session.
Easy run or turbo.
Friday - Rest day.
Yoga session.
Saturday - Long run.
Yoga session.
Sunday - Long ride or turbo.
Core session.
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 session.
Swim session.
Tuesday - Recovery run.
Light weights session.
Wednesday - TPT Fartlek.
Swim at Bucksburn.
Yoga session.
Thursday - Yoga session.
Easy run or turbo.
Friday - Rest day.
Yoga session.
Saturday - Long run.
Yoga session.
Sunday - Long ride or turbo.
Core session.
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.
Training Review - Week 7 - Feb 8 to 14
Monday I was still feeling terrible. The swim set that came out containing a lot of sculling and no word on whether the heaters were fixed. I decided to just go to Bucksburn and do a solo session. That gave me time to do an easy spin on the turbo for 40 minutes. At swimming I decided to do a set of 200m reps, starting every 5 minutes. I set a comfortable 3:26 for the first one and decided to keep churning them out till I dropped outside 3:30. That took till rep number 7. I tried a warm down of breast stroke from there but cramped up on the next length and decided to finish it up for the day.
Tuesday I did an easy loop of Dyce and then a yoga session. Wednesday I went to the club fartlek session, which went really well. Then I went to Bucksburn pool and did 10 x 100m, which were ok, but I was running out of gas. Thursday was a quick spin on the turbo.
Friday I travelled to Elgin so that I could race on Saturday at Forres. Saturday I had a shit run, and only got my weekly miles by accident.
Sunday I sat on the turbo for a while but even that came up way short of plan.
As the short post might indicate I am still suffering from motivation and depression problems, but the numbers show that despite that I am managing to force myself to go to some sessions and keep doing a chunk of the work I wanted to be doing. I have dropped behind my stretch swim target, and drifted even further from my bike numbers.
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 40 mins ~10.0 miles.
Swim at Bucksburn 1,450m in 37 mins.
Tuesday - Run 4.3 miles in 37 mins.
Yoga session 37mins
Wednesday - TPT Fartlek 5.3 miles in 46 mins.
Swim at Bucksburn, 1,000m in 20 mins.
Thursday - Turbo 8 miles in 32 mins.
Friday - Rest day
Saturday - Yoga session 20 mins.
Warm up 2.1 miles in 22 mins.
NDXCL Forres - DNF. 3.6 miles in 33 mins.
Sunday - Turbo 19 miles in 1 hr 16 mins.
Actuals - Swim 1.5 miles (2,450 m). Bike 37.0 miles. Run 15.3 miles. 0 short core, 0 short light weights. 57 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 12.7 (11.5) [13.2],
B 229.6 (273.3) [341.6],
R 113.6 (98.3) [111.1].
Sunday, 14 February 2016
NDXCL - Forres
I had a good warm up, a couple of miles at a decent pace, nothing too severe and enough to cycle my heart rate up to the mid 160s and back down to 130. Also gave me a chance to check out the surface and make sure I had the right shoes on.
I started the race sensibly, but at a decent race pace for the first mile. The group I was in were passing some of the top-10 (9th through to 5th) runners from the womens race but girls that I know I can beat, so it wasnt that we were going too fast. I was sitting just behind a group of 40-min 10k runners which is about where I should be. At the end of the first mile I was moving well. GAP (Grade Adjusted Pace) just under 7 min/mile, Heart Rate in the 130s.
About halfway round the first lap I started to struggle. My kidney problems came back as an annoyance and I had to back off the pace. I tried slowing through the downhill sections and that didn't really make any difference. The annoying ache progressed to a virtual stabbing feeling that generally means one of the small stones is on the move.
By the end of lap 1 I had dropped back behind half of the women we had passed, and was even behind the places I expect to be racing for on an average day and whole groups were still cruising past me. My heart rate was down to 117 and continuing to drop. I was round in 14 minutes. Same time as I was doing in 2013 in the snow and on bad form. I decided from there just to jog round a second lap to get in my half hour training run for the day.
That became an increasingly lonely experience as I was now so far behind the racing groups there wasn't anyone left to overtake me. Even the guy with no socks and a pair of huarache racing sandals on (think, strappy summer flip-flops) cruised past me on the way through a muddy section where he can't have had any traction.
I was struggling with my depression from this point. The pain in my side was easing but the frustration at not being able to run properly since mile 1 was much more of a problem now.
As I reached a narrow point on the course at about 3 miles, I passed the group I had started lap 1 with, only they were now nearly half a mile loop further ahead. I had a quick check of my garmin and it had me as outside 12 min/mile pace. And while it was uphill that was still ridiculous. I gave in completely at that point and slowed to a jog just to get me back to the finish.
I was struggling against the pain in my side but was getting really annoyed with every marshal and spectator clapping and saying well done. I know they are just trying to be positive and encouraging, but when you are obviously having that shit a day and someone shouts "well done" or tells you that "you are going well" it is really hard not to swear at them.
As I passed the end of the lap I went to tell the officials I was stopping but had to wait for them to get the time for the winner who had come round almost to lap me.
I started the race sensibly, but at a decent race pace for the first mile. The group I was in were passing some of the top-10 (9th through to 5th) runners from the womens race but girls that I know I can beat, so it wasnt that we were going too fast. I was sitting just behind a group of 40-min 10k runners which is about where I should be. At the end of the first mile I was moving well. GAP (Grade Adjusted Pace) just under 7 min/mile, Heart Rate in the 130s.
About halfway round the first lap I started to struggle. My kidney problems came back as an annoyance and I had to back off the pace. I tried slowing through the downhill sections and that didn't really make any difference. The annoying ache progressed to a virtual stabbing feeling that generally means one of the small stones is on the move.
By the end of lap 1 I had dropped back behind half of the women we had passed, and was even behind the places I expect to be racing for on an average day and whole groups were still cruising past me. My heart rate was down to 117 and continuing to drop. I was round in 14 minutes. Same time as I was doing in 2013 in the snow and on bad form. I decided from there just to jog round a second lap to get in my half hour training run for the day.
That became an increasingly lonely experience as I was now so far behind the racing groups there wasn't anyone left to overtake me. Even the guy with no socks and a pair of huarache racing sandals on (think, strappy summer flip-flops) cruised past me on the way through a muddy section where he can't have had any traction.
I was struggling with my depression from this point. The pain in my side was easing but the frustration at not being able to run properly since mile 1 was much more of a problem now.
As I reached a narrow point on the course at about 3 miles, I passed the group I had started lap 1 with, only they were now nearly half a mile loop further ahead. I had a quick check of my garmin and it had me as outside 12 min/mile pace. And while it was uphill that was still ridiculous. I gave in completely at that point and slowed to a jog just to get me back to the finish.
I was struggling against the pain in my side but was getting really annoyed with every marshal and spectator clapping and saying well done. I know they are just trying to be positive and encouraging, but when you are obviously having that shit a day and someone shouts "well done" or tells you that "you are going well" it is really hard not to swear at them.
As I passed the end of the lap I went to tell the officials I was stopping but had to wait for them to get the time for the winner who had come round almost to lap me.
Monday, 8 February 2016
Training Plan - Week 7 Feb 8 to 14
I have an option on Saturday to go through to Forres and run a cross-country league race. I will leave that as a late decision depending on train times, weather and how I feel. But it affects the whole week so I have built my plan around it for now and will adapt as I go if I decide to drop it.
I may take Monday's swim to Bucksburn instead of Inverurie, again depending on how I feel.
Wednesday I probably miss the club fartlek session in favour of a second swim.
And Sunday I will probably turbo or go for a solo ride depending on the weather.
Monday - Turbo session.
Swim session.
Tuesday - Recovery run.
Light weights session.
Wednesday - Run to Bucksburn.
Swim at Bucksburn.
Yoga session.
Thursday - Yoga session.
Easy run or turbo.
Friday - Rest day.
Yoga session.
Saturday - NDXCL - Forres.
Yoga session.
Sunday - Long ride or turbo.
Yoga session.
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.
I may take Monday's swim to Bucksburn instead of Inverurie, again depending on how I feel.
Wednesday I probably miss the club fartlek session in favour of a second swim.
And Sunday I will probably turbo or go for a solo ride depending on the weather.
Monday - Turbo session.
Swim session.
Tuesday - Recovery run.
Light weights session.
Wednesday - Run to Bucksburn.
Swim at Bucksburn.
Yoga session.
Thursday - Yoga session.
Easy run or turbo.
Friday - Rest day.
Yoga session.
Saturday - NDXCL - Forres.
Yoga session.
Sunday - Long ride or turbo.
Yoga session.
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.
Training Review - Week 6 - Feb 1 to 7
I felt a bit better by the time I got home from work felt a bit happier so I got on with the turbo session I had planned. I even decided to spin out an extra 10 minutes on the bike to minimise the losses from previous weeks. Then I had dinner, cuddled Dexter for a while and then went to swimming.
Last week the pool was roasting to the point that it was dehydrating people and causing cramps. This week we were warned that the Engineers had been in twice to fix it and had instead broken the heating completely so the water was cold. After dropping out of Sunday from the cold that was definitely not what I needed. The first couple of lengths of the warm-up was bad as I struggled to breathe against the cold-shock, and by lap 3 I had to stop at the end to catch my breath and let a guy who had been moved up a lane pass me. I tried another couple of lengths at a slower pace to see if I could control my breathing that way, but that didn’t work either and just left me snaking along twisting to get my head completely out of the water on each breath. I took a minute to evaluate my options, even to the point of considering sending someone out to the car to fetch my wetsuit, but that wasn’t a viable option for the planned session. I wasn’t going to gain anything from swimming so badly, that would just reinforce bad technique, so I quit and went home. By the time I got to the car I was almost in tears and I realise now that last week’s mood issues are actually another bout of depression.
I couldn’t manage my yoga session in that state and then couldn’t sleep either.
I am not really enjoying group swim or bike training now. The bits I am doing are mostly out of habit or because I have made commitments. I just don’t have the motivation to do everything on my own either. Doing bits here and there on my own is fine but there is no way I am getting through my plan by doing everything as a solo, and the solo sections that I do are rarely at the same intensity as group sessions. 5 weeks into the year and I am already considering writing off my whole racing season. I know a lot of that is because of the depression but that is a big hurdle. If I can’t get over the first hurdle the other 9 don’t really matter.
If I can’t find a way to train properly within the next couple of weeks then the losses will quickly mount up to the point that there is no way to recover form or fitness for this season. I am already crossing off February and March test races from my plan and wondering where the value is in the April races and the knock on effect of that is that I get to the first Tri of the season with no race practice, and my ‘peak’ event suddenly becomes only my third race of the year.
Midweek was a bit of a blur. Tuesday I did a run round Westhill before going to the Energy Institute presentation. Wednesday I did a run to the pool and a steady swim. Thursday I did another run round Westhill before going to see about wedding invitations.
Friday I was too tired to do my planned turbo session so I went for a rest day. Just before bed I did the next yoga session, having slacked off all week. When it got to the shoulder massage I realised what a horrible state some of my muscles were in and followed up with a stretching and rollering session.
Saturday I was dragged out for a run to ASV and then did a set in the pool. And Sunday I went out for a ride but decided it was much too windy and headed home and did the last hour on the turbo instead.
Having recovered my swimming numbers for the week after Monday I am pretty happy with that. And running 20 miles in a week was good as well. Biking I scraped towards the numbers but since I expected to do a lot more that was still disappointing.
So the numbers look fairly good for the week but I have hated almost every minute of it.
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 40 mins ~10.0 miles.
Swim with TPT 150m in 6 mins.
Tuesday - Run at Westhill 3.7 miles in 32 mins.
Wednesday - Run to pool 4.7 miles in 40 mins.
Steady swim 1,650m in 30 mins.
Thursday - Run 5.0 miles in 40 mins.
Friday - Rest day.
Yoga session 17 mins.
Stretching session.
Saturday - Run to ASV 6.7 miles in 1 hr.
Swim at ASV 2,100m in 48 mins.
Sunday - Bike 19.7 miles in 1 hr 26 mins.
Turbo 15 miles in 1 hr.
Actuals - Swim 2.4 miles (3,900 m). Bike 44.7 miles. Run 20.1 miles. 0 short core, 0 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 17 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 11.2 (9.6) [11.0],
B 192.6 (227.7) [284.7],
R 98.3 (83.0) [93.8].
Last week the pool was roasting to the point that it was dehydrating people and causing cramps. This week we were warned that the Engineers had been in twice to fix it and had instead broken the heating completely so the water was cold. After dropping out of Sunday from the cold that was definitely not what I needed. The first couple of lengths of the warm-up was bad as I struggled to breathe against the cold-shock, and by lap 3 I had to stop at the end to catch my breath and let a guy who had been moved up a lane pass me. I tried another couple of lengths at a slower pace to see if I could control my breathing that way, but that didn’t work either and just left me snaking along twisting to get my head completely out of the water on each breath. I took a minute to evaluate my options, even to the point of considering sending someone out to the car to fetch my wetsuit, but that wasn’t a viable option for the planned session. I wasn’t going to gain anything from swimming so badly, that would just reinforce bad technique, so I quit and went home. By the time I got to the car I was almost in tears and I realise now that last week’s mood issues are actually another bout of depression.
I couldn’t manage my yoga session in that state and then couldn’t sleep either.
I am not really enjoying group swim or bike training now. The bits I am doing are mostly out of habit or because I have made commitments. I just don’t have the motivation to do everything on my own either. Doing bits here and there on my own is fine but there is no way I am getting through my plan by doing everything as a solo, and the solo sections that I do are rarely at the same intensity as group sessions. 5 weeks into the year and I am already considering writing off my whole racing season. I know a lot of that is because of the depression but that is a big hurdle. If I can’t get over the first hurdle the other 9 don’t really matter.
If I can’t find a way to train properly within the next couple of weeks then the losses will quickly mount up to the point that there is no way to recover form or fitness for this season. I am already crossing off February and March test races from my plan and wondering where the value is in the April races and the knock on effect of that is that I get to the first Tri of the season with no race practice, and my ‘peak’ event suddenly becomes only my third race of the year.
Midweek was a bit of a blur. Tuesday I did a run round Westhill before going to the Energy Institute presentation. Wednesday I did a run to the pool and a steady swim. Thursday I did another run round Westhill before going to see about wedding invitations.
Friday I was too tired to do my planned turbo session so I went for a rest day. Just before bed I did the next yoga session, having slacked off all week. When it got to the shoulder massage I realised what a horrible state some of my muscles were in and followed up with a stretching and rollering session.
Saturday I was dragged out for a run to ASV and then did a set in the pool. And Sunday I went out for a ride but decided it was much too windy and headed home and did the last hour on the turbo instead.
Having recovered my swimming numbers for the week after Monday I am pretty happy with that. And running 20 miles in a week was good as well. Biking I scraped towards the numbers but since I expected to do a lot more that was still disappointing.
So the numbers look fairly good for the week but I have hated almost every minute of it.
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 40 mins ~10.0 miles.
Swim with TPT 150m in 6 mins.
Tuesday - Run at Westhill 3.7 miles in 32 mins.
Wednesday - Run to pool 4.7 miles in 40 mins.
Steady swim 1,650m in 30 mins.
Thursday - Run 5.0 miles in 40 mins.
Friday - Rest day.
Yoga session 17 mins.
Stretching session.
Saturday - Run to ASV 6.7 miles in 1 hr.
Swim at ASV 2,100m in 48 mins.
Sunday - Bike 19.7 miles in 1 hr 26 mins.
Turbo 15 miles in 1 hr.
Actuals - Swim 2.4 miles (3,900 m). Bike 44.7 miles. Run 20.1 miles. 0 short core, 0 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 17 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 11.2 (9.6) [11.0],
B 192.6 (227.7) [284.7],
R 98.3 (83.0) [93.8].
Monday, 1 February 2016
Training Plan - Week 6 - Feb 1 to 7
Tuesday I have an Energy Institute presentation to go to but that gives me plenty of time to sneak in an easy run around Westhill straight after work.
And while Dexter is visiting Mon/Tues I don't actually get a chance to take him out for a run. I could just trade out Monday's turbo for a run with Dexter but I am already short of bike miles.
Thursday I have another wedding planning meeting, invitations this time. But that should not stop me from getting in a short run.
It is still just borderline conditions for commuting on the bike. At the work end of both trips it would be light but the home ends of both journeys could still be a bit dark, especially with any sort of delay or mechanical.
We are out to the cinema for unlimited screenings on both Saturday and Sunday.
I have put the Kintore Sunday ride on the plan but I need to find a better plan than this long term.
Monday - Turbo session.
Swim with TPT.
Yoga session.
Tuesday - Recovery run.
Light weights session.
Wednesday - TPT Fartlek session.
Yoga session.
Thursday - Yoga session.
Easy run.
Friday - Rest day.
Yoga session.
Saturday - Swim at ASV.
Yoga session.
Unlimited Secret Screening.
Sunday - Kintore Sunday Lite ride?
Yoga session.
Unlimited screening - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
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.
Training Review - Week 5 - Jan 25 to 31
After work Monday I decided to take a look at what damage I had done to my front wheel by rolling it home after my second puncture. I had destroyed the tube and tyre, so much so that I couldn't even locate the cause of the puncture. I also chipped a lot of paint on the rim, but it looks to still be pretty true and should be fine once I get a new tyre on it. I pulled an old wheel from the garage and set the bike up on the turbo for a half hour spin. I didn't have the resistance set properly so I was just spinning my legs.
Swimming wasn't great either. It was mainly a kick set with fins which is always a bad sign. Sunday is either a race day or a bike miles day so kick sets on Monday are always a problem. On top of that I had already done half an hour on the turbo and I just don't like kick sets anyway. This one was no different. I got through the first set but thenstarted dropping the bits that I don't like had to adapt from there.
Tuesday I did my recovery run. This week I almost managed to keep it at recovery run pace. Although that was more because I was completely empty than through any sort of intent. Then before bed I got to Day 18 of Yoga Camp. This was one of the most effective sessions in the series so far, but again that might have been more to do with the state I have let my muscles get into over the last few days.
Wednesday I had to collect my fiancees car from its MOT and the easiest way to do that was to jog the 3 miles to the garage to collect it. I decided I could do that as a warm-up then drive out to Inverurie and do half of the club fartlek session. I arrived at the club session a bit early having cooled down a bit too much on the drive, so I did an easy mile to get warmed up again. Then I ended up doing the whole of the club fartlek session as I was feeling so comfortable. That totalled up to over 9 miles for the day and still felt very easy.
Thursday I just spun out another easy half hour on the turbo and did the next yoga session.
Friday I had to have a rest day to fit in wedding menu tasting.
Saturday I dragged myself to the early lane session at Bucksburn pool again. I planned to do 5 x400m, struggled through the first one, then found a fast(-ish) one. Then a couple of 'proper' swimmers turned up and getting out of their way spoiled the next couple of reps. By that point my back and shoulders were tightening up so I dropped the fifth rep in favour of an easy breast stroke warm-down. That got me comfortably over this weeks swim target abut also just snuck over the stretch target for cumulative miles as well.
In the afternoon I went to see The Revenant and in the evening I did the next yoga session.
Sunday I went out with the Kintore group but within the first 4 miles I was off the back and despite wearing all of my winter gear I was absolutely freezing. Even after a further 4 miles of solo chasing to try and get back on to the group I just couldn't get warm or any closer. So I cut back home instead with a plan to sit on the turbo for an hour or so. I actually then spent about half an hour curled up on the sofa trying to get warm. Even if the temperature hadn't stopped me I probably would have gotten off at Dyce anyway. The pace was way outside what I could handle. My HR for the 10 miles I did was average zone 3.2 and peaking at 4.1 and those levels are just not sustainable for long rides. That is about the output I would expect for a 25 mile TT, maybe even slightly higher.
This is going to give me a bigger problem now. It has become pointless for me to go with the group, even by cutting the ride distances in half and only spending a quarter of the main ride with the group I just can't handle the increased pace that they want to ride at. And none of the other options really work either. I hate the turbo, and if that become the only option then I just won't do anywhere near enough biking. I also hate solo rides for the same boredom factor, and in the current weather they aren't really the safest option anyway. Last week demonstrated that, when I had a second puncture it quickly escalated, and that was in relatively good weather. So I probably either need to find a more relevantly paced group, or start my own.
In the afternoon Dexter came to visit for a couple of days. I don't expect to get out with him again so I took him out for an easy lap of Dyce. That got me my weekly run miles target after the two big days midweek.
In the evening I started the next yoga session, but just wasn't in the right mood for it and quit early again.
It has been an okay week overall but the bike continues to slip away and is rapidly growing to a number that I am never going to catch. Despite the time on the turbo I am already a week behind target. I am also struggling a lot more with mood problems that are affecting my completion of sessions, or even starting sessions in some cases.
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 1,600m in 52 mins.
Tuesday - Recovery run 4.1 miles in 35 mins.
Yoga session 31 mins.
Wednesday - Run to collect car 3.0 miles in 27 mins.
TPT Fartlek session 6.3 miles in 60 mins.
Thursday - Turbo 30 mins ~7.5 miles.
Yoga session 32 mins.
Friday - Rest day
Saturday - Swim 1.1 miles (1,800m) in 42 mins.
Yoga session 29 mins.
Sunday - Ride 9.7 miles in 36 mins.
Jog with Dexter 2.8 miles in 27 mins.
Yoga session 11 mins.
Actuals - Swim 2.1 miles (3,400 m). Bike 24.7 miles. Run 16.2 miles. 0 short core, 0 short light weights and 0 short stretching sessions. 103 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 8.8 (7.7) [8.8],
B 147.9 (182.2) [227.7],
R 78.2 (67.7) [76.5].
Swimming wasn't great either. It was mainly a kick set with fins which is always a bad sign. Sunday is either a race day or a bike miles day so kick sets on Monday are always a problem. On top of that I had already done half an hour on the turbo and I just don't like kick sets anyway. This one was no different. I got through the first set but then
Tuesday I did my recovery run. This week I almost managed to keep it at recovery run pace. Although that was more because I was completely empty than through any sort of intent. Then before bed I got to Day 18 of Yoga Camp. This was one of the most effective sessions in the series so far, but again that might have been more to do with the state I have let my muscles get into over the last few days.
Wednesday I had to collect my fiancees car from its MOT and the easiest way to do that was to jog the 3 miles to the garage to collect it. I decided I could do that as a warm-up then drive out to Inverurie and do half of the club fartlek session. I arrived at the club session a bit early having cooled down a bit too much on the drive, so I did an easy mile to get warmed up again. Then I ended up doing the whole of the club fartlek session as I was feeling so comfortable. That totalled up to over 9 miles for the day and still felt very easy.
Thursday I just spun out another easy half hour on the turbo and did the next yoga session.
Friday I had to have a rest day to fit in wedding menu tasting.
Saturday I dragged myself to the early lane session at Bucksburn pool again. I planned to do 5 x400m, struggled through the first one, then found a fast(-ish) one. Then a couple of 'proper' swimmers turned up and getting out of their way spoiled the next couple of reps. By that point my back and shoulders were tightening up so I dropped the fifth rep in favour of an easy breast stroke warm-down. That got me comfortably over this weeks swim target abut also just snuck over the stretch target for cumulative miles as well.
In the afternoon I went to see The Revenant and in the evening I did the next yoga session.
Sunday I went out with the Kintore group but within the first 4 miles I was off the back and despite wearing all of my winter gear I was absolutely freezing. Even after a further 4 miles of solo chasing to try and get back on to the group I just couldn't get warm or any closer. So I cut back home instead with a plan to sit on the turbo for an hour or so. I actually then spent about half an hour curled up on the sofa trying to get warm. Even if the temperature hadn't stopped me I probably would have gotten off at Dyce anyway. The pace was way outside what I could handle. My HR for the 10 miles I did was average zone 3.2 and peaking at 4.1 and those levels are just not sustainable for long rides. That is about the output I would expect for a 25 mile TT, maybe even slightly higher.
This is going to give me a bigger problem now. It has become pointless for me to go with the group, even by cutting the ride distances in half and only spending a quarter of the main ride with the group I just can't handle the increased pace that they want to ride at. And none of the other options really work either. I hate the turbo, and if that become the only option then I just won't do anywhere near enough biking. I also hate solo rides for the same boredom factor, and in the current weather they aren't really the safest option anyway. Last week demonstrated that, when I had a second puncture it quickly escalated, and that was in relatively good weather. So I probably either need to find a more relevantly paced group, or start my own.
In the afternoon Dexter came to visit for a couple of days. I don't expect to get out with him again so I took him out for an easy lap of Dyce. That got me my weekly run miles target after the two big days midweek.
In the evening I started the next yoga session, but just wasn't in the right mood for it and quit early again.
It has been an okay week overall but the bike continues to slip away and is rapidly growing to a number that I am never going to catch. Despite the time on the turbo I am already a week behind target. I am also struggling a lot more with mood problems that are affecting my completion of sessions, or even starting sessions in some cases.
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 1,600m in 52 mins.
Tuesday - Recovery run 4.1 miles in 35 mins.
Yoga session 31 mins.
Wednesday - Run to collect car 3.0 miles in 27 mins.
TPT Fartlek session 6.3 miles in 60 mins.
Thursday - Turbo 30 mins ~7.5 miles.
Yoga session 32 mins.
Friday - Rest day
Saturday - Swim 1.1 miles (1,800m) in 42 mins.
Yoga session 29 mins.
Sunday - Ride 9.7 miles in 36 mins.
Jog with Dexter 2.8 miles in 27 mins.
Yoga session 11 mins.
Actuals - Swim 2.1 miles (3,400 m). Bike 24.7 miles. Run 16.2 miles. 0 short core, 0 short light weights and 0 short stretching sessions. 103 mins of yoga.
Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 8.8 (7.7) [8.8],
B 147.9 (182.2) [227.7],
R 78.2 (67.7) [76.5].
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