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 then started 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].