Happy Easter to y'all....
Looks like Monday is going to be the new Sunday when it comes to me posting my weekly news. Obviously, with it be Easter and a nice long weekend, I took the opportunity to go back to the mother-land and spend some time with my folks (and the local trails).
I've had a strange week, being both frustrating and weirdly satisfying. Let me explain...
I've been battling a cold all week, which has seen me have a horrendous cough and a frustratingly consistent sneeze. I haven't felt that bad, just increasingly tired due to the reduction in sleep caused by mid-sleep coughing fits.
The above ailments have seen me take a reduction in training volume & intensity, but I've looked to hold the consistency, as I find that no training often makes me feel worse. In fact, I've actually felt better whilst training. Although, Kleenex could have done a roaring trade if they had been available on my long runs!
I've kept my thrice weekly swim sessions, hitting some decent volumes of 3.9k, 4.3k and 4.0k respectively. I didn't feel on top form but was pleased to have held decent enough technique and strength throughout the sessions.
All the bike sessions were met, including an indoor bike session which was a tough challenge, looking to hit 140-150bpm intervals, but I was pleased to hold to those stats and the legs definitely felt the benefit. Saturdays 'long' ride was cut short to just 2 hours, as I really felt empty after the morning swim and general lethargy I spoke about earlier.
I did have to miss a couple of runs, on Monday and Thursday. Mondays was due to tiredness after Sundays MTB ride and Thursday I felt at my worst, when rest was definitely the better option. There was a short hill session on Wednesday, which did take the HR into the hurt zone but will prove a good benchmark for later sessions.
However, I was really pleased to get out on my hometown trails on Sunday and turn in a decent longer run - at just under 100 mins. The legs felt great, with a good cadence and stride length. I feel this is the reward of the higher intensity work I mentioned last week.
So, two weeks into the plan and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm looking to bust through this cold with a strong, consistent week of solid training. I then have a recovery week so it will be good to finish off on a strong note. I'll let you know how it goes.
Just before I go, I'd like to give a shout out to my mate Ben. Ben is running at London next Sunday, making his marathon debut and aiming to come in under 2:45. Ben, sorry I missed you this weekend but have a great race and I'm looking forward to hearing how you smashed those 6:06 minute miles!
See you next week guys,
Sparky
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