Its been a great week here in Sparky-land, the training has been going well, the nutrition is coming along nicely and I'm really pleased with a few other bits & pieces. All in all, I'm feeling pretty good with things....
This week has seen a return to some solid sessions and decent volume. The weekly plan totaled 18.5 hours, so pretty juicy. I managed to hit 15.5 hours, so although disappointed not to meet all of the sessions, I am pleased with the quality of what I did deliver and the overall balance, consistency and recovery from the sessions.
Swimming is returning to its previously strong form, after a slight drop over the last few weeks (due to this annoying chest infection). The stroke is feeling longer, balanced and more consistent. The balance between pace & effort is returning to the 1:32/100m cruise. Thursdays session was a beauty of 40 x 100ms, off 1:50 swim & rest. This was just my cup of tea, as I love the longer, more focused sets.
I'm really, really pleased with how the bike is developing, although I did miss Thursdays 2 hour 'easy ride' - due to bad weather, tiredness and work - not a good combo!
However, I did get in two really good sessions, both involving some strong hill work. Wednesday's 90 minutes undulating ride saw me take on the legendary Cleeve Hill (the highest point in the Cotswolds). Its a cracking climb, with took me all the way into the red zone, but the winding descent was well worth it. My descending is rubbish, so this was much needed practice. If I can improve my descending, my Roth experience will be greatly enhanced.
Saturdays ride was a beast, equalling 4 hours of pain! My mates wanted a "lumpy" ride, so we hit some of the biggest climbs around, including an epic 25% climb! As managing my HR is key, I did (willingly) get off the bike and walk to the summit!
It was a super tough route, but I was really pleased with how I managed to keep both the HR and cadence within my target zones. it definitely made me feel like I was in control of the session.
A slight disappointment was the nutrition. My plan is to eat 150 cals every 30 minutes. The climbs knocked this out of sync, and the effort levels meant I was drinking more than eating.
Once again, I was using the Clif Bar and Clif Blok Shots, which are proving a God-send. In fact, they're proving too bloody good as I'm ending up sharing them with my mates who have turned into "admirers" of the bars as well. It was like "seven loaves & seven fishes" at one point!
All of this good-will left me out of food & drink with about 45 mins left, so not too bad but I would have liked to have got this spot-on.
So after a tough bike on Saturday, I was pleased to get out & hit my 110 min run on Sunday. Looking to hit a slower than marathon-pace, I was pleased with both the legs and the "engine". Everything felt really comfortable, as it also did on this mornings run.
Overall, I'm feeling strong, enjoying the training, loving the lifestyle....living the dream bro'!
.....but a good massage wouldn't go amiss!!
Cheers ya'll, see you in seven,
Sparky
Posts
