Money in the bank...

G'day folks, 

Is it really seven days since we last met like this? 

Time is flying past at the moment, there are simply not enough hours in the day. Don't they say "time flies when you're having fun"? Well, I'm definitely having fun thats for sure!

I'm loving, yes loving, the training at the moment. I hasten to add that this is "at the moment" as things are starting to hot-up which will be putting me in a place I've never been before so we'll have to see what happens....

Last week felt like my best week yet. Every session was hit, bang on plan. Every session felt good, the goals and structure of the session were met and I left every session feeling like I'd taken a step forward. 

A couple of key stand-outs were Wednesday's BRICK session and Sunday's long run. 

The BRICK session was split 1:45 bike / 45 min run so not huge but a decent start to the BRICK sessions. A solid bike was finished with a nice run. I was pleased with how everything felt, ie under control and the stats supported this with the HR & pace well under control. 

Sunday's long run was pleasing as it was at the end of solid week. The 2 hour run felt great, I held a really comfortable pace and the HR never crept above 131bpm (apart from when Bruce Springsteen ' Born to Run' came on the iPod - works everytime!)

I genuinely felt in complete control of the pace, HR and overall feel of the run. It was a lovely morning, running along my favourite trail with a big smile on my face. Its those moments which really make me realise how fortunate I am to have my health & fitness and how I plan to keep it that way for a long time. 

Nutrition-wise, I had a result on the run. I took out a pack of Clif Bar Blok Shots and ate 3 of these at the 45 & 90 minute markers. The great thing about the Blok Shots is that they dissolve nicely in the mouth and don't really require any water to wash them down with. Therefore, super convenient and also great tasting and kinda refreshing. ProBikeKit have currently got a buy one, get one free offer on - I'd really recommend taking advantage - just leave some for me! 

I had an interesting swim session on Thursday, Coach Kev brought along the video camera so we shot some footage. I took out a few killer points from my analysis. 

Firstly, sort those bloody legs out! My body position in the water is shocking. If I can get my legs lifted - so my head, butt and ankles are all level - I could really get moving. Easier said than done but good to know what to focus on. 

The second point was my right arm catch. Unbeknown to me, the right arm (my breathing side) is catching and pulling at a slight inward angle, ie under my body. I used to have a really pronounced issue with this on my left side - but this has been corrected and looks a lot better. So, I just need to focus back on the right hand side and should be able to sort this out quite quickly. 

So all in all, I'm pretty pleased with my progress to date. I've got a couple of BIG weeks ahead. I'll be lifting my weekly volume from 15.5 hours upto 20 hours. This uplift will mostly becoming from some huge weekend volumes. 

Its now really starting to sink in, this is when the serious work begins....this will separate the men from the boys...

So on that note, I'm off to bed to get in as much sleep as I can. Sod's law that I've got to be in London for 9am tomorrow......

Have great weeks, I'll get back to you in seven....

Sparky

 

What a ride, what a ride...

Now this is a rare luxury, an early evening post....praise the Lord for Bank Holidays!

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

Its all in the numbers...

Yo amigos, 

Now, I know I say this every week but I really am going to keep this weeks post a short one. 

One of the reasons is that last week was a recovery week, so reduced volume, covering a total of 10 hours. 

Do I feel better following a lower volume week? Actually, I do. I didn't feel great during the week, my legs felt like cement all week, but following a strong weekend & a nice run tonight, I'm feeling pretty good and importantly really motivated for the next couple of weeks. 

The highlight of last weeks training was the weekend. A quiet week picked up on Saturday with a good swim session in the morning, totaling 3.6k, followed by a good 3 hour bike in really gusty conditions. Sunday was a pleasant 60 min run. 

The key take-out on Saturdays bike was some new data I now have access to. I managed to fit a speed & cadence sensor onto my new ride, which works with my Garmin 305 Forerunner. An impressive piece of kit which can be tailored to provide loads of good data for run, bike and a cool multi-sport function which will be perfect for brick sessions. 

Anyways, the key piece of data was being able to see what my average cadence was. The was a surprisingly low 68 rpm. Ideally, I should be around the 80-90 rpm mark. I didn't have access to the cadence data during the ride (I couldn't get the bloody thing to work!) but I was aware that I was pushing a bigger gear than usual - due to pushing against the relentless wind. However, it was a shock to see the low average cadence. This will be something for me to improve quickly over the coming weeks. 

Keeping on the data theme, I've started using the TrainingPeaks software to record my data. Its a pretty impressive package, especially as its free. I'm still learning how to get the most out of it, but I'm happy with what I'm able to do so far. If you're looking for a convenient, simple training log - its well worth checking out.  

I must sound like a data geek, but (please!) believe me when I say I'm not. However, I am finding that knowing more about my training and the key performance indicators is proving very useful. I feel like I have an improved understanding of my body & engine. Knowledge is the bomb!

Ok, just before I go, I wish to send out a massive well-done to all of those who did the London marathon yesterday. A special mention to Ben who completed his first marathon in 2:41 - wow! Also, a notable mention to Eve Roberts & Amy Jones on great performances. 

Thats it, I told it was a short one....I'm off to analyze some more data....

Have great weeks sportsfans, see you in seven.

Sparky