Kevin's Training Blog of 2019

No races this weekend or next so plenty of chance to spread things out rather than compressing them to try and free up the weekend. That has somehow resulted in me planning two morning run commutes. That might not be the smartest decision since I have bailed on quite a few of those for the train or bus already this year. I might lose Thursday's swim session to another work night out and I am on a course on Friday so no commutes.  Targ ets -  Swim 3.0 miles,  Bike 36.0 miles,  Run 17.0 miles. Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1. Physio sessions x1.  Yoga session x2. Fast run target 7:50 / mile.

Monday I started with easy commutes on the bike. The temperature has dropped again since last week and even 5 layers and winter gloves was barely sufficient. In the evening I went to TPT swim session and made it through the full set, and an additional cool down, but at no sort of sensible pace.  Tuesday I rode in to work, without losing any fingers to the cold. In the evening I ran home, taking another 3 minutes off the time I did last week. In just two weeks I have cut more than 10% off that run, and it felt a lot easier even at that pace.  In the evening I went to bucksburn to do my fast swim session. I did a set of 50m efforts on 1 min starts. When I did the same session a fortnight ago I managed 6 reps before I started missing 50 secs. This time I got to 23 before dropping to a 50.12. Clear improvement, but doing a quick bit of maths afterwards, I would have to string the first 20 reps back-to-back just to sneak under 16 minutes for 1,000m. There is some way to go befo...

At the weekend I have racing options on both days. On Saturday it is the North District Cross-Country League in Forres. On Sunday it is the Duathlon at Westhill. These both give me options to put my fast run in the weekend. As long as I race 'fast'. I don't have it in my legs to do both, it will probably come down to the ankle, the weather, or being able to use it to go to Elgin.  The rest of the week will be similar to last week as that worked well. Some slight changes to accommodate a works leaving party on Thursday evening. I need to cut that tight to keep the Thursday swim if I am going to race again at the weekend.  I started the year with a plan to only count sub-8:00 mile runs as fast, but knowing I would have to move that to something more serious. Rather than suddenly hack time off it each month I am going to move it every week. From now I am going to trim 5 seconds a week until I get to something more serious.  Targ ets -  Swim 3.0 miles,  Bik...

I started the week already ahead of my bike target so I am purposefully looking to drop some bike commutes this week and use the train to try and get a rest day.  Monday I rode in and almost froze to death in the morning. Then I added all the extra clothes I had and almost melted on the way home. In the evening I went to Club swimming to find that everyone's New Year Resolutions have already worn off and I got a lane to myself. I got through the session but with 400m reps at 7:14, 7:24 and 7:28 the fatigue from racing the day before and not having a rest day since before Xmas  In the evening I ran home at a much better pace than last week. Racing at the weekend has helped me to understand how hard I can push my ankle without making it worse and I felt more confident about pushing it a bit harder, nearly 4 minutes harder, than last week.  I went to the pool in the evening and did my fast reps session. It wasn't what I would have counted as fast this time last ye...

This week's three swim sessions will be a club session on Monday, short reps Tuesday and long reps Thursday. The run fast / reps session will be somewhere at the weekend.  I have shuffled slightly from last week. Trying to run 7 miles commutes only 15 hours apart is out of my range at the minute so I have split them to Tuesday out and Thursday in. That gives me a slight but not insurmountable logistical issue around bikes, lights, shoes ... but I will manage to make it work. After a full week back at work and a tough race at the weekend I have already worn out my new years enthusiasm. Targ ets -  Swim 3.0 miles,  Bike 36.0 miles,  Run 17.0 miles. Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1. Physio sessions x1.  Yoga session x2.

Monday I rode to and from work on my winter road bike. The wind made for a very tough return journey. I had to ride it almost as a single-speed in my lowest climbing gear. In the evening I went to TPT swim session. First session back for the New Year and it was busy as everyone gets their January fitness binge. So busy that I had to move up in to the fast lane. Tuesday the wind was still going the same way, so my journey in to work took just over 25 minutes. Not my fastest ever commute, but well inside the top-10 (Strava says 6th), on wet roads and my winter bike. I then jogged home comfortably trying to keep a steady pace that would leave me enough energy to swim in the evening, and run back to work in the morning.  My evening swim plan was for short and fast reps. I started on plan for 25 x 50m on 1 minute. By number 4 I was wondering how many I could cut off the end and still pretend I had completed my plan. By about number 16 my brain was so switched off that...

Back in to a 'normal' week and my main target for this week is not to turn it into just a boring commuting week where I rack up a load of slow miles. Monday evening is the first TPT Club swimming session of the new year, that limits me to a bike commute and sounds like I have got in with the excuses to just do lazy commuting instead of smarter sessions on Day 1.  Tuesday I am going to cycle in and run home. Then in the evening it is a short reps swim. Short reps and short total, something along the lines of 25x50m, or 12x100m.  Wednesday I am going to run in and cycle home. That takes care of most of my aerobic fitness and easy run miles for the week. Thursday evening is my third swim session of the week. This time a longer reps session. 5x200m, 5x100m, 5x50m.  Thursday and Friday I am planning to ride in to, and out from, work mostly because it is the easiest way to commute. I don't need the miles though so either of these might get dropped for the train and so...

I started with my annual jog to first-foot my granny, but my car wouldn't start for Tamarah to come and pick me up so I had time for an extra couple of small loops while she transferred to her car. That meant I racked up 10k on the 1st of January for the first time. I also got off to a sensible start with my minor sessions by doing just 1.  Wednesday I took Dexter out for a last run before I had to go back to work. In the evening I watched the introductory video for this years 30 day yoga journey and then did a stretching session.  Thursday I commuted on the train but in the evening I went to the pool for a reps session. I expected to have to be a bit flexible about the session content to fit around the traffic but instead I had the whole pool to myself and was able to just do my planned session uninterrupted. Friday I took my mountain bike to the office for the first time since having my screws removed. Despite the -5 degree temperatures that was surprisingly comfortable...