Kevin's Training Blog of 2019

World Champs race week, so silly numbers everywhere and none of them really matter anyway. In my stretch targets I wrote the I wanted to finish in the top-20 at Worlds. After last years 23rd place, I really want to be higher than that, but it is a bigger field with a lot of locals, and a cold swim, so I will see how it goes.  I have left the run pace on, because I want to be racing at least that fast on Thursday. I have left the run miles in as well. They basically amount to an easy jog early in the week, race day, and a recovery run. Targ ets -  Swim 0.6 miles,  Bike 0.0 miles,  Run 11.0 mile s. Stretching session x2, Core session x1, Weights session x0. Yoga session x3. Fast run target 6:50 / mile (4:14 / km).

My ramp down week should be fairly light. So I started the week with two fast commutes (combination of Easter Monday traffic, and the cleaned and serviced bike), and then a full-on swim session.  Tuesday I did another pair of overly fast commutes. I went to the pool in the evening needing 800m to finish off my week. I couldn't decide between trying to rip a speed set, try a 1km time trial or just paddle up and down as a recovery session. I decided to let the traffic sort it out. I got a lane to myself so decided on the 1km TT, got less than 50m in to that and decided to change it to a set of 50m reps.  Wednesday was an easy commute ride in. I nearly collected a dozy pedestrian at about 2 miles in. That gave me a bit of an adrenaline surge and the rest of my commute was a little less easy on the back of that. In the evening I spent about half an hour on the roller to prep for my massage on Thursday.  Thursday I jogged around to the train rather than the full route to...

This week is definitely a ramp down to Pontevedra.  The weekend is travelling to Amsterdam for a couple of days of chilling before we go on to Porto and then to Vigo next week.  The bike miles assume that I am commuting a couple of times this week. I am far enough ahead of that target that sitting out this entire week if I decided to take the train doesn't matter. The swim miles are basically Monday night's Club session and an easy recovery swim on Tuesday.  The run pace target is only going to be a couple of short reps or a very short brick off a bike commute.  I have added an extra stretching and Yoga session for this week since I can do those anywhere and they would be good prep for next week.  Targ ets -  Swim 2.0 miles,  Bike 36.0 miles,  Run 11.0 mile s. Stretching session x2, Core session x1, Weights session x1. Yoga session x3. Fast run target 6:55 / mile (4:17 / km).

Monday I rode to work against a massive headwind in the morning. That normally pays off when I get the tailwind on the way home, but Vardy's had finally finished with my car so I jogged up to collect it (into the still solid headwind) after work. I went to the club swim session in the evening but I couldn't get anywhere near the planned pace for the session. I worked my way through all 2,500m of it, and it turns out  that was actually my longest swim session of the year. That almost makes up for the terrible pace.  Tuesday I planned to run to work and ride home. As I rolled out of bed in the morning it was instantly clear that wasn't going to happen. I could barely muster a fast jog to the train. I had hoped that having warmed up with that and then a bit of stretching on the train I might muster a couple of miles of something faster round to the office. That didn't happen. In the evening I went to the pool and managed a set of 150m reps. Not quite at the pace I was...

It has been a couple of years since I did this properly.  I should be at 36.9 swim miles, 446 bike miles and 183 run miles.  Or if I am pushing on towards the stretch targets 40.6, 490.6 and 201.3. I should also have logged at least 14 each of weights, core and stretching sessions and yoga.  -------------------------------------------------------------- Swimming has mostly been a good year so far. I am about 3 miles behind my target but I lost most of that to the flu. I am doing a much better job of planning and executing sessions rather than just turning up and doing steady swims. This is starting to pay off as my pace has improved through the second half of March.  Here is the graphical version, the grey line is actuals red and dotted red are target and stretch target. The flat line at the start of March was the fortnight I had the flu. The bike continues to be way above plan despite my intention to cut back. I was meant to be doing less on the bike a...

This should be the start of my ramp down into Spain abut I am going to go another week on the speed work.  It looks cool but dry all week, but I am going to stick with the winter bike for commuting.  I don't think I got anything particularly useful from the 50m pool (certainly not £5.90's worth!), and it is still too cold for open water, so I am just going to stick to the short course pools for my swims.  Targ ets -  Swim 2.5 miles,  Bike 36.0 miles,  Run 11.0 mile s. Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1. Yoga session x2. Fast run target 7:00 / mile (4:21 / km).

Monday I did a pair of standard commutes. I added a brick run when I got home. My plan was to go at a hard pace and see how it went to try and get a fixed run in at this week's pace. I actually managed to go at race pace for a mile and a half. That was a big confidence boost. Faster pace than any run, race or even reps session that I have done since breaking my ankle. I just need to double that distance without dropping the pace. Somehow while I was showering after my run I managed to cut my foot on a tiny piece of glass. It was about the size of a small grain of sand and I thought nothing about it. Even when Mrs M pointed out the small blood stain soaking through my new white socks I ignored it. Then I got to the pool for my swim session and realised it was much worse than I thought. It had cut a tiny flap of skin, only about 5mm long, but surprisingly deep. As I kicked, the little flap of skin opened and became agony. It felt as if the glass was still in there a...

Peterhead Triathlon is on Sunday. I haven't decided if I will race it. Whether I do or not I need to front-load some running this week.  This week's target pace is now faster than I have done outside a race or a rep. I am going to try and get it for a fast fixed run first. Then attempt a rep session if I can't make it. Then probably sign up to Peterhead as a last resort.  I have pencilled in a run to work on Thursday. That will likely drop out as I rework my week. I also have 4 days of ride commutes. I might drop that to three to try and get another rest day.  My plan is meant to be ramp the miles down in favour of pace and I need to be following the plan. I need an outdoor swim before I go to Spain, but I am going to have to leave that as late as possible as the temperature at the minute is way beyond what I can cope with. As a next-best-option I may go to ASV during a 50m lane session so I at least get some longer sections between turns.  Targ ets - ...

Monday simple commutes and a club swim session. Tuesday I did another couple of standard commute rides.  In the evening I went swimming with a plan to do a set of 100m reps. I managed 3 on good times before some idiot from the slow lane decided he wanted to breast-stroke in my lane. I tried to adjust my session to work around him but he was so slow I just couldn't work anything around his pace. I did a couple of 50m reps and then just paddled up and down doing some breast-stroke myself.  Definitely one for the junk swim pile. Once I got home I decided to squeeze in my weights session to make up for the poor swim.  Wednesday I did my commute rides but when I arrived home I had too many other things to do and skipped my planned brick run. Probably for the best as my legs are still not recovered from racing on Sunday. Thursday I had planned to run to work. When I woke up there was a raging storm and I decided instead to run to the train. After work I had a night out ...