Training Review - Week 13 - March 25 to 31
Monday I rode my commutes slowly. In the evening I went to swimming expecting to just paddle through another session. I actually started at a decent pace and was clocking some good numbers for the first half of the session. Then I had a bit of a coughing fit during one of the rests and that aggravated the strained muscle in my rib. From there the pace dropped and I only managed a handful more reps before I had to give it up.
Tuesday was almost a mirror image. Easy commutes and a swim reps session in the evening. I survived the full reps session without coughing or any rib problems. Almost back to normal pre-flu pace.
Wednesday was a lazy commute in but I put a bit of effort in on the way home. That wasn't hugely evident on the clock but was certainly different in my legs. I then went straight out for a short brick run, just to see how my knee is after my fall at the weekend. It is still swollen and stiff but is not particularly painful.
Thursday, another two easy bike commutes and a swim in the evening. I went for a short shoulder massage at work. It isn't really as deep or serious as I would like but she does move the worst of the lumps. I tried to do a set of 50m reps but couldn't find any pace. Once I got home I got back on the roller to see if I could move some more of the problems out of my shoulder.
Friday I had the last of my carried over holidays. I did a yoga session and a short run in the morning. I went to the pool at lunchtime with a plan to do 4x 400m reps but only managed two before my shoulder was giving me a problem. Between the massage, rollering and yoga I expected to get further before it tightened up.
Saturday I had the closest thing to a pre-race rest day, but I did manage a set of smaller sessions to round out my week.
Sunday was a bit of a mess but here goes; I rode to the train station, rode from the Elgin train station to my parents house, rode from my parents house to Miltonduff, did a half-decent warm-up for Moray 10k, did a half-decent Moray 10k, rode back to my parents house, rode from my parents house to Elgin train station, and rode home from Dyce train station.
The only bit of that worth discussing though is the Moray 10k in the middle. Before the race started I bumped into a well respected coach from Inverness and he said he thought I had finally retired. When I told him I had just missed a couple of seasons with a broken ankle he immediately said 'Must have been the right hand side. Obvious lack of development in the right calf.' It is bad to know that someone else can still pick out the difference at-a-glance nearly 18 months into my rehab, but it was good to know that it isn't just me imagining the difference.
I had set out my plan to run under 45 minutes (4:30/km) to count it as my fast run for the week. However, I had really expected to run somewhere around 43-ish. I found a couple of my Moray Roadrunner clubmates near the start who were planning to run 42:30 and 45 and set out my stall to run near to them early on and take it from there.
The first couple of kilometres I was fine with that plan. Spaced nicely between them and just inside 4:20 pace. The slower MRR athlete passed me in the third k and I was a bit slower with a 4:29. Then the route turns uphill and starts undulating and despite working at the hills I suddenly did a 4:56! That was worrying as it not only cost me any early gains and put me outside my target pace but it was tough and my 45-min target athlete was stretching away in to the distance. I was also confused as the pace was tough but I never felt like I was working particularly hard, I just couldn't seem to go any quicker.
I trickled along all the way to 8km at basically the same intensity, struggling to do 4:28-ish and watching people scoot by me fairly easily and disappear up the road. From there I managed some quick maths on my 36-minute through 8k and realised that the little nibbles I had been taking meant that I was actually just about in range of a 45 minute finish. K-9 is nicely downhill and you can see the finish so I pushed on as much as I could. I still wasn't out of breath or feeling like I was working hard but I couldn't find that change of gear to go any noticeable amount faster. I did manage to muster a gear change for the last few hundred meters to sneak under 45, but barely and over a minute down on the athlete who I had planned to follow to that 45 minute mark.
I can't really complain about running my first 10k in under an hour for 2 years, but I also can't celebrate a 45 minute finish. I am still looking to find 10% on that in the next 4 weeks to avoid embarrassing myself on the run in Spain.
I managed everything I planned this week. My longest bike week of the year, and all it took was 4 lazy commutes, Sunday bike miles were just a bonus. My longest run at my target 'fast' pace since I started that target. Some decent swimming and improvements in my bruised knee, strained rib, ankle mobility and cough.
Targets - Swim 2.5 miles, Bike 36.0 miles, Run 11.0 miles.
Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1.
Yoga session x2.
Fast run target pace 7:15 / mile.
Monday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 28 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 40 mins.
Swim with TPT 2,050m in 45 mins.
Tuesday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 32 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 39 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 1,500m in 30 mins.
Wednesday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 29 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 35 mins.
Dyce run 1.9 miles in 15 mins.
Thursday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 29 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 34 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 750m in 15 mins.
Stretching and rolling session.
Friday - Yoga session 23 mins.
Dyce run 2.8 miles in 27 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 1,000m in 19 mins.
Saturday - Yoga session.
Core session.
Weights session.
Sunday - Rides (assorted) - 6 miles in
Moray 10k 44:48.
Warm-up / Cool-down 1.5 miles in 12 mins.
Rides (assorted) - 6 miles in
Actuals - Swim 3.3 miles (5,300m). Bike 68.8 miles. Run 12.4 miles.
1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 stretching / rollering session.
45 mins of yoga.
Physio exercises x 0.
Cumulative actual, (Cumulative target), [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 32.7, (36.9), [40.6],
B 480.0, (446.0), [490.6],
R 172.2, (183.0), [201.3].
Core - 9, (13),
Weights - 8, (13),
Stretching - 9, (13),
Yoga - 16, (26).
Fast run sessions - 11, (>13)
Junk swim sessions - 10, (<13)
Tuesday was almost a mirror image. Easy commutes and a swim reps session in the evening. I survived the full reps session without coughing or any rib problems. Almost back to normal pre-flu pace.
Wednesday was a lazy commute in but I put a bit of effort in on the way home. That wasn't hugely evident on the clock but was certainly different in my legs. I then went straight out for a short brick run, just to see how my knee is after my fall at the weekend. It is still swollen and stiff but is not particularly painful.
Thursday, another two easy bike commutes and a swim in the evening. I went for a short shoulder massage at work. It isn't really as deep or serious as I would like but she does move the worst of the lumps. I tried to do a set of 50m reps but couldn't find any pace. Once I got home I got back on the roller to see if I could move some more of the problems out of my shoulder.
Friday I had the last of my carried over holidays. I did a yoga session and a short run in the morning. I went to the pool at lunchtime with a plan to do 4x 400m reps but only managed two before my shoulder was giving me a problem. Between the massage, rollering and yoga I expected to get further before it tightened up.
Saturday I had the closest thing to a pre-race rest day, but I did manage a set of smaller sessions to round out my week.
Sunday was a bit of a mess but here goes; I rode to the train station, rode from the Elgin train station to my parents house, rode from my parents house to Miltonduff, did a half-decent warm-up for Moray 10k, did a half-decent Moray 10k, rode back to my parents house, rode from my parents house to Elgin train station, and rode home from Dyce train station.
The only bit of that worth discussing though is the Moray 10k in the middle. Before the race started I bumped into a well respected coach from Inverness and he said he thought I had finally retired. When I told him I had just missed a couple of seasons with a broken ankle he immediately said 'Must have been the right hand side. Obvious lack of development in the right calf.' It is bad to know that someone else can still pick out the difference at-a-glance nearly 18 months into my rehab, but it was good to know that it isn't just me imagining the difference.
I had set out my plan to run under 45 minutes (4:30/km) to count it as my fast run for the week. However, I had really expected to run somewhere around 43-ish. I found a couple of my Moray Roadrunner clubmates near the start who were planning to run 42:30 and 45 and set out my stall to run near to them early on and take it from there.
The first couple of kilometres I was fine with that plan. Spaced nicely between them and just inside 4:20 pace. The slower MRR athlete passed me in the third k and I was a bit slower with a 4:29. Then the route turns uphill and starts undulating and despite working at the hills I suddenly did a 4:56! That was worrying as it not only cost me any early gains and put me outside my target pace but it was tough and my 45-min target athlete was stretching away in to the distance. I was also confused as the pace was tough but I never felt like I was working particularly hard, I just couldn't seem to go any quicker.
I trickled along all the way to 8km at basically the same intensity, struggling to do 4:28-ish and watching people scoot by me fairly easily and disappear up the road. From there I managed some quick maths on my 36-minute through 8k and realised that the little nibbles I had been taking meant that I was actually just about in range of a 45 minute finish. K-9 is nicely downhill and you can see the finish so I pushed on as much as I could. I still wasn't out of breath or feeling like I was working hard but I couldn't find that change of gear to go any noticeable amount faster. I did manage to muster a gear change for the last few hundred meters to sneak under 45, but barely and over a minute down on the athlete who I had planned to follow to that 45 minute mark.
I can't really complain about running my first 10k in under an hour for 2 years, but I also can't celebrate a 45 minute finish. I am still looking to find 10% on that in the next 4 weeks to avoid embarrassing myself on the run in Spain.
I managed everything I planned this week. My longest bike week of the year, and all it took was 4 lazy commutes, Sunday bike miles were just a bonus. My longest run at my target 'fast' pace since I started that target. Some decent swimming and improvements in my bruised knee, strained rib, ankle mobility and cough.
Targets - Swim 2.5 miles, Bike 36.0 miles, Run 11.0 miles.
Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1.
Yoga session x2.
Fast run target pace 7:15 / mile.
Monday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 28 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 40 mins.
Swim with TPT 2,050m in 45 mins.
Tuesday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 32 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 39 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 1,500m in 30 mins.
Wednesday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 29 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 35 mins.
Dyce run 1.9 miles in 15 mins.
Thursday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 29 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 34 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 750m in 15 mins.
Stretching and rolling session.
Friday - Yoga session 23 mins.
Dyce run 2.8 miles in 27 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 1,000m in 19 mins.
Saturday - Yoga session.
Core session.
Weights session.
Sunday - Rides (assorted) - 6 miles in
Moray 10k 44:48.
Warm-up / Cool-down 1.5 miles in 12 mins.
Rides (assorted) - 6 miles in
Actuals - Swim 3.3 miles (5,300m). Bike 68.8 miles. Run 12.4 miles.
1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 stretching / rollering session.
45 mins of yoga.
Physio exercises x 0.
Cumulative actual, (Cumulative target), [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 32.7, (36.9), [40.6],
B 480.0, (446.0), [490.6],
R 172.2, (183.0), [201.3].
Core - 9, (13),
Weights - 8, (13),
Stretching - 9, (13),
Yoga - 16, (26).
Fast run sessions - 11, (>13)
Junk swim sessions - 10, (<13)
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