The week that was ("TWTW"): 31 May - 6 June 2010

Monday 31 May 2010

Workout: RACE DAY! - Thames Turbo Race #3

Swim - 13:41 (45th in age group)
Bike - 44:43 (14th in age group)
Run - 28:51 (36th in age group)
Total - 1:27:15

Second tri done and dusted. Thankfully I managed to go faster than last time, improved my swim and T1 transition (despite doing only the first 2 lengths as crawl before once again (!?$%@!) switching to breast stroke), a bit slower on the bike (it didn't feel like a good bike when I was out on the course) but a bit faster on the run T2 transition.


All in, I improved my time by about a minute 30 seconds - not a great deal, but I did manage to improve, so I suppose I'm happy. Not quite the 5 minute improvement I was looking (not to mention hoping) for, but maybe that wasn't entirely realistic? Not sure. C also improved her time, and is now getting far too close for comfort - I most definitely need to get faster (or hope she slows down! (which of course I wouldn't wish for...))! What amazes me is that she doesn't train nearly as much as I do, yet STILL manages to post some reasonable times - maybe it's her considerably greater time spent "resting and recovering" (read "time under the duvet")!? It does make me wonder if maybe I do too much training, such that my body is in an almost constant state of trying to repair and get stronger, only for me to crack on with the next session before my body has had sufficient time to fully recover. Sort of dancing on the edge of the "overtraining cliff" - if not hanging by my finger tips!


With the possiblility that I'm overtraining in mind, I'm going to try a slightly different approach to my training over the coming weeks. I've got 13 weeks until Thames Turbo Race #4 (which it looks like we'll now be able to go to! Yahoo yippee!) which is more than enough time to try a new programme, see what sort of changes I note (whether good or bad) and if bad, regroup and refocus. My plan is to try a slightly modified approach to training for the next month or so, giving myself ample time to switch it up if I'm not happy with the direction the new programme is taking me. Given improving my overall time by 5 minutes is probably a tad on the ambitious side (nothing wrong with ambition, but I don't want to set myself up for disappointment either!), my current thinking (which of course is subject to further revision) is to try to go sub 1:25 - so roughly another 2 minute improvement; think that should be more than doable (assuming no major technical/mechanical problems on race day of course). In terms of "takeaways" from this race, I'd say:
(1) push but don't push too hard in the swim;
(2) keep calm in T1 but get on with it - not the time to chit chat/dilly dally;
(3) work on pushing harder on the bike; consider more aero time;
(4) keep the cadence up on the run; and
(5) try not to eat 12 chocolate digestives the day before race day - hardly an ideal way to "carb load"!



Tuesday 1 June 2010

Workout:

Swim: 45 mins
Steady state breast stoke - just trying to loosen everything up and relax (not to mention burn off some of the crap I ate after yesterday's race!!)

Run: (trying new programme for first time)
5min walking warm up at 3.5mph, 1% incline
5min warm up jog at 6.0mph - - feeling utterly exhausted so bailed on run to do a treadmill walk on an incline instead

Treadmill walk: 35 mins at 5.5-6.0kmh at 10-15% incline

W/S:

Leg press - 25kgx10; 35x10; 45x10; 55x10; 65x10; 75x10;

Calf press - 25kgx10; 35x10; 45x10

Leg extension - 15kgx10; 35kgx10; 45kgx10; 55kgx10

Once again, I'm utterly shattered (despite taking a 2 hour nap yesterday after the Tri). Maybe it's the margaritas, maybe it's the effort of yesterday, either way, I'm utterly cooked. The cake is not only overcooked, but burnt! That said, I thought a bit of a session in the gym was a good idea - in hindsight, maybe not my brightest idea. I wound up spending the rest of the day exhausted and cranky; opting to hit the hay at 8:30pm. Pretty sure this was my best decision of the day.



Wednesday 2 June 2010

Workout:

Run (once again trying the new running programme (although slightly modified to incorporate some training principles from another programme))
2 min walking warm up at 3.5mph, 1% incline (for all of run)
13mins @6.1mph (9:50mins per mile pace)
17mins @6.2mph (9:40 mins per mile pace)

Bike: 30 mins, steady state on Level 11

W/S: full body "Tri Weights"

3 total sets, broken into 1 set of 10 reps as "warm up", followed by 2 sets of 10 reps using increasing weight
1 - leg press
2 - lat pull down
3 - seated row
4 - leg extension
5 - chest press
6 - chest fly
7 - leg curls
8 - bicep curls
9 - tricep curls
10 - calf press
11 - DB lateral raise
12 - DB pullover
13 - shoulder press (using Olympic bar)
14 - bicep curls (using Olympic bar)

I'm feeling a great deal better today than I was yesterday; guessing the extra sleep has helped enormously. The run felt pretty good, and I think "easier" now that I'm trying to keep track of my cadence. I'm generally counting 45 foot strikes in 15 seconds, so that puts me pretty much bang on 180. I'll be interested to see how paying attention goes/works when I'm running faster times (i.e. the tempo pace workouts I've got planned for later in the week). Really enjoyed doing the weights again, but hoping I don't see myself putting on lots of muscle. I know that women don't (generally speaking) have the physiology to gain the masses of muscle that guys can, but I also know that I'm a women that tends to put on muscle pretty easily. The plan I'm intending to follow calls for strength training twice a week. I'll give it a go for a few weeks/a month and see how I get on, if I start turning into a "Hulkette" the weights will most definitely have to change!



Thursday 3 June 2010
Workout:

Bike: 2 hours - easy (L11) steady state

S/W:

Pull ups
Body weight - x3
Assisted with 5kg x4
Assisted with 12kg x5
Assisted with 19kg x6

I'm continuing to feel better, and definitely more rested than Tuesday. That said, I'm feeling the effects of yesterday's weight session; in particular I'm rather sore in the chest and lats. Should have swam today, but just didn't feel like it. In hindsight I'm glad I didn't as "Mr Swim Too Close"(same clod who "created a lane a 3rd lane" weeks ago; fair to say he's up for the "BPINTA Award" (i.e. the biggest pain in the ass award) was already in the pool when I got to the gym (clearly my altercation with him last week caused him to set his alarm earlier). My weight is dropping a bit; very much hoping the consequences of what can only be described as a "feeding frenzy" following Monday's tri will be gone by the weekend. Although I'm very much enjoying my training, I'm also sort of "relieved" that the next scheduled event is roughly 12 weeks away (unless of course we find another event before then...) - time to back off a bit (even if only a little bit) before regrouping and focussing on improving and making some gains. I can't believe I'm actually thinking about backing off a bit...strange (for me) but true. I'd like to think a bit of regrouping and then I can REALLY push it in training....



Friday 4 June 2010

Workout:

Run: 60mins, 1% incline; a bit more than 9km
10 min warm up - 5 mins walking at 3.5mph and 5mins jogging at 6.1mph 6x 5minute repeats (because there was no way I'd be able to do the 3x8:30 min per mile mile repeats JD's programme called for!!)
5mins at 7.1mph with 2 minute walking recovery at 3.5mph
5mins at 7.0mph with 2 minute walking recovery at 3.5mph
5mins at 6.9mph with 2 minute walking recovery at 3.5mph
5mins at 6.8mph with 2 minute walking recovery at 3.5mph
5mins at 6.7mph with 2 minute walking recovery at 3.5mph
5mins at 6.6mph with 2 minute walking recovery at 3.5mph

W/S: full body "Tri Weights"

1 - leg press - 5x12reps
2 - lat pull down - 5x12reps
3 - chest press - 5x12 reps
4 - calf press - 5x12reps
5 - leg extension - 5x12reps
6 - seated row - 3x12reps
7 - chest fly - 3x12 reps
8 - shoulder press (using Olympic bar) - 2x12; 1x10reps
9 - bicep curls (using Olympic bar) - 2x12; 1x10reps
10 - tricep rope press down - 3x12reps
11 - dead lift - 3x12reps

Whew! A VERY tough session. I feel sort of bad that I wasn't able to do the mile repeats, but as soon as I started running what was supposed to be the first mile repeat at "T" pace (i.e. tempo pace), which in my case is 8:30 min per mile, it became pretty obvious that there was no way I'd be able to hang on for a full mile, let alone 3 repeats of a mile! So…I decided the best way forward was to try to incorporate the idea or training protocol to some extent, meaning I did 5 minute repeats, with a 2 minute walking recovery in between. As I wasn't running a full mile, I decided to increase the number of repeats from 3 to 6. Needless to say, it was a much MUCH more challenging run session than I've had in a long time. Who'd a thunk running at 8:30mins per mile would be so difficult? Certainly not me! I'd like to think that with continued training and effort it will get easier - heck, I might even see my pace get faster! Can hardly wait until it's time to do a session using "I" (i.e. interval pace) pace - a "blistering" 7:48 mins per mile...at least that's how I suspect it's going to feel given my current training and fitness -get back to me in 12 weeks!) Second session of weights this week, enjoyable, but still somewhat concerned it's going to see me gaining more muscle and weight - very much NOT my goal - even if it's "toned weight"!



Saturday 5 June 2010

Workout:

Run: 40 mins, 1% incline
5 min walking @3.5mph warm up, 5 min jogging w/u at 6.1mph
10mins @9:40min per mile pace
10mins @9:30 m.p.m pace
10 mins @ 9.20 mpm pace (though I did push it faster/harder towards the end)


Bike: 60 mins, L12 "Hills" programme - 30km


A good session. The run was definitely challenging, but it felt good to push things harder than I have previously - even if it left me pretty cooked. Used my new Saucony Hurricane's for the run - felt nice and comfy, and thankfully no hotspots/blisters! The bike was ok, but not today's "priority session" (which was the run), but I do think I'm going to be sure to work some hill type training into both my bike and run sessions (with the intention of developing more strength and power and all that...). I thought about swimming as well as running and biking, but, in the interest of not doing "too much" (not to mention not spending what looks like a hot and sunny day napping off my gym induced exhaustion!) I gave the swim a miss (which really wasn't a tough decision!). I think tomorrow's priority session will be bike, with maybe a swim thrown in after. Then again, I might take a rest day...then again, something about pigs and wings comes to mind...



Sunday 6 June 2010

Workout:

Bike:
TCS Field Test - 13mins
1 min FastPedal
1 min easy spin recovery
2 min FastPedal
1 min easy spin recovery
1 min PowerInterval - L16
2 min easy spin recovery
1 min PowerInterval - L17
4 min easy spin recovery

TCS Test
1st 8min effort - as hard as possible
10min easy spin recovery
2nd 8min effort - as hard as possible

30min, easy spin recovery

Treadmill walk: 30mins at 3.7mph, 0-10% incline

So much for a rest day. That said, although today's session was pretty intense, it was for a much shorter duration than my usual or typical weekend marathons. Just over 90mins as opposed to 3+ hours I've frequently done on weekends.

Yesterday I got Chris Carmichael's "The Time-Crunched Cyclist" and spent most of the day reading it cover to cover. As coach to Lance Armstrong, I'd like to think he knows a fair bit about how to put a cycling programme together. Admittedly Armstrong is an incredibly hardworking and gifted athlete, but at least some of his success has got to be down to the programme put together by his coach. The central idea behind the Time-Crunched Cyclist is high intensity training, for shorter periods of time than you would find in a "typical" cycling programme - i.e. no 5 hour rides. Carmichael's intention is to provide a programme that will allow someone with commitments beyond cycling (i.e. work, family, etc.) to train hard and reap the benefits of his programme without having to do nothing but cycling (i.e. no need to cycle 20+ hours a week). I may very well be wrong, but I'm thinking that incorporating his programme into my Tri training may very well improve my bike time. The programme looks pretty intense, but at the same time seems "doable". Central to his programme is training at the right intensities (whether in terms of heart rate and/or power (i.e. watts)), which means doing the "field test" (see above) to obtain your current data, which you then use to calculate various training zones which you will use for the various types of training included in his programme.

Given how much improvement I noticed when I was doing the Turbo Training programmes, I'm pretty sure upping the intensity via the TCS programme will be just the ticket to a faster, stronger bike. The test itself was pretty challenging (fair to say I was really sucking wind on the last few minutes of the two 8 minute effort tests), so I'm guessing the programme is going to push me pretty hard. Sounds good.

Think the new programme is coming together nicely, Carmichael's programme for the bike, Daniels' programme for the run, now to figure out/find something for the swim - a jet ski would be nice, but I'm guessing not permitted...