Thursday 29 March 2012

An Ironman distance swim in the bank

So far so good this week...

The faster cadence running is helping me to improve the speed with generally less effort and greater emphasis on riding the time-trial / triathlon bike is getting me used to the more aero position - all good stuff.

Last night the Club Swim ended up being a bit of an epic session. After a long warm-up (600m + 8x 50m) I was asked to join all the other club members competing in an Ironman this year in Lane 1 to complete 10x 200m at IM pace with 0:15 rest in between each set. Most of the swimmers were Lane 1 and 2 swimmers and were averaging around 3:00 to 3:15 for 200m at IM pace. I focussed on a pace that I thought I could keep up for the full 2000m, which was around 3:25-3:35 per 200m. The laps were pretty consistent, around 3:30, occasionally I had to let the faster swimmers pass me. They lapped me a number of times and after they finished I still had 250m to complete.

Thereafter, the Coach asked us to do a final set of 16x 50m to make a grand total of 3.8km (Ironman distance!). We were allowed to use toys for the last 800m. Initially I grabbed the fins, which I love to swim with, however the Coach instructed me to focus on upper body strength so I ended using paddles for the majority of the final set.

All in all a good swim set. Woke up this morning and didn't feel to fatigued, which was good, as I had a 1:15 bike this morning - Z1-2 warm up then Z3-4 pushing a big gear. Strength training tonight!

Tuesday 27 March 2012

The sun is shining - more outside training planned

It is always easier to complete the training when the sun is shining, you do not have to dress up in layers of clothing and generally you feel better about life.

So as the lighter evenings arrive together with a bit of spring warmth the training will move from the turbo and treadmill (dark sessions in the garage) to the road. Hopefully the times will also improve!

So the plan for the week is as follows:

Mon: Swim (1:00) - completed
Tue: Tempo ride - TT position (1:15) + transition run (0:20)
Wed: Recovery run (0:30) + Club Swim (1:30)
Thu: Big gear strength ride (1:15) + Strength work (0:30)
Fri: Short interval run session (0:25)
Sat: Club Swim (1:00) + IM race pace 8m run (1:20)
Sun: Long ride with hills (4:00)

Totals - Swim (3:30), Run (2:35), Bike (6:30), Strength (0:30)

Target for week: just over 13 hours

No rest for the wicked - 95 days to go!

Thursday 22 March 2012

A decent high cadence run session

Simple session this morning.

Warm up: 10-15 mins

45 mins tempo run - ideally about 20bpm below my threshold rate (around 155-160bpm) keeping the legs turning over at a relatively high cadence - goal of 88spm

Cool down

I headed out to Brighton seafront (about 10 mins - warm up) and then ran to Hove lagoon and back (about 40-45 mins). The cool down was simply from the seafront back to the office.

The higher cadence sessions that my Coach has been encouraging me to complete in my training is beginning to change my running style. I am shortening my stride and picking up the pace. This morning it did feel I was running faster with less effort - there are a number of factors to consider, i.e. more recovery this week (less leg fatigue), nice morning - not too much wind (little more on the return leg), and good nutrition, however I really did feel an improvement - Yeh!

This weekend will be a good test as I have the same session but the Coach has increased the main tempo run from 45 mins to 1 hour (1.5 hours total set). Let's see how that goes?

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Guns and Roses session

I took a full recovery day yesterday, the first for some time.

Today's schedule involved two relatively easy Z1-2 interval sets. The first one this morning was 8x run strides (30 min total session including warm up and cool down) and this evening was an hour on the turbo pushing a hard gear with lots of easy spinning recovery (10x through).

To make the turbo session a little more entertaining I found on old cassette and player in the garage, which I stuck on for a bit of background musc. It was a pleasant surprise to hear 'Guns and Roses' through the speakers taking me back to my 'Rock' phase a few years ago (well actually back to the late 80s).

Tomorrow I have a hour and a half Club swim. Thursday a hour run. Friday a recovery day (another one - the Coach is spoiling me!) Saturday gets a little tougher with a swim and medium distance ride (2.5 hours). Sunday an endurance run (around 1.5 hours) to complete the overall recovery week.

Sunday 18 March 2012

Listen to your Coach!

After my long ride on Friday the Coach gently hinted that it might not have been the best move to switch my training around and I might struggle at the end of the week.

Saturday morning started with a swim and I felt pretty good, however thereafter it all went downhill - general body fatigue! I did manage to get in an 1:30 endurance run this morning but it was slow going. Little energy and tired legs. So the Coach was right...

I ended up completing 15 hours - still my highest volume week so far but if I had kept to the plan it might have been even higher.

My Coach has kindly adjusted my program for the coming week and has dropped the training to 8.5 hours (recovery week) with 2 full recovery days (unless I feel great and want to do some light training on my weaker discipline / sport). I might also think about a massage or even a 'flotation tank' session? Going forward I think I am going to pay a little more attention to carrying out the tailored plan as instructed.

If my body recovers as it should do I will be all the more stronger to complete the 13.5 hours schedule for the week after. IM Austria is getting closer.

Moral of the story... Listen to your Coach!

Friday 16 March 2012

Long ride in Surrey Hills + short transition run: 5 hours in the bank

Garmin Connect - Details

As I had the day off as holiday I switched my long Sunday ride with today's scheduled shorter ride - got a bit told off by the Coach as he spends a lot of time putting together a suitable program to ensure I have the correct amount of rest between each session, however it did mean I got a decent long ride in the bank. For the last two Sunday's I have not been able to complete the full distance - family commitments!

Anyway today I headed for the hills with my training buddy (Chris) who also happened to have a day holiday and wanted to get in a long ride.

We kept mostly to Z2 but got up to Z5 on the big hills (3 in total). We stopped at the top of Box Hill (Olympic bike course) for a quick cuppa and then again shortly afterwards at Dauphin Cycles - to grab a couple of energy gels and look at all the 'bike bling'. 4.5 hours in total (107km) followed by a 20 min transition run to bring us in just under 5 hours - Magic!

Nearly 12.5 hours of training so far this week. Still have a Club swim tomorrow and 1.5 hour endurance run. On Sunday will try a slightly shorter ride of around 2.5 hours. Biggest week so far for the IM training.

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Little energy for the Club Swim tonight

I was pleased with my training yesterday - 2 hours of gentle Z1-2 recovery riding (commute to work and back on the singlespeed) and a successful tempo run with 30 min in Z3 at a steady pace of 4:55 per km.

Today was a more energy-sapping lactate threshold ride, which I decided to complete on the Tri bike and turbo. After a warm up and short high spin session the Coach instructed me to perform 6 sets of (5 min hard @ lactate threshold HR + 3 min Z2 recovery). These sessions aim to push your LT higher, mine currently around a HR of 150.

I struggled to get up to LT and the best I could do was Z4 (mid 140s). I am getting better compared to my previous attempts although still need further practice. After I finished my legs were feeling quite heavy and generally fatigued. So I was not hoping for too much at the Club swim tonight!

The swim was relatively gentle with lots of drill sets but even so I was lagging 30 mins in and was thinking about calling it a day. The Coach appeared quite pleased putting the fatigue down to a good couple of previous sessions when I worked hard. I did manage to finish the swim but dropped down a lane for the last 15 mins.

Now it is time for bed for a bit of rest and recovery - tomorrow's another day!

Monday 12 March 2012

A high volume week ahead

Given that I should have an extra bit of time this week - a couple of days holiday - the Coach has increased the volume and given me the following sessions:

Mon - swim (1:00) / strength (0:30)
Tue - bike: recovery spin (1:00) / tempo run (0:45)
Wed - bike: lactate threshold (1:00) / Club swim (1:30)
Thu - run: Z2-3 (0:45)
Fri - bike: Z1-2 (2:30) / run: recovery (0:30)
Sat - Club swim (1:00) / run: endurance (1:30)
Sun - bike: hilly ride (4:00)

All together a 16 hour week: swim (3:30) / bike (8:30) / run (3:30) / strength (0:30)

Wow - bring it on!

Training log - update on progress

Last week was slightly different as it involved a number of test sessions to provide data for the Coach so he can continue to fine tune the program.

I was pleased with my swimming (4 in total last week). During the various sessions I completed a number of 100m sets and was getting down to a consistent 1:38-1:43 pace. My running test was a little 'null and void' because I completed it on a treadmill - not a great experience! In terms of cycling I managed a good amount of time in the aero position. I still need to tweak a few more things but I am getting there - a good balance between comfort and speed. Overall, the week included a much greater amount of zone 3 than previous weeks.

So next week's schedule has just been posted on 'Training Peaks' for my review. I have informed the Coach that my schedule potentially allows some more training time this week as I have a couple of days holiday (wife going skiing and I need to be around to look after the children and dogs). The Coach may come back to me adding a couple more sessions or increasing time for existing sessions. Alternatively he may simply instruct I complete the sessions as planned and take additional rest in between.

Some swimming and strength exercises tonight. Will try to post the full week's schedule as soon as I can.

Tuesday 6 March 2012

10 miles on the treadmill

Tonight's test set was a 10 mile run at IM race pace. As I got home late - still on my tax course in London - I decided to give the old treadmill a go, so stuck on a few tunes on the iPod and after a short warm up settled down to a steady pace of around 5:30 kph (just over 9 min mile).

I started to regret my decision after about 30mins in. I had never run for 10 miles (16km) on the treadmill and suddenly realised it was going to a long night of staring at the garage wall.

Anyway, finally I reached my target distance. I felt OK but was unsure if I had completed the session on the road whether my stats would be of considerable difference (HR, cadence, pace, etc.)

In 1:28 I had run 10 miles with an average pace of 5:30 kph, which equates to a 4 hour 4 min IM marathon time (that would be great but maybe a bit of a stretch on the day). My cadence was a little lower than normal (80 spm) and my HR average was in Z3 throughout.

I expect that is not the last time I will have to complete this particular test. At least it gives me a benchmark; although I cannot see me doing such a long session on the treadmill again.

Club Swim tomorrow. May have to defer bike session to Thursday when I am back to my normal Brighton commute.

Monday 5 March 2012

'Back on that Horse' + book recommendation

As you may have gathered from my earlier blog today I was feeling a bit sorry for myself.

Now, I feel a lot better. I just jumped back on that horse and continued training. Tonight's test session was a relatively short warm up and build set followed by a 1,500m timed swim at steady effort (Ironman pace: 60-70%). I swam with my old training buddy, Chris (lane 1 swimmer), who was lapping me every 400-450m but on the whole I was pleased with my own performance. Not exactly fast at 26mins 58 secs but I believe I could have kept the pace going for 3.8km without too much trouble. That was actually the longest I have ever swam in a pool without stopping.

Tomorrow I need to get in a timed 10 mile run after I return from the second day of my tax course in London (groan!). Either I can do a number of laps around the village or possibly even complete on the treadmill.

The only advantage of today's commute was that I could get stuck into my new book - A Life Without Limits by the great Chrissie Wellington - a signed copy I managed to pick up at the Tri Show. So far an excellent read - it is hard to get the picture of her smiley face out of yor mind as you read the words - very inspirational!

In a classroom learning about Tax but thinking about training

I am writing this blog during one of the breaks on the first day of a 3-day tax course in London - grim! It is slowly draining the life force from my body and all I can think of is that I have a 1,500m time trial in the pool tonight.

The commuting to London also takes it toll - I think I need a 'power nap' on the return journey back to Brighton - that's if I can get a seat on the train.

Last week ended a little off plan with me missing my long ride and transition run. I got up at 6am already to go but then saw the miserable weather. Not to worry I had the turbo / treadmill set up for such occasions. I don't normally mind training in the rain although it was particularly nasty.

It all started OK with 1:30 on the turbo with a good 30mins in the aero position. The plan was to do another 1 hour on the bike, 20 mins transition run (jump on treadmill) and 20 mins strength later in the day. Unfortunately the day did not work out exactly as planned and I skipped the final sets. Since then I have carrying quite a bit of guilt around with me - stupid really but it has had a negative effect. I am normally quite a positive person and hate the thought that I have let myself down.

Anyway, I now need to 'jump right back on the horse' and move on. This week is going to be a bit of a challenge because of the commuting and 3-day tax course in London, so I am going to have to be more innovative than normal.

The Coach wants to review my data in more detail this week so I have a number of test sessions to complete - no excuses - just get it done!

Friday 2 March 2012

A relatively slow run this morning - review of nutrition

Arrived at work at normal time - about 6:45am - and decided to do my longer weekend run a day early. Reason for change: I doubt I will get an opportunity to run tomorrow as I am off to the Tri Show at Sandown Park after the morning Club Swim.

So the plan was a 1:30 run over a flat to undulating route in Z1-2, possibly up to Z3 on the hills. I parked the car at the office and headed off to the seafront through the Marina and then via the cliff underpass to around Saltdean when I climbed to the top of the cliffs for the more undulating return to the centre of Brighton.

As I started the run I realised it was best not to monitor my pace as my body told me not to push it - result of recent training - so I focussed on my HR data. I also question my nutrition strategy - I went out with some friends last night for a local Charity quiz evening, which involved some 'fish & chips' and a beer - very nice but probably not the best fueling for a run the next morning. Then because of the early start I decided not to eat anything before the run. I also forgot my running bottle and energy drink, which I normally take for runs longer than an hour.

So the recent accumulation of training and lack of decent nutrition was not probably the best preparation for the session this morning - not surprising that I found it a bit of an effort.

Saying that, I still did it, run cadence was good (above 85 spm) and after a bit of fueling when I returned to the office I felt OK.

Tonight is a high cadence set on the turbo and tomorrow a Club Swim. Sunday a 3:30 Z2 ride with 20 mins transition run - it's all go!

Thursday 1 March 2012

So what is training for an Ironman really like?

As I turn over my 220Triathlon Calendar in the office another time I quickly calculate that I have now been training for my Ironman challenge for 3 months and I have around 4 months left (or 3 months and 2 weeks if you exclude a fortnight taper).

Back in December it was typically 8-10 hours of training per week, relatively easy Z1-2 sessions building up the base and following a simple plan. Now I am in the heavier build part of the plan averaging 13-14 hours when hardly a day goes past when I am not doing at least 1 to 2 sessions. Of course now I am being professionally coached.

So how do I feel and what is training for an Ironman really like?

Previously I don't believe I was qualified to answer such a question but now possibly I can....

The first thing you notice is that your body has a general ache about it - nothing painful and sometimes hardly noticeable but it feels like you have just done some training, which of course you normally have! The only difference is that previously it would have generally disappeared before the next session but as the training sessions get more frequent it never really does. Up to now it has no effect on my overall performance and I have been able to complete all the sessions pretty much as instructed. My Coach carefully plans the sessions so I do not have heavy sets one after another and given that I am over 40 recommends a lower volume week every 3.

I have been told by some of the guys from the Club that are seasoned Ironmen that what I am feeling is pretty normal and actually is proof that the training is going well. You should feel some effect but have always have enough in the tank to complete the next session. That is why it is so important to mix some higher intensity workouts with lighter recovery ones. I understand that the 2-week taper before the event is when the feeling of constant training starts to disappear leaving you in great shape for the big event - that is the theory!

The other point of interest about Ironman training that I would like to highlight is that you become more and more innovative of finding time to complete the sessions. You just end up accepting you will probably have to fit 1-2 sessions in during the day and always thinking ahead about how you are going to achieve that goal. It does mean that there is certainly less time to simply chill and plonk yourself down in front of the TV after a hard day in the office.

There is no doubt that Ironman training can put pressure on family time but fortunately I have an understanding wife and children that are very supportive. I do make an effort to do more with them when I am not training or working, however there are times when you know you are 'pushing your luck' i.e. when a 3 hour bike ride turns into 4 to 4.5 hours for whatever reasons - setting up bike beforehand, punctures, cleaning bike afterwards, having a chat with the guys on a group ride, taking a shower and fuelling afterwards etc, etc....

Some friends that are aware of the level of my training are amazed I am not always tired. To be honest not training actually makes me lethargic and I feel much more alive and ready for the day after a session, especially in the morning. Saying that, after the 4 hour bike ride and 20 mins run last Sunday I was not up for much during the rest of the day. Sleep is obviously important - I am fortunate that I do not need 8 hours every day; however I am normally ready for bed by 10pm.

Generally I am still enjoying the whole experience and one day when I am looking back I am sure the journey will be more memorable than the ultimate goal itself (hence the reason for the blog!).

Would I do it again? Well early days - I still have a long way to go. However, I think 'Yes' but this is definitely not going to be an annual event.