F4

Another session from the ‘wipe clean’ book. F4 this time. Lots of short, sharp, fast intervals. These are probably the best thing for me to do, to push up my AT to nearer my VO2Max.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/111804439

I unstrapped my ankle today as I think the strapping is now doing more harm than good, making me walk a little awkwardly, leading to my knee being a wee bit sore. It’s not tender, no ligament or tendon injury evident, but just a bit achy. Need to keep an eye on it.

I did the full range of ankle stabilising exercises today, including the wobble board, the VMO strengthening exercises, and the glute strengthening exercises too. The ankle feels better, but the knee is a worry – the VMO exercise is particularly sore. Hmmm.

E4

More turbo training from the ‘wipe clean’ book. Mostly it’s intervals, and mostly it breaks up the boredom. Actually, I enjoy nipping off to the garage and cycling away in there. I’d rather be out and about, but a quick hour in there, constantly turning the pedals, is probably worth 90 minutes out on the road, in terms of conditioning, etc.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110882666

Still keeping off the ankle, still stretching cautiously, still keeping it strapped up.

Turbo ME 1

Back onto the Turbo for more high cadence practice!

This time ME 1, which is some sort of endurance training thing. Some of it is one leg practice – very difficult to keep it smooth, but a great exercise to try to make the most of each pedal stroke.

The main exercise part was 6 minute repeats at Tempo, HR zone 4. Hard work, but great for pushing up AT.

Ankle still fine on the bike, and sore whenever I try to run at all. To be fair, I think it’s getting slowly better, but I’m an impatient sod, and I want it to be better yesterday. I am determined to leave it 6 weeks without running on it, which means I might actually reach 4 weeks.

SS2 Turbo Training – Spin Ups

Just two days to my first ever olympic distance triathlon, so a session of high cadence spinning on the turbo trainer today.

5 mins cadence > 90
5 mins alternating 30 secs between 80 rpm and 100 rpm
8 x 30 secs spin up to max rpm, with 2:30 rest
5 mins cool down.

Here’s the data

Turbo E1

The new turbo training book tells me to do E1 – “Rolling Hilly Course”

W/U
5 mins Cadence > 90
5 mins alternating 30 secs standing, 30 secs sitting
6 mines alternating left and right leg @ 80%

Set 1
6 x 2 mins Z2 @ cadence 72, 1 min cadence > 100

Set 2
6 x 3 mins Z3 @ cadence 72, 1 min cadence > 100

W/D
5 mins Z1

I have the data from the Garmin, but the Garmin Connect website is still down… Grump.

I was supposed to go for a 100k ride with JEdge this afternoon, but rotas conspired against me, and it was raining, so the turbo session was fine with me.

Races coming up – Loch Ness Swim on Saturday, Monikie Standard Triathlon Sunday, Peebles Duathlon the next weekend. And Emma is doing the Peebles too!

E2 – Getting Aero

I have a new book, a book about turbo training. I figure I’m going to be doing plenty of turbo training in the next few months, so a bit of a plan, and a bit of variety makes sense. The plan for cycling base fitness says to do E2 – “Getting Aero”.

W/U
5 mins Cadence > 90
5 mins 30 sec intervals alternating cadence 80 and 100
5 mins cadence 95 +

Set

30 mins Z2 first and last 10 mins in aero position

W/D
5 mins Z1

I got most of it on the Garmin, but the Garmin Connect website is screwed up.

Cyclical

I actually stuck to the plan today. Plan to cycle, did 30 minutes on the turbo. I really feel it. It’s quite incredible how bike fit I’m not. In the summer I was doing 45 minutes on the turbo, 35kph, no worries. Now I’m doing 30 mins at 28kph, and I’m stuffed. The new shoes are great, the bike is still great, the tri bars are great, although I could do with pushing the seat forward a wee bit….

But, it’s another short session done. Another bit of fitness. Another bit of time in the saddle, and it’s time in the saddle that makes the difference, ultimately. It’s a real contrast from the swimming, where it’s all about the technique, not about the time in the water.

Another cycle tomorrow, then some running and swimming later in the week. Perhaps Jedg1 will come up at the weekend, and we can have a joint session…

Where has all the fitness gone?

First session of the new training program. 30 minutes on the turbo trainer. The new tri bars are great – nice position, but I need to get the saddle forward a bit to get a bit more power down more comfortably. The new(ish) shoes are great – particularly the Look pedals. I wrecked them by walking in the shoes on the Skye holiday, but they still work well enough. Putting the tri bars on screwed with the gears, but I’ve sorted them now.

Anyway – 30 mins on the bike, 35 kph, and I was pretty stuffed by the end of it. It’s amazing how quickly fitness disappears. Hopefully it’ll come back as quickly. Right.

Tomorrow I’m on call, but there’s a gap between 5 and 6 in the evening when I can fit in a run. Time to get out the fives for one last run in them before sending them to jedg1.

Bike Wednesday, swim Thursday, swim with P-Dub on Friday, and we’ll see about the weekend….