Sweatin' it out

Off down the gym for a good hour's cardio:

5 mins bike WU
15 mins rower, level 5: 3529m = 2:07/500m average - slow to warm up; ended up rowing at 2:02-2:05
2 x 10 mins stepper (profile), level 8: 232m, 236m
25 mins bike (profile), level 7: 10.96km
5 mins bike CD

Don't know why, but I was just dripping tonight - yuk (but also a good workout!). Legs were tired after yesterday's squats, so I felt it on the stepper. Wonder if I could go to level 9 next week though? I'm never out of breath, just not able to move any quicker. I need to dig out the old HRM I think.

Schedule

Plans for the rest of the week:

Tues: evening gym, cardio only, hard, 1hr
Weds: morning swim
Thurs: lunchtime gentle run; evening gym (cardio + lower body weights + core)
Fri: lunchtime swim
Sat: morning gentle run; core work
Sun: bike back from Diss Du

Tentative run

First of all, a swim:

300m WU
6 x 100m, 5s rest: 1:58, 2:02, 2:00, 1:59, 2:00, 1:59
9 x 25m @ 45s: seven at 24s and two at 25s
300m CD

Result! Excellent session, quickest and strongest in a while. Blasting out the 25m sprints feels good, but I can also really feel the power in the 100m reps.

In the evening, I tried a run with the beginners' group, on 3 x 8mins. That was fine, although I was at the back and we did barely more than a walk on a couple of uphill stretches. However, a run is a run and I have to start back gently.

Having done the run as a warm up I thought I may as well do some weights, so:
triceps (CJ) 15kg 3x8 (hard)
biceps (barbell) 15kg 3x12 (OK)
lat (approximated on CJ as machine busy) 25kg 3x10 (hard)
squat (dumbbells) 2x4kg 3x12
abs: 25 upper, 25 lower, 25 upper

I think next time I will either wait for the lat pulldown machine, or omit that exercise, as it's just not effective on the cable jungle.

All's Wells that ends at Wells

Interesting ride today. All my buddies were otherwise engaged, so I forged off alone to the coast, to be met by Mark for chips and beer (this is highly specialised nutrition!). First stop Frettenham, to see Lizzie finish a 10k under an ominous black cloud. Apart from a few pathetic spits of hail, that amounted to nothing. Then it was off to Buxton, Aylsham, Saxworth, Briston, Thursford, Hindringham, Wighton and Wells: route.

It was certainly chilly, and I kind of wished I'd worn my jacket instead of just long and short sleeved tops, but I survived. One quick stop for a drink and a breather on the way, but other than that I kept on plugging away and averaged 25km/h or 15.6mph. Given that there was a headwind and several hills, I'm pleased with that - although I didn't mind the headwind so much as it was blowing the clouds away, and the closer I got to Wells the sunnier it became!

Slightly worried at the creaking noise that has recently begun to emanate from the bike. Can't tell if it's the headset, forks or bottom bracket but I think I need to get it looked at.

Saturday long swim

I am trying to make Saturdays a habit in the 50m session. Today was a bit harder as it was more crowded (club using 4 lanes), but I got through it. One or two lengths were subject to hold ups behind the crazy old man swimming jellyfish style, and at one point I took a 20s break to get away from a woman who was slower than me by just enough for me to be on her tail, but not enough to be worth overtaking. I accepted several lengths of slipstream (mass start training - heh) but then couldn't take any more of the pounding noise from her kicking. No watch, so no splits.

300m WU
1800m 40:26 = 33.7s / 25m
300m CD

I swam best towards the end but that was probably because the pool was emptying out - I got out just a few minutes before the changeover to 25m.

Gym: more of the same

Compact set as I had to squeeze it in first thing:

5min bike WU
10min stepper profile, 8
15min rower, 5
10min stepper, profile, 8
5min bike CD

Swim and gym

Swim:
300m WU
8 x 100m, 5s rest: 1:59, 2:05, 2:04, 2:05, 2:07, 2:09, 2:04, 2:04
11 x 25m: 25-27s, done @45s
350 CD

Gym:
5min bike WU
10min stepper, profile, 8
weights:
abductor 30kg 3x12
adductor 25kg 3x12
tricep (CJ) 15kg 3x10
bicep (barbell) 15kg 3x12
lat pulldown 35kg 3x12
squat (dumbbells) 2x4kg 3x12
abs: 25 upper, 25 lower, 25 upper, 25 each side, plank 3x10s

I figured it was time to start doing some strength work instead of all cardio. Some of the weights are a bit hazy as I wasn't writing them down as I went. Core strength seems especially poor from the plank!

Swim: 1000m time trial

350m WU/CD
1000m - 20:59 = 2:06/100m

100m splits: 2:02, 2:05, 2:06, 2:07, 2:07, 2:07, 2:07, 2:07, 2:11, 2:00

Total 1700m

One aim with all this training is to get 1000m down below 20 minutes, so this is a benchmark.

Gym: cardio

5min bike WU
2 x 10min (profile) stepper
10min rower 2462m
15min bike profile
5min bike CD

Short, hard, functional! Goal: break 2500m on the rower.

Mini bike blat

Out to Simon's to meet Mark before we all went for a walk around the Pingo Trail. Almost dead on 56 minutes' cycling time (i.e. excluding the annoying wait at Spooner Row crossing for a train!), gives me 25.9km/h or 16mph. Not bad!

Swim: mixed set

250m WU
7 x 100m, 5s rest: 1:59, 2:04, 2:06, 2:10, 2:05, 2:05, 2:05
10 x 25m @ 45s: all at 24-26s, so 19-21s rest
600 CD

Total 1800m

Feeling pretty good, more so on the sprints. Clearly I start off a bit too fast on the 100m reps, and can't maintain the pace. Five seconds' rest is just about enough for a gasp or two of air!

The usual

5min bike WU
2 x 10min stepper, profile, level 8
10 min rower, resistance 5
20min bike, profile, level 7
5min bike CD

Swim: 1700m

(31st March) I've been a bit slack in filling this in - have kept a few scribbled notes and saved sessions on my watch, so will the blog fill in retrospectively but details are a bit sketchy in places! Must do better from now on!

Long base swim today:

300m WU
1700m 37:49 = 33s / 25m
300m CD

The hardest thing is probably keeping count of the lengths. Well, that and keeping going fast enough ;) I do tire - the first 100-200m are quick, then I settle down, I notice myself flagging a bit about 800-1000m, and I pull it together again at the end.

Long swim

Having missed Saturday's time trial swim (due to red wine overindulgence on Friday - oops), I thought I would do it today rather than go back into efforts and a mixed set.

200m warm up and cool down
1700m main set

Total time for 1700m 37:40
Average/25m 33 secs

100m splits (ish - sometimes I forget to hit "lap" until a few seconds into the next 100m):
2:05, 2:13, 2:11, 2:08,
2:08, 2:09, 2:11, 2:13,
2:14, 2:12, 2:12, 2:19,
2:16, 2:13, 2:17, 2:16,
2:15

The times seem a bit slow, even though I had the lane mostly to myself. Maybe I could have pushed harder. I had a few lengths where I could really feel the power, my breathing and kick were both strong and consistent, but it just didn't show on the watch.

Ferry 'cross the... Yare?

A really lovely bike ride today over some new roads for us (me, Trish, Rob, plus Graeme for the first half). Basically out to the Broadland Half (where Graeme found himself some faster company for the ride home!), and back via Reedham Ferry, just over 70km or nearly 45 miles. Gorgeous weather, not much wind, quiet lanes, nice scenery, lots of happy people at the half (Lorraine with her 1:40 - go girl!), and the best post-race cake stall you have ever seen. What more could you ask for?

For me the ride felt great, I wasn't too tired at the end of it, and we kept up a good pace, averaging 14.5mph. Once into a rhythm I could just pretty much keep going. But I did forget my gloves, and noticed the difference - sore palms on the outside edge.

Mixed swim

Another mixed swim session:

300m warm up
6 x 50m drill (fists, stroke count (as low as 21), trailing fingers)
9 x 25m sprints, 15s recovery
300m cool down

There was supposed to be more kick in there but I was on a tight schedule...

Dire rear

Decided to try and do a midweek bike session in the gym. The book said 1h15, so I did 10 mins warm up, 2 x 30 mins (max allowed in one go), and 5 mins cool down.

Hard work, not the most comfortable bike ever, but successful I think! The worst bit was the handlebars getting sweaty, and the seat not being comfortable (just way too huge). By the end I was standing up every 5 mins to give my backside a rest. I picked the bike with the best seat, but it was in front of the TV showing Emmerdale - I nearly lost the will to live...

Stepping up the swim

Up to 1850m total workout today:

300m warm up
200m drills (stroke count - minimum 21; closed fists)
6 x 100m moderate, 5s rest (all between 2:04 and 2:09)
9 x 25m sprint (between 24 and 27 s)
1 x 25m slow (because I can't do odd numbers of lengths! and my float was at the other end...)
200m kick (zzzzzz)
300m cool down

Felt really good, especially the sprints. I'm really getting back into it.

Gym progress

Squeezed in the usual session tonight and managed to up the distances:

10 mins rower, steady, resistance 5, 2412m
2 x 10 mins stepper, intervals, level 8, 235m and 225m

Felt fairly comfortable, the pace was hard but sustainable, and after some weights for biceps and triceps I was pretty knackered!

The long and windy road

Out to Shipdham again, picking up Rosie en route at Hethersett, but back via Old Buck this time. Trish, Rob and John joined us from Shipdham to Ellingham, with Rob continuing with us to Wymondham (where he got a puncture). Total 52 miles, average 15mph but probably seriously affected by the wind for the first half (well, and for the second half but more positively!).

At times we were cruising along very happily at 19mph, other times we were crawling into a headwind. Last week's return route was our outward route this week and took 1:27 (1:12 last week). However, I honestly enjoyed every bit and didn't really struggle at all. When we were going, we were really going and it was brilliant.

Olympic distance

Not a tri, just the pool :) Tried the 50m swimming this morning. It was fine, felt slow but that could be me and not the pool. I did do some arm stuff in the gym yesterday and so was a bit tired. But the pool was good, not crowded at all. One bizarre thing was that I felt much slower over the "shallow end" than down my usual "deep end" haunt. Surely there can be no reason for that - but it felt that way quite consistently! Twilight zone....

Session:
250m warm up
1200m continuous (27 mins, average 33-34 secs/25m or 1:07/50m)
250m cool down

Skipped another one

Thursday was just too busy to fit anything in, lots of work and lots of work-but-not-core stuff over lunch and the afternoon, then out with Alex in the evening. So today I made sure I did a good old gym session:

5 mins bike warm up
10 mins bike, interval profile, level 7, "24km.h"
10 mins stepper, sharp interval profile, level 8
15 mins rower, 3532m (2325 @ 10mins)
10 mins stepper, interval profile, level 8
5 mins bike cool down
triceps on cable jungle - 3 x 8 @ 10kg
biceps single barbell - 3 x 12 @ 10kg
abs 20 each side and 40 straight

One in two

Memory-related kit problem on Tuesday. Lack of shoes and sports bra. D'oh! So had to give that one up as a bad job. Made it on Weds, though, and hit 2382m for 10 mins rowing, plus the rest of the usual workout.

Two in one?

The scheduled swim was pretty much as below, except for the last bit. I added that in to "make up for" not doing a 40 min fartlek run with 6x30s all-out efforts. Does that work? I don't know, but it's what I can do at the moment. I've upgraded my Sportspark card to a Gold card, i.e. unlimited gym and swim, any time. Unfortunately with the gym and pool being separate there is not much chance of doing a mixed workout (not to mention the time factor), but hopefully this will make things a bit easier for a month or so. My foot feels a lot better at the moment, so perhaps the rest is working.

300m warm up
8x25m drills = 200m (fingers, fists, catch-up)
4x100m moderate = 400m
6x(25m sprint, 50m recovery) = 450m
350m cool down

1700m, 40 mins including rests.

First bike ride of 2009?!

Yes, really. That's quite shameful - no rides in Jan or Feb!

Ah well. Despite being late it was a good start to the year's biking. Just short of 43 miles at an average of 16.5mph. Over to Trish and Rob's at Shipdham via the usual Hingham route, back via the more main roads (Watton road, Hethersett road). Route is here.

I'm short of my bike computer still, but I took some splits in km using my watch and Bikemap:

30:22 - home to Stanfield Rd, 12.5km - 24.7km/h (15.3mph)
20:25 - Stanfield Rd to Deopham, 8.75km - 25.7km/h (15.9mph)
34:22 - Deopham to Shipdham, 15.25km - 26.6km/h (16.5mph)
23:35 - Shipdham to Hingham, 10.25km - 26km/h (16.1mph)
48:27 - Hingham to home, 22km - 27.2km/h (16.9mph)

That's pretty good going I think. It was easier to get speed up and sustain it on the way back, as I was on more main roads, but I really enjoyed the whole ride, and remembered why I love getting on the bike. Heading up High Oak, I was going slowly and even though it was a manky grey day there was a skylark singing, no traffic... lovely. Flocks of pigeons clattering up out of the fields as I passed, horses peering curiously over hedges, goldfinches bursting out of the hedgerows, crocuses and snowdrops on the verges... can't wait till we get a bit of sunshine too!

It makes me think it was worthwhile spending over 3 hours cleaning and adjusting the bike yesterday. Wouldn't have had to spend so long if I had done a proper job after the last ride, so made sure I did a proper job after today's. All cleaned and lubed and ready for the next one.