I have no idea what I'm du-ing

pointer28

After listening to a very interesting podcast with former Duathlon legend Kenny Souza last week http://www.legendsoftriathlon.com/ I started a thread on the main forum asking why longer distance duathlons weren't that popular in Ireland.

The majority on the calendar tend to be 5k / 20k / 5k which although I'm sure they are great fun, great racing and provide a great workout, they don't really appeal to my taste for the more endurance side of the sport.

Since then, I've discovered the Powerman series, which really appeals to me, but due to work at the moment, I can't commit to one of these just yet, I would love to but simply can't afford it.

With the new TI calendar just out, there are a few longer distance DU's on the calendar, so to put it bluntly, it's time to sh1t or bust. The two that are top of my list are Trim on the 9th and 30th March 2014. I don't know if TI tend to add more races later in the year, but this will do for now.

A few figures and stats to get started.

Have had a bike for a few years, but only ride it sporadically. Longest ride about 140kms but never raced or did a TT, so no figures to work from. Love riding with others but have never done any specific training except just getting out and riding.

Started running Oct '11 with C25K, have run about 2000 kms so far this year, 10k PB is 44:30, HM PB is 1:37. Was training for DCM but DNS due to glute issues caused by no strength and conditioning work and not stretching. Also, I bought Jack Daniel's book, skipped straight to the Mara plan and didn't read the rest of the book, hence ran a really good HM for a PB and then did a 90k week including 2 hard sessions the following week. If I'd read the book it would have told me to skip one of the quality sessions the week after a hard race, this is the week the glute issues started Walked the last 10k of the Athlone 3/4, splits were 54, 54, 84.

What's the plan Batman?

Signed up for strength and conditioning classes twice a week starting next Monday. Have become religious about stretching and foam rolling in the last six weeks.

Signed up for trainerroad today, I realise it has it's limitations and is far from perfect but at least it gives me some structure to work from. Will start with Intermediate Base I and work from there. Week 1 starts today.

Love running, consider 5 times a week and 50k as a quite week, and love doing hard sessions, so I'll stick to what I know. Lots of slow, easy running with one Speed and one Tempo session a week.

Over the winter I hope to get my running PB's down to 40 mins for a 10k and hopefully 1:30 for a HM. I have never raced a 5k, so I'm thinking I would need to be in the 19's if I ever hope to run 40 mins for the 10k.


So, that's it, I'm sure this is of no interest whatsoever to anyone, but maybe it will keep me honest.

pointer28

Just FYI, I will NOT be taking fashion and appearance advice from Kenny Souza.

pointer28

Right, I'll back date this to the start of this week and no further.

Monday

Run 7.9 km @ 5:10 m/km

Intended to do a speed session, but felt tired and lethargic so did an easy session instead.

Tuesday

Bike 35k @ 26.1 km/h

Meant to go longer but way overdressed (warm out) and forget my water bottle. Put in a few minutes in the drops in a big gear trying some TT effort.

Run 9.4k with 6 x 2 min Intervals

Intervals @ 3:53, 3:48, 3:55, 3:56, 3:53, 3:55

Could have gone faster but don't want to stress the whole hamstring, groin, glute area too much.

Wednesday

Run 8k @ 5:09 m/km

pointer28

Today I tried Trainerroad for the first time. The plan I have decided on is the Intermediate Base I.

Today I did the 8 Minute Test and made a total b*lls of it.

Anyway, all excuses aside I have the FTP of a comatose, one legged 5 year old schoolgirl. I know it's inaccurate and TBH I couldn't care less about the numbers as long as it's making me work hard, and boy did I work hard.

I got the turbo resistance right for the second half of the session but was knackered after the warm up so that will have screwed up my numbers. I have noted the tyre pressure, turbo resistance etc and will try my best to have it identical for the next session. If it doesn't feel right I'll re-do the 8 minute test.

It has my future workouts set at an FTP of 140 watts which feels like a good steady effort, but the recovery intervals are at 60 watts which feels like I'm barely moving my legs. Spinning my legs in an easy gear averaged about 85 watts and I felt I could do it all day.

pointer28

Thursday PM

Run

8k @ 5:16 min/km

Worried about how the legs might feel after turbo this morning, but they were perfect.

pointer28

Friday 15/11/13

Run

18.75k with 5 x 5 min @ LT Pace

WU - 4.9k @ 5:19 min/km
Intervals - avg 4:12 min/km
CD - 6k @ 5:20 min/km

That was really f'ing hard. I knew this morning I was fatigued and feeling bad and needed to do an easy run or bike instead but I told myself to just HTFU and get on with it. I got it done and hit all the numbers but am absolutely shattered after it. I know it's meant to be hard and I've done loads of these type of sessions all summer so I know how they're meant to feel, but this was just torture. My legs were absolutely fine and the pace was very doable, but I just wanted to lie down and sleep instead of run. Turns out my two sessions yesterday had a larger toll on my body than I expected. One part of me says "well done for getting through it", the other side of me says "you're some muppet, way to get yourself injured."

I'll have to be much smarter in the future and schedule my workouts a lot better. A double day followed by the hardest run session of the week? Not so smart.

pointer28

Saturday 16/11/13

Bike

Trainer Road - Gayley

4x8min sets @ FT; 4RBI.
60 mins Total

Although the actual numbers that TR give me are supposedly way off, the effort level it has me working at seems to be spot on. I really enjoyed this session, worked hard, and had to concentrate towards the end, but finished it feeling like I actually did some work and it made me stronger. Really looking forward to the next one now.

pointer28

Monday 18/11/13

Run

10.8k with 4 x 4 mins at 10k Pace

WU - 2.6k @ 5:19 min/km
Intervals - avg 3:56 min/km
CD - 2.5k @ 5:18 min/km

"If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always got" or something along those lines. I always do my faster intervals along a lovely flat tarmac path, with no interruptions of any kind and not too many people. However, with the prevailing winds, I nearly always have a good headwind when I turn around so the second half of my intervals are into a headwind. Two ways to look at this, it's stupid, especially when you're getting more tired OR this will make me really strong and teach me to dig deep. Pity, because it's really convenient and perfect in every other way.

pointer28

Strength and Conditioning

First time I've ever done one of these classes.

SWEET SUFFERING JEEBUS

That is all.

pointer28

Tuesday 19/11/13

Bike

Trainer Road - Ericsson

4x8-minute intervals in the Sweet Spot power range (88-94% FTP) where riders begin with a slightly quicker-than-usual spin for the first 4 minutes, increase their pedal speed for the following 3 minutes, and then spin all-out for the final minute. The rest between intervals is 4 minutes and the workout kicks off with 3x2-minute rounds of ILT (Isolated Leg Training) where riders can train each leg's spin individually.

Goals

To improve sustainable leg speed while improving pedal economy. By pedaling fluidly and efficiently, with as little wasted energy as possible, riders can improve their efficiency in the off-season and revisit this workout intermittently during the competitive season, specifically during mid-peak training valleys. An improvement in high-end aerobic endurance with a potential positive effect on maximum sustainable power is icing on the cake.

At the start I thought this session was a bit too easy but by the end I'd done plenty of work, and it is meant to be low intensity base building after all. I still suspect my FTP might be a couple of watts low, but I'll leave it for this week and maybe up it a few watts from next week.

Still sore after last night's S&C but at least I know it's doing something. Enjoyed it in a twisted kind of way though.

pointer28

Wednesday 20/11/13

Run

8.1k @ 5:13 min/km

Still very sore from Monday's S&C, my whole body just aches as if I'd had the living sh1t beat out of me. Not bad injury like pain, more like severe DOMS, every move I make hurts, even turning over in bed, and to add insult to injury, I've to do it all again tonight.

Got out for an easy run this morning even though I didn't feel like it, and glad to say I feel far better for doing it. Still sore, but a bit looser and did a good stretching session afterwards.

pointer28

Wednesday 20/11/13

Strength and Conditioning

Weight training class again, killer session but surprisingly feel far better after this one than after the first. Something must be happening. What these sessions definitely do is highlight how disgracefully weak my core and legs actually are, especially on my left side which is where my issues have always been. I really enjoy them in a perverted kind of way.

Thursday 21/11/13

Bike

Trainer Road - Monitor

Description

6x6-minute intervals of rolling Sweet Spot (88-94% FTP) riding to address aerobic fitness, well over a half-hour in total with 2-minute recoveries between intervals. Fast pedaling drills are incorporated into intervals 2-6 in order to target pedal economy and to shift some stress off the muscles with a quick, lower-force spin.

Goals

Further aerobic efficiency via Sweet Spot efforts by improving glycogen storage capacity, fat utilization, and the capacity for more intense workouts later on while increasing power output at moderate intensities; improve pedal economy by increasing natural cadence and reinforcing proper pedaling mechanics. Try to keep your spin above 90rpm and follow the on-screen pedaling drills to the best of your ability.

Another good workout. I like these sessions especially with the added drills like high cadence as it's means your constantly changing, which as well as improving form, it also keeps it interesting rather than just constantly riding steady tempo for an hour. The cadence over 100 rpm, although at a low resistance, really takes concentration and makes you sweat like hell.

pointer28

Wednesday 20/11/13

Run

8k @ 5:13 min/km

Nothing exciting to report, I ran, it was cold.

pointer28

Thursday 22/11/13

Run

12.5k @ 5:20 min/km

This was meant to be 5 x 5 min reps at LT pace but I struggled to finish the first one, too much muscle fatigue in quads and shoulders so cancelled the next four and jogged home easy. Exactly the same problem as last week except worse as I have the S&C to add to the fatigue this week. Tired quads were to be expected but I never realised how sore tired shoulders could be when running. You learn something new every day.

Anyway, I did the sensible thing and will live to fight another day.

mossym

any temptation, with all this training, to just bite the bullet and try get the swimming going for a couple of months and see how it goes?

pointer28

mossym wrote: »

any temptation, with all this training, to just bite the bullet and try get the swimming going for a couple of months and see how it goes?

I did about ten swimming lessons last year, still can't manage a single stroke.

Spoke to my swimming instructor just last weekend, she thought duathlons were a great idea :-)

pointer28

Saturday 23/11/13

Bike

Trainer Road - Eclipse

Description

3x20-minute Sweet Spot (88-94% FTP) efforts with 5 minutes of recovery between intervals. Optional cadence drills include one interval spent over-spinning, one spent under-spinning, and the final interval spent at "natural" cadence.

Goals

Further aerobic efficiency via Sweet Spot efforts by improving glycogen storage capacity, fat utilization, and the capacity for more intense workouts later on while increasing my power output at moderate intensities; improve pedaling efficiency via over-spinning, improve muscle control via under-spinning, and strive to raise natural FTP to a less muscularly taxing 90+ natural cadence. Cadence during over-spinning interval should be 5-10rpm above your natural cadence, as much as 20rpm below it during the under-spinning interval, and riders with a sub-90rpm natural cadence should strive to raise their natural cadence to at least 90rpm over time.

Another good TR session, 1:30 in total with 60 minutes in the sweet spot. The effort itself wasn't overly taxing but took some real effort to keep pumping out the constant wattage for 20 minute intervals, that's where I always struggle, I lose concentration on the bike and tend to watch the world go by, the birds singing etc etc instead of keeping a constant effort. The cadence drills did help break the monotony though.

While I'm still a music snob, I have to admit that the "club anthems 2004" that I found in a bargain bin is a better choice for the turbo than some real music. Pink Floyd just doesn't cut it for this job.

mossym

pointer28 wrote: »

I did about ten swimming lessons last year, still can't manage a single stroke.

Spoke to my swimming instructor just last weekend, she thought duathlons were a great idea :-)

fair enough. at least you made the call after trying.

pointer28

Monday 25/11/13

Run

6k @ 5:12 min/km

Meant to do some hard reps at 10k pace but had a dodgy stomach all day so decided against it. Getting injured is bad enough, but public diarrhoea is another thing entirely.

pointer28

Tuesday 25/11/13

Bike

Trainer Road - Kaweah - 1:30 total time

5x10-minute intervals in the Threshold power level at 95-99% FTP with 5-minute recoveries between intervals.

Goals

The goal here is quite simply to elevate FTP. By spending time very close to lactate threshold while remaining just below it, riders can improve their sustainable power & muscle endurance by teaching their muscles to process high levels of lactate & acidic buildup without slowing down. Additionally, and equally as important, riders learn to tolerate the mental discomfort inherent in maintaining high levels of Functional Threshold Power. Cadence should fall in the 85-95rpm range but steady stress and target watts are more important than pedal speed so prioritize accordingly and don’t worry if your cadence falls outside of this range from time to time.

Another quality session, once again not as easy as it felt at the start. Once again I found it hard to keep a constant effort for the final rep, the graph shows a very saw toothed profile, while the first four were far more uniform. Obviously it's working and I always feel great after these rides.

joey100

Seem to be really enjoying the Trainerroad there pointer. Use it myself and find it great, no slacking off when it shows you on the screen what you should be doing.

pointer28

I think it's fantastic.

In the past I just copied sessions from magazines or whatever and murdered myself for an hour with no objective or plan in mind. Half the time, these just left me on the floor nearly vomiting, but probably not working in the proper zones for increasing fitness.

While the numbers on screen may not be accurate, they do seem to be consistent and I'm finally working towards a goal and it seems to be making a difference.

pointer28

Monday 2/12/13

Run

8.1k @ 5:05 min/km

I went to Germany on Wednesday and got back yesterday evening. I could have brought running gear and done a few sessions but my GF works long hours and doesn't get many chances for a break away so I decided to forget training for a week and not spoil it for her.

Whether it was air conditioning or whatever the hell it was, my sinuses have been murdering me all week, and I woke up in the middle of the night with a leg cramp (thanks Ryanair!), but I certainly didn't feel like running when I got up this morning. I knew better though and forced myself out the door for my usual easy lap around home. The best thing I could have done TBH, I feel fantastic after it, my sinuses have improved, my leg has loosened up and I really had to hold back on the pace. My easy pace is meant to be 5:20 min/km, but every time I looked at the watch it was reading sub 5:00 and felt like I was floating so all in all a great session and really improved my head.

Unfortunately, I ate my own bodyweight in bratwurst, bier and bretzle during the week so I'll now have to work that off as well. Also stocked up on good cigars which is probably not conducive to endurance training.

pointer28

Tuesday 3/12/13

Run

8.5k @ 5:12 min/km

Another easy one today, different route, bit more lumpy but nothing to worry about. Legs are feeling really good and any little niggles I had in the past don't seem to be rearing their ugly heads yet. While the massages and a couple of S&C sessions obviously help I think the 5 solid days of absolutely zero training might have done me the world of good.

Bike

Trainer Road - Tunnabora

5x7min decreasing/increasing watts (SweetSpot) in order to increase/decrease cadence; 3RBI.

I upped my FTP ever so slightly and I think it's just nice now. This high cadence work really makes you sweat but doesn't trash your legs. I also tend to sleep really well after a decent bike session, whereas running doesn't seem to help me sleep at all.

pointer28

Wednesday 4/12/13

Run

13.6k with 6 x 4 mins at 10k Pace, 3 min RBI

This was tough, but I managed to get it done. Target pace was 4:00 min/km which was tough but doable for the first four intervals but faded badly for the last two. I said last time that the spot I use was very bad for a headwind and it was the same today. I meant to scout around and find somewhere else better within 2/3 kms of the house but with being away last week it slipped my mind. I didn't want to miss the session so I just went ahead and did it in the usual spot. Better an imperfect session than none at all.

Splits (2nd, 4th, 6th into a headwind)

3:58
4:01
3:57
4:02
4:02
4:11

pointer28

Thursday 5/12/13

Bike

Trainer Road - Antelope - 1:30 total time

5x10-minute Sweet Spot (88-94% FTP) intervals where riders spend incrementally longer periods of time in an aerodynamic position; 5 minutes of recovery between intervals. Performed outside, find flat or rolling stretches of road that offer minimal interruption and ride at a pace well below FTP but one that still requires a high level of focus to remain on target. Spend the longest periods of time riding aerodynamically that you can manage while not sacrificing your target power.

Goals

Further aerobic efficiency via Sweet Spot efforts by improving glycogen storage capacity, fat utilization, and the capacity for more intense workouts later on while increasing power output at moderate intensities; improve ability to sustain power in an aerodynamic position en route to finding the optimal balance between power production & aerodynamic body positioning. Cadence can be as low as 70rpm and as high as 90rpm depending on your typical time trial/aero leg speed.

Managed to do all the intervals on the drops (don't own a TT bike, yet) and while they were a little uncomfortable at times, I stuck with it as I never use the drops and it's something I really need to get used to doing. Of course, I'm on a "comfort oriented" road bike, so even on the drops is probably not near as aero as I could be but I may as well start somewhere. Maybe next year I'll get something more racy, I'm thinking carbon, fancy wheels etc etc.

pointer28

Friday 6/12/13

Run

20.8k @ 5:15 min/km

First longish run in ages, forgot to bring water and unseasonably warm so struggled towards the end. Pace and legs were OK, no idea what the temperature was, but I thought this was supposed to be December.

pointer28

Saturday 6/12/13

Bike

Trainer Road - Geiger

3x12-minute efforts spent in the Sweet Spot (88-94% FTP), a little harder than Tempo work but not as exhausting as Threshold work, to improve aerobic fitness - both power & endurance - in minimal time. Recovery between efforts is brief, just 3 minutes. The pace is well below FTP but still requires a high level of focus to remain on target.

Goals

Further aerobic efficiency via Sweet Spot efforts by improving glycogen storage capacity, fat utilization, and the capacity for more intense workouts later on while increasing power output at moderate intensities.

pointer28

Monday 9/12/13

Run

8k @ 5:05 mins/km

I don't want to sound like I'm complaining about the unseasonably mild weather we're having but my sinuses are playing up like mad and I seem to have a constant head cold with it. Not affecting my performance but a bloody nuisance.

pointer28

Tuesday 10/12/13

Run

McMillan 10k Build No.1 @ 75% duration

14.4k with 6 x 1.2k @ 10k Pace

I had planned on following Greg McMillan's ultimate 10k workouts for a target 10k in April. However, his plan is only 8 weeks long and speed is my biggest problem so I decided to do a complete run through of his sessions except at 75% of the duration until I start his sessions in full in the middle of February. Could be completely daft, but sure there's only one way to find out.

Really feared this session, very tough but dug deep and got it done, avg pace per interval was 3:59 min/km and my target pace is 4:00 min/km so I have to be happy with that. I tried a different spot today for these intervals and there was definitely a lot of shelter from the wind, however, the very trees providing the shelter also leave a lot of leaves on the smooth tarmac and it was a little greasy in spots. Beggars can't be choosers though so I just got on with it. Feeling a lot more confident now having done it.

pointer28

Wednesday 11/12/13

Bike

Trainer Road - Thunder

4 sets of 2x4min Speed Endurance Intervals bewteen 90-95%FT; 2RBI/2RBS.

Legs were very stiff and sore this morning after the run yesterday but an hour on the turbo loosened them right up.