training week 7/40

total 20 hrs,  390k
2 * turbos
Commutes – 8 (28-39k)
Long Ride  –  icy on Saturday morning, so rode later in the day.
Write off on Sunday – Heavy frost,  a hangover and work support from 12:30 conspired to make me stay under the duvet

Yay – I can ride rollers! – training week 6/40

total 20.5 hrs,  330k
2 * turbos
Commutes – 6 (28k each)
Long Ride  –  icy on Saturday morning, so out came the rollers.
5 hr ride on Saturday

Training overview

1.  weekly training will based on my ironman basic week, but will be cycling centric, and spiced up in spring / summer with some big weekends

2.  basic week structure.
Get a training week together that is repeatable and sustainable.  I should be able to do this 48 weeks out of 52.  if its too big, then i will skip stuff.
Its better to be a bit smaller then add in, rather than too big and miss key sessions

3. Consistency, consistency, consistency.

4.  I need a mix of stuff / x training.
2 weigjts sessions,
1-2 yoga /mobilty sessions,
2/3 run sessions,
1/2 swims.  the aim of this is to build leg strength / core fitness.  Being fit and resilient has helped me through big endurance days.  some RAAM training notes I found mentioned x-training as a key thing to do as well.
I also need to do enough so IM austria does not break me 3 weeks out from the TCR

5. Lots of biking 🙂

Biking.  guidance notes…..
1. Mix it up (mtb in epping forrest, canal rides to work, gravel route by the thames etc)
2. Do some speed work (2 turbos a week)
3.  do lots of 200k rides (re Kristoff Allegaert).
4.  back to back riding on weekends, adding tripple days by adding in some mondays off work as well
This will be a little challenging as I ride with the missus on a Saturday (she is a novice Ironman, so needs lots of riding, but she is slower than me.  I’ll be on my mtb 🙂
5.  Bigger weekends… Big saturday as possible, sunday big ride including night riding, crash overnight (hostel in winter/spring, bivvy bag in summer).  big monday ride home.  ie 200k saturday, 200 ->300k sunday, 200->300k monday.
Big overnight rides practice night riding, finding food, sleeping in the open, how much sleep is needed, getting going in the morning. Re ed pickup.  sounds a great idea
6 basic periodisation.  Always give yourself somewhere to go – build slowly through the year.  There is no point being it tip shape in May, to then burn out in June and July and lose fitness.
I normally do this each year so will need to pace myself.  I’ve found I lose enthusiasm and training becomes a chore, around about June normally, just when i should be doing the key sessions.  It shows i normally am going bonkers in April/May
6.  Coach – I am continuing to use Steven Lord as a coach.  I’ve found it great over the previous 3 years…. I can work things out for myself, but i miss fewer session when someone else asks me to do them.  I am on a cycling only program this year, due to cost, I am doing minimal running only, and i have 3 yrs of swim sessions in the can.
His background is ironman, with his bike being a major weapon.  He is famous for bonkers levels of training…., and he trains double IM champions, knows someone who did the tcr last year, and Jo Carritt has done doubles as well.  So he does not have a perfect background, but he knows me, knows what I can do and is familiar with big training.

I also don’t know of any coaches specializing in bonkers endurance cycling
I will progressivly add longer and longer rides in on Sundays.  12hr rides should be ‘comfortable’.

training week 5/40

total 13.45 hrs,  191k
2 * turbos, but the duvet won at the weekend 😦
Commutes – 6 (28k each)
turbos – 2
Long Ride  –  err did not happen – oh well.

training week 4/40

total 22 hrs,  425k
Epic long, cold, very wet winter ride, power test on the turbo
Commutes – 6 (28k each)
turbos – 2 – included an alternative power test –

pondering bike choice

My Current major issue….bike choice.

• Number 1 consideration is comfort. Being able to ride an extra hour a day makes up for being 2 kph slower.
• Number 2 consideration… Speed
  I need to be making progress.. So a slow bike is not only slow, it takes more energy to ride slowly. I use a cyclocross to commute on. It goes over anything, but sucks the life out of my legs.

training week 3/40

total 17 hrs,  339k – epic long night ride,  very committing

training week 2/40

total  23 hrs,  446k
basic week
Commutes – 8 (28k each)
turbos – 2

training week 1/40

total  14:30 hrs,  329k

Commutes – 6 (28k each)
turbo – 1
split long ride – 5:45hrs,  150k

just getting back in the swing of things after being slack after IM Barcelona

Thank you for your application…….

‘Thank you for your application

We will let you know on or before 30th November if your application has been successful.

Oh bugger.

Spent an exciting friday evening attempting (and succeeding) to register for tcr no3.  It was a little fraught as their servers immediately went belly up.  However, 30 mins of facebook resulted in calming messages, and everyone received an email link to start to entry process.
This included links to the race manual, and then a quiz – once you were here the pressure was off, and you had 2 days to complete the quiz.  I therefore did it straight away after reading the race manual.  I have got at least 2 questions wrong.  Oh well.

Is that enough for me to be passed over for someone else?

I just want to hear if I’m in or not – checking my mail on a daily basis… Ok every 2 hours, looking for something from the tcr….. Oh dear.  However, their confirmation email says entrants will be informed on the 30th…..  ahhh just tell me please!