Well this was my first full week of Race Prep training (even though the 12 week phase officially kicks off tomorrow - but thats another story). It wasn't too bad, except for the hacking dry cough I had all week. As I type this, there is 83 days, 13 hours and 47 min until IMWA 2011 starts! So less than 12 weeks to the starters gun fires!
I hit every planned session, but did not achieve everything set out for each workout. Due to the change from O/S plan to Race Prep and the man cold (cough) I did not do a 5k TT and did very poorly in my 40min bike TT. Between last Sun (which is in last weeks stats) and Thursday this week, I ran about 67km in 5 days. No wonder my legs were a bit trashed! This week I did 5/3/3 - runs, swims & rides in 12:06hrs.
Monday was an easy 40' run (with 8x 30" strides) and then a lunchtime swim (1.8k). My avg pace for 100m has improved about 6-7" since last week, so I think my swimming has just clicked into gear. Tue was run intervals (barfing up a lung) instead of a 5k TT. Wed was my Epic Fail bike TT. It was also my first ride back on the Cervelo P2 since the Busso 70.3 about 5 months ago. The plan was 40' TT with the 2nd 20' being used to determine LTHR threshold etc. Well, I only managed 30' and the last 20' return was an avg speed of 36.0 and an avg HR of 80% of max. (Last test was 37.2 km/h and 84% of MHR). Anyway, no excuses, it is what it is. I will try again this week and hope this cough etc has gone by then. After this ride I then did a 25' brick run with the hound dog.
Thursday saw me start the weekly long runs in this new time slot. The plan was 1:40, which I did and covered 20.8km. It had 2 x 10' of Z3 work in there (4:20-4:30 pace). It turned out to be an exact even split run, as I got home right on 1:40, after turning around after 50'. I felt pretty good, considering how many kays I had done in the last 5 days. I did have a bit of an incident though. I had my normal routine before exercising, (eat/drink/toilet etc) and set off. But before I got to the beach (< 2km) I felt a bit funny in the guts. So decided I better stop in at the public loos. Wow! Was I glad I did. Lets just say, I came out a bit lighter than what I went in! Friday was a nice easy recovery day, with another 1.8km swim. Friday night was a social with work at the Boulevard pub, but I had 1.5 beers and switched to water very early. Some of the staff can't understand how I could knock back free beer - but I find it very easy! My desire to be healthy and fit with no hangover, so I can train well, far surpasses any desire to drink beer (at least at this time of the year!)...so it is easy for me.
Rat came by on Sat morning and we spun in to RW to join in a RTR ride plus some. Our goal was a 3:00/0:30 brick. It was all going well, except for all but Butch and I going the incorrect route at Pt Walter, in typical RW fashion - of not listening to briefings! Anyway, just after we crossed the train tracks in North Fremantle, I heard a ping and looked down to see a broken spoke on my rear wheel. The wheel was pretty buckled, but I was able to loosen off the brake and still ride. Rat & I then decided to just head for Scarborough so I could duck in and swap wheels over. We then headed up the coast for a bit to get the last few kays in. On the way home, just near St Mary's school, I then snapped a front derailleur cable! So, bout time for a major service from Phabbie me thinks! Anyway, made it back and then tacked on our short canter for 6k. After Rat left, I went into full recovery mode - eat/drink/shower and then compression tights. Legs elevated for 10' and some anti-inflams. Then more eating and drinking...etc
So after I watched the Eagles push the Pies all the way to the last 5 min of the big final at the MCG, I headed into RW. Next week we play the Blues at Subi - and I will be in Sydney! Doh! So the next game I could see live would possibly be the GF - as long as we win the next 2 games! Which would be pretty tough indeed. Anyway, I'm stoked with how far the boys have got this year anyway. Poor Phab was busier than a one armed Kabul brickie! So I wrote out my own service card and attached it to my bike for him. By the time i got home, the kids were at the mother-in-laws for a sleepover, so Lisa & I had some quality time together with no kids around! On Sat night we went up to Cafe Relish with Paul & Julie for dinner, which was nice. Except the joint was so loud you could hardly here your self think. By 9pm I was ready for bed, or at least a comfy couch. It ended up being 10pm before I got horizontal though.
Sunday was the Cyclo Sportif TTT down at Byford. We were entering a team of 6 under the SRG/Bikesure name. So I picked up Bernie on the way through and we headed down to the SE outer suburbs. We just parked the car and saw Rod. Unfortunately, we then found out that Jono and his mate were going to be DNS. Doh! The 6 was now 4. Bernie, Rod, Marko and I. No matter, it would just be a bit harder (like last time!) The race went well, as we soon joined up with a group of 8, that then joined another group of 8 and a bunch more jumped on our wheels! Marko expertly let them do all the work and we flew along. We avg'd nearly 39km/h for the first 30min! As we neared the first undulations, one of the groups we were sitting on broke up, as one of their team mates faded. We cruised by them and continued to sit on the other group, allowing them to do all the work! At the bottom of the big 1st climb, our 'lead out train' had a mechanical and so the Bikesure team was on their own... The climb was pretty steep at 1st and went on for a fair while, with about 8km of general upwards trends. We worked well together and passed many remnants of teams and a few whole teams as well. The last bit before the turnaround at Serpentine Dam was a great down hill blast. Bernie, the downhill specialist, took the lead and passed a few cars and dudes on Harley's before we hit the dam wall. After we started back, Rod really picked up his work rate and found his legs. So we sped homeward flat out. Each downhill bit would be another opportunity to charge in the 53/11. At one point I looked back to see the little whippet Marko, peddling flat out and nearly getting dropped as we raced down a hill at about 79km/h !!! Unfortunately we found no other teams to work with on the way home on the flat bit (the last 24km). It wasn't all plain sailing, as Rod & I had a touch of wheels at about 40+ km/h and that sent Rod flying off the road into the gravel, the long grass and nearly a barbed wire fence! He was damn lucky not to eat dirt! Could have been a CLM - Career Limiting Move!
So a pretty good week, all things considered.
Swim: 5.4km
Ride: 195km
Run: 53km
Time: 12:06 hrs
Stop Press: Just got the results back for the Cyclo Sportif race on Sunday - the SRG/Bikesure team came in 3rd place! A podium finish out of 47 other teams is pretty good. We had an avg speed of 34.91 km/h! Wish there was more of these, but that was the last one for the year...
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