Feb 18: A Look Back

The first two months of the year gone already and the time before my A Race (Ironman Vichy) grows ever shorter. February marked my training's transition from PREP phase into BASE phase. Training proper. 

The weather may be foul, but I cannot let that get in the way of progress. I have continued with a TrainerRoad / Wattbike combination to keep my cycling on the up. I am actually following(ish) one of the TrainerRoad-Base cycling programmes to get me through to the more clement months. 

On the running front, February marked the highest running mileage, for me, in three and a half year. 93 miles. Not a huge mileage for some ... but good for me. This was not the intention but I have been asked to coach a Couch-to-5k lunchtime group where I work. Who am I to say no.

So now, the numbers: -

NUMBER OF SESSION: FEBRUARY(PLANNED V ACTUAL)

MILEAGE TARGET: FEBRUARY(PLANNED V ACTUAL)

One final point to note, is that February also marked an improvement in my 1hr, 1.5hr, and 2hr watt averages on the bike :-)

Now, through the blizzards and into March

Train Strong

Will

Fasted Training

Fasted Training is not something I have given much thought to. However, on examining my training log, it is something I do. Regularly. In fact, about 5 times per week. I get up and use my commute to train, run or bike, before having my first meal of the day at work. Or, I get up early on a weekend and grab a quick run or swim before the rest of the household rises – again before breakfast.

So, in short, I am a fasted training.

Don’t get me wrong I am not a low carb high fat dude. Or an evangelist of training the body to burn more fat. It just turns out that 50% of my training is fasted.

The theory:

If you train in a fasted state, the body will be forced to break down stored fats in order to fuel the training. In this situation, your insulin level is low and will not interfere with the fat burning process, thus allowing you to access and burn more stored body fat for fuel.

My Experiences:

Looking back at my training diary I cannot see a definite train. What I can see is that I have had great training sessions, session where I feel like I’m floating along – one with the world. Although, on the flip side, I can also so sessions where I’ve died on my feet. I have bonked, hit the wall – whatever you want to call it.

However, I would say, that I have been more likely to crash and burn in sessions that are closer (in time) to the hour, or more. So, for me – there may be a limit to how much I can push myself on an empty stomach.

But I have been able to maintain quite a low (for me) body fat – even though I like my food and a beer or three.

My thoughts:

Fasted training may not be for everyone. If you think on it. training on an empty stomach used to go against the grain in the fitness world. However, we are learning that there is no one right formula for all who train. So, it may be worth giving a go.

If you do give it a go, don’t jump in all gung-ho. Ease in to things. Test out training at various intensities, as some athletes have better results with easy session but don't perform well with higher-intensity workouts, and yet others are the polar opposite.  

We are all different so it pays to try different training methodologies… don’t you think?

Also, break the fast as soon as you have finished your training. Not with any of these faddy diets., but with a good balanced meal. A meal that includes a good mix of protein, fats and complex carbs …. Your belly will thank you for it.

Will

Two Months In …

Things are going well at the moment. I am managing to maintain consistency. I am enjoying my training. I am still varying my training due to it being my off season. And I am improving (a bit).

As stated above I have been varying my training.  This includes the use of pieces of gym equipment that I rarely go near. This includes the Versa Climber and the Concept 2 Rower.  I normally go on these bits of kit after a spinning session and set myself the target of, by Christmas, managing to do an hour on each. Well I managed to achieve this target this week: Monday I got up to the hour on the Versa and Tuesday an hour on the rower … well chuffed with that :)

On the weight front I have now lost a total of 15lb … this is making a massive difference on the bike. I am averaging higher speeds … getting close to the magical 20mph average for my 60mile ride. And climbing much better … something I never thought I’d hear my self say (or type in this case)

The Stats...

WEIGHT	197lb	(14st 1lb)(89.5kg)	Total Loss = 15lb
BODY FAT	16%	Combination of Scales and Calipers	Total Loss = 6.7%
WAIST	34.25in	(86.9cm)	Total Loss = 2.25in

Finally, my better half has decided it would be a good idea to enter me into a Marathon next month. All arguments to the effect that I have not been training for a marathon falling on deaf ears … so the 28th of October … I will be running a marathon in Newcastle … All good fun.

WW

Getting Faster

Yesterday was a planned hard training day for me and as part of it I repeated the 6mile cross-country time trial that I did earlier in the month.

The route itself is measured with my Garmin Forerunner to ensure that it is accurate and is a mixed bag of terrains. It includes riverside paths with various quality surfaces, woodland single tracks and routes across farm fields. Along with this I also have to negotiate steps, styles, locks, gates, railway crossings and bridges. So all-in-all a bit removed from racing a road based 10k.

Also, since I did the last test my training has been more consistent that at anytime this year. I have introduced a weekly long run. Plus I have been doing a couple of structured runs each week, such as Hill sprints or intervals.

Last time I did this test it kook me a disappointing 1:02:11 and that was pushing it at a high heart rate.

This week I forgot my HR strap so had to go by feel, and as a result over cooked it a couple of times and had to slow down. All the same this week I completed the Time Trial in 0:55:30.

That’s 6:41 faster … I’m over the moon with that :)

   

WW

Testing Times

Since my slimmer / fitter / faster challenge is all about physical improvement, I thought I would do a couple of tests this week. This will give me some basic information that I can measure my progress from.

This week the two areas I tested were my run and my swim.

For the run, I had 30mins easy spin to warm up. Then I set my Garmin and set off on a 6 mile out and back trail run (turning when I hit 3 miles).

Because I train for endurance events I do very little short hard stuff. But back when I did I used to race 10k in about 45mins. But when I stopped my watch; it read 1:02:11, at an average Heart Rate of 82% (143 for me)

To say I was disappointed with myself is an under statement, both at the time and the ability to maintain a higher heart rate

----

The swim was a much sorter test, the standard 400m. I have not done a lot of swimming in the past year. So unless it took me a ridiculously long time I would be happy. My last race at the beginning of July, it took me 1:18:00, so an average of 8:08 / 400m.

After a warm up I set off, and even had the lane to myself. I felt messy in the water but pushed on. Stopping the clock in *:00, a pace of 2:00/100m. I was quite happy with that.

RUN	6 Mile	1:02:11	82% | 143bpm
Swim	400m	8:00	N/A

So

My aims going forward will be to: -

• Improve my time for a 6mile trail run

• Be able to maintain a higher average heart rate for the 6 miles

• Improve my time for the 400m swim TT

Watch this space

WW

Run, Run/Walk, Walk

Whichever way you look at it the Ironman marathon is both a challenge and a joy, you will have the swim and the bike behind you and you will be thinking more of the finish line but you will also be hurting, you will be tired and aching and you insides may be doing summersaults (think portaloos).

Unless you are a one of the very speedy types walking will probably pay part of your race. You will see many posts on various forums from those macho types belittling those who walk, but in truth many find themselves walking at sometime during the marathon.

You may have a strategy of run 9 walk 1 or similar or walk the aid stations and ramps and run the rest or you may just be playing it by ear.  In Switzerland I ran the first lap quite fast, then i switched to 9/1 and by the end it was more like 2/1 but I got round in a reasonable time.

The key to this is (IMHO) to know that walking in a race is not a stroll, you need to know how to pace you walk, In my first Ironman in Germany 2006 I walked most the marathon as I'd overcooked it on the bike, but I was passing others who were running and i finished strong. if you think about it, if you walk at 7kph you can cover a marathon in close to 6hrs

A good place to practice pace walking is on a treadmill, maybe as part as an indoor brick session, a typical session may look like ...

• Spinning class
• Then Treadmill set the incline to somewhere between 1% and 5% and start at 5kph
• Each minute up the pace  by  0.5 kph until you are at 7kph 
• then alternate 5min intervals at 7.0kph and 7.5kph for up to 1hour

The purpose of 7.5kph interval is to make the target pace of 7kph feel 'easier'

Also when you're out and about think walk not stroll

All this will hopefully help you not slow down too much in your Ironman marathon when you walk ... remember WALK DON'T STROLL 

WW

Indoor Training (Bricks)

During the winter, a lot of training moves in doors through necessity imposed by bad weather and dangerous conditions.  You do not want to end your season before it has even started because a care has knocked you off your bike in the dark or it has slipped away from you in the ice, so indoor it is…

Monday’s for me normally means a brick session, and these can be quite long, but long and indoors does not have to mean boring.  The following are examples of the bike and run segments I may do as part of the indoor brick …

BIKE

 

This may be (for me from 1:00 to 2:30)

Session 1

Warm Up 10 – 15mins

Main set
 # x (

- 3 mins seated climbs just below VO2max 

- 2 mins standing  climbs just above VO2max

- 1min lighter resistance speed spin trying to maintain VO2max

- 2min recovery

)

Warm down 10-20mins

Session 2

Warm Up 10 – 15mins

Main set

# x ( 

- 5-10 x (1min seated climb | 1 min recovery)
- 5-10 x (1min fast spin | 1 min recovery)
- 5-10 x (1min standing climb | 1 min recovery)

- 5-10 x (1min fast spin | 1 min recovery)

- 5 min Easy
)

Drills

- 5-10 x 1min (each) 1 legged drills
Warm down 5-15mins

RUN

When in the gym the run part I aim to keep to a maximum of 30mins or so and base my sets on my steady marathon pace of 10kph (the gym I use is in kph)

Session 3
5 mins building speed
Main set
- Intervals 5 mins of ‘ups’ @ 10.5 kph and downs fast walked @7.5kph
- Intervals 5 mins of ‘ups’ @ 11.0 kph and downs fast walked @7.5kph
- Intervals 5 mins of ‘ups’ @ 11.5 kph and downs fast walked @7.5kph
- Intervals 5 mins of ‘ups’ @ 12.0 kph and downs fast walked @7.5kph
- Intervals 5 mins of ‘ups’ @ 12.5 kph and downs fast walked @7.5kph
Warm down

Session 4
5 mins building speed
Main set
- 1 min 10.0kph | 1 min 9.5kph
- 1 min 10.5kph | 1 min 9.0kph
- 1 min 11.0kph | 1 min 8.5kph
- 1 min 11.5kph | 1 min 8.0kph
- 1 min 12.0kph | 1 min 7.5kph
- 1 min 12.5kph | 1 min 7.0kph
- 1 min 13.0kph | 1 min 6.5kph
- 1 min 13.5kph | 1 min 6.0kph
- 1 min 14.0kph | 1 min 5.5kph
Warm down

Have Fun

WW

Heat Rate Zones

For both running and cycling a train by heart rate, some people train by pace, by power, by feel but I train by Heart rate.

The thing is that I use one system for cycling and another for running, the reason for this is that I have been lab tested on the bike (see earlier post) but not for my run. So for cycling a use a range of zones based on my VO2 max and for running a set of zones base on my Max and Min Heart rates.

Cycling

VO2max  = 147bpm

Zone 1	Recovery	91 - 121
Zone 2	Extensive Endurance	122 - 130
Zone 3	Intensive Endurance	131 - 137
Zone 4	Sub Threshold	138 - 146
Zone 5a	Super Threshold	147 - 150
Zone 5b	Anerobic Endurance	151-155
Zone 5c	Power	156+

Running

Max HR = 175bpm
Min HR =47bpm

Zone 1	50% - 60%	111 - 124
Zone 2	60% - 70%	124 - 137
Zone 3	70% - 80%	137 - 149
Zone 4	80% - 90%	149 - 162
Zone 5	90% - 100%	162 - 175

WW

Newcastle Town Moor Marathon

It's been quite some time since I ran a marathon by itself, probably over 2 years so I spotted this one, the Newcastle Town Moor Marathon, a while back and since it's almost on my doorstep I thought I'd give it a go. 

I haven't really done any marathon training as it's my 'off season' so my longer runs have only been between 10-13miles and only a couple of runs per week, but i am feeling quite fit at the moment so i hoped that would carry me round the 26.2 miles.

Also I didn't bother tapering either as i was going into the race as just a run out and still did my PT session on Thursday and tempo run on Friday ... but i did have a rest day on Saturday with nothing more than a walk on the beach with the dog.

The race was 5 laps of the town moor and ii RAINED ... in fact it rained so much that the paths were quickly turning into streams and the off road sections turned into mud bogs .. i quickly wished i had wore a pair of trail shoes rather than my normal runners

Things got off to a good start and I felt good in myself ... well apart from the DOMS from all the squats on Thursday but I quickly loosed up and into my stride running at about 9mm and maintaining that pace well into the race and to the half marathon.

On the third lap during a half mile off road section i slipped and pulled by right hamstring but i managed to run this off in the next couple of miles but it did slow me down. 

On the last lap, my lack of marathon training showed and I slowed dramatically and had to introduce a 1min walk in each mile.

But I eventually finished in a not to shabby (for me) time of 4:26 getting me thinking that i may have to try and train properly for a marathon some time.

So I went home happy ... and wet and  took Monday as a rest day

WW

The Colours of Autumn

This morning was one of those days that I am pleased that I partake in past times that take me outdoors, that I'm not the type of bloke that spends all of his time in a pub or in front of the little box in the corner that just eats away time, Yep it was a great morning to be outdoors.

I hit the local woodland trails, and ...

• Yes it was a bit windy ...
• Yes there was a bit of a nip in the air ...
• and Yes there was a bit rain ...

BUT

The colours of the woodland more than made up for any negatives, the trails were covered with fallen leaves of red to gold and the canopy above me reflected those autumnal tones, i know this all sound a bit hippy and tree huggy but this morning was one of those mornings that mad me glad to be out for a run ... rather than still wrapped up in bed.

WW

Winter Brick Sessions

By the time I finished work last night it was already getting dark, and my breath stood heavy on the quickly chilling evening air … and I wanted to get in a brick session, I thought it may be a bit dangerous out on the bike in rush hour traffic in the dark so the plan was to hit the gym and the spin bike for the firs segment then outside for the run. After all the weather/conditions in the UK really fall to where you cant get outside and run and treadmills are the invention of the devil.

So since it was going to be the spin bike I decided to push a heavy load and work my HR aiming to sit just below my Vo2 max (85-90% of) with recoveries dropping to 75% (just above the point where my lactic levels start to rise). The work out looked like :-

10min warm up
10 x (
- 2min heavy standing
- 1min heavy seated
- 1min spinning seated (rec)
- 1min heavy seated
)
8 x (
- 40secs heavy standing
- 80secs heavy seated
- 40secs heavy standing
- 80secs heavy seated
- 1min spinning seated (rec)
)
5 x (
- 1min heavy standing
- 1min heavy seated
- 1min spinning seated (rec)
)
5mins spinning

So 2 hours in total on the bike, by now I was drenched in sweat so I had a quick towel down pulled on my jacket and out the door I was.  The sky was clear and star filled (even amongst the light pollution) and I quickly started to feel the sweat in my hair start to freeze so I decided that I should go for a decent pace to keep mw warm, aiming for 80-85% MHR.

The first part of the run was flat allowing me to maintain my HR then as I approached the end of my loop it was time for hill reps … or hill sprints to be exact:

8 x 45sec hill sprints | walk back recoveries

The aim on these sprints is to really push myself and maintain a long stride length throughout, I time for first sprint and at my end point, so I always run the same distance for each sprint but by the last sprint it may be taking me longer than 45secs … but you get the point.

My session was finished off with a jog back to the gym, strides and stretching ….

Total run time 40mins

Not a bad midweek session … well for me

WW

Intervals on the Heath

I had planned to do cycling hill reps tonight but I have a slight niggle still in my upper thigh so thought I better not put it under the stress of hill work.

So instead I thought I'd run, intervals to be specific on the local heath its flat and off road (on grass) so easier on the injury. I totalled just over 10.5 mile in the 1:35, which looked like : -

• Warm up
• 10 x 2mins @ 87%+mhr | 2min active recovery
• 10min steady
• 10 x 1min @ 90%+mhr | 90secs active recovery
• Warm Down

AHR = 76% MHR
MHR = 95% MHR

It was a good session and I got to try out my new head torch, which I will be providing a review of later.

My 4 Legged Training Partner

I just thought i’d take this opportunity to introduce one of my Training Partners ... 4 legged this time, this is Nea (Pronounced Knee-Ya) she’s young on full of enthusiasm and, at the moment, loving running in the Snow.

Her energy is boundless, something i can only dream of :)

The Big Thaw ...

Well after snow, snow, snow there has to be a big thaw and its arrived with vengeance here in the North East of England . Gone has the lushness of the deep white and now when out running off road all there is is the grey, the grey of snow compacted underfoot to ice, the grey and wet of slush that soaks your feet and chills you to your core ... apart from the odd patch that seems to hang on to glory of white, to the glory of snow, snow, snow ...

Today’s run, Just over 4 miles, was more than just a run ... it felt like it was also a major ‘core’ workout maintaining balance with the conditions under foot as described above ... but i gout out there with my dog .... and she enjoyed it.

So that’s the first run of the week out the way and hopefully i’ll get a short spinning session in latter today.

Have fun out there and take care.