Tuesday 11 March 2014

A long awaited update and a big run effort to report

First an apology for any regular followers - over the last few weeks I have been merrily updating Strava with details of my training and my blog has gone to pot!

I think I may revert to some smaller and more punchy posts that I can maintain relatively easy and more timely - if you have any ideas or feedback about the content you would like to see going forward then please add a comment to this post.

Originally my blogs were simply a diary of my training and preparation for my 'A' races such as Ironman Austria, with the occasional comment about triathlon gear, nutrition, injury advice etc.

So what have I been up to...

Well there have been a couple of weeks of sub-volume training, where I have got in 6-8 hours and some quality sessions but have come up short on my target. I am still in my base period but had expected to raise the volume to 10-12 hours. Last week I came closer to that goal and I feel that I am finally getting more motivated and making some improvements.

This week could turn into a bit of an epic one. Following quite a tough club ride on Sunday, albeit with a few mechanical issues, I cycled home from work on my little fold-up bike (Brompton) yesterday. It was a recovery ride and I kept to zone 1-2. I also had planned a big run effort the following morning.

So that brings me up to date and news that this morning I finally completed a long run from my house over the South Downs, then via the Downs Link to Shoreham and on to Brighton. A total of 32km, which I covered in just over 3 hours at an easy pace.

I began the run at 5:30am so my new Silva Trail Runner II headlamp was perfect in lighting the way, especially on the dark trails. I am very impressed with this super bit of kit and thoroughly recommend the product. The only issue was that by 6am the sun was coming up and the headlamp was not required. As I was travelling light with only a minimal Camelbak backpack with fluids and some essential gear (phone, money etc.) the headlamp stayed on my head for the whole 3 hours. It was not uncomfortable but I did get a little hot under my running hat, which held the headlamp snuggly in place. I decided not to eat beforehand and did not take any nutrition on the run (except for some electrolyte drink) relying on my fat and carbohydrate stores to keep me going. By the end I was beginning to regret that decision, although I soldiered on and did not have much ill-effect. I doubt I will be doing a similar run for a while but it is nice to know my body can still cope with 30km+ runs without too much preparation.

I will gives my legs a rest tomorrow but still aim to make the 1:30 Club swim. On Thursday I expect another easy day of training to ensure I have enough energy for the up and coming training weekend in the Peak District - more on that in my next post.

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