A New Road, A New Home

If you have followed TriHardTraining here over the years, thank you. Truly. Some of you have been reading since the early days, back when this little corner of Blogger was where I parked my thoughts on training, racing, and the occasional hard-won lesson learned the slow way.

I am writing this final post to let you know that I am trying something new.

The truth is, the things I want to write about have grown beyond where they started. It is still about health and endurance, still about pushing yourself and staying curious and refusing to stand still as the years tick by. But it has become about more than that too. It is about the bigger questions that tend to arrive in the second half of life. What happens next. How you stay relevant and challenged. How you navigate the transitions that come for all of us, in work, in family, in health, in who we decide to become.

I recently rode my little yellow Brompton from home in Sussex all the way to Brussels, over 500 kilometres across France and Belgium, alone, over six days. It was not really about the cycling. It was about creating space to think, and somewhere on those quiet roads I understood that I had more to say than this old blog could hold.

So I have built a new home for it all. It is called Field Notes, and it lives on my new website.

You will find the same honesty there, hopefully a little more polish, and a wider lens on the things that matter. The adventures, yes, but also the stories, the reflections, and the slow business of working out what makes a good life.

I would love it if you came along.

Visit me at www.trihardtraining.co.uk and look for Field Notes.

Thank you for reading, for the comments, and for sticking around. The road carries on, just from a new starting point.

See you out there.

Onwards and upwards

David 🚴‍♂️

Jaipur run - a loop around Central Park

That time again - on holiday, this time in Jaipur, India, and needing to run (too much food and drink). Fortunately, thanks to Google maps, we found a nice park with running track and fitness equipment.

Despite the high step count (12,500+ a day) moving my body, a little more intensely felt good. I don't think many Indians in Jaipur are used to (proper) runners - a couple of younger/fitter boys gave me a run for my money and accelerated past me, after I passed them on the trail. Like most young runners they blew up after a quick 500m and I overtook them again, further down the track.

My VO2 Max has dropped again - now at 47. I asked ChatGPT ways to improve over the coming months. In addition to my 3x strength sets (my current priority) it suggested 1-2 HIT sessions (Norwegian 4x4, or a VO2 Booster session) plus one longer Z2 run/cycle. I uploaded the new VO2 Booster session to my Garmin and sent to my watch. Need to implement into my week, plus also have another crack at the Garmin Lactate Threshold Test, although most likely when I am back in the UK.

Meanwhile, next flying to Udaipur, continuing our Indian adventure.

In London - 3rd day of running

Back in London at a Citywire event and you guessed it - always an opportunity to take my running shoes and explore new routes or in this particular case revisit old favourites.

The weather has been steadily improving and it was really sunny in Brighton on Wednesday so I couldn't resist a lunchtime run up to Hove lagoon and back. I even got a short weights session in on Wednesday evening (plus sauna). The previous day (Tue) was a commute in on the Brommie (now set up in analogue mode).

So I arrived in London yesterday (Thu) and after a long first day at the conference joined about 12 Citywire delegates for the post day 1 event run - 30mins around Hyde Park at an easy pace (mostly chatting for the entirety).

Not the best sleep, despite the luxurious room, bed and pillows, and my Garmin told me to rest (poor sleep, low recovery and low HRV - strained). However, that English breakfast always tastes that much better after a run - so an early 6km loop of Hyde Park again, picking up trails I last ran 17 years ago (possibly longer) when I started my fitness journey and was based in the West End (UBS office at 1 Curzon Street).

Longer (uphill) commute tomorrow

Banked a 30min TRX and weights session today (Monday). Nothing on Sunday (grim weather) and a nice run + lots of walking on Saturday. Fortunately the Saturday outdoor run helped increase my VO2 to 49. Need to continue the outdoor runs to get it back to 50+ (dropped over recent months for all the treadmill runs - doesn't help with the Garmin VO2 calculation).

Tomorrow I am planning a slightly longer Brighton commute - the weather looks good. I might take the gravel bike as I need to head up Ditchling Beacon, to pick up Ditchling Road, so I can pick up an eBay purchase (Brompton travel cover) then back the normal route via Dyke Road and over the Downs.

Looking forward to that commute - decent Z2 workout (and higher up Ditchling Beacon). Then more strength work for Wed/Fri and possibly Peloton/treadmill on Thu/Sat if back to rainy conditions.

Hopefully I can move more outdoors over coming weeks - the mornings are getting a lot lighter.

All good - onwards and upwards 

Strength and Peloton double

Training has been a bit light over the last few days but today I enjoyed 30 mins strength (TRX and weights), followed by a 30 mins Power Endurance Peloton ride, to clear out the cobwebs.

I have been listening to countless podcasts about the best training and longevity strategies - so many different and opposing ideas. After month (years) of research I have broken it down to the following core themes, that are most commonly recommended:

- 3x strength sets per week, resistance and big weights

- maintain VO2 levels (ideally 50+)

- 1-2x high-intensity sets (Peloton/Zwift)

- 1x long easy run or cycle (1-3 hours)

- Eat real foods, keep protein high (above 100g)

- Ditch process foods and limit sugar and salty snacks

- Eat fibre and look after gut health

- Take 5g+ of creatine daily

- Limit alcohol (weekly treat)

- Get to sleep and awake at similar times during the week

- Get 7-8 hours of quality sleep

- Keep stress low

I think that does it!

Also spent a bit of time today reviewing the proposed June bikepacking adventure to Brussels - getting there.

Return to Analogue - Brompton Sting

After a couple of years of fun using a Swytch e-bike kit on my Brompton, I have converted Sting (the original name I gave my yellow Brompton, now over 10 years old) back to Analogue, with a few upgrades.

The bike now seems a lot lighter and a lot less can go wrong but I expect I will miss the little motor than powered my Brighton commutes and shot me up the hills.

Going back to the original build, I did actually have a S6L (6 gears), although reduced to 3 gears during the e-bike conversion. I have retained the 3 gears, just to keep it simple, plus mechanically easier to maintain.

As for the small upgrades:

- a new Brooks C17 saddle for improved comfort over longer distances, which will replace the original Brompton stock equipment

- a Garmin mount on the top of the handlbars to assist with navigation

- new Brompton toolset, hidden in the frame

The reason for the conversion back to 'old school' analogue is because I need to get used to the bike again prior to my planned UK-France-Belgium adventure in June: 420km on the Brompton from home to Brussels over 6 days.

More detail on the route and preparation in the weeks to come.

New weights and set-up

Thanks to my Son (PT) for passing on a weight pulley system and some thoughtful birthday presents from all my children I am now the proud owner of a new weights set-up.

I have a great lateral pull-down bar, which should help me train for pull-ups - similar action but different direction. Plus a rope for some bicep action.

I borrowed some additional weights and I am good to go. First session of new set involved some 50kg lateral pull-downs. Let's hope it goes someway to improve the physique!

Meanwhile, the cardio is taking a bit of a back step, especially as this weather remains grey and very wet. A few treadmill and Peloton sets sprinkled in to the mix but would prefer sone longer outdoor sessions. No excuse for not running outside (although focus on strength) but would love to get in some longer cycles on road, gravel or Brompton.

Still keen on my Brompton adventure to Brussels in May/June. Might convert the e-Brompton back to analogue and try some test rides - one planned, from home to London and then back on train.