DATE: Week of Jan 23rd

DATE:  Week of Jan 23^rd

WEEK OBJECTIVES:

• Key Half IM simulation ride
• Blow off the cobwebs with a sprint tri

Hanging with the kids in Hanmer Springs was about as much swimming as I got in the 2nd half of the week.

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MONDAY

Session Details:  25mins core + Run 1hr sitting ~4:15/km

Objective:  Aerobic conditioning

Execution:  Each week running 4:15/km is feeling easier. No drama’s tonight. HRM on the blink, time for a new battery I suspect.

 File: http://tpks.ws/WWN2T

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TUESDAY

Session Details:  Bike incl 70km @ Half IM effort (aiming for 255-265w)

Objective: Checking HR against race pace power.

Execution:  A hot and windy day, very windy at times. Off such a short warm up I struggled to settle in with HR higher than I wanted early on for the power I was producing.

After the hill climb and heading home HR settled down a lot and RPE dropped a lot as well. I’ve broken the file into segments which really shows that HR dropped down to ~140 on the return leg with higher power v’s 144 on the outbound leg with low power. A few other factors to throw in such as slightly lower cadence, head wind on the return and so on. Overall an encouraging 2^nd half but reasonably spent by the time I was done.

 File: http://tpks.ws/JJhdO

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WEDNESDAY

Session Details:  Swim 4km

Objective: General conditioning

Execution:  Forgot to write down the session but a mixed effort of 400’s, 200’s, 100’s. Starting to feeling a little better in the pool.

MISSED – supposed to do core but had a miss today.

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THURSDAY

Session Details:  

• BIKE TrainerRoad Colosseum varying cadence (5mins ~90rpm / 5mins ~100rpm / 5mins
• ~110rpm)
• RUN 10km off the bike ~4:15/km
• BIKE 10mins to warm down

Objective: Bike – cadence efficiency. Run – race pace economy development

Execution:  It was bloody hot and windy for this workout which knocked me for six. I was pretty smoked and very dehydrated once done.

 File: bike  http://tpks.ws/KcyOc  run http://tpks.ws/h41hW

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FRIDAY

SWIM – I turned up for a swim at 5:30am but the pool was closed for some reason. I took that as a sign not to swim today and focus on the race tonight.

RACE

Sprint tri: Swim ~400m / Bike 16km (2 lap flat course) / Run ~4km all off road on grass, deep shingle and dirt roads

Race plan: 

• Overall – just dust off the cobwebs for Wanaka and other races.
• Swim – get out fast and stick to the front
• Bike – aiming for 320w or higher.
• Run  - whatever is in the tank off the bike.

Outcome

Swim – some really silly mistakes tonight. I relied on others to bridge gaps and jump on feet. A really good reminder to be much more proactive and take responsibility for my swim.

Bike – a disappointing result. I was producing lower power than the same race last year when I was far less fit. I just didn’t have the power tonight and was fighting for what I got. I think the solid consistent work of the last few weeks has caught up and complete lack of taper. Pretty annoying that HR didn’t work.

Run – I put in a good effort on the run and needed my experience to beat a youngster who got the jump on me out of transition. Time was slower than last year but pleased with effort and execution in passing the youngster.

Overall – lots of poor execution such as pre race preparation (I was fixing my wheels all the way up to race start), transitions were slow. issues with run shoes....... Effort was good throughout but just fatigued from training. Very pleased to blow out the cobwebs which is what I wanted so I won't be making the same errors again this season. 

 File: bike http://tpks.ws/taPCX run http://tpks.ws/NaIxR

Warmed down for ~20mins on the bike

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SATURDAY

Recovery ride on the trainer before heading away for a family weekend http://tpks.ws/2HsPQ

SWIM - tried to catch up yesterdays swim but was twarted again with no lane rope in the Hanmer Springs pool and too much traffic to consider swimming any laps. 

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SUNDAY

Run ~1hr with kids riding MTB’s in Hanmer Springs 

WEEK SUMMARY

Week of 16th Jan

DATE: week of Jan 16^th

WEEK OBJECTIVES:

• Build in more race pace training
• Continue with run adaption

This weeks pic is from 3/4 the way up my Mt Pleasant bike/run hill reps on Thursday. It's a great view. 

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MONDAY

Session Details: 30mins core + 1hr run (1km warm up then sitting ~4:15/km – target IM effort)

Objective: Ironman race pace training

Execution:  It was pretty hot and windy this afternoon. This was a good chance to gather some data from the stryd. I aimed to keep effort pretty even so with the wind I was a little quicker and slower into the wind. Interesting to note that in km 11&12 when into a headwind HR went up and pace went down but power went down as well, n=1 but I would have expected different results.

 File: http://tpks.ws/5eklg

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TUESDAY

SWIM – just under 4km tri club session.

BIKE

Session Details: short warm up then 50km aiming for 255-260w (desired HIM power for Wanaka). A few hills thrown in to try to simulate Wanaka a little.

Objective: Race pace training

Execution:  Power was pretty much on the money, HR was a little high to start (I need to be close to 140 with 145 or above being danger time). However effort was definitely higher than HIM effort.

 File: http://tpks.ws/EMmUV

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WEDNESDAY

Session Details: RUN 90min easy hill run with 6 x strides at the end

Objective: General endurance with some strength

Execution:  Heavy legs today but felt better as time went on. A big focus on these runs is active recovery so pace is pretty slow.

 File: http://tpks.ws/CEhs6

CORE: 20mins

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THURSDAY

Session Details: 3 x Mt Pleasant bike/run reps descending effort aiming for a bigger drop than previous weeks (ie pushing the last rep)

Objective: strength + VO2

Execution:  I was looking for bike power to be ~ 275w, 300w then ~325w or above if feeling good. I used my occasional “cheat” of music on the final rep along with a caffeine tablet to wake up and a good attitude - I hit 350w average for 11mins. I think that is probably right up there in terms of the highest power I’ve ever achieve (excluding the good old days). I’d love to know what I could have done if I’ll gone all out – I went hard to very hard but was not close to max. This flowed on nicely to the final run rep.

An encouraging day at the office.

 File: bike http://tpks.ws/eJKRI run http://tpks.ws/Wfjmu

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FRIDAY

Session Details: swim 4km

• 400 warm up
• 3 x (50kick / 50 drill / 50 free)
• 3 x (300 steady – 200 mod hard – 100 hard) (20RI)
• 2x100 IM
• 10x100IM
• 200 loosen

Objective: General conditioning

Execution:  Back in the indoor pool today so I could see how pace was. The news was not good as I was very very slow to start but got better as the session progressed. I really wish I had time to get in a 3^rd swim as I know it would make a big difference but I can’t afford to drop any other sessions at this stage.

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SATURDAY

Session Details: BIKE / RUN – Bike 1hr15 with ~1hr @ 230w (~IM effort) / Run off the bike 2x(3km @ 4:00/km (him pace) – 2km ~4:20/km (im pace)

Objective: Aerobic conditioning with some him run work mixed in.

Execution:  Bike – I need to be able to ride in Roth with HR under 135bpm and power ideally 235w. If I can do that I’m pretty sure I will be well under 5hrs for the bike which is what I need. Today 230w felt harder that IM effort but HR (ave on 127bpm) indicates I was not going too hard – legs are just a bit dead. So I’m feeling pretty good about the bike now. This week I need to change my cassette as I’ve got too big a spread and middle gears are 2 teeth jumps which = 10rpm change often. I just could not find the right gear on the return leg to home.

Run – for Challenge Wanaka half I want to be under 4min/km so some race pace practice today. Much like the bike, pace was good and HR easily in the zone but RPE a bit high. However when I had to slow to 4:20/km pace it was a struggle to go that slow.

 File: bike http://tpks.ws/MSGcu run http://tpks.ws/BodQQ

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SUNDAY

Session Details: Plan was 4hrs pretty easy on the road. Horrific weather so just over 3hrs on the trainer with Murray riding the Roth course.

Objective: General endurance

Execution:  Rode using perfpro riding the Roth course. The GPS file we were following had some of the climbs at 15% plus and even the 7-10% felt very hard to turn the pedals over.

Today was just a case of getting the time in the saddle.

 File: http://tpks.ws/j6uOX (missed first 15mins when computer did an auto restart).

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WEEK TOTALS:

Another good consistent week of work. The added im & him pace work has left my legs far more fatigued. I’m pleased with my efficiency with a low HR for pace work despite RPE being higher than it should. With some freshening up I’m confident legs will bounce back. 

1 month out from Challenge Wanaka Half - expectations

I'm one month out from Challenge Wanaka Half – what are my expectations?

I raced the first ever Challenge Wanaka (full) in 2007 and had my best iron distance performance to date. Since then I’ve done a couple of team efforts in Wanaka but have never done the half which is one of the reasons for going down this year. It will also be a great way to kick off my racing build up for Roth. Ideally I’d like to race a lot in the build up but I will have to make do with what I’ve got given I organise most of the local races.

• Some local sprints (Jan and March)
• Challenge Wanaka Half (Feb)
• Some local running races once the tri season finishes.
• Kona 70.3 (june) perfectly timed about 4 weeks out.

So my expectations / goals for Wanaka 1 month out!

A steady day at the office sticking to my race plan, especially my nutrition plan

Swim – I don’t have high expectations as I’m only swimming twice a week. I need to use my experience to get around the swim as quickly as I can. Come Roth time I need to be swimming under 5min for 400m which is probably a good 10sec+ from where I am right now. A choppy/rough swim will suit my strengths.

Bike – it’s a lumpy course down there. I’ll be using HR and power to guide me through. I know I need to be under 145bpm. I hope I can get a normalized power close to 260w. For that level of effort and still have juice in the tank for the run. Right now my rides at 250-260w feel pretty challenging but HR is not out of control. Other little objectives: push over the tops of climbs really well and keep cadence up in the 2^nd half.

Run – if I can average 4min/km or just under I’ll be happy enough. Back at Auckland 70.3 in 2014 I was targeting 3:45/km. I’m not quite in that run shape and the Wanaka course is slower so anything with a 3 in it will be nice.  

Racing @ Challenge Wanaka in 2007

week of Jan 9th - keeping up the consistency

DATE:  week of 9^th Jan

WEEK OBJECTIVES:

• Get my legs more accustomed to running
• Keep the consistency
• Keep a lid on intensity

This weeks pic is from out Tuesday morning tri club squad session

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MONDAY

Session Details: 30mins core / 1hr steady run with 2 sets of 5 strides (20sec fast/ 40sec easy)

Objective: Re-finding my legs and a touch of leg speed.

Execution:  I was a  little short on time this arvo. Settled into 4:10/km +/- 5sec once warmed up which felt pretty comfortable.

 File: http://tpks.ws/EAi35

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TUESDAY

AM Session Details: AM SWIM – tri club swim with coach Dave dr feelgood Dwan ~3.5km

Objective: Mixing it up

Execution:  I’m feeling good in the pool but suspect I am slow. It’s hard to tell in this 33.3m outdoor pool. The numbers I see on the watch are ominous.

PM Session Details: PM BIKE 1hr15 Trainerroad Mod Hard Efforts #1 (2 of 3 25mins reps 75-85% FTP)

Objective: Muscular endurance

Execution:  I had hoped to do the full session but didn’t have myself organised enough. Switched to standard mode for the 2^nd set and mixed up cadence. HR lower than the effort required which was good.

 File: http://tpks.ws/VFOOQ

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WEDNESDAY

Session Details: RUN – easy endurance run to the new MTB park and back

Objective: General run endurance

Execution:  I’m hoping to have a ride in the park at the weekend so ran there to check it out. Very impressive for such a new complex, over the next few years as they build more trails it will be wicked. If you are into downhill MTB’ing this would be awesome www.christchurchadventurepark.com

 File: http://tpks.ws/Hbz1H

CORE – 30mins core

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THURSDAY

Session Details: MT Pleasant bike/run hill reps as per last week, descend 1-3

Objective: bike & run strength

Execution:  Bike I was aiming for 285w, 300w, 310w with first 2 reps over gearing slightly then normal cadence on #3. Felt like I was finally  “riding” up the hill on #3 as opposed to “getting up” the hill. Nailed power bang on and generally felt better than last week

First session with the stryd power meter and it performed as it should with power increasing as effort/speed increased over the 3 reps. Still some way off the times I need to be hitting. My last rep was 7:32, I’d like to think I should be close to 7mins in a few months when I come back to these workouts.

 File: bike http://tpks.ws/bi7M9 run http://tpks.ws/qQF0q

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FRIDAY

Session Details: Solo outdoor swim ~4km

• 400 warm up
• 3x133m IM
• 200 drills
• 2 x (6x200 descend 1-3,4-6 (1-3 free, 4-6 pull) -- 6 x 33 (1/2 length sprint / 1/2 length easy))
• 100 fast
• 100 warm down

Objective: Varying the effort and re-find some swim fitness.

Execution:  Felt really good but got tired and lost my way towards the end. Great to be swimming in the midday sun with a lane to myself!

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SATURDAY

Session Details: Bike 40km / Run 10km over the course I’m event directing in a few weeks.

Objective: Course reconnaissance  sitting between IM & HIM effort

Execution:  That is one hell of a course. Tough hilly bike ride and the run is not going to see any PB’s – a great old school course.  It’s a 3 lap run course with a good climb every lap mixed in with some trail running and steep downhills to bust the quads.

Felt nice and smooth today in blustery conditions.

 File: bike  http://tpks.ws/IXYmg run http://tpks.ws/3AGFz

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SUNDAY

Session Details: 4hr MTB ride all pretty aerobic

Objective: Course reconnaissance  & check out the new MTB park

Execution:  I rode out to recon a MTB course for the 2018 Sea2Sky Challenge next summer. It’s fair to say it is a skills tester but if you are into technical MTB riding then you will love it!

I then rode along the Summit Rd in hope of riding a lap or 2 of the MTB park only to find it does not open until 10am (that does not fit in with my 5:30am start).

By far my longest MTB ride ever.

WEEK TOTALS:

I’m feeling great about my consistency overall. I certainly am noticing the increased load on the legs with the running. It might take a few more weeks until I adapt to that. 

15.5hrs is a good weekly volume for me.

week of Jan 2nd - a rough start to the new year

DATE: week of Jan 2^nd

WEEK OBJECTIVE: Get back into a grove once home

Riding with Tom (note the tube between our bikes)

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MONDAY - Kaiteriteri

Still on holiday so a MTB in Kaiteri MTB park with a run off the bike – sub 4min pace when not on the trails

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TUESDAY – travel home

Core and short run @ 4min/km

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WEDNESDAY

Session Details: Training Road Mod Hard Efforts #1 (3x25mins mod hard)

Objective: Getting into Half IM effort (Muscular Endurance)

Execution:  A few technical issues today meant I was only able to complete 2 sets. First one done in erg mod then in standard to keep cadence up. HR nice and low for power output but it felt hard than HR indicated today.

 File: http://tpks.ws/tyqxi

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THURSDAY

Session Details: Mt Pleasant bike/run hill reps (3 x (~15min bike hill climb / 7-8mins run to the top). Done on road bike this week. Aiming to build effort

Objective: Strength

Execution:  This is one of my all time favourite sessions. Rep #1 felt OK then everything got a lot harder.

 File: bike http://tpks.ws/fpcJQ run http://tpks.ws/QeG5a

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FRIDAY

Session Details: Endurance ride 110km to Akaroa via Summit Rd. 65km flat then 40km with loads of climbing (1100m)

Objective: Endurance

Execution:  I was hoping to have a good fat burner today but having not had any endurance sessions in over 2 weeks changed those plans. Once at the top of the big climb I battled to get in with a bonk and rooted legs. I was well and truly done by the end of this ride.

 File: http://tpks.ws/XoJVR

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SATURDAY

Session Details: Med long run in the hills ~1.5hrs

Objective: Strength / Endurance

Execution:  Started out rough with very heavy legs but got better the longer I went. Weather turned on me which made the last 40mins pretty chilly.

 File: http://tpks.ws/Ed3BX

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SUNDAY

Session Details: 2x30mins mod hard aiming for ~260w

Objective: Muscular endurance – getting back on the TT bike

Execution:  Holy smoke that was a rough one. Cadence and power was all over the place but just in the right ball park. Effort was much higher than I would have liked – leg still feeling it from the last few days efforts. HR dropped out which was a real bugger as would have liked to have seen if effort was with low HR so just dead legs to blame.

 File: http://tpks.ws/5iiqv

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WEEK TOTALS

Overall a good week to kick my butt back into action. The cumulative mod hard effort and re introduction of running left my legs pretty toasted.

Hoping next week might see some better feeling in the legs

Total 13hrs49mins

• Swim = 0
• Bike = 5 rides
• Run = 4 runs
• Core = 1 x session