Getting back on track

It's been a while since I made a post on here. For some reason post-marathon I've found it difficult to work out my training schedule and events. I've been off the hard training (high intensity stuff) for a good 6 weeks now and I have been disturbed about this, but today after yoga I feel all fired up and ready to get back into the hard stuff! I think the rest and faffing might have been just what I needed.

For the last few weeks I've majorly cut back the running - no distance and no speedwork, basically just the jogs to work and back. Not a great deal of swimming either, the main focus has been building up some kms on the bike. It’s had to be with the next major event the 210km Round the Bay in a Day ride in Melbourne on 21 October and also major nerves about the 90km ride in the Half Ironman. Up until about a fortnight ago 90km was the longest ride I’d ever done in a day in my life, and that was a struggle!

Anyway the keyword for the last couple of weeks has been endurance. I’ve got a couple of shorter rides in the weekday mornings going on, and for the last month I’ve managed 90km or over on the bike every weekend. The last two weekends have been tipping the 110km mark. Down to Kurnell and back two weeks ago, then Manly to Pie in the Sky and back via Bobbin Head last Sunday. Short 15-20min runs off the bike both times. I’m hoping to bump the distance up over the next few weeks to probably max out at 150 or 160km which should hopefully get me in good riding endurance shape for both events.

Then it’s adding on the strength, speed and skills. I started a 1 hour turbo session last week (focussing on one-leg drills and spinning cadence) so with any luck I can make that a regular weekly workout. Then two morning rides of around 30 - 40km, one easy and the other doing hill repeats or intervals in alternate weeks. Seems sound to me!

I finally got my arse back into some longer runs last week with 17km on Tuesday (plus a 3km jog to work) then 22km on Saturday. Both felt great and the pace was quite good considering how long it’s been since I’ve done any distance. Recovery was fine too. In fact I started my 110km bike ride the next morning less than 12 hours after finishing my 22km run.

I’m going to keep up with the longer weekend runs 2 – 2.5hours every weekend which should keep my running endurance base solid. If I can arrange a nice aerobic run of 10km / 1 hour or so off the back of my long rides in the weekend as well, plus add in the Balmoral track sessions on a Thursday night then my running should be sorted.

Then there’s the swim… hmmm. Still need to think about that one!