Monday, March 19, 2012

Progress so far...

Step by step 

(This post is being updated as I tick off my sessions. We'll see if this way helps focus/motivation!)

Swim intervals, target 1400m: done, Monday lunchtime.
200m warmup, 150m drills, 8 x (25m fast, 25m slow, 25m fast, 25m slow, 10s rest), 150m kick, 200m cooldown. Total 1500m, time 38 minutes.
Main set: 2:03, 2:12, 2:09, 2:10, 2:09, 2:09, 2:09, 2:09   
Really pleased with the consistency of the later ones, and the speed of the first one! The session felt good - nothing like drills and kick sets to make 'normal' swimming feel swift and smooth!
Steady run, target 40 min @ 10 min miles: done, Monday evening.
Waterworks Road, 50 mins, 5 miles.
Claudia's last run before leaving the UK for her new job in Germany - we will miss her!
Bike 'power intervals': done, Tuesday lunchtime.
A loop out to Barford, just shy of 14 miles in 55 minutes. Moderate pace, with 6 x (30s sprint, 2:00 recovery) in the middle (4-8mi).  
Really enjoyable ride with Alice in the sunshine - a good route with just about the right amount of up and down to be a bit challenging when it coincides with the efforts.
Fartlek run, target 40 min @ 10 min miles, inc. sprints @ 7-8 min miles: done, Wednesday lunchtime.
Waitrose loop, but the short version, down the hill and over the metal bridge to cut back as early as possible. Cheese-pop efforts along Colney Lane (up the pace for the chorus of a cheesy pop song, recover during the verse). Steady pace largely 10 min mi or above, max effort pace 6:09/mi :)
It was a squeeze workwise but I did it in 28 mins in the blazing sun (OK, about 14°C).
Swim long intervals, target 1500m: done, Friday morning.
200m warmup, 1200m steady (27:02), 200m cooldown, total 1600m. Good session, during which bizarrely I felt strongest about two thirds of the way through the main set. A few pauses for goggle/noseclip faffing and to let my lane-mate overtake means I should be under 27:00 on a clear run.
Parkrun, target 29 minutes: done, Saturday morning (when else?!)
Official time 28:15, watch time 28:00 on the nose. Average 9 min mile. 
I'm really pleased with this. It was tough at times given I had pretty tired legs from this week's other training, but I kept going and even managed a sprint finish. Listening to music really helped get me round.
Long bike, target 30-40 miles @ 12-13mph: done, Sunday afternoon.
Went out with Clare and did 34 miles at 14.4mph.
Not the 50-60 planned at the start of the week, as unexpected social plans came up and I got to catch up with friends I don't see very often. But we made the most of the later daylight and headed out at 4.30, and achieved the 30-40 I had revised my plans to. A slightly hilly (for Norfolk) route, I think we did pretty well overall. It dropped decidedly chilly towards the end but it really was another glorious spring ride.

Still to do:
Swim moderate intervals, target 1500m - cutting this one this week; didn't think I had time for both a swim and a run on Weds, and it was a lovely day so Going Outside won.
Gym: target 40 min weights/core. Please miss, I forgot my kit. Totally failed to appreciate I used my "work" set of kit for running the day before. What a berk. Went for a walk instead!

Photo: Step by step by markb120, on Flickr

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