Bike!

They say that 60% of your tri training should be on the bike as that’s where you are going to be spending the majority of your race. I’ve been putting it off as it’s horrible and boring.

I finally bit the bullet, cleaned out the shed and set up the bike on the torture device/ turbo trainer.

I did one session after my epic run the other day. It was good training but I was sweating and panting, kept pausing to take drinks and generally make excuses to rest for a second. I had it in a low, mostly manageable gear, apart from the 5 minutes in top gear. I kept trying to shift up, to build muscles and stamina, but quickly dropped down again.

On that session I ended up opening the shed door to try and let some cool air in as I was dying. I’ve had time to think about it though, and now I’m keeping the door closed. It should keep the gnats out, which is a bonus, but my main goal is heat conditioning. I’m thinking if I start now, plan in regular training sessions, and work through autumn and winter, as it starts getting warmer I should adapt. In theory. If I’m looking to an end goal of the Barcelona or Hamburg Ironman (even two out of three of my Outlaws have been in blistering heat) I need to heat condition. More for the run, to be honest, but surely that will carry over?

Anyway, I did another session today, with the door shut. I’ve got a big fan there, but as part of my new masterplan I’m not using it. And I’ve stumbled across a successful training plan. I remembered at the gym on on their kit you can do stepped training plans, say for 2½ minutes at one level, then up a level, down a level, etc.

Instead of just pedalling in a do-able gear and keep stopping I timed myself. I settled on 1 minute per gear up, 5 minutes in top gear, then 2 minutes down the gears. The only difference is mental, but struggling in, say, 5th gear, knowing you’ve got another 6 to go, all harder, is too much at the minute. So, 1 minute up, 5 in top, 2 minutes down. Again it’s just mental, but because I wasn’t just churning away for an hour, I kept going. Instead of thinking “45 minutes to go, I can’t do it”, I was thinking “only 2 minutes, then it gets easier” Once I’d stumbled on the stepped plan (a few minutes in) I didn’t stop.

The sweat was running down the back of my legs. Everywhere else as well, but literally running down my legs.That’s not normal for me. Pure gross. By the end of the hour the condensation on the shed windows was running. I’ve just ordered a cheap thermometer, I want to know just how hot it’s getting in there.

I’m a mite concerned about rusting my tool in the shed. I’m hoping an hour sauna, 23 hours to air, will suffice.

I have encountered a  few set backs in my training. I didn’t reckon on it being a bank holiday today, so no swim lesson, and next week week we are on holiday, so I’ll miss that one as well. It’s going to be a fortnight before I get to see who is right about this swim coach, and what he thinks about my chances.

The other delay is my feet are too badly damaged to run. Which is a total bummer because I am really excited to see how fast I can get over 10 miles. If I could do 10 miles at 7 m/m (not inconceivable) I expect I could maintain pace for the extra 3.1 miles for an actual half marathon race. Those little blister-ey scrapes on the pictures I posted have turned into red raw ½” x 2” open wounds. They are still weeping. I’m hoping by tomorrow I’ll have a proper layer of skin so, with plasters, surgical tape (to secure the plasters) and socks (big, fat, lovely socks!) I can run. 

A good test would be the Warrington half marathon on Sunday the 16th of September, but my holiday request got knocked back because it’s full. I have discovered a plan B though. I can request a shift swap. With myself. So I have the Sunday off, then work one of my rest days.

I’ve got to talk to the planner tomorrow, but I’m hoping I’ll get it.

Then the Manchester half in October. I’ve already got that booked off. I am going to batter that one. 1 hour 30 or die trying.

Well, the thing to take from all of this is I’m training hard and I want to train hard.

I can build the muscles and speed for the bike, a fast marathon is the “easy” discipline. It all hinges on whether I can learn to swim.

What’s life without a challenge?

Later

Buck.