Recovery and Racing

My last post focused on the plan to use the Whoop device to track my recovery and sleep qty and quality. My Whoop band arrived yesterday and it is stashed for a grand opening on Christmas day. I am genuinely excited to see how tracking my recovery can enhance performance. For the longest time my focus has been on training volume, intensity, times, power. . . . .The list goes on. The point is, rarely has my focus been on recovery. My Tri buddies would no doubt verify that I tend to over-train. In my mind, I see tangible training activity with all the numbers, speeds, times etc. But my mind struggles when I am resting - it tells me that I am losing fitness, training=progress. Logically, I know the improvements and adaptation of training takes place when the body is in recovery and getting sufficient rest. But I ignore it - Doh!! The upshot is, the Whoop band looks to be a tool that resonates with the way my brain is wired. 

I am further reminded of the benefits of recovery and rest, following my performance in the Zwift WGT race yesterday. I have been racing for WhittleFit during his series. Last week I had to withdraw due to what was essentially exhaustion from lack of sleep and some over-training. The week leading up to the race yesterday was a very different week, compared to the previous exhaustion week. I had 2 rest days of no training (other than some light core work) and no real intense training. The result was really quite significant and I couldn't quite believe how strong I felt.

In previous races I had not done so well in my B Cat; mid-20s was my best result. Yesterday, I finished 6th and was in the mix on the final climb; at one point, I thought I had a chance of the win. I actually broke away on the climb and thought the elastic had broken as I had a 6 second lead.

However, some of those riders in the lead pack must have been keeping their powder dry! 2 guys pulled away near the top of the climb. I was in the mix for 3rd right up to the sprint. My poor sprinting ability showed again but what an improvement. The course did suit me well, with 2 long climbs. 

But the really valuable thing was that my heart rate was able to go high and the perceived effort was not as gasping as it had been. I was controlled with a HR of 170 and hit a max of 181. I cannot remember when I was last n the 180+ range.

So here's to a Whooping Christmas!

Nearly Year End - Whoop!

 Another year end nearly here. Time certainly accelerates - as does aging, seemingly! And what a strange year it has been. The COVID-19 impact has been huge everywhere. As I have said before, from my training and domestic circumstances, the impact has been nothing but positive. My training volume has increased massively, as has the training consistency. My hope is that my race performance at the London Duathlon will be somewhere back to expectation. But what is that expectation? My last true long distance race test was way back in 2015 at the Bahrain IM 70.3!

My feeling (physical sensations) is that the passing of time and the ravages of 'stuff' since leaving the RAF will mean I will never get back to that 2015 performance level. Mentally, I think I have finally accepted this fact and now I can focus on enjoying the racing but maintaining a competitive edge.

Also vitally important - and I have been saying this for at least 10 years - is strength and conditioning. Over the last 2 months I have maintained this training focus and I feel in a better place for it. I do find it difficult to sustain these sessions as my head tells me that I am missing specific training! But this is specific training! To help, I augmented my Kettlebell collection by adding a 12.5kg and a 20kg

So the pain-cave is now a great utility and I really love the value it provides. I have also been very fortunate to get some good deals on Le Col cycling clothing. Whilst this gear is very expensive, the quality and look is fabulous. Here is the latest addition - the Eurosport bespoke kit:

I look forward to some sunny rides next year!

So I have improved training consistency, a great pain-cave with the best smart turbo trainer available (the Tacx Neo 2T, IMHO), but the one thing missing to maximize my training for the best performance possible is my ability to monitor recovery/fatigue. This is something that has always been really difficult for me; I tend to smash everything and rest when I break. This is not good. To remedy this, I have signed up for a Whoop band! Not cheap but the data provided for this wearable tech looks awesome. The Variable Heart Rate monitoring looks great, as does the sleep monitoring capability. In essence, I will receive guidance on my physical and mental stress levels that will indicate how well recovered I am - or not! Then is is up to me to decide on the intensity of my training for any given day. . .  .who knows, I may even rest more and take days off!

Definitely more reports to follow on this aspect!

2021 Race Goal 😀🏃‍♂️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Finally, news from the London Duathlon that was postponed last April due to COVID-19. The new date is now 25 April 21. So I have a race goal! This is very motivational for me.

I have switched back to my 9-day week to ensure I take sufficient rest each week. I am focussing on strength foundation build until the end of Dec 20. Today was my first introduction of hills into my running. But no efforts yet; just technique with a high Z2 HR max. I have built my running back to a decent volume but no real efforts. My hips still ache after running, which is frustrating. But no pain. The rehab stretch and trigger point work continues!

To assist with the run development I managed to grab a bargain couple of NB run trainers. Firstly, a pair of NB Fuelcell Propel. These are cushioned trainers for long distance training. I also bagged a pair of NB Fuelcell Rebel, which are for swifter sessions and racing. New trainers and a goal! Nice one!

I consider myself to be very fortunate for so many reasons. My Zwift set up has been enhanced further with a new 24 inch curved screen. The curved screen really does bring a more immersive experience - I like it muchly. As we move into November and December there will be some dark cold time spent working hard here. 

 My next Blog will focus on the S&C and Kettlebell training I think - seeing as I wrecked my legs today . . . . . 

Injury Rehab, Racing and Will there be a 2021?

 It’s been a month or so since I posted and the focus has been getting back to running and rehab to dress the long-standing hip niggle that really derailed my run training. I’ve been doing the stretch and trigger point exercises; not entirely sure these have contributed to recovery but I have gradually felt better. The last 4 weeks has seen an incremental increase in run distance and time. Today I’m aiming for a long run if 1 hour 15 at around 5:25 per k pace. All my running has been very easy. The aim is to introduce some faster running gradually - no jumping into flat out efforts. I’m hoping that the Enhanced Recovery drink is also helping my recuperation following runs. The NTC discount helps as this stuff is not cheap. But I do feel better when I take it.

I’m really enjoying this running, especially the early sessions when it feels like just me and the world alone. I had been experiencing some hip ache after running but lately that has gone too. So I’m hopeful of being in shape for the London Duathlon in April 21. The question is will there be a race! With a new lockdown, every feel so fragile again. It feels quite depressing. From a race perspective, there are no goals guaranteed. I want to trace and ride the French Alps again but who knows if that’s an option next year. These uncertainties are affecting me and I’m struggling to cope with no race or event goals. However, there is always Zwift racing. 

I’ve linked up with my old RAF Tri buddy Mark ‘Frank’ Whittle. Frank left the RAF way before me and created a coaching business - WhittleFit. He seems to be doing well but I’ve not actually met him for years. As with most contact this year, it’s all virtual. I ride in his Tuesday morning workout and yesterday completed my first Zwift race as a WhittleFit race team member. It was the London 8 course of 2 laps. This includes 2 ascents of Box Hill, which is not massive at 3k average 5%, but at full gas race effort this climb blew the field apart. I was with Frank as we hit the climb. Not sure where the spilt happened but suddenly there was  3 second gap from my group to Frank’s group. I was at my limit and just could not bridge across. It was tantalising but that is Zwift for you. I stayed with my group for the next lap, again a sufferfest up Box Hill. I finished 22 B Cat 24 seconds behind Frank. A very painful hour on the bike! But I can say it was enjoyable now I’ve finished 😃. 

So next week’s race in the series is a 35k TT. I’m going try and set my TT bike up on the Tacx Neo. The rear stays are a real tight fit and I’ve not had the TT bike on the turbo since the Direto. 

This morning I followed up the Zwift race with a run of 14k at 1:15. This was my longest run and my running through October has built well. I have a slight Achilles tweak and the hips ache a bit now but rest day tomorrow with rehab stretch and trigger point stuff. 

See you later - who am I talking to .  . . Nobody reads this any more 🤪

Zwift Academy and the Zwift Effect

 The Zwift Effect. What is it? What does it mean? It can best be described as being sucked into  ride intensity not if your choice or desire 😂. It is hrs to ride constructively in Zwift. Every ride can become  race. You could call it lack of will power but once in the bunch whilst participating in a group ride it just isn’t fun to be spat out the back and ride alone. So every effort I made to stay in the bunch. I suppose I could just ride a structured workout alone but seemingly I’d rather ride in the group dynamics. 

Today I started a group ride with the friendly Haute Route gang. The aim was a steady ride - not  slow but not hard either. Nit sure how it happened but I lost contact with the bunch after just 8 min. I was watching my HR and didn’t want to bust my Z3. I put in a dig  to get back in the group but remained tantalisingly adrift; just 2 seconds behind. I was busting 4.2W/Kg, whereas the bunch were cruising at round 3.0. The bunch goes far faster than the single rider. Darn it 🤬. I wasn’t going to make it back. So I eased off. And messaged the group leader that I was adrift be to crack on without me. But then one of the group leaders eased off and waited for me to pace me back. I couldn’t refuse the wheel after he’d come back for me. So I removed any thought of an easy ride and took the wheel. This was going to hurt. My pacer (Jeff) surged on at 5.0. I tucked in around 4.3. And so it went in for about another 10 mins until we made it back. Jeff was a power monster and I had hung on pretty much at max effort. 

Happy enough though and I felt strong. Must have been my new Le Col jersey. A great brand. Not cheap but very Cool and top quality. 

I’m working my way through the Zwift Academy plan at the moment. More on this next post. 

I’m still building the running back after the hip injury. It seems to be mending but every now and then it aches. I’ll continue to build the Z2 runs for another month. I even managed an hour continuous last Saturday. There’s hope for 2021 racing yet. 

Zwift Haute Route Ventoux - Virtual Suffering!

 

It has been a while since I posted a race report - probably because of no racing 8-(  So, as I approached the latest Zwift Global event, the Haute Route Ventoux (Virtual), as a proper race opportunity (with a proper taper to be fresh) I thought that I would write a full race report. As it turned out, this event was just as tough as any IRL race! 

Haute Route Format

This Zwift event was officially part of the actual Haute Route event series, with a specially created kit and race format of a ride/race (all Zwift rides are races?!) over 3 consecutive days. This event had become a short-term goal for me but the format would not suit my poor old man recovery abilities 👀. However, I was feeling all the IRL race trepidation and I was very well motivated to hit the first day hard. What I had not realised was that the normal category system (A, B, C, D) used to segregate riders by ability was not being used. A points system was used to create a GC result table. I still do not understand the scoring method and I seem to be listed as completing 2 events, rather than 3 - oh well, the racing was real and my placings were amongst all cats - including A and A+. All in all, I am pleased with the results and I seemed to recover sufficiently well to record decent performances.

Stage 1 - Petit Boucle. 7th

This was the longest stage of the 3-day event at 63k. But the route had a different dynamic compared to the next 2 stages, which were pure climbing pain-fest stages.  As with all Zwift races, getting a good start is crucial. This means hitting huge power numbers for the first 5 min at least, to try and stay in the front group. If you lose the group there is no way back and you leak time massively. I managed to stay with the front bunch but I was on the limit after only 10 min. After around 30 mins, the pace did ease slightly and the rolling terrain made it possible to grab some micro-rests! The race finished with the Petit KOM, which is only 2.6k in length but succeeded to split the field. So I had hopes of streaking off the front, leaving all in my wake. . . . .  cough; maybe not.

AS the race progressed, we caught some A Cat groups that had started 2 mins ahead of the B Cat riders. When a big group catches another big group the danger is that the draft affect actually caused you to lose the wheels of the faster group that you are in. To combat this risk, it is best to stay near the front of the faster group. This happened at least 4 times during the ride and I got caught out at around 50k, losing the wheels of my group. I fought hard to get back to the lead group but it was in vain. I caught a couple of riders that were shelled out the back of my previous B Cat group and we basically rode hard to the end.

I figured that pushing to the max on the climb would yield the best results for me, as I am a lightweight rider. I did catch quite a few riders but these were mostly A Cat folk. AS normal, approaching the end in a group of 3, I was 3rd man over the line. I cannot sprint and it shows every tie I am faced with a group at the end of a Zwift race!

But happy with the result. I wondered how the legs would feel for the next stage the following day, which would basically be a mountain time trial up Ventoux - the longest and hardest climb in Zwift.

Stage 2 - Ven-Top. 5th

Stage 2 was a mere 21k. But 19k was the Mt Ventoux climb. I wanted a measured ride on this ride, keeping the power spikes as low as possible. Yesterday's stage was a very up and down type of ride; sometimes sustaining 300+W and other times hiding in the bunch at 200W. This would not be possible on this route and a constant power would be the efficient way to ride.

The start was not as fast as a normal Zwift race - everyone no doubt aware of the constant incline to come. The climbing starts almost immediately and the Ven-Top KOM arrives after only 2k. My plan was to sustain 250W and try to up that during the last 4k. 

My best time on the KOM was 1:12:04, which I set in the L'Etape Tour race. I wanted sub 1:10 if possible. After 6k I was feeling ok. The legs were responding, though I was pushing perhaps too hard. I was aware that the climb comes back to bite and I would feel the fatigue after a while. I was maintaining a good position in the top 15. I knew that I was riding the climb more efficiently than my last attempt but with 5k to go, I was getting ragged, struggling to keep the Watts above 240. But everyone else was struggling by the looks of it and I started to pass a few dying riders!

As the line approached I was wrecked and, again, lost a couple of places to fast finishers. But my finish time for the KOM was 1:09:46. Happy with that. I enjoyed the spin back down the climb to try and flush the legs out for the final stage the next day. I was sure my legs would not be working at all for Stage 3. . . . .

Stage 3 - La Reine. 7th

As I set up for stage 3 I pondered on a plan of attack. Assuming that my legs would be fatigued and knowing that the route was very similar to Ven-Top, in that there was constant climbing for the majority of the ride, I had to measure my effort in order to not blow a gasket. But the first 8k was on rolling/flat roads. If I lost the bunch I would haemorrhage massive amounts of time. So the plan was to try and get in the lead group no matter what and then measure the climb to stay at 240W. Success! My legs were ok - why? I have no idea! But I made the base of the climb feeling tired but not frazzled. 

I held 252W for the course and a new PB at 1:02:40 for the whole race. That was another 3 min faster ride. Happy wit that.

But I was drained!

So what next! I have enrolled on the Zwift Academy Road Training Plan. That will give me a good focus during Oct - Nov 20. My hip injury is still preventing any running volume and I am lucky to run twice a week over short distances. But lately it seems to be improving and I am structuring a return to running journey. Currently I am aiming to run every 2 days for 2 mins. Then, I aim to run every other day for 15 mins - all at Z2 HR. If the hip is good I will develop the Z2 efforts further, with a goal of bringing in some increased efforts mid-Nov 20.

Onwards and upwards

Racing Fix. . . . . .Zwift

 With the pesky injury not any better, even after a few days total rest, I returned to some bike events that gave me my fix for racing. I completed a nice outdoor (IRL!) ride on the single speed bike, spending a decent amount of time in the TT position. I felt strong and I am sure that the consistent Zwift training has really put me at another level on the bike.

Yesterday, I raced on Zwift in the GCN vs GTN event. This was held on the Road to Ruins course, which is not my favourite as it takes you round the Jungle Loop. The race was still enjoyable and the added value of racing withe GCN/GTN presenters was enticing. However, as no GCN presenters seemed to be there, this was disappointing. But the race itself was really intense. I pushed to the absolute limit, especially at the start. Pushing 5W/Kg is way too hard for my old legs but it was full commitment or bust!

I held tough in the front group for around 8 mins. But once the incline kicked in on the Epic KOM the bunch split and was instantly strung out. I ended up in a decent group of 10 riders and we stayed together pretty much all the way to the last 2k. I got detached from this group and remained a ta

Tantalising 2 sec behind, unable to connect - doh. I finished 19th, 'Only' 3 mins behind Phil Graves - 

happy with that result.

Legs pretty shot now and I was near to barfing in this race - good effort then!

  

Longest Ride since 2014 with Jase W

 Yesterday was August (2020) Bank Holiday Monday. AS the weather was ok(ish) I had arranged to gran a ride with long-standing Tri buddy Jase Walkley. If you scroll back a few years, Jase and myself have managed to meet up every now and then for great rides. We rode some sportifs together too and even raced together at the 2008 World Ling Course Champs in Almere - I won't mention the 2011 Almere Ironman meltdown that we did together. . . .Doh, I mentioned it! Not forgetting the many TTs that we raced also.

Anyway, Jase has become an Ironmen legend in his own lifetime, with numerous low 9 hour IM finishes. And last year he rode a crazy 3:47 100 mile TT! But this year he has suffered from a heart condition that necessitated surgery. I think he will get back to full fitness, but I am no Doctor. He has been slowly bringing training back into his life and our ride was the next step in his recovery. We ended up riding around 130k! He looked strong too; his years of conditioning obviously helping his recovery. I look forward to some Zwift meet ups during the winter and seeing Jase race at the highest level again in 2021. Pop

P

The ride was very enjoyable and the weather was nice too. That was my longest ride since I can remember. . . . probably my longest since 2014 when I races the Outlaw and rode a 100 mile TT. I felt good too but was tired after I stopped turning the cranks. All my Zwifting has really got me in shape. Now I need to regroup and focus on conditioning to get rid of this injury niggle to enable a peak in April 21 at the London Duathlon. To build properly I will need to be sensible and not get sucked into racing too many Zwift events at max intensity!

Injury, Byee FB and Le Tour

 As normal, I’m not too happy to be struggling with injury. Over the years I’ve had numerous niggles -  some worse than others. This niggle is something I remember having previously. 

However, my recollection is that I managed to just run through the problem. This time, I continue to feel the dull pain when walking. I have not ran for 4 days now. The fact that I continue to ride may not be helping. My cycling training load has had a massive increase over the last 6 months - take a look at the last year according to Strava:

The massive blue blocks from March onwards are mostly cycling sessions since lock down on Zwift. So Lots of the sessions are Really intense. This is probably the prime reason for the injury. Next week I’m going away with Jueby for a few days - no bike and no running. So I’ll just take the instruments of torture for rehab

Today is the start of the 2020 TDF. I love watching this event and I have find memories of seeing the race live in 2010 when we visited Annecy - yearn to go back there but with COVID travel restrictions it is too risky. I will have to carry on pretending I’m at Le Tour whilst in my garage

Nearly forgot, stupid FB locked me out. So I try to reset and FB wants a photo ID - passport or driving licence. That’s isn’t going to happen! So byee FB. Can’t be doing with the invasive nature of this social media thing. Who needs it anyway when I have this Blog! Only thing is, I’m now the only one accessing the Blog 8-)   Good for posterity in years to come.  Maybe my girls will read my adventures and have something to remember me by.  

More Zwifting and the Injury Monster Returns!

 With no real race goal for 2020, my enthusiasm for training remains as high as ever, which is a really good thing. However, this pesky injury niggle in my hip/pelvis bone is still impacting my running. I rest a few days and then try to run; the niggle returns each time. So I booked an appointment with one of the NTC Tri Club's physio type bods. He identified a pelvic mis-alignment and gave my old body a decent bit of torture. He also prescribed some stretch and flex exercises. Furthermore, I also now have some instruments of torture for trigger point therapy/rolling - yest it does hurt. . . .In a good way!

Despite this new rehab routine I aim to take a few days of complete rest next week. My increased cycling volume on Zwift may well have contributed to my injury - especially those long climbing races up Mt Ventoux. But hey, I did manage to win a Cat B Zwift event!

Yup, still really enjoying the whole Zwift experience. The next big event is a 3-day Haute Route party! This is based in the France World and will mean another full on effort up Ventop. The really gruelling aspect of this event is that there are 3 stages on consecutive days. So just like a real Haute Route event, pacing on each ride is crucial. All this Haute Route talk has me yearning to ride in the French Alps again. I looked at the Haute Route website. . . .  over £1500 just to enter! Then accommodation and travel on top of that. Cannot see my managing to ride one of these other than the virtual version  8-(  Oh well, soon be too old anyway. . . . . 

Injury Niggles

Summer progresses and everything feels a bit odd. No racing and WFH is actually ok at the moment. I'm still heavily engrossed in the Zwift platform and really enjoying it. The risk is I will over-train. I am entering more Zwift events and these make the time in the saddle go by so quickly - I'm finding myself prefering to ride indooors, abive a riad ride. Clocking up 300+k a week has really bumped my bike training volume. Hopefully, that will pay off when a real race is in the cards.

Training for What? And L'Etape Virtual!

Well the news was received that the London Duathlon has been postponed until Apr 21. So that was my last chance for a 2020 goal to race gone. I know that everyone is in the same boat but I am disappointed that I no longer have a race target for this year. I think I am in decent shape too. That said, last Monday I ran and was left with a very sore hip. Not sure where this came from but it was really stiffening up the next day. Two days later and it seems much better. I will try a short run today. The other big development is the demise of my Elite Direto Smart Trainer! Yes, after just 3 months the belt is shredded. I am in touch with ELite, who are very responsive for warranty claims but the belts are just not up to the task. After researching the topic, it appears that there are many instances of belt failure. The solution seems to be just keep changing the belt. However, after changing my belt, the problem remains - slippage and clinking when turning the belt. I was (and still am) totally fed up as the smart trainer linked to Zwift has been a life-line for me. Sounds a bit heavy, I know. But mentally, it has been a huge benefit to me. And my training is the best t has been for 3 years. So I took the plunge and splashed out on what is said to be the best smart trainer out there - the Tacx Neo First impressions? Amazing. It is almost totally silent and so realistic. You even get vibrations when riding over cobbles. The power response is instant and I cannot recommend this smart trainer enough - get one! I gave the trainer a good test during some of the Virtual Tour Rides on Zwift and it was flawless. Zwift have introduced new Worlds to coincide with the virtual Le Tour. This has been even more motivating! I ventured out into France yesterday and grabbed a Mt Ventoux KOM. Probably the only time I will get this KOM jersey as the route is not yet fully open to all riders. The official Ventoux Virtual L'Etape is this weekend. I may have a full gas effort with this ride but it will hurt! I rode yesterday at a constant 190W 3.3W/Kg and it took me 90 mins. I may be able to ride at 230-240W and it will be really testing - can't really say no!