Training Status - VO2 Max Baseline

Two weeks into 2020 and training has continued. I had completed some decent training over the Christmas period - mainly as I was not at work. So I wanted to maintain the momentum into the New Year. I have had a couple of decent turbo sessions and also a good long road ride that included a big effort up the Cat & Fiddle climb in the Peak District. Last Wednesday was a return to the track in Bristol with Bristol West AC. I am also trying to fit some strength and conditioning into the mix. My problem is that it takes me so long to recover from hard sessions - running, cycling or/and strength stuff - that I struggle to maintain the strength sessions as these would impact the upcoming run or cycle sessions. I guess I just need to crack on and train tired. The track session last Wed was good for me as it was based on shorter reps. I want to get the old legs running at a significantly faster than my goal 5k pace of around 3:37 per kilo. As I found out, the faster pace pretty much wrecked my legs. But I did maintain a faster pace for all reps, despite feeling like I imploded on the last rep. My ambition to run 5k under 18 min seems a bit of a stretch target right now. But then I have to remember that I normally race far better than I train. So i look forward to my next attempt at a Parkrun 5k. Today I hit the turbo with the aim of logging some extended time in an aero position on the tribars. It was a seriously icy morning that suited being off the slippy roads. I had taken a couple of easy days due to the track session wrecking my legs. It seems that 2 days was not sufficient! But I pushed through with a GCN 3-session mash-up of Warm up, The Escalator and the standard VO2 Max set that I have completed a few times over the last year. I was hoping to hit 300+ Watts for the 2 min max efforts. I was constant across the 6 sets around 285 Watts - so no where near really! But I have to remember that I was into the second hour of the session and my legs were fatigued before I had started. I definitely feel that I have 300+ Watts in there somewhere if I start the session fresher. So let's use the VO2 Max figures above as the baseline for a subsequent test session. Next key session is a track session on Wednesday and, if the weather is o, a low key race at the next iteration of the Manchester Duathlon - a Go Tri event - on 26 Jan 20. Onwards and upwards. . . . .

2020 Race Plans

It is nearly the middle of Jan 20 and I would really like to have a decent year of racing, with some specific targets to build the training around. As I blogged previously, the focus is duathlons. I am enjoying the training and have managed to consistently hit running every other day, with regular track sessions to try and boost the run speed. I was not that happy with my 5k test run on 1 Jan 20 but there is time to get the 5k effort below 18 mins - I hope! Originally, I was going to focus on sprint duathlons. However, at my age, I think I need to use my endurance and build the distance through the year to race a longer duathlon in Sep 20. Although I have qualified for the World Sprint Du Champs in Holland, I really object to the huge costs involved with age group representation. So, the plan had developed! Early season goal: National Standard Distance Duathlon Champs at Bedford Aerodrome: Mid-season build event: Pitsford Duathlon, 10k/40k/10k Main Goal: London Duathlon 20k/77k/10k I have a number of shorter local duathlon races to sharpen up the for. Additionally, I intend to enter a good amount of bike TT events to hone the longer distance aero position speed. So that is it. Hopefully, I can keep to this plan. Entering events is a good motivator. i am in decent shape now and if I stay injury free I hope to be competitive. Onwards and upwards.

Into 2020 at The Wammy Parkrun

So yesterday was The Wammy Parkrun that I listed as a 5k blast to see where the fitness was coming into 2020. I finished in 18:25, which was exactly the same time I recorded back in March 19. I am a little disappointed as I had hoped that a focused 3-month period of track sessions would have yielded some speed improvements. However, I have to accept that I have quite a lot of domestic stresses right now. It is hard to know what affect these stresses have on performance and I also have to consider that I am simply getting slower and slower as age catches up with me - sad but inevitable.

I have a tweak in my left hip; is the injury monster visiting again? Anyway, I still want to be running this Parkrun sub-18 min, with a stretch target of 17:52 to get the age group record! Improving by 34 seconds whilst fighting the onset of declining performance due to age will be a big ask! Let's hope when I pen the final Blog entry of 2020 that I can recap on a target achieved! Talking of targets, as much as I would like to rave in Almere at the world Sprint Duathlon Champs in Sep 20, the cost for a sprint event is absolutely massive! So my thought now is to aim for the British Standard Duathlon Champs in April 20 at Bedford Aerodrome. Then regroup for a longer distance race in September 20 at the London Duathlon over the distance 20k/77k/10k. That sounds a real tough test. Now all I need to do is enter and get into shape. I feel that I am in a good place (if this niggle in the hip clears up) now and can build fitness further. Until next time. . . . If anyone actually reads this Blog now?!! I think not; but it is a good diary to look back on 8-)