Key Sessions - First Outdoor Ride in 2 Months

I have found myself fighting to be fresh and always being tired when training. This surely cannot be good and I need to accept that at the ripe old age of 55 I cannot recover as quickly as I used to. I am sure if I read Blog posts from 10 years ago I will have said the same! My brain simply wants my body to do things that it is incapable of doing! So I have tried to simplify my training. I have 2 Key sessions - both bike/run sessions - that form the basis of training build up to September. The idea is that I hit these session fresh (relatively fresh) to expend a decent effort. The first Key Session is a short high intensity Bike/Run and the second Key Session is a longer Bike/Run Endurance Threshold session. Between these Key sessions I need to tick over very easy and include the long run session - but at a very easy HR controlled effort. Today I did the Key Session 2 Endurance Threshold. This session is one that I have used before and it is very productive and a decent confidence boost. Both the Bike and Run are completed as descending (time) efforts with 2 Min spin/jog RI. Whilst the time descends for each effort: 8 min, 6 min, 4 min, 2 min, the pace increases. So 8 min is slightly slower than race pace, 6 min at race pace, 4 min slightly faster than race pace, 2 min hard. Today I rode outdoors for the first time since mid-March and I completed the sets twice through for 38k total. I rode my Singlespeed, which provides a spot on TT position for me.

Next week I will add the next rep and so on, building to complete 3 times through the full sets. Run today felt hard as I think I was a bit too tired starting the session than I would have liked. But I completed 10k total n 45 min ending with the second 6 min race pace effort. So next time, I will aim to add the nest effort at 4 min slightly above race pace. Still no news about the London Duathlon but I will be disappointed if the event is cancelled. Oh well, so many people have had their season ruined, I can't complain if my main goal is also cancelled. With my training re-focus, I fell quite motivated. I think I am in decent shape and can build further up to September. I have also ordered some new trainers - speedy ones! New Balance Fuelcell Rebel:

In Zwift news, I am now at Level 20 and enjoying the experience even more! My Key Session 2 Bike will be a Zwift race or TT. The weather at the moment in the UK is really good and this makes me yearn for Annecy Mountains. This time last year I was preparing to leave for a week in paradise. Oh well, maybe next year. . . . .