Key Sessions Continue

 

A week since the Duathlon last Sunday and it’s been a busy work period, which is likely to continue over the next few weeks 🤨. Next week I am in Bristol on Wednesday, which means I’ll miss another track session. I use these sessions to sharpen up and there’s not much better to get the most out of run training. But I need to remember that my run is in a good place and I just need to maintain. So some bike do use is needed. 

Last week I bagged. Gym session on Tuesday - really trying to tick over with the conditioning and not stop altogether. I was away with work on Wednesday but bagged an early steady run on Thursday before travelling home. On Friday I completed a Zwift race to help the bike form hopefully. Saturday was a day off to so domestics jobs that I’ve been neglecting. 

On to today and I’d planned a key session. The focus was on the bike but with a Duathlon slant. That means I needed a pre-exhaust before a hard bike. So I did a decent run warm up then 6 x 800m in the park over a course is used before last year. I remember feeling crappy in those sessions, struggling to maintain 3:50 per k pace. Today was very different and confirmed that my running is in a good place. First rep at 3:33 per k pace, which was the slowest rep. Three reps were under 3:30; fastest 3:27. Pleased with this run session but my head want more. I felt like I’d reached terminal velocity. So my logic says I need to do more short fast sessions to try and get the muscle pathways used to faster paces. I want a sub-18 min 5k but that means running at 3:35 pace. Don’t think I can sustain that pace for 5k 😳. But all good I suppose. 

After the 800m reps I jumped straight onto a Zwift race again - same course as Friday. It worked really well as the smaller group meant a tactical race. Of course it went ballistic on any sniff of incline. My mega were soon toast but a great session. 

Next race is 10 May at the evening event on a Wednesday evening. I did this race last year and was pleased with a 39:24 finish on this lumpy route. I feel so much in a better place with my running now and would be disappointed not to run sun 39 min. But no pressure - it’s a training race! 

More to come soon as the Darley Moor Duathlon approaches on 28 May 23. 

Later nobodies 

Dunham Massey Duathlon

 

Today was my first multi-sport event at the Dunham Massey Sprint Duathlon. This race was organised by MCA Fitness, which is a small event company focusing on grass roots multi-sport around the South Manchester area. The sprint event was held alongside the Go-Tri shorter event. These races are great training to hone the form and get some race scenario transition practice done. I knew I’d been running well and went off reasonably hard. I was towards the front of the field as the pack stretched out into the housing estate. The course was really twisty with lots of sharp corners and a good amount of compacted trail surfaces. So I was please to clock 18:53 for just over 5k. By my reckoning that gave me a leg 1 finish in 4th place. 

I knew that there was a strong cyclist in my age group behind me on his TT bike. So I expected to be caught somewhere on the first lap of 2. The pot holes were everywhere; the roads were truly appalling. But I felt quite strong. No idea where others were behind me. As it was, my age group colleague past me with about 2k to ride. If I could stay in contention I may be able to retake the age group lead. 

I actually had a decent transition and the 2 of us headed into the second run together. Holding a pace if 3:50 per k was enough to maintain my 4th place - I 🤔 think. 

So a good race and I’m happy. The new NB Fuelcell SC Elite race shoes were great; really like the cushioned but springy feel. Had a slight rub on the inner lace cord which is inside the sock liner. I will look to sort this before the next Duathlon as the shows are good for fast transitions and speedy too. 

Next up is the Clayton 10k, which I may mix up as a big training session 5k easy, 5k hard. 

First Duathlon of 2023

Sunday will be my first Duathlon of the season at the Dunham Massey MCA Fitness event. This is a low key race but a race nonetheless. I’m really looking forward to the sprint race and intend to use my evo2max aero road bike to hone the position and road feel for Darley Moor Duathlon in May. The weather looks wet, which makes it a bit sketchy. I’m a sun lover so really hope the weather picks up by Sunday. 

I’ve had a good few weeks of training, finishing with that Duathlon session last Saturday, conditioning on Monday and a track session on Wednesday. The track session was reduced effort for me as the group did 10 x 400 with 90 sec RI. I opened up a bit on a couple of reps then eased back. 

To hit a 1:18 is quite pleasing for me. I could do with more of this shorter speed work. But I do feel I’m neglecting my bike hard sessions. I felt ok on Saturday’s Zwift tiny races but I’ve not done much specific bike stuff. That said it’s been enjoyyto have a run focus. Let’s see how it goes on Sunday 🏃‍♂️🚴🏃‍♂️

Another Key Duathlon Session 🏃‍♂️🚴🏃‍♂️

 A week after the session blogged last time and here we are again - Key Duathlon Session number 2. The Zwift Tiny Race series format of 4 short races with an hour really is good training value for sprint duathlon focus. This week the ‘Tiny’ races were slightly longer, which meant it would be difficult to run inbetween. So today I basically completed a sprint duathlon by incorporating a Parkrun 5k, then back to the Zwift set up for the Tiny Race series, then finally a short run off what was always going to be wrecked legs - especially after a good week of training  

I drove to the Wammy Parkrun, which is only a few minutes away. Then completed a proper warm up before starting a tempo effort. As we set off I thought I was going too fast around 3:46 per k pace. I’d estimated I need 3:55 pace for my tempo. So I tucked into a small group as we entered the drag incline towards the turn point. 

I gradually upped the pace over the last 2k for a finish of 19:03. Probably a bit too fast but it did make wonder how I could knock over a minute off that time 😬. 

So back home quickly and set up for the Zwift Tiny races. I thought I’d struggle but didn’t feel too bad and the wattage was better than last week. But those short hard efforts hurt🥵

I certainly thought the final run would be a hobble but felt good, averaging 3:54 pace for a 2k acceleration run. Could have done more but opted to play it safe and finish a very productive session there. 

The Vaporflys felt very good. The legs are not totally mashed but I’m sure I’ll be a wee bit sore tomorrow. 

Next Sunday is the first Duathlon of the year at Dunham Massey. This is a low key event but sometimes gets some speedy folks doing what I’m doing - honing the transition and race scenario. I’ll use the road bike as prep for draft legal events. Looking forward to it. Hope the weather is decent. 

Key Duathlon Session

I had planned to hit my local Parkrun today and go for a time - maybe even try for a sub 18-min clocking . However, I thought I was drifting back into the danger zone of running well and doing more and more and then getting injured. Still feeling really happy with the run form so let’s be wise and focus on the Duathlon goal of Darley Moor daft legal event on 28 May 23. 

After the Nantwich 10k the mega were sore but not horrendous. I was able to joint the NTC chain gang on Tuesday evening. 

I felt quite strong actually and really enjoyed the ride in the evening sun. I had a scary moment having to bunny hop a crater size pot hole. The roads really are crappy in the UK. I managed a dig up Swinnerton bank, ending with a PR up that segment. So that’s a good indication of form. 

After a few easy days to full recover from the weekend and chain gang I switched the plan from Parkrun to a Duathlon specific session. I used the Zwift Tiny Race series to create a brick session. These Tiny Race series takes place over just an hour, with a short race every 15 minutes (4 in total). I used the short recoveries to run short and hard to create a multiple run/bike/run/bike/run etc. The legs kind of blew in the 3rd Tiny Race but I just kept pushing, using the race scenario to really eke out the effort. But despite the blown legs I was really pleased with the run pace I could sustain. The runs ended being:

2k, 3:53 pace

1k, 3:44 pace

1k, 3:43 pace

0.5k, 4:09 pace (hilly!)

2k, 3:49 pace

Happy with that run set, especially the last 2k run, which really was carrying some fatigue in the legs. The format worked really well and the the end of the run efforts left me around 50 seconds to transition back to the bike. If I maintain the form I have now I’ll be happy to race at Darley Moor as I am. 

That said I am toying with the idea of going for a 5k time by entering the Staffs county track and field champs on 13 May. I love track running but I’m under no illusions; I’d be lapped at least once! But the track is probably my best chance of dipping under 18 min. More to come on this potential race - which isn’t that far away! 

Nantwich 10K Race

So today was my 3rd race as I hone the form for some sprint Duathlon events. After the Congleton 10k finished in 39:24 and the Cheadle 5 miler the trajectory was looking good to get close to 38 mins today. I felt it was a stretch target but focused on keeping my pace below 3:50 per K. The first 3K had the majority of climbing and I managed to remain around 3:48 pace as I approached 5K. The question was had I fatigued the legs too much. 

An halfway time nearly bang in 19 min encouraged me, knowing that there was a good amount of downhill towards the finish. So I dug in and tried to accelerate gradually. I think that I hit the pacing right as I entered the last K I had the realisation that I should break into the 37+ min🤓  

I crossed the line pretty much tank on fumes, which is the way it should be. A chip time of 37:31 has blown me away; I thought that time was beyond me. Happy days then✊🤩. 

Next steps then? Get the bike form tuned up and at least maintain my run form. As per my last post, I’d also like a crack at a sun-18 min Parkrun whilst I have some run fitness. Not too long until the Darley Moor draft legal Duathlon on 28 May. Mustn’t get carried away with the fitness and do more. That’s what has happened in the past. 

Must be wise! 

Until next time tumbleweed land . . .