Castle Coombe TT

I must admit, this new job has derailed the training somewhat. I feel like I have lost some consistency and seem to be permanently tired. I need to find a routine that can incorporate sleep, training and travelling - not easy. Anyway, last Wednesday I ventured out to the Castle Coombe motor racing circuit to participate in round 1 of the DB Max 10 mile TT series. The weather was good and, coupled with traffic free riding and the smooth surface, it looked a great option. I warmed up well to try and loosen the achy legs off. Starting off, I actually felt good but I dialled the power back to try and pace the distance. AS I progressed I felt that I had hit the right intensity but the power reading was dropping and settled at an average of 247W. I finished in 24:04. Better than I was expecting but streets away from my PB of 21:23. I think the days of PBs are long gone! As I write this, I am eating breakfast prior to venturing out to meet Jase Walkley for the Mid Shropshire 25 Mile TT. This is going to hurt!

New Job and Training

After almost 2 years since leaving the RAF I started what I see as my second career job on 4 March 19. The last 2 years have been torrid - an honest assessment. My racing and training have been hit hard and I have hardly raced. Training had been sporadic through 2017 and 2018. However, since moving to Newcastle Under Lyme in August 18 I have found consistency again. hence I find myself in decent shape. Starting this new job, however, has thrown the equilibrium somewhat, which is only to be expected. That said, I still have a degree of consistency; I just need to get used to the new routine. This routing includes quite a bit of travelling; so I need to be creative with training and focus on key sessions and proper rest. To assist with the logistics of work, training, commuting and racing it is crucial to get the 'Vanny Van' back into the mix! I successfully used Japanese import vans to enable camping, storage and training. When I moved to Saudi in 2015, the Nissan Elgrand was sold. Since returning to the UK, I was back to using a 'normal' car! So, the next 'Vanny Van' is on order and should be arriving mid-May 19: So what of training? Some decent key sessions have been completed, with a couple of longer bike sessions. I have a 25 mile TT on 21 Apr 19 and I desperately need more time on the TT bike! I completed an hour on this bike yesterday as 2 x threshold efforts. The position didn't feel too bad but an hour full gas over 25 miles is a different matter. I have no idea how I will go but my time is likely to be over 60 mins 8-( Not good but I'll treat it as a training session. I ran off the bike yesterday too and was going ok, completing some threshold efforts over 0.85k with 1:30 RI at 3:40 ish per/k pace. I think that I will race well over the sprint distance and I'll just focus on this type of racing this year whilst I bed into the new job. Onwards and upwards. . . .

Unseasonably Warm

The warm February weather in the UK has brought out hoards of cyclists venturing out of their training pain caves. So I joined them yesterday for a very enjoyable spin out on the open roads riding my Evo2max Nebula R9. After many sessions on the rollers in the garage riding my Holdsworth (lower spec bla bla) bike, it felt really good to have a blast on this speed machine. Judging by the way my legs feel today I may have ridden too hard. Averaging over 20mph - including junctions, hills, roundabouts etc - is reasonable speedy I suppose. This weekend may see another Parkrun outing to see if I can take the age group record lower. But this depends on how the legs recover. I felt strong yesterday but the accumulated fatigue from the race on Sunday is showing now. You never know, if I recover maybe some super-adaptation will occur!

Manchester Airport Duathlon

Today I completed my first race of 2019, the Manchester Airport Duathlon. This is a GoTri event aimed at introducing people to mulrisport racing. Hence the set up was pretty low key, which was quite enjoyable. Although a short event at 2.5k/17k/2.5k, the intensity level made it a hard effort! The result was 4th place overall. Quite happy with this result; not because of the position (it was a low key event) but more because I felt strong throughout. A couple of aspects to note, however, are worth considering. My glute/hamstring issue in my left leg tightened up quite significantly. Also, although I felt strong on the second run, I kind of hit terminal velocity without maxing out on my aerobic capacity. So when I crossed the finish line I felt as though I could have continued but not increase the pace. Is this lack of speed work or just age! Not sure. At 54 years old I am going to be more suited to longer distance races. Finding the balance between speed and endurance is key. But it is vital to maintain short hard efforts as I age. Next race? Not sure! I'll look at what's on but the National Middle Distance champs is tempting..... 2 June.... Mmmmmm

Parkrun Outing

It's been a good few years since I have participated in a Parkrun 5k. So today I am going to venture out to the local venue, called The Wammy Parkrun. It's close enough to run to the start as a warm up but I will get on the rollers for 30 mins to lubricate the old joints. No idea how I will go to be honest. I have had some decent runs in training but I still struggle with tight hamstrings. Plus I never run well in the mornings! The course is a straight out and back on a narrow path. With over 300 runners regularly attending, it could be a tight fit! I'll be please with a time that starts with 18:XX. My last Parkrun was 2016 and I clocked 18:16. I am older and significantly more creaky now but sub-19 mins is doable. The above was written as I supped my morning coffee. After suffering for 5k that took me an official 18:29 (18:21 by my garmin) I'm quite happy. I didn't feel great because of my pesky tight glutes and hamstrings. But I do feel that some races and sensible speed work would help me get sub-18 min on this course. My pacing was quite constant, though there is a slight rise just before the turn point that really stings when running hard. An average pace of 3:40 per k is ok and my aim is to bring this down to 3:35 pace. So the best way to do this is by completing some 500m reps at 3:30 pace. The plan is hatched! Turns out that my run equalled the age group record for The Wammy. Best I find a few more seconds to 'unequal' this! Best I find 30+ seconds to attack the next age group record, which is significantly faster!

Early Season Race Tester?

Training has remained consistent, along with some speed sharpening sessions. However, a cold snap bringing snow and ice has interrupted some planned training. As usual, I've been holed up in the garage on the rollers and throwing some kettlebells around too. I've also been trying out the Roodol light weight mobile rollers that I plan to use when working away from the pain cave garage at home. I really like these rollers. Not only are they very practical to take anywhere, but the smaller diameter of the rollers means more resistance than my elite standard rollers. They are also quieter. I've seen a short duathlon race on 24 Feb nearby. The runs are only 2.5k and the bike 17k. The plan is to use my Evo road bike and just have an enjoyable race blast.

Race Bike Resurrection

Well, after getting my trusty race TT bike serviced and packed up for the trip, to Saudi back in July 18, I finally got round to unpacking it and putting it back together. Although it's 10 years old this year, I still really like this bike. True, compared to the current trend of stealth understated bikes it does look kind of retro already I suppose! You got to admit that it looks cool.... Right? I was eager to ride it again so I threw it on the rollers and... Yikes! I was all over the place! I'm now reasonably proficient on the rollers but I guess the different geometry and feel of the TT bike really makes difference. Best I get some miles in on the road to get used to this ride again! Training is still going well and I have invested in some fins to assist my swim drills. Hopefully I can improve further in the water. Running is also feeling good. I've got my eye on the Newcastle 10k road race in April. Its local but not a fast course. But could be a decent form indicator. Let's see what happens.