What Happened to January?

How time flies when you’re having fun! It’s goodbye ‘Base Phase’ (Hurray!) and welcome Build Phase.  Historically I’ve not been a big fan of the boring and monotonous Base Phase training, however, Chris has structured my training well over the winter to make sure I’ve had adequate base training so that I get the gains that I need but he has also included some higher tempo work and brick sessions which have made the sessions much more interesting and fun.  Chris has clearly got my number and understands exactly what I need to remain motivated.  He is one talented Trainer and has achieved a thorough understanding of me so quickly that I know he will keep me on track with his training plans and variety of sessions.

The last 3-weeks have seen my training sessions intensifying as I get nearer to the start of the Build Phase. This involves increasing intensity and efforts over short periods in order to get my body ready for the transition into the new phase.  I have also undertaken a series of time trials and tests over the period to evaluate my progress and pick up on weak areas. 

The swim trials measure completion time rather than technique and the results were very pleasing.  The run and bike trials are slightly different (and particularly gruesome!), as they measure my performance from a threshold perspective rather than completion time.  This is to establish at what intensity by Heart Rate my body can work for a sustained period of time before falling over!  When training at any time the body produces lactic acid in the muscles.  There is a point at which the body cannot process this any more and by pushing myself as hard and long as possible I can gauge what my individual threshold is. The bike test itself lasts about 45-minutes from start to finish and is extremely painful and in no way enjoyable.  During the entire period, I have to push myself as hard as I can. Every leg muscle is screaming and/or cramping and feel like they have been filled with cement. That is when the mental toughness comes into play.  At that point every nerve is telling you to stop because it hurts so much and that is when you have to be able to override what the brain is telling you and keep on pushing those legs….Chris of course is standing alongside me during this complete with clipboard, stopwatch & pen telling me to keep going meanwhile I’m panting like a dog and dead on my feet! No pain no gain so they say!

If you have any doubt as to how much a threshold test hurts then join me on my next one & you can see it first hand. Pleasingly if not surprisingly, the results have been much better than last year and the bike training is ticking over nicely. 

I have been focussed on improving my running technique and stamina in particular, and after 12-weeks of hard winter training, the final winter threshold tests completed last week resulted in a personal best on the 10k pace. This was an unexpected result as the purpose of the test was to run as fast as I could for 30-minutes to gauge the heart rate threshold so not only does it demonstrate an improvement in my running technique but also my running fitness has got better.  Bottom line: All the winter work has paid off!

Just enjoyed a recovery week (well it would have been if I hadn’t have had to move office!) and the Euro championship is only 10-weeks away………….YIKES! Training now gets really interesting as I can get my TT bike out and get my body     re-acquainted with the world renowned most uncomfortable TT bike position!

Add to that my favourite, the introduction of track sessions for running alongside some faster paced work in the pool and you have the perfect fun training recipe. 

I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into this phase which will be very hard but highly enjoyable.

Catch you soon.