Weekly Stats:
Rides: 2 Time trial (12km long) Negative Split and Zone 2 recovery (8km)
Runs: 2 (Couch to 5k week 2, run 1 and week 1 run 3)
Other activities: Indoor Bouldering & Rock Climbing
I’m not the fastest out there, and I know it, but there’s time. That’s the best bit.
Being a scientist, I’m always trying to look at the data, and I’m writing this log after doing a simulated time trial today. The session was titled ‘The Long Scream’ and it feels that way (apt for “The Sufferfest”).
A time trial, for those that don’t know, is much like the Isle of Mann TT (the TT bit stands for Time Trial, funnily enough). It’s you, versus the clock, and the other people are just there to introduce some level of competition between teams or individuals, but the real bread and butter is for a rider to train and engineer their way to being faster.
Today’s time trial simulation was Zone 4, a power that you can hold for between 20 and 30 minutes, my zone 4 power is quite low, however my ability to let out quick bursts of power, and recover for another burst of power makes up for what I lack in overall endurance.
The ride really hit the target of training that 30 minute endurance, getting used to putting on constant power for 30 minutes in a relatively high gear is something I’m going to need to train, and sitting in on the turbo for these short sessions to build up that base is what I really need to focus on.
The worst part is, I felt I could do a bit more and work a little harder…..
My runs this week have been great, with the absence of being somewhat warm and the reappearance of some shin splints, I’ve still managed to complete them, which at this point, is all I’m after.
However, this week has really been a shock to the system, after doing some indoor climbing, my upper body has been sore for a few days, having used muscles I haven’t used in a few years. I’ve been taped up with KT tape, TENS massage and using a Theragun style massager to really work the bloodflow, hopefully it dies down before the next run.