Overall my training is going really well. Pleased to report that I am over the head/chest cold that plagued me for the last month or so. I am now free to exercise without fear of choking to death as I cough...a huge plus. I have been very consistent for the last three weeks and my fitness is to the point where the numbers look good even if I don't feel like it's going to be a good workout. Pretty pumped to be here before December hits.
Sleep is okay, not great. I recently decided to pay closer attention to my caffeine intake, as I think that was hurting me. I need to focus on getting to bed at a consistent time now that my "getting up" time seems pretty locked in at 5am.
The body continues to make me aware of my desire to push my limits. Currently focused on caring for right hamstring and calf, especially after my long runs. I expect some of that fatigue to go, or shift, as my ability to run tempo for long periods of time will fade with the Fall weather (see below).
Body Composition is hovering at 185 right now, which is a good place to be. My goal is to get down to about 178 -- and really be there for race week! -- and I have a few months to do that which is nice.
The Swim -- Continue to swim about 3-4 kms a week, seeking pain-free and comfortable strokes. Still very early here so trying to get this right. My shoulder rehab continues. Current approach is that back (upper back) is really weak, and no longer holding my shoulders in position in contrast to all the aero / computer / swim "forward" positioning that I have enjoyed for many years. Have a suite of exercises I do daily, and am down to 1x PT a week right now.
The Bike -- I continue to see progress here...shame on me for neglecting intervals during the season as much as I have. I am currently sitting on an estimated indoor FTP of about 330, and I look to keep moving that up over the next few weeks. I SWAG my indoor / outdoor FTP delta to be about 5%...so a 330 is "really" a 345 outside. Would like to get my indoor FTP up to 350 for a 365 outdoor FTP. That would put my .73 race day effort at about 265. That said, finding another 20 watts -- even though it's just 6% improvement -- won't come easily (lot of work to be done yet!).
The Run -- I am enjoying some great long runs in the 10 to 13 mile range, running between 6:33 and 6:40, and my mid-week 2x1 mile repeat times seem to be dropping. I am going to continue pushing the long runs for the short term as I know the snow / ice will be here soon enough and I'll need to dial them back to a more pedestrian (read "safe" effort), or worse yet do the work on the treadmill. When that time comes I will most likely shift to more of a steady long run pace with either 2 x FTP runs or 1 x FTP and 1 x HILL run (both on a treadmill). Still plan on keeping the long run in the 75- to 90-minute range.
Right now my basic week looks like this:
- Mon - FTP bike of 2x12', run later if possible.
- Tues - FTP run of 2 x 1 mile.
- Wed - VO2 bike of 4x4', run later if possible.
- Thu - Swim Day + Optional Yoga
- Fri - FTP bike of 2x12'
- Sat - ABP long run of 10-13 miles.
- Sun - Swim Day + Optional Yoga
I plan on sticking with this week through the New Year as long as I continue to see improvements in the individual workouts. The only change is a steady 60' spin before my long runs on the weekend as I need to start adding a bit of ride volume to prepare for the January Volume Camp.
My target for each discipline in December is:
Swim - To build up to 3 swims a week of 8,000 yards total with no pain.
Bike - To test at 340 just before Xmas. Ambitious but I am all in.
Run - Not sure what I am going to do here. My vDOT is pretty high and I am not sure it's worth jeopardizing my health to chase a number (and body comp losses will help). I will keep my current 4 runs a week schedule and aim to log about 35 miles per week.
Thanks for reading and your feedback is always welcome!!!
~ Patrick