A Great Week - The Best Yet!!

I suppose the weather had added a bit of spice to training as perfect cycling weather has at last descended on the UK. The long cold winter months seem like a distant memory already. Week 2 of increased mileage has seen another 200+ mile week with an ironman distance ride being the foundation of a good endurance week. This evening the week will be rounded off with a 2 hour endurance run to complete around 18 hours of training! Next week I will look to hit the 20 hour mark, increasing the weekly ride to 120+ miles! Swimming will also form part of week 3!!
It has been a complete success so I will now start to introduce a weekly endurance swim!!

The Longest Day!!!

Todays endurance ride started in early morning fog and ended in glorious sunshine. It started very well and ended just as well, feeling strong! The middle portion was entertaining to say the very least. Approaching a coffee stop at 50 miles my rear tyre punctured, nothing sinister or surprising I hear you say! Well unfortunately my new tyre had split in the side wall so 3 tubes later I was out of gas and tubes. Stood stranded by the side of the road there was onlt 1 thing for it. Ride to Lowestoft on a flat. A quick repair lasted about a mile so now I headed to Beccles again on a flat! 4 tubes down and it was time to purchase a new tyre for the 40 mile return home. I smashed it on the way home riding 111 miles at an average speed of 17 mph with around 15 miles on a flat tyre! It was hot, testing and expensive but you just have to love cycling! Its simple......NEVER STOP & NEVER GIVE UP..........Smash it......

The Week Ahead!!

Last week was a successful training week with 230 Miles completed on the bike and a steady 3km swim! This week will take a step further with 300 Miles on the bike and a steady 6km swim. Building gradually is the key, however I am looking to aim for a 120-150 mile endurance ride on thursday! This will be a tough day with a double session. Bike all day starting at 7am and then a steady 2 hour swim in the evening! Back on the bike friday afternoon before a big weekend ahead............Sunday is a planned long run day...........20-30 miles of endurance running!! This is going to be a heavy week, just what the doctor ordered!! The stats at the end of this week will be interesting to read............Love it!!

Swim Day!!!

After 3 good days on the bike it was time to shift the attention to the upper body. It was off to the pool tonight for an easy 3km swim at a slower more methodical pace focusing on relaxing the upper body and gliding through the water! It felt very easy and effortless so monday morning it will be a nice steady 2 hour 6km swim. It is all about building slowly end economically over the next 20 weeks!! Tomorrow I am running with the horse, variety in training is the key so a planned cross country run alongside Sapphire is the order of the day!! Feeling fit at the moment...............

101 Miles not Dalmations...............

Heading out to Great Yarmouth for my favourite ride it is a tale of 2 halves, something I am very much used to on a familiar route. Bury out to Yarmouth felt very easy indeed and arriving at the halfway point I had to ease back to sit at an average speed of 19 mph comfortably. Originally sitting on 19.5 I decided it was too quick! Turning round it was quite clear I was returning into a headwind and believe me it wasn't easy. After 101 miles and 5 hrs 35 minutes of riding at an average speed of 17.8 mph it was job done! Average heart rate 131 BPM with a maximum of 155 BPM.

3 Counties Ride!! Essex-Suffolk-Cambridgeshire!

Up at 0520 to head down to Colchester to start the ride home. The route took me back to Sudbury before heading over to Cavendish, Clare and Haverhill. From here it was rural roads to Newmarket via Thurlow and Great Bradley. The weather was fine but breezy until a downpour greeted me in Newmarket. Heading home to Bury via Dalham & Barrow it was a pleasant and relaxed 60+ mile ride and a nice warm up before a tempo 100 tomorrow!! The aim is a 250+ mile week on the bike!

Full On & Brutal!!

Having gratefully received all my supplements from my sponsors, High 5 & Orbana training has now been cranked up to a new level! Whatever the weather or time of day I now complete a 50 mile round trip to work and back! I choose a hilly alternative to test the system and will now aim for 200 - 300 miles a week on the bike! My first long ride of 120 miles plus will take place next wednesday. Now firmly in the zone it is seriously time to suffer.............