Monday 5th December- Well Monday morning I didn't feel like going on the bike, with a thick frost on the small lanes, paired with the 80mph gusts I didn't feel keen venturing out. In April this year I was given a small amount of funding from my local council and with this came a free pass for all leisure centres in the area, so I took full advantage of this given the weather and headed to the pool. Before I started racing I was a keen swimmer and raced for the local club regularly, so I thought my first proper swim in two years would be a doddle, but it was't. My Stroke was messy I was breathing all wrong and when I'd done the first few lengths I thought Jesus, this mile I'm aiming for is going to be hard. But its like riding a bike!! and I soon got back into it and did a mile (64 lengths) quite comfortably.
After the swim I decided I'd make my way round to the gym only in the adjacent building, very handy considering it was bucketing in down outside. Now my first gym session since last winter so I didn't want to over do it, 10 sets of 10x 41kg on the leg raises and 4 sets of 25x110kg on the legs press and I was done, saddle up and get home to the log burning open fire and a big bowl of noodles!!!! yum. A good days work
Tuesday 6th December- Split day-
Part 1-Today was a very different day to Monday, bright, sunny and even colder but the maze of surrounding rolling lanes was calling!! Now I wasn't going to do anything insane but when I got into the really narrow single track lanes it wasn't my effort raising the heart rate, but the very nice strip of slush down the middle and the occasional icy inside puddle kinda twitchy to say the least but i made it home unscathed.
Part 2- After the easy morning spin round the lanes I decided I would step it up a little bit and head onto the turbo for some muscle busting, hard resistance work.
Don't really know how to make turbo sound exciting so I wont ruin it by training, so below is what I did make of it what you can, but I'm pretty sure its beneficial.....
10 mins warm up
10 mins 52/12 (resistance 5/5) stud up
10 mins 52/12 (resistance 5/5) seated
5 mins fast spin
10 mins- 5 x 30 second sprints @ 1 1/2 minute intervals
15 mins warm down
Unfortunately I didn't have the cadance sensor or heart rate fitted but for the 1st turbo session this winter I don't think will hurt.
Wednesday 7th December- Hurricane class winds, torrential rain and sub 5 degrees temperatures it was another day for the pool, and boy was it going to be a tough 2nd swim (all my fault) but you got to love pushing it!! Now Obviously using this alternative training for benefit on the bike i thought swimming with a board and just doing leg kick would be a great idea. So i set myself a plan for the days swim.
2 sets of :-10 lengths kick
16 lengths front crawl
10 lengths kick
16 lengths front crawl
This took me to have done 1 mile front crawl and 40 lengths kicking, i thought well its only another 24 lengths and I've done 2 miles, so i got on with it, 2 miles came and past and i ended up doing a total of 2 and a half miles. Which showed its effect in the last 10 lengths resulting in me cramping and looking like an idiot mid lengths like someone who needs a red ring throwing round them and pull to the side, but i got out had a stretch and finished the job at hand .... something I always try and do
+ 46 lengths front crawl and 10 more kick for good measure
Thursday 8th December- Today was by far the worse day of the week, trees down everywhere, roads flooded, people been advised not to travel, thankfully today clashed with a local club Christmas dinner, which weeks in advance I'd put my name down for, honest!! a day out in the car just happened to be on this not so lovely day. The club isn't really a club but a group of still pretty fit old boys who meet at the local cafe every Tuesday and Thursday for a good distance ride around the dales. I used to go out with them every holiday off school when I was 15 &16 polishing off a good 80-90 miles each ride. so every occasion I can I still meet with them for the monthly dinners and Christmas gatherings.
Friday 9th December- Another split day first off it was going to be 2 turbo sessions but I decided it would be a short but leg burning turbo in the morning and a steady loosening pool session in the afternoon. Again I wont bore you with rambling about a turbo session, I'll just put the figures below to show what it was all about, However this time i had been more prepared and got the cadance sensor fitted and chucked a new battery in the heart rate band, numbers were there!!! and cyclist love to see numbers, well good ones anyway...
Turbo 45 minutes total
0-10 mins warm up rpm 92 HR113 avg-141 max
10-20 mins resistance 3/5 rpm 95 HR161 avg 169 max
20-30 mins resistance 4/5 rpm 95 HR 179 avg 184 max
30-45 mins warm down HR 169 avg- 183 max
After the Turbo i kicked back on the sofa and watched a film, knowing I'd done some good work. Then it was a matter of sweetening mother up for a lift to the pool. Idid a mile and half steady away with breaks every 16 lengths or so.
So a good weeks work done, I kick back for the weekend now and get some odd jobs done and earn some penny's all a build up for what I hope to be a great 2012 season, sorry to ramble in places but how can you tart up something that's pretty simple!! stay tuned for of what else I'm up to, maybe another cross cross race is on the cards and some bush beating with them pheasants>>> cheers for reading
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