Training plan
| Day | 10IW | Humango | Intention | Actual |
| Monday | Rest, half hour bike optional | Rest | Rest but bike to work and back (approx. 34 mins) | Bike: 35:36 total |
| Tuesday | 30 min optional run | Rest | Bike to work and back (approx. 34 mins) and restorative yoga: 1 hour | Bike: 34:12 Yoga: 1:01:58 |
| Wednesday | Bike: 60 mins | Swim: 2,750m | Swim with group (2,500m approx.) Bike to work and back (approx. 40 mins) | Swim: 2,275m Bike: 41:20 |
| Thursday | Run: 30-40 mins, strength | Run: 1:15 | Run: 1:15 | Run: 1:10:05 |
| Friday | Swim 1,800m | Swim: 38 mins Bike: 39 mins | Swim: 1,800m | Swim: 1,700m |
| Saturday | Bike 1-hour optional strength | Bike: 5:20 ROTB: 32 mins | Bike: approx. 4 hours | Bike: 4:04:24 |
| Sunday | Run: 45 mins | Run: 1:47 | Run: 1:47 | Run: 1:47:04 Restorative flow yoga: 59:44 |
*10 Ironwomen training plan provided by Celia Boothman, lovetheraincoaching
Crazy work weeks and training
Quite a contrast to last week. My craziest work week for a long time. I volunteered for overtime to was in centre every day this week. This meant a bit more commuter cycling and a busier schedule.
The beginning of the week was fine as I had two rest days, as far as that was possible. I’m never sure how to class the commutes to work but since they are rather stop start and not very far, I guess it counts as rest. The yoga on Tuesday actually did feel restorative.
Wednesday’s swim was fine. A good workout and not as hard as the previous week.
I actually managed to get out of the house a bit earlier on Thursday and complete 1 hour 10 minutes of a scheduled 1 hour 15-minute run. I am determined to get up earlier next week so that I complete the full scheduled run. This week’s session was a mixed tempo and threshold session with 15 minutes of warm up and then 5 times 4 minutes tempo, 4 minutes threshold, 2 minutes recovery with a 10-minute cool down. Owing to time my cool down was shortened to 5 minutes.
I thoroughly enjoyed the run. The weather was ideal, cool and no rain. A good session to Westminster along the North side of the river and then to Waterloo on the South side. I am very lucky to have some great run routes on my doorstep. It is also easier now that the morning’s are getting lighter and I know it will be light when I get the canal by Wapping Woods.
Thursday is my long workday and I teach from 9am until 8pm. However, as I usually work from home on a Friday I tend to sleep until about 7am. This Friday I was teaching in Holborn at 9am and going out after work so I had to fit in a swim before this. I certainly felt the training by Friday morning.
I went to Oasis, near Covent Garden so that I could go by tube and be close to work. I didn’t have as early a start as Wednesdays and the decision to swim central rather than the usual Wednesdays at Mile End was the right one. However, the pool at Oasis is an outdoor pool and the weather was cold, rainy and windy. I was supposed to do various intervals and drills with short rests. It was far too cold to stop, even for 10s between intervals. I felt like I was swimming through treacle, reflected in it taking me 46 minutes to swim only 1,700 metres. Slow even by my standards.
It could have been because it was a ‘normal’ training week and an abnormally busy work week or the weather may have contributed, either way, I was glad to get out of the pool and drink the coffee I had brought with me from home.
I have been trying to spend less money this week on snacks and coffee related to my training. I generally buy coffee and breakfast after my run on a Thursday and would have done the same after today’s swim. However, I managed to take breakfast in on both days and take coffee on Friday.
Triathlon is such an expensive sport, any savings are welcome!
Weekend training, Netflix and the long run
I hadn’t completed a long bike for a few weeks, so Saturday was a bit of a shock to the system. It didn’t help that I had a few glasses of wine on Friday night. I will at some point have to make a decision to more or less stop drinking until the Ironman is over but I’m not quite ready to do this yet.
I cycled just over 4 hours while binge watching Netflix. It was not my fastest 4 hours and my average watts was lower than it has been – apparently only 89 watts. My legs felt tired quite early on and after half hour I did wonder why on earth I was training for an Ironman instead of having a relaxing breakfast after a lie in. But I got through it, managed 104km and felt pretty good about it in the end.
My Sunday run was great. It was cold but dry and there was even some sun to be seen at times! The session was another tempo and threshold one with 10 minutes warm up, 3 times 20 minutes tempo, 5 minutes recovery run (walk/run) 2 minutes threshold and 3 minutes recovery run with a 7-minute cool down. I ran the scheduled 1 hour 47 minutes from home to the canal, up to Victoria Park, through the park and then along the canal beyond Hackney Wick before making my way back to the park, the canal and home. Another great but busy route on a Sunday morning.
I finished off my week of exercise with some yoga, a restorative flow for 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes Yin and relaxation.
I end each week feeling physically tired and pleased to have completed my training. This week I am especially content with the training given how busy my workload was.
Next week’s training is a little more intense but also more social.
