Base 2 Phase (First week of four)
Theme of the week is bike. Base 2 Phase weeks have a theme of the week. One of the sports is focused on and the number of sessions increased for that discipline.
Monday; 80 mins bike ride. Steady RPE=4 with sprints up to RPE=9 on uphills (about three in my 5km loop). 35km.
Tuesday; 60mins bike, Steady RPE=4-5 with 40 mins on aerobars. Seat needs adjustment. 30km.
Wednesday; Very gentle run and stretch. 30 mins. RPE=2. Bike tempo work. 10 mins warm up at RPE=3/4. 50 mins at RPE=5/6 mostly in aerobars with some out-of-saddle sprints. 10 mins cool down. 70-75mins. 35 km. Mild day, no wind apart from a gentle head wind.
Thursday; 90 min bike session all in aero-bars. RPE=4/5 with RPE=5/6 when into wind. Colder, headwinds for long stretches. Tested nutrition on empty stomach. Gel every 15km. 70 mins in big chain with warm up / cool down in small ring. 45km.
Friday; Rest day
Saturday; Long bike. Total distance around 120km. Main block with bike club. 80km. Average speed 33kmh. Extremely cold windchill on the feet! Sunny, good visibility, some wind. 20km warm up and 20 km cool down -including a couple of ferry trips to cross the Huang Pu river. RPE = 5/6 at time RPE=7/8. Enjoyed the coffee after the main block!
Sunday; Long run. 15km. Not too cold. Running on tired legs. Slow to get started. Steady once warmed up. 80 mins.
Total: 7 sessions.
Triathlon Training Lingo
*RPE means Rate of Perceived Exertion and relates to the intensity of each session. I have stopped using a heart rate monitor [although I used one for a couple of years] because I want to exercise more by ‘how it feels’. RPE = 10 is full-out effort, while RPE = 1 is just enough intensity for the session to be called exercise. Endurance sports requires a good base of low intensity effort and over time building up intense efforts with longer sessions.
A brick session is a bike ride followed immediately by a run. It’s purpose is to simulate the conditions of a duathlon or triathlon race where the bike transitions into the run without stopping. It trains your leg muscles to run while tired.
Upcoming races - signed up.
5km swim in Lake Taupo, New Zealand on 14 January 2012
Half Ironman at Lake Wanaka, New Zealand on 21 January 2012 [race bib:1197, total 284 competitors]
3.3km Ocean swim in Wellington, New Zealand on 29 January 2012
Half Ironman in Singapore on 18 March 2012
Full Ironman in Busselton, West Australia on 9 Dec 2012
Results
Half Marathon in Changhsu, China on 27 November 2011: 1hr 56mins for 22km course. Personal Best time.
Base 1 Phase (fourth week of four)
Theme of the week is recovery! Every fourth week in a phase is a recovery week which means that the length of training goes down although the frequency of the sessions stays the same. This allows the body time to recover and get ready for more intensity in the Base 2 phase.
Monday; Rest day
Tuesday; Easy run 30 mins, RPE=2
Wednesday; Raining heavily in morning, no bike. Afternoon light run 30mins. RPE = 30mins.
Thursday; Easy run 30 mins, RPE=2
Friday; Brick session. Bike 60mins. Big and small chain. RPE=4-5. Followed by run off the bike, 30 mins. RPE=3-5. Very cold, sunny and not too windy. Great winter weather.
Saturday; Long bike ride, 55km, around 2 hours. Cold, windy and sunny. Mixture of big and small chain.
Sunday; Early long run, extremely cold, frost on the ground. Warmed up as sun came out. 2 hours around 15km-18km. Felt tired after run. Left ankle became stiff after about 2 hours into the run.
Total: 7 sessions.
*RPE means Rate of Perceived Exertion and relates to the intensity of each session. I have stopped using a heart rate monitor [although I used one for a couple of years] because I want to exercise more by ‘how it feels’. RPE = 10 is full-out effort, while RPE = 1 is just enough intensity for the session to be called exercise. Endurance sports requires a good base of low intensity effort and over time building up intense efforts with longer sessions.
A brick session is a bike ride followed immediately by a run. It’s purpose is to simulate the conditions of a duathlon or triathlon race where the bike transitions into the run without stopping. It trains your leg muscles to run while tired.
Upcoming races - signed up.
5km swim in Lake Taupo, New Zealand on 14 January 2012
Half Ironman at Lake Wanaka, New Zealand on 22 January 2012
3.3km Ocean swim in Wellington, New Zealand on 29 January 2012
Half Ironman in Singapore on 18 March 2012
Full Ironman in Busselton, West Australia on 9 Dec 2012
Results
Half Marathon in Changhsu, China on 27 November 2011: 1hr 56mins for 22km course.
Base 1 Phase (third week of four)
Cold weather week. Got very cold and windy during the week. Could feel needed a lot longer to warm up and it was harder to output a decent effort. On the bright side, got through 7 sessions with steady effort and consistency is the key to building up a solid endurance base. Training races next month should be challenging and I feel the work I have done this month will help make them a not-too-painful event!
Monday; Long swim. 2km. 4×500m sets. Tried out new swim watch that calculates number of strokes and efficiency index. Looking forward to playing around with it a bit more.
Tuesday; Two sessions. 30km / 60 mins on the bike in small chainring RPE=4 and then a solid 30mins run through the park RPE=3/4.
Wednesday; Long run, 100 mins, RPE=3-4, beautiful sunny day.
Thursday; Rest day.
Friday; Very short bike ride. 30 mins. Very cold, winds and sunshine. Nice.
Saturday; Long bike ride. Grinded out 60km. Sunny, very windy, extremely cold. Small chainring effort. About 2 hours 40mins.
Sunday; Long run 90mins, 15km. Very cold, no wind, nice when the sun came out. Small group run. RPE=5
Total: 7 sessions.
*RPE means Rate of Perceived Exertion and relates to the intensity of each session. I have stopped using a heart rate monitor [although I used one for a couple of years] because I want to exercise more by ‘how it feels’. RPE = 10 is full-out effort, while RPE = 1 is just enough intensity for the session to be called exercise. Endurance sports requires a good base of low intensity effort and over time building up intense efforts with longer sessions.
Upcoming races - signed up.
5km swim in Lake Taupo, New Zealand on 14 January 2012
Half Ironman at Lake Wanaka, New Zealand on 22 January 2012
3.3km Ocean swim in Wellington, New Zealand on 29 January 2012
Half Ironman in Singapore on 18 March 2012
Full Ironman in Busselton, West Australia on 9 Dec 2012
Results
Half Marathon in Changhsu, China on 27 November 2011: 1hr 56mins for 22km course.
Autumn in Century Park
Base 1 Phase (second week of four)
Not a great week for training. Cold and wet weather with business travel and late flights means I was short a few sessions here especially on the bike. Just entered Ironman Western Australia in Dec 2012 so I need to start laying a stronger [and longer distance] bike foundation.
Monday; Rest day.
Tuesday; Brick session. Bike 25km RPE=5 around 55mins in big gear. Run 25 mins RPE=3 with some strides thrown in.
Wednesday; Very heavy rain. Run 40 mins RPE=3-5.
Thursday; Run 30 mins with 7 mins strides. RPE=4-7. Short cool down swim after.
Friday; Work and travel day. No training.
Saturday; No training. Arrived back late on flight.
Sunday; Long run. 15km. RPE=4-6. Early morning run in park. Cold. Enjoyable run to finish the week!
Total: 5 sessions.
Upcoming races - signed up.
5km swim in Lake Taupo, New Zealand on 14 January 2012
Half Ironman at Lake Wanaka, New Zealand on 22 January 2012
3.3km Ocean swim in Wellington, New Zealand on 29 January 2012
Half Ironman in Singapore on 18 March 2012
Full Ironman in Busselton, West Australia on 9 Dec 2012
Results
Half Marathon in Changhsu, China on 27 November 2011: 1hr 56mins for 22km course.
Base 1 Phase (first week of four)
Monday; Easy run. 30mins. RPE=1/2
Tuesday; Rest day
Wednesday; No training. Rained all day. Business travel.
Thursday; Turned cold. Wind was blustery but not too hard. Perfect run day. Autumn leaves on the ground. 30mins. RPE=2.
Friday; Brick session. Back on the bike. Very windy and cold. 25km around park. RPE=3. Followed by run off the bike, around 35mins easy pace. RPE=3.
Saturday; 48km group bike ride early. Very cold on the feet. RPE=3-7.
Sunday; 40km bike ride. RPE=3-5. Felt sluggish. Cold but warmer than yesterday.
Total: 6 sessions.
Upcoming races - signed up.
5km swim in Lake Taupo, New Zealand on 14 January 2012
Half Ironman at Lake Wanaka, New Zealand on 22 January 2012
3.3km Ocean swim in Wellington, New Zealand on 29 January 2012
Half Ironman in Singapore on 18 March 2012
Results
Half Marathon in Changhsu, China on 27 November 2011: 1hr 56mins for 22km course.
Preparation Phase (fourth week of four)
Monday; Recovery day. Legs and bicep incredibly stiff after last Saturday’s strength training.
Tuesday; Run in park. 40 mins. Easy pace RPE=3 with a few strides thrown in every 5 minutes. Followed by long swim 2.5km session with a 1500m constant swim. Someone nicked my spare swim cap!
Wednesday; Evening bike ride. 40km. Very cold. Sharp knee pains slowed me down. RPE=3-6.
Thursday; Rest day.
Friday; Easy run 30mins. RPE=2/3.
Saturday; Early run. 7km. RPE=3/4
Sunday; Race: Half Marathon in Changhsu. Course was long around 22km. Beautiful cool and sunny day. 1hr 55mins. Quick swim in the lake afterwards. Freezing cold! Close to an ice bath so will help with muscle recovery.
Total: 6 sessions.
Upcoming races - signed up.
Half Marathon in Changhsu, China on 27 November 2011
5km swim in Lake Taupo, New Zealand on 14 January 2012
Half Ironman at Lake Wanaka, New Zealand on 22 January 2012
3.3km Ocean swim in Wellington, New Zealand on 29 January 2012
Half Ironman in Singapore on 18 March 2012
Preparation Phase (third week of four)
Monday; Recovery day. Fairly stiff after the weekend.
Tuesday; Morning run. 35 mins with 20 second strides [accelerations] every 5 mins. Nice sunny day.
Wednesday; 55 minute morning run, RPE=3. Nice. Found a new park in Minhang. Then 2.1km swim, 4×500m.
Thursday; Easy 30 mins run. RPE=3. Humid after night rain.
Friday; Swim work 1500m- speed work. RPE=4/9
Saturday; Strength training workout.
Sunday; long run. 2 hours in Century Park. RPE=3-6. Easy swim. 1500m RPE=1/2
Total: 8 sessions.
Preparation Phase (second week of four)
Cool surprise. Macca was in Shanghai and we got to train with him around Century Park. Average around 37 kmph with bursts up to 45 kmh. Wow. Too fast for preparation phase training, but not going to pass up this opportunity to do a session with Triathlon legend.
Long swim on Tuesday; 2.4km
Wednesday; Run for 30mins. Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) = 3 (out of ten)
Saturday; long bike 80km around 2.5 hours. With a short run off the bike, 3km around 30mins. RPE=3.
Sunday; long run. 70 mins RPE = 4/5
Preparation Phase (first week of four)
Back on the bike … and off. Two road rides, one cut short by flat tire. Slipped on wet roads before I even started the first ride. Nice road rash. At least it’s not summer.
Back in the pool. One swim of 2km.
Run ticking over.
Upcoming races - signed up.
Half Marathon in Changhsu, China on 27 November 2011
5km swim in Lake Taupo, New Zealand on 14 January 2012
Half Ironman at Lake Wanaka, New Zealand on 22 January 2012
Half Ironman in Singapore on 18 March 2012
2012 races - considering
Abu Dhabi Triathlon in UAE on 3 March 2012
Celtman in Scotland in June / July 2012
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