The Change Catalyst

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 (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.