[Training Diary] #TurboTuesday - back on the bike with #TunneysTurbo

First time on the turbo in a long time to give the new thread a go with #TunneysTurbo session. Badly needed kick in the a$$!!

The session was quite straightforward ....on paper! Warm up, spin up/down and 5 x 4mins LTHR+10 / 2min easy - cool down.

As I have yet to sort out an upgrade on my Power Pedals I am working off Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) as a guide to the effort asked for by the session. Ideally this would be a power based workout using an accurately tested FTP +% as a metric for the workout.

The session as it looks on the V800

With a doubt as to where exactly my LTHR is at the moment I just went off RPE and 'power' feedback from the Tacx Flow to guide efforts relatively.

Knowing that the legs were tired following from the exertions of Craughwell 10 on Sunday, it was a matter of SIU and pushing through.

1st rep might have been a tad on the safe side of effort but I lifted effort and used gearing for each of the other reps to keep the effort up there.

Heart Rate graph - despite a fan and open doors the temp went up!

Happy with the first outing back on the turbo in a long time. I'd forgotten how long it takes to set up, between laptops, tyres and finding my bike shoes! As well as 10 mins looking for an extension lead!!

Looking forward to the next one! :)

Going Coast to Coast in Ireland

Time for me to step up to the plate and register for some other races in 2015.

My wife has expressed interest in Adventure Racing so after a bit of discussion and looking around we settled on taking on the Non-Stop Coast to Coast Challenge from Co. Sligo to Co. Down in May for our own bit of team building exercise:

16 – 17 MAY 2015 – ENNISCRONE, Co SLIGO – NEWCASTLE, Co DOWNNON – STOP & 2 DAY MULTISPORT RACE ACROSS IRELANDIreland, an island steeped in history and mythology with scenery which rivals that of any other sights around the globe. For many years visitors have flown or sailed to Irish shores to take in these sights and to go home with great memories of this fantastic island. For one week in May many travelling will have their sights set on a truly iconic event – the 26 Extreme Coast to Coast Multisport Race Across Ireland.
Traversing Ireland in a west to east format the route of the 26 Extreme Coast to Coast will pass through unspoilt rural locations, through quaint villages and along one of the most famous waterways in Ireland – The Shannon – Erne Waterway. Whether you choose to race the NON-STOP version or the TWO DAY version you will follow a route which winds its way along 316km of the best cycling, paddling and running terrain Ireland has to offer. Competitors will be truly astounded at the scenery and challenge laid down before them in this fantastic event.

We’re entered to do the Non-Stop version.

Ireland – Coast to Coast – Saturday 16th to Sunday 17th May 2015
Course Option: Non-Stop
Team Type: Pair
Class: Mixed
Club: Team #TriHarder ARTeam Type Name: Gotta Run
Team Member 1: Sean Conroy
Team Member 2: Edel Conroy

Apart from enjoying the experience and completing the main goal for us is to see how we get on together working as a different kind of team, without the kids around!! 

As most Adventure Racers will know there is a dynamic to the team and how it works together before and during a race. It is this dynamic that I think will be different because we are a couple and life partners too. I’m really looking forward to this as it opens a whole lot of new doors for us. What else could be better than finding out that both of you love Adventure Racing?!

Imagine a whole new world opening up for holiday destinations!! 

I've laid out my training diary and goals for each week, I'll post shortly with those. Be sure to follow Team #TriHarderAR as the entire team continues to work on core training fitness towards this years bug goal race.

–

See you out there!

Sean

Creating workouts on Polar Flow

Tinkering around a bit with @PolarGlobal Flow website at the moment (it's still in Beta) trying to be creative with a few workouts and set up a Training Diary again.

Unfortunately it is no ProTrainer5 software nor is it like the setup on PolarPersonalTrainer.com where phase limited but advanced workouts could be created. Hopefully this will change when the next firmaware update on the #V800 includes cycling metrics like power and cadence.

For now I am working with time based phases with Heart Rate limits to bring my turbo sessions back on stream. Anything is better than nothing at the moment and if I give the bike a good 45 mins this evening sure it can do me no harm.

Can it?

Back wheel keeps on turning

That's all that went through my head as I pushed off from the junction.

Clipping into the pedals, the legs spun and spun and spun. What the heck?! Momentum carried me across the road before realising that it is now time to CLIP OUT!! as the back wheel keeps on turning and you are going nowhere.

8 years of faithful service in cycling and the freehub has finally packed in. Good innings, just not convenient when I'm already pushed for time anyway.

I did Tweet the start of the week:

When your van battery is dead on a Monday morning you get the sinking feeling it could be one of 'those' weeks.
— Amphibian King -Sean (@amphkingwest) April 7, 2014

And it's haunting me. Good week training, but now a little mini-disaster that will force a change for Sunday.

Thursday 10th April
Day off as long day driving and working in Limerick. Changing this next week.

Friday 11th April
Limerick again and while I'd a rough idea to run am and turbo pm, between staff arrangements and travel it meant I would be back in Oranmore for the evening, so #runmute home

Run: 9.6km, HRAvg 151bpm, Pace Avg 05:15

Saturday 12th April
Aimed to run into that the #Zero25k group but a late wake up left be scrabbling for my bike.
Positive - meant extra few km on the bike = less pessure on Sunday
Negative - short on run km so make-up required.

As per intro, plan went to hell in a handbag. Required a pick up and delivery to bring the group out as arranged (30 eager souls ready & 'willing' to run). I'll need a run this evening as out early doors to do a looonnnng cycle on my TT bike.

Run: 3.8km HRAvg 131 bpm, Pace Avg 08:34

Might miss the bike target for the week but solid start & room for improvement next week.

Thanks for reading.

Rollin', rollin', rolling...

Laid out my plan, I did.

Goal is 40-50k running and 200k cycling for the next 3 weeks and then work from there. Shock the system back into action, kick this ass into gear burn off some excess kg's and crack on.

Monday 7th April
Treadmill running, nice and steady planned but just to alleviate the drone I threw in a km with a little bit of pace.

Funny now but not at the time.

Not much pace mind you but enought to have me thinking: "Man 4:45 per km and your struggling for 1k!!" The annoying thing sbout using the phone for music is the constant bleat and whistle of Twitter, Facebook and email alerts (Note to self - Airplane Mode in future). Anyway one of the emails was a response to an enquiry to a CMod from earlier in the day which needed an immediate action from me. Hence the step off for a moment.

Run: 8.01km, HRAvg 136bpm, Pace Avg 05:49

Tuesday 8th April
One of my usual favourite runs in the woods. Two loops reversing for the second loop. Wearing the Hoka Bondi trail / road shoe & my quads are thrashed!! These will take a bit of getting used to, or maybe my runs are just not long enough yet.

Night time run so had the place to myself pretty much and it was lovely.

Run: 12.06km, HRAvg 157bpm, Pace Avg 05:30

Wednesday 9th April
Turbo time with Tacx.

Using one of the preprogrammed workouts with rolling hills I went for a little over an hour, steady and solid. Missing my bike computer head at the moment so no power info to refer to.

HRM kinda mirrored the gradient too.

Turbo: 33km, HRAvg 141bpm

Good start, now to keep going for the rest of the week. Long day Thursday as in Limerick and late night shopping on Friday so plan to keep the run / bike / run / bike going through to the weekend.

As always comments or suggestions welcome.

Start again?

Finally a bit of training being done.

I'm one of those types that needs a purpose to train. I gave myself the goal of cycling down to Lough Cutra to do a lap of the bike (olympic) course and back as a job that needed doing.

Friday 4th April
So with Friday morning off, myself and Mrs. AKW got out for our first joint bike ride in ages. With a couple of obstacles in the way we'd a bit of backtracking to do, so all in all nice comfortable 30k

Bike: 28.8k, HRAvg 135bpm

Saturday 5th April
I've also started a new session of our #Zero25k group from +Amphibian King West - Galway  on Saturday mornings which will run over the next few weeks right up to June 8th. Last year this worked out nicely as I'd run in, do the session and run home before doing the day in the shop. It means 30k or so done nice and early and a great way to cap the week.

Run: 3.8k

Sunday 6th April

I'd messaged some of the guys to see it they were up for it and ended up going out in the wind & rain by myself as others contented themselves on the turbo (looking at you Cinders!! :) ) Job done, Lough Cutra loop and back
 
Bike 70k, HRavg 147bpm, Speed Avg 21.6kph

Plan this week is to get the run km's up (40-50km) and end up running in on Saturday morning as well as clocking 200+ km on the bike between outside & turbo.

Summary
Bike: 99km for the week
Run: 3.8km

It's almost February & nothing done.

Tacx i-Flow VR Trainer

How quickly a month passes!

I started 2014 with no race goals or targets. I simply stated that I want to train for fun and enjoy a couple of events this year.

Cue a lazy approach, a very easy laissez faire, manana type procrastinating attempt at training. I did a couple of runs and a few turbo sessions.

My turbo sessions were more setting up and getting to know the software type that any actual sweating and going nowhere. I picked up a Tacx Flow with multiplayer software, pretty cool piece of kit but very easy to get distracted from real work and just play 'games'.

Chatting with a pal at the weekend I discovered he has the same trainer software and he introduced me to the idea of using the Google maps interface to recycle old training routes.

Last night I cycled from Lahinch back up the coast road over the Cliffs of Moher towards Kinvara all without leaving the comfort of my training room.

This I could get used to :-)