I'm getting to used to this "recovery", the heavy rain, heat and humidity lately hasn't helped I have to say.
I had a fantastic evening MTB ride last Wednesday, my riding is so much more relaxed now I don't have a big event looming and am not worried about falling off onto my knees - that's not to say my riding was capable, just relaxed! Dry dusty trails and back on my On One again, hardtails are ace.
Thursday I tootled over to the running club on my bike. I did actually manage to tootle, picking a route through Cuerden Park which meant lots of people dodging. The upshot was my legs transferred to running mode a lot quicker than when I hammer it (bit obvious really). The run was faster than I was expecting and stupidly hot though quite short at just over 4.5 miles. I felt it at the end, I ran 26.2 miles a few weeks ago, you'd never guess. Left quad and vmo were making their presence felt, not sore but not normal either.
I took a rest day on Friday for my left leg, think its shocked at having to do some work. I ended up not doing much over the weekend, a combination of being busy and the weather not being conducive to the utility cycling I could do on Saturday (no way was I putting on full waterproofs) meant a lazy weekend. So...my lazy month is nearly over!
I got my act together and rode to work yesterday, a humid morning with little wind meant it was quite stifling at times, even on a bike. I was surprised to arrive in my fastest time ever of 57.30, an average of 18.2 ! That included getting tangled up in traffic in Warton so I was chuffed. Not so chuffed to find the showers out of order in my building though. By the time I'd walked back from the other showers I was all sweaty again it was so warm.
I had hoped to get out the door at 16:30 for a nice ride home, the wind had gotten up a bit but I though the head wind would be refreshing. I finally left work at 7pm. Not ideal but did mean a fairly quiet ride home. Headwind was by then actually quite strong but for once I was glad of the airflow.
I solved the mystery of a the difference in route measurement last week, I stop my Garmin at the front gate of site in the morning due to finding pass/getting in amongst the queueing cars then I tootle to my building. In the evening I just start it when I get on the bike....I started it at the front gate on the way home last night and distance almost the same.
So rest of this week: running with Jez tonight offroad, MTB ride tomorrow, at least one other run and find something else to train for once the Swiss trip is done!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Less than two miles from work
..before the rain lashed down. I was drenched and could barely see for a while never mind ride the rain was pounding my face. Though it was quite dry when I got to Warton until the rain caught up with me.
A damp ride home but at 1:05 not a bad time. Oddly I took the exact same route home as I did on the way in but the Garmin records a 1/3 of a mile difference, the ride home was longer. Even accounting for the right turns and stuff its still quite a difference.
My left leg now has a touch of DOMS from Monday's weight session, right leg fine which just adds more evidence that my left leg doesn't do its fair share of work!
A damp ride home but at 1:05 not a bad time. Oddly I took the exact same route home as I did on the way in but the Garmin records a 1/3 of a mile difference, the ride home was longer. Even accounting for the right turns and stuff its still quite a difference.
My left leg now has a touch of DOMS from Monday's weight session, right leg fine which just adds more evidence that my left leg doesn't do its fair share of work!
Looks like I'm going to get wet
Glorious sunshine in St Annes at the moment but I can see the very black clouds lurking over Preston and coming this way...just wondering how far I'll get.
Getting Back Into It
I'm taking this resting thing too far I think....though I was pretty tired last week which may have had something to do with a hard MTB ride on Sunday the 14th. My legs were seriously unimpressed with inching a mountain bike up some steep hills.
I had planned a very easy June but July is just round the corner so its time to start picking things up again. I have been making a couple of trips a week to the gym and my left knee is progressing along, still does some crazy wobbling when I'm doing split squats though.
I had a gym trip at lunchtime yesterday and a good 5 mile run after work. It was a bit warm and managed to be breezy and airless at the same time. My legs felt really fresh, mentally I think I'm still not quite back, I felt some fatigue lurking but I did enjoy being out. About half way round I was treated to a fantastic flying display by swallows in a field. Wheeling and diving all over the place, was worth getting out to see that alone.
Today I have cycled into work on the road bike. It wasn't a promising start, I put the rear race blade on as its forecast rain later and then had to stop a few times to move it as it was rubbing on the wheel. I felt really tired but its always a shock to the system getting up to ride that early when I haven't done it for a while, its why I try to keep the commute ticking over regularly.
I had to stop to take my glasses off after 2 miles as they were fogging from the outside due to the mist in the air. About 6 miles the sun had come out and I had to shed some layers but I finally seemed to get into it after that as I had someone up ahead and I decided to see if I could catch them....which I did.
Traffic in Warton seemed to be very light and I arrived at work in less than an hour, I had taken a slightly longer route than normal and was pleased my average speed was actually 17.9. I've never broken 18, if I hadn't faffed so much at the start....
Hopefully I'll manage to dodge the rain on the way home.
I had planned a very easy June but July is just round the corner so its time to start picking things up again. I have been making a couple of trips a week to the gym and my left knee is progressing along, still does some crazy wobbling when I'm doing split squats though.
I had a gym trip at lunchtime yesterday and a good 5 mile run after work. It was a bit warm and managed to be breezy and airless at the same time. My legs felt really fresh, mentally I think I'm still not quite back, I felt some fatigue lurking but I did enjoy being out. About half way round I was treated to a fantastic flying display by swallows in a field. Wheeling and diving all over the place, was worth getting out to see that alone.
Today I have cycled into work on the road bike. It wasn't a promising start, I put the rear race blade on as its forecast rain later and then had to stop a few times to move it as it was rubbing on the wheel. I felt really tired but its always a shock to the system getting up to ride that early when I haven't done it for a while, its why I try to keep the commute ticking over regularly.
I had to stop to take my glasses off after 2 miles as they were fogging from the outside due to the mist in the air. About 6 miles the sun had come out and I had to shed some layers but I finally seemed to get into it after that as I had someone up ahead and I decided to see if I could catch them....which I did.
Traffic in Warton seemed to be very light and I arrived at work in less than an hour, I had taken a slightly longer route than normal and was pleased my average speed was actually 17.9. I've never broken 18, if I hadn't faffed so much at the start....
Hopefully I'll manage to dodge the rain on the way home.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Marathon Aftermath
I lived in my compression tights for three days! On the Monday I could walk downstairs with bannister assistance, Tuesday much better and on Wednesday was bouncing down the stairs so superficially my legs recoverd quite quickly. I did get a bit of a sniffle but as I took a full 7 days off anyway it didn't matter and I quite enjoyed not having to train. I seemed to have picked up a bit of plantar fasciitis on my rights foot too which was a bit worrying.
On Monday 8th I did something I haven't done for about 5 years - I set foot inside a gym. I have a few muscle weaknesses that I have known about for a long time, they made their presence felt during the marathon training so I decided it was time I hit the weights and I sorted them out. I had an induction for the YMCA near work at lunchtime and the leisure centres near home in the evening.
The YMCA has by far the best free weights area and at lunchtimes is not overrun by barrel chested men on chicken legs grunting out bench presses. I usually struggle to be comfortable using upper body weight machines (and lower body sometimes too) so prefer free weights. I cycled to the evening induction, only a couple of miles but I headed off to one of the other centres to check out pool times and swimming lessons. I ended up doing 13 miles on the shopping bike and it felt great to be out.
Tuesday I decided to try a short run at lunchtime, 3 miles only as Jez had asked me to take him running in the evening (glad I was sat down when he asked!). My legs felt a little tired still but I had a flyover from the Red Arrows to liven up my run. My foot was ok to start with but not happy at the end, I thought it may be the shoes. The evening run was another short one but offroad. I suggested we run out of Abbey Village on a short route round the woods. It was to be a run walk as he hasn't run in ages, the route would be hilly so we could use the hills as walk breaks.
Of course he managed to run up them fine! A bit of a recovery at the top but he seemed ok and will be faster than me in no time if he keeps it up, boo. Foot felt ok once warmed up though stiff again later.
On the Wednesday I had a proper gym session. I have weak hamstrings, the left in particular but they have different weaknesses. I also have a very weak left vastus medialis which causes problems when running down hill and is not a great muscle for a cyclist to be weak in either. If you look at pro cyclists that muscle is usually well developed. The other quad muscles are much stronger and override it and my knee can flop out to the left a little. Those are my target areas as well as some upper body work. However it would appear that both VM muscles are rubbish, so I will be working on them quite a bit. Hamstrings need strengthening but are not so stupidly weak as the vm's.
Thusday ended up being a rest day as I felt quite tired and on the Friday I got out for another run, only 4.5 miles but my legs felt much better than Tuesday. A run out to the prom and a loop round Fairhaven Lake dodging the geese. Short runs are great. I wore my Wave Rider 11's which have a lower arch support and the sore foot whilst still there was lot reduced.
On Monday 8th I did something I haven't done for about 5 years - I set foot inside a gym. I have a few muscle weaknesses that I have known about for a long time, they made their presence felt during the marathon training so I decided it was time I hit the weights and I sorted them out. I had an induction for the YMCA near work at lunchtime and the leisure centres near home in the evening.
The YMCA has by far the best free weights area and at lunchtimes is not overrun by barrel chested men on chicken legs grunting out bench presses. I usually struggle to be comfortable using upper body weight machines (and lower body sometimes too) so prefer free weights. I cycled to the evening induction, only a couple of miles but I headed off to one of the other centres to check out pool times and swimming lessons. I ended up doing 13 miles on the shopping bike and it felt great to be out.
Tuesday I decided to try a short run at lunchtime, 3 miles only as Jez had asked me to take him running in the evening (glad I was sat down when he asked!). My legs felt a little tired still but I had a flyover from the Red Arrows to liven up my run. My foot was ok to start with but not happy at the end, I thought it may be the shoes. The evening run was another short one but offroad. I suggested we run out of Abbey Village on a short route round the woods. It was to be a run walk as he hasn't run in ages, the route would be hilly so we could use the hills as walk breaks.
Of course he managed to run up them fine! A bit of a recovery at the top but he seemed ok and will be faster than me in no time if he keeps it up, boo. Foot felt ok once warmed up though stiff again later.
On the Wednesday I had a proper gym session. I have weak hamstrings, the left in particular but they have different weaknesses. I also have a very weak left vastus medialis which causes problems when running down hill and is not a great muscle for a cyclist to be weak in either. If you look at pro cyclists that muscle is usually well developed. The other quad muscles are much stronger and override it and my knee can flop out to the left a little. Those are my target areas as well as some upper body work. However it would appear that both VM muscles are rubbish, so I will be working on them quite a bit. Hamstrings need strengthening but are not so stupidly weak as the vm's.
Thusday ended up being a rest day as I felt quite tired and on the Friday I got out for another run, only 4.5 miles but my legs felt much better than Tuesday. A run out to the prom and a loop round Fairhaven Lake dodging the geese. Short runs are great. I wore my Wave Rider 11's which have a lower arch support and the sore foot whilst still there was lot reduced.
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