This season I've been training with a powertap on my bike, so all my sessions are controlled by specific power zones which has made session far more productive. Another great benefit of the powertap is that you get great feedback on how your improving. Over the last 2 weeks my average aerobic, tempo and threshold powers have all seen big increases (20-30W) from the start of summer. I'm really looking forward to my next TH power test in 2weeks where my new power zones will be calculated as I'm working at the top end of these zones.
On Thursday at work we were getting trained on the new CPX (Cardiopulmonary Exchange) machines we had bought and we need to run a VO2 max test on them to get a feel for how they worked. So I took the opportunity to get a performance test done as it would be good to see where my running was at this point in the season plus I hadn't done one in a while, and in some strange way I do enjoy the pain of them, strange I know. The test that we did was 3mins at 10kph, 3 at 13kph, 3 at 16kph then keeping the speed at 16kph begin to increase the gradient 2.5% every minute. The last time I did this test I scored 65ml/kg/min after complete the 10%stage. I was aiming to try and get further than that. The test as it always does felt easy at the start, however this time it was still feeling comfortable during the 5 and start of the 7.5% stages which was a new experience and a very promising one. As treadmill gradually climbs up to 10% you really start to feel the legs burn but I was adamant that I was getting through this stage and with the help of the rest of the guy's in the lab, Les, Rus, Sooz all shouting at me I got through 10% and the treadmill went up to 12.5%. And I thought 10% was steep and sore, it had nothing on 12.5%. the next 30secs seem to go on and on as I was moving up and down the treadmill fighting against gravity trying to pull me off the back, try and finish 12.5%, another push to the top of the treadmill, but this time no amount of shouting from the guy's was going to do anything for me. Done, the big red bottom was hit and I hit the floor. Happy to hear the test was a success, the new kit works and I had ran further than I had ever done before and recorded and VO2max of 66.5, a good day's work.
I have Fridays off work so after my early morning swim session I headed out on the bike for a 5hr ride into the Scottish borders. The plan was to head down to Broughton and finally get up and over Tala. I've always heard it was a big climb but have never made it down there. The ride down was nice not too warm thankfully, as the day before the temperature had been in the 30's, with a slight head wind which helped to keep me cool. When reaching the bottom of the climb I finally found out how steep the Tala was, 20% according to the sign at the bottom, surely it can't go on for too long, or can it. I ride with a 25 on the back and I was out the saddle all the way pulling on the bars trying to keep the bike moving. I wasn't moving very fast but I was generating a lot of power, 400W+ at times. Finally made it over the top and what a lovely long fast descent down to St Mary's Loch and a tail wind all the way to Moffat and the next big climb, the beeftub. The beeftub is a far nicer climb as it's just long with a far nicer gradient where you can get into your rhythm and stay seated all the way to the top. Again it's another climb I hadn't done before, I'd only ever come down it on my big Ironman preparation rides last year, so I was really looking forward to getting to climb up it.
It's a great climb and I managed to hold my target power zone from bottom to top, I was starting to fatigue a bit nearing the top as I had now been in the saddle for over 3:30hrs keeping to the high end of my aerobic power zone. Starting the descent back to Broughton the rain came on and didn't stop all the way home, which I'd have to say was really pleasant to cycle in as it wasn't cold. Thankfully I had left the car at leadburn to reduce the ride by 1:30hrs at least as I was starting to feel my legs coming into the final few miles. That was my longest ride since my Ironman training last year and 1hr quicker than what I was doing for my 140K rides last year, largely thanks to the pacing of the powertap and the slightly better weather conditions.
A great ride and happy to say I've finally been over Tala and the beeftub.
On to Saturday and the Edinburgh Triathletes 5k running TT. On starting the warm up I felt my legs were really tired from the previous days ride so I wasn't sure what I was going to be capable of so just went for it and just wait and see how long I could last. Myself and Dan Sims were set of first on the out and back course. I went straight to the front to set a high pace from the start which is often my tactics in in running races. I was surprised as at the start my legs felt good and breathing felt relaxed and it sounded like the elastic between myself and Dan was beginning to stretch. On one of the short downhill stretches I increased the cadence to try and create the gap, and it worked I managed to pull away from Dan and at the turn around (7:23mins) I had a 10meter gap. Now it was all about getting home without loosing too much time as it was now up hill and into a head wind. With my trademark sprint finish over the last 200m I came home in 15:34 and new PB by a long way, absolutely delighted particularly with the 140K in my legs from the previous day, woohoo!! Dan was not too far behind, not sure of time but probably under 16mins aswell, good running mate.
After the end of a solid 2weeks of training it was off to visit some friends down south for the rest of the weekend before getting stuck back into another hard week of quality training in preparation for the Scottish Sprint Champs at Lochore Meadows on 19th July where hopefully all this good swim, bike and run training will come together.
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