In my week 13 & 14 update I was generally feeling tired and showing signs of fatigue for the most part. I had just done Tough Mudder and finished off with a long run of 15 miles.

The plan for the next two weeks was always going to be to take a little step back. Week 15 was going to be a small taper week with the Outlaw X 70.3 triathlon on the Sunday and follow that up with a bit of a recovery week, all whilst still getting good quality run sessions in.

Having the taper week and recovery week has come at a good time with the tiredness felt over the last few weeks. I think this will put me in a good place ready to kick things up a gear as we get closer to New York.

Week 15:

• Running:  35.5 Miles – 4hr 41mins
• Bike:  156.9 Miles – 8hrs 48min
• Swimming: 6,925 yrds – 2hrs 82min

This is the week of my second ever 70.3-mile triathlon (middle distance) so therefore, I have reduced the bike slightly, well the intensity anyway, I did the bike commute twice which straight away adds 80+ miles to the week.

Swimming this past few weeks has been tough to get motivated for. I think with swimming since December I am at that stage where I need a week or two off to get that fire back and start to work towards hopefully an improved swim in 2020.

Anyway, running, that’s why we are here right? so with the race on Sunday, the plan is to not taper the running at all. This will just be another week of two easy runs, a speed session and long run at the weekend, it just happens the long run will be 13.1 miles after a 56-mile bike warm up.

Monday:

• 6 Mile Easy paced run @ 9:00 min/mile

Nothing too heavy today, just an easy run to shake out the legs following the long run yesterday. The average pace, in the end, was 8:53 min/mile, pretty much on target and maintaining a good low heart rate.

Tuesday:

• 2.1km race pace swim
• Bike Intervals on Zwift
• Race Week Run Intervals:
  • 1.5 Mile Warm-Up
  • 10 Min Stretching & 3x10sec strides
  • Repeat 3 Times:
    • 5 Min Target Pace 6:00 Actual – 5:56, 5:54 & 5:56
    • 2 Min Recovery
  • 3 Min Recovery Jog @ 9:00 min/mile
  • Repeat 5 Times:
    • 1 Min Target Pace 5:20 Actual – 5:23, 5:12, 5:08, 5:22 & 5:07
    • 90 Sec Recovery
  • 3 Min Recovery Jog @ 9:00
  • 1 Mile Cool Down
• 20 Min Core Strength Training
• 10 Min Foam Roll

I really enjoyed the interval session today. These are the types of sessions that I like, the ones where you can push yourself hard and just run fast. My coach said to run the 5 min reps at 10k pace, which for me is around 6 min per mile, the reps were tough going but manageable. I was advised to push the pace a little on the 1 min reps if I felt good. Either way I was going to push the pace to get that training effect, I decided to push it to 5:20, basically a 1 min flat out effort. It wasn’t easy going but I did it and hit the pace target. A great session banked.

Wednesday:

• 14 Mile Bike Commute to Work
• 27 Mile Bike Commute Home
• 30 Min Legs, Hips & Glutes Strength Training

Thursday:

• 2.3km Technique Swim
• 20 Min Core Strength Training
• 10 Min Foam Roll

Friday:

• 14 Mile Bike Commute to Work
• 27 Mile Bike Commute Home
• 30 Min Legs, Hips & Glutes Strength Training
• 10 Min Foam Roll
• 5 Mile Easy Paced Run @ 9:00 min/mile

Being on the bike in and out of work today gave me two options. Run the 5 miles straight off the bike when I got to nursery before picking up my daughter or leave it a few hours until she has gone to bed and run after 8pm.

Given that choice it was pretty easy, I don’t want to be running off the bike 2 days before a triathlon and I get to spend more time with my daughter too. So it was another 8pm run. The pace was pretty much spot on at 8:58 min/mile, a good relaxed recovery run after the interval session earlier in the week.

Saturday:

• 10 Min Foam Roll
• 20 Min Core Strength Training
• 3 Mile Easy Paced Run @ 9:00 min/mile & 3 x 10 sec Strides

Another easy run to keep the legs loose before the race tomorrow. I spent the morning at Outlaw racking my bike and registering for the event so I had to get this run done in the afternoon, not too ideal being so close to the 7am race start tomorrow but the focus isn’t tomorrow, it’s New York 6 weeks tomorrow.

Sunday:

• Outlaw X Triathlon
• 10 Min Foam Roll

 

Week 16:

• Running:  36.1 Miles – 4hr 55mins
• Bike:  78.1 Miles – 5hrs 17min
• Swimming: 0 yrds – 0hrs 0min

After the big success of the Outlaw X triathlon PB last week, this week is going to be pretty similar to last week. Less bike, less swimming and a normal week of running. In fact, I plan on not swimming at all this week.

Back running long again this Sunday with my longest run yet at 17 miles. Looking forward to seeing how my body is during that one after a race 7 days prior.

Monday:

• Rest Day

Tuesday:

• 5 Mile Easy Paced run @ 9:00 min/mile

My legs have felt really good since Sunday’s race, no issues or DOMs kicking in. The one niggle I have had post-race has been the bottom of my left heel aching when I put weight on it. I think this may have been due to running in the Vaporfly 4% which don’t offer much foot support, although, I have run in them in a few races before and not had an issue.

I swapped my shoe for today’s easy run from the Nike Joyride to a more supporting Brooks Raveena 9. I didn’t feel the heel pain during the run so that is a good sign. I will see how it goes tomorrow.

Wednesday:

• 14 Mile Bike Commute to Work
• 27 Mile Bike Commute Home
• 6 Mile Easy Paced run @ 9:00 min/mile

Again, still, some heel pain but it has reduced further since yesterday, the run didn’t make it worse and walking around in work and riding the bike hasn’t made it any worse either.

Today was another 8pm night run, 6 miles at an easy pace but feeling good. I am looking forward to the tempo run that is planned for Friday before the big one on Sunday.

Thursday:

• Rest Day

Friday:

• 40min Easy Ride on Zwift
• 10 Min Foam Roll
• Speed Endurance Intervals:
  • 1.5 Mile Warm Up
  • 3 x 10 Sec Strides
  • Repeat 3 Times:
    • 1km Target Pace 7:10 – Actual Pace – 6:55, 7:05 & 7:05
    • 2 Min Recovery Jog
  • 1km Target Pace 6:15 – Actual Pace – 6:15
  • 2 Min Recovery Jog
  • 1km Target Pace 7:10 – Actual Pace – 7:03
  • 2 Min Recovery Jog
  • 1kn Target Pace 6:15 – Actual Pace – 6:13
  • 2 Min Recovery Jog
  • 3 Min Recovery @ 9:00
  • 1 Mile Cool Down

Enjoyed this one again. I was planning on running at lunch but heavy rain meant I decided to run at night, then I saw a 1-hour window with no rain at 4pm so I chanced it, didn’t pay off and I got soaked. That also meant that I was running an hour after my lunch. The first 3 reps at 7:10 felt tough and sickly but then once I got running at the 6:15 min/mile speed it just felt great again. Something just clicks when I run at the faster paces. Oddly it feels easier to run faster than those slower splits.

Saturday:

• 109 Min Longer Easy Ride on Zwift
• 20 Min Core Strength Training

Sunday:

• 55 Min Strength Building Ride on Zwift
• 30 Min Legs, Hips, & Glutes Strength Training
• 10 Min Foam Roll
• 17 Mile Long Run @ 8:00 min/mile pace

well! today was one of those days, it was dull, wet and windy. I was in two minds whether to run in a jacket or not and faffed around for 30 mins trying to make up my mind, eventually going for a long-sleeved top. Once out running it just felt like a slog. I struggled to hit the pace in each of the first 3 miles and that just set the tone for the rest of the run. It was a battle from start to finish. I managed to get it done and averaged 7:53 min/mile pace so I guess that’s a tick on the session done? It is a little worrying that it felt so difficult running at what is more than 1min/mile slower than my goal marathon pace for New York in 5 weeks.