Jackie D - Week 31

Week 31 - starting Monday 16 April 2007

Scheduled hours: 8hrs 15mins
Actual hours: 8hrs 38mins

This week felt incredibly easy and I even had 2 days off. A semi-recovery week I think to get me in line for the weeks leading up to our practice weekend up at Lake Placid (I am really excited about that!) at the end of May.

All of my bike rides were done outside and with some big contrasts. Early in the week I was all wrapped up for the cold and rain whilst the later ones were shorts and T-shirts and 70 degrees!

During the week I had a couple of breakthrough runs scheduled. I got to the second one which was supposed to be some time in zones 4-5a criss-crossing them. The theory was good but it just didn't happen. First 10mins of this run I felt really weak and stiff but thought hopefully it was just a question of warming up. The whole time it felt a lot harder than my HR was telling me. After 20mins I tried to get to z4 but it really felt SO HARD to get even up to z3. At that point I decided that I would just try for an easy run and hope to get home without stopping. I was even grateful for the excuse of a “doggy enforced” stop which usually I find a bit annoying. I ended up in z2 most of way home and only after about 45 minutes did I get into a rhythm. This felt worse than it does after my long runs (which actually most of the time feel good!).
I have no idea where this came from. I had an easy bike ride earlier and felt fine, it was a lower volume week and it was just, well, completely unexpected. The only thing I could think of was that it may have been a nutrition thing. After discussing it with Mary later, it sounds like I did the right thing and just kept going at low intensity.

I’m OK with it, just one of those things I guess. Just took me a bit by surprise - I guess up to now, barring illness or scheduling commitments I have been able to do everything on my plan. The bike ride the next day felt really good so no long lasting effects.

My one swim of the week felt good. A couple of 200 IM’s which I was very pleased to survive. I had been watching Ian Thorpe on “You Tube” again and that always inspires me to feel good in the water.

Next week the volume goes back up a bit and I can’t wait. I guess that means these recovery weeks have served their purpose.


13 WEEKS TO GO