05.22.2019 WOW it's WEDNESDAY

Morning bike ride. I had a hard time getting off the bed. I had a dream that I would not wake up on time and be late to work, so I was waking up on and on since 4:30.... Ugh. But I feel pretty rested.

I was planning to swim on my lunch break, but had to stay longer for our meetings, and the pool is closing in a moment. I will do a run in the afternoon, and swim tomorrow plus Friday.

Rainy weather here too. Cold and windy as well--couldn't get that enthused about running as tomorrow is supposed to be warmer with some sun. The park where I wanted to go also has a bunch of standing water. So I switched workouts around.

1800 yard swim this morning; one hour trainer ride with some Z3 intervals before dinner.

50 minute trainer ride.
3x 4’ 110% FTP intervals with 2’ rest.
1x 8’ with 5’ at 110% and 3’ at 120%.

Trying to get better at each workout having a specific purpose. It’s too easy to get on the bike or treadmill and just cruise along.

Happy training!

4 minutes at 110% of FTP sounds awful! I am getting into some short 100% intervals next week. Should be interesting-I don't think I have done anything sustained above about 85% since February! (Of course, my true FTP is probably lower now, but I really don't want to take the test again until 20 minutes in a normal road position feels good. I have just been using 200 for easy calculation as my last test in January was 197.

I am actually in okay bike shape now as far as heart rate and fatigue levels at previous IM and HIM watts. But I think I would be in the hurt zone really fast for anything more intense, and I am still building up long rides as my arm is better able to tolerate them. Thinking of building it to 2 hours over the next few weeks, and then doing something like alternating a more intense "long ride" of two hours at HIM power or better average, with more endurance-focused rides of up to 3 hours every other week. Since it's probably all (or mostly) going to be on the trainer, and I don't see a full IM in my immediate future (the very earliest would be next summer, and given an entire year off from tri, that would be a long shot), I really don't have any interest in going beyond 2-3 hours right now.

When I finish the cycling program I am doing now (sort of a modified version of the BT Beginner Cycling Program), will look at some options like TrainerRoad to get more challenging structured workouts.

I have to say that Zwift makes it more bearable. I try and sync my efforts up with segments to beat a personal best. Something about that little avatar moving on screen makes the time go by faster.

I’m easing into another 70.3 program that starts on the 23rd of June. I’m trying to do 3 bike workouts a week between now and then: A strength session with low cadence work, an interval session at or above FTP, and a long easy ride.