Ok no YouTube links this time sorry,
Short training week this week, but not without a few interesting injects, Tuesday was horizontal rain and strong winds, so a static bike session at the gym, followed by a swim set. One hour on the bike, rolling course, set the level, and maintain a RPM to stay above, for me it is 105 rpm, as the resistance increases the rpm drops but I have to keep it above 105, when the resistance drops I can spin upto 125, with the aim to keep my Hr at the top of the aerobic zone, as I tire keeping the rpm above 105, by hr starts initial to drift anaerobically, as the resistance increases, and towards the session it will be totally anaerobic, if I complete the hour staying aerobic, then the next session the intensity level is increased. For this session it was only the final fifteen minutes that were anaerobic. This gives me a nice idea of where my fitness stands, old school hr, it's me, and I do acknowledge there are better training methods, but it works.
Nice swim,afterwards, but relegated to the small pool, so single arm drills.
Next day the rain is still horizontal and the wind just as strong, so similar session again, legs tired so longer time spent anaerobic, but got a nice couple of miles in a quiet pool.
Managed to get Marco, back from the LBS, so trying to get a ride in this week, Tuesday and Wednesday the weather was rubbish, but Thursday, no rain, but wind gusting 40mph+. Well may as well get out there. There is the 100km challenge to do.
Probably one of the hardest rides I have done, the wind blowing me onto the verge twice, leaning into the wind, washout on the roads, more mental than tiring. Cruising along with the wind on my back, 20mph+, turn a corner and down to single figures, just driving hard into the wind, constantly being buffered from side to side, trying to compensate, overlean and the wind drops, I am fighting to stay upright.
When I set out, the sky was overcast so opted for yellow lenses to improve the vision in poor light, this was ok until darkness fell, the cars headlights, especially the zenon ones caused a lot of vision distortion do they came off. The constant increase and decrease of was taking its toll, after 42 miles I was within half a mile of home, so could have bailed, it was dark, It was not easy, but hey, train in it, race in it. So continued onwards, I was trying to stay out of the wind, but it was a lazy wind, it just wanted to go through me, not around me. I would drop into the valleys but the wind would find me again, it was getting stronger and colder.
Seven miles to go, pitch black, country road, no street lights, the front tyre punctured, Lovely, smashing,super, great. Not surprising since the road surface had so much debris and holes on it. Soon fixed by the light of my headlight, on on towards the end, at last the speedo went over 62.5 miles, 100km just, but still 100 km. four hours, averaging 15 mph.
Now why would I have gone out in such bleak weather,
1. Train in it then race in it.
2. The 100km challenge
3. There is a particular STRAVA segment that I have my eye on, the current leader is a good road racer, possibly did this with a chain gang and posted a speed of 29.7 mph for the sprint of 1.3 miles, the closest I havegot is 24 mph, so with the high winds I was just short by 4 secs, so it is doable.
4. It is cycling, weather shouldn't be preventer.
5. For those going long it is not just the distance, it is time spent in the saddle, if you go and do a sportive, such as Flat out in the Fens, a flat 112 miles in say six hours, and think great, IM bike no problems, and then enter a tough IM, after six hours you are still on the bike at 80 miles, your mental attitude takes a knock, and then the monkey jumps on your shoulder and starts messing with you, time on the bike is crucial.
Back home, quick change and off for relaxing mile in the pool, simples.
Next morning, tired legs but up and a 4.8 mile x country, knees hurting slightly but in better condition than expected.
With Christmas just around the corner, perhaps I could suggest the following, as there is an upsurge in conspiratorial tv shows, spooks, hunted, homeland, I would recommend Edge of Darkness, not the Mel Gibson movie, but the BBC thriller.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00004C ... -1&pi=SL75First of all it is good, shown in the mid 80's, one of the characters, played by Joe Don Baker is seen wearing an Ironman finishers t shirt from Kona, a wonderful piece of product placement, remember it is the eighties and triathlon is left field, but you could believe the character had a genuine reason to wear it.
When Mel Gibson watched it, he got the producers of lethal weapon to use the same musicians for the films soundtrack, so there is a similarity, unfortunately Mel Gibson is top billing these days, he always wanted a big screan version of Edge of Darkness but sadly the films budget let it down. But the BBC DVD is less than seven quid, over seven hours of drama and documentary.
I would also recommend "raising the dead" by Peter Finch
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0007275 ... -1&pi=SL75You know the ending before you start reading it, but if you liked Felix's parachute jump from the stratosphere, I would suggest this and read about pushing the limits whilst diving, even if you are not a diver, it tells of will power, unselfishness to help others at the risk of death or injury, where because you are pushing the boundaries, no one will help when it goes wrong. Enjoy.
Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.