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Had a chilly dip in Loch Morlich this morning. Air temp 3C, water temp 2C.
and then a 5km jog/run round the woods at Boat of Garten with the Missus this afternoon.
I had great plans of doing an hour on Zwift this evening but my calves are in a bit of pain from the past few days.
Managed my first imperial century yesterday, with a fair chunk of it off road. Ended up having to cycle round the block a few times as I was slightly short of the century by the time I got home! Worst 3 miles I’ve ever ridden!
Edit - Another image posting fail!
Could have sworn I posted how impressed I was Jodafett - forum ate it clearly - were you out all day?
I had a quick 50 min spin yesterday and 2-3 hours with a buddy today, though they were short on sleep so it was very gentle.
Cheers Stripey. It took me about 9hrs including a puncture stop! Was knackered by the end of it but surprised how well I felt on Sunday! All this trainings paying off but found out today the race I’m working towards has been cancelled!!
Thinking of changing the routine? The aim so far in both this and the previous challenge was to cycle for at least an hour each day, some days easy others much harder and for the most part I have.
Now with Spring almost upon us I was thinking of trying a 30 minute ride first thing, really fast/flat out and then in the evening, a nice gentle ride of similar duration. I would appreciate your thoughts as to wether this would be better than the current regime for summer fitness?
A wise man once said, when we train we break our bodies down. It's *during the rest afterwards* that out bodies go, "crapcrapcrap if they're going to do that sort of nonsense I need to build myself back stronger! Faster! Better!"
Not enough rest and the body just gets broken down more and more.
So that sort of thing is why most training plans have that hard/easy, legs day/arms day, and longer periodization going on. Put the frighteners on the body and then give it space to shape up, rinse, repeat.
Ofc what "easy" is and recovery needs vary hugely. My recovery has always been dire, I did my best stuff when I targeted one big race and up to then just did the hard sessions and took everything else really easy (which explains my suspiciously patchy & wildly varied race results).
Others seem to thrive on tuneup races, clearly made if sterner stuff.
Sunday was a Zwift ride with a mate, trying out Discord. Worked pretty well. A chance for a chat while getting in some exercise.
Monday was a walk with the Missus up Glen Feshie to the bothy. Checking out some trail damage and catching up on what's happening on other bits of the estate with one of the locals.
That really is spectacular !
7 mi jog with a buddy putting the world to rights in the sun. Fields and woods but not quite at that level of scenic!
Others seem to thrive on tuneup races, clearly made if sterner stuff.
Tuneup races are great, assuming they're shorter than your "A" race and you're not too worried about the result. They give a harder workout than usual, and the chance to check all your kit+nutrition+etc is right. The main downside is that you do lose a bit of training before and after the race: while I wouldn't do a full taper for a tuneup race I would certainly take it easy the week beforehand, and after the race you'll probably need a few days to recover. Ideally you want to time them for just after a rest week, when you're about to start another block.
And I'm planning on taking rest seriously today, with a very gentle hour on the turbo. And maybe a half-hour stroll with the wife beforehand. Rest is definitely something I need to take more seriously, and in all honesty joining a 90 day challenge like this can be a bit counterproductive. Still, once in... 🙂
Call it "active recovery" then! I used to do my easy 5k recovery runs 3+ mins/mile slower than 5k race pace.
Quick spin on the mtb out in the local lanes and hills so I do still feel exercised.
Nowadays that "5k recovery run pace" is "10k race pace" tho...! #creak #creak
Well I've had my first failed day of the challenge so far. Yesterday was a tough day doing a load of DIY jobs at my parent's house followed by the STW Zwift race where I pushed myself rather hard so today I have just had absolutely no energy and have ached up until an hour ago. Would have gone for a walk but it's been wet and windy here all day and just couldn't muster up the motivation to spin the legs for a bit, still managed 68 days straight though.
Will do two sessions tomorrow to make up for it and to keep the old Chub Club ticking along.
Did a short ride in the Burnside woods yesterday. I'd only gone out to check my brakes after doing some cleaning but it was too good a chance to waste.
Arranged with a couple of mates to ride tonight. We had a Zwift meeting set up as standby but headed out on MTBs instead. It poured, the trails were soaked and we got back covered in mud. It was great!
I started my challenge on 1st Dec and hit my day 100 yesterday with a cruise
out with my dad. He’s still riding a hybrid everywhere which meant no MTB, despite offering the loan of one. A nice gentle ride in the Pentlands, but then I pushed onto one of the tops after and gave up when conditions turned hellish.
I’m going to continue on - while nice round numbers are good to celebrate, the full year is my big goal.
So far I’ve noticed I feel fitter and recover better. My usual climbs all feel easier to ride, and it’s still possible to get PBS on segments I’ve ridden a hundred times previously.
I've had a week off pretty much. Energy levels just weren't recovering and I'm realising my body doesn't like the change in seasons making me wake up earlier than my 5yo daughter, which isn't right!
Going to try an easy at lunchtime and start easing back in. I really need to practice as I preach and go "little and often", but I just like going big which writes me off for a few days at a a time. Build... up...
6k jog this morning (and then snuck back under the duvet!).
Alasdair, I have found the regular commitment works for me - if I'm shattered I can still go out for a walk or do 30 mins of, you know, yoga for the over 80s on YT.
TBH though I have few time commitments and if I were in a different position I can see I might just end up zonked out!
Made up for yesterday's fail this morning by doing a "Kettle and Boil" race on Zwift. Bloody hell that's tough! Basically 6 laps of a short-ish course where every 2 laps the pace ups by 0.5w/kg with the final lap a full-on race. Popping back on in an hour for a 60min recovery ride, those should cancel out the fail yesterday nicely.
Discovered another rear flat on the road bike so out on the hybrid today. N+1 ftw! Now thinking about replacement tyres...
Jog with a buddy this morning, 9km. Damn you headwind!!
It might not be an ultra but I stepped up to a 15km run this afternoon. First time I've done more than 10 or so in a year. 90 minutes so not exactly setting the heather on fire either. Felt OK though and I made it back just as the rain came on so a win all round.
More'n I've done since I don't know when scotroutes!
Yesterday was close to the wind as "dog walk" was all she wrote, but went out with a buddy on the bike today and (I think, because my phone went into battery saving mode when I was going revived with coffee and snack en route) did 44 mi, which has got to be one of my longest rides yet.
Came back and ate an entire bunch of grapes....
8! Miles! "run"! This morning.
Afternoon will be spent wrestling new tyres onto the road bike, Wiggle free delivery was v fast 👍
I have my first jab booked for Friday so the weekend exercise may well be "30 mins Corpse Pose" if my body decides to devote itself to nowt but antibody production.
With the easing of restrictions slightly here in Wales I took the opportunity yesterday to do a longer loop on the bike, well over 50% off road! Felt so good to escape the hills overlooking Cardiff and see something different from the last few months, even if it was just a view overlooking Caerphilly.
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Just under 25 miles and despite it being winter I set a boatload of PB's on trails and road sections I've ridden plenty of times in better conditions. This challenge is definitely pushing my fitness up to another level as it's given me the impetus to do structured training on Zwift, joint the STW Race Series and walk locally more just to tick off the 30 mins each day. Only one day dropped with just over 2 weeks to go!
Yesterday I had a wee 3km stroll with the Missus, looking for frogs and then wasted 40 mins on Zwift trying to do a VO2 Max test.
Today I've had 12 minutes in Loch Pityoulish at a positively balmy water temperature of 6C.
Out for a ride later...
8 miles walk this morning! Now hoovering lunch like a souped up Henry.
3 1/2 miles jog just now.
Scotroutes might do some open water swimming this year. Suspect that starting to do it in 6C water might not suit everyone tho ...
1 new tyre on so I could cycle off to get my vaccination. Did a bit of an exploration after and found some remarkably "urban" (i.e. between 2 steel fences, a shedload of litter) public rights of way...one railway foot crossing, 1 small bridge/underpass for same line, and a flooded path (unusual in suburbia).
Conti gator wasn't that hard to put on, but is it that I've just not met the tyres thatt are so massively easy ,you don't need tyre levers to finish getting them on?
7km jog today - don't seem to have much aftereffects from jab, just dozey yesterday.
Dog walk today - a bit weedy but have gardening etc to do too
I’m still going and beginning to really enjoy having a reason to get out each day. Compared to the pre Christmas challenge this one has definitely been more enjoyable and I’m also beginning to feel the fitness gains hard earned over the winter. Keep on keeping on!
I'm still suffering the change of seasons and not sleeping great so my energy and enthusiasm for this has waned. Still trying, but I'm not plugging the gaps with yoga mostly as I CBA by the time I have time.
Still on and hitting my 40mi/week walking. Easy gentle stroll along the Thames with MrsTired to make up the last 3 miles post jab. Not long now. And I may graduate from walking to cycling come April. Strava is reason 11-13h per week at the moment. But then You should see what it was showing a year ago! (Strava fitness is now a steady 15. It was at a 100 before covid)
Am looking forward to maybe walking the Ridgeway when things open up a bit. (the OH was surprisingly up for doing dropoff and pickup).
Lovely 50km ride in the sun with a friend. The 28mm tyre on the rear does seem to make it more comfortable so I should pull my finger out and fit the front tyre too!
6km jog today as both me & run buddy were feeling a bit zonked (from our jabs? ). Shorts weather!!
Still going here, too, although I did miss a day a week ago, when I met up with the rest of my (work) team for drinks after work - it was the first time I've seen them face to face in over a year, and I wasn't going to miss that 🙂
Also just been out for a quick 6K run, be rude not to when it's such a lovely day.
Strength training today! Sat in on a "faster over 50" seminar by the bloke who is the official coach for Comrades, and the v high level summary was, Recovery, Do Easy sessions Easy, walk breaks, Strength, Consistency.
So I'm going to make myself do 3x20min plus weights sessions a week and see how I feel after a couple of months. And do a bit less p1ss1ng around on my phone after midnight...
First day off yesterday. Had my jab on Monday morning, went out for a 3 hour ride in the afternoon as I felt ok but woke up Tuesday with classic flu symptoms. Felt much better today and enjoyed a gentle ride in the sunshine this afternoon.
That seems to be the thing to do sandboy, get the ride in just after the jab before the immune system gets busy!
6km jog this morning - but back under the duvet to warm up before properly facing the day!
First day off yesterday. Had my jab on
MondaySaturday morning, went out for a3 hour ride in the afternoon30 min row as I felt ok but woke upTuesdayWednesday with classic flu symptoms
This. Was awful all day yesterday, so didn't even go for a gentle 30min stroll. Not worth it.
Last few days - out early this morning to dodge the rain (if not the traffic) - 36km - the 28mm tyres do make a small but noticeable comfort difference.
5 mi jog and a short weights/core session followed by my breakfast with some (yeuch) leucine powder in. It had bloody well better be doing me good!
Good to see spring springing, but can't help thinking of a handful of years ago when we could have a long weekend in a cheap hotel in Lanza for £150 each and be properly warm.
5.5 hour run/hike in the mountains in the local National Park this morning, 30km in all. Lovely day for it, chilly start but sunny and not too much wind.
10km trot along the river towpath this evening for round 2 of a virtual race series. Not fast but it wasn't a painful struggle so there's that!
Not quite 5h on Hoth tho
Something a bit different today, a couple of hours of gardening. I'll sleep well tonight...
I've well and truly dropped the ball with this. A cold put pay to my efforts. Starting afresh from April 1st.
Clocking up my second non-active day today, mainly as I've been doing lots of life admin stuff. Not going to fret about it too much as I'm amazed I've even got to 80+ days out of 90 let alone 2 short of a clean sweep!