Training diary: week 8

Running picked back up this week – thank God – after a few niggles. I’ve been staying down in Sussex and running on the Downs Link from Henfield. North to Southwater is pancake flat and good for long runs; South is my hilly route, and Bramber and back (6 small hills) is a solid 1hr run. The result is that my pace is improving within the 60-75% of max heart rate zone; and I also felt comfortable on today’s brick, running at 7.30s after 2hrs on the bike. Of course, if I want proper hills then Devil’s Dyke is the destination! (see week 7 cycling).

Week 8 (w/c Sunday 30th August)

Sun: REST (family event); Mon: BIKE (3h40, Devil’s Dyke-Cuckfield-Handcross-Billingshurst); Tue: RUN (1hr, steady with hills); Wed: REST (travelling); Thu am: SWIM (1hr, drills and lengths, London Fields Lido); Thu pm: RUN (1hr, steady with hills); Fri: RUN (1hr, steady); Sat am: BRICK (2hr bike, 20min run @ 7.30 min miles); Sat pm: SWIM (1hr drills)

 More Training Diary posts here.

Training diary: week 7

Excellent week this week. Very focused on the bike: tested my legs with hilly a route from my home in Henfield, West Sussex to Ditchling Beacon – 7 mins ascent and pretty easy now, after my sojourn in the Pyrenees! – then on to Devil’s Dyke, before heading out into West Sussex on a medium length loop via Handcross then back home. Monday was even better: mountain biking with my brothers down the Downs Link – a former railway line now a mixed terrain public footpath – then up Truleigh Hill and east along the South Downs Way. Great cross-training. Reps on Weds; somehow managed to miss Al – also doing reps on Regents Park and Swains Lane – but this 6/4 session felt great, and is an excellent way to tune up. I’ll be doing more of these as race day approaches. The foot is also feeling better; there’s still a bruise-like pain to the touch, but thankfully no adverse reactions to steady running.

Devil's Dyke, Sussex. An historic beauty spot with a good pub at the top; it can be reached by road from Brighton (to the South) or Poynings (to the North), or off road along the South Downs Way.

Week 7 (w/c Sunday 23rd August)

Sun: BIKE (2.5hrs, Ditchling Beacon-Devil’s Dyke route); Mon: BIKE (5.5hrs,  MTB ride Downs Link and South Downs Way); Tue am: SWIM (1hr, drills and lengths London Fields); Tue pm: RUN (1hr, steady); Wed: BIKE (2h20, 6 x Regents Park reps @ 85% max HR + 4 x Swains Lane hill reps); Thu: RUN (1hr, steady) ; Fri: SWIM (2.5k, The Triangle LC) ; Sat: RUN (1hr, steady with hills)

More Training Diary posts here.