Post Number 9: You Lose Some, You Win Some

Well, it's fair to say that this week has been a typical example of how awkward my work / life / training balance can be! Trying to squeeze in 40 hours of teaching, plus something similar in Lego building and then add in the complicating factor of some stressful negotiations with an important client of ours is never going to be conducive to smashing out a few hours of aerobic, low intensity training on my bike (as was my goal).

You can see from my Strava stat's that I have only managed a dismal 41.8 miles in 3.5 hours of cycling! For the 'Stato's' amongst you, to save you getting a calculator out, that's an average speed of just under 12 mph!! 

I always knew that this week was going to be a difficult one from a training goal perspective... Therefore I did what any good fitness professional would do and I changed some of the variables in my training. Generally speaking, fitness programming works around four principles: Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type (FITT Principles). I couldn't do the time this week, so I upped the intensity instead. 'How so? You averaged under 12 mph!' I hear you say... Well, I put in a bit of extra effort in the strength training sessions and I also chose to ride up a big hill near where I live called 'The Wrekin'... twice. The Wrekin allegedly has the 'Highest ascent for it's circumference around it's base in the whole of Britain'. I'm not sure that's completely true, but it felt like it two days ago - particularly the second time up!

The Wrekin is an off-road climb to be done on a mountain bike. At times the gradients make you slow to near walking speed. Even once onto the false flat over the top there is still a sting in the tale that is 50:50 whether you'll make it up without pulling a foot out to avoid an embarrassing, slow speed 'topple'. It takes 13 minutes on a good day to get to the top. The day I went up was not a good day, weather-wise or state-of-training-wise! 

The Losses

So, I'm a little behind on one of my goals already (30 hours of cycling in January including a ride in North Wales and the Peak District). I could get down about this I guess, but, there have been a fair amount of 'out of my control' obstacles put in my way this week. As mentioned right at the start of my blog, I'm not going to worry about those sorts of things. I'm choosing to concentrate on getting the things in my control right. However, there are also some positives to reflect on too!! (One of the many advantages of setting a number of 'Process' goals).

The Wins

I've managed to up my loads in the 2 big strength exercises I do (Squat and Deadlift). I'm now lifting 10kgs more than over Christmas (see pic to the right for weights) and I feel like I can go on from that over the next couple of weeks too! Usually, you would expect to progress by around 2.5-7.5kgs every 5 weeks or so (that's a typical length of a strength training mesocycle). I guess my progression has been a bit quicker due to me getting more 'familier' with the 'skill' of lifting. Along with this increased strength has come slightly bigger quadriceps and glutes (approx 1 cm in circumference since the start of training in November). Coupled with an actual decrease in bodyweight of 1lb, that's all the proof I need that my body is changing for the better!

Perhaps though, the biggest positive to take from my training so far, is that I felt 'strong' riding up the Wrekin, despite DOMs in my legs limiting my riding intensity. I got to the top as comfortably as is possible up there - never pushing much harder than 7/10 effort. I was 3 minutes off my best time up the hill, but actually think I'm not too far off my best fitness of last year already and I definitely think I'll be challenging for the Strava KOM up there in the Summer! (This is another of my goals!).

The Week Ahead

So overall, I'm pleased with how things are progressing. This week I do have some extra time due to work being quiet, so I'll try my best to get in some long rides alongside the heavier weights sessions. I'm also going to have a go at a 2 Rep Max Deadlift Strength Test at the start of Monday's strength session. Mainly because my training partner, Pom, did one last week (watch Pom's self-glorifying video below!). I won't get very close to his mark, but I'm intrigued to know what I can do! Of course, I'll report back!

Don't try that at home folks...

Paul

Post Number 8: Ice, Over-reaching and Over-training

Well, I'm sitting here in compression socks, waiting impatiently for my dinner, feeling a little like a candle with just millimetres of wick left that is about to be extinguished sooner than intended... I don't get to do that many longer rides, so given the opportunity this morning to ride with no time limit with an old pal, Liam, I thought I'd make the most of it!

It was an early, but promising start, with a beautiful sunrise in my rear view mirror as I headed North. A blue sky rose up high in front of me, with just a few wispy white clouds around that marked just how high up the cold atmosphere went. The temperature on the car said -1 degrees. 'Lovely' I thought, 'Perfect cycling day!'.

And it was a perfect cycling day, with just a few ice patches to spice up some of the descents. Our route ventured into Wales with the intention of climbing over the Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen. Unfortunately however, we never got there! Somebody mysteriously put a hill called 'Yr Ochr' in the way! 

If you've never ridden over this horrendous climb, then have a look on my Strava profile and give it a go. It's near Llangollen and is a sort of offroad / road combination that basically just goes straight over the local mountain. No messing around with hairpins like those soft Frenchy's etc use! My standard gear these days of 39x23 was hideously overgeared - especially when weight and fitness aren't what they ought to be! Consequently (I kid you not) each pedal stroke was a bit like doing a 1 rep max lunge! To say I had shaky legs over the top is an understatement! Whether you're a cyclist or not, at some point in your life, if you love fitness, you should try riding up a 'proper' hill without stopping!

I would certainly say I bit off more than I could chew this ride... To be technical, you'd probably call it 'Over-reaching'. Over-reaching is doing a bit more damage than is optimum in a training session, so that it impacts on your next few sessions. I certainly won't be doing my normal Monday strength training tomorrow - or if I do, it'll be adapted and less intense! Training effectively is a manipulation of your FITT Principles (Frequency of training, Intensity of training, Time spent training and Type of training). Push too hard in one of these area's and you'll have to compensate in another. In this instance, my intensity was too hard, therefore my frequency of training this week may well be reduced.   

Over-reaching in a one-off session isn't great, but it isn't the end of the world. Over-reaching repetitively however could certainly do some damage. You'd probably call that 'Over-training'. Over-training can lead to lots of physical ailments including reduction in performance, chronic injuries and an under-performing immune system. 

It's sometimes hard to spot when over-reaching or over-training occurs. Finding the balance between physical stressors that cause perfect fitness progression and those that go a bit too far is a real art. The most obvious advice is to listen to your body. Maybe take your resting pulse each morning and see if it's elevated the day after training (ie, have an easy day). Ultimately though, just be sensible. Don't go out and smash yourself up every time you train. If you feel tired, wait before training again. Training when you're tired isn't going to be beneficial anyway! Make sure that whatever you're doing has an objective, even if that objective is 'active recovery'.

Right, my amazing wife to be is about to dish up dinner, so I'm off to fill up before I chew my own leg off.

Paul