Training Log Archive: AC

With the Engadin Bike Giro just a few weeks away, and precious little cycling in my legs, I decided to head out for a longer ride to just get some miles up. Nice sunny and warm day if a bit windy - it was a tailwind home so that was nice. Just cruised and focused on keeping a steady pace and getting up the hills in good shape. Nice ride although my back was quite sore after the first hour. Need to do a lot more stretching and strengthening.

Down to Fontainebleau for a terrain run. Heavy rain overnight meant that I was soaked within minutes of starting in the forest. I seemed to head into the toughest terrain to start with and it was very slow and heavy going - not too much fun. Found some nicer terrain but still found the going rather heavy, with yesterday's double training making its presence felt in my legs. Good fun though and nice to be in the forest again. Started to get pretty tired for the last couple of km and was glad to stop. Absolutely soaked and the new Inov-8 shoes didn't really stand up to the sodden terrain - they are just too light. Will need to stick to my other, heavier, Inov-8 shoes for wet runs in the future as they are much more robust.

Out for a morning run in very humid conditions. Felt pretty crap and just chugged along - heavy and slow. But good to get it under my belt.

Work not too busy so headed out for a lunchtime ride down at Longchamp. Still nice and humid but this is more bearable on hte bike. Settled into a good peleton going at a solid pace that stretched me without breaking me! Took the lead a few times and felt pretty strong.

Too nice a day to stay indoors so did something I haven't done for a while - run for a second day in a row. Had intended to just do my standard 5km loop at a leisurely pace, but felt pretty spritely when I got out so pushed the pace a bit and wound up doing a nice tempo run. Nice and hot but a lot of the run was in the shade of trees so not too bad. Cooled down while stretching in the gym.

Back on the bike on a sunny warm evening. Headed down to Longchamp to mix it with the peletons. Made the mistake of going there past Roland Garros and got caught in the French Open traffic chaos. Weaved my way through that and hit Longchamp just as a speedy peleton came past. Latched on to that and lasted for half a lap at 45km/hr - way too fast for my taste! Didn't have to wait long for a more suitable peleton to pick me up and worked hard for the next 5-6 laps, even making it to the front for a few stretches. the peletons were mixed with triathletes doing their brick sessions. These guys really are hopeless in packs - all over the shop and changing their lines all the time, even to the point of slowing and exiting without warning to go and start their runs. Not quite sure how we managed to avoid major crashes and they certainly got an earful or two from eth other cyclists. Hard ride overall and good training. Finished up with a ride past the local thai takeaway to pick up a bobun, which is all the rage in Paris these days ...

Back at work after a lovely long weekend and headed out fo an interval session in a pleasant 24 deg day. Did 8 * 500m with 1 min easy. Felt okay on all and pushed it well, until the last one where I died a bit. Pace was okay, but not stellar - 2.08, 10, 5, 7, 9, 7, 9, 12. Pace not as quick as last time I did this set, when I was doing each interval some 4-5 secs faster. Oh well ...