Trains, Travels

Falling across two weeks of my Kona build I think it’s worth giving my time in Lanzarote its own analysis. Hopefully my last post showed what a big week I’ve had, but what does that mean in numbers and more importantly impact on fitness? We’ll start with some top level numbers, but dig a little further.

The numbers

Bear in mind that this covers an eight day period of training in Club La Santa due to flight timings. Even so it averages out at over five hours training a day and on arrival I only trained for an hour and a half.

Swimming

It’s hard to meaningfully analyse the swim, but I felt it needed mentioning at the least. I am working to improve my swimming so the trip was good in terms of providing facilities and time to train well. That said I never felt at my best and would say if anything I felt slower than the last time I was in that pool! Not really what you want to be thinking.

I didn’t do enough hard swimming to really judge if my pace was actually lower. To an extent swimming was something I slogged through with fatigue. Running always was the priority and I am better at pushing myself on the bike when I need to. I was pleased to do at least one 6km set, something of a staple of my New Zealand build. I need to get back into that habit as part of my general Kona build.

Cycling

Lanzarote is great for cycling so I was always in the position that I wanted to emphasise my running, but doing some good biking was so appealing. As it was the general intensity of any ride was higher than it had been at home and this was whilst running more. Roger provided a couple of good sessions with real quality work in towards the end which helped as well.

As the performance management chart shows though I didn’t apply the same large boost to my fitness (CTL) that I have on previous trips out here. I simply wasn’t doing the very long riding I’ve done before. Four or five hours was the maximum with some specific sections of harder work or deliberately hard climbing.

I still achieved a Training Stress Score (TSS) of 950 over the 8 days, enough to cause this more gradual rise in fitness. I arrived in La Santa having let my bike CTL drop to around 88 with some easy days. I left with a bike CTL of 97 so in reality a reasonable shift. That said with some very necessary easy days following the camp CTL is dropping to only 1 or 2 points higher than when I left.

This more gradual gain is entirely what I hoped for though. I could never reasonably expect to make massive growth of bike fitness whilst pushing so much on the running. To make an overall steady climb from this region in the nineties seems ideal. Worth noting is that whilst this year I’ve twice managed to maintain a CTL around 120 in the lead up to races (and biked well) last year I never went over 100 in my run up to Roth, UK or Kona.

I was doing much better work on my running back then too so perhaps the kind of work required to develop my run well will preclude such hard bike work. Slow growth in cycling fitness with the potential to raise CTL further later is perfect if it’s going to allow major growth in my run. I certainly can’t complain and recent experiences have cemented a number of more structured session plans into my week.

I think I’d like to carry a CTL around 95-100 into ITU Long Distance Worlds. After that race keep active on the bike for recovery and perhaps increase my bike emphasis in the final Kona build. Clearly the balance between cycling and running will need to be monitored closely to ensure I’m making positive progress in at least one at any time.

Running

An amazing week for running. I really enjoy the running around Club La Santa and don’t seem to grow tired of any of the roads and trails. It can be quite challenging with hills or you can pick easier paths. I was clearly running a lot to build up 99 miles in 8 days. With my 100 mile run challenge starting on Monday it’s a confidence boost to see how close I was. I’m glad I wasn’t tracking numbers so closely that I felt obliged to go for it early

It’s a different story in the performance management chart here with CTL rocketing up from 36 on arrival to 53 on departure. Once again the mass of fatigue I’ve built up is seeing the CTL fall a little, but we’re still in very solid territory. For comparison 50 is the peak CTL I held before either Roth or Kona. Good runs have come off the back of building to this number.

I’ve been pleased to discover I can handle such a rapid build in running and just keep going. Even more significant were the one or two higher quality sessions I achieved in the middle of this massive build. A tough half-marathon run at a reasonable pace and at least one fast run chasing Roger. The right motivation could pull me through some tough times and get me moving. This is something to remember out on the race course.

Next week the 100 mile run challenge begins on Monday. The aim is to complete a Lydiard style 100 mile run week and see how it feels. Of course I’m making it more of a challenge by still biking and swimming. I will at least be holding back on the load from the other two to boost the chances of finishing. Exactly what my chart will look like after that training will be interesting to see, also the question of whether I can maintain it!

For those interested it took a TSS of 885 to run almost 100 miles. That’s more TSS than I log on the bike some weeks! I at least know what to expect on that side of things from next week. I also know I need to run more than 10km a day in order to maintain my CTL around the 50 mark. I guess I’ve got some work cut out for me.

Aftermath

One thing I can tell you plans of falling straight back in to hard training have fallen to the wayside. Friday I was so tired and sore from travel I couldn’t manage anything more than a massage from The Tri Touch. A painful experience which I think is doing good, but today the lethargy continued with a splash in the lake and an easy run. Tomorrow I hope to do just a bit more.

With serendipitous timing Chuckie V posted an article about getting over training camps. I think it helped filter into my mind and remind me that I’d just done the equivalent of an Epic Camp and need to recover. Smashing out a distance or time goal this week isn’t the priority, but being ready for the next big block of work is.

That block of work is imminent to. Starting Monday and ending a few days before the Long Distance Worlds I’ll be pushing once again. The aim is a 100 mile run week followed by a more balanced week still with a high volume of running. For the ‘taper’ week I’ll start with one or two tougher days based on intensity not volume then properly ease up to hopefully race well.

Beyond that race I’ve not made detailed training plans yet, but it’s on the long to do list. I know running will still be the focus, but I also know I want to push on the bike a little bit more. My training camp and some recent discussions have inspired me and given me new sessions to try. As well of plenty of solid riding there’s going to be some hard sessions in there in all disciplines.

I’ll have the fitness to support it and I’ve got the drive too. Knowing I’m already in my 2009 Kona shape is encouraging that I can genuinely work to make Ironman Hawaii 2010 an even better race.

It’s been a big week at Club La Santa. When my friend Roger Canham emailed me inviting me to stay with him out there I jumped at the chance. When he told me there’d also be his teenage daughter and several of her friends I made sure I packed ear plugs!

I’ve been on Lanzarote and in La Santa enough to know how good it is for training. I was even willing to ease up a little before heading out. A concentrated training camp can do wonders for fitness, but you have to be careful not to over do things in the lead in or aftermath. The full benefits come from serious overload followed by recovery.

I’m afraid this post is epic in size you may need to set aside some time!

Day 0 – Thursday – 1.5km Swim, 0km Bike, 11km Run

I’d booked an early flight to give plenty of time for training on arrival. It almost worked, but I failed to factor in how tiring the journey and night spent in Gatwick would be. I had fantasies of logging several hours right then and there, but a short run and swim were all I felt up to.

Day 1 – Friday – 6km Swim, 107km Bike, 22.5km Run

Fortunately I made up for lost sleep on the first night and woke feeling refreshed. A good job as I’d big plans for the day. I had ideas for structuring the week and thought I’d see how they overlapped with Roger’s plans. Having a training partner makes a big difference if you’re both pushing each other and I know Roger and I are well matched in this respect.

With a Gold medal at European Long Distance Champs only a few days in the past Roger’s plans involved less training than I intended. Having just taken on a Torbjorn Sindballe as a coach Roger was unsurprisingly keen to stick to the recovery sessions.

We headed to the pool just after 7am and got stuck in to our respective swim sets. I must admit I wasn’t feeling it and found the swimming frustrating. Once I was out the water it was off for the first run of the day around my favourite trail from La Santa. A little bit hilly to start, but beyond the first 3km it rolls on quiet roads.

Run done and brekkie eaten (scrambled eggs with ham and cheese my daily staple out there) Roger and I headed off for a ride. With recovery his focus Roger needed half the ride I’d planned so we parted ways and I went South for a circuit of El Golfo. To stop me slacking Roger reminded me he didn’t expect to see me before 4 hours of riding was up.

With my run focus when I got back it was out on the roads for the second and longer run of the day. Nothing too fast at this point, just logging the distance. This was my first time discovering the pleasure of the lagoon loops I dread to think of how many times I’ve circled that now!

Clearly well motivated I finished with a second swim racking up some serious hours of training. I wondered how long I could keep that volume up though.

Day 2 – Saturday – 3km Swim, 101km Bike, 31km Run

The plan for day two was effectively repeat day one. Not very imaginative, but it would let me notch up run mileage and keep biking ticking along. Much as it wasn’t a priority when you have the roads of Lanzarote to hand it seems a crime not to use them.

Mostly things did go to plan I just got a bit carried away running and went further than intended in both morning and afternoon sessions. Enough that I didn’t fancy the idea of another double swim day so made do with just the morning set.

Day 3 – Sunday – 6.1km Swim, 0km Bike, 23km Run

I’d planned my long run for today and chosen a nice hilly route from La Santa to Tinajo via side roads. Before I could do that it was back in the pool at 7am when it’s normally nice and quiet. I took the time to have breakfast before hitting the roads. Fatigue was already setting in it wasn’t time to be going short.

I’d run this route in the lead in to the Ironman and forgotten how challenging it is. There’s a lot of climbing to the roundabout in Tinajo and once there it’s a long down hill. Easy on the aerobic system, not so kind on the legs! To make up more time I threw in another lap round the lagoon for good measure. By the end my legs were shattered and pace dropped.

Thoughts of a recovery ride went out the window. I was tired and riding from La Santa means climbing straight from the door. Hard to ride easy when you’re either going up hill or into the wind. I popped into the gym for a bit of core and weight work then took another dip in the pool to ensure I made the most of my time!

Day 4 – Monday – 3km Swim, 108km Bike, 21km Run

Roger’s program was starting to ramp up so I was keen to join him. We were out early for a four hour ride with 45 minutes of intensity to finish. Both nervous about the session and a little uncertainty how it would go. I wasn’t expecting much from my now quite sore legs.

Despite that fear when the interval started things picked up. I surprised myself riding increasingly strongly and by the end I was right where I wanted to be and felt I still had more. A great session that showed how you can push beyond what you think.

The hard work wasn’t over when we returned it was straight out for a short run at a tough pace for fatigued legs. Roger guided by his Polar immediately hit the 4:30 minute/kilometre pace. I took time to warm-up and after he’d gapped me was working hard to hold him at 50m. A bit of determination kicked in and in the final kilometre I put in a spurt surging past him up the short rise to the La Santa roundabout.

Whilst Roger was mostly done for the day I’d more to go. We went for a swim session and then I threw in another run to up the mileage. A much easier pace than the first effort. By this point I’d found I could settle in and sustain around 5 minutes/km indefinitely.

Day 5 – Tuesday – 0km Swim, 0km Bike, 31.1km Run

Throughout the week Club La Santa offers lots of events and it would be a shame not to join in with at least one. I talked myself into running the Tuesday Half-marathon. A hilly course reversing a lot of Sunday’s long run route. It was soon apparent I wasn’t going to be the fastest guy there. Three people put 100m into me in the first kilometre and I had no response.

I toughed it out and even though this was training found the nominal ‘race’ was enough to give me an extra push. That said by halfway I was in pain and glad to meet Roger for the final few kilometres. He helped me focus and maintain a comfortable sub 4:30 minute/km pace. I was surprised to be running this well as I notched up my 100th kilometre since arriving in Lanza.

Race done and I was gone! Again plans for an easy ride vanished and it was another case of a gym trip along with a very easy 10km run. Much as I was tired I needed to notch up miles on route to the weekly goal.

Day 6 – Wednesday – 3.7km Swim, 129km Bike, 9.5km Run

Another big day in Roger’s schedule. Despite being shattered I was willing to play along. We were at the pool for seven prompt to knock out 4km. As usual I started slowly and struggled to keep pace with Roger until about 1km in.

Eventually I got moving and was really getting into a rhythm when the mini-tri started. In fact they didn’t wait for me to finish a set and I suddenly collided with one of the triathletes pounding down the lane. At least given him a taste of what a swim start could really be like! Frustratingly 300m short of the target, but no time to hang around I got out and went for second breakfast.

Today’s bike was a larger version of Monday’s – five hours with a full hour at intensity to finish. Monday had reassured me that the session was manageable, but the way my legs felt was worrying. The next three and a half hours passed painfully, but neither of us vocalised our thoughts of bailing. When we hit the bottom of Timanfaya it was time to go.

It’s funny how fast an hour of pain passes. We pushed as hard as we could despite protestations from our legs. Once again I was surprised with what I achieved. I liked the session a lot and can see it becoming a regular along with the weekly threshold set. Job done it was an easy roll back to La Santa for another transition run.

I made no attempt to hold a good pace my legs were totally shot and the hilly route I’d agreed proved agonising! Roger kindly waited for me at a couple of points and reassured me it was impressive enough after all the running I’d done. I was having far more negative thoughts even annoyed with Roger for ‘making’ me have to try to keep up!

There was no more training that day.

Day 7 – Thursday – 6.3km Swim, 46km Bike, 10km Run

I woke ravenous after yesterday’s efforts. If nothing else this week made big in-roads towards race weight! We rode out extra early to grab breakfast in Teguise and be back with time to pack. It proved too early for the cafes of Teguise and we ended up back in Famara where we breakfasted on what was apparently six portions of tortilla (tiny portions it seems).

All packed for my late flight I still had ten hours to kill, plenty of time to train. The first stop was the gym where I hoped serious effort with the foam roller would loosen off my tight glutes, hamstrings, ITBs etc! I think it worked, certainly when I ran that evening things felt a bit better.

Despite lethargy and low motivation I pushed through a 6.3km swim set without interruptions. Pleased to have that done and starving again I quickly had something to eat before even contemplating the run. Once more a motivational hurdle had to be overcome to get out there for those last few lagoon laps.

I’d promised myself a trip to the Atlantico buffet to finish the week. Things seemed to have been scaled back since my last visit. Disappointing at first then I discovered that a leaner me couldn’t manage half what I’d previously eaten there. I ensured I got my money’s worth in steak and other paleo treats of course. Uncomfortable full it was enough to get me home without the need to snack. A miracle when normally airports are an endless excuse to eat.

So back home in the UK recounting this epic tale! I’ll save any analysis of data for another time it’s long enough already!

I admit I’m pretty lucky to be sitting here in La Santa reception once again. As I crossed the island by taxi I realised that the coming week means I’ve spent 10% of the year on Lanzarote! Not the most exciting fact, but I enjoy working out how long I spend away from home. Don’t get me wrong I like home and have come to realise I achieve some of my most consistent and best training back in the UK. But when you’re offered the chance to get an extra week’s training in the wind and hills of Lanza who could resist?

Obviously not me especially when in the fortunate position that I can drop things at a moments notice to fly off to warmer climes. Thanks have to go to Roger for the unexpected invite, hopefully we’ll get some good work done together this week. Also thanks to the guys at Tri2O Centre who had no problem managing without me (should I be worried!) Not that I’ve been slacking at home, but I intend to make the most of the next seven days.

Even after two years of it I forget how tiring travel is. Especially when your budget precludes staying in a hotel over night at Gatwick. I killed time drinking badly made coffee in Costa. I have been very disappointed by the standard of barista back home. Milk is poured into the espresso for most coffees, latte macchiato is the only exception that comes to mind. It’s just lazy and thoughtless to do it any other way! Sorry, I digress, but these things matter.

Following a lot of training last week I decided I should be careful not to push things too hard before arriving here. Better to come into a training camp with the energy to make the most of it. Of course trying to balance this with other goals proves more challenging. After all I can’t completely slack off running if I want to hit around 110km this week.

Sometimes it’s more important to listen to your body than focus on distance goals. Monday was easy, Tuesday contained a particularly hard session and Wednesday should have been easy, but long. When Steven sent me a text to bail on the long ride I wasn’t disappointed, I felt knackered! With relief my plans for Tuesday grew easier and easier until all I did was a 9K run shortly before leaving for the airport.

Even then the level of fatigue I felt at that point was remarkable. I’d gone to bed a bit later than I should, slept very well, but still needed more. Definitely not moving in the right direction recovery-wise which was a little concerning with the impending camp. I have to admit I ran for two reasons the desire not to log a zero day and the need to keep on top of the run target.

I couldn’t quite let that one go! My legs really didn’t enjoy it for the first four or five kilometres and it took resolve to resist taking a shortcut. Right on cue, twenty-five minutes into the run I started to feel good. Enough that it seemed absurd I’d wanted to call things short in fact I could do more if I liked. On a good run day I feel great straight out the door, on a bad run day I still seem to come good in the end. Admittedly it did require a proper easy pace a good ten to twenty seconds per kilometre slower than usual.

I’m still in the run game, but have a challenge in front of me with 75km more to do in the next three days. I know I can manage that, but have to factor in that I’m at La Santa and have all these wonderful facilities for swimming and biking. I want to achieve that mileage whilst training hard in the other sports as well. You’ll find out how that one goes by the end of the week.

Skimming the plan for the next seven days is quite exciting. I’m not sure how well I will handle this load, but it’s such a great opportunity to test myself and push just a little bit harder. I really feel I’m working towards being in my best racing shape yet.