After the completion of Challenge Aarhus 2011 I had made a conscious decision to slow down training during the second half of the year for personal reasons. Eventually the result was training duration anywhere from a mere 30 minutes to 6 hours per month – 6 hours being a really good month.
Recently that all changed and in July that training duration changed a lot. The result was that all three sports saw a bump in time as did of course total training time.
Here first some numbers:
- Total duration: 24 hours, 12 minutes trained;
- Swim:
- 11 workouts;
- Total duration: 6 hours, 36 minutes;
- SWOLF score dropped about 3 points from 45 to 42;
- Average pace: From just over 2 min/100m to just under 2 min/100m;
- Total distance: 17,15km
- Bike:
- 9 workouts;
- Total duration: 11 hours, 26 minutes;
- Average speed: 29,01 km/h;
- Average heart rate: down about 12 BPM from June;
- Total distance: 332km;
- Run:
- 13 workouts;
- Total duration: 6 hours, 9 minutes;
- Average pace: 5:33 min/km;
- Average hear rate: down about 10 BPM from June;
- Total distance: 66,74km
What does all that mean? Not much in itself without knowing what the departure points were. In short I’m happy with July as a training month and the reasons are:
- Trained more in July than the all previous months of 2012 combined;
- Body is OK, so I can keep this activity level up for now. It’s tiring at times, but doing OK. Only slight issues are a slight calf strain at the end of hard running sessions and a shoulder issue, which I’m working out in the pool through improved technique;
- Swimming needs to improve. Still have more than 3 minutes down to my best 1,5km time from 2011. Potentially the change in how I train impacts the time negatively (more intervals, more breaks, more slow work to recover+improve technique);
- On the Bike things are going fairly well. One hour time, and all distances at 50K and under improved in July. Doing more intervals to improve speed. Using Garmin 910XT to do time trials on fixed routes.
- Running is going well. While the average pace is not fine at all, the pace in the intervals is going well, approaching 4 min/km in 1km intervals. That’s nice! In addition I ran the best 5K of 2012 at 24:03 – a time that has already been improved in August.
What was new in July?: The volume went up. Used intervals in all three sports. Started using time trials in cycling and will start using for runs as well. Got working on swim technique. Trying out CytoSport Muscle Milk and CytoCarb2 for recovery.
What’s new in August:
- Considering going to the track once in a while to do some track work, to improve speed and endurannce;
- Will start using time trials on runs;
- Will continue using Strava when cycling along with Garmin Connect and Endomondo;
- Reviewing swimming style to reduce drag. Currently looking into high-elbow-pull;
- Considering talking to a sports dietitian for improved health and performance in all areas of life;
- Look into the value of improved sleep;
- Get a sports medical test done/planned (booked for September – exciting).