Of Mice and Marathons

AM/Lunch: 120' on the trainer. 213W. HR 123. 

3 x 10' Muscle Tension Intervals or Torquevals (as I now call them)

Kept the wattage aroudn 248-252 and cadence ended up being 57, 55, 54, so I was able to get it a bit lower than last week. Still working on form and pushing power smoothly. I do enjoy these.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 205W. HR 121. 

Decided to break down and hire a cycling coach. Change of plans #474762. I will make sure I still get a little running in, but I need to go all in on one or the other or I am never going to get where I want to be with either. I am pretty excited about it.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 212W. HR 123. 

Had a meeting in the evening with a few guys from FasCat Coaching and I will be working with Stephen Bassett, who was the 2024 National Crit Champion. He is a continental pro with a bunch of experience racing in Europe. The training gets dropped 4 weeks at a time and I am excited to bring some more focus to my riding. I have done okay on my own and learned a lot, but I definitely need some guideance and a more objective perspective. I am super excited/motivated/anxious to start. 

AM: 1 hour 36' on the trainer. 209W. HR 121. 

5 x 3' Muscle Tension Intervals w/ 2' Recoveries

My training dropped last night and I am even more excited. Looks like a good mix of longer rides, workouts, strength stuff (which I have been neglecting for too long) and some options to run here and there, which should be enough to keep me satisfied. It has scheduled days off, which I know I need. I also have the option to swap a run with a ride here and there, which I like in the winter because my mood and the weather tend to dictate my training a bit more. 

I found this workout a bit better than the longer muscle tension intervals I started with. I don't think my power and thus torque were high enough. This felt like I was really pushing my leg muscles and torquing the pedals. 

AM: 60' on the trainer. 140W. HR 91.

My resting heart rate has been very low the last 7-10 days. I am averaging about 37-38 BPM, and on Tuesday, my HR was too low (39) in the afternoon to donate plasma. I had the option for a rest day or easy ride, so I opted for an easy ride and kept it very light. I was suprised I was able to keep my HR at just above 90 BPM. Aerobic system is functioning extremely well and stress is relatively low. Sleep quality has been excellent. 

+ Foam rolling and light stretching 

It has been a few years since I have actually done an honest foam rolling session. I could definitely feel it even though my legs have felt fine.

AM: 2 hours 42'. 48.5 miles @ 16.9 MPH. 202W. HR 122.

2:30 endurance on the schedule. Went a little longer as it just worked out that way. Roads were great. Not sure why I haven't been getting out more. Before long I won't be able to.

PM: 2 hours 25'. 41.9 miles @ 17.3 MPH. 210W. HR 136.

3 x 10' Sweet Spot

Decided to get outside again. It was around 40 degrees or so, which is cooler for cycling than running, but still pretty comfortable if you dress properly. 278W. HR 156; 277W. HR 155. 275W HR 155. Recoveries were 6' around 160W or so, which I hit pretty much right on target.