Training Plan - Week 35 - August 27 to September 2

On the plan this is my heaviest week of the year. From next week the run miles begin to drop as I try to add some speed work in place of miles before Ibiza. 

I don't know how my depression will fair against this training load. 

Targets - Swim 3.0 miles, Bike 42.0 miles, Run 19.0 miles.
Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1.

Physio sessions x1. Yoga session x1.

Training Review - Week 34 - August 20 to 26

This is the first time since February that I come into the week and I actually have to do some swimming to finish the week ahead of my stretch target. 

I have a fairly heavily front-loaded plan for this week, and Monday was the heaviest. After a ride to work in the morning I then ran home in the afternoon. I was exhausted by the time I went to swimming and within a few lengths my back seized up and I had to throw out much of the session plan and just paddle up and down again. 

Tuesday I reversed my commutes. The run downhill, ride uphill combination is not really any easier. And trying to swim after that double is no more sensible. I tried a set of 10 x 100m reps but couldn't do anything resembling a fast pace.

Wednesday I had my final fracture clinic appointment. I have still not snapped the screws, so they have decided that they will have a look in November and then remove them. In the evening I did a short jog and a core session. 

Thursday I had a day off work in lieu of all the overtime I have done in the last month. I did some DIY in the morning before heading to the pool for a steady swim at lunchtime. It started well but gradually tailed off. From <25 sec for the first 4 lengths to >30 for the last 4. 

In the afternoon I was planning to ride my mountain bike in for a service and then jog home. Only to find that the slow puncture on the rear wasn't actually that slow, and was clean through tyre and tube. Fortunately Mrs M was able to drive me to the bike shop so I could at least do my run home. 

Friday I was back at work with an easy set of commute rides. 

Saturday was meant to be a visit to Elgin but Mrs M was ill and we had to cancel. I went out for a very lazy jog in the morning and then did a physio session in the afternoon.

Sunday I managed to drag myself out for another jog in the morning. And added core, stretching and weights sessions. 

Despite managing to run 9 of the last 10 days, and this week being the first time I have covered a marathon distance in a training week since January 2017, I am struggling against my depression again. When our weekend plans changed at the last minute I wasn't able to adapt to that and spend most of the weekend stuck on the sofa with no willpower to do anything. 


Targets - Swim 3.0 miles, Bike 42.0 miles, Run 18.0 miles.
Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1.

Physio sessions x1. Yoga session x1

Monday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 26 mins.
Commute run from office 6.9 miles in 1hr 11 mins.
Swim with TPT 1,050m in 35 mins.

Tuesday - Commute run to office 6.9 miles in 1 hr 9 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 35 mins.
Swim with TPT 1,000m in 20 mins.

Wednesday - Dyce jog 2.5 miles in 21 mins.
Core session.

Thursday - Swim at bucksburn 1.0 miles in 30 mins. 
Jog from Evans 4.4 miles in 41 mins.

Friday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 28 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 35 mins.  

Saturday - Dyce jog 3.3 miles in 40 mins. 
Physio session. 

Sunday - Dyce jog 3.7 miles in 40 mins.
Core session.
Weights session.
Stretching session.

Actuals - Swim 2.2 miles (3,700 m). Bike 28.4 miles. Run 27.7 miles. 
2 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.
Physio exercises x 1.

Cumulative actual, (Cumulative target), [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 87.2, (77.4), [85.1], 
B 1,104.7, (914.0), [1005.4],
R 314.5*, (328.6), [361.5].
Core      - 37, (40)
Weights - 33, (40)
Yoga      - 15, (20)

*Includes aqua-jogging and estimate treadmill values.

Training Plan - Week 34 - August 20 to 26

I have a day off on Thursday to make up for some of the overtime I have done in the last month. 

Then at the weekend we are going through to Elgin to visit my dad. 

This unbalances my week slightly, but I still have more than enough opportunity to fill out my week properly.


Targets - Swim 3.0 miles, Bike 42.0 miles, Run 18.0 miles.
Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1.

Physio sessions x1. Yoga session x1.

Training Review - Week 33 - August 13 to 19

Monday I was meant to go to Fraserburgh Aquathlon but I was just too tired. Even driving too and from work was too tiring and I had to spend an hour asleep to recover enough to make it to swimming. And once I was there I barely managed half a set of mixed strokes. 

Tuesday was a pair of easy commute rides and then collapsing in the evening for a nap. 

Wednesday I was planning to go to Ellon Aquathlon but again by the time I got down with work I was in no state. I drove home for a nap instead. I did then manage to drag myself out for a very slow jog around Dyce. 

Thursday I rode to and from work. In the evening I rode to the pool only to get caught out by the new timetable, again. So I went home, but instead of just slacking for the evening I did my core and physio sessions.

Friday was a jog to work, but it was hard going.

Saturday I finally had a lie in. After 3 weeks of early starts I was long overdue for a decent nights sleep. Somehow though I managed to tweak my back and hamstring overnight. I started the morning with rollering, stretching and yoga sessions to try and ease that off but it didn't improve much. In the afternoon I went out for a run around Dyce. 

Sunday I did an easy jog in the morning and then some weights and core sessions in the afternoon. 

Missing swim sessions this week was a bit disappointing, as was missing both Aquathlon races. The missed bike miles I don't mind after bingeing the previous fortnight. Getting 18 run miles in without any significant ankle problems is a bonus, even if they were all slow. 



Targets - Swim 3.0 miles, Bike 42.0 miles, Run 18.0 miles.
Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1.

Physio sessions x1. Yoga session x1

Monday - Swim with TPT 1,200m in 31 mins.

Tuesday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 27 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 35 mins.

Wednesday - Dyce jog 2.9 miles in 28 mins.

Thursday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 27 mins.
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 37 mins.
Core session.
Physio session.

Friday - Commute run to office 7.0 miles in 68 mins. 

Saturday - Stretching and rollering.
Yoga session 16 mins.
Dyce run 3.7 miles in 33 mins.

Sunday - Dyce run 4.5 miles in 44 mins.
Light weights session.
Core session.


Actuals - Swim 0.8 miles (1,200 m). Bike 28.4 miles. Run 18.1 miles. 
2 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 stretching / rollering session. 16 mins of yoga.
Physio exercises x 1.

Cumulative actual, (Cumulative target), [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 85.0, (74.4), [81.8], 
B 1,052.1, (872.0), [959.2],
R 286.8*, (310.6), [341.7].
Core      - 35, (39)
Weights - 32, (39)
Yoga      - 15, (19)

*Includes aqua-jogging and estimate treadmill values.

Training Plan - Week 33 - Aug 13 to 19

I wanted to get back to a normal week this week. Work should have calmed down this week and I don't have to cycle in every day. 

Instead I am probably going to squeeze in 2 races as I chase a qualifying performance for next year's ITU and ETU champs. 


Targets - Swim 3.0 miles, Bike 42.0 miles, Run 18.0 miles.
Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1.

Physio sessions x1. Yoga session x1.

Training Review - Week 32 - August 6 to 12

The numbers make it look like I had a lazy and easy week but I am beyond exhausted. Normally I end up in this state at the end of the season after doing a dozen races. Work has been extremely stressful the last couple of weeks and having to ride to the office every day is not helping that. Nor is it helping my run miles. I got a few slow miles with Dexter at the start of the week and then nothing but some very slow easy drills on Sunday. I also had to skip swimming on Wednesday and Friday as I was so shattered.  

Sunday I got up planning to ride in and out to the office but was so empty I just had to take the car instead. I did manage a bit of a jog once I got home but it was mostly some easy drills to try and work on my ankle.


Targets - Swim 3.0 miles, Bike 42.0 miles, Run 18.0 miles.
Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1.

Physio sessions x1. Yoga session x1

Monday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 29 mins. 
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 34 mins.
Brick jog with Dexter 2.8 miles in 38 mins. 
Swim with TPT 1,850m in 42 mins.

Tuesday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 29 mins. 
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 34 mins.
Brick jog with Dexter 1.6 miles in 21 mins. 
Swim at bucksburn 1,000m in 20 mins.

Wednesday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 29 mins. 
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 35 mins.

Thursday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 29 mins. 

Friday -  Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 28 mins. 
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 34 mins.

Saturday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 27 mins. 
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 35 mins.

Sunday - Dyce jog 3.0 miles in 42 mins.


Actuals - Swim 1.7 miles (2,850 m). Bike 78.1 miles. Run 7.4 miles. 
0 short core, 0 short light weights and 0 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.
Physio exercises x 0.

Cumulative actual, (Cumulative target), [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 84.2, (71.4), [78.5], 
B 1,047.9, (830.0), [913.0],
R 268.7*, (292.6), [321.9].
Core      - 33, (38)
Weights - 31, (38)
Yoga      - 14, (18)

*Includes aqua-jogging and estimate treadmill values.

Training Plan - Week 32 - August 6 to 12

Another heavy week on the bike as my Shutdown continues at work. That should take me through 1,000 bike miles for the week. 

I am planning to go to Knockburn Aquathlon on Monday evening but that plan may change. It will be tough to ride both commutes and then rush out to Knockburn in time to race. 

Targets - Swim 3.0 miles, Bike 42.0 miles, Run 7.0 miles.
Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1.

Physio sessions x1. Yoga session x1.

Training Review - Week 31 - July 30 to August 5

I lost Monday to a work trip to Norwich. Left home at 5am, got home after 9pm and was stressed the entire day. I don't like to fly and twice in one day just adds to that stress. I don't like to talk in public and my planned 1 hour presentation turned into covering someone else and doing 8 hours in front of the audience, delivering a lot of material outside my specialty. And meanwhile my phone was ringing off the hook with other disasters that I could have managed sensibly from the office, but not from a hotel ballroom in Norwich.  

Tuesday I was shattered but I managed to ride in and out to work and then went to bucksburn in the afternoon for a steady swim. 

Wednesday I rode in to work in the morning but went direct from there to Stonehaven for a super-sprint aquathlon. The race was a bit disappointing. I thought I was in shape to swim close to 6 minutes for 400m so a 6:43 was below par, even allowing for the funny pool at Stonehaven. 

I then screwed up in transition and forgot my number belt which took me about 15 seconds to recover. Then out on the run and I couldn't get my breathing to settle out and my running pace suffered for that. I finished in 20:44, nearly 2 minutes slower than I planned. 

Thursday and Friday were both commutes, long work days and then evening swims at bucksburn again. 

Saturday and Sunday I had to ride in and out to work again. Saturday morning with no traffic and every green light was a fast ride in, and home again. Sunday was a bit of a headwind so slightly slower. Both afternoons I managed to get out with Dexter for short jogs. 

Sunday evening I binged all the smaller sessions, just to get some of them in and try and get back towards a full week. 

I did expect to struggle with run miles this week due to my shutdown forcing me to ride to work every day. I had hoped that Dexter would help that but I just didn't get out with him until the weekend and even those were just slow and easy.


Targets - Swim 3.0 miles, Bike 42.0 miles, Run 18.0 miles.
Stretching session x1, Core session x1, Weights session x1.

Physio sessions x1. Yoga session x1

Monday - Norwich

Tuesday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 30 mins. 
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 33 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 1150m in 20 mins. 

Wednesday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 30 mins.
Stretching session.
Stonehaven Aquathon swim 400m in 6min 43.
Stonehaven Aquathon run 3,000m in 13min 11.

Thursday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 31 mins. 
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 33 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 750m in 15 mins.

Friday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 30 mins. 
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 35 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 1,500m in 27 mins.

Saturday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 25 mins. 
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 29 mins.
Jog with Dexter 2.8 miles in 35 mins.

Sunday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 29 mins. 
Commute ride from office 7.1 miles in 32 mins.
Jog with Dexter 2.7 miles in 33 mins.
Core, weights, yoga and physio sessions.

Actuals - Swim 2.4 miles (3,800 m). Bike 78.1 miles. Run 7.3 miles. 
1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.
Physio exercises x 1.

Cumulative actual, (Cumulative target), [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 82.4, (68.4), [75.2], 
B 969.8, (788.0), [866.8],
R 261.3*, (274.6), [302.1].
Core      - 33, (37)
Weights - 31, (37)
Yoga      - 14, (17)

*Includes aqua-jogging and estimate treadmill values.