Saturday 6 February 2010

Back on the bike

After some big weeks in January (498k all up), I was a little clapped out and that plus a sore foot saw me scale back the mileage big time. Definitely the right thing to do to ensure I recovered properly.

Got back to Melbourne last Friday, which meant returning to work in the city. I was a little nervous about riding in after not having gotten on the bike for so long, but gave it a try on Monday. Pulled up with my dodgey knee feeling very sore, and was getting myself ready for the idea of shelling out for train tickets, when I remembered that I'd bought a $2 knee brace from a junk shop on Saturday. Miraculously it worked perfectly: I have no pain while riding with it on:D Rode in every day this week - 200k all up. Quads are really feeling it though!

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This morning I rode to the Tan for the monthly Vic Road Runners 8k time trial. Was feeling rubbish (I think a cold's coming on) and had positioned myself in the middle of the pack so that I could just jog it out. When the call for start went, I had just gotten up from adjusting my shoes, and a nudge from an overenthusiastic runner next to me was all it took to send me sprawling! I got up straight away and went for it, the pain serving as amazing motivation to race it out. The leading bunch weren't far off, and I soon caught up to them, hanging in second while I gathered my energy, ready to take on the Anderson st hill. Up we went, and for a little while I drew ahead of the Elite Triathlete (or so his top read) in first, before he surged again. I was feeing absolutely murdered after the hill, and had decided to stop after 4k, so took it right back to him, sneaking past on the downhill, and then drawing the lead out as we went round the Observatory.

As I reached the finish line, I realised that he was still a fair bit back. I wasn't enjoying the experience at all, but decided to keep going to see if I could hold on for the full 8k. With 2.5k to go, he caught me back, but I could tell he didn't have much left, and when we got to Anderson St again, I tried to pick up the intensity. I thought I'd dropped him, but wasn't quite sure until I got back to the Observatory because of all the traffic around me. In the end, I'd put about 20 seconds on him in the last km, so he must've really died back there. Finished up with 8k in 29:25, which was a very pleasing result considering how awful I was feeling (and still am feeling now, 8 hours later). Compares very favourably with my performance this time last year: 30:54.

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The plan from now on is to try to do 120k per week, plus cycling to work. That'll be 13k per day during the week, and a long run of 30k on Sundays. I think 120k is the right volume for me to be able to maintain some decent intensity in there. Certainly managed that this week, with a progression run on Monday topping out at 3:08s:)

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