First week of the next phase of training completed. I'm now in the "Build" phase, I will do two, possibly three, blocks of Build before moving onto "Race" phase in the middle of the year.
There is a world of difference between the 20/30/40 minute diesel type intervals carried out in the Build phase and the 2/3 minute intervals at 125 - 140% that are now included in this phase. Those long intervals really wear you down because they are so long but the short ones can be excruciating! You think you are almost done, then you look at the timer and you are only 30 seconds into the interval and then you seem to be edging forward on the clock so slowly, while your legs are screaming and you're lungs are heaving! Lots of fun.
Coupled with lots of twenty minute intervals in the 'sweetspot', defined as between 88% - 94% by the experts, and a long endurance ride in the mountains, makes for a pretty solid week of training even if its only around 15 hours because I have kept an extra rest day in the schedule. I know this will pay off in the long run and my slow steady build seems to be working well as I see the power output slowly rising.
Mind you we've had a run of hot days, 38c, 38c, 40c, which my old body doesn't seem to cope to well with anymore. Even getting out at 6.00am doesn't mitigate the heat too much, it was already 32c by 9.00am when I finished today, those temperatures just drain me and even worse definitely slow my recovery between sessions since the body is working so hard on temperature control! My heart rate and power output were almost the same at the end of today's ride, not good at all.
I may have to review the plan if the current forecast of another week of this hold good,
