Ironman training week 5

Winter is really throwing wrenches into the training plans these days. Between cold and ice and snow planning out running in particular has been tough. Plus it's so hard to motivate myself out of bed early in the morning when it's cold.

With that said, though, it was a solid week! I started my Trainerroad plan (after finally settling on which one to use; I only changed my mind about ten times...) and it feels good to be back on a more structured schedule.

At least so far. Let's revisit that when I get back into the tough workouts.

Monday: rest

Tuesday: swim 1900m; TR FTP test

Not much to say about the swim, but oh the FTP test.

Those don't ever get easier. I mean, they can't get easier or it wouldn't be an FTP test. I felt like I nailed the test pretty well, even being out of practice, and my resulting FTP was 10 points higher than where I left off last winter after I got sick, so I guess all those random spins around Zwift helped with fitness going into this. So now it's a 12 week base training phase to see how much stronger I can get.

Wednesday: 9k lunch run; weights

Searching out clear paths at work at lunch, as usual. Not much exciting happening with running right now, other than the fact I'm enjoying it a lot. When things aren't covered in ice.

Weights in the evening was fun, as usual. Big plates make a very satisfying clunk when you put them down.

Thursday: 2400m swim; TR Cumberland; 6k brick run

Entirely too much technology, really.

Thursdays are shaping up as one of the tougher days in the schedule. Will generally be trying to swim, bike, and run that day (although the run won't always be a brick). It's a good challenge. Although I maintain winter bricks are just the worst, with having to do a complete clothing change between the bike and the run.

Friday: 19k long run

Since the forecast looked pretty sketch for the weekend, and we were both home from work for a PD day, Nicole and I met up to get our long run done early Friday morning. It was really fucking cold, but it's amazing how fast the miles go by when you have a friend with you. It felt like no time and we were done!

ALL THE LAYERS

And then I took the kids out for a PD day breakfast, because I was pretty much thinking about eggs benedict for the last hour of the run.

Get in my belly

Saturday: 3100m swim; weights; TR Ericsson

Weird Saturday for me, since with the long run on Friday my legs were tired and I didn't want to do my long ride. So instead I started with my longest swim ever. Then in the afternoon I went to lift weights because I thought the trainer ride I had to do was an easy ride. If I'd been smarter and checked first I'd have flipped the order around and done weights after. D'oh.

But it worked out fine in the end, although I sure slept well that night!

Sunday: TR Big Squaw; 8.5k run

Long easy ride (2 and a half hours) and a run later in the day when the snow had melted into slush. Got a little bored towards the end of the long ride but the power target seems about right for where I need to be to do those, so I'm satisfied things will go well over the next 12 weeks.

Other being totally over winter and not enjoying this having to try and cram things in when everything isn't covered in snow and ice, so far it's all going really well. On to the next week!