Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Meltdown

Things are heating up here in Brisbane. I have experienced training in the heat during summer in the Blue Mountains and around Penrith but the heat combined with the humidity up here north of the border adds a new dimension to hot.

Looking at weatherzone for the last few days reveals just how pleasant running is around here.

Sun - 26.4C | 82% humidity
Mon - 31.4C | 54% humidity
Tue - 27.2C | 77% humidity
Wed - 30.5C | 60% humidity

Note: data recorded during training times

Training:

Training has also seen some changes with a reduction in total training time and volume and an increase in quality sessions. Last weeks training looked like the following:

Sat (8/12/12) - 5k warmup, 10k threshold in 38:36, 3k cooldown
Sun - 19k easy (around Mt Cotton)
Mon - 7k easy in 32:00 + strides
Tue - PM) Hill session 16x200m avg ~ 60sec (total elevation gained/200m = 30m)
Wed - 11k run (went out too hard in the heat and paid for it)
Thu - Run workout 4 x 6min (pace 3:37, 3:41, 3:43, 3:41) 5k warmup/3k cooldown
Fri - 7k easy run + 3-4hrs of walking around Brisbane (PM)

This week:

Sat (15/12/12) - 5k warmup, 5k in 18:37, 3k cooldown (planned to run sub 18 minutes but legs several things were against me - the heat/humidity, legs still sore from Tuesday's hill session and went out too fast in 3:30 pace for the first km and then tried to maintain it in the second km which included a hill)
Sun - 1h30 long run included 3km avg 3:38/k pace (legs felt recovered)
Mon - 7k easy + strides
Tue - AM) 42k ride (to work) PM) Track session 8x200m avg ~33sec + 20k ride in electrical storm
Wed - 11k planned easy but went hard and completed melted in heat

Remainder of the week looks like the following:
Thu - AM) Track session + ride PM) Ride
Fri - easy run
Sat - Run workout - long repeats
Sun - Long run

Planned races for 2013:
January 5000m track
Park Run 5km runs
Gold Coast Marathon
Ironman Cairns (probably not but ?)
Bridge to Brisbane
Noosa Triathlon

plan on racing more often next year...