Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Reading Half Marathon
After a solid Thames Towpath 20 miler, this would be a test of transferring my distance training into a quicker half marathon on a fast but testing course in Reading.
The target was to try and hold a 6 min 30 per mile pace, though the slightly hilly nature meant my splits were pretty up and down.
After the disasterous starts I've had in major races before, I was determined to settle into a rhythm, and felt surprisingly comfortable at 6:15 pace, which I knew would get me a massive pb.
The 38:45 10km split and 63:00 10 mile split was pleasing, though mile 7 through the city and 8 back up towards the university knocked the stuffing out of me. I rallied between 10 and 11, keeping my pace at 6:20, though found the final 2 miles along the dual carriage way and into a headwind tough.
Final time of 1 hr 24 mins 14 seconds was a massive pb by nearly 3 minutes, so am obviously delighted. I'm sure I can go faster though, it's not inconceivable to hold 6 minute mile pace, so that is a target going forward.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Thames Towpath T20 Event with Clapham Chasers
Great run out this weekend on this fantastic 'race or pace ' event organized by my Clapham Chasers running club. The aim was to sit and hold a pace that would equate to a sub 3 hour marathon - 6:52 per mile, and I was happy with the outcome of a 6:51 average. Holding it for another 6 miles will be a different story though!
Strength Training for Cycling Speed
The recipe for creating pure speed? Want to feel fast, be
fast and dominate the track / roads?
Natural and pure speed
Natural speed can come from two distinct areas:
• Genetics
• Training history
Pure speed is the amalgamation of several key factors,
the majority of which are trainable:
• Power
• Natural speed (predetermined genetics)
• % motor recruitment
• Cadence (RPM)
• Training variable manipulation
• Sprinting at speed
• Endurance
It takes a long time to build efficient, consistent sprinters.
Increasing the cross-sectional area of the musculature
(serial sarcomere number) and recruiting close to
100% of the motor units within the specific movement
(increased neural drive) is a lengthy process. Time is an
appropriate increment to measure periodised success;
remember strength increases week by week, speed
increases month by month and conditioning/volume
increases year by year.
1 Manipulating training variables
and in turn building a strong foundation based on
strength is where good sprinting is born.
In the early phases (base and transitional), track times
and speeds are not the focus. Hypertrophy and strength
should be given priority with power slotted in.
2 Going into the pre-comp and competition phases, the emphasis
changes to speed and power, so sessions need to be
lighter, and twice a week rather than three times per
week.
Resistance training specifics
To ensure that the transfer from gym to bike is a positive
one, common sense (and science) dictates that the
training performed within the gym environment should
mimic the specific skill and demands when cycling. the
same movement patterns are being produced, any new
neural pathways laid down will mimic the correct joint
sequences.
Most athletes, when wanting to gain power, are
encouraged to complete an intense programme of squats,
dead lifts, power cleans, leg presses – the list goes on.
But these movements are all bilateral. Both sides of the
body are working simultaneously. Cycling as a sport is
unilateral.
We all know about training specificity. It is one of the key
principles of training. If you train bilaterally it doesn’t take
a leap of faith to believe it will make you strong bilaterally;
your unilateral strength will lag behind.
2 Nerves that fire together wire together
3 so incorporating more sport-specific unilateral exercises into your training will
allow your neuromuscular system to recognise specific
unilateral movement patterns, directly transferable to
cycling.
Putting It Into Practice
Gym sessions should consist of between 5-7 exercises
of 3-4 sets, rep range from 3 to 10, depending on what
phase you are in.
1. Single Leg Squat (front & back)
2. Single leg press (ballistic)
3. Overhead squat
4. Front & back squat
5. Single-leg Olympic dead lift
6. High pullsng will allow
7. Single-leg high pulls
8. Single-arm rows (multiplane)
9. Single-leg stiff-leg deadlift (multi plane)
10. Pull pattern multiplane
Additional factors
Training for speed isn’t necessarily always about extrinsic
factors such as exercise selection. Before embarking on
these predictable pathways for developing speed, it may
be necessary to look intrinsically at the “smoothness” of
joint function and the ability to load the muscles in the
first place.
4 Muscle imbalance is a factor that may need
to be addressed as this can have a negative impact upon
speed and power output. For example, because cyclists
spend a large amount of time in relative hip flexion, the
hip flexors will always be in a shortened position. In turn,
this is likely to inhibit the gluteus maximus, the source of
a large proportion of lower-body power. It may, therefore,
be beneficial for cyclists to devote appropriate time to
mobility regimes for the hip flexors.
fast and dominate the track / roads?
Natural and pure speed
Natural speed can come from two distinct areas:
• Genetics
• Training history
Pure speed is the amalgamation of several key factors,
the majority of which are trainable:
• Power
• Natural speed (predetermined genetics)
• % motor recruitment
• Cadence (RPM)
• Training variable manipulation
• Sprinting at speed
• Endurance
It takes a long time to build efficient, consistent sprinters.
Increasing the cross-sectional area of the musculature
(serial sarcomere number) and recruiting close to
100% of the motor units within the specific movement
(increased neural drive) is a lengthy process. Time is an
appropriate increment to measure periodised success;
remember strength increases week by week, speed
increases month by month and conditioning/volume
increases year by year.
1 Manipulating training variables
and in turn building a strong foundation based on
strength is where good sprinting is born.
In the early phases (base and transitional), track times
and speeds are not the focus. Hypertrophy and strength
should be given priority with power slotted in.
2 Going into the pre-comp and competition phases, the emphasis
changes to speed and power, so sessions need to be
lighter, and twice a week rather than three times per
week.
Resistance training specifics
To ensure that the transfer from gym to bike is a positive
one, common sense (and science) dictates that the
training performed within the gym environment should
mimic the specific skill and demands when cycling. the
same movement patterns are being produced, any new
neural pathways laid down will mimic the correct joint
sequences.
Most athletes, when wanting to gain power, are
encouraged to complete an intense programme of squats,
dead lifts, power cleans, leg presses – the list goes on.
But these movements are all bilateral. Both sides of the
body are working simultaneously. Cycling as a sport is
unilateral.
We all know about training specificity. It is one of the key
principles of training. If you train bilaterally it doesn’t take
a leap of faith to believe it will make you strong bilaterally;
your unilateral strength will lag behind.
2 Nerves that fire together wire together
3 so incorporating more sport-specific unilateral exercises into your training will
allow your neuromuscular system to recognise specific
unilateral movement patterns, directly transferable to
cycling.
Putting It Into Practice
Gym sessions should consist of between 5-7 exercises
of 3-4 sets, rep range from 3 to 10, depending on what
phase you are in.
1. Single Leg Squat (front & back)
2. Single leg press (ballistic)
3. Overhead squat
4. Front & back squat
5. Single-leg Olympic dead lift
6. High pullsng will allow
7. Single-leg high pulls
8. Single-arm rows (multiplane)
9. Single-leg stiff-leg deadlift (multi plane)
10. Pull pattern multiplane
Additional factors
Training for speed isn’t necessarily always about extrinsic
factors such as exercise selection. Before embarking on
these predictable pathways for developing speed, it may
be necessary to look intrinsically at the “smoothness” of
joint function and the ability to load the muscles in the
first place.
4 Muscle imbalance is a factor that may need
to be addressed as this can have a negative impact upon
speed and power output. For example, because cyclists
spend a large amount of time in relative hip flexion, the
hip flexors will always be in a shortened position. In turn,
this is likely to inhibit the gluteus maximus, the source of
a large proportion of lower-body power. It may, therefore,
be beneficial for cyclists to devote appropriate time to
mobility regimes for the hip flexors.
Monday, 14 February 2011
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Southwark - Embankment - Battersea 15 mile Loop
Finally beginning to feel as though I'm getting up to pace after this 15 miler. Felt great until I hit Westminster at 9, when some heavily built lad wearing bermuda shorts went flying past me at around 6 min mile pace!
Goals for 2011
2010 was a fantastic year race wise, with the highlights being Brighton Marathon, Alpe D'Huez Triathlon and finally, Barcelona Ironman. Tendonitis in my left ankle forced me to take a well earned break over the autumn / early winter period, though this enforced rest allowed me to to re-assess my goals for 2011.
2 years of solid racing, particularly over the longer distances led me to think that my plans for 2011 would be radically different to the previous years, where Triathlon had completely dominated my life.
Running a sub 3 hr marathon has always been a target of mine, and I always felt trying to fit in swim, bike and run training around a demanding job would limit my chances of doing this. I decided that in order to achieve my target, I would need to focus all my energies into pure running. Rotterdam Marathon, a course known for super fast times, would give me a great opportunity to realize this goal.
I was able to start running again during December, and enjoyed a trip back to Cornwall over the Christmas period where I was able run over some of my favourite routes - coastal footpaths, sand dunes and hills. Lots and lots of hills!
January to be a tough month - 1 week in and I completed a 200 mile charity bike ride, in aid of a great fiend and ex work mate, Ben Trend, who sadly died earlier last year. It was an emotional day, and a great challenge, thought up by and also completed by Martin Gill.
It also saw me take on a challenge of trying out veganism for a month. 2 months of relative inactivity, a boozy Christmas period and a Ricky Hatton style approach to training saw me gain a few kg's, so I decided it might be an interesting way of losing weight.
31 days later, and my total weight loss for the month was 7.1kg. Back on target for marathon race weight.
My current weight is now 79kg, but I hope to get that down closer to 75/6 by April 10th. I'm now back on the normal diet, but am staying off coffee, and avoiding all refined carbohydrates.
Its good to be eating meat again ; )
So on to February, and the plan is to begin racing again having built up a solid base milage over January.
2 years of solid racing, particularly over the longer distances led me to think that my plans for 2011 would be radically different to the previous years, where Triathlon had completely dominated my life.
Running a sub 3 hr marathon has always been a target of mine, and I always felt trying to fit in swim, bike and run training around a demanding job would limit my chances of doing this. I decided that in order to achieve my target, I would need to focus all my energies into pure running. Rotterdam Marathon, a course known for super fast times, would give me a great opportunity to realize this goal.
I was able to start running again during December, and enjoyed a trip back to Cornwall over the Christmas period where I was able run over some of my favourite routes - coastal footpaths, sand dunes and hills. Lots and lots of hills!
January to be a tough month - 1 week in and I completed a 200 mile charity bike ride, in aid of a great fiend and ex work mate, Ben Trend, who sadly died earlier last year. It was an emotional day, and a great challenge, thought up by and also completed by Martin Gill.
It also saw me take on a challenge of trying out veganism for a month. 2 months of relative inactivity, a boozy Christmas period and a Ricky Hatton style approach to training saw me gain a few kg's, so I decided it might be an interesting way of losing weight.
31 days later, and my total weight loss for the month was 7.1kg. Back on target for marathon race weight.
My current weight is now 79kg, but I hope to get that down closer to 75/6 by April 10th. I'm now back on the normal diet, but am staying off coffee, and avoiding all refined carbohydrates.
Its good to be eating meat again ; )
So on to February, and the plan is to begin racing again having built up a solid base milage over January.
Monday, 27 December 2010
2011 Racing Plan
- Jan 15th - Surrey League Cross Country Fixture 3
- Jan 22nd - Iceman Off Road 12km
- Feb 5th - Tuffman Off Road 12km
- Feb12th - Surrey League Cross Country Fixture 4
- March 6th - Thames Towpath 20 miler
- March 20th - Marlow Water of Life Half Marathon
- April 10th - Rotterdam Marathon
- April 25th - Thames Turbo Triathlon - Race 1
- May 8th - Fred Whitton Challenge
- May 21st/22nd - Greenbelt Relay
- July 9th - Upton Triathlon
- July 24th - Antwerp Half Ironman
- Sep 4th - Helvellyn Triathlon
- Sep 11th - Padstow Triathlon
- Sep 18th - Fowey Triathlon
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