Week 20 - The End Of The Build Period

Week 20 Totals:

Swim - 5.8k

Bike - 210.84k

Run - 66k

Totals at the end of the Build Period

Swim - 117.2k

Bike - 2624.79k

Run - 676.7k

Commute - 605k

Well I have to say it has been a bit of an anti-climax to reaching 2/3rds of the way there! Exams mean that this will have to be brief, and hence this being late (but training is still full on!) but all in all it has been a successful 20 weeks!

This week was a good week mainly. I missed a swim due to it being the World Paralympic Cup, so the Aquatics Centre was shut on friday, and being bank holiday, the local pool was shut on sunday when I planned to do it. However, my open water swimming is getting better, and I know what I need to work on to make myself more efficient in the water and reduce my swim time. I need to stop crossing my arms!

Cycling has been good too, with a massive increase in mileage this week, and some good riding. I am starting to feel a lot more fluid on the bike, and my climbing is steadily improving as I slog around the peak district. Running has been good too, my shins seem to be on and off, especially on at the start of the week, but I can run through it as my calfs loosen up, so I should hopefully be OK. I did a half marathon on sunday, late, after a massive BBQ, and with knackered legs. I clocked 1:50, so was slower than I wanted, but I still have 10 weeks to improve. The only bad side is that I seemed to have picked up an injury on my foot that hurts when I run. It has been agony this week (week 21 - more to follow), and all instincts point to stress fracture, but I really hope not!

As I enter the Peak phase, the training isn't really too different to what it was before. I have a week of basically the same as last week, and then taper down for my half IM. After that it is a week of recovery, and then a 4 week intensive build followed by a 3 week taper til the big day! It's going to go quickly!

Train safe

Tim