So here we have a pretty average training day. I'm up around 5:45 AM, first thing I do is sit on the edge of my bed and pray, just to give thanks for the day, ask for strength, ask for help, acknowledge that without leaning on God I cannot do anything and bring anything to confession. Next I neck a pint of water to get the blood volume up, the reason for this we are most dehydrated when we wake up. Following this I'll get dress, make a cup of tea, and eat about 160g of corn flakes with soy milk (about 630 calories).
At 7:00 AM I then grab my gym/swim bag (pre packed the night before) and then head down to the pool on campus, its about a 10 - 15 minute walk from my flat. I need the hour and 15 minutes before to eat and get ready just because everything takes so long when I stumble around like a zombie early in the morning. On the way down I listen to music to get pumped up and in the "zone".
I'll be in the pool anywhere between half an hour to an hour. This Monday's swim session consisted of the following:
100m Warm up
300m x 3 (25 seconds rest between)
250m x 3 (20 seconds rest between)
200m x 1 (15 seconds rest between)
50m Cool down
Nothing crazy at this time of year. Each of these sets are just below threshold concentrating on good technique, rather than just going full gas for prolonged periods of time. Consistent good form equals Consistent speed for not much effort. For these sessions I usually use a pull buoy to keep my hips up so I can just concentrate on my catch and pull.
After that, I rehydrate and head upstairs into the gym to my swim specific strength and conditioning. So basically pull ups, lat pull downs, dips, tricep extensions. Anything that works the Latissimus Dorsi and arms. Typically I'm in the gym for a bout 25 minutes for doing this kind of session. This one I was specifically doing:
10 - 15 x 4 Lap pull downs
10 - 15 x 4 Seated cable rows
10 - 15 x 3 Cable tricep extensions (palms down)
I'll typically rest about 1 and a half to 2 minutes between sets.
After I'm done at the sports centre I head home to refuel and prepare for the next session of the day. I rinse my swim kit and hang my towel up to dry. Then I head into the kitchen to make a recovery smoothie. This time I had 535g of ripe banana blended up with soy milk and around 50g of pea protein (650 calories). It sounds like a lot but when I'm hungry a litre of banana smoothie is quite easy on my stomach, so I can go straight into the next session. I packed my back ready to head over to the bike lock up to ride indoors on my trainer (I do almost all my training rides on the static trainer at present).
So after heading over to the lock up, I put my bike shoes on and drape a towel over my handle bars so my sweat doesn't dissolve my head set. There is nowhere to plug a fan in there so I sweat A LOT during these sessions. Its not too bad however at this time of year because its about 5 to 10 degrees C in there.
This session was a 60 minute threshold session:
10 minutes at power zone 2 - Warm up
8 minutes at power zone 4 with 4 minutes recovery x 4
5 minutes at power zone 2 - Cool down
The indoor set up, casually pedalling upright on my phone warming up. For the main sets its flat back, down on the aerobars exoset style.
When I'm done here I head back into my flat, rehydrate. Smash in another banana smoothie another 500g of bananas. Lace up my running shoes and head out for a 12 km out and back. Basically 6 km down into down and 6 km back the way I came. Usually enjoying the views on the sea front here in Aberystwyth on most of my runs, effort wise I keep my heart rate between 155 and 165 BPM as a sort of high tempo session for about an hour. Monday I felt strong running after about a week off running, kept a steady 4 minutes 45 seconds per km on the flat. Happy with that.
Took this shot in the summer last year, nowadays its mostly grey with waves smashing against the sea wall, but still enchanting.
When I'm done with that and back home again, its head off to whatever lectures I have that day if any, maybe get some work done. Then in the evening I head over to my girlfriends house who usually makes me something to eat, cracking veggie soup was on the menu Monday, and just chuck some compression wear on and watch Netflix in bed. Pretty average training day.
