The first week of real training
I think I blogged in January about the start of my prep for the Singapore 70.3. Turns out I was wrong. It was a false beginning. From my coach's view point, my prep only begun last Sunday. As the Singapore 70.3 was only seven weeks away when he gave me my program, unsurprisingly, it is pretty intense!
For starters, there are quite a lot of double-training days. Most spinning sessions get topped off by a run. The spinning sessions have also gotten longer and harder. It makes things interesting but man they are tough! The coach says that it is because we are now going for quality sessions. Apparently, according to my coach, it's no longer just about finishing. It is also about getting faster. There are also more long run sessions scheduled. There are even strength training sessions scheduled but I haven't done a single one of those for one reason or another. I'll probably start working those in next week.
The additional layers of difficulty are:
1. I'm pretty much slogging it alone this time. This is probably the hardest part for me. The housemate isn't doing Singapore 70.3 with me. Two of my teammates are doing it but they are on their own programs. Even when we plan to ride together, as they are guys and really strong, I'm still usually out there on my own chasing their rapidly disappearing asses. And the poor boys have to wait for me, which always makes me feel bad.
2. The cold. I've never been a cold weather athlete. I've usually taken the winters in Hk off. This is my first winter where I have worked so hard! Winter sure makes it harder to get out of bed. It also makes the first few minutes of every session extremely miserable. Although, I think I've been pretty blessed as it's been a milder winter than last year and I've not been stricken (yet) by winter ailments. Hopefully it stays that way!
So far, I've managed to do most of the program that my coach has set. I'm pretty sure that if I can complete the program he has set, I should be ok at the Singapore 70.3. It remains very much a "gaining experience" race so I don't have high expectations.The main aim is to ride Shrek in race conditions, enjoy the training process (or try to) and most importantly enjoy the race! :)
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