The Oliver Reed Training Plan – My Training Update
My cycling chums keep telling me that it’s all about the data and keep going to about Strava. For those who don’t know, Strava is a running and cycling performance app that logs your training – I thought it was an exotic fruit. So, here’s my weekly data so far:
- Pints consumed – av. 4 per day
- Recovery time – min. 12 hours
- Number of RockaSeltzers* for recovery - av. 2
- Trips to Cheltenham’s Bar & Wok – 3
* A combination of Alka-Seltzer XS and Berocca – the hangover cure of professionals!
On a slightly more serious note, this weekend brought the popular Tri Ferris 2015 Cotswold Triathlon at the Cotswold Water Park, involving a 750m swim, a 20km cycle sprint and a 5km run. We entered a relay team and my role in this insanity was the 20km cycle sprint.
10 Lessons I learnt during the triathlon:
- Adequate race preparation does not consist solely of a cup of coffee and a Fruit & Nut bar;
- Even as a lawyer, the amount of rules and red tape was mindboggling;
- Those employed to enforce said rules, enjoyed it a little too much;
- Setting off like a bullet out of a gun so that you overtake the team GB riders is fine…if you can keep it up;
- Getting dropped by said team GB riders after 10km is not cool;
- Falling off and trying to start again in the big ring is only going to tire you further and make you even angrier;
- When is drafting not drafting? When the bloke who over takes you hasn’t got enough gas to pull away (my rule not theirs);
- Dismounting and running through the transition after a 20km cycling sprint, turns your legs to that of a newly born foal;
- A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run;
- One should only swim in order to prevent drowning, and should only run if being chased and even then, one should only run fast enough to prevent capture.
Owing to the fact that our swimmer lost her timing chip and that we had a 2 minute discussion about the rules before getting underway, as well as the fact that I crashed, had a stinking cold and there were leaves on the line, our team came a respectable 6th overall. I completed the 20km in just over 30 minutes, averaging 37km per hour by my simple maths. All in all not bad, but as this only represents 10% of my daily grind during the Extra Mile Challenge in just two weeks, I think I’d better knock the Fruit & Nut on the head and get down to some serious HIIT training!
These notes have been prepared for the purpose of articles only. They should not be regarded as a substitute for taking legal advice.