Week 41 training log

After the Easter break it was time to get back in the zone in week 41.
Monday was a steady 1 hour run, a gentle jog to start but no need for the power walking anymore.
The weather forcast was a bit missleading this week, forcasting a pretty miserable week. I set the week out accordingly with some gym work to avoid the worst of the weather.
Tuesday saw me in the gym for 2.30 hours. A 45 min spin on the gym bike then an allover workout on the weights. Swim specific exercises for the upper body and general strength exercises for the legs. This session was finished off with a 15 min run at quite high tempo on the treadmill. ( 12-13 KPH)

Wednesday. In the pool for 45 minutes of pull, just to top up the hurt from the gym the day before. By the end of this my arms felt like they were about three feet longer with rocks for shoulders. At least I had a Yoga class to look forward to after.
Thursday. Another long run @ 1.15 then straight to the gym for a weights session on the legs. (ouch)
Time to get on the bike again Friday and took myself off on part of the Ironman route. 2.30 later, return home then straight to the pool for a kick and pull session.
By the end of Friday I was ready for a day off.
Saturday, rest day.
Sunday, My new longest run since the end of last year @ 1.30 (11m)
A fairly comfortable run which I really enjoyed after the first couple of miles.
I feel like I'm more or less back to where I left off before hurting the knee back in January.
recently I have been observing some of the changes that I have noticed in myself over the last 40 weeks. Obviously my fitness has improved greatly but not necessarily in ways that you may expect. I still get puffed out after short exertions, but that's not really the way I've trained. My apearence hasn't really changed. My weight has fluctuated over the 40 weeks but I am definatly more tonned. My legs feel completly solid without having bulging muscles. The biggest change has to be in my recovery time after exertion. 40 weeks ago a 10K run would have meant a couple of days off to recover and indeed a 10K run was an event. 40 weeks later I am able to run 2-3 10K+ runs in training in a week, after each I am able to go swimming or the gym for an hour and then complete another long run the day after. Brick sessions have helped I think. A two hour ride followed by a half hour run was something that I wouldn't have contemplated at the begining, not to mention having an hour swim before the bike.
Although I haven't done it yet, I'm confident that I could run for an hour to an hourand a half in the morning and then go again in the evening. Maybe even throw in a swim in the middle.
So as I was saying at the begining. I still get puffed out after short exertions, the difference now is that I can do those short exertions over and over again and will get stronger the longer it goes on for. Overall I am very pleased with the way things have gone over the last 40 weeks. I have another two months of build training to make myself stronger before the peak period training starts so there is still time to make more improvements.