Weekend recap

The weekend training went 80% perfect, 20% horrible.

I did an interesting running workout on Friday, 60min with 3x2k at 10k pace. It is nothing spectacular but I have never done intervals this long and at the pace this fast. And it fwlt really good, they were all in around 4:09ish.

Saturday was a mix of success with a failure. Bike workout at threshold pace, 5x5min at 220-230W with 3min easy. This went great, hit all of them perfectly. I had a strong tailwind on a way out and I was basically going 100rpm to hold 220+, whereas on the way back I was gridding it at 80rpm into the headwind. Of course 100rpm was harder.

The intervals themselves were great but on my way back home, my right knee started to act up. The same pain that I had two weeks ago after doing those big gear intervals. And it was pretty bad. I was 20+km from home and what was I supposed to do? Walk 4+ hours in my biking shoes? Not possible so I slowly slugged home fighting tears the whole time. Tear of frustration and pain. Eventually I found the position that was little less painful and I got home.

I have never had this problem before. It only hurts when I push down (also going downstairs hurts), I can do the pull up or pull/push at the top and bottom of the stroke no problem. And when I give it two days rest it is as new. I do not know what the deal is???? I increased my saddle high by a little two weeks ago and I wonder whether that can be it. But honestly I still think that my saddle can actually go even little bit higher. Or can it be the cleats that are already quite used and maybe it makes me hold the knee in a weird position? I have no idea!!! Easy rides do not cause this, only hard pushing. Frustrating. I thought that it was just a fluke two weeks ago caused by big gear intervals but it happening again yesterday is no joke. I will try to increase the saddle high and see what gives. 

Today was a running workout, with some very weird pace changing intervals. It went well although I have no idea whether I ran the pace I was supposed to. I do not think so but at least I felt the change in pace.

And then open water swim with some swimming friends. They took me to Stichkanal (part of the artificial channels network that connects different cities in Germany) in Hannover, I had no idea that one can swim in the city. But this channel is very rarely frequented by boats since it is basically in the city and one can swim there. We did 3.2k (according to Garmin) out and back and phew! Swimming in a wetsuit after spending so much time in a pool is weird. I cannot even imagine swimming 3.8k in IM in a wetsuit. It is so constricting. But I guess that one needs to get used to it. Out was ok, I was hanging on the side of my usual swimming buddy but the way back….Two other swimmers overtook us soon after the turnaround and I made a very stupid (or brave) decision to hop on their feet. Wow! I have never worked so hard for so long. I was hanging for my dear life and if I lost the feet just for a second (and this happened quite a lot) I had to start going full sprint to catch the guy. It was so much faster than the pace I had swum in those two tris I did last year. A lot of fighting went on in my head. It was quite uncomfortable but I knew I can hang on until the end and I knew that if I do not stay with them it will be a looong way back alone including some breaststroke. So I fought. I was incredible happy when the guys stopped. Very good mental training, I need that. My poor swimming buddy also tried to jump on my feet as I left him but he lost the battle with his brain and eventually let go. We compared notes afterwards and he was having the exactly same fight with himself as I did with myself.

I ended this week with 18k of swimming.

Next week will be a battle. Since I am going to London I have only 5 days to fit everything in and next week is the highest running week since forever (probably 1.5 years). It will require running on consecutive days once and one double and I will likely fit only two easy-peasy bikes in (which will be still more that I have done in last two weeks). I should be able to fit 17k of swimming no problem. Also the week after will be horrible since I will very likely be at home and we all know my training goes to shit when I am at home, both due to my very unsupportive parents and I will likely not have access to pool or bike. Not the best timing ever since it is only one week before my triathlon on Aug 19^th. 

It is a bummer that Cavendish did not win the gold yesterday:( But I think that it was all their fault so I cannot complain too much about it.
Is Paula Radcliff really out the marathon?!? I cannot believe that!!! Poor gal.