Monthly Review - May

And on to May:

I should be at 64 swim miles, 620 bike miles and 380 run miles. Or if I am pushing on towards the stretch targets 73.6, 744 and 429.4.

I should also have logged at least 21 each of weights, core and stretching sessions and 10 hours of yoga. 

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Swimming was actually a poor month. This is partly as I tapered towards Bratislava, and did a few shorter faster sessions, and a couple of suit testing sessions. I am still so far ahead of any previous year that it is no longer worth comparing. Post-Bratislava my target drops from 3 to 2 miles per week, but I actually don't intend tout the amount I am swimming, so it is almost guaranteed that I will catch back up to my stretch target by the end of July. I am still ahead of my target at 67 miles, and within a sensible range of my stretch target.



Here is the graphical version, the green line is actuals red and dotted red are target and stretch target. 
The bike continues to be way above plan as well. I was meant to be doing less on the bike until June as I focus on Bratislava, but am still more than 13 percent over even my stretch target. I finished May at 844 miles, more than 220 miles ahead of my target and 100 miles ahead of my stretch target. I also manage a 10-mile TT PB in May, completely by accident. I am going to let the wind take some credit for that performance as it didn't actually feel flat-out and it was on a wind-assisted course.

The bike graph shows I am still well above even my stretch target and while I am behind a few previous years that is what I expected as I didn't really intend to spend a lot of time on the bike until after May. 

The sharp change of angle on the target lines going into June shows my new cycling plan taking hold.





Running I continue to post much bigger numbers than I need but I also managed to add some speed sessions. Less than 60 miles in the month means I lost significant ground on my stretch target and even did less than my basic target. I managed to get some slightly faster sessions in during the month, but not enough, which showed as I failed to get up to a decent run pace at Bratislava. 

After a couple of lazy shorter weeks I am still sitting just above the stretch target line. Post-Bratislava the target numbers are slightly smaller but still at 14 miles a week from now until the ned of the year. 

The graph shows how much I am running. The steep blue line is from marathon year and can (as always) be ignored. So I am above target, above stretch target and way above any previous year (bar one). I really couldn't hope for anything more at this stage. 

I should have changed my plan to do more fast sessions earlier in the year. 





22 weights session in the year and only 2 in May means I ma now falling slightly behind. My binge of core work takes me to 27 core sessions and puts me nearly a month ahead. 

I am at just over 16 hours of yoga. Still high for year-to-date thanks to the binge in January, but way down for May with only 82 minutes total in the month. This is probably contributory not only to my general aches and pains but also to the calf strain I have picked up and the cramping problems I am having.

Work is probably also contributing to those pains as I try to fit in sessions around office hours and spend 40+ hours a week stressing about a job I hate.