So in the end I had about 15 people turn up for the track session last night. I have to say it was more than I expected, so definite kudos for those people who came along.
Despite the miserable weather leading up to the session, we very nearly got through the entire track session unscathed by the weather. Very nearly...
We got about 90% through the session when a rain squall finally rolled in, and boy did it roll in. I think it was about the coldest I have ever been in my life, the rain combined with the wind was absolutely freezing. The squall was short and sharp, but it froze me to the bone. To the credit of everyone though they slogged through and completed the session. I suspect they were a bit warmer than me, but it was pretty miserable all the same. Darn hardcore and rather impressive I have to say. The sort of training and perseverance that gets rewards in the long run.
After the misery of last night today has been a bit of a charmed day, sunshine, blue skies, pretty special. I have had the day off work today which has been absolutely lovely. It has been months since I had a day off align with nice weather so today has been a special bit of magic. Unfortunately the clear weather did mean it was absolutely freezing this morning, but I was swimming in a nicely heated pool and so the frigid temperatures weren't the end of the world. Cold getting in and cold getting out, but alright once we were in, I can cope with that. The swim itself went okay. This morning was another go at Paul's dreaded Goldilocks set, which is set of 100s mixed in with a 200, 300 and a 400. I have written about Goldilocks numerous times before, so for now it is probably sufficient to say it is one of my least favourite sets to do, but this morning went okay. Unusual for Goldilocks, but the fact that it went well wasn't just luck.
Paul is currently taking the squad through a 10 week pace reset. What this means is that 3 weeks ago he slowed the paces of the entire squad down. On the surface it seems like Paul simply made the sessions easier, but the idea behind slowing everyone down was to make sure everybody was able to complete the sessions in the manner in which they are intended, ie hold the target paces all the way through. The first week or so the target times were still on the easy side, but each week the target paces get quicker by 5%. By the end of the 10 weeks the goal is that everybody is back at the speed they were before the pace reset, but they are now holding these paces for the entire session.
This pace reset was probably the main reason that Goldilocks wasn't too angry this morning, the pace wasn't too quick. However, the other reason that the session went well was that we were able to hold pace for the entire time and then finish really strong. Paul said it was one of the better Goldilocks sessions he has seen for a long time, which is really the point of what we are doing with the pace reset, decreasing the speed, but increasing the quality. It is an interesting experiment and one which I am interested to see the outcome of, but it seems to be working so far.
On the bike in the morning for ride three of the week. I am supposed to be leading a group session, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there won't be a group to lead. I will have to wait and see I guess. The forecast for the morning if for absolutely freezing again, which tends to put some people off. I will be down there though and riding whether it is solo or in a group. Once again it is looking like a great morning, cold, but clear and with no wind, a great time to be on a bike. Whether people turn up or not, I am looking forward to enjoying the ride.
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