Repeatable, consistent volume with routine. My weeks aren’t that fancy. I basically repeat the same routine almost daily. Some would find this mind-numbing, and some weeks I do too. I wake up between 4-5 am. I get on the bike early, ride, then come home to work between 6-9 hours, depending on the day. Then I have dinner, a little TV, and back to bed by 9 pm (if I manage to stay awake that long). If I’m overly tired, I take a rest day or easy day. I meet good people I enjoy training with, and I have a schedule to keep me accountable. Seems simple, right? It is, if you can manage it without 1- getting bored, 2- getting sick of it, 3- making excuses to not keep showing up. Each week I’ve progressed. Not every week has been easy, and I do get tired, but as long as I’m progressing and happy, I keep going.

Here is how it’s laid out.

My last normal week before having a forced break with life stress and my dad passing was March 9-15th. I did 21 hours that week.

The next 3 weeks went like this:

Week 1- 4 hours riding

Week 2- 0 hours riding

Week 3- 11:26 hours of riding.

The start back was rough! I gained some weight and was very tired from the stress. But I went with the approach of “start where you plan to be in total time, keep it easy and just maintain the hours.” As fitness builds, intensity can build. At first, riding just normal routes was hard enough, no intensity required.

Week 1- 23 hours (379 miles). All easy or with a few friends. HR was sky-high every time I hit a hill, 160-170+. Just ride! Get the hours, get the time. Don’t die! I got dropped on almost every ride with friends.

Week 2- 21 hours (284 miles). About the same as week 1. Still dying. Just grinding.

Week 3- 24 hours (376 miles). HR starting to come down, still dying on climbs, starting to feel better on flat roads.

Week 4- 16:30 hours (242 miles). A little rest needed this week.

Week 5- 23 hours (388 miles). Starting to feel stronger. HR coming down, effort on climbs improving. Staying with friends on rides better when it gets hard.

Week 6- 21 hours (338 miles). Stronger. Starting to see glimmers of my normal self. Starting to include a few working sets into training. Staying with friends better now without getting killed.

Week 7- 21 hours (349 miles). Same as last week.

Week 8- 20 hours (295 miles). I had the mega 115-mile gravel ride on Saturday, and that was a doozy.

Week 9- 24 hours (404 miles). Lots of big intensity this week. Maybe a little too much. Got pretty grumpy this week.

Week 10- 13 hours (213 miles). Needed to back off after last week. I’m smarter now that I’m older, and when I get grumpy, that's my cue to back off.

Week 11- 24 hours (390 miles). Happy! Strongest I’ve been. Threshold reps best to date with 4 x 6min at 250 watts and 7 x 2 at 288-300 watts.

What works for me: consistency, volume, regulated intensity, good routine, resting when I get grumpy.

I hope it was fun to see a little inside my last three months. Nothing exciting, just a lot of the same, but it’s what I love. Feeling fit, having fun, and getting stronger each week.

Cheers,

M

Inside My Last Three Months......