Mike’s Middle Distance Magic: From Here to There

Another weeks training complete and I’m still buzzing!

What a week it’s been! Following on from last week’s post about missing sessions I think I’ve put in my best weeks training to date. I’m over the moon with how it’s gone. All planned workouts complete and my highest TSS I’ve had in a very long time of 530!

The key session to me was the brick. The 2018 season I really lacked quality brick sessions of any depth and last week I smashed it!

With an average power of 171w and NP of 181w for 2 hour 20 I am already past my peak performance of the summer season at the Cotswold Classic 70.3  from August 2018, and that was on the turbo where I’m usually around 15w lower! I did a 3:03 bike split at that race and completely blew up at 90 minutes with bad cramps and fatigue trying to average 180w and had to reduce my watts substantially to finally complete the bike with 164w NP.

Goals

Now my goal bike leg for the Cotswold Classic 70.3 in August 2019 is 2:30hr! The course measures slightly short at 54.6 miles and it is pancake flat! Looking at previous athletes, times and power I predict I need to average 225w NP to yield my goal time. Course conditions dependant of course.

Now where I am at now and where I need to be!

Currently:

• FTP is 226w
• Average power for 2 hour 20 ride 171w
• NP 181w
• 80% of FTP

In 9 months’ time

• FTP 280w      (24% Increases)
• Average power for 2 hour 30 ride 212w
• NP 225w     (24% Increases)
• 80% of FTP

When I see it written down on paper I think how hard it can be. In theory, in the books I’ve read they all say it’s possible, however clearly I haven’t been doing it with my track record of results and progress.

But with my track record I haven’t had Ray and his coaching experience guiding me with a periodised training plan. So keep reading each week to check out my progress.

Follow my progress on Instagram at #qwikkiwi

– Mike Catton