Mental Challenges

Yesterday's Training Stats: Endurance: Box Hill via Headley

After getting the final assignment for my Open University course out of the way a few hours sooner than I'd predicted, I thought I'd make the most of the good weather to get my first 'long' ride in since the Hampshire Hilly Hundred and subsequent illness.

I decided to do the same loop down to Box Hill via Headley (the pictures below are the view from the top of Box Hill, and me looking sweaty at the top of Box Hill - apologies for the quality, they were taken on the rather rudimentary camera on my phone) that I'd done in the week before the HHH, and that I'd found absolutely torturous then. I figured this would give me a reasonable guide to my relative fitness, as at the moment I really have no idea where I am in terms of my preparation, because of all the disruption I've had in the last month or so.

It all started pretty well. For the first time in six weeks or so, I was able to maintain a reasonable pace with my heart rate in the 'Endurance' zone, which for me is between 142 and 152bpm. The only thing which was a slight concern was that it was really hot - 27 degrees. I was doing my best to drink as much as p

ossible, but on reflection I probably didn't get enough liquid in. I'm not so bothered, as I think I can put that down to a valuable lesson learnt. It could easily be that

 temperature for the Etape, so I need to know how to cope with it.

The 'problems' started when I came to the hills. As I'm writing this, I'm rationalising...in that I've not really been on the bike for 3 weeks, and I know that I've lost a bit of muscle mass, and obviously I will have lost a bit of power. That was certainly my overriding feeling of the afternoon, 

but realistically, the only way I'm going to get it back is by riding and pushing myself a bit, so perhaps I shouldn't be too downhearted.

Things certainly weren't as bad as when I did the ride a month ago, and even on my way home I was still pushing on when I wasn't caught in rush-hour traffic, so I have to think that's a good sign.

I do still have a major concern about my left knee, and what seems even more likely to be the illiotibial band friction syndrome, which I mentioned in an earlier post. It was a bit sore when I got home, and is probably a bit more painful this morning. I've got myself one of those ice-pack things that you put in the freezer (which I'm wearing as I write this), and I've also got a foam roller (the kind you see at the gym), which I can use to stretch out the IT band, and hopefully decrease the friction.

I have a dilemma, in that all the advice about IT band soreness is to rest for a couple of weeks, but I just don't think I have that luxury at the moment. I think I'm just going to have to 'manage' it with the ice and the stretching, and struggle through the pain. I've got an appointment with the doctor anyway, to see what they say. Practically though, if it's not going to cause me any permanent damage, then I think I may just have to 'suck it up' for the next 6 weeks and work through it. I can have a hopefully well-deserved rest after that.

Finally, here are my body compostion stats from Monday:

Weight: 11 stone exactly

Body Fat: 17.4%

Visceral Fat Rating: 5

Basal Metabolic Rate: 6998 kJ / 1673 kcal

Muscle Mass: 8 stone 9lbs

Water: 57.3%

Things of interest: Weight up a bit, but I don't think that's a problem, as the muscle mass is also up slightly as a result of a modest return to training. Also, as pointed out to me by Lorraine, I think I've been mixing up kJ and kcal for the Basal Metabolic Rate figures over the last few weeks. I think they're the right way round now. However, that does seem to suggest that I use relatively little energy for someone of my gender and age...interesting.