23Saturday
May 2026
2 entries
31Sunday
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Private by default — share only the days you choose.
2 entries
Private by default — share only the days you choose.
7.2 hours sleep last night. That was the number I noted first this morning — not exceptional, but enough to feel functional.
Up at 6:40. The plan was a longer ride into the Wicklow foothills: roughly 70 km, around 900 m of climbing. Rolled out by 7:15. Overcast, about 11°C, a light headwind from the south-west on the way out toward Kilmacanogue.
Session log:
The left Achilles was quiet today. I noticed that properly only on the descent from the Sally Gap, when I realised I'd stopped bracing for the familiar twinge. It's been grumbling for two weeks — not sharp, just present. I've been keeping cadence up on the climbs rather than mashing a big gear, and that seems to be the right call. Something to keep doing until it disappears entirely.
Fuelling was straightforward. Two bananas and a cheese sandwich in a ziplock bag. First banana at 30 km, second at 50 km. No bonk, no bloating. One coffee before I left the house. Considered a second when I got home, had water instead. The legs went up the wall for twenty minutes and that was enough.
Body weight this morning: 63.4 kg. Resting heart rate: 51 bpm. Both sit within the range I'd expect mid-block. Weekly mileage is at 118 km after today — a fraction over the plan, but perceived effort scores have been conservative all week, so the load is not a concern.
Tomorrow is a rest day. I'll shift the strength session I skipped on Thursday to Monday and keep Sunday entirely clear. One concrete thing: ten minutes earlier to bed tonight.
#trainingjournal #cycling #running #recoverymatters
7:04 — the average pace on the Wicklow climb this morning, one minute eleven seconds slower than last Sunday. I had the numbers before I had an explanation.
Sunday long ride. Route: Rathfarnham out to Sally Gap and back. Distance: 74 km. Moving time: 3h 09. Elevation: 1,140 m. Perceived effort: 7/10. Average HR: 152 bpm. Sleep last night: 6.2 hours.
The legs were flat from the first pedal stroke out of the city. Not painful, just absent — that particular kind of tired where the power simply isn't there and pushing harder doesn't summon it. I noticed it most on the lower slopes of the Gap, where I usually find a rhythm. Today I dropped to the small chainring around the first bend and stayed there all the way up. No drama in that. It was the correct gear. The descent was fine. The wind had come round to the southwest by the time I turned for home, which helped.
I had oats and a banana at half six, two squares of dark chocolate and a gel at the 45 km mark, water throughout. Didn't overthink it. Drank one coffee before I left, a second when I got back. Honest about that.
Resting heart rate this morning: 52. A touch elevated. It's been creeping up since Tuesday, which usually means the week's load is catching up or I'm fighting something off. Either way, the body is saying something. Weight: 63.1 kg. Consistent enough.
Tomorrow is a rest day already on the plan. I'll keep it that way — no swapping it for an easy spin just to feel productive. Bed by ten.
#trainingjournal #cycling #sundayride #recovery