Weekly catch-up 20 weeks to go

It's been a good week training-wise.  My shoulder is starting to mend I think with judicious application of ibyprofen gel, and careful stretching and not over-swimming.  However, I have managed to ramp the volume back up this week (to 15.5k!) and done some harder swimming too.  The emphasis on technical work whilst I recover is really helping too; my swim on Thursday consisted of 2k of drills and then 2 x 1k of swimming and I felt SO strong on the 1ks.  A run and a turbo have been in the mix too, albeit short ones, and I've clocked up 6.75 hours of training.

The week isn't over.  Tomorrow is AN EPIC AND EXCITING CHALLENGE.  Last week, I cycled 63 miles in a Sportive which was all about getting round as quickly as possible.  This week I am cycling 64 miles in an iconic journey from Westminster Abbey in London to Islip in Oxfordshire.  Rather than going with Mr Tuna (and his pannier carrying all of my spare stuff), who I can shout at when I am fed up, I am going with Cycling Claire, who is of similar standard to me, and we will do our best to get up and down some rather large hills, cycle over some apparently interesting road surfaces, past some famous London landmarks and through swathes of countryside that we wouldn't usually cycle in.  The last 15 miles is a familiar one to me, and long-time readers will remember the enormous meltdown I had on it.  I'm kind of confident about the distance after last weekend, especially if I manage to wake up feeling not quite as shocking as I did last Sunday, although I know I am going to find the hills traumatic (going down as much as going up).  Anyway, the food is packed, Cycling Claire tells me that I will probably laugh at the amount she is taking, and the alarm is set for 5.45.  We leave Islip on buses and will leave Westminster at 9am.

In other news, I have just joined an additional swimming pool.  I am very happy with the council pool where I swim as it is en route to work, brightly lit and with pleasant lifeguards, but it can be very busy, and weekends in particular are difficult.  I found out this week that I can join the University pool at a discounted rate as a member of staff, and it is only £11.50 per month, which is probably less than what I pay on parking at the council pool at weekends.  It's another 10 minutes in the car, but the parking is free.  And best of all, it is lane swimming all of the time, you are allowed to tumble turn at both ends, I'll probably be allowed to use my paddles, and it is about 2C cooler.  You immediately get in and swim fast!  I just had a little test swim today because I wanted to see what the showers/hair dryers etc were like (I may investigate swimming there before work too but that would mean 15 minutes less in bed...), and I had to force myself to get out after 1500m as it was so congenial to swimming.

Looking ahead to the coming week, I will be starting to try to get myself into the pattern of training that I will need to do from mid-May.  Of course, Monday depends a little on how my body feels after tomorrow, I have to say that the 9 mile round trip to work and back last Monday was really not what I wanted to do so soon after 63 miles!  This is the plan:

Monday: am swim (recovery, drills 2-2.5k), pm run (5k)
Tuesday: am swim (4k)(on a training course so have a bit of extra time!)
Wednesday: am swim (2.5k), pm pilates
Thursday: am swim (4-4.5k), am 2 turbo trainer (30 minutes)
Friday: am swim
Saturday: swim/run
Sunday: bike with tri club