Update: 10 Weeks...

Weight: 13-2.8. (Target 13-3.6). BMI: 26.4. Body Fat: 25.7%.

Weight: 4 Wk Rolling Forecast: 12-6.4 (-4.6 lbs over last 4 weeks; extrapolated to next 9 weeks)

Wk11 Training: Hours: 9:08 (Target 10:00). Bike: 242.9km @ 28.7kph.
 
Weight... Down 2 lbs. That's more like it.  After two very poor weeks.  0.8 then 0.4 lbs I am now back on track with a decent week.   I failed on my promise to write/twitter a food diary.  But stuck with my pledge to focus on my dietary intake.  Combined with a good week of exercise it worked.  At this stage of the game a 2-pounder is always a bit of a result. (In context my massively stretched goal of 12-0 requires 1.87 lbs a week).  Another good week next week would help rescue this month and edge me closer to the 13st mark.

 

Training... Another pretty good week.  Missed my target by a little - but in part due to going so well at Sunday's sportive. What has helped to (i) get the hours in, and (ii) increase specificity, is that the evenings have been both lighter and warmer.  this meant that I have started to get in rides round Richmond park after work.  On Thursday I left work at six and managed 2.5 laps and got in 3 laps on Friday after work.  This is more beneficial, more minutes and more enjoyable than the gym alternative so this is a big plus.  The plan for the remaining 10 weeks is to get in at least two midweek rides.  Initially these will be Richmond Park, but in May/June I should have enough time/light for a longer ride to Box Hill/Surrey Hills.  I'm heading up north for the bank holiday weekend so will try to get some rides in around Hull/Beverley & possibly a long ride up to Whitby for fish'n'chips..

 

Princes Risborough Sunday Sportive... What a great day out.  Met all my expectations.  Great weather (sunny, not to hot/windy), nice course, well signed and some good groups to help share the load.  Not only that, I seemed to be going well and managed to get home in 4:20, piping well under the Gold time (4:33).  Chuffed.  My original goal for this year was to get gold in the Summer Sportives (May, Jun & Jul).  I had not expected to yet be in the sort of condition at this point in the season to get round this course as well as I felt I did.  To get Gold and record my fastest average speed in a Sportive to date is an absolute result.

 

My stats were as follows:

Dist: 124.7 km

Time: 4:20

Speed: Av. 28.8 kph.  Max 73.3 kph (!)

HR: Av 146. Max 185.

Work: 3,514 KCals.

 

The official results should be posted here sometime soon.