Work with Boothy started the week before the first workout arrived in by email. Sorting out the mechanics of remote coaching with the software that Michael uses, getting my Garmin and Strava accounts to synchautomatically and reminding myself how to use my watch properly particularly setting up workouts.
I did forget to add two important metrics to my original blog post - I am 54 years old and 193cm tall, these are metrics that I am not expecting to change much over the next few months. I had planned to keep track of the same metrics as I go through the programme but fitting in an hour long SUP paddle in the first block of training hasn’t been possible. I have however been able to push things on the bike occasionally and, without an FTP test to confirm things power-wise are about the same.
In the middle of week 5 my stats are:
|
|
January 2022 |
Week 0 |
Week 5 |
|
Weight |
103.9 kg |
101.2 kg |
97.7 kg |
|
Resting HR |
63 bpm |
54 bpm |
54 bpm |
|
5 km TT |
|
35m 38s |
33m 29s |
|
SUP Hour |
|
8.4 km |
|
|
FTP |
220 W |
276 W |
Approx 270 W |
For reference I am not dieting as such, the reduction in my weight is largely down to my appetite getting back to normal and not feeling the need to eat 24 x 7. I am still taking anti-depressants and will be for another week or so, I am interested to see what difference, if any that makes.
Before I dive into the month I asked Michael what the goal was with the schedule he has set is for me.
“The goal for this phase of your training is to build your base, while keeping you motivated when it is cold and dark outside. The work you do in the winter months allows you to be ready and feeling good for summer!”
and with that here we go…
Week 1
Work started on Sunday afternoon with a set of email notifications that my account had been updated with my schedule for the coming week. Also some feedback on the activities I had already uploaded, from that we now know that ‘treacle’ isn’t a sticky food item on the other side of the world and that an Australian waterman’s definition of a Downwinder is different to mine, we have downsized my version to ‘wind assisted paddling’.
Did I mention that I have not done any structured training for a long time? If you missed that then, you can guess what week 1 was like. It was an eye-opener for sure!
For the first couple of days mother nature managed to line up nicely with the mix of indoor and outdoor sessions Michael had scheduled. But by Thursday she decided I needed to develop more ‘character’ and switched on the wind machine.
Having a schedule and not really knowing how I could deviate from that or if I could deviate at all meant I was out in conditions that would have seen me stay indoors and … it was great! It is really satisfying to finish an interval session at the lake knowing I’d done a good job and that I would not have been there if it wasn’t in the schedule.
Through the week Michael was there on Final Surge - the software he uses to keep track of his athletes - commenting on activities and giving advice when I failed to complete one. It was a long indoor rowing session broke me, ironically with temperatures outside well below freezing I overheated and had to stop. That taught me a few things about myself and made me think about how to better use the equipment I have. At the end of the week I felt tired but happy that I had done my best.
Week 2
This week can be summed up with less wind, more ice.
Ice made paddling very difficult with my local lake, Vastra Ingsjön because it was solid for most of the week. I do have other options nearby but the sea but was also frozen at the end of the week. Despite that and with a little ice-breaking help I got my sessions done, completing intervals with moving ice keeps you alert in many ways with a couple of emergency stops and some quick foot work to turn and miss bigger chunks, quick for me anyway!
In a change to schedule I had my first session in a swimming pool for … 9 months. Not a direct replacement for any workout I went to help with some flexibility issues with my hip flexors, a swim always helps with movement. Michael noticed this and added swimming session to week 3.
All but one sessions completed and at the end of the week I felt quite a lot stronger on a rest day paddle with coffee stop. My belt had also gone in one hole. Feeling satisfied.
Week 3
The week where Michael stepped things up a little. The biggest change from the previous week was the inclusion of a structured swim session. 2,500m of intervals which was completed but I really felt it a few days later! It turns out that was the longest swim I have done in over 10 years so no wonder I felt it later!
That swim and an over enthusiastic long paddle meant I took advantage of some less than ideal weather conditions and yet more ice to get back on my indoor bike set up for three rides in the week and really enjoyed them, power is still there easily holding 260+ watts for an hour but missing a bit at the top end.
Week 4.
Warmer weather and as I type this on Tuesday I hope that is the last of the ice until next winter. As I get used to the workload the challenge has been to pick up on small changes to the schedule, Michael has been adding an extra set to workouts or increasing the level that I need to achieve in workouts. I try to commit the workout to memory before I start so I have an idea of what the beeps from my watch mean and it is very frustrating to realise mid-workout that I made a mistake programming my Garmin and having to do some quick mental arithmetic to get the session back on track manually.
One set of intervals in particular pushed me to the point where I had to sit down afterwards to … appreciate the beauty around me. Ok, it broke me and I had to have a moment before finishing the rest of the session. I have met my kryptonite!
Week 5
Another first for me in Sweden, training with someone else. I spent a very enjoyable hour chasing a fast Swede around a lake, paddling with faster paddlers is a great way to raise your paddling game and to remind me that I could try harder when paddling alone.
Week 5 was also my fitness test week and a surprise, in less than ideal conditions and the day after a hard session I completed my 5km TT in a much faster time than I anticipated. At the end I felt I hadn’t committed completely to the task at hand, partly because I couldn’t really see where I was going. I had more to give. Which bodes well for the summer.
One month summary
I am surprised to type that I am enjoying this! It is hard work, at times VERY hard work but this is the point. I like having targets to try to hit and working with Booth Training is giving me targets almost every day.
Focused training has added a new dimension to my paddling. Not only does a schedule encourage me to go out when I might have stayed at home but the feedback from Michael does a lot to help on less than good days. And as someone who has been severely depressed recently that contact and feedback from someone I respect can have a greater value than the training session.
The start of my training journey with Michael can be found here
This blog is aimed at giving you an idea of what a training programme can do for you while not giving away any of Michaels training secrets, you’ll need to sign up with him to get the full benefit of his knowledge. You can find some of his workouts on his YouTube Channel Booth TV and you can find out more about his services on his website here.
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