[Training] December 2024 Updates

Jan 03, 2025

There are a few new people who read this newsletter. If you joined after reading about Mirror Bacteria, welcome! This is the “other side” of my newsletter where I talk about my training for the month.
This past month has led me to rediscover the joy of swimming again.
I am still struggling with my weakened ankle, however, I am reasonably optimistic for January and 2025 in general.
Stats for 2024
- 880km run: 1645km bike: 18km swim
- 191 days logged on Strava

Swimming

My first memory of swimming is being thrown into the deep end of a freezing pool. I had just been “upgraded” to the adult pool, which didn’t have any heating in the winter, or at least it wasn’t great. I swam until I was 9. I then had a brief stint with water polo for two years in California. I haven’t done a swim training since 2020.
I was reluctant to get back in the pool in the UK. I had a million excuses of it being “too cold” or “too wet” or my hair getting damaged. I got over myself and (with the support of my partner) got in the pool again. I loved it from the first training session. Once again a lesson of my biggest mental block being me.
I swam a 1.5km time test recently, I’m still decent. The cardio base from the running and cycling transferred. The technique is not optimised as I have a lot of things that work great in water polo but make me relatively inefficient in the pool.
On December 28th, I ended up back in a soviet era pool again, once again doing interval sprints, though I hope a bit faster than when I was a kid. There was an absolutely stunning view from it. Sometimes things come full circle.

I got to race on a velodrome. Racing on a bike without brakes is terrifying and thrilling at the same time. I was very impressed by all the athletes there.
Some fun reading: Brachistochrone on a Velodrome or Track Cycling 101
Finally got to a 130km week
I am getting a bike fitting soon!! Which I am really looking forward to.

I slowly came back to running in mid-December and got one track session in and one park run in the UK. Since coming back to Russia for the holidays I have been experimenting with Running on the snow, but of course that has meant running a lot more slowly.
All my runs have been below 8km and are usually broken up into bits so that I don’t overstress my foot. I hope I can continue to have the self-control to not “go too hard.”
I listened to the warning signs of an illness and took 3 days off training instead of getting wiped out for a week - a strong improvement compared to October. I’m learning it seems!

This was strong before Dec ~15th and then tapered off as I went back home for the holidays.
The plan for 2025 is to keep attending 2x a week once I am back in the UK.
I have committed to doing ankle pre-hab + core every day for ~100 days, we shall see where this lands me. I am on Day 8 at the moment. If anyone has suggestions for strengthening exercises or online content that you have found useful please put them in the comments.

This wasn’t a focus in December, it was on maintenance mode, if I stop being able to do the splits, then I will increase the amount I spend on it.
I plan to keep doing Yoga with my sister 1x a week in 2025.
Ankle strength and flexibility are very important to me. My favourite poses are from the Ashtanga series: Marichyasana ABCD. Youtube video here.