Prudential RideLondon Training With Dani Rowe: Week 7

About this Series

Welsh-born Dani Rowe is a former pro road cyclist and three-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist in the women’s team pursuit with Great Britain.

Each week she is sharing her story preparing for the 2019 Prudential RideLondon 100 using the “Prudential RideLondon 100” Zwift Training Plan. See her full list of stories, or learn more about Zwift’s Prudential RideLondon Training Plans

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As I mentioned last week, I’m now in Mallorca taking part in The Best Centre Swim Festival, and this morning swam in a 1.9km open water event! I was super nervous but thankfully I had Jazz Carlin, an ex Olympic swimmer to help me. She gave me a few pointers to improve my technique then swam alongside me to provide extra confidence and help me stay on course. It took me 35 minutes and was one of those events where at the time I was suffering but now that it’s finished I’m buzzing and have signed up for another one tomorrow!

In and amongst a few swims, I am also continuing with my cycling training for PRL, of course.

Before I left, I rode ‘Pure Strength #2’ in the PRL plan and really enjoyed it. It wasn’t as savage a session as some of the others, but one you still get a lot of benefit from. With different focuses throughout the session–a mix of the low cadence strength work and some general steady riding–your body is stressed in different ways.

The different efforts draw upon different energy systems, providing a nice variation to the session, both physiologically and psychologically. The 45-second efforts purely targeted improving strength, with the 10-minute efforts moving more to pure aerobic training.

Another reason I loved this particular session was that my dad dropped in and rode with me. We loved riding together when I lived at home, but we live 2 hours apart now and rarely get to cycle with each other. Zwift makes us feel like we can still ride together, and it helps me so much with motivation knowing my dad is riding with me. It puts a smile on my face when he drops in and gives me a ‘Ride On’!

For the rest of my time here in Mallorca, I have one more swim event planned and a few bike rides where I will add some structure from the PRL plan to keep on track. More next week!

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