Home Ironman Arizona 2012 Group Discussion-Ironman Arizona 2012

Week of Oct 29. IMAZ Week #18. Taper Time!!!

I hope the East Coast Peeps have battened down the hatches for Frankenstorm! Keep Safe Friends!!!!

Looking forward to a slightly easier week, funny how 90 minute run or 180 bike seems pretty easy now.

Swimming later today and will report after. 

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Comments

  • Rian, you said it. I looked at the schedule and saw the 90' run and though, "well that is going to be a breeze..."
  • I am feeling beat down and ready for this taper. Bring it on.
  • Pool not open today. Taper makes me crazy anyway. Can't run outside with this wind. Maybe I'll have to switch Mon & Tues and hop on my trainer later for the bike workout. Did I mention I hate taper?
    Don't worry, I do it b/c it's needed for race day. But, boy do I hate it!!
  • I hate the coffee taperimage
    BRING ON THE Fooking TAPER.
  • Pumped for the next two weeks! Let's get it!
  • Generally doing ok here.

    Still balancing the overdoing it.

    Last long and hard weekend this coming weekend.

  • Taper Torture has begun. Terrible pool swim today. Comparing slow self to everyone else in the water (who are all freekin' dolphins). Mentally drained and physically feeling inadequate for the swim. Will I ever be a less than 1:30 IM swimmer????? Beginning to seriously doubt it.

    (Deep breathe), repeat after me, "The road to Tapertown does NOT go through Doubtsville."
  • The swim will be the swim.    Pick a good starting position.      And relax.   Easier said then done.   But important to do regardless.

  • @Amy x2 what Robin said.  When you get to race day you will be the fastest, most well rested, and ready to execute you have ever been. It will seem like a cake walk compared to the past few weeks. Hang on Sister. 

    @Robin. Good work. You're ready. FYI- The beeline stretch has lots of new smooth fast asphalt. The return on the bike is wicked fast: I was averaging 28mph @ 165 watts and spinning out half of the beeline stretch @ 35mph. That was on a compact with 12-25. If you have an 11 bring it !

    @Dottie, Michele and other easties: stay safe and dry!

    Keep it going folks we are almost there!!!

  • Thanks for the cassette info.      Yes I have a 12-23 on there now.      Will put on the 11-23.

    Day willing, hoping to push 235 watts+ for the race (185 pounded me).       

    Let us hope for tail winds both ways.

     

  • @Robin: I'm 185 as well and coming back down Beeline with the tail wind was just flying. I was just on the edge of spinning out v. Keeping the power on. With your power even an 11 will spin out. A little free rest along the way.
  • Bailed early on the swim. Fatigue setting in, never even put on the running shoes. Mental game starting to crack. Love this FREAKING sport!!
  • Swam Sunday before the storm and it was awesome! Then did ride and run as I did not do a RR#2.

    Yesterday with storm- no training. Power was out for 10 hours, but no big deal.

    Today bike- warm up was fine, but I could NOT push any watts. My legs are toast. Rest it is. I eeked out an IF of 0.75 for 1 hour.

    As for my hip pain- it's a tear. Pain is now intermittent. None for several days, then BAM! Almost doubled over walking down steps. Slow shuffle to car. Drove a few minutes to grocery store and pain was much less. Very weird. Still taking it easy- no speed work.

    Rearranging this week and weekend due to family obligations. We are sooooo close!
  • Thanks guys for the swim mojo. Went to the foot doc today and had a piece of broken glass removed from my big toe that I stepped on in my kitchen. D'oh! Should heal up fast. Note to self, no bare feet until 11/19!

    @Michele- big bummer on the tear :-( The hay is in the barn so just rest and work on healing here on out.
  • @Amy-I am right there with you! I've learned so much about form in the last year (i am much more comfortable in the water) but not one bit faster! Who are those dolphins. And be careful, don't start taking after me with stupid injuries! I still have a giant hematoma on my left thigh from my fall off the bike on the beeline 10 days ago.
    @Michele-sorry to hear about the hip tear -take it easy from here on out and try to heal
    @all easties-hope you survived Sandy and stayed dry
    @Robin-like Rian and David, even I spun out on the ride downhill on the beeline. You never know what conditions will bring though, the week before it was a headwind going south and I actually went faster on the uphill to Shea! (That was the conditions for 2011 AZIM too)

    And last, all I want to say, is 'what taper'? My schedule this week seems like all the others. And I had to work late last night and showed up at 24hr fit at 10:30 pm for my swim-an insane first for me! And I wasn't alone! My legs were toast tonite and I had a lot of trouble keeping my 95% FTP sprints going, slipping to 90% at times
  • @Robin....when you say long and hard weekend, do you do more than the EN plan? Just wondering. My volume for the swim and bike this year have been more than EN calls for and wonder if that's the case for you. If it is, what would you do this weekend? I was contemplating a 4hr ride, instead of 3hr. Thoughts?
  • Excited hearing about IMFL peeps gearing up for the race in a few days. Will be us soon! Good luck on the run everyone, and the rides this weekend! I have to bring my bike to Tribike Transport early next week. It's getting real!!!!!
  • What cassettes are most of you riding? I currently have 12-25 on my Cervelo will this be fine or should I switch it to a 11-23? Any suggestions?
  • @Dan-it was work going north up to Shea. But, the week before the winds were reversed and I actually went faster going north up to Shea and worked hard into a headwind going south. You just never know...
  •  I'm going to stick with my 12-25 cassette, it had all of the range I needed: my FTP is 235ish, so if you've got a bit bigger FTP range (like Robin) you might want to consider the 11-23.

    Going uphill on beeline I was looking at 12-17 mph (mostly in the 14-15mph zone)  depending on the section grade and the strength of the headwind, I was focused on holding ~ 175 watts outbound. I think without headwind I could have been getting 17-18 mph for those watts most of the way out, its very gradual grade up until the couple miles before the turn around @ shea blvd. 

  • Wow, where is the time going. This has been a crazy week. Flew home from AZ Sunday after doing the RR ride and bike SAturday and another 2.5 hours riding up to Carefree on Sunday. So far this week have done weights 2x, rode on trainer for 60 mins Tue. Today ran yesterdays long run on the TM 10 miles in 90+ minutes, followed by a 1650 swim with a lot of foot cramps (probably thanks to the run.) Will probably push todays workout to tomorrow and then do Saturday on Sunday... Would catch back to plan sometime next week. Hope everyuone is getting ready, it will be here soon. @Betsy: hope the road rash is healing, looked pretty gruesome last week. @Dan: It was noticable on the way out, but just rode to power. Did the same on the way back, but it was hard to keep the power up. As Al says, "patient and humble." @Michele: Heal up well. This should be a lot of fun.
  • Rian: Me and you are both at or around the 235 FTP and is your plan to ride 175 watts?

    My 2 race rehersals I did at 167 NP and 175 NP I sure felt a lot better on my run doing the 167.

    So since I dont have a NP meter I have to use average watts and I was going to try and maintain around 170 average watts for the ride.

    What are your plans on the bike? Then again you may be a stronger runner than me too.

    Since most are leaving their 12-25 I will do the same. Thats what I have trained and raced with all year.

  • Best news today I did my Sunday bike/run early this morning and I will do my Saturday bike/run tomorrow.

    Then on Sunday I am going to do a 5K swim

    Also at IMAZ I will be in the boat anchor dragging time for the swim.

    Its funny everytime I pass a lake or a river here where I live the past few weeks I get anxiety WTF haha!!

    My race plan is to survive the swim survive the bike and survive the run sounds simple enough...

  • This weekend's plan.    Note that I am doing a personalized, already have done two irons this year, plan.

    saturday.    4 hours bike.    intervals at 20-25 watts above race goal.

    sunday.   11 mile run.     race pace.   last few miles a bit faster then race pace.  

    Have fun all.    I'll be inside due to crudy weather.         May get to finish the season of Walking Dead.

  • I use a 12-23 and thats been fine on this course. Once you hit 35mph or so you shouldn't be expending too much effort to go faster, your better off taking a bit of recovery once you hit those speeds.
  • where have you been todd?   Didn't realize you were racing.   Cool.

  •  Battling some kind of crud/fever/cold thingy. Ugh. A whole year without getting sick once, and I go down on the last solid week of training. #sigh# at least I got my rr#2 in.

    @Randy: no my planned NP is ~ 168-170. I also only get instant watts on my lyc so on the outbound/uphill track I'm aiming to keep watts in the 175-180 range, that seemed to compensate for lower watts on the downhill return. RR 2 ended up with 168NP. I felt like superman on the run. 

  • O ok I understand your strategy your planning on +5-10% on way out because its harder to maintain your 170 NP on the way back with the wind at your back or spinning out? Nice I should do the same something I never thought about glad I asked. Your race NP is the exact same as mine 167-170 NP
  • Feel better Rian. I have been sneezing like crazy and afraid I am coming down with something. SO far no, but paranoia this close to the race is lingering.
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