TM's Micro Thread
Hi Coach P,
I am in GF week 3 (just exited Jan. OS) and will be traveling to Clearwater next week starting Monday. It's not exactly a vacation, but not exactly work either. Long story...but there will be some opportunities to ride.
I am moving my Monday swim to Sunday as I won't have a chance to do anything Monday. I will be riding my Saturday ride on Wednesday, and have a chance to do my first ever bike TT (15K) on Thursday evening. I'll be riding a rented tri rig, but bringing my powertap wheel so I can grab data.
I figure I can run, and maybe gulf swim, but I don't know the best way to lay out the week. I fly home late Saturday so I should be able to run/swim that day. Only have access to the bike on Wednesday and Thursday.
Work your magic please and thank you! 
Comments
On to my question...I'm in week 7 of the GF INT plan and it ends on my first A race on 6/2. Week 8 is set up for testing. Sooooo, how do I adjust the week to prep for an Olympic race?
I am racing Best of the US in Hammond Indiana, a supposedly flat and FAST course. I'm kinda stumped on wattage/pacing for the bike and run. My FTP is 215 from my last test exiting the JAN OS. It may be a touch higher by now....my vdot is 39.99 from my half mary exiting JAN OS.
I'm a strong biker, and my weak link has been the run in the past. But I gotta say, I've been kicking my own ass with EN on the run and kinda digging it and feeling more durable. Just don't know how to pace a distance I don't often race. Oh, and if you've got any advice on how to not freak out that I'll have a 50 scrawled on my calf (the HORROR! I don't look a day over 48 I tell ya!) please advise.
So there is your challenge...help a girl out please and thank you!!!
Trish
As for racing, it's so hard b/c you are redline and there are other extenuating factors like the weather, etc. That said, we usually target 90% of FTP for the bike...so 10-15 minutes to settle in and then it's 90% at the most steadiest effort, best-est VI you can muster. Variability is your enemy. The run is spaced out as 2/2/2.....2 to settle in then 2 to be steady then 2 to push it.
I can give you numbers but your effort on the bike will really determine what you are able to run. Usually we took to end up around z4 for the run average...so z3 to start, z4 in the middle, then whatever you've got. Feel free to put something down on paper given the course and we can flesh it out!
OK...loaded SC for the taper. I will be as steady eddy as I can be on the bike...and I'll shoot for 2/2/2 on the run. I've done well getting faster in my half mary's the last 5k. If I can pull of the zones you recommend, I think there will be a big pr BOOM happening on the run for meat this distance!
Looking ahead, I will be dropping into the Half Iron INT plan week 11 after the race, which happens to be a test week. My next A race is IM Steelhead on 8/4. Soooo, yeah. What do I do with that???
I will be partying in Chicago on Monday (so off) ,plan on doing the long rides Saturday and Sunday, and because I haven't done one yet,doing the swim test (probably on Friday). What to do about the run for that week? Should I make adjustments to race a 5k that weekend and sub out for a long bike? Should I just push all testing off a week? Will the bike be as good as a test from the race?
And about that freak out for the 50 on my calf...I figured you're practically a shrink after coaching so many A types over the years...no advice for that?
Thanks as always for your input Coach!
T
Keep me in the loop!
~ P
Hi Coach P!
The good: Goal for the race (Best of the US Amateur Division-no age groups) was met...after the race meeting with all the YOUNG and FAST competitors, my goal became (as the OLDEST racer in the division) to not be last. Score! I was 36 of 43 racers.
My swim was just about what it's been in prior years early season races, in sloppy conditions, so I guess that no swimming in outseason works! 
I also had myself a PR oly run (can you say BOOM?) which I am super excited about!!! YAY!
The bad: the bike did not go as well as I'd hoped. My VI (I don't have a #...TP is on the fritz...long story) was not steady Eddy as I had planned. My avg power was low tempo and NP was high tempo. The course had 11 turns per loop, and 2 loops. I didn't research the bike course in advance and lets just say, I was not prepared to ride stupid in the corners in the cold, mist and rain. It was a pretty flat course as billed, but my lack of practice cornering and not really getting into a groove hurt me. Nobody's fault but mine.
The ugly: The weather. It was looking decent, then turned gray, colder, and much windier just before the start. No toe covers, arm warmers, rain and mist. 54 to start the race, 52 when I started the run. BRRRRR! Frozen digits and stumpy feeling feet on the run makes for even slower than normal t times for me.
Probably helped on the run though. I'll take it!
Soooo, after celebrating in Chicago with food and booze, I've only swum this week. Scheduled monday swim on Tuesday, and my weekly OWS of 2.15 miles yesterday. I feel ok legs wise. No races till the weekend for 5k testing, which would interfer with long bikes. Not gonna lie, not too excited to test, but then again, I never am.
Your fine advice please and thank you!
Hi CoachP,
I've been rearranging my "regular" HIM INT week 13 schedule as I am racing another OLY on Sunday 6/15.
Here's my week so far: Monday as scheduled,
Tuesday: I did Wednesday's 60'vo2max bike and 30' brick run,
Wednesday: I swam OW for an hour to replace TU swim, and did TH long run as prescribed 1:45
Thursday: doing Saturday's long ride 3:00
Should I do Sunday's 2:00 bike and 30' brick Friday? Take a rest day? Do the scheduled hill work run and swim?
I'm not sure what to drop (if anything) as almost all workouts this week are important, and I've just dropped into the plan. I did complete the TIME only bike and run last Saturday and Sunday as you suggested.
Thanks for your input as always!
Trish
Got a couple questions for you:
1. I was thinking of doing the Tuesday ride (TH ladder) added on to this Sunday's abp ride. Try and do the TH work and then abp at the end for a 3ish hour ride. Wise? Foolish? Figured if I couldn't hold the z4 stuff, just add time to the abp part to hit the volume. I "might" be able to squeeze it in before flying out Monday, but I'd prefer to just run if anything that morning.
2. The week is kind of light as there is a run test scheduled for Thursday. I will be in Vegas (HOLY HOTNESS!) and can get swimming in and have access to a tm (and awesome food and drink!). I did NOT test when I dropped into the plan as I had just raced an oly and wasn't feeling it. I would prefer to test in a race, but will on the tm like I did in the Jan OS. Keep it as scheduled, or push it back and jam it in somewhere in week 17. Race is 8/4.
Thanks as always for your input!
T
PS...had a really solid race on the 16th that landed me 3rd OA female! Lots of fast chica's didn't race including my EN sister Cathleen White, but not a bad way to start racing with the dreaded 50 on my calf!
Test week means a bit of recovery, so your trip is actually relatively well-timed. Get in some basic workouts, target 45' a day of something, stay hydrated and sleep like a pro...then we return to domination come Saturday!!
Monday: travel.
Tuesday: Did the 45' hill stride run and a fluffy swim, body work for 45'
Wednesday: hiked in Zion for 2.5 hours in 115 degree heat
Thursday:skipped the 5k test, set a margarita PR.
Friday: travel
Soooo, yeah. Ate too much, drank a lil too much, didn't sleep as much as I would have liked and had a total blast. Kind of a bad athlete, but my husband thought I was a great wife.
I am riding this weekend to get my regular long bikes in. Next week is HIM INT week 17.... the power test. All workouts except the Sunday brick run are high priority. Where should I insert a run test? Of the two tests, I think I should run test more than power test. I'm more confident on the bike than the run in general. I also don't think my power has increased...it only went up 1 watt in my final out season test. I feel like I've held on to that power basically.
I promise to actually DO what you suggest this time around Coach!
Thanks,
Trish
I'm back to eating decent and sleeping 7.5-8 hours. I am one of the lucky ones...I don't have a pesky 9-5 to deal with. Just parenting and menopause lol!
I'll update the run data tomorrow. Fingers crossed for a gooooood run!
mile 1 8:03 avg hr 171-started at 8:06, bumped to 8:00 at .50
mile 2 8:12 avg hr 178 (took 2 little breaks this mile...felt like I was gonna die!) started at 7:53, took the breaks and ended up at 8:12
mile 3 7:33 avg hr 181-started at 7:46, bumped at .85 of mile till the end!
last .1 7:26 avg hr 183
So, I crapped out a bit in the second mile. I tried to emulate a 4 mile neg split run I'd done in February for pacing, but I guess mile two was too much today. Happy I didn't let myself quit on that last mile. Kept reminding myself "its' hard and supposed to suck!"
Now on to this weekend...I have a club ride on a hilly century course I'm wanting to do. Any issues with me subing in this ride (tits will be about the same or a little longer than Saturday and Sunday combined and about the same distance) for both rides this weekend? I know its getting close to 8/4, but I'm getting lonely riding most of the time by myself! I'd probably do an easy spin and the brick run as well Sunday. Your thoughts please!
Yes to your long ride...you might want to do something easy on Sunday (spin? swim?) to get loose before the week...practice riding those hills steeeeeeaaaaddddy!!!!
I will spin and do the lil 30' run first to get the sticks happy. I just noticed there is a 30' run before Saturday's ride as well, but the ride starts at 7am an hour from home, so I'll run on Friday. The run is my weak link...no skipping on the run darn it!
I need to schedule the six month call...can we set that up here? Maybe early next week?
Thanks as always for your info Coach, and for reading my mind during that test!
Looking forward to it!
Sooo, yesterday I raced IM Steelhead 70.3 and placed 2nd in my ag. I took the roll down slot to Vegas. Oh so happy, yet oh so much panic! I raced ITU Long course there in 57 degrees in 2011, no swim. Gonna be a completly different kettle of fish on 9/8 ...in Hell's kitchen! HELP!
T
As for nutrition , I use UCAN, which flies in the face of convention. I'm doing a sweet test too. I'm scheduled to drop into IIM intermediate plan week 14 next week I believe. IMAZ is still my A race...worlds is an experience race with the goal of a decent day, no injury, super hard recovery to not screw up IM training! :-)
Reason I asked re nutrition is that the hard part with hot races is you need 1.5 to 2x your regular fluids. But if you UCAN it then UCANT have that in like 6 bottles across a HIM...so you will need to use water, which is inert, so you will need to supplement with salt, etc. Let us know how the test goes!!!
My schedule is online here: http://meetme.so/patrickmccrann -- Please remember to include your phone number.
Did a 55" run yesterday (2x800, 2x1 mile th repeats) and did the sweat test.
71 degrees outside and windy, wore long sleeves, capris, ball cap
wt before: 142
drank 16oz water during run
wt after: 141
So, I sweat in cool temps 2lbs an hour correct? Now what do I do with this info?