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steve's micro thread

coach,

did HIM Sat. and plan calls for unstructured week this week. Just confirming- do whatever I want? Was thinking today and maybe tomorrow off, then some easy bikes, swims, with runs toward end of week.Only feeling a little sore.Following this week is 3 wks of GF, then start 12 wk plan for IMFL. BTW, my best case scenario for the HIM was about 5:17 (did a 5:43 last year), and ended up with a 5:09!! Execution was near perfect (not a negative split on run, but looking at results of others, the vast majority were 2-3 minutes slower on way back- was in Muncie BTW). Looking forward to Florida- will be 1st full IM.

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Comments

  • Steve, your profile pic may be upside down, but you crushed that race! image Congrats!!!

    Yes to a light week...really...you have 15 weeks of work left...that's FOUR MONTHS....so please Please PLEASE go easy. Mon/Tues off...wed light swim...thurs light spin...fri off...Sat easy ride with sloooow peeps...sun off...then back at it...your late October self will thank me once you find the EN Time Machine...

    image
  • Will do, thanks coach. BTW, I CANT figure out how to fix the picture thing! Actually kept me from posting for a while, but then I just swallowed my pride.
  • I think you are all fixed now brother!!!!!!! Shazaam!!! image
  • THANKS!! A coach who goes the extra mile, I love it :)
  • Coach, have week 11 of Inter. IM plan this week, with big TRI day on Sat. ...2 questions 1. the "note" calls for a 3.5 hr. ride, but the time under "bike" on Sat. Is for 4 hours. Which should I do? 2. I always take Sunday off (religious reasons), so for the HIM plan I simply reversed Tue. and Wed. schedule, dropped Fridays run and did Sundays ride on Fri. Afternoon (work till noon on Fri.). Felt some fatigue due to long run on Thur. Followed by 2 days of long rides ( especially since fridays were in the PM and most of Sat. rides were in AM), but got thru plan OK and had a good race at Muncie. But NOW, my "gut" is telling me this same approach ISN'T going to work. Here's what Ive come up with (actually wish I had thought of this for the HIM plan), looking for a thumbs up from you: Mon. Wed. Thur. and Sat. are per plan, do Sunday ride on Tue. (Dont start work till 1pm), drop the "easy" run in plan on Fri. and replace it with the TP run scheduled normally on Tuesday. I like the spacing/recovery this allows me, and I only miss the scheduled Fri. run, just not sure if there is some benefit to getting two rides in a row that I'll be missing...... But having said that, because of my schedule, the only way to get that is to be doing the long run Thur. Followed by a PM Fri. ride and a (mostly) AM Sat. ride, which has BEAT ME UP the last two weeks.
  • Steve...super smart change...I love it...your new plan is great. As for the ride, it's 4 hours!!!
  • 4 hrs it is! That's what I thought but wanted to be sure. Thanks for the thumbs up on the change...have gone from dread to looking forward again to the training image P.S. Hope the shoulder is coming along.
  • Slowly but surely...thanks man! Living vicariously through the Team!!!
  • Coach,

    Having issue with FTP rides last couple weeks.For a little perspective- in week 15 of Inter. Im plan and overall feeling very good. Having expected periods of fatigue, but able to hit all numbers on workouts,(EXCEPT last few FTP sessions) AND, will feel beat after long rides/runs but then recover surprisingly quickly. For example, in past when I would feel as tired as I do after a long ride I would be SORE for a couple days, but now I'm FINE and ready to go the next day (not even really sore later the same day).Here is quick recap of FTP sessions (started IM plan in week 9):
    week 9- NAILED it: 20',15',10' reps (outside).IF .95
    week 10- still pretty good: 20',15',10' reps (inside), IF .88
    week 11- DEAD, stopped at 35 min. (inside, didn't record reps), IF .82
    week 12- skipped FTP test due to last week FTP session. numbers/zones feel good though (nailed 3wks of GF WKO's prior to starting IM plan. WKO's were all .88-.96 IF).
    Also, switched ABP ride to Tue this week(per above in thread)
    week 13- Pretty dead: managed 3X5' reps (inside-50 min), pathetic IF of .73 BUT, had ABP ride day before that kind of pooped out in end, AND YET nailed 4hr. ride Sat.
    (6X20' all at .8 IF with overall IF of .75)

    week 14- Pretty dead again: was going to shoot for 10' reps, but could only manage 4X5' @ .88-.92 (inside-50 min.) with overall IF .78. BUT, had AWESOME ABP ride day
    before- only called for 90 min. and felt VERY comfortable with IF .85 (VI 1.01)

    SOOOO, my thought's are that it's two things, and nothing to be too worried about: 1. switching ABP ride to the day before the FTP session 2. Cumulative fatigue as I'm "adding far to fast" (I'm telling you my legs feel STRONG). My gut says, don't worry too much about the FTP work, get in what you can without ruining the week..... You're training for an IM NOT a time trial. But you're the coach, anything to be worried about and/or tweak?

  • Make that in week 14 of IM plan (getting ahead of myself!)
  • @STeve, putting the ABP before the FTP will do that. Basically you have two quality rides in your legs a week, unless we add in more recovery. Personally it's a sign to me that you need a bit of a break. I would suggest dialing back the ABP ride -- just get a ride in, easy, OR drop it and do FTP that day and take the former FTP day off. It's not that you are not strong (as you have noted) but that you can't process the fatigue you are accumulating in a way that allows you to push your limits. It's not a terrible thing but unchecked, could have you too tired on race day!!

    Let me know what you are thinking...
  • Patrick, I think the way you worded it...."can't process the fatigue....in a way that allows you to push your limits", makes a lot of sense. I also want to get smarter (and you're the coach), so if I understand you (reading between the lines), I'm wrong in my views of the FTP work, and between the ABP and FTP, the FTP is actually more important correct? Definitely don't want to show up on race day too tired so here's what I'm doing:

    - next week (wk 15) is RR week,so no ABP ride anyway. Good timing to see if FTP WKO will improve with NO ABP ride day before
    - week following(wk 16) I'll make the ABP an easy ride (.7 IF ) and see how my legs handle the FTP WKO the next day. I want to try this first before going to 2 bike WKOs only, as the idea of that kind of freaks me out!
    - If I STILL have a crapy FTP WKO after a easy Tue ride(hopefully wont be the case),I'll do a 2 bike WKO week the following (wk 17).

    How does that approach sound?
  • @Steve, sounds fair and balanced. Not being able to process fatigue is why you see a lot of really fit doodes finishing between 12 and 13 hours in an Ironman...they have just crushed themselves and can't actually race. The first step to resolving this is recognizing the problem (congrats) the next step is making adjustments....so onwards and upwards!!!
  • Patrick, quick update for you, please give opinion:

    - wk. 15 had better FTP session- managed a 15' and 10' rep....no ABP ride that week, and RR ride well I thought. Slower than I want, but held .69 for 6 hrs (108 miles- VERY windy), and felt good, run went without a hitch( had to make myself go slow to keep prescribed pace).
    - wk. 16 did an EASY ABP ride (2 hrs at .72) day before FTP wko, in which managed the 8' and 12' reps, then didn't push my luck. My legs felt pretty toasted after the Thur. run and thought HOW am I going to manage the Sat. long ride but then hit all 7 (20') reps in range, with .75 IF. TOTALLY surprised myself... legs even felt fine later that same day which seriously freaked me out based on how I felt going INTO the ride.
    - Today had FTP test and hit SAME FTP as last test- 260 (skipped one in wk. 12 of plan, so last one was in June during HIM plan).SOOO, given the lack of FTP work, and the fatigue level (ie.... some signs of going little TOO hard), I'm pretty happy with results and take it as an indicator that maybe back on track (sleeping better too).

    Thoughts, comments?
  • @STeve, you are DEFINITELY back on track. Not out of the woods as perceived fatigue levels aren't mapping to actual fatigue (that long ride example), but that's really not expected at this stage of your training. I think you are pretty good to continue on (and use that FTP number). Time to maybe even start planning ahead a bit for your taper so we get it right?
  • Patrick, one step ahead of you image , was thinking this for taper:

    - wk 18, per plan except flip-flop Tue. and Wed run and bike wko (just fits my schedule better)
    - wk 19, exactly per plan
    - wk 20, do Tue. brick wko on Mon., Wed. run wko on Tue., Thur. swim wko on Wed., get into PCB on Thur. morning and do about 20 mile recon ride (which section would you recommend?), Fri. just easy 15-20 swim to get feel for salt water etc.. Saturday..... take my new fitness vehicle for a ("catered") ride!!

    How's that sound? would you have me cut out anything given where I'm at? (I actually did a little less than per plan in HIM taper and felt really good/had a good day).

    P.S. are you racing IMFL?
  • I think it sounds great. Last week just stay loose don't force any workouts - when in doubt, swim only or OFF. No real one place to recon on the bike, just be careful on Front Beach road!!!!
  • Coach,

    could you please take a look at my thread "confused about calories per hour", I haven't gotten any feedback yet on it. It's in the nutrition section, and relates to the issue covered in "Kind of pissed" thread......which BTW I'm not anymore image
  • Coach, doing Intermediate OS now and want to make sure the bike VO2 reps are 1.5' (have this wko tomorrow). I remember last year we started with the "30/30's" and I think maxed out with 1' VO2 reps.
  • @Steve -- yep 1.5s....part of our edits for this year!!! 30s was too light for most folks...good luck!
  • Coach,

    Wondering if I should tweak the last few weeks of the JOS or not based on the HM I have scheduled, which is on April 26th. I know ideally I should find a 10K or HM on the weekend of the 12-13th, but given I'm doing mine two weekends later, would you suggest I get another two weeks of long runs in, rather than begin the taper with the run scheduled at the end of week 12? FYI, I'm doing the two weeks of swim camp between the end of JOS and the HM I've scheduled.....then start HIM plan on April 28th. Again, BIG congrat's on your 40th B-day/run/fundraiser!!
  • Steve, I think your timing could still work out just fine. So wrap the OS and do a 5k test so you get _that_ vDot. You'll load up the Swim Camp plan...which has running and cycling in it.

    The only modification I would make to it (remember, you just did the OS and will need to absorb a bit of that work!!!!) is to have you do a 60' long run on that Sunday of Week 1 of Swim Camp, one week out from your race, as 20' to warm up, 20' at slower your goal race pace (by about 15 seconds/mile) and then 20' faster than your goal race pace (by about 15" per mile, or as close as you can). Be sure to cool down, stretch, etc....

    Once you get thru that week, let's reconnect about adjusting your final week!!!
  • Coach, finished this week up and the HM is next Sat. the 26th. Just a FYI....dropped bike into LBS after last ride to get cleaning/start of season maintenance. Don't want to miss the one ride this coming week, but won't get bike back till late Tue. and don't want to do ride on Fri. (day before HM). Will a ride on Wed. or Thur. work?

    Anyway, appreciate you laying out the upcoming week for me.
  • Steve - sorry for the delay. I see this entire week is building towards your race. If you haven't already you want to get it one more good swim tomorrow and just make sure the bike works and everything you have is packed and ready to rock. Friday is often Saturday is the big day. You should use extra your time to dialing your execution plan maybe even writing it out to be 100% sure!
  • Coach...starting HIM plan mon. and need to juggle things around because I always take Sun. off. Did this last year with IM plan, but I like this change better...also an important FYI is that I have Tue. and Thur. mornings, and Fri. afternoons off work. Having said that what do you think about:

    Mon.- do Tue. wko's (fresh legs from Sun. off, get quality run TP wko)
    Tue.- do Wed. wko's (ie.. Brick)
    Wed.- do the swim wko that was on Mon.(kind of a mid-week break- rest up for next 3 days wko's)
    Thur.- keep same(long run)
    Fri.- scheduled swim wko, plus the bike ride normally done on Sun.
    Sat.- keep same(run then long bike)

    *the only wko I'll be missing is the low priority run done before the ride normally done on Sun.

    BTW...had my half Mary this morning. Goal was to break 1:45/8:00 pace(did a 1:45:25 last year- different race though).Got a 1:43:43, AND my garmin said it was 13.21..... So which distance do I go by LOL image
  • Coach, actually have two questions....the one above(not answered yet, and pertains to the "regular" weeks in the HIM plan) and the one below, which I have now as a result of seeing that my first week of the HIM plan starts with a test week.

    So this quick question is....how would you recommend tweaking the test week (wk. 8 in HIM plan, which starts tomorrow), given that I just did a half marathon yesterday, and DO have a fair amount of fatigue/soreness in the legs?
  • Steve -

    Great race! Always use your Garmin for calculations, so I think you did it. :-)

    The modifications you about your training plan are great, I have no changes there. However looking forward at the testing week I think that your half marathon will count as the run test. I suggest you ease into the week with an eye towards testing on the bike by Thursday, Friday easy swim then weekend as planned.
  • Coach, I'm tweaking my already changed schedule above with you're approval. Let me know what you think:

    Mon- same as above
    Tue- same as above
    Wed- swim as above, plus do weekly long run
    Thur- short run then ABP ride
    Fri- swim only, rest legs for Sat.
    Sat- same as above....short run then long bike

    This way I: 1.won't miss any runs (want to build run durability), 2.don't have back-to-back rides (Fri. and Sat. in first draft). I'll play it by ear as to the intensity of the ABP ride(day after long run), dialing it back if needed, so as to get good quality ride on Saturday.
  • I think all this looks great. As you've noted, the big issue will be that ride after the long run. Don't worry so much about hitting the intervals for the entire workout, I would be happy with the last third being strong if the first two thirds meant you could warm-up after that long run.
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