Thanks for sharing. I'm excited for you. I know that you are doing everything possible with training to make you have an outstanding day. Can't wait to see you in AZ.
I'll be working the run course on the last shift of the day so hopefully I'll see you on the course.
Thanks for sharing. I'm excited for you. I know that you are doing everything possible with training to make you have an outstanding day. Can't wait to see you in AZ.
I'll be working the run course on the last shift of the day so hopefully I'll see you on the course.
Thanks for sharing. I'm excited for you. I know that you are doing everything possible with training to make you have an outstanding day. Can't wait to see you in AZ.
I'll be working the run course on the last shift of the day so hopefully I'll see you on the course.
Thanks for sharing. I'm excited for you. I know that you are doing everything possible with training to make you have an outstanding day. Can't wait to see you in AZ.
I'll be working the run course on the last shift of the day so hopefully I'll see you on the course.
Hey David- I'll be there! I'm flying on Friday (10/25) and staying at the Hyatt. I have no idea what time to start. This will be my first time out there. I'd start with you if it's alright with you and do the same setup (admin part once, then Beeline loop 4x?, then 1 loop run around the lake?). Any help would be greatly appreciated! I fly out again on Sunday and planned to scope out the surroundings, etc for the remainder of Saturday. Looking forward to it!
@Jason - Great job on your RR! Very cool seeing you dialing things in. This will also be my first IM so I'm afraid I can't offer much feedback, but I did appreciate the detail you provided and gave me some things to think about for my upcoming RR. @Rian - thanks for the ride info. I'm looking forward to it! @Danielle - I'm thinking I'm going to bail on the attempt to do the RR tomorrow. Weather has been so nasty and listening to all the accidents out on the road today made me think that I should be patient and just wait until the weather clears. Unfortunately, that may mean I need to wait until Monday since Sunday is filled with family stuff. I'll make the judgment call after I get off work tomorrow morning and see what happens. Hopefully this ridiculous rain exits overnight! Did my swim RR today. Felt okay, and figured out that the less I think about what I'm doing in my swimming the better off I'm going to be. Ended up not doing the "400 fast first and then settle into race pace". Tried to do the whole thing mellow, no fast upfront, etc. Tried to think about the bike, nutrition, work, anything but swimming. That helps me a lot because the more I focus on what I'm doing during the swim the more I want to "race". I ended up doing 4000 meters in 56:15. No flip turns, minimal push off wall (calf was acting funny from having done the 17 miles on treadmill (yuck!) yesterday). Hopped up on the pool deck and took my pulse for 1 minute. Ended up with 118 bpm. My goal is to go sub 60, so hopefully I can get this pool practice to translate to OWS. Maybe with a wetsuit I'll be okay.
@Jason, great RR you should feel very confident going into IMAZ with those numbers. question for you, I too am HR training and will be doing my RR tomorrow based on HR zones. I like the idea of auto lapping ever 18.67 miles, did you set your Garmin heart rate to zones as well or did you just keep an eye on your average?
@Al, what a fantastic way to break up the monotony of the RR swim...may do this for future pool RR. Thanks!
@Wolf, the plan is still for me to go tomorrow. I am praying for the weather to cooperate and will carry on if it's a drizzle but will abort if the downpour comes (I had enough of that nonsense on my Thurs run) . You should be all set for a great RR on Monday. BTW, your swim times in the pool are awesome. I'm sure you will have no problem meeting your time goal in the AZ swim!!!
My week started out on Sunday with a successful 2.96 OWS, later in the week I completed 20miles of running in a day, now tomorrow if all goes right I will bike 112 miles (the most I've ever done). For this newbie Irongirl I have a great sense of accomplishment for what I have been able to do so far. Putting all together in 36 days will be the icing on the cake.
Thanks everyone for the feedback on my race rehearsal. Wishing you all a great race rehearsal today. Due to vacationing with the family in San Diego, I did the RR on Thursday and then did my long run this morning. 17 miles in 2:15 stuck to the training plan for Z1 & Z2 times. Got to run along Coast Hwy in N San Diego, all the scenery and people running and biking helped to make the miles go by quickly.
@Rian -- Thanks for the comments on nutrition. Coach Patrick also weighed in and echoed your comments.
@Patricia -- Thanks for the feedback on the WTC dinner Friday, my family will add that to our itinerary
@AL -- I am in awe that you are doing IMAZ after IMLT. As you described your ride was visioning you riding on the peninsula. Ive done the peninsula metric before. I live not far from you.
@Danielle -- I use my Garmin 910XT as my computer for all sports, when I bike I have a screen that shows HR, Cadence, Speed and Time and just keep an eye on my HR from there and as long as I stay in saddle down in aero and don't push too hard on hills that the HR stays pretty consistent.
My RR bike and run were done indoors today as I watched the race in Kona on my laptop. Great motivation, especially when the time on the bike was getting really old. 6 hours on the trainer followed by 1 hour on the treadmill. I don't use power or HR, but I did focus on my nutrition for this activity. 96 oz. of Perform, 5 GU Roctanes and 1 Bonk Breaker on the Bike - about 238 calories per hour. Only needed a little Perform to make it through the run - was well hydrated.
Jason-great RR! Patricia-since you said nutrition was lacking last weekend on the Beeline, good job nailing it today! You know what to do on the 26th Wolf and Danielle-good luck!
It sounds like the 10/26 RR on the Beeline will be David, Wolf, Patricia, Rian and me. Last year we tried to start at 5am to beat the heat but its much cooler right now. I ended up doing last saturday's wko today on the trainer as it was 57 at 6am and I wimped out (also was on a time crunch.) If it stays highs in the 80s we can easily start at the scheduled 6 am and have less time in the dark.
As for today's wko, I did the 40 min run in the dark and hit my z3 on the 2nd half home. Then I did the 7 20' .75-.8IF sessions as-.77, .78, .79 and last four at .8/.81. My quads were toast all day! Get to swim 4000 OWS tomorrow at 7:30 in tempe town lake-water temp right now is 73. What a difference 5 weeks makes as it was 61 last year on race day.
Betsy - Way to hammer your bike workout! My legs cramped just reading your IF numbers!
I'm going to start a separate thread for the RR on 10/26. Would be cool if we put together some deets reference to start times, meeting locations, Saturday dinner?, etc.
I've had to completely rearrange the workouts due to weather, work, family (can't miss the Princess Party...). Rearranged to the following: Did Tuesday's 3 x 1 mi (Z4) runs yesterday. Hit 6:43 (2.7 zone), 6:28 (3.7 zone), 6:27 (4.1 zone). Just couldn't get my HR to jump until the 3rd attempt, but it did feel good to finally do this workout with (somewhat) fresh legs and felt cool coming off of Thursday's long run. Finished with 10 minutes in low Z2. Will do Monday's workout today (Swim with incline run on treadmill). Tomorrow (Mon) will be RR. Hopefully with the holiday and clearing weather traffic will be light and road conditions much improved. I'll do the other swim on Tuesday as my "day off" from today (Sun). Back on track on Wednesday!
It was SO COOL watching the Kona coverage yesterday! Kids and I were glued to the computer watching the finish. Miranda Carfrae is just amazing!
Sounds like everyone is doing well and on target...great job to everyone!!!
RR#1 day went pretty well for me. It was nice to be able to benchmark against the same ride last year and see my improvements.
Ride: 112mi, 5:24, 20.7 mph, NP 188, .74IF, 1.02VI. ~2000ft gain. The ride wattage was a little on the high side, so I need to adjust my effort down a little bit, but it was a good training day. Felt very good most of the ride but started to sag a little after mile 90 or so, stomach was a little off, not really upset, just not wanting any more gels, so I swung by the truck and swigged some coke I had stashed for the run, felt much better by ~100mi and finished it up. I took in 24oz bottle per hour of Perform per hour, and did a gel every 30min with a banana every 1.5 hours. ~440 cals/hr. My Perform intake was a little low I think, and I did notice my mix was weak in two bottles, so I must have not put in the full 3 scoops. (Thats what I get for talking while prepping.) That's most likely what contributed to stomach issues and fatigue late into the ride. The ride was a PR by 10 min over last years race (and with no aero gear!) , and 25 min over last years RR#1 (almost 1.5 mph faster), both significant improvements.
Run: stomach issues were making hard to get excited to run, but I swigged more coke which settled things down a bit, and got going. While I felt tired, my legs were very strong and I had lots in the tank. 6 mi in 48:33. 8:05 pace. This felt like a nice easy pace and it was a beautiful fall afternoon, so I just disconnected and enjoyed the run. I did not execute walking but with adding in a short aid walk each mile this would be right on target for my goal pace of 8:30. I easily could have held pace for more.
Looking forward to a afternoon nap and a the day off!
Rian, wow ... you're on target for a great performance. Don't mess things up by overdoing it the next three weeks. No need to get excessively fatigued - you're already fit, now you need to stay sharp and not lose it.
No RR for me this week, but I did my long run yesterday, 15 miles in 2:05. I committed to the distance, not the time, before the start of the wko. Another mile + seemed overkill this week. I ended up doing 2 x 30+ minutes @ MP - the jump to 3 x 30 from the last week seems too much, and I wanted to follow my own advice above. It worked, I was able to get in Friday's swim workout today, feeling much better than I did last week after my long run. My swim speed is *almost* back to where it was two months ago at a similar point in my IM LT build. It's amazing how much I lose in swimming when I simply take it easy for two weeks - happens all the time, and makes me fearful of ever skipping a swim workout. Same thing happens with cycling, but not with running.
RR#1 done on the trainer . Ugh, it was torture, but glad I did it. Planned on riding outside (even convinced my husband to ride 60 of it with me), but the rain would not let up all morning. Started on the trainer at 8am, hoping that by 9 or 10 I could detach and take the ride outside for the remainder of the time. Set myself up in front of the open basement door and rode, and rode and rode...the rain was constant. By the time I hit the 4hr mark it was clear I was not going anywhere. I told myself at the 4:30 hr mark that no matter what I was at least going to do the run outside after this 6 hours of torture. By the time 6hrs came around the rain had stopped and my run conditions were perfect.
Here is what I got from today: my nutrition seemed to work for me today (1 20oz bottle of Perform, 1/2 PBar, 1 salt tab an hour -260 cal). Every 2 hrs I got off and went to bathroom(1 min each, which I added to the 6hrs). 4 minute transition from bike to run to go to bathroom, change shoes, switch out top to long sleeves. No stomach issues on the run and felt hydrated. Took an 8oz bottle of Perform and had a sip every mile. Did not feel like eating anything, which I'm sure isn't good as I'm going to need to eat at some point in the run...question is when? Kept my HR steady at about 120, but felt like it was a lot of work on the legs. In comparison, a 120 HR outside feels much easier on the legs. Strange.
Not the perfect RR scenario, but I will take it. Look forward to the outdoor version in 2 weeks
Danielle--Amazing that you did the whole thing on the trainer, that is pure torture. You will certainly have the mental toughness when things get hard on race day after a workout like that. Good job finding a way to get it done with the weather. Impressive. Your fluid intake sounds low based on the feedback folks were giving me referencing that we won't have had any fluids for near 2 hours when we first get on the bike.
Wow! You all are having great RR's! Again I feel like the turtle of the group!
Yesterday was RR #1 for me. Friday Cathleen and I did our RR swim together (after getting bumped from our local LTF and driving 20' to another...grrrr!) then ran on the treadmill, even though it was nice out. I had to pick up my coed from UofM and was time crunched. After a LONG traffic filled round trip and a late steak dinner (not ideal I know) I got prepped for the day. Our local bike shop and team sponsor hosted a Kona Party in their computrainer lab (16 bike set up) and Cathleen and another friend doing EN booked the date in advance. It was a spectacular fall day to ride outside, but my son had Homecoming Pictures at 4:30, which meant I had to be riding at 7:30am as it was. Riding from home is a no go, so I kept the lab date. We rode to IM and Kona recap videos till the live feed came on. I was not happy in the saddle...tummy was off a tad ( I'm thinking due to that delish steak) and my *ahem* nether regions were in distress. I wore my race kit and a pair of cycle shorts on top ( as I've always done in IM and some of my long training days) and it was not comfy. At all. Because of the nature of the party and riders coming and going, the kona course had to be restarted 4 times during my ride. Got to ride that 4.4 incline every time...lovely! Made it 100.8 miles and was happy to get off the rig! Stretched, pottied, got on my run gear and went out to run. I felt GREAT on the run. Did my walk breaks but could not run slow enough. Averaged 10:12's and should have been 30" slower. My legs wanted to go even faster at the end of the run! I gotta say, that is super encouraging for me. The run is my weak link and I can't say I've ever felt this "durable" with my running. I'm not much (if any) faster than in years past, but I'm a happy girl. Being a "newer" runner of 6 or so years, I know I've got a little more speed in there, but I'll take the durability for now!
Nutrition wise I had 312 calories per hour on the bike: I took in 5.5 24 oz bottles of perform over all drinking every 10', 1/2 powerbar every hour and 1 salt tab every hour. On the run I took in 18 oz perform ...drinking every mile and taking a salt tab, During the race I'll take a gu every 3 miles as well. Burned 3300 c and took in about 2000. Really didn't have taste fatigue, which is good. Didn't want to eat for about 4 hours post wo. Had myself a cosmo, then a healthy dinner.
Best of all? I feel really good today...not sore or much fatigue. Of course it was another spectacular fall day and would have perfect for riding or running, but I went power shopping with my daughter who is home for the weekend. I'm sure I burned more than just my cash doing that!
Thanks Jason! I agree with you on the low fluid intake and will adjust on race day, possibly even on the next RR. I'm thinking I will consume somewhere between 40-48 oz within the first hour of the bike to hydrate from the swim then settle into the 20oz/hour thereafter. I drink every 10' and boy it's hard to even get down the 20oz in an hour...will be interesting to see if I can double it .
First off, Danielle you deserve a bottle of wine; you have mental six-pack for that trainer session.
Big training weekend; Saturday 114 miles of cycling a 3 loop route that mirrors AZ well with two other AZ athletes (and multiple Kona KQs). No power data as my Joule blinked out one hour into the ride (not sure why). First two loops I stayed in rear of these two athletes who were HR based training; they had, based on my perceived effort, me riding approx 65% IF. Pace was nice and steady with minimal surges. As we started loop 3 (38 miles), I was encountering no stomach issues, felt very minor fatigue but felt the best I recall feeling after 76 miles of cycling in a long time. I was excited because I seemed to be doing very well with hydration and nutrition -- something that has been my main challenge in all prior IM events. So on loop 3 I moved to the front of our group and stepped up the intensity a level. My 3rd loop was 8min quicker than the prior loops, each, which were only about minute off from each other according to my watch. Off the bike and went for a steady paced 10K run. The legs felt ok on that run which put a smile on my face.
Sunday morning, slept in a bit (I think my body needed it), but soon after awakening headed out for a 2.5 hour run. Run intensity was solely by feel at a level that felt comfortable. Again surprised my legs were playing along for the two plus hours.
Monday will be a 60min trainer cycling session at 60% IF to spin the legs for recovery purposes, though I will be on Tri bike down on aero bars to continue to get body feeling good in the position. BTW- I stayed aero likely about 95% of time on Saturday, so I know my bike fit is dialed in well. The afternoon will be a big swim, approx 4,000m. Then a glass or two of red wine!
Danielle-amazing mental toughness getting it done on the trainer. I did 4 hours yesterday on the trainer but watched a webinar twice i would never have gotten to otherwise! I would not worry about eating on the run-I stick to fluids only, your gut will be happier. Use the bike to fuel the run and eat a little more often if you can. After dark, they have broth on the run, very salty and satisfying.
Al-you run fast!!
Rian-great RR-you are going to have a great race! You and Al can keep the chairs warm at Rula Bula for us turtles!
Trish-you aren't the only turtle! And as I recall, you can smoke the swim!
Wolf-flexibility is key! you are getting it done!
Since I am not on RR weekend-I did 4000OWS in the tempe town puddle as Al refers to it. Not the same course-4 1000 loops starting on the north side by the Marina parking lot (heading to papago park). We head west, turn before Mill ave bridge, go down past the marina and turn again. The bad: Despite technique improvement, only 2 min faster than AZIM last year. With 7 more turns, that has to add several minutes I figure The good: - I felt good the whole time, finished 4th loop very strong - I focused on counting, and lifted my head to sight every 6 strokes continuously, and didn't stray off course. I only treaded water once-after the first turn and heading east, couldn't get mysighting in the glare-that will be a problem for us on race morning. We start out heading at east just at sunrise - I was the fastest of the slowest! Meaning several people didn't get to start their 4th loop, there was a time cutoff of 9am (90 min) I was one of the last to finish - The day and the water was gorgeous! I didn't wear my neoprene cap or earplugs but plan to in 5 weeks when the water will likely be 10 degrees cooler
I then did a full loop of the Beeline from there-kept it .7IF as I figured I was simulating race day-and I had no back soreness on the bike like i had for the first half hour last year, which was a relief. I attribute that to excellent bike fit in January and lots of riding in aero all year.
I practiced nutrition as always-2cups applesauce and scoop protein powder and coffee before leaving for lake. 20 oz bottle perform right before swim. Before the ride, 1.5 power bars-may not do this race day but this was a leisurely transition. I have been doing the concentrated infinit and went through a double concentrated bottle in 2 hours, sipping every 10 min chased by sip water, which I consumed 48 oz. Was ready to pee when I got back to the car. A week ago I actually did my first sweat test by the books, and came up with a range of 17 oz to 30 oz depending on heat conditions. I actually took in more-36oz per hour but I am used to drinking lots of water daily. On race day I will add a half power bar every 40-60 min
Wow, looks like everyone is really dialing in great with your RRs.
Trish, Danielle, and Patrica...you ladies are TOUGH! Not sure I got it in me to do a RR on the trainer. I would rather be kicked in the shin repeatedly that do more than about 2.5 hours on my trainer.
Life, work, and my injury from week 13 have had me hacking the plan quite a bit these last two weeks to make everything happen. Skipped the long run in week 14 in an effort to let the foot heal. Made my long run last week with no issues, but paid for it later in the day and the next morning. Ice and stretching x 3 each day has it manageable. If all else fails, cortisone shot next week and deal with it after IMAZ.
RR last week was on Wednesday so my wife and I could do them together. Ended up with a little over 6 hours at .69IF, but not as steady as I would have liked for the route I rode...VI 1.04. Got off the bike feeling like the ride was a little harder than it should have been. Run was fine except I had more cardiac drift than I expected at those efforts. After reviewing my nutrition and hydration I realized I was not drinking near enough. Temps were cool (for Texas) in the morning, but closed out the ride and run at near 85 degrees and when fluids are not readily available (like at a race) I have a tendency to conserve so that I wont have to stop as much to reload. Lesson learned.
Life/work schedule are back to normal this week so back on track with the plan. Will finish up and post my race execution plan later today. This is my third IM, but the first one with anything close to a plan so please feel free to poke as many holes in it as possible.
As I mentioned before, first IM with anything that remotely resembles a race execution plan. Any and all input is greatly appreciated.
IMAZ RACE EXECUTION PLAN 11/17/2013
Wake up at 4am and eat breakfast; pop tarts (proven pre-race awesomeness!), Special K protein drink, and one cup of coffee...aprox 600 calories. Sip on gatorade throughout the morning. One GU Roctane (100 calories, 125mg sodium) 15’ before swim start.
Swim: Position myself between the buoy line and the middle, focus on smooth, steady stroke, find someone to draft and/or sight off of as long as I can still swim my race!
T1: Limit time in transition, don’t forget sunscreen!
Bike: BE SMART! Don’t get caught up in the T1 exit frenzy! First 30 min settle into a comfortable pace (0.65 - 0.68 IF = 125 -130 watts), start hydrating and watch them all pass by. Begin taking on nutrition at the 20 min mark. Expecting a six hour bike, so goal is 0.7 IF = 135 watts. As a second metric, HR of 125. Focus on steady riding and staying in aero as much as possible, especially in the last 2 hours as positional fitness comes into play.
Bike Nutrition/Hydration: Infinit 3 hour bottle on the bike. Take in 2 big sips every 20 min (305 calories/hour and 590mg sodium/hour). Alternate Perform and water from aid stations in aero bottle (175 calories/hour and 475mg sodium/hour). Special Needs - Grab second Infinit 3 hour bottle and take (2) tylenol to help with positional fitness/fatigue late in the ride.
T2: Again, limit time in transition, don’t forget sunscreen!
Run: BE SMART! Don’t get caught up in the T2 exit frenzy! Miles 0-6 settle into a comfortable pace Z1+ 30’ = 10:30 Miles 6-12 pick it up to Z1 pace (10:00) and enjoy this part of the run as I know whats coming! Miles 12-18 focus on pace and form trying to maintain a smooth, efficient stride. Miles 18-24 time to race, begin to push the pace a little more (goal 9:30) and embrace the suffering! Miles 24-26 if there is anything left in the tank...leave it on the course!
Run Nutrition/Hydration: Perform at every aid station x 6 stations/hour = 210 cal/hour and 570mg sodium/hr. Hand held gel flask: GU Roctane (with salt tabs added) every hour = 100 cal/hr and 380mg sodium/hr. Water as needed.
This is great information. Started using checklists for CDA which definitely improved my execution, but going to this level of detail with the checklists should make race week/day go so much smoother. Did laugh that the line after "salt everything" was "team breakfast - pancakes". I think I'll pass on salting my pancakes.
Al and Patricia x2. I really like the race plan approach, especially Dave Tallo's "OCD" type ( Al's done so many IMs he's hardwired his brain for IM racing ) because for me it works a bit like 'visualization.' I give myself queues and targets to think about in the days and weeks leading up to the race, I go over them mentally, and then as the race day unfolds those queues really do pop-up and help me re-focus. Its funny for such a looooong day, I would imagine you have time to think and adjust, but you don't, you are consumed, and the day flys by. In the IM it is surprisingly easy to make mistakes, especially in thinking you have plenty of time to fix things or adjust, you don't. Mistakes sneak up on you and bite you big when you least expect it. Its very good to have a detailed plan for race day, especially for contingencies.
Which reminds me, it would be very good to go through the Four Keys ebook and talk soon, if you haven't yet. Its all about the keys to executing IM the EN way. I can first hand attest to it working VERY well, and well worth taking seriously. All the fitness in the world wont help you on race day if you don't execute well. I don't think coach Rich will be at IMAZ to do the talk, so think about going through the ebook and finding the webinar if you can ( I couldn't find it, maybe someone else has a link) :
Usually I feel pretty tired after the Thursday long run, well today I just feel like I have been run over by a bus. I don't think I'm getting ill so I'm guessing it is fatigue setting in. Is this typical around this time of the training plan? Hoping it was just an off day. Ran 16 in 150 minutes. For the most part hit my zones in each interval and ran faster for my Z1 pace (9:45 vs 10:11). Stopped at every mile for nutrition during the 40 min z2 intervals.
Running the Army 10 miler with some friends on Sunday so will move my weekend bike workouts to Friday and Sat.
Did my long 150 min run this morning. 18.25 miles. Was tougher than last week and struggled a little to hit my Z2 pacing in the last few miles. Was worried it would be tougher before I even started. But I ran the whole time and am proud of that.
Danielle--Yes I think there may be some accumulated fatigue as our weekly hours have been building but I think that will slow down soon.
Yes, this is the time when you SHOULD feel most fatigued in your training ... from the longest run (today) thru the second RR (next week). Personally, and also hearing from others in the EN forums over the past five years ... THIS IS NORMAL. It doesn't mean you're getting slower, or are weak; it means your training is working.
BUT ... you must be VERY careful to not slip over the edge into overtraining. If you feel you can't do tomorrow's run, eg, DONT. Or Sunday's bike - read carefully the instructions at the bottom in italics, where it says doing it @ IF 0.7 is OK.
Now, I gotta go out and make myself more tired than I want to be ... my least favorite workout of all, the 2.5 hour/18 mile run ... I hate it.
Got my long run in this morning....temps were in the mid 50's and felt great. No issues with the foot so the ice and stretching are doing the trick! Super happy about that
@Danielle, Al is spot on, thats the cumulative fatigue as the volume has increased so you are feeling exactly how the plan should have you feeling right now. As we taper towards the end of the plan you will be ready to rock that run!
I am right there with everybody above on the fatigue factor. I was blaming it partially on allergies as everyone is sneezing here about something blooming right now! I had to get the long run done in 2 shifts-which worked. Then had to make Friday a rest day (ha! sorta!) as I was on call and worked 15 hours straight. I got Friday's swim in today in two shifts (on call again) 2k before work and 2k when done. Saturday's run/ride tomorrow and the sunday ride-well, something just has to give.
My race plan (based on last year) at this point resembles Steve's a whole lot! Al, thanks for bringing Tallo's plan to my attention-I think I will try to get a little more detailed this year
Comments
Thanks for sharing. I'm excited for you. I know that you are doing everything possible with training to make you have an outstanding day. Can't wait to see you in AZ.
I'll be working the run course on the last shift of the day so hopefully I'll see you on the course.
Take care,
Robert
Thanks for sharing. I'm excited for you. I know that you are doing everything possible with training to make you have an outstanding day. Can't wait to see you in AZ.
I'll be working the run course on the last shift of the day so hopefully I'll see you on the course.
Take care,
Robert
Thanks for sharing. I'm excited for you. I know that you are doing everything possible with training to make you have an outstanding day. Can't wait to see you in AZ.
I'll be working the run course on the last shift of the day so hopefully I'll see you on the course.
Take care,
Robert
Thanks for sharing. I'm excited for you. I know that you are doing everything possible with training to make you have an outstanding day. Can't wait to see you in AZ.
I'll be working the run course on the last shift of the day so hopefully I'll see you on the course.
Take care,
Robert
@Rian - thanks for the ride info. I'm looking forward to it!
@Danielle - I'm thinking I'm going to bail on the attempt to do the RR tomorrow. Weather has been so nasty and listening to all the accidents out on the road today made me think that I should be patient and just wait until the weather clears. Unfortunately, that may mean I need to wait until Monday since Sunday is filled with family stuff. I'll make the judgment call after I get off work tomorrow morning and see what happens. Hopefully this ridiculous rain exits overnight!
Did my swim RR today. Felt okay, and figured out that the less I think about what I'm doing in my swimming the better off I'm going to be. Ended up not doing the "400 fast first and then settle into race pace". Tried to do the whole thing mellow, no fast upfront, etc. Tried to think about the bike, nutrition, work, anything but swimming. That helps me a lot because the more I focus on what I'm doing during the swim the more I want to "race". I ended up doing 4000 meters in 56:15. No flip turns, minimal push off wall (calf was acting funny from having done the 17 miles on treadmill (yuck!) yesterday). Hopped up on the pool deck and took my pulse for 1 minute. Ended up with 118 bpm. My goal is to go sub 60, so hopefully I can get this pool practice to translate to OWS. Maybe with a wetsuit I'll be okay.
@Al, what a fantastic way to break up the monotony of the RR swim...may do this for future pool RR. Thanks!
@Wolf, the plan is still for me to go tomorrow. I am praying for the weather to cooperate and will carry on if it's a drizzle but will abort if the downpour comes (I had enough of that nonsense on my Thurs run)
My week started out on Sunday with a successful 2.96 OWS, later in the week I completed 20miles of running in a day, now tomorrow if all goes right I will bike 112 miles (the most I've ever done). For this newbie Irongirl I have a great sense of accomplishment for what I have been able to do so far. Putting all together in 36 days will be the icing on the cake.
@Rian -- Thanks for the comments on nutrition. Coach Patrick also weighed in and echoed your comments.
@Patricia -- Thanks for the feedback on the WTC dinner Friday, my family will add that to our itinerary
@AL -- I am in awe that you are doing IMAZ after IMLT. As you described your ride was visioning you riding on the peninsula. Ive done the peninsula metric before. I live not far from you.
@Danielle -- I use my Garmin 910XT as my computer for all sports, when I bike I have a screen that shows HR, Cadence, Speed and Time and just keep an eye on my HR from there and as long as I stay in saddle down in aero and don't push too hard on hills that the HR stays pretty consistent.
Will do the next RR in Tempe on the 26th.
Patricia-since you said nutrition was lacking last weekend on the Beeline, good job nailing it today! You know what to do on the 26th
Wolf and Danielle-good luck!
It sounds like the 10/26 RR on the Beeline will be David, Wolf, Patricia, Rian and me. Last year we tried to start at 5am to beat the heat but its much cooler right now. I ended up doing last saturday's wko today on the trainer as it was 57 at 6am and I wimped out (also was on a time crunch.) If it stays highs in the 80s we can easily start at the scheduled 6 am and have less time in the dark.
As for today's wko, I did the 40 min run in the dark and hit my z3 on the 2nd half home. Then I did the 7 20' .75-.8IF sessions as-.77, .78, .79 and last four at .8/.81. My quads were toast all day! Get to swim 4000 OWS tomorrow at 7:30 in tempe town lake-water temp right now is 73. What a difference 5 weeks makes as it was 61 last year on race day.
Betsy - Way to hammer your bike workout! My legs cramped just reading your IF numbers!
I'm going to start a separate thread for the RR on 10/26. Would be cool if we put together some deets reference to start times, meeting locations, Saturday dinner?, etc.
I've had to completely rearrange the workouts due to weather, work, family (can't miss the Princess Party...). Rearranged to the following: Did Tuesday's 3 x 1 mi (Z4) runs yesterday. Hit 6:43 (2.7 zone), 6:28 (3.7 zone), 6:27 (4.1 zone). Just couldn't get my HR to jump until the 3rd attempt, but it did feel good to finally do this workout with (somewhat) fresh legs and felt cool coming off of Thursday's long run. Finished with 10 minutes in low Z2. Will do Monday's workout today (Swim with incline run on treadmill). Tomorrow (Mon) will be RR. Hopefully with the holiday and clearing weather traffic will be light and road conditions much improved. I'll do the other swim on Tuesday as my "day off" from today (Sun). Back on track on Wednesday!
It was SO COOL watching the Kona coverage yesterday! Kids and I were glued to the computer watching the finish. Miranda Carfrae is just amazing!
Sounds like everyone is doing well and on target...great job to everyone!!!
RR#1 day went pretty well for me. It was nice to be able to benchmark against the same ride last year and see my improvements.
Ride: 112mi, 5:24, 20.7 mph, NP 188, .74IF, 1.02VI. ~2000ft gain. The ride wattage was a little on the high side, so I need to adjust my effort down a little bit, but it was a good training day. Felt very good most of the ride but started to sag a little after mile 90 or so, stomach was a little off, not really upset, just not wanting any more gels, so I swung by the truck and swigged some coke I had stashed for the run, felt much better by ~100mi and finished it up. I took in 24oz bottle per hour of Perform per hour, and did a gel every 30min with a banana every 1.5 hours. ~440 cals/hr. My Perform intake was a little low I think, and I did notice my mix was weak in two bottles, so I must have not put in the full 3 scoops. (Thats what I get for talking while prepping.) That's most likely what contributed to stomach issues and fatigue late into the ride. The ride was a PR by 10 min over last years race (and with no aero gear!) , and 25 min over last years RR#1 (almost 1.5 mph faster), both significant improvements.
Run: stomach issues were making hard to get excited to run, but I swigged more coke which settled things down a bit, and got going. While I felt tired, my legs were very strong and I had lots in the tank. 6 mi in 48:33. 8:05 pace. This felt like a nice easy pace and it was a beautiful fall afternoon, so I just disconnected and enjoyed the run. I did not execute walking but with adding in a short aid walk each mile this would be right on target for my goal pace of 8:30. I easily could have held pace for more.
Looking forward to a afternoon nap and a the day off!
Rian, wow ... you're on target for a great performance. Don't mess things up by overdoing it the next three weeks. No need to get excessively fatigued - you're already fit, now you need to stay sharp and not lose it.
No RR for me this week, but I did my long run yesterday, 15 miles in 2:05. I committed to the distance, not the time, before the start of the wko. Another mile + seemed overkill this week. I ended up doing 2 x 30+ minutes @ MP - the jump to 3 x 30 from the last week seems too much, and I wanted to follow my own advice above. It worked, I was able to get in Friday's swim workout today, feeling much better than I did last week after my long run. My swim speed is *almost* back to where it was two months ago at a similar point in my IM LT build. It's amazing how much I lose in swimming when I simply take it easy for two weeks - happens all the time, and makes me fearful of ever skipping a swim workout. Same thing happens with cycling, but not with running.
Here is what I got from today: my nutrition seemed to work for me today (1 20oz bottle of Perform, 1/2 PBar, 1 salt tab an hour -260 cal). Every 2 hrs I got off and went to bathroom(1 min each, which I added to the 6hrs). 4 minute transition from bike to run to go to bathroom, change shoes, switch out top to long sleeves. No stomach issues on the run and felt hydrated. Took an 8oz bottle of Perform and had a sip every mile. Did not feel like eating anything, which I'm sure isn't good as I'm going to need to eat at some point in the run...question is when? Kept my HR steady at about 120, but felt like it was a lot of work on the legs. In comparison, a 120 HR outside feels much easier on the legs. Strange.
Not the perfect RR scenario, but I will take it. Look forward to the outdoor version in 2 weeks
Wow! You all are having great RR's! Again I feel like the turtle of the group!
Yesterday was RR #1 for me. Friday Cathleen and I did our RR swim together (after getting bumped from our local LTF and driving 20' to another...grrrr!) then ran on the treadmill, even though it was nice out. I had to pick up my coed from UofM and was time crunched. After a LONG traffic filled round trip and a late steak dinner (not ideal I know) I got prepped for the day. Our local bike shop and team sponsor hosted a Kona Party in their computrainer lab (16 bike set up) and Cathleen and another friend doing EN booked the date in advance. It was a spectacular fall day to ride outside, but my son had Homecoming Pictures at 4:30, which meant I had to be riding at 7:30am as it was. Riding from home is a no go, so I kept the lab date. We rode to IM and Kona recap videos till the live feed came on. I was not happy in the saddle...tummy was off a tad ( I'm thinking due to that delish steak) and my *ahem* nether regions were in distress. I wore my race kit and a pair of cycle shorts on top ( as I've always done in IM and some of my long training days) and it was not comfy. At all.
Because of the nature of the party and riders coming and going, the kona course had to be restarted 4 times during my ride. Got to ride that 4.4 incline every time...lovely! 
Made it 100.8 miles and was happy to get off the rig! Stretched, pottied, got on my run gear and went out to run. I felt GREAT on the run. Did my walk breaks but could not run slow enough. Averaged 10:12's and should have been 30" slower. My legs wanted to go even faster at the end of the run! I gotta say, that is super encouraging for me. The run is my weak link and I can't say I've ever felt this "durable" with my running. I'm not much (if any) faster than in years past, but I'm a happy girl. Being a "newer" runner of 6 or so years, I know I've got a little more speed in there, but I'll take the durability for now!
Nutrition wise I had 312 calories per hour on the bike: I took in 5.5 24 oz bottles of perform over all drinking every 10', 1/2 powerbar every hour and 1 salt tab every hour. On the run I took in 18 oz perform ...drinking every mile and taking a salt tab, During the race I'll take a gu every 3 miles as well. Burned 3300 c and took in about 2000. Really didn't have taste fatigue, which is good. Didn't want to eat for about 4 hours post wo. Had myself a cosmo, then a healthy dinner.
Best of all? I feel really good today...not sore or much fatigue. Of course it was another spectacular fall day and would have perfect for riding or running, but I went power shopping with my daughter who is home for the weekend. I'm sure I burned more than just my cash doing that!
Big training weekend; Saturday 114 miles of cycling a 3 loop route that mirrors AZ well with two other AZ athletes (and multiple Kona KQs). No power data as my Joule blinked out one hour into the ride (not sure why). First two loops I stayed in rear of these two athletes who were HR based training; they had, based on my perceived effort, me riding approx 65% IF. Pace was nice and steady with minimal surges. As we started loop 3 (38 miles), I was encountering no stomach issues, felt very minor fatigue but felt the best I recall feeling after 76 miles of cycling in a long time. I was excited because I seemed to be doing very well with hydration and nutrition -- something that has been my main challenge in all prior IM events. So on loop 3 I moved to the front of our group and stepped up the intensity a level. My 3rd loop was 8min quicker than the prior loops, each, which were only about minute off from each other according to my watch. Off the bike and went for a steady paced 10K run. The legs felt ok on that run which put a smile on my face.
Sunday morning, slept in a bit (I think my body needed it), but soon after awakening headed out for a 2.5 hour run. Run intensity was solely by feel at a level that felt comfortable. Again surprised my legs were playing along for the two plus hours.
Monday will be a 60min trainer cycling session at 60% IF to spin the legs for recovery purposes, though I will be on Tri bike down on aero bars to continue to get body feeling good in the position. BTW- I stayed aero likely about 95% of time on Saturday, so I know my bike fit is dialed in well. The afternoon will be a big swim, approx 4,000m. Then a glass or two of red wine!
I would not worry about eating on the run-I stick to fluids only, your gut will be happier. Use the bike to fuel the run and eat a little more often if you can. After dark, they have broth on the run, very salty and satisfying.
Al-you run fast!!
Rian-great RR-you are going to have a great race! You and Al can keep the chairs warm at Rula Bula for us turtles!
Trish-you aren't the only turtle! And as I recall, you can smoke the swim!
Wolf-flexibility is key! you are getting it done!
Since I am not on RR weekend-I did 4000OWS in the tempe town puddle as Al refers to it. Not the same course-4 1000 loops starting on the north side by the Marina parking lot (heading to papago park). We head west, turn before Mill ave bridge, go down past the marina and turn again.
The bad: Despite technique improvement, only 2 min faster than AZIM last year. With 7 more turns, that has to add several minutes I figure
The good: - I felt good the whole time, finished 4th loop very strong
- I focused on counting, and lifted my head to sight every 6 strokes continuously, and didn't stray off course. I only treaded water once-after the first turn and
heading east, couldn't get mysighting in the glare-that will be a problem for us on race morning. We start out heading at east just at sunrise
- I was the fastest of the slowest! Meaning several people didn't get to start their 4th loop, there was a time cutoff of 9am (90 min) I was one of the last to finish
- The day and the water was gorgeous! I didn't wear my neoprene cap or earplugs but plan to in 5 weeks when the water will likely be 10 degrees cooler
I then did a full loop of the Beeline from there-kept it .7IF as I figured I was simulating race day-and I had no back soreness on the bike like i had for the first half hour last year, which was a relief. I attribute that to excellent bike fit in January and lots of riding in aero all year.
I practiced nutrition as always-2cups applesauce and scoop protein powder and coffee before leaving for lake. 20 oz bottle perform right before swim. Before the ride, 1.5 power bars-may not do this race day but this was a leisurely transition. I have been doing the concentrated infinit and went through a double concentrated bottle in 2 hours, sipping every 10 min chased by sip water, which I consumed 48 oz. Was ready to pee when I got back to the car. A week ago I actually did my first sweat test by the books, and came up with a range of 17 oz to 30 oz depending on heat conditions. I actually took in more-36oz per hour but I am used to drinking lots of water daily. On race day I will add a half power bar every 40-60 min
Wow, looks like everyone is really dialing in great with your RRs.
Trish, Danielle, and Patrica...you ladies are TOUGH! Not sure I got it in me to do a RR on the trainer. I would rather be kicked in the shin repeatedly that do more than about 2.5 hours on my trainer.
Life, work, and my injury from week 13 have had me hacking the plan quite a bit these last two weeks to make everything happen. Skipped the long run in week 14 in an effort to let the foot heal. Made my long run last week with no issues, but paid for it later in the day and the next morning.
Ice and stretching x 3 each day has it manageable. If all else fails, cortisone shot next week and deal with it after IMAZ.
RR last week was on Wednesday so my wife and I could do them together. Ended up with a little over 6 hours at .69IF, but not as steady as I would have liked for the route I rode...VI 1.04. Got off the bike feeling like the ride was a little harder than it should have been. Run was fine except I had more cardiac drift than I expected at those efforts. After reviewing my nutrition and hydration I realized I was not drinking near enough. Temps were cool (for Texas) in the morning, but closed out the ride and run at near 85 degrees and when fluids are not readily available (like at a race) I have a tendency to conserve so that I wont have to stop as much to reload. Lesson learned.
Life/work schedule are back to normal this week so back on track with the plan. Will finish up and post my race execution plan later today. This is my third IM, but the first one with anything close to a plan so please feel free to poke as many holes in it as possible.
As I mentioned before, first IM with anything that remotely resembles a race execution plan. Any and all input is greatly appreciated.
IMAZ RACE EXECUTION PLAN 11/17/2013
Wake up at 4am and eat breakfast; pop tarts (proven pre-race awesomeness!), Special K protein drink, and one cup of coffee...aprox 600 calories. Sip on gatorade throughout the morning. One GU Roctane (100 calories, 125mg sodium) 15’ before swim start.
Swim: Position myself between the buoy line and the middle, focus on smooth, steady stroke, find someone to draft and/or sight off of as long as I can still swim my race!
T1: Limit time in transition, don’t forget sunscreen!
Bike: BE SMART! Don’t get caught up in the T1 exit frenzy! First 30 min settle into a comfortable pace (0.65 - 0.68 IF = 125 -130 watts), start hydrating and watch them all pass by. Begin taking on nutrition at the 20 min mark. Expecting a six hour bike, so goal is 0.7 IF = 135 watts. As a second metric, HR of 125. Focus on steady riding and staying in aero as much as possible, especially in the last 2 hours as positional fitness comes into play.
Bike Nutrition/Hydration: Infinit 3 hour bottle on the bike. Take in 2 big sips every 20 min (305 calories/hour and 590mg sodium/hour). Alternate Perform and water from aid stations in aero bottle (175 calories/hour and 475mg sodium/hour). Special Needs - Grab second Infinit 3 hour bottle and take (2) tylenol to help with positional fitness/fatigue late in the ride.
T2: Again, limit time in transition, don’t forget sunscreen!
Run: BE SMART! Don’t get caught up in the T2 exit frenzy! Miles 0-6 settle into a comfortable pace Z1+ 30’ = 10:30 Miles 6-12 pick it up to Z1 pace (10:00) and enjoy this part of the run as I know whats coming! Miles 12-18 focus on pace and form trying to maintain a smooth, efficient stride. Miles 18-24 time to race, begin to push the pace a little more (goal 9:30) and embrace the suffering! Miles 24-26 if there is anything left in the tank...leave it on the course!
Run Nutrition/Hydration: Perform at every aid station x 6 stations/hour = 210 cal/hour and 570mg sodium/hr. Hand held gel flask: GU Roctane (with salt tabs added) every hour = 100 cal/hr and 380mg sodium/hr. Water as needed.
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/13455/Default.aspx#156027
2. Revisit your plan after RR#2, then again in the final week before the race, adding to it from what you've learned.
Good plan Steve!
Al and Patricia x2. I really like the race plan approach, especially Dave Tallo's "OCD" type ( Al's done so many IMs he's hardwired his brain for IM racing
) because for me it works a bit like 'visualization.' I give myself queues and targets to think about in the days and weeks leading up to the race, I go over them mentally, and then as the race day unfolds those queues really do pop-up and help me re-focus. Its funny for such a looooong day, I would imagine you have time to think and adjust, but you don't, you are consumed, and the day flys by. In the IM it is surprisingly easy to make mistakes, especially in thinking you have plenty of time to fix things or adjust, you don't. Mistakes sneak up on you and bite you big when you least expect it. Its very good to have a detailed plan for race day, especially for contingencies.
Which reminds me, it would be very good to go through the Four Keys ebook and talk soon, if you haven't yet. Its all about the keys to executing IM the EN way. I can first hand attest to it working VERY well, and well worth taking seriously. All the fitness in the world wont help you on race day if you don't execute well. I don't think coach Rich will be at IMAZ to do the talk, so think about going through the ebook and finding the webinar if you can ( I couldn't find it, maybe someone else has a link) :
The Four Keys, a summary
Four Keys Execution eBook
Race Execution resources
Running the Army 10 miler with some friends on Sunday so will move my weekend bike workouts to Friday and Sat.
Danielle--Yes I think there may be some accumulated fatigue as our weekly hours have been building but I think that will slow down soon.
Yes, this is the time when you SHOULD feel most fatigued in your training ... from the longest run (today) thru the second RR (next week). Personally, and also hearing from others in the EN forums over the past five years ... THIS IS NORMAL. It doesn't mean you're getting slower, or are weak; it means your training is working.
BUT ... you must be VERY careful to not slip over the edge into overtraining. If you feel you can't do tomorrow's run, eg, DONT. Or Sunday's bike - read carefully the instructions at the bottom in italics, where it says doing it @ IF 0.7 is OK.
Now, I gotta go out and make myself more tired than I want to be ... my least favorite workout of all, the 2.5 hour/18 mile run ... I hate it.
Got my long run in this morning....temps were in the mid 50's and felt great. No issues with the foot so the ice and stretching are doing the trick! Super happy about that
@Danielle, Al is spot on, thats the cumulative fatigue as the volume has increased so you are feeling exactly how the plan should have you feeling right now. As we taper towards the end of the plan you will be ready to rock that run!
Hope everyone has a great week-end!
I had to get the long run done in 2 shifts-which worked. Then had to make Friday a rest day (ha! sorta!) as I was on call and worked 15 hours straight. I got Friday's swim in today in two shifts (on call again) 2k before work and 2k when done. Saturday's run/ride tomorrow and the sunday ride-well, something just has to give.
My race plan (based on last year) at this point resembles Steve's a whole lot! Al, thanks for bringing Tallo's plan to my attention-I think I will try to get a little more detailed this year