@william, it's like we're connected at the hip...except your hips move much faster!!! That's perfect and I suspect you will start to see the fitness come around now. It will be hard to resist running "fast like on race day" but you have done so much this far. Dial in your nutrition plan, your execution plan, etc....put the extra energy where it matters (including those interval sessions on the bike, etc.). Very excited to see you put it all on the road shortly!
Do you know if they are doing the standard 2-3 ounce cups of drink or handing out little bottles at Boston? At Grandma's last year, they gave out 8-10 ounce bottles of water. Made it easier to get more of it down in one go.
My nutrition needs are pretty simple...plenty of water and more calories than I'd think. Just a matter of whether I need to do them by gels and water or by "gatorade" at every mile. I'll be looking into what they say they have.
Thanks again for all your help here. I had a race that I am thoroughly satisfied with. I gambled (consciously) early that I might be able to run as fast as my kid did last year...but that wasn't in the cards, so I slowed...and of course I paid for it later...a phenomenon with which I know you are aware! But I was smart enough to pull out of the gamble early enough that I still got a PR. I probably had a 3:10 in me if I ran it perfectly and targeting that time, but I ended up finishing 3:13 because of my gamble. But as aI said, I am totally comfortable with that...you don't get that many shots at a life-best race, and I was willing to take it given how things had been going until that last injury. (reading feedback, it sounds like almost everyone had a hard time the last several miles...i almost wonder if it was warmer than we realize...but anyway, I'm happy!) Sometimes you gamble and you win huge, and sometimes you win small but call it a victory for not having lost...I'm happy enough to have won small. The good news is that - other than the usual "i'm really sore" - no injury...no achilles...no calf...no nothing. So I'm all set for a great second half when I'm ready to get going again.
I would like to have a conversation about planning for the rest of my season soon. I'm obviously taking this week entirely off and probably just going to do some swimming next week to start to get my feel for the water again and just get the blood flowing. I am doing Wisconsin this year (Sept 7)
I feel like I may be a candidate for the "long term IM marathon improvement" type of cycle (https://app.box.com/s/587befveymgdul7lta8l), having not had what I consider a super successful run in either my two previous IM WI efforts.
Anyway, there's a bit of time available here...no big rush... but since we've worked pretty closely here, should we continue on this or should I pop over to the macro forum to chat with Rich, or how would you like to proceed?
Thanks! (and I hope your legs recuperate quickly!)
Great run!! It's not always about the time on the clock that matters… I can say firsthand that the last couple miles were ridiculous. When I got my car after the race, the thermometer said it was in the low 70s… Much harder than predicted.
I am off to North Carolina for camp this week, but I can talk to you next week. Remember that the long-term improvement plan has a lot of running in it, a lot of running which you've already done in preparation for the Boston Marathon. Happy to talk to you about how to insert yourself into the plan but we're certainly not to start from scratch. :-)
Thanks. I was surprised by the consistency of people saying the last several miles were particularly tough - both inside EN and out. I just put it up to the course being tough and all of us getting excited, but perhaps it did get a bit warm for the ideal.
Yes, obviously I can run ok... The thing I was taking from reading that plan was less the running emphasis than the "getting ready to run" part... but we can exchange some ideas when you get back. I sort of viewed the Boston training as getting some of that good run endurance in the bank...then perhaps hanging on to that the smartest way possible while trying to build up my bike endurance. Anyway, have fun at the camp!
An update, and a query as to whether you think I'm doing the right thing, post marathon. In short, for now I am trying to live with the maxim that You. Are. Not. Special. :-)
Week 1 I waddled around and waited for toenails to fall off. Used bannisters with regularity. Took the elevator a lot.
Week 2: I started swimming. Oy. That was ugly. Ugly slow, and ugly feeling. However, I knew better than to push it. Just doing some time and some yards. A couple of very easy rides
Week 3 (May 5): Added a couple of easy runs and extended one ride to 2 hours. Two total days off. still swimming. Pool felt better, but there was no intensity to be had on the bike and none at all in the run, even if I wanted to. 3 easy runs of about 15 miles total.
Week 4 (starts May 12) ; By now, feeling better in the pool. Still 2 days off. Two runs of 60 and 90 minutes. Still just easy, easy easy. One 3-hour easy bike and two other 1 hour bikes with just a hint of intensity.
Week 5 May 19): Was feeling a lot better. Moved more or less to the IM plan (week 5 for my race) for frequency, but still done with eased off intensity. I was going at only about 90% of my pre-marathon FTP for the bike. I let all the MP/HMP runs be easy pace (around 8:00 after warmup), and the one "FTP run" was really more like HMP, even though I tried pretty hard. I just didn't sweat it, though. I used the Memorial Day weekend to get in 3 days of cycling in a row: Sat/Sun/Mon with a total of 8 hours in the saddle. No real significant FTP, but just a "mini camp" to start to prepare for the longer rides to come. A lot of ABP-type intensity from an RPE perspective, but the absolute number is still down 5-10%.
Week 6 actually started May 26 - plan is to stick with the Week 5 strategy and just let the intensity come back over the next couple of weeks.
Last summer, after my HIM/Marathon double, I had this kind of pattern too...fatigue, then getting back to feeling normal, but still performing at sub-standard pace/power. I "raced myself into shape" in a series of sprints and Oly's and was more or less back in racing form about 2 months after the marathon. With my Boston having been a pretty big effort, I'm sort of thinking that's going to be the pattern again.
My thought about increasing the volume at this stage (i.e., going into the IM plan but just letting the intensity come as it may) is that it's hard to increase volume and intensity at the same time....and I was (and am not quite yet) in the position to really do myself any good with serious intensity...so I am best off increasing the volume a bit, even if that slows down the intensity recovery some...because It would be too hard to do both at the same time.
I'm racing IMOO, so I feel like I've got plenty of time to get back to my old form. And I figure even if I do nothing more than train so that I can run 8:00 miles from now until Thursday as long as you feed me (i.e., get my durability back without worrying too much about increasing run speed), I will have more energy to put into the bike. I haven't run a 3:3x IM marathon (when I am clearly capable of it), so I am thinking that focusing on the bike and holding the run may be the way to go.
Great update - textbook!!! The sheer amount of running volume and intensity that you have already put into your body this year will be a significant limiter as you begin the build into Wisconsin. You are literally the embodiment of why we say not to race a Marathon and Ironman in the same year. :-)
So there should really be no run intensity all right now. To think that would love to do anything hard on the run until July at the earliest. Everything is just consistency and quality, using terrain and strides the only opportunities to get outside of that "steady" box.
I would like you to focus on getting the speed back in the pool and the bike however as the run remains constant.
Bike first, swim later. What do you think you could do across a regular week focus on some quality training on the bike? You certainly have enough miles on your legs that endurance is not a limiter.
As you know, I made a conscious choice to do Boston, understanding the negative consequences. I would advise exactly the same way (i.e., not to do a marathon, or at least not to "race" a marathon) in order to maximize triathlon potential. However, this year's Boston was worth that sacrifice. It's a choice I remain satisfied with.
Back to the point at hand. I'm not sure what you mean by "Bike first, swim later". Do you mean work on bike speed first and swim speed later? Or are you referring to the order of workouts in a day? (I think you mean the former.) And I think there may be a word or two missing in the sentence "What do you think you could do across a regular week focus on some quality training on the bike?"
If you're asking what I can do on the bike, the current schedule has 3 rides/week (intervals, long, ABP). I'm doing the intervals indoors to force myself to do them right. I could add a 4th bike, but would have to drop a run. Only so many hours in the day. I suppose a four bike week would look something like M run, T interval bike, W long run, Th bike, F no legs, Sa long bike, Su ABP (with a couple of brick runs in there somewhere).
My current thought on the swim, FWIW: I am now basically able to swim as fast as usual, but for a smaller number of repeats. For example, I can do 3 x 100 at the same pace (before fading) that I can do 10 x 100 when in good shape. That is a big step forward over my initial couple weeks, where no speed was possible. I think my form (before I break down) is pretty good. Not perfect, but on the way. I am happy to just keep plugging away with frequency and only moderate volume for the next couple months to get back to where I was before throwing the bigger volume on that requires more "fatigue overhead". I can do 4 x 45-60 minute swims without it being draining for the leg work. Seems like there's more urgency to building the bike strength again. I think we are in agreement here.
How long would you imagine following this pattern before hopping into the IM build? Roughly a month? (i.e., until around 12 weeks out?) Seems like a key part of the IM endurance build is the Sat/Sun double bike, which this doesn't have, obviously.
Are you really suggesting only 2 runs per week (Wed and Sun)? That frightens me, I admit. Where would you stick a third easy run (30-45 min, just to get out there a bit)?
Starting next Monday, I have access to 6:00-8:00 am LCM pool every weekday, which will make the swims very low overhead...a blessing.
Had a good day today. Swam pretty well at noon and good FTP session on the bike in the evening. Got in 40 min of "FTP" at only 10 W below where I was at peak. It'll come back. Just gotta keep plugging away, staying smart, and being patient. Thanks for your help and prodding.
Until 12 weeks out is ok unless you have the chance for a big bike weekend in there (outside of camp weekend). There are several different ways to build bike volume and they aren't all linear. A weekend like that let's you stick with a more conservative program without sacrificing the durability you crave.
As for the run, I'd have you brick off both bikes in the 20-30' range. Quality brother, you just lit up Boston!
As you might imagine, my training has been affected by the events of the last weeks. I have had to reprioritize my life to make sure my daughter OJ has the support she needs, and to be frank, it was not easy to train well for a while, regardless of any other scheduling issues. I am resigned to this being not necessarily my peak performance, but I want to do a respectable job at IM WI and I need some advice.
I had been pretty on-track with the training plan until Timothy's death. I realized immediately that I would not be able to do two long weekend workouts in a row for several weeks, however. OJ's life needed support, and there were just other things that had to be attended to.
To compensate on the couple of weekends where I couldn't do two long rides, I had been doing a single 5-hour trainer ride at slightly higher than the proscribed power...getting about 340 TSS. The other weekend day was typically under 2 hours. It was the best I could do to compared to the 4.5 + 3 hour bikes. Last weekend (July 26-27), we had to travel for OJ's swimming championships and there was no 5-hour block. So instead, I did a 2 hour run Thu, a 2 hour bike Fri, and a 2.5 hour run on Saturday...trying to at least get in some of the work associated with the long runs, if not the long bike.
This coming weekend (Aug 1-2) will be similar, as we have to take her to USAT triathlon nationals. I cannot take any days off from work in between, but I will have similar time frames...enough for long-ish workouts, but no time for a 5 hour ride or something similar.
I am concerned about just getting in some volume at some point. My thought is to get through this weekend and then get back on track with the regular plan...and do a single "camp week" for a big volume pop to help with that end of fitness. I am resigned to being a little conservative on the watts during the race and just try to get through and get a decent run in. I'm sure there will be many things on my mind that day.
In any case, given the race date of Sept 7, what would you recommend for a time-frame of a volume camp, and could you recommend a model plan for me to use (e.g., week X from plan X).
William, I can't imagine. But I understand your need to keep something going. That said, it's not about a perfect plan but a fitness level that, combined with great execution, will have you racing on the day. We have a compressed IM plan about to go live in a few days that you can modify. The volume camp would be the weekend after USNaTS so you have time to process it and adapt training. So drop in plan to have volume camp on the weekend after Nats and stay tuned.
OK...checking in again. Over the 8th-10th (Sat/Sun/Mon), I successfully navigated the meat of camp week [modifying the earlier days to deal with the wrong start date]. I just couldn't do the RR on Friday due to work issues.
- RR Swim went better than I deserve. No further comment. - Saturday RR bike/run was also successful. I've got a very conservative "should" wattage that I hit for 120 miles that set me up to be fine for the run without feeling like it was a "joke". And I know that there are more hills on the Madison course than the one I rode. Major lesson = drink drink drink (and that the conservative wattage was a good choice) - Sunday morning was a sprint race. I know that's not on the camp agenda, but this was one of those community things I had to do. Biked at 90% FTP. Ran at between HMP and MP for most of it. Won my AG with a decent sprint finish. Took a nap and then rode another 65ish in the afternoon. Was down a few watts, but got in the miles. For the first time ever I stopped at a gas station and bought a candy bar. That was the best candy bar ever. - Monday (today) I ran just a little under 18 miles, averaging just a touch over my easy pace. This went pretty well, too, particularly after I got more water... If I get to mile 18 in Madison feeling like I did today, I will be successful. Last mile or so was pretty easy to bump significantly faster, though I didn't try to get to HMP.
OK...so tomorrow (Tuesday) is off...and I don't feel the need to re-test bike FTP...the RR settled that. So the question is just what you suggest to be prepared to jump back in to the plan ( to finish up on a regular schedule) by the weekend again. Specifically, if I just do an easy spin on Wed to shake out the legs and a bit of a swim, do you think I should go ahead with the Thursday long run? I have little doubt about my ability to do it...it's just the wisdom of it I want to check with you. I feel like I ought to, but it's only 3 days after this pretty hard weekend. I could back the long run up to Friday, but that does put the three long days all in a row again.
Presumably you were tied up with the whole IMMT thing, and that obviously went great!
The situation is resolved. I ended up doing a swim and very easy ride Wed and another 18 miler on Thursday without much trouble. After that, I've been back on track with the standard IM plan, and things seem to be pretty normal.
Sorry! The fitness is there now, the question is can you execute and fuel right to have the best possible day. time to start shifting that focus inwards to process vs outwards to workouts! Excited for you...
Thanks for the reassuring words. I have learned a few things about getting enough fluid etc. So that's good.
It is a very strange feeling: that I'm "doing" the race rather than really competing as I am used to. Not one I especially like. I will have to get it through my head to compete, but on slightly different terms than usual.
Thanks for all your help. As you know, I ended up 11th in the AG, which is a pretty ridiculously good result. I also ended up with the 3rd fastest run in the AG, which is even more ridiculous.
So Studly. Seriously....you are borderline Kona material there Herr Professor. 3rd AG run is legit. Great to follow you all day -- you seemed unstoppable.
Thanks for the kind words. Now nearing a week out, my recovery is going almost miraculously quickly, but I'm really totally relaxing for a little while.
I dropped a note onto the Macro forum seeking Rich's advice over the long term. This race convinced me that I want to stay in the sport and want to do another IM really at my best some time in the next year or two...trying to figure out what the most sustainable and wisest pattern is. I'm leaning to a 2015 of a couple of Halfs and maybe an IM in 2016, but we'll see what he has to say.
Re reading this thread, we went through a lot this year, and I cannot thank you enough.
Amazing at what the human body can accomplish despite everything else. I think you have the fitness and experience to engage in some schedule tweaking, and to benefit from it as well. But first, the unwinding. You've had quite a year and getting you back on a normal schedule should be a top priority. Really looking forward to what the future holds!
Comments
Do you know if they are doing the standard 2-3 ounce cups of drink or handing out little bottles at Boston? At Grandma's last year, they gave out 8-10 ounce bottles of water. Made it easier to get more of it down in one go.
My nutrition needs are pretty simple...plenty of water and more calories than I'd think. Just a matter of whether I need to do them by gels and water or by "gatorade" at every mile. I'll be looking into what they say they have.
Thanks again for all your help here. I had a race that I am thoroughly satisfied with. I gambled (consciously) early that I might be able to run as fast as my kid did last year...but that wasn't in the cards, so I slowed...and of course I paid for it later...a phenomenon with which I know you are aware! But I was smart enough to pull out of the gamble early enough that I still got a PR. I probably had a 3:10 in me if I ran it perfectly and targeting that time, but I ended up finishing 3:13 because of my gamble. But as aI said, I am totally comfortable with that...you don't get that many shots at a life-best race, and I was willing to take it given how things had been going until that last injury. (reading feedback, it sounds like almost everyone had a hard time the last several miles...i almost wonder if it was warmer than we realize...but anyway, I'm happy!) Sometimes you gamble and you win huge, and sometimes you win small but call it a victory for not having lost...I'm happy enough to have won small. The good news is that - other than the usual "i'm really sore" - no injury...no achilles...no calf...no nothing. So I'm all set for a great second half when I'm ready to get going again.
I would like to have a conversation about planning for the rest of my season soon. I'm obviously taking this week entirely off and probably just going to do some swimming next week to start to get my feel for the water again and just get the blood flowing. I am doing Wisconsin this year (Sept 7)
I feel like I may be a candidate for the "long term IM marathon improvement" type of cycle (https://app.box.com/s/587befveymgdul7lta8l), having not had what I consider a super successful run in either my two previous IM WI efforts.
Anyway, there's a bit of time available here...no big rush... but since we've worked pretty closely here, should we continue on this or should I pop over to the macro forum to chat with Rich, or how would you like to proceed?
Thanks! (and I hope your legs recuperate quickly!)
I am off to North Carolina for camp this week, but I can talk to you next week. Remember that the long-term improvement plan has a lot of running in it, a lot of running which you've already done in preparation for the Boston Marathon. Happy to talk to you about how to insert yourself into the plan but we're certainly not to start from scratch. :-)
Yes, obviously I can run ok... The thing I was taking from reading that plan was less the running emphasis than the "getting ready to run" part... but we can exchange some ideas when you get back. I sort of viewed the Boston training as getting some of that good run endurance in the bank...then perhaps hanging on to that the smartest way possible while trying to build up my bike endurance. Anyway, have fun at the camp!
An update, and a query as to whether you think I'm doing the right thing, post marathon. In short, for now I am trying to live with the maxim that You. Are. Not. Special. :-)
Last summer, after my HIM/Marathon double, I had this kind of pattern too...fatigue, then getting back to feeling normal, but still performing at sub-standard pace/power. I "raced myself into shape" in a series of sprints and Oly's and was more or less back in racing form about 2 months after the marathon. With my Boston having been a pretty big effort, I'm sort of thinking that's going to be the pattern again.
My thought about increasing the volume at this stage (i.e., going into the IM plan but just letting the intensity come as it may) is that it's hard to increase volume and intensity at the same time....and I was (and am not quite yet) in the position to really do myself any good with serious intensity...so I am best off increasing the volume a bit, even if that slows down the intensity recovery some...because It would be too hard to do both at the same time.
I'm racing IMOO, so I feel like I've got plenty of time to get back to my old form. And I figure even if I do nothing more than train so that I can run 8:00 miles from now until Thursday as long as you feed me (i.e., get my durability back without worrying too much about increasing run speed), I will have more energy to put into the bike. I haven't run a 3:3x IM marathon (when I am clearly capable of it), so I am thinking that focusing on the bike and holding the run may be the way to go.
Thanks for any thoughts.
So there should really be no run intensity all right now. To think that would love to do anything hard on the run until July at the earliest. Everything is just consistency and quality, using terrain and strides the only opportunities to get outside of that "steady" box.
I would like you to focus on getting the speed back in the pool and the bike however as the run remains constant.
Bike first, swim later. What do you think you could do across a regular week focus on some quality training on the bike? You certainly have enough miles on your legs that endurance is not a limiter.
As you know, I made a conscious choice to do Boston, understanding the negative consequences. I would advise exactly the same way (i.e., not to do a marathon, or at least not to "race" a marathon) in order to maximize triathlon potential. However, this year's Boston was worth that sacrifice. It's a choice I remain satisfied with.
Back to the point at hand. I'm not sure what you mean by "Bike first, swim later". Do you mean work on bike speed first and swim speed later? Or are you referring to the order of workouts in a day? (I think you mean the former.) And I think there may be a word or two missing in the sentence "What do you think you could do across a regular week focus on some quality training on the bike?"
If you're asking what I can do on the bike, the current schedule has 3 rides/week (intervals, long, ABP). I'm doing the intervals indoors to force myself to do them right. I could add a 4th bike, but would have to drop a run. Only so many hours in the day. I suppose a four bike week would look something like M run, T interval bike, W long run, Th bike, F no legs, Sa long bike, Su ABP (with a couple of brick runs in there somewhere).
My current thought on the swim, FWIW: I am now basically able to swim as fast as usual, but for a smaller number of repeats. For example, I can do 3 x 100 at the same pace (before fading) that I can do 10 x 100 when in good shape. That is a big step forward over my initial couple weeks, where no speed was possible. I think my form (before I break down) is pretty good. Not perfect, but on the way. I am happy to just keep plugging away with frequency and only moderate volume for the next couple months to get back to where I was before throwing the bigger volume on that requires more "fatigue overhead". I can do 4 x 45-60 minute swims without it being draining for the leg work. Seems like there's more urgency to building the bike strength again. I think we are in agreement here.
Yes to bike fitness now; the swim will come as you have suggested via frequency.
I'd say do Tuesday = FTP ride; Thursday = 4x4' @ 110% FTP.
IIRC, we've been here before....
How long would you imagine following this pattern before hopping into the IM build? Roughly a month? (i.e., until around 12 weeks out?)
Seems like a key part of the IM endurance build is the Sat/Sun double bike, which this doesn't have, obviously.
Are you really suggesting only 2 runs per week (Wed and Sun)? That frightens me, I admit. Where would you stick a third easy run (30-45 min, just to get out there a bit)?
Starting next Monday, I have access to 6:00-8:00 am LCM pool every weekday, which will make the swims very low overhead...a blessing.
Had a good day today. Swam pretty well at noon and good FTP session on the bike in the evening. Got in 40 min of "FTP" at only 10 W below where I was at peak. It'll come back. Just gotta keep plugging away, staying smart, and being patient. Thanks for your help and prodding.
As for the run, I'd have you brick off both bikes in the 20-30' range. Quality brother, you just lit up Boston!
As you might imagine, my training has been affected by the events of the last weeks. I have had to reprioritize my life to make sure my daughter OJ has the support she needs, and to be frank, it was not easy to train well for a while, regardless of any other scheduling issues. I am resigned to this being not necessarily my peak performance, but I want to do a respectable job at IM WI and I need some advice.
I had been pretty on-track with the training plan until Timothy's death. I realized immediately that I would not be able to do two long weekend workouts in a row for several weeks, however. OJ's life needed support, and there were just other things that had to be attended to.
To compensate on the couple of weekends where I couldn't do two long rides, I had been doing a single 5-hour trainer ride at slightly higher than the proscribed power...getting about 340 TSS. The other weekend day was typically under 2 hours. It was the best I could do to compared to the 4.5 + 3 hour bikes. Last weekend (July 26-27), we had to travel for OJ's swimming championships and there was no 5-hour block. So instead, I did a 2 hour run Thu, a 2 hour bike Fri, and a 2.5 hour run on Saturday...trying to at least get in some of the work associated with the long runs, if not the long bike.
This coming weekend (Aug 1-2) will be similar, as we have to take her to USAT triathlon nationals. I cannot take any days off from work in between, but I will have similar time frames...enough for long-ish workouts, but no time for a 5 hour ride or something similar.
I am concerned about just getting in some volume at some point. My thought is to get through this weekend and then get back on track with the regular plan...and do a single "camp week" for a big volume pop to help with that end of fitness. I am resigned to being a little conservative on the watts during the race and just try to get through and get a decent run in. I'm sure there will be many things on my mind that day.
In any case, given the race date of Sept 7, what would you recommend for a time-frame of a volume camp, and could you recommend a model plan for me to use (e.g., week X from plan X).
Thanks so much,
William
I usually get out to Madison to ride the course, but being away just isn't right these days. Will do it around here.
- RR Swim went better than I deserve. No further comment.
- Saturday RR bike/run was also successful. I've got a very conservative "should" wattage that I hit for 120 miles that set me up to be fine for the run without feeling like it was a "joke". And I know that there are more hills on the Madison course than the one I rode. Major lesson = drink drink drink (and that the conservative wattage was a good choice)
- Sunday morning was a sprint race. I know that's not on the camp agenda, but this was one of those community things I had to do. Biked at 90% FTP. Ran at between HMP and MP for most of it. Won my AG with a decent sprint finish. Took a nap and then rode another 65ish in the afternoon. Was down a few watts, but got in the miles. For the first time ever I stopped at a gas station and bought a candy bar. That was the best candy bar ever.
- Monday (today) I ran just a little under 18 miles, averaging just a touch over my easy pace. This went pretty well, too, particularly after I got more water... If I get to mile 18 in Madison feeling like I did today, I will be successful. Last mile or so was pretty easy to bump significantly faster, though I didn't try to get to HMP.
OK...so tomorrow (Tuesday) is off...and I don't feel the need to re-test bike FTP...the RR settled that. So the question is just what you suggest to be prepared to jump back in to the plan ( to finish up on a regular schedule) by the weekend again. Specifically, if I just do an easy spin on Wed to shake out the legs and a bit of a swim, do you think I should go ahead with the Thursday long run? I have little doubt about my ability to do it...it's just the wisdom of it I want to check with you. I feel like I ought to, but it's only 3 days after this pretty hard weekend. I could back the long run up to Friday, but that does put the three long days all in a row again.
What are your thoughts? Thanks.
Presumably you were tied up with the whole IMMT thing, and that obviously went great!
The situation is resolved. I ended up doing a swim and very easy ride Wed and another 18 miler on Thursday without much trouble. After that, I've been back on track with the standard IM plan, and things seem to be pretty normal.
It is a very strange feeling: that I'm "doing" the race rather than really competing as I am used to. Not one I especially like. I will have to get it through my head to compete, but on slightly different terms than usual.
I dropped a note onto the Macro forum seeking Rich's advice over the long term. This race convinced me that I want to stay in the sport and want to do another IM really at my best some time in the next year or two...trying to figure out what the most sustainable and wisest pattern is. I'm leaning to a 2015 of a couple of Halfs and maybe an IM in 2016, but we'll see what he has to say.
Re reading this thread, we went through a lot this year, and I cannot thank you enough.