Week of Dec 16th Pre-OS
Had a good finish to the week last week. Yesterday I cranked out my 90 min run on a beautiful afternoon. It finally warmed up to about 45 after days of low 20's. Workout called for 15' of z3 and 3x1 mi @ z4. I bumped up my Vdot pacing based on the past couple weeks of z4 work I've been doing, and took those for a spin. It was a hard one, and I'm sore but I hit the numbers even with carrying the extra weight I've put back on in the past few weeks. I paced the z3 time in 6:48 and the 3x1miles @ 6:27,6:30,6:30. 12.5 mi in 1:34.
Going to the pool this afternoon (and maybe the hot-tub!)
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@ Jennifer - thanks, we'll be sure to stay out of your way when you re-start next month.
Today was my return to structured training. After a month of dithering, doing random workouts and not really meaning it, watching my FTP go down and my HR/pace go up, I am now officially on week 2 of the OS. On Monday and Friday of the OS, I do weight training and the Tues and Sat runs, so today was 45 minutes @ the gym, and 35 minutes on the road, including 3 (count 'em, THREE) strides. Tomorrow, a swim session first thing in the morning, then a little bit of FTP intervals.
Now off the trim the tree.
Week 4 of 4 of Run durability 2 starts today! (Well, tomorrow...I move the week set up to start on Tuesdays instead of mondays) I can't believe that the OS is almost here! If anyone has some advice for my first OS, I am all ears. I just added a fan to my bike trainer setup this weekend, and that made a huge difference. We just cancelled our trip to Colorado that would have run up against the OS, so I have plenty of time to make preparations.
@Al, I think I locked in the Garmin 310XT with the footpod...all those long conversations about training with my parents might have just paid off!
Of particular significance...tonight was my last ride on the road bike. Tomorrow I'm setting up my tri bike to ease into that riding position before the OS starts. It'll be the first ride on that sucker since 70.3 Kansas back in June!!
I did 50% in the aero bars and 50% sitting up, still figuring out which way i want to do the OS this year.
Well I'm back to the forums again. I tried to start up the beginning of December and got in a few workouts in but changing jobs has me working a little extra and the Christmas rush is now on. I figure I am out of time and excuses and just need to get down to it.
My FTP is shot as I have not had a hard ride since I pulled out of Lake Placid. As for my run I'll start slow as I have not been putting in the mileage in the last 6-8 weeks.
Looking forward to the JanOS. Good to see you back in the forums Matt.
First 2300 yds in the pool in the early morning, then FTP intervals in the afternoon - best work I've done (in the sense that I was committed to it) in a month: 3 x 6' (2") @ 0.982/131 MHR, 0.996/137, 1.017/139. I Include the max HR for each interval, as I expect that to come down over the next 6 weeks, probably to the range of 133.
I'm starting with an FTP of around 200 (right about where I started the OS in 11 and 12), and hope to get to the same level as this year: 218. I still have memories of FTP 262/w/kg of 3.969696 (with a different power meter, but I'll call it 4.0 anyway) 5 years ago. My advice: enjoy it while you can!
since then, i have been having trouble getting out of bed to workout and was quite busy at work, I went to Vermont this weekend, while it was only 2 degrees F on Saturday Morning, I managed to run 5 miles easy before a day of skiing, Sunday, epic ski day with a 15" powder dump, legs hurt from that! took Yesterday off and squeezed in a 2x20 FTP interval set on the bike tonight...
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/417102720
It was my first run with the Garmin 620...a few observations:
- The autolap was enabled by default and after the first mile I stopped to try and disable it but couldn't figure it out
- It is super-easy to change the data fields on the fly compared with my 405 or 910xt
- It was not a great run to get a feel for the new "running dynamics" metrics since my stride was not quite like normal and my cadence was abnormally low
- The new HR strap is awesome in terms of no strange spikes or drops at the beginning of the run despite wearing a technical top in cold weather (a virtual guarantee for problems with the old straps)
- The FirstBeat algorithm for calorie burn is VERY different from the estimate provided by the 910xt or 405. When I did a 70 min run a couple of weeks ago at a 6sec/mi SLOWER average pace and with max HR 3bpm LOWER than today the calorie burn estimate was 1162. Today the estimate was 835. Of course these are all estimates, but really, THAT different???
Monday: easy day after a harder weekend. Just a 10 pm 4 mile run on the gym track. If you look at the very beginning of the run where the cadence is near 190, that's typical for me right now...little tiny short steps to warm up the achilles without as much discomfort and then it eases into being ok. 4 miles gradually getting faster, then 15 minutes in the weights area to mix things up a little. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/416753040
Tuesday: 60 minute bike ride. Wanted to go relatively hard, but not too crazy so Wednesday's run (my main thing for a while) would be compromised. Warmup then 4 x 10' at 207, 210, 210, 227 W on the TT bike. Felt pretty good. NP 202 Dropping the FTP setting to 225, it calculated TSS of about 80, which felt about right. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/417065343
Since I work today (24 hour shift) it was 45' with 2x1 mi on the treadmill @ TP. Hitting the paces for my old VDOT, so I unlike swim and bike, my "top end" running has not dropped since taper/race/transition.
I've been gaining weight since IM AZ, probably a pound a week, and I'm now where I should be to start training again. Also, 4 days after the IM, my BP was 143/82, and the Dr started to cluck cluck. I told him it would get back to 11X/6Xwithin a month Last week was 118/62, and today was 115/59.
My conclusion is IM racing (as distinct from training) is not necessarily good for your health. Unfortunately, as Tim and others have alluded in this thread, there is an element of addiction to it.
Got my bike late yesterday , was just a shame to set it up on the trainer in the garage when it was in the mid 80's but the sun was setting.... got in an hour with V02 work...
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/553815-Stanislaus
Today for my run I got lost running on some trails.... Still managed to do 8 x .25 intervals in V02 range on various surfaces from cement to loose sand.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/417122195
Got to the "Olympic Size" pool this afternoon I set the garmin to 50M and did a lap. Looked at the time and said nope not 50M. Set it at 25M did a lap .... Nope thats not it... Asked a bunch of people and nobody knew.... Got out of the pool and walked it off and came up with 33yds... Set the garmin to that and did various intervals swim and w/toys. Yep those times were just about right maybe just a little fast for the effort I was putting in. After the swim I grabbed a measuring wheel from a construction worker nearby and measured this Hybrid Size Swimming pool and came up with 101' WTF over??? So its 30.78 meters or 33.66yds..... I'll set the garmin to 31 meters and call it good...
I got in a nice 10 mi run yesterday outside on a day where the weather HAD been great. (maybe 40 degrees?) By the time I ran it was sub freezing again (or at least cold enough that the cold ground was able to refreeze all the water standing on it) so I almost killed myself twice slipping on thin ice patches..and I am sure there are plenty of little spots on my Garmin trace where I slowed down to something crazy getting past those little black ice in the dark spots. But other than that, it was a successful run. Did 2 x 1 mi in the 6:30 range, and the rest was just whatever pace struck me as easy/doable. Garmin says I averaged 8 minute miles. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/417366002
Now if I could just get Garmin to come up with a symbol for "clear but in the dark" instead of that sun! No way was it sunny! :-)
I kept my cadence in the normal range today. One thing I find strange is that the "ground contact time" metrics from the new Garmin are all over the place. It's almost like one foot has systematically more ground contact time than the other. I wonder if this is a true problem with my running mechanics or if this sort of spread is normal.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/417375108
@Matt Aaronson 24oz steak for lunch??? WOW.... I find your verticle ocsillation just as confusing as the ground contact... Are you actually trying to get anything from it?
Today's work .... 3 x 6 (2) @ 105% well almost... started to come apart on the last one.... I think I can feel the 2000' elevation change from NH to AZ.
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/557479
Did a short 10 mile recovery ride in the afternoon and it was extremely windy. Rode at .60 ..... First time with the FLO90 on the rear and only the 3rd time I have ridden with the FLO60 on the front ... Could definitely feel the wheels.... Sat up a lot.... The out and back was faster on the uphill section LOL...
In any case I did 60' on the trainer with the workout being 10x1'(1')@z5 followed by 15' @z3+. I was using the same estimated FTP that I was using on the road bike (240) but instead of hitting 310-315 watts on the intervals I was more like 295-305. The "z3+" at the end showed good numbers but just felt a lot harder in the aerobars compared with the road bike. The first FTP test in January will be interesting...
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/417541985
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/417691133
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/417759563#
Also got in a 5 mile run with 3 x 1/2 mile repeats....
Did my Computrainer class last night. An ABP ride. Averaged 225 w for 75' (.85IF), and finished it off with 2 x 7' (2') @ 275W. Ouch!! On the bike next to me was a woman who finished 3rd @ IMWI in 25-29AG last Sept. (Matt A - it was Kristi Juno who did the TTT with us last May). I chased her the entire way on the computer screen. Had to see if this old dog could keep up with a young chica. Didn't get "dropped" but I think she had mercy on me.
This am I did a core class @ Lifetime Fitness. Wow!! I'm not very flexible compared to the others in the class. Got some things to work on, and I already stretch after every workout.
Today is my 59th birthday so I officially age up today to 60-64 AG. A nice family dinner as both my kids are home from college, some wine and cake. Back to training tomorrow. Use it or lose it.
Good to see others doing some nice efforts to be ready for JOS.
Hi all. I’m Matt Aaronson’s dad, entering my third OS. Season one was an unqualified success with a first place AG finish at the Pleasant Prairie Oly. Last season was an unmitigated disaster marred by training injuries and torpedoed by surgery unrelated to training. I managed to finish the season completing my first half marathon, not pretty, but in the books.
My goal this year is to requalify for the AG Oly Nationals and to perform well enough to qualify for the 2015 Worlds here in Chicago under the age-up rules. I’ll be competing as a 70 year old in 2015. (I must say, it feels weird seeing that number on the page. But its years away. Right?)
My wife (of 40 years) and I moved here from Toronto four years ago and live not far from Matt, his wife and our three grandchildren. Our other two adult children are on opposite coasts. I mediate three days a week, do volunteer work, babysit, travel and train and train.
I’ve not been in the habit of posting my workout results, although every heartbeat, foot strike and watt is recorded and reported to Matt who is, as you can imagine, a demanding but inspiring coach, trainer and teammate.
Happy Holidays! Here’s to an injury free OS. Let the games begin.