IMTX WK 10 Holding the Line
Week 10 - time to HOLD THE LINE before taper begins! 
Morning Swim: http://www.strava.com/activities/135106616 
Happy Monday!
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Week 10 - time to HOLD THE LINE before taper begins!
Morning Swim: http://www.strava.com/activities/135106616
Happy Monday!
Comments
@ JA....good question. I'm not there yet, but look forward to the answer from the vets.
On a similar note, how important/critical do you think the 3swims/week are for the next two weeks? Today and tomorrow are crazy busy for me and I really want to blow off a swim, but don't want to loose what little swim fitness I have. I've been consistently getting in 3/wk (~12K/week) for the past few weeks. I've heard (I think from Coach R?) that 2x/week will usually allow you to maintain fitness, but 3x/wk is needed for improvements. I'm not expecting any improvements now. Thoughts?
3k in the pool this morning....I really can't believe we're this close....mental energy is building.
JA - there is no doubt the answer is yes....consitency over time results in a myriad of benefits...thats why EN has the "three year plan" view...I have been running for years...but doing tris only four...this years volume & intensity is much more easily absorbed than last year and the same for the year before...build...peak...plateau...regroup...build again....the cylcle remains the same...wether its a micro cycle withing a season...or macro cycle over year(s)....most people (most of us) will never reach their true physical limit...
JL - I think swimming consitency is important over the final weeks...listen to coach P's week 16 video on taper...
Rock on all.
Got in 3600yd swim per plan at lunch.
@JA, I'm far more vet than expert, but 2x what Chip said. My first one ('04) was a huge struggle to get all the WKOs in, as I was often too exhausted or, later, too banged up to train. I limped into that one with ITB in both knees and a bum right Achiles, having maxed out at 70 on the bike (ITB loudly clicked every pedal stroke) and a 17-mile walk/run. Training for #2 was better, but the race was a nightmare. #3 was the magic one for me. I was able to handle all the work without exhaustion or injury and I hit all my goal targets (PR by an hour). I did the same exact work and got the same results in #4. Plateau. I think that's why the average life cycle of an IMer is 3-5 years. And, sure enough, when life interfered during #5, I simply refused to work my butt off for the same result. So I followed the #1 model and did a single 70-mile ride and 15-mile run. Time was slower, run was unpleasant, I was done. It wasn't until I really missed IM and fully embraced doing "something different" (i.e., EN) that I was able to sign up for this one. I've enjoyed this team training more than the other 5 races combined. But, just in case, I signed up for another one next year in a pretty place to prevent me from quitting after TX.
@JL, the swim is the swim is the swim, and we're 2+ weeks out. For me, frequency (3 or more x/wk) helps you develop and maintain feel for the water, which supports a good catch and helps you intuitively spot good/bad form. But, at this point, you could swim 2 hours per day until the race and add 3 minutes to your swim time via extreme fatigue and shoulder pain. Or you could stop swimming altogether and add 1 minute to your swim through rustiness. Anything in between those two extremes will add up to a few seconds +/-. You can shave a lot more time by practicing transitions.
@JA .... Yes ...Consistency over years... Being patient and adding slowly to volume and intensity over time is key... I think it took me 3-4 years to develop run durability going thru right leg IT issues year one , then left leg IT issues year two, then sciatica year 3 , finally getting in a good year last year and adding to it this year.... I'm a firm believer in more is more but only if you can absorb/recover.... Last year was my first year retired and I was so excited I could train ALL the time... The result? Same amount of training as prior year BUT more rest recovery (so yes family, kids, work,etc all adds up to TSS if you will and is a factor in your training)... This year I have been able to add to that a little .... While more is more , something still needs to give , usually its intensity , that is a fine line and a balancing act , intensity needs to remain....I think some might make the mistake of just doing more lower intensity.... HOW , WHEN , WHERE and HOW MUCH volume , intensity in your build , peak , taper is the trick! Bottomline is steady consistency and most of the FOP or Pro's that have been at this for a long time have that one thing in common... Consistency year over year.... I remember Coach Rich saying something a long time ago .... Something along the lines of if you just maintain 1-2 FTP bikes and Runs per week and then 1- 3hr ride and 1- 90 min run per week you could maintain the fitness required for an IM....There is a guy Ken Glah who runs Endurance Travel Sports who is in my AG and has KQ'ed something like 31 years in a row on minimal training.... But he is consistent!
@Jeff Leslie.... skipping a swim isnt gonna kill you .... the work is done... there is nothing you or I can do at this point to get any faster between now and race day.... but there is a lot we can do to get slower .... like over train.... over eat.... get injured... we are in maintenance mode for about another week and then taper... I view swimming volume as a great maintenance to our fitness while we taper on the bike/run and try not to miss any swims in the next 2 weeks.... I'll even try to add 1 or 2 maintenance/endurance swims while keeping at least one swim with intesity intervals...
my six cents.
I would go with swim frequency versus time and distance at this point.
regarding ability to do and absorb work: first ironman in 2009. texas will be start and finish number ten. so i think about this subject a lot. historically i have thought of myself as a wimp as far as the ability to do and absorb large amounts of work. (versus say Tim Cronk). i am a fragile tall stick man. for me, adding up the hours is just not tolerable. found it better to hit the 10 workouts a week very solidly.
the previous two years I did too many irons. this last winter I had a good long break and reset.
so, having just said I don't tolerate a huge amount of hours, in the last 6 weeks, I have put in two of the longest hour/week weeks ever. and seem to be absorbing it fine. so, yes, if done smartly, paying attention to where the body is at currently, the ability to absorb and push the work does improve. I'll let you know May 18 how it worked out !
Checked Monday workouts for me. Got to the YMCA around 7 PM after work, ran 39 mins / 5 miles with inclines in the mill and followed with 3000 m (200+ 20x100 +8x50 +2x200) in 1hr10
Pool closed and had to leave...
@Tim , Mike , thanks for your posts on consistency and ability to absorb training hours, I found them very interesting
Wife bailed me out again so I could get the dang monday swim in.....I hate the 50/50's (although they're getting easier....I think I was sprinting a little too hard...or maybe I'm actually getting more swim fitness?). 4000yds done per plan. Appreciate all the advice today.
My oldest has kindergarten beginners day today, so it will be interesting to get both workouts in as planned. Wish me luck!
I am doing RR swim tomorrow and the RR brick on thursday. Gotta say not my favorite pair of workouts. But once they are done, they are done! And if it gets tough out there thursday I will just remind myself that I could be at work.
Busy rolling up Board decks at work.....finding ways to get training work done also = damn tired by bedtime.....
Mon run: http://www.strava.com/activities/135177268
Tues run: http://www.strava.com/activities/135534659
Tues swim pending.
All are looking good! Taper time in a few more days! Woo hoo!
TR ride called Cathedral is one of my favorites.... Mostly sweet spot riding ....
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/926893-Cathedral
3 mile brick on the TM after...
Another tm run today. 5 miles with 2miles at 7:30. Feeling good!!
5 hr kickr on sat. 20 mile almost continuous run on sun.
Swim feeling good even recovering yesterday.
2 hr bike today over .8. And 4 mile brick run strong.
Done with the long long stuff except race swim this friday.
Race tires and tubes on today. Thurs will be 80 degrees! Probably last outside ride before bike to Tribike in Seattle.
@ Tim & Annie -- i hear you on the trainer rides. thankfully, i've been able to get outside a few times this "Spring", but I'm so over wishing for warmer weather...
recovery run last night after kids went down. take it as a good sign (of fatigue) that I wasn't even holding Z1. early wake-up call this morning for 45' run including 2x1 mile @ Z4 followed by 4400 yds in the pool!
will be doing my RR#2 on Sunday and then it's taper time!
This group is amazing....
3100 pretty decent in the pool this morning...I simply don't have enough time most mornings to get more than 3000-3300...4000-4400 on RR's and I hope a couple of more times over the final weeks as other time opens up...
6miles/45min. on the TM after work...run as progressive 8:35-6:45....(7:35 avg.)....my achilles simply won't allow me to do any real speed...but I'm comfortable Z1-Z2....and I feel confident so...thats what it will be.
cold and rainy this week...really don't want to get on the trainer ...so I may just do a short zippy ride tommorrow and not worry too much about the overall structure...RR this weekend looks to be decent conditions...and thats what I really care about.
Paid for Sunday's ABP effort today. 2 x 1mi Z4 was tough, but continuing Z2 was even worse. Legs just heavy and sore. Also, some strange wheezing/coughing thing.
For the past 3 days, I have had a taste of soap or hand sanitizer (you know, that ethyl alcohol taste?) nearly constantly, emanating from the R upper part of my "throat". I have gagged myself too many times to count trying to figure out what the heck is the cause. My throat/soft palate was so dry I thought I might start choking during the run tonight. It's not a "sore throat" but something is not right. I'm a urologist....I don't do throats. Anyone have any ideas? I googled it and found out that I probably have fluoride poisoning?
Awesome. That is JUST what I need right now. Our water here is fluoridated, but I find this implausible. I stopped eating toothpaste months ago. Any ideas? Ever had this? Maybe it's a brain tumor. Skipped the swim today.....couldn't find the time.
http://app.strava.com/activities/135673203/laps
@ SS.....I apologize for completely hacking/plagiarizing your Race plan....but, I did it. Shameless....I know.
Why re-invent the wheel though?
Of course, I had to back all the run/bike numbers into my world (slowland). Did you seriously sign up with WTC as KMF Man?!
@ All....appreciate any advice/reviews of my race plan. Having never done a full, I'm a little confused about the whole changing tent scene and where/when I do this/that....I can figure out on Friday when I see it set up right?
Then jumped in the pool to do today's workout but had to get out after 20 mins due to lightning outside..they closed pool... Will complete early tomorrow
@Gonzalo - nice work! Be great to meet you in a few weeks!
@Jeff - Well done! Hope the throat clears up soon....maybe a shot or two of Tequila to kill off all the bugs in there? Glad you took something from my race report because I borrowed from others as well......
@Tim - Hell of a trainer ride @ 175 TSS bro! Just a lot of intensity and work - seems like the right thing to be doing at this point in the plan on the bike! Well done!
My late evening swim slog: http://www.strava.com/activities/135659360
My early morning fight with the trainer gorilla at 2X15': http://www.strava.com/activities/135792084
early morning Z4 work has got to be my least favorite workout hands down.....gorilla back in the cage for now..... looking to run when I can come up for air 
in between work activities today.
Good luck out there all today!
I've gone pretty much the entire training without getting sick... and of course the last week of real work... I'm down for the count. It's just a small cold but I don't want to do any damage so I'm fighting the other Gorilla in my head that's telling me to work through it regardless. This sucks.
@ EB....I have some weird throat/respiratory thing too. Don't have any systemic symptoms yet, so I'm gonna try to fight through it. However, I will have a low threshold to omit/shorten workouts if I'm not feeling my usual self at this point (except the RR bike/run).
@SS... impressive FTP ride. Gorilla is getting kicked in the nutz every wednesday!
swim skins work.
Last RR swim in the books 3800M in 1:12:00. For referece, this is a 3:28 PR. Splits per 1000M were 19:00 18:56 19:03 and 15:01 for last 800M. If I didnt have the splits I would think that I skipped a few laps. And I am sure it was the skin not some magical overnight stroke improvement.
I know that Tri can be extreemly expensive but this was a pretty cheap way to buy a few minutes.
After 3 weeks of not even getting close to Z4 on these Wed morning rides, the watts magically reappeared this week. Thank goodness. I was beginning to worry a bit. 2x15 @240+ actually felt good. I don't think I could have dealt with another Wed failure, only to be reinforced by reading that SS had crushed another set of 5x20 @325.
@Jimmy, the suits definitely give you 3 or so seconds per 100, but don't kid yourself - a lot of that time shaving came from good old-fashioned hard work.
@EB, get well. We're effectively in taper mode, with no one WKO making anyone stronger/faster at this point. Just maintenance. So, it's a perfect week to be sick. Week 16 or 20 would be far worse.
@Jeff, nice race plan. I think you're going to surprise yourself on 5/17. In a good way.
Also run 5 miles in treadmill
Bike later today
Waiting for my speedsuit to arrive, got the Roka Elite
Swam 4400 yrds this morn as yesterday's workout. OMG could 5x500 be anymore booooring!! ?? But I did it and managed to still do them under race pace. The 300s and 200s were my usual fast pace (fast being very relative...
On the docket for tomorrow is a 12 mile trainer run followed by Friday as a RR swim of 4200. Gonna wear the speed suit and look like a total fool in the pool. I love this part of training...looking like a badass...atleast in my mind I do. The best was a couple years ago I did Oceanside 70.3 end of March and had to train in full wetsuit and neoprene cap. Oh yeah. Smokin' hot! lol!!
Thanks for all the mojo flowing on this forum! It's easy to know what you need to do, it's something else entirely to be accountable daily for it!
ended up finding a 90 min class run by a 10x Ironman instructor. was a good wko, but music / instructor attitude was less than inspiring. a good change of pace and the legs felt like jelly afterwards, so probably a decent substitute for the FTP set
long run in the rain tomorrow!