Coach Dick's Training
So....
The following are things in my head, some short/long terms goals, observations, etc:
Currently
I'm using ToC, our IMUSA, IMWI camps and Everest Challenge as goals to really enjoy the summer. I've decided to completely put my running on the shelf. I was running 3-4x per week, sorta JRA'ing and the odd tempo run with a couple friends. Still, I found the requirement to sort out how to integrate 15-20mi of running per week into my cycling (my higher priority) was challenging...and not much fun. So I've bailed on the run all together. Observations:
- CRAZY how much cycling volume and intensity you can do when all you do is...ride a bike
. I've put up some consistent 12-14hr+ cycling weeks, all very hard, with no problems. Trying to fit runs in there, of pretty much any flavor, would be challenging. - When all you do is ride bike, you get very strong very quickly. My FTP has probably gone from 250w to 275-280w since late January. I should be just at/north of 300w by ToC. Historically, I've done IMCDA since '05 so, for the past several years, the "i care about my training" portion of my season as been about November to June. There's only so high you can get your FTP when you're only focusing on it for 5-6mo and also trying to manage the run. So a big part of my motivation of doing full-on single sport is to see what happens to my cycling fitness with 9mo+ of very hard, very long cycling with no need to accommodate running. >320-330w? I think it's doable.
So the 30" elevator pitch on my long term-ish plan is:
- Single sport (bike, with swimming, core, upper body strength) through Everest Challenge, end of September.
- Basically, using the swim and strength training to give my legs a couple days off per week but still burn calories so I can eat
. - Transition to running only. OS plan, stripped of the bike, except for 1-2 social rides with my club/friends, to sorta hang on to a percentage of my fitness.
- HIM training beginning in next January. I think a summer that lifts my FTP north of 325w + a solid, solid focus on running faster could maybe get me sub 4:30-35 at CaliHalf next year.
- From there decide if I want to pick up a slot to IMWI.
IMWI: I like the idea/goal/dream of going sub 10hrs...jury is still out if I actually want to do it 
. I went 10:05 there in '02. I've been more fit and smarter in other races, but haven't put it all together. 10:02 at CDA but the course has changed since then ('05). Anyway, would be cool to put together a good day and beat 34yo Rich . That said, running longer than about 1:30 just becomes painful for me, but, theortically, I've got months and months to figure stuff out with the help of Leigh's blog and posts 
.
So, basically, what I'm looking at is becoming the EN poster boy/pilot project for not only separating Fast from Far, but doing so in such a way that also separates Bike from Run. See where I get working on each individually, and then putting them together for "only" a few months next season. From there, decide if I want to continue doing them together (post CaliHalf '11). If yes, select a race far enough away (WI) where I can continue a very low volume/high intensity focus until...early July. Bang out a few long runs and take a 330w+ FTP, >55 VDot, 53-54', swim, <155lb to IMWI, a course I know every well, and see what happens. </p>
Strength Training
I think it's pretty cool that the Team has evolved it's own strength training program through the use of informal challenges. That's about all we need. For me, 3x/wk I'm knocking out sets of
- normal, military, wide, and decline pushups
- wide, reverse grip pull ups
- Crunches and planks.
Personally, I've found (relearned) that I have to be careful with doing more as I start to put on mass very quickly. So semi-thrashing myself 3x/wk builds strength, and frankly helps me look better (which is sometimes all the reason we need to do anything 
), vs going all P90X several days per week.
Body Composition
I think iPhone aps like LoseIt, DailyBurn, websites like FitDay offer us an opportunity to apply the tools and accountability we use for training and apply it to improving body comp. I've been suprised at how easy it is to lose body fat when you just track your stuff...imagine that 
. So I could see PnI putting our heads together to see how we could leverage these tools more formally throughout the Team.
Comments
And in the Cool Shit column, this is what's on my radar:
Dick's Dumbass Ride, likely coming this weekend. Keep an eye out for it
.
After IMSG, parking my truck somewhere in UT and taking off on my road bike for 2-3 days of solo big miles. Credit card camping at hotels. I have a couple routes scoped out but depends on the snow conditions on some roads.
Driving up/back to CDA and hitting some famous climbs in CA. Tioga Pass (10kft), Sonora and a couple others. Maybe a redux of the UT thing.
Haven't figure out July and August yet, though July is great for riding down the coast, SFO to Santa Barbara. August could be Socie vs Strauss in CO?
Rich,
Since you moved your TOC stage 6 ride one week later - look at coming down for the Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic on April 17th - it is really the best riding in San Diego County - and the third loop up Pine Creek at mile 77 features some 20% grades. 103 miles and 10,000 feet of climbing. Logistically if it presents challenges let me know if you need a place to stay before or after.
www.adventurecorps.com/mlbc/
I just signed up - I'll by you a pitcher of beer after. If you wait for me
Tom
Hey Tom,
That looks like fun. I've email a couple of the usual suspects to see if I can get a TT'ing parnter.
I'd love an expanded thought process from you on how to develop a good independent bike plan without the run and swim. I'm looking to raise FTP and climb a lot of steep hills.
tom
will be fun to watch! bike focus Rich will be uber fast by the ToC. sounds like some kick ass epic stuff as well.
Fit Rich is Fun Rich. ToC is going to be a blast
I'm bailing on NOLA70.3 as of now, life (and death) got in the way this time around!
Rich that looks like a fun year or so. It will definitely be an interesting experiment n=1 of course.
At the end of the OS I was thinking of putting together my thoughts on 1 sport focus that I did. I spent the first 8 weeks in the Nov OS only biking and then joined in the January OS with running, getting a two week transition in then coming back to finish off the Jan OS for another 7 weeks with more focus on the run. Depending on my strenghts for the the following OS my plan maybe to start with a run focus for the first 8 weeks. Of course all this only work if you have a late season IM.
I am particularly interested in the longer length of your focus on individuals sports and how those gains can be maintained while the other sports or integrated or focused upon.
Gordon
So first, you training full time on a bike and not running means I'm in for some pain in Madison. As long as it doesn't kill me, it will make me stronger though. I'm still game for crushing ourselves on the madison course that weekend. What do you saw we try and TT it like you and P did in Lake Placid?
I started to mention this in one of P's thread, but I found a run only focus very helpful for me about 2 years ago. I saw a 10+ point vdot increase in just over a year and I highly doubt i could have done that if I was swiming and riding hard as well. A bike focus for this entire spring, summer, and into fall is going to be huge for you!
IMWI 2011 - I went 9:49 after a 1:12 swim, 5:07 bike (4.5 w/kg), and 3:22 run (vdot of 61 but ran like shit race day). Your swim will be 15+ minutes faster than mine, your bike numbers put you at 4.7 w/kg. If you hit the vdot of 55+ and get a few long runs in I think 9:45 is a better goal than 10:00. Of course the weather was ideal for the first 114.4 miles of my race in 2009 and the marathon was decent as well, just hot.
FWIW, my tentative 2011 schedule is 70.3 Oceanside, IMWI, Clearwater, and now it looks like I have some motivation for IMWI as I can't let Rich beat my time without putting up a good fight.
I think we should have an EN group of guys hit up IMWI 2011 ... hell Trent will probably be knocking on 6 w/kg by then!
IMWI Cowboy 2011?
Sounds like it to me! The Cowgirls might have to return in 2011 for Sherpa duty so we can repay the guys for all their support this year! BUT NOOOOOOOOO PINK BATHING SUITS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Baggy blue jeans at low hip level and ratty, smelly zip up hooded sweat shirts? Oh, and flip flops, with beer holder baseball caps.
I'll be there in 2011.
An update:
Training: if I decide to do IMWI next year my goal FTP is 330w. I'm at ~280w right now and it's pretty straight forward for me to get to 300w. I've been there before and my body remembers how to get there. >300w is uncharted territory, but I have a lot of time to do it and I've begun to wrap my head around some numbers:
So I'm using these numbers to reset my head around the numbers I see on the dial. I want to train, somewhat, like I'm already at the these numbers and just force my body to catch up
. I'm currently just trying to see 270-280w, a lot, the dial. I try not to ride anything for very long under 250w. When I'm taking strong pulls I try to sit on 320-330w...which I should note I can't do for very long yet. I've got "crap, how will I be able to do this for an hour??!!" bouncing in my head.
I've also been working in 10-20 x 1' @ > 400w repeats into my week. Today's lunch ride will be 2 x 20' @ 100-103%, then 10 x 1' at best effort. In a short time these repeats have really given me another gear on the bike. Last night I was able to push 375-400w for several 1.5-2' as I tried to keep up with some lighter guys. I'm curious to see what willl happen after a summer of this stuff.
Very Inspiring Rich, Thanks for Posting! You'll be there before you know it with all the hard work you are putting in. Work Works!
@Scott, no idea. For now I'm experimenting with it, to see what I learn, and then we'll consider drilling it down into the OS plans. However, keep in mind that I'm doing zero running so I can absorb a ton more cycling volume and intensity than I would be able to otherwise.
If anything, I think it might point to single sport focus for people looking at goal races 1+ years about, especially for folks burnt out on IM training but still with a goal of having a breakthru performance. Dedicate yourself to 2 x single sport periods, getting stoopid fast, then put the tri hat back on 4-5mo.
With myself and my goals, that would be:
Just wondering what your thoughts are on the 10-20 x 1' > 400watts (that's 150%FTP, right?). I remember reading in the Hunter/Coggan's Training and Racing with Power book about "neuromuscular power" intervals. They called it Zone 7 intervals; done in short amounts of time. Is this what you're doing and why? Where does this fit in with the analogy of roof and ceiling? What are you noticing so far with your bike fitness since you've been doing these intervals?
~K
Sept 11th and 12th, ride the IMWI course. I'm thinking Saturday race simulation and Sunday ride the course backwards to get some ABP work in while spectating.
Sept 13th be at Monona Terrace around 9 AM to give WTC your $600 :-)
@ Kitima,
Well...remember the NYT article on the time efficient fitness benefits of extremely high intensity interval training? That and some other stuff I've read and observed have me thinking "don't over think it. It's about muscle recruitment. The goal of every session should be to recruit as many ST and FT muscle fibers as possible, recover, repeat the session." And I want this to be as time efficient as possible.
So in this vein, 10-15 x 400w+ repeats = I hit a LOT of muscle fibers and force them adapt. That's a good thing and it only takes about 45-60'. I know this has to express itself as an FTP boost and remember I'm still doing a lot of FTP focused work (10-20'+ @ FTP) around it.
So I weigh the benefits of a 3-4hr climbing hammer ride vs my little 45-60' 400w+ repeat session. My intuition tells me the later is a stoopid time efficient and effective session while the later is more of a lifestyle, do it cuz it's fun choice.
To answer your question:
Caveats:
I'm sure I'll learn a lot and, most likely, it will be the value of a splitting a year+ into those periods I mentioned above.