Sedlak's Race Macro Thread

Leslie Sedlak

Hey Coach Rich,

I know I'm not supposed to be focusing on IMNZ yet.......but I was thinking.....I might want to try traveling with my bike (break down, packing up, flying with, assembling etc) once before then and it would be nice to get an actual race in during that training period since all of my biking will have to be indoors.  Any thoughts on if a HIM somewhere warm (still in the US) over the winter for me?  I'll do some more digging on what's out there - but figured I would get your thoughts on if it's even a good idea.

Thanks,

Leslie

Coach Rich

Posted By Leslie Sedlak on 19 May 2014 12:16 PM

Hey Coach Rich,

I know I'm not supposed to be focusing on IMNZ yet.......but I was thinking.....I might want to try traveling with my bike (break down, packing up, flying with, assembling etc) once before then and it would be nice to get an actual race in during that training period since all of my biking will have to be indoors.  Any thoughts on if a HIM somewhere warm (still in the US) over the winter for me?  I'll do some more digging on what's out there - but figured I would get your thoughts on if it's even a good idea.

Thanks,

Leslie

IMNZ is 3/7. To set your expectations, I would put you into the IM plan about 12-14wks out, so figure early early to mid December, totally fudging the calendar math. If you were to race a November HIM that would be a decent goal to have on the calendar.



However...



I can't stress enough the importance conserving your head as much as possible before you start that IM cycle. You will absolutely be doing 100% of that IM training from Dec-IMNZ indoors on treadmills and drainers. At the end of the day, you'd do just as well with:

Option #1:

• Start the OS in ~mid-Sept
• 2wks swim camp early Dec
• Then transition over to IM plan

as...

Option #2

• Train and race a November HIM (not sure when Soma is?)
• Then transition over the IM plan.

In my experience, Option #2 has a much higher risk of mental burnout. 

Regarding your notes on practicing packing and unpacking your bike...do you need a race to do that?? Couldn't you just buy a case of PBR and spend all afternoon jamming and unjamming your bike into a box? That's what I'd do 

Leslie Sedlak

Thanks for the sound advice Coach. Option #1 sounds a lot less stressful and more fun. I'll be burned out as it is doing all my riding indoors. Fortunately I live near trails that are plowed pretty well in the winter - so as long as it's above 0, and not icy - I'll run outside, so that will help a bit.....I hope.....and the reminder that I'm getting to race in New Zealand and see my best friend who I haven't seen for over a year already!

Off to buy that case of PBR.....gotta practice polishing off a case before I start jamming and unjamming my bike into the case I haven't bought yet...

Leslie Sedlak

What are your thoughts on finding one more race in September? I got the OK from the family to get one more race in before it starts snowing here in MN. There are a few Oly and sprint races in the area I could choose from. I wasn't sure when I might start the outseason before starting IM training early to mid December.
Thoughts?

Coach Rich

Posted By Leslie Sedlak on 08 Jul 2014 04:41 PM


What are your thoughts on finding one more race in September? I got the OK from the family to get one more race in before it starts snowing here in MN. There are a few Oly and sprint races in the area I could choose from. I wasn't sure when I might start the outseason before starting IM training early to mid December.

Thoughts?

Notes:

• is an early Sept race possible? I'd have you do the GF plan for that
• Then start the OS until ~14wks out from your Ironman
• 2wks of swim camp
• 12wks of the IM plan

That's a sketch plan. But the idea would be to do an early vs late Sept race so I can put you in more of the OS before moving you over to the IM plan. Make sense?

Leslie Sedlak

Makes sense. As I look at the calendar - My scheduled Oly is 29 weeks away from IM NZ - which would be perfect for 14 wks outseason, 2 wks swim camp, 12 weeks IM training....I'll stew on it a bit. What are your thoughts on pressing forward as is and making a last minute decision to do the sept race? My main reason for wanting to do that race is quite a few friends are racing that as well , it's close, and I just thought it would be a fun day. But I can also pack up the kids and cheer for the day as well.

Coach Rich

Posted By Leslie Sedlak on 09 Jul 2014 02:45 PM


Makes sense. As I look at the calendar - My scheduled Oly is 29 weeks away from IM NZ - which would be perfect for 14 wks outseason, 2 wks swim camp, 12 weeks IM training....I'll stew on it a bit. What are your thoughts on pressing forward as is and making a last minute decision to do the sept race? My main reason for wanting to do that race is quite a few friends are racing that as well , it's close, and I just thought it would be a fun day. But I can also pack up the kids and cheer for the day as well.

That's fine. Just set the GF plan to end on the weekend of the race. Follow that...and bonus if you actually race it 

Leslie Sedlak

I'm currently on the GF plan to end at my Oly August 17. So set the GF again to end at the Sept race? Or follow the OS for 14 weeks and if I race in Sept no biggie? [then swim camp 2 wks, IM plan 12 weeks to end at IMNZ March 7]

Coach Rich

Hey Leslie,

I think you're good for now. When you nail down if/when you're going to do this race, please submit a TSR survey, under the training tab above, so I can plan all of this out more formally for you. We're talking about a lot of moving parts through Mar '15 and I don't want to miss anything. Thanks!

Leslie Sedlak

Roger

Leslie Sedlak

OK, so Oly B Race done today. great swim and bike and ok run - I actually placed top 3, (which has been a goal for the last 8 years), but they counted the two elite girls in the top three overall - so I technically got 4th - I'm calling it 2nd
Anyway......As of now, next race is IM NZ in March. My current race plan only went up to the race today (sorry I didn't post sooner), so what's the next plan stan? If I do race in Sept, honestly, I will decide a few days before the race, and will give in to peer pressure to do it as a fun race with my friends. It would be a sprint - so no biggie?
I had been dreading all the training for IM recently - but after today, I have a renewed sense to race and thankful that I'll get to spend a month of winter in New Zealand

Coach Rich

Congrats! Please click on the Triathlon Season RoadMap link, under the Training tab above and give me your schedule in there, so I can plan this out for your more formally.

Leslie Sedlak

Hey Coach Rich,

Got my Roadmap - Thanks! I follow everything you mentioned in the videocast. My question regarding training outdoors during outseason was mainly concerning how much easier it is to me to stick to the harder 'sets' indoors and just CRANK rather than being outside and dealing with uphills/downhills/wind etc... But I'll just start plugging away and let Coach Patrick know if I have any day to day questions.

Being that I'm on week 0 of the OS - should I do two weeks in a row of testing (week 0 and week 1)? Or is it ok to do an unstructured week of training this week? My husband is a football coach and an athletic director, so this week is crazy for him with school starting next week- which means I have the kid 24/7 until Saturday noon (At which point I will run from the house, squeal my tires around the corner and not come back until Sunday night ) and most of my workouts this week will either have to be done at the wee hours of the morning, after bedtime or with the kiddo in tow. So was hoping for a bit of reprieve this week.....but not turn into a couch potato.

Coach Rich

You're fine to start the OS whenever that jazz sorts itself out. You have plenty of time. 

Leslie Sedlak

OK, One last 'quick' question. I just got a used computrainer - so I can do power for my bike test now....but I won't have it for the bike workouts that I do outside (basically my OS workouts until it snows in two months) - still do the power test and not the HR test?

Coach Rich

Posted By Leslie Sedlak on 25 Aug 2014 09:09 AM


OK, One last 'quick' question. I just got a used computrainer - so I can do power for my bike test now....but I won't have it for the bike workouts that I do outside (basically my OS workouts until it snows in two months) - still do the power test and not the HR test?

Yes, test on the CT and test power. Do you have power when you ride outside? 

Leslie Sedlak

I will not have power when I ride outside. Although I will probably be doing 50% of my rides inside as I have to do them before wake-up/after bed-time, and the shortened fall days force those rides inside.

My test on the CT with power was kind of a crap shoot - I wasn't recording I guess - for some reason I can't figure out how to access the past rides.....it's an older computrainer with older software I think. So I just guesstimated it based on what I saw for the 20 minutes. My plan is to continue to work out with HR and watch the power to see how the zones measure up. I definitely like riding with power more because there is less fluctuation - I don't go up a hill, raise my hr a bit and then ease off to get back in the zone - I can just watch the power.

Coach Rich

Ok, since you'll be doing a lot of riding indoors on the CT, I suggest you post a question in the Power forum, asking people to how to extract the results of an FTP test from the CT. Sorry, it's been nearly a decade since I used / touched a CT so I'm not much help.

But it should be easy to extract a good FTP and then use that for you training wattages.

Leslie Sedlak

Sounds good - Thanks!