Coach P 2014 Kona Training Update
As 50% of your Coaching Guinea Pig Training Corps, I enjoy tweaking my workouts, suffering for progress and long walks at sunset (with my Garmin on, Withrow-style, to track the TSS). 
Seriously though one of the main benefits of being an EN member is having coaches who train and race. In the interest of full disclosure, however, we don't have to report to work from 9-5, or commute, etc., although I am working on a really good argument that staying at home ain't exactly any easier. But that's for another post...to the Kona update!!!
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Current plan (as of 9/9)
Swimming frequency is up to 4x a week but the pool schedule is tight and my shoulders have been even tighter! Averaging about 1750 yds a swim session. For about 8k a week, hoping to get back up to 12k by the end of the month.
Currently swimming with no toys and with a better warm up 3x300 build effort within each (thanks Mike!). Lots of 200s...seems to be my go-to repeat these days.
Really working on high elbows under the water (near the surface) and not "loading up" pressure on my forearm as that's too much work in the wrong places. Latest progress involves separating a deep pull (bad!) from great rotation. And “lifting my heels” is almost zen-like but a great visual.
Bike Quality
My rides remain fairly simple. Not as short/hard as my '12 Kona build up but not as much volume as other years prior either. And not as much volume as I did earlier this year in the form of many double weekend long rides at camps and races. I am focusing on sustained strength with an eye towards Half Iron levels of bike fitness on race day to deal with pace changes, conditions, etc.
From the strategy side, I am hoping to avoid the no-mans-land experience coming out of Hawi where I have dropped / been dropped y most of the pack by mile 70 but am nowhere near the leaders for the tougher return trip. I have learned that after the first 5 miles, the next 35 are essentially “Free” with a slight downhill and tailwind...and I need to keep my watts solid here to reap the speed. Most elite AGs will go 25mph out and 22mph back on the Queen K-- at the same watts!
- FTP / Big Gear Ride -- Local Strava loop with total of 20' of sustained high-effort segments interspersed with short recoveries and low-cadence work at IM race pace. Approx. 30 miles.
- Mid-Week ABP Ride -- Missing for most of my season as I focused on getting my baseline endurance back after a botched 2013, I am excited to bring the pain again. Aiming for 85-90% FTP for as long as I can sustain, short breaks in between. Approx 50 miles.
- Longer Hilly Ride, Solid Finish -- Capped at 4 hours, this ride is my long effort but much closer to a Half Iron with several solid hit-out efforts, lots of climbs and good TT time on the way back. Between 70-80 miles.
Run Quality
Run training is currently very focused as well. I can’t sustain the longer miles right now and I want to get used to running at a higher HR than normal as the heat in Kona will take my “happy 145 bpms” and really push it up closer to 150-155.
- Mid-Week Long Tempo Run -- Approx 10 miles at z3 / HMP.
- Easy hour run for durability -- 8 miles in Z1 to Z2.
- Long run with tempo finish -- 12-15 miles with most in Z2, last 1/3 close to HMP.
- VO2 run for speed/strength -- 4-6 miles with 3' intervals in Z5.
Weekly Set Up
So what does a week look like right now?
It's about 2 hours of swimming, 7.5 hours of cycling, and 4.5 hours of running for 14 hours all in.
It plays out sort of like this, where Thursday is the easiest day and I space the Sat / Sun runs as AM / PM respectively to maximize recovery.
Comments
Injury risk is going up up up with the V02 running in these higher volume weeks.
I'll be interested in how you fair with all that Z3 running and Z5 intervals. You're smart enough to know when to back off when things don't feel right.
I like the bike WO's, it's alot like what I did for the build to IMMd.
Are the Swim logistics worth going for a 1750 yd swim? That's like 25 minutes? For me I am close to a pool and I do it at 4:00am, but I am not getting out of bed at 4:00a for a 25 minute swim.
You're going to crush Kona, can't wait to follow your race. Lead from the front and by example.
Do you plan or see the need for some longer swims occasionally? Your sessions seem to be <1/2 of the IM distance. I'm surprised you don't have one per week that is 4K or so. Just askin'....you have forgotten more than I know!</p>
If your shoulders are tight/sore, I like your higher frequency/lower volume per session approach. It's worked for me when my shoulders have acted up, and my race times haven't suffered. The worst thing I can do with tight shoulders is a 4,300yd session. I think the cause of the shoulder issues for me is lazy rotation late in the session. I recover with pretty high elbows, but if I do so while somewhat flat on my stomach, the strain on the shoulders is intense. To help, I'll throw in a 50 or 100 of side kick (6-1-6 or 6-3-6) drill later in the session when focus/form start to fade and make rotation a priority the rest of the WKO. This may or may not be an issue for you, but I toss it out there anyway.
Looking forward to seeing all the hard work display itself in the lava fields.
@Steve, remember with my wife working my swim / run times are limited to 9am to 2pm daily...making for some crazy workout planning. Add in the YMCA watercize classes, swim lessons, etc., and all of a sudden my window for swimming is much smaller. Then you add in that work thing...
@Dave, I hear you on the VO2 run...had to bag it yesterday as I was shelled from the week and trying to stay consistent with work even though the volume is down. It's the first session to go each week!
@Jeff, great question. For me the "longer" effort whether it's swim bike or run is a tough stance due to the cumulative system fatigue. Right now I am benchmarking workouts by higher efforts vs distance. IOW, in April I wanted to ride 2 x 112 to get the volume in my legs...but now, in October, having done 2 x 112 four times this year, I don't need that volume. Nor can I absorb it. Swimming isn't that different for me. Better swimming for me is technique, and it breaks down too quickly when tired. I am hoping to get in a few longer swims with 2 weeks out...I think I'll be in a better place by then!
@Mike, yes, it's the shoulders from rotation. I wasn't rotating enough with the higher cadence swimming, but I think I have found my happy place there...but still being mindful. 3k yesterday for longest swim in a while.
Thanks for sharing.
I have a Vasa Swim Ergometer in the mail for Outseason use. Had you though of getting one of these? that would be a good use of 30 minutes.
or an Endless Pool?
Or changing your Concept2 rower to a paddler with one of these http://www.paddlesporttraining.com/ The paddling at least uses similar muscles to swimming if done right.
1. Swim. Good to see the frequency. The main thing I would want to accomplish in this time is to be able to ingrain the specific pace that you would be executing during the race, and have that RPE carved into your mitochondria by race day. So, do the math, figure out what the goal swim time is in yards/m, and then practice at that like mad via 300s-500s while you’re still on the Mainland. Think of it in terms of running: I would bet that I could put you on a track, take away your watch, say “run a mile at 7:10 pace,” and 4 laps later, you’d be back somewhere in the range of 7:09-7:11. That’s the sort of accuracy of RPE that I would want to see replicated in the swim. (The bonus is on race day, you’ll actually achieve faster, if you’re drafting correctly).
Approach A, during weeks t-minus 4, 3 and 2: swim in your normal pool. During your race pace intervals, do a few where you are following the pace clock to the second, and monitoring pace on your 100s very carefully. Then, for the next few intervals, just note your takeoff and landing times. But REALLY try to get these dialed into the effort and arrive at the same interval. (I’ll be doing this with 500s until I get to the island). This is where the frequency is important. And do these sessions with a clear brain – don’t be planning to think about work or family the situation in the Middle East while you’re swimming … just pay close and deliberate attention to your effort, your breathing, rhythm, and other internal cues).
Approach B, Race week, swim every day. But instead of going straight for the ocean, do the first half of your session as 150 to 200 repeats at the Kona Aquatic Centre *precisely on pace* and getting very very tuned into RPE. Particularly be aware of your taper RPE colouring things ... this will screw with your brain. Then, after say 1000m, jump out, jog 4mins to the Pier (bonus if you do it in your speedo, all German-style), and swim open water for another, say, 1000 at race pace. Finish with some sharpening stuff to keep the fasttwich muscles moving, and you’re done.
2. Run. I’m even more opposed to you doing intervals that I was before. Maybe I don’t get the sightline you are drawing from doing these to doing the race, but unless you are planning to break into a 5k at the Palani/Queen K intersection, the specificity that the last month pre-race calls for isn’t getting accomplished through these sessions. While I acknowledge that these would accomplish a good accumulation of TSS in a very short time, there are other race-specific ways to do this. What I would recommend: make this session a hills day, where you’re either doing repeats in a structured way (but not redlining at IP) and are hitting some higher end sharpening and FT muscle recruitment. Better yet, find a hilly rolling course that will take you an hour, and turn it into a fartlek session where you are attacking the hills faster and harder as you progress. Form at all times 100% perfect ... particularly going up hill. Run tall. Anyhow ... this puts you on a race-specific course and terrain, lets you accumulate a lot of TSS without going too deep into Risky Business territory, lets you reinforce run form and economy safely, and gives your brain a bit of a break from all the structure to just run hard.