Jim Van Atta's Micro Thread
Hi Coaches - Its been a while since I needed micro advice. I have my first race in 6 years this weekend; short sprint with pool swim here at Ft. Bliss, TX. I'm setting ambitions low as I've had years of injury and military deployments derail my race seasons since 2007. This race is a chance to prove I'm still a triathlete and springboard to an Olympic in November. Trying to stick to a training plan going into this winter and launch into next Outseason with strong momentum. I did half the Outseason this year and then spent 4 months in military field training from MAR-JUN. Able to start training in July.
I'm healthy enough and having been getting back to respectable fitness using the Get Faster Beginner plan for 4 weeks. I've had to build run speed/endurance cautiously as I've had several low body injuries over the years. I'm a strong swimmer and was an average biker; getting back to average again with hard WORK over the past few months.
My question is what to do for the last week before a short race like this? I don't want to "taper" but also need to respect the fact that I haven't raced in a long time and my run ability is much worse than it used to be. I don't want to go into the race with tired legs. My plan to modify the Get Faster program is this:
MON: Swim per Get Faster plan
TUE: Bike, do half of prescribed workout (30min), short transition run w/ Strides(10-15min) as a mini-race rehearsal
WED: Swim per Get Faster plan; Aqua-jog intervals matching Get Faster run workout time/distance
THU: short bike-to-run transition work; focus on technical transition skills
FRI: Swim per Get Faster plan
SAT: Race
I'm a little heavy on the swims compared to other work this week, but I figure I can keep some fitness up, while I let the legs rest a little. Run will be the hardest on me.
Thanks for any advice/thoughts.
Jim
Comments
Coach P - Update on the sprint yesterday (Iron Soldier Sprint Triathlon @ Ft. Bliss, TX). I'm super happy with my first race since 2006! Being in the Old Fat Guy (Over 40 Clydesdale) category really paid off. I came home with 2nd place medal in that group; 41st overall. Surprised myself on the run...only started run training last month and was able to hold 8:44....not too impressive in the EN world, but I was pleased considering the long challenges I've had with the ankle and interrupted race seasons!. Race stats: 400m Swim-6:19, 15mile bike- 44min(20.2mph), 5k run- 25:59(8:44/mi). So again, not too fast in any category, but happy to finish and get some hardware!
Your reminder to think about race logistics paid off. I was smooth through transition and had everything I needed for each leg of the race.
Should I post a full race report for a sprint?
Next race is Finis Triathlon at Patagonia Lake, AZ on 1 NOV. I plan to finish the last 4 weeks of Get Faster Beginner, finishing up on 26 OCT. I'll have 1 week to do some sort of pre-race week. Not sure what to pick on the training plan program for race week.
I skipped today's workout (run 70min w/ 2 x 1mile Z4), focused on recovery etc. I'll swim Monday and get back on track for the rest of the week.
As I said about the ankle I have to be careful with mileage and increasing run volume/intensity too quickly. I only did 1 of the 2 posted workouts per day for the first 4 weeks of the plan. I always did the priority workout each day; skipped the 2nd or lower priority workout. That means I never did bike/run on the same day, so that showed on race day. I want to increase run work a little, so I'm thinking of completing the Tuesday Bike and Tuesday Run as written, then doing the Wed run as a modified aqua-jog after the swim. I may repeat that on Fridays as well, to reduce the impact on the legs, or just skip the Friday run. Any thoughts or modification to that plan?
Thanks,
Jim
Coach P - Not sure you saw my last post. I know your busy getting back in the groove after Chattanooga. Gave a quick summary of the race this weekend and my plan to modify this week. Looking for feedback on my approach to increasing run volume/frequency to match the Get Faster Beginner plan without aggravating my ankle. Run is my weakest event, but the run at Finis Triathlon on 1 NOV is a tough trail with hills...I'll need to get better for that Olympic distance race. Trying to use that race to close out the season strong and motivate for a 1/2 Iron push next spring/summer after a good Outseason. I may give Ironman a shot again next fall, but will assess with you and Coach R during annual planning. Race details and training ideas in last post.
Thanks,
Jim V
I really like how your run worked too; a testament to how smart you have been thus far. And we want to keep that up. Yes to your Tues/Thurs run + Wed Aqua jog plan.
Yes to the race report (great for your future learning!) and easing into the GetFaster plan is best...for that last we I suggest you load up the ShortCourse plan and do that final taper week!
Thanks Coach. Tracking the green light to gradually add some run volume back on Tue/Thu and keep using the pool to keep impact low on Wednesdays. Also understand to load the last week of the Short Course plan before the race on 1 NOV.
Jim
Coach P - Sorry I've been absent in the forums. I just finished 1/2 I-man Beg week 8; test week and Big Tri Day...I learned a lot about my fitness levels. You sent a message 13 weeks ago asking my status. It got me going again.....wanted to get some training under my belt before I gave you an update. I did half the JAN OS while continuing physical therapy for the ankle. I was using the pool to do aqua-jogs to replace the runs. That worked well, then started running per PT guidance in FEB/MAR....got to 2 miles at 7.5/mile...ankle pain came back, so we shut down running for 2 months.... I lost motivation to train until you sparked it with the reminder note. Hard to train when your not sure you can race. I loaded the 6 week bike focus plan, then transitioned to 1/2 I-man with goal to finish Austin 70.3. Running has been strictly in the pool except for 2 short triathlons with 2.5 and 4.5 mile runs each. My PT and I agreed that running when I race is ok, but to keep most running in the pool. She is comfortable with 1 or 2 on-land runs per week as long as my ankle doesn't have pain the next day. I'm starting week 9 of 1/2 I-man Beginner. I've focused on completing the Thursday long runs on a gravel trail near the house. I'm up to 45min @ 9'/mile. That is Z3 for me. I'll keep building 10% each week until I match the time guidance in the 1/2 I-man Beginner plan. I'm completing Tuesday run while I'm at the pool for the swim. I also get a pool run/swim in most Saturdays using the Saturday run and Friday swim guidance. At the pool I put on the aqua-jogger belt and use RPE to judge effort for the intervals. I match time to distance directed based on my running pace zones. So if you direct 1/2 mile at Z4, I do 4.5 minutes at RPE 7-8. Seems to be working. I've improved runs in each race and last 5K test finished at 8:15/mile. I'm concerned about the ability to continue run improvement and run durability given the limited actual running I can do. I watched Coach R's Week 9 video about Race Prep Phase where he emphasizes run frequency. I know he is right for the average athlete, but don't think I can match the frequency directed. If was to add another run, which one would you suggest?
Cycling was going well, but hit a little bit of a plateau on the week 8 test. I've improved from FTP160ish at start of OS, to 240 at first 1/2 I-man test. Test this week puts me at 236, so I've slipped a little. Family schedule forces me to do Saturday ride on Friday, and sometimes it gets cut short. I've been getting the Sunday ride in, but not always at the ABP/Z3 level for the majority of ride. I think with a little discipline I can get cycling back on track.
I've maintained a strength routine to meet my military fitness requirements on Mondays. I usually skip the Monday swim; it is my strongest event.
My proposed schedule is:
MON: Strength routine
TUE: Pool - Swim/Run per 1/2 I-man beginner plan
WED: Bike w/ Z4 work per EN 1/2 I-man Beginner plan
THU: Long Run w/ Z2/Z3 per EN 1/2 I-man Beginner plan
FRI: 2-3 hr ride following Saturday EN 1/2 I-man Beginner plan (Z4 intervals etc); no time for run before/after
SAT: Golf with my son; walk 18 holes(his HS sport; my addiction); Pool-swim/run
SUN: 2-3 hr Z3/ABP ride per EN 1/2 I-man Beginner plan
Thanks for reading all of that. I'm really looking for thoughts on where to get the most ROI for two land runs per week. I'm currently skipping the Wednesday and Sunday run altogether. I'm a run vDot 38. Last week I did the 5K test on Thursday and then ran 2 miles after 2.5hr run on Sunday for Big Tri Day. I didn't want to overdo it so cut the run way shorter than Big Tri Day guidance. I'm feeling good yesterday and today. I think a Thursday long run and Sunday Brick-type run might work.
Thanks again,
JV
Before I forget, can you remind me what the ankle issue is? I can’t see it here in the thread…
I’d like you to start with some brick runs…so just short stuff off the bike on Wed / Sun…not hard, not like the plan, just you’ll be warmed up so why not. Don’t even take of the bike kit, just grab a drink and go for a jog around the block. Doesn’t have to be fast, just building some durability here.
The long run is great…let’s keep that…so I could see:
Wed: Brick for like 10’ in week one. Yes ten minutes, you can build.
The: run as planned.
Sunday: Brick for like 20’ (can be a bit longer as Monday is off, Saturday is golf).
Ps how does the ankle feel with golfing / walking about? And what type of run shoes do you wear.
Coach P - Thanks for the thoughts on adding some run frequency. I'll add the Sunday 20' brick for now. That will be 2 runs a week with the long run on Thursday. If this works through week 11 Big Tri Day I'll re-engage with you to discuss adding the third short run on Wednesday....I just want to be very cautions. Read the rest and your understand why.
Sorry to leave the details of the ankle problem out earlier. Its been ongoing for years.....didn't want to clog your reading load. I've give you background here.
Bottom Line Up Front: Left ankle joint has scar tissue build up that limits range of motion. I don't get full dorsiflexion; talus does not slide under tibia/fibia like it should. This throws the joint function out of whack. This manifests as stiffness throughout the ankle causing pain in all the soft tissue that stabilizes the joint, sometimes affects Achilles tendon. Has thrown off stability/mobility and proprioception over the past decade. I'm having lots of success with an excellent physical therapist this year. She is trained in manual manipulation and we've really loosened up the joint to get it moving again. I've gone from -10deg dorsiflexion to positive 5deg; maybe positive 10deg. PT wants me at 15 to 20 deg dorsiflexion which she believes will allow the ankle to function correctly and take pressure off everything else. PT and my ortho surgeon are comfortable with a modified run training plan to get ready for the 1/2 I-man. After Austin 70.3 the surgeon and I will consider a 3rd surgery to remove scar tissue if the PT regimen has not been fully successful at regaining full ROM. That brings me to the history of the injury.
History:
April 2004: During jiu-jitsu training (UFC-style grappling), my ankle was crushed with sheer force trauma from the combined weight of me (200+ lbs) and a fellow competitor(200+lbs) when he fell onto my knee while doing a take down with my weight forward on that foot. At the time I was training for Ironman Florida. X-rays and tests revealed severe bruising inside the ankle joint, but did not see any permanent damage. I took several weeks with no running, then resumed training. Had a great race Florida in November despite getting mono in September/October...that is another story about proper pacing and race day expectation management.....
2005-2006: Continued racing...no issues with ankle.
2007-2008: 1st Iraq Deployment. Ankle began to flare up. Pain when wearing gear on patrol. Trouble running when I came home. Had ankle surgery in NOV 2008 to remove bone fragments inside joint and spurs on tibia/talus.
2008-2009: Began training for 1/2 I-man Kansas. Short notice deployment forced me to cancel race plans 1 month out.
2009-2010: 2nd Iraq Deployment. Ankle pain re-emerged. This time caused buckling of knee due to sharp pain. Upon return from Iraq identified a mal-union of the talus....essentially a fragment of bone was unhealed, partially cracked from the main bone and sticking into the joint.
June 2011: 2nd ankle surgery to repair mal-union. To gain access to the injury the doctor removed the ATFL. That is the ligament that crosses front of ankle like a belt and attaches to "ankle" bone on outside of ankle. Went through 1 year of PT to recover; started running again in March 2012...about to start triathlon training again, then 3rd deployment; Afghanistan.
2012-2013: Afghanistan Deployment. Ankle held up OK. Never worked perfectly, but I could do what I had to.
2013-present. Limited running due to continued pain/tightness in ankle. Several bouts of PT to get it better, but then it seems to revert to severe stiffness. I've reverted to much less running, and mostly in the pool with aqua-jogger when I do. Ortho surgeon (ankle specialist) suspects excessive build up of scar tissue and lack of stability in ankle causes the ankle to "protect" itself by stiffening. This current bout of PT seems to be working better due to the manual manipulation of the joint....essentially an explosive pulling of the joint in several directions to break up the scar tissue and reset the joint once or twice a week. Surgeon proposes surgery as a last resort. We will re-evaluate after I get to race this season.
Over the years I've used everything you can think of: standard physical therapy, ART, chiropractic care, graston, trigger point etc. I'm open to new ideas, but I think this is just something I have to manage for the rest of my life.
In its current condition the ankle doesn't hurt when I run as long as I stay within my current endurance and pace levels. When I add too much volume or run too fast it flares up. Flare up equals pain like it was sprained and I have to walk gingerly on it.
As far as golf....I walk the course some days and others I ride a cart.....as the triathlon volume is increasing I'll ride the cart more often. There is definitely a recovery cost to golfing instead of just taking it easy, so I'll pay attention to not overdo it.
Thanks for reading,
Jim
Shoe selection can help (hoka one one?) and so can keeping your calf and hip on that side...those are all part of the chain...IOW, see how you feel the next 2x you go in and ask them to do the calf and hip joint, short but do it. Hip for me is laying on side, then top let forward off the table and down while the ART just jams on my hip from behind... would be interesting if you associate that work with any perceived improvement.
Please keep me posted!
Coach P - Thanks for the perspective on "real runners".....I'm getting by with less dorsiflex than the PT wants in a perfect world. Running continues to improve and no further injury so I consider it a success. Yes, PT works the overall leg/hip chain mobility and manipulation....that has made a huge difference. Also keeping entire chain limber keeps the achilles from flaring up.
Since our last discussion I've added 1 run per week on top of the long Thursday run. This has worked two weeks in a row now. So I've used pool on Tuesday for Swim and Water Run combo. Wednesday ride, Thursday long run, Friday long bike interval day (Saturday work from the 1/2 Iman plan), Saturday golf and easy pool swim/run combo, Sunday is long ride and short t-run. I'm very tired by Monday. I think the combo of increasing distance each week on Thursday and adding Sunday 20' T-run after ride is wearing me out....in a good way.
Last week was a mess...we hosted a week long conference at work with late night time working dinners each night. No time to squeeze in workouts during daylight hours, and exhausted each night....carried over to the weekend. Overall I missed Wed and Fri rides. I did get pool run intervals on Tuesday done and Thursday long run. Ran late on Thursday after conference and before social dinner.....100+degrees when I started. Ran a little fast during Z2 portion....8:57/mile when I should have been at 9:08....a little slow during Z3 at 9:22/mile with target of 8:50. Overall 9:33/mile average with the last 10' at Z3+ broken into 2x4'(1) @ 8:35 and 9:15 pace...wanted to stop but pushed through to 60'...added 5' from last week. I'll add 6' next week. Zapped all day Saturday....Only did 2 hours of Saturday bike work on Sunday followed by 20min run. Recovery today with no activity.
You asked about shoes in the last 2 notes; I picked up the Hoka One One Constant about 6 weeks ago off a tip from another big Army guy. Also seeing a lot of EN folks using them. Very happy....not sure if they correlate to improved run tolerance for ankle, but they work so I'll stick with it.
Another note on equipment; my tri bike (Guru Crono) seat bracket cracked off frame. Had to mail frame in last week for repair. I'm on road bike for a few weeks and will adjust this weekend to get closer to tri set-up.
So, don't need any specific guidance this week. I'm tracking Week 11 Big Tri Day on Saturday and will build the weekend around that. Can't swim early Saturday due to pool hours....I'll get swim done late Friday. I just wanted to give you an update on progress with the added run volume. I'm not seeing bike improvements lately; I think running is tiring me out. Holding steady on bike and not improving is OK if we can get the run to improve. I think we've found a balance that will work for a while and can re-look after Week 12 testing. Hopefully with rest this past weekend I can get back on track this week.
Thanks coach,
Jim
Make sure you are getting consistent sleep and, if possible, one day where you sleep in no alarm.
Coach P - I ran into a little trouble with the long run last week. Achilles tightened during last 10 minutes.....I struggled through to 70 minutes. Stayed tight all day Friday and still tight Saturday AM before Big Day. Also fighting a head cold. I adjusted Wk 11 Big Day plan. Slept in a little to due to cold. Pool didn't open until 1pm, so did 3hr ride early; 52 miles; 1 hour after bike swam per Big Day plan then ran 30 minutes in pool. I figured I did the work without further strain on Achilles. I took today completely off to recover from the head cold and give ankle an extra day of recovery. Ankle is loosening up and I've found an A.R.T. provider that I'll get to this week.
I need some help adjusting for this Achilles situation while it clears up. I think I'll make a decision about 5K test on Thursday depending on how ankle feels. If still tight, I'm thinking of skipping and just doing pool run workout or delay a few days and do it over the weekend if ankle is ready. Does that make sense?
Also need to get some guidance on the next few weeks. 1st issue is my Tri bike (Guru Crono) has a cracked seat bracket; had to send in to Guru for repairs...this will take several weeks and don't expect to get back until late September. I've set my Trek 5200 road bike as close to specs of Guru as a I can using clip on aero bar and adjusting seat position etc. It's close enough, but not sure if I should ride this way or just ride like a ride bike and wait for TT bike to get back.
2nd issue is I have two community fitness events that will disrupt training.
1st one is our local USO charity ride for wounded Soldiers. It is 60 miles on 20 September. That is 1/2 Iron week 13, and prescribed workout is 120'ABP with a 60' run on same day. I was thinking I'll just do the 60 miler as Z3/ABP, then run 20' when I get home depending on how achilles recovery goes over next two weeks. Should I ride it as a solo effort in aero position or just enjoy the ride and stay with the massive packs that will form?
2nd race is our local Iron Soldier Triathlon at Ft. Bliss on Saturday, 26 September. It is a sprint (400m swim, 15mi bike, 5k run). That is 1/2 Iron week 14; prescribed workout is 180' RR bike and 60' RR run. We have a big group from our military unit racing; I've encouraged a lot of newbies to give it a try, so I don't want to skip the race. Also I've only raced twice this season, so don't have a lot of reps at race logistics etc. I haven't missed many workouts since starting the 20 week 1/2 Iron plan...so I think I can risk a little modification. Options I'm considering are a very long bike warm up before the race and/or a very long ride after the race; essentially use the race as 1 high intensity nterval within a longer RR. Or I could just do the RR on Sunday and shorten it by distances equal to the race..... then take Monday off for recovery. Thoughts? Advice?
Thanks Coach
Jim
For the USO ride, just ride with the group and run after as you noted (if you feel ok). Very hard to ride anything “solo” within such a setting, so don’t fight it, just enjoy a great day for a great cause!
For your race, you gotta represent, and I get that. My recommendation would be to do the long ride on Sunday, no run (due to the race). After the race you’ll want to hang out with your peeps and share stories and stuff!
Thanks Coach. I think you posted this while I was running last night....
!!! The Army Infantry mantra is "in the absence of orders ATTACK!"....in this case TRAIN! I spent the week keeping calf loose and really wanted to see where I'm at on the run. Ankle/Achilles felt much better yesterday so I went for it. You saw my dashboard post; the run went very well and didn't flare up Achilles any worse than its been all week. I'll get some work done on ankle/achilles this afternoon; ART and Graston....I'll skip 20min run on Sunday if its not back to normal. Thanks for guidance on USO ride. Should be lots of fun. I also like the plan for the sprint race on the 26th and long RR ride on Sunday.