Week 11 of 12 IMAZ - The BOX
Happy Monday all! Sunday rest day felt weird and strange but I definitely needed it. I felt tired all day and yet woke up this morning looking forward to a workout.
Got in some 2 X 1s early in the dark: http://www.strava.com/activities/215061310
Food for thought this week out of the Wiki:
Key #3: The Box
Summary: All day long you are going to race inside a box defined by what you can control. Ask yourself "What do I need to do right NOW to create the conditions for success at The Line? Is what I'm doing right now counter to this goal? From what we've seen first hand on the IM courses this season, we believe you should ask yourself "Am I participating in some short-term tactical masturbation?" If yes, STOP!!
Advice: On the swim, the Box is the space your body occupies in the water: focus on your form and the rest will come. On the bike, the box is probably about one aid station long. On the run, the box begins as 2-3 aid stations long but often diminishes to "from here to the next lampost/manhole cover/mail box." Regardless:
- Keep The Box as big as you can for as long as you can.
- Keep in The Box only the things you can control. Let go of the rest.
- Exercise this decision-making process inside your Box: Observe the situation, Orient yourself to a possible course of action, Decide on a course of action, Act (OODA Loop).
Comments
If you are on a computer … not a phone or tablet? … in the reply box you should see an "Edit" buttoning the upper right of the box. Not sure if you can change the title, though but worth a try?
40' run this am-2x 1mi at sub z4(8:20)-8:13,7:57-BOOM!
Not sure I will get to today's swim
Happy start to week 19 all! This weeks theme is present moment awareness-The BOX
I Had to retreat to a small box early in October due Hamstring tendonitis that turned into severe calf pain (so bad that I had to stop & wait for it to calm down so I could walk/hobble back to car) on 10/16
After some PT, I was able to run steady at 11:00 pace for 12 miles the following week (10/23) & then did my RR two days later on 10/25 a week early due to pending weather.
Bike maintenance and new QUARQ PM then:
Biked 109 miles in 5:28 w/ at 113 HR (~20 beats below FTT) VI=1.01 TSS=290 IF=.728 (http://www.strava.com/activities/211593663 )
Ran 5k (calf was a little tight so ended the run - due to recent injury)
Day after the RR I did a 3600 yd OWS in 1:18 and 67 degree water
Wednesday (2 x 15)Intervals were 107% & 97% FTP then
Thursday - ran 10 miles 5mi at Z1 and 5mi at Z2 for a 10:35 overall pace "w/o pain".
Saturday in 34degree/windy weather - biked 4:40 at IF .76 almost all aero then
Sunday did a 2000yd OWS in 44:00 in 64degree water.
Got some good photos during the RR will try to get them posted soon.
Plan to get a couple of more OWS(s) in before heading to IMAZ.
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For me, on the swim, my box is about 25 strokes trying to focus on hip rotation, finger tips down, stretching my reach, keeping my body level, looking up, staying on target, then reset. In my case, trying to swim too fast makes me slower with bad form, so I have to deal with what I have.
On the bike leg, my box is 5 miles, hitting a Norm Power then resetting for the next five miles while drinking and eating every 15 minutes.
During the run, my box is aid station to aid station until things get bad and the box seems to get so much smaller.....
Swam at lunch yesterday: http://www.strava.com/activities/215208740
Morning trainer: http://www.strava.com/activities/215430561
Brick intensity run: http://www.strava.com/activities/215430552
Feels good to be done for the day and the coffee taste better!
SS
It's a simple surgery, no joint or mechanical issues, only debris to be removed.
I posted an updated draft of my race plan at the link below. I already got great advice from Coach P and Al on the transitions, which I incorporated into the plan. Peter Noyes might have saved me from a DQ by alerting me that cameras aren't allowed, so I am ditching my Garmin VIRB.
I'd love to get feedback from the IMAZ team.
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/17157/Default.aspx
Thanks!
Gabe
@ Daniel - thanks for the nice words.
@Gabe - great plan. We all should consider plagiarizing that plan and updating with our own specific nutrition and performance stats. As your plan now shows, I never change in the tent. I always run straight through it, dump my bag out on the ground on the other side, get what I need and hand my wetsuit and other items to a very kind volunteer......saves me a lot of wasted T1 time.....
SS
Speaking as a retired surgeon, I think the biggest risk in doing survey immediately (within a week) after an IM is lowered immune system resistance (from the IM) to infection, both surgical site and respiratory. Personally, I'd give it 2 weeks before I underwent the additional stress of anesthesia and surgery. Pneumonia and/or poor healing would be the potential downsides.
SS IMAZ plan posted.....any comments/suggestions are welcome:
http://members.endurancenation.us/F...fault.aspx
Bummer, just found out the race talk by Meredith Kessler is at the same time as the EN dinner on Thursday. I got my slot through Race Quest -- I wasn't even planning to do IMAZ 12 weeks ago until Robin posted on the EN dashboard the Race Quest still had slots. Part of the package is a race talk by Kessler.
Of course, I'll choose EN over Kessler. I'd rather talk to gurus like Al, Shaughn, Betsy, and the rest of the team.
Knocking out the Wkos. enjoying the taper!!!!
AL T in the week 10 thread suggested a Friday PM recon ride and I think Bruce Thompson is joining.
@AL - What time? and where? guesstimate? I will probably join.
The 4 Keys talk kinda complicates things. It's at 10:30 on Friday, ending a bit before noon, I bet, at the theatre in Tempe. The usual thing is to drive with your bike to the gas station at the corner where we turn onto Beeline, meet there, and bike to the turnaround and back. I like to ride at about the time I would be hitting that section on the third loop, which would be 12:30-1:30 ish. So my worry is how to fit lunch into all that. But I;d probably drive and park near the theatre, then go from there to the ride start.
The Friday ride, after the four keys sounds pretty good to me as well. Any idea how far you all are planning to ride?
@Clark - ride is about 11 miles out and 11 back...
Comments, suggestions and questions are welcome. It will look familiar as I have stolen much of it from what I've seen others posting...
Happy Wed all!
How is taper week going so far? How about those race plans?
Was able to get in a lunch swim today: http://www.strava.com/activities/215901810
Went to bed feeling anxious about the race last night. Need to focus on being positive and execute come race day......put it all out there and let the chips fall where they may........
I'll be moving my Saturday bike to Thurs given I have to deliver the bike to TBT tomorrow......
SS
Using TriBikeTransport for my bike. Should I pack my bike pump in my gear bag? Is there access to a pump prior to the race or should I have my Sherpa carry it for me? Logistical question from a first timer....
Three choices:
Quiet out there this week - seems like all are taking the Taper seriously.......Smart!
Taper Lunch run for me today: http://www.strava.com/activities/2162323561
Thinking about my BOX and keeping it positive!
SS
Taking a rest day and will assess how I feel tomorrow. I definitely need to get in some open water swimming this week. Haven't done an open water swim since SuperFrog HIM at the end of September.
SWIM QUESTIONS: I seem to recall some discussion of the swim course strategy several weeks ago, but I'll be darned if I can find the thread. Any idea what the water temperature is? I'm debating between the full sleeve and the sleeveless. Thoughts?
The week has been good so far. My bike is on its way to AZ, so I did my brick this week at the bike at the YMCA. It's nice that the bikes there measure watts, although I think they measure power at least 10% higher than my bike based on my subjective RPE. Did my last long run yesterday on the dreadmill. It's slightly easier to go for over an hour when you can crank away at a slower pace, but it's still dreadful. Not looking forward to the last4K swim today, but I'm glad I'm running.
Plans for the week:
THURSDAY - Arrive in AZ ~ 10:30, register, athlete briefing, dinner with the team
FRIDAY - 4 keys, Bike Recon (who else is ridig and when?!), welcome ceremony
Saturday - Practice Swim, lay low
Sunday - Finish by 7:00 and cheer teammates in, celebrate at Rula Bula
Full sleeve is best.
Swim strategy...with 3000 in a mass start, lining up properly is critical. Once you get going, just follow the crowd. You have no other choice.