April 2015 Get Faster
On my way back to US of A, I'll be jumping back into week 4/5 of Get Faster on Tuesday, March 31. I'm REALLY looking forward to getting back into structured training after resting my aching knees for a couple of weeks.
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Pickup w/ GF from 4/20 for ~6 weeks before shifting back to HIM plan for Challenge AC end of June.
I just completed weeks 1 - 3 and am beginning week 4 this week. Would love some company after last week's battering! Today was a scheduled rest day so decided to log a 2 X1000 yds pull session. Felt about right.
Good luck with that intensity bike tomorrow morning......its a rude way to wake up but it does make the coffee taste better!
SS
Updates from this weekend, and today.
Finished last week with my greatest volume since IM Wisconsin last September at 10:20. Hit all my workouts and felt pretty good throughout the week. Much different than the week before when i was sick.
Managed a strong ride on Saturday outside in 39 degree temps. Hit some of the tougher hills in the area. My power meter was cutting off and on the whole time on my garmin. I'm hoping it is a bad battery. Replaced, will see. Anyway, hard to gauge my total power output for that ride, but felt good. Much harder to hit exact FTP and VO2 workouts in this hilly area, but I tried to time my FTP work and use the long hills as part of them .
Good solid long run with some zone 4 work at the YMCA yesterday, Just finished my swim today.
Still trying to think about how to adjust my schedule like Al suggested in order to build in some rest. Waited until this afternoon to do the swim so that I had at least 24 hrs of recovery since yesterday's hard run.
Nice work Stephan / Jay!
Early morning 2 X 20s sucked but they are effective:
https://www.strava.com/activities/276899138
Have a run w/ strides at some point to go before the day is over.
Have a great day all!
SS
Think: slow turnover, high knees, push off your toes, arm swings = pump fists up high.
After 30 hours traveling home, half in airports, half in planes, I did all my laundry, ironed my shirts, put away the luggage, and hopped on the trainer for 4 x 5' (2') @ 0.96 IF. That got the kinks out. My primary goal the next two weeks is to SLOWLY rev up to full effort. No "too much, too hard, too soon" injuries.
Yesterday, did the hill bounding in the morning and rode out to a steep hill by my house and did VO2 repeats on my bike in the evening.
Today, my legs are tired after 13 days with no recovery day (I used to take one every week). I did skip the swim today, and can rest until tomorrow evening's bike ride.
Today, I did the 3 x 1 mile outside, beautiful windy spring day here. My pace was off by about 10 seconds on the miles but I did them.
@ Al, no way I could do that kind of traveling and then execute those kind of sets..........Looks like you're jumping into the fire headfirst.
@Stephan / Jay, I'll be attempting the bounding on Friday. I have been running 40 seconds up hill then trying to bound at the end of that and I am finding it difficult to switch from sprinting up hill to bounding.....
It was one of those days were it looked manageable on paper but was so much harder to execute. Ran 5 miles with 15X30" strides last evening.
Got on the track early and did 3X1s at Z5.5 then swam 3,800 yds at lunch.........
Run https://www.strava.com/activities/277448278
Swim https://www.strava.com/activities/277565185
Need a nap but must work for a paycheck.............
SS
Had fun today on my bike ride. Been following Al's advice for the vo2 repeats. I have a nice hill that I can do 90-120" of nice VO2, think the grade gets to @12%, so it becomes granny gear.
I have to say, I live in a great place for riding once the snow melts. Anyone traveling through Western Wisconsin is free to join me some time.
https://www.strava.com/activities/278189243
To those of you that celebrate Easter, Happy Easter and to everyone Happy Training I hope.
So, yesterday I felt great on my bike ride and hit my 2.5 hrs right on target with both my FTP intervals and several hard VO2 climbs. IF of @85, lots of wind helped that too.
Today, during the run, didn't feel as strong. I am consistently about 10-15 seconds slower than my zone 4 pace.
I did my 3 x 1 mile at about 7:45 (z4 should be 7:33), and my zone 2 work at 8:30 rather than 8:07. the only thing that is on is my zone1 at 9:30. Got in 9.3 miles, 85 minutes. Legs and me are tired.
My two immediate goals are a half marathon early May, and the EN TOC the following week. I can finally see myself being ready for both.
Great updates!
@Stephan - if you're hitting the Saturday bike work as written, you can count on the Sunday Z4 run intervals to be challenging. Well done bro!
@Al - looking strong as usual and coming back quick!
Did a Swim and Run on Friday. Hammered my legs on Sat trainer hell session and completed a late afternoon run yesterday to burn off the Easter calories: https://www.strava.com/activities/279959606
Welcome to week 5!
3k LCM's in the pool yesterday and 2x15 + some z2-3 to finish out the hour on the bike this morning. Looking for a hot group run at lunch today.
Looks like you guys are throwing down some good work. Keep on it and keep posting.
I took Monday off (well, except for half an hour in the weight room), so today was a triple play - yesterdays swim, and today's bike and run. For the first time in over a month, my left quad was not hurting during or after the VO2 intervals, and I did my first brick since last November's IM. So I'm on a triathlon high this evening.
Hi all!
Got the swim slog completed on Monday.
1:20, 110 TSS bike yesterday morning early...... check! 6X50" bounding hill strides felt harder than they looked on paper yesterday afternoon. Was 75 degrees and 75% humidity so, was sweating like a stuck pig!
This morning on the track for 1.25 mile intervals: https://www.strava.com/activities/281487713
Prob going to use the pool buoy for the swim later today.......
Nice work all.....keep posting!
SS
great updates, let's keep them coming:
Monday, hit a solid swim,
Tuesday, Did my hill bounding at lunch time on the bridge that goes over the Mississippi. Not super steep but tough nonetheless. Legs still feel tired running.
in the evening, I took it back to the trainer since we had a spring storm with hail all over the place. Cold too. Hit my vo2 7 x 1.5 great and felt strong on the bike.
Wednesday: Today, I skipped the swim this morning, and will do the 3 x 1 mile at 5k pace at the YMCA tonight.
I like the idea of using pull buoy for swims when my legs are tired. Perhaps, I will do today's swim tomorrow morning with the buoy. Or maybe not. I really hate waking up earlier in the morning. I'm a woos.
@ Stephan - did a 5X400, 400 pull, 10X50, 400 pull at lunch. I try to use the buoy sparingly, though needed when fatigued from morning 3X1s......
Good luck with the interval work tonight!
SS
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Not sure when I last updated:
Had a nice "easy" run at Lunch Friday. I never experience running as easy. It was raining and I did about 9 of my 20" strides.
Swam at the YMCA last night, got in 4 x 500 hit the 1:50 TT time.
Decided to go 30 minutes longer today and finished a 3 hr ride over 10 tough hills. 50 miles. TSS 215, IF .84 NP 239, was able to get in 2 x 15 FTP, and about 4 15' zone 3, but it was tough with all the hills to be consistent.
https://www.strava.com/activities/283487937
Tomorrow, I'm signed up for an 8k race, will run two miles before and a couple miles afterwards.
I have been struggling with my training plan because I start week 8 next week and it is all about testing. The problem is I then load the IM Half, and it starts on a week that is also testing. I have been thinking about switching to the half next week, and then waiting one more week before testing.
@Stephan - super ride and great results! Hard to stay focused on those hills after all that work up front.
I am hanging in there with Week 5 GF and checking off the work. Looking to run a little later today to close out the week.
Let's close the week strong all!
SS
Finished up the week with interval work today: https://www.strava.com/activities/284279442
Tough run given the matches I burned yesterday but got her done. 1,147 TSS which is probably a little overstated since I believe both my FTP and vDOT have improved in the last 5 weeks of work.
Will sleep like a brick tonight!
SS
@jay, thanks for the update. Diving and fishing with your son sounds fun.
Took yesterday off as I am on week 8, testing week of get faster. Sunday, I did about 35 minutes of warm up in zone 1, and then raced a 5 mile race. I was a little slower than the last 5 mile race (avg 7:30 vs 7:15)I did back in February, but my legs were shot from the hard bike ride and the wind was nasty. So, overall, I felt good that I could run a negative split with my last mile being 7:20. I rewarded myself with a low effort short ride and did some recon on the Oly race I'm doing in June.
Today, my goal is to get off work early enough to head out and do my first outside FTP test. I'm nervous about this. Not sure why but it feels like a race. Legs are still a little tired from the weekend. Glad tomorrow is one more day off on my schedule. I need it.
I'm moving into week six for the second time this season. I got my run up to 80 minutes/9.4 miles Sunday, getting ready for HM in about 3 weeks. I'm adding extra cycling volume; in deference to my age (?experience), I'm only doing two sessions per week of "intensity" (VO2 or FTP sessions), and the remainder @ steady IM pace. This week, I'm aiming for a 4 hour ride on Thursday, along with one or two "commuting" sessions, meaning I bike to a running track and/or swim pool.
VO2 and FTP Test done. Gorgeous day.
VO2 (mostly aero) 5 minutes went up to 356 from 352 4 watt gain.
FTP (half aero, half up on my hoods) went from 286FTP to 296FTP. 10 watt gain. 301np, to 312np 20'
I'm happy with that. I ended up doing it on a flatter section, but it required me to get on a really busy road for the first 1mile or so to make it work. I also have a hard time staying aero at that level of output for some reason. I just went back and forth. gotta work on that.
https://www.strava.com/activities/285558884
@ Stephan - fantastic gains on the FTP front bro! Reflection of hard, consistent work! With that level of wattage, you may need to stock up on back tire inventory......
Give us what that translates into for w/kg....
@Al - welcome to week 6, same week I am in. Saw that bike you did - looked like WORK! Keep leading.....
Swam Mon, ripped my legs off Tuesday and found a way to do some Bounding strides in the evening. Did a 3 X 1.5 this morning on my daughter's high school track - that hurt.
Just taking it workout by workout as I carry the week 6 load along for fun right now.....
SS
Happy Thursday.....
Completed a swim at lunch yesterday and got my intensity bike checked off this morning. One of those mornings when you get up and feel the load from the prior workouts, no happy feeling and doubt about how this next one is going to get done.....
You start pedaling and take it minute by minute then interval by interval and see what it evolves or doesn't.....
On flight to NYC as I type.......not sure how Friday will go while traveling/working....
SS
Funny thing...my worn out left knee, which has been giving me grief now for over 3 months, has been feeling progressively better and better for the past 4 weeks. Now, however, I'm starting to show the effects of working harder, which my knee was not allowing. For the first time since I can't remember when, I failed to complete a running interval workout yesterday. Plan called for 3 x 1 mi @ TP; I was able to do 2 x 3/4 mi, then another 400, during which I was 6 sec/mi slow, and really feeling it. So I pulled the plug, and just ran home from the track. I see that as good news - my knee is not hurting during or after workouts, and I now have two weeks worth of GF running, and it's starting to show. Yeah! I'm getting tired, finally.
This morning, second swim of the week, 5 x 400 @ Race pace minus 2-3 sec. This went SUPER, not only faster than similar workout end of last week, but also faster than the same workout 3 months ago.
Then, on this simply awesome 65F and cloudless day in the Pac NW, I went for a long ride, part of my plan to get ready for the Tour of CA. I'm up to 4 hours this week, but bailed after 3:35 when I got a flat and didn't want to fix it. Along the way,though, Puget Sound, the Olympics, and the Cascades and volcanos were all sparkling in springtime glory. Having fun training again, the past 24 hours.
@shaughn 3.55 W/kg for the 20 minute test. 3.42 back on Feb 20th. Not sure how to translate that to the FTP though. subtract 5%?
I weigh 193. If I can get that down to 185 or better that would be a difference for my speed going up those hills.
@AL, glad to hear your knee is feeling better and that you are getting your mojo back. It is funny for me to think it is a good thing when one doesn't hit the intervals.
Swim test today after work. I don't really understand why we have to do kicking sets before the test when we never do those in our workouts.