IMLP 11/9 - Building the Engine
Happy Monday Peeps!
Lots of great reports from ToC camp finishers and IMTX slayers this weekend!
Well - 8 weeks of Fitness building work ahead of us! OMG!
Walking that fine line already with the fatigue thing here.
Hope all had a safe productive weekend.
Got up this morning moving slowly and forced the run over rolling hills (about 75 TSS.....going to have to find some bigger hills...) Had a rough time with that due to the long run work yesterday and the residual fatigue. Also dealing with high humidity here and having to be very careful with making sure I am putting it in as fast as it is coming out. Got lucky and also completed a swim slog over lunch. 88 degrees and pool heated to 80 made me have to drink more liquids during the swim!
Have a great week all!!
Comments
I started my week on Sunday, in anticipation of a travel day two weeks from now (meaning, I will be a day ahead of plan, and will be back on plan after taking the travel day as a rest day).
I did ToC, averaging an IF of 0.73, with lots of climbing. But the last 2 or 3 days were "easier", and I was able to come back and immediately pop into the iM plan. Swim workouts x 2 are the same, I was faster today than yesterday on all intervals. I ran 1 mi + 2 x 1/2 mi @ TP (actually, about 25 sec faster than TP) in 73F sun - which is a heat wave for us this time of year. Sweat felt good
I also threw in a 70 min recovery ride on the local hills - 1200' elev gain in 17 mi. It felt good to be riding in better weather than the last two days in SoCal!
Tomorrow will maybe be a bike test, to see if I can consolidate the ToC volume bump, then long run on Wednesday. And I see we have another Big Day this weekend?
@Al - looking strong and pushing me with all that WORK!!
Got on the trainer this morning early before 5 a.m. in somewhat of a foggy state - - combination of fatigue and early morning I suppose. Got in a Z4 / Z5 workout for about 126 TSS load total which was painful but did make the coffee and oatmeal taste better!
Getting about 8 hours of biking the last two weeks with half of that at about .74 IF and the other half around .88 IF. Running is on track though starting to feel the cumulative fatigue.
Swimming is something that, no matter how much I swim, I will not get that much faster, so the plan at the moment is to swim a lot and just build up the endurance component while carry the bike/run load......
SS
@ SS.... Love the titles of the weekly threads... Always so appropriate for the time frame.... Solid leading WKO's ! setting the bar and smart....Great plan with your swim but don't bail on getting it faster... With your work ethic it can improve !
I do like to envision building my engine (the diesel long distance portion) about 10 weeks out over these next 3-4 weeks and then focus on race specificity for 3-4 weeks before that 2 week taper.... But this year I feel all over the map , with my winter antic's , not leaving enough time to peak my FTP/Vdot before the building of the engine.... The whole idea was to be able to race the IM at a higher percentage of those #'s so we will see... Back on a more conventional though Hacked EN plan.... Finished off last weekend with hard TT bike on Sat , long 2hr run Sun.....Kicked off this week with swim only Monday.... Pre-ride run this am and some FTP bike work today! For this coming weekend the plan is big swim friday , 4-4.5hr bike w/brick on Sat , Sunday longrun !
On Sunday I squeezed in a bike and a swim TT. Managed the swim while the kiddos were in their swim classes. 1:44 pace overall and my longest continuous set this year. I did it as a pull set pull set, so add an extra 5" w/o the buoy. This was where I was going into last years A race. Nice to see that the swim does indeed come back after very little swimming.
Bike was on the trainer while my daughter watched Strawberry Shortcake. Quite a motivating show for the 1x12'@1.02 & 2x8'@Z3.
Working to rally this week starting with two days of pool running. Today was 52' for an estimated 5 mi of "running" Plan was for 2x1 mi @ Z4 hard effort. Average HR 154, max 203. I also accumulated 2100 feet of elevation gain in the process. Head scratcher.
I'm 8 weeks out from my A race and am questioning if I will be prepared to the level I was expecting to be at. The alternatives would be to pull the plug and focus on my second A race in September, followed by changing to a bike only focus or to an aquabike race.
The wife wants to spend a couple of days out in Gig Harbor this weekend, which will be a nice change of scenery for my two long bike wko's.
Planning to get back on track by the weekend...sort of...doing a ride called Mountains of Misery for a little additional training for climbing on the bike on Sunday:-)
I've got in a couple swims the past 2 days 2700 and 3000M. I'm seeing some improvements in speed, form and ability to hold that form for longer. The arms were feeling it at the end today so looking forward to some FTP work on the bike tomorrow.
I did see you! I saw you on the bike and on the run. I was in a purple and white kit. Great race report! That was the hardest course ever! Ignorance was bliss for me on the run since I didn't realize those mountains were on it! I was so darn happy to get out of that ridiculous neighborhood! I'll have my race report done tomorrow and post it.
@ Phil - Here's my go-to bike route from Gig Harbor through Manchester/Port Orchard. You can extend it a bit if you include a little trek down to the Bridges and back:http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/717405041 Note it starts and ends at the southern Cushman Trailhead on Reid Road; you can also start from, say the Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor. Tip: check the wind direction. If coming from the South or West, do the loop clockwise; North or East, counter clockwise. 50-58 miles, should be good for nearly 4 hours, and a lot of time near/on the water's edge.
Today was FTP test and 30 minute brick. I gained about 2% in my FTP in the past two weeks, which included about 360 miles in 7 days on the Tour of California. I suspect my PowerTap needs to be calibrated. It's reading 25559 when I do a calibration with my Garmin, should read about 500. Also, my road and Kickr FTPs are about 15% higher, and my FTP on the TT bike has dropped 12%, without a corresponding loss in speed over the test segment. Maybe I'll spend the off day this week trying to do a manual calibration.
Still loving the perfect weather for training - 70F, sunny, little wind. Maybe I'll throw down an Open Water Swim for the Big Day this Friday.
This week is a recovery week for me after completing 70.3 Chattanooga with a 37 min PR for a 5:06 finish. And I really need to recover as the hamstrings are still sore. Hope to back at it with full intensity come Monday.
Saturday was a ~3 hour ride. Got caught in a 5 min downpour, so the last hour was a bit chilly. Otherwise, felt good. Will continue to lengthen the time in the saddle and hope to add some intensity this weekend.
Sunday was some light running at the track with the neighborhood run club. Hot & humid conditions with a Z4 mile. No 2nd weekend ride, so need to get that in starting this weekend (no excuses, as I have Fri-Mon off from work!)
Monday was a 45' run in the Park with 10' of hill repeats near the Boathouse (2' up and 2' recovery coming down). 3100 yd swim afterwards.
Tuesday was tight on time so less swim volume but got the main set sprints in. 2x1 mile @ Z4 run beforehand at the track.
This morning, I went for a ~5 mile run around downtown Boston including some small hills in the Commons. For the first time in awhile, I felt light on my feet (vs the sluggish feeling I've had over the past few weeks). I also felt stronger in the water during this week's swims. Hopefully, I can keep up the consistency and regain my lost fitness.
I've really enjoyed reading the imtx RRs. Gonzalo and I have done that race 2x in the past -- don't think we had to deal with that humidity though. It's my favorite IM due to hot conditions which I prefer and relatively easy logistics for the family. Thinking about going back in '16, but we'll see...
@TC - Watching your beginning IM ramp - doesn't look to me like you've lost any speed but maybe gained durability over the winter months?
@Gordon - anything at 4 a.m. spells commitment!
@Don - enjoyed reading your 70.3 Blog report and loved the pictures! Tough race but making it through that rain on steep descents safely says something about your ability to manage through the uncontrollables.
@Mandy - Congrats on Knoxville! Steeps descents and rain are two things I cannot do well at the same time....I turn white knuckled and ultra conservative having had too many serious bike accidents in my past. Well Done!
@William - smoking Long Run executed this morning! Keep leading!
@MW - just a lot of consistent work going on up there! Nice to have another IM veteran on the team!
@Phil - 8 weeks to your race and your ramp this week looks great - up on the bike at 4 a.m. for 2 hours is serious business! Damn!!
@Al - I am still recovering from reading all of your ToC posts, Big Tri week, FTP test.......etc...
hard for me to keep up with that!
@Derrek - super congrats on a blistering 5 hour 70.3! Hope the recovery and hammy healing is coming along!
SS Mid week update:
Mon/Wed swims complete. Wed Swim: https://www.strava.com/activities/308355978
Wed interval run for comical relief: https://www.strava.com/activities/308197602
Deferring Thurs bike to lunch hour today for recovery purposes. By the time I get to Thursday I have 6 days of running in row and begin to feel that fine line between load and overload.....
I'll be doing my BIG day swim on Friday then a 4-4.5 hour bike and 1 hour run on Sat......haven't quite figured out long run this week given Memorial day weekend and Fly Fishing on the calendar with my 3 boys for Sunday
......will work something out whether it be on Monday or some other scenario..........
Good post on the EN page from TC about the Mental Game with good commentary from Al all should take a look at IMO.
Keep fighting all!!
SS
Hello everyone, sorry I have been a bit lax on posting. This has been and continues to be a busy week. I did a big workout weekend for me. I rode 90 miles local on Saturday. Sunday, I only had an hour of free time so I ran 8 miles at faster than race pace. Monday, I got in my car and drove to Lake placid. I was on my bike by 10:30 am and rode what are for me the difficult sections twice. This gave me another 80 miles. I finished it off with 1.2 miles in Mirror lake. I went into work on my way back from Placid and again Tuesday morning. This week is Birthday week here. My wife's was yesterday and my son's & mother's is today. Yesterday I spent the day putting down hardwood flooring for my mother. Today I did the Thursday long run. The run went well.
Here is the bike course scouting report for the team. The bike course has a lot of construction on it. The road out of town is in tough shape. There were a lot of pot holes and pavement cracks until you get to the airport. Last year's new pavement from River road up and over the top is still in good shape. The descent to Keene was OK. Where the pavement was new was still good. The rest was pretty bumpy. The S curves were particularly bumpy. Therre was work crews on the hill all day and I am not sure what they were getting ready to do. My hope is more paving. There is construction on the bridge at Keene where we make a left turn onto Route 9N. Currently, that bridge is one lane and controlled by a traffic light. There is a sidewalk that you can ride to get across. Route 9N is in good shape and there were no surprises. I skipped the out & back to Ausable Forks. The climb to Wilmington was fine. It is still tough. When you ride into Wilmington, the bridge across the river is completely out. It was being re-built and you must take the detour. The detour is on Springfield road. That is the road that is directly across from Haselton road.(2nd out & back) You take Springfield road to Fox Farm road. That brings you out on Route 86 at the KOA. The detour is 2.7 miles and is all uphill. Route 86 from Fox Farm road to Placid is in good shape. There was no more construction. I am heading back up to Placid tomorrow. I left my bike at the Placid Planet for maintenance. Apparently, my local shop replaced the bearings in my bottom bracket with the wrong set. (FYI, a really bad thing) End result is a broken crank bolt and lots of $$$.
This has been a strong training week for me. Rode 3 hours on the Skyline Drive (6300 ft climbing) last Saturday, then trainer and run on Sunday. All this week has been good quality work on the runs and rides. Had a solid 1:38 long run tonight and felt pretty good. Did an early season HIM couple of weeks ago and everything was on track except my run, so refocusing on the bricks and more run work.
Also need more attention on the mental side: finding myself getting stressed about work versus the workouts, scheduling, and all that. Trying to remember that I don't need to kill myself on The Big Day this weekend to get what I need out of this test!
back from TOC, i have managed one Run since returning... trying to run tomorrow am, but have a big weekend planned. will post as that unfolds...
I was focused on hitting the IF targets, getting all my calories in, and finishing the five bottles I brought with me (120 oz). Missions accomplished.
Focus on the bike was trying hard NOT to kill myself, work on position and trying to stay in Z2. Nutrition was solid: used Gatorade Endurance and GU but found that wasn't enough - by 2:45 I was really hungry and dove into the GU Chomps that I brought. Power on the bike was a tad higher than it should have been at Z3+ (TSS of 333.8 / IF 0.9 over 4:08, 75 miles @ 18.1 mph) but got in 3000 ft of mild climbs without breaking out of aero. No inner thigh cramps, consistently comfortable on the bike and in the aero position. Had to go three times, so hydration was there too...
Used an Ensure to dump calories into the system at the bike-to-run transition (with lots of water). The run felt slow, but by the end of mile 1 I was at Z3+ and comfortable with that pace. Couple of twinges of hamstring cramps if I'd try to crank a faster pace up the hills.... but they stayed at bay. Solid 53 min run, felt good.
This was a confidence booster for me - I was dreading this test, but it turned out well in the end. Mundo thanks to Coach P for posting the super helpful vid of what to look for in The Big Day protocol - helped me a lot!!
This was my first EN Big Day and it went better than I expected. Most of this week I was recovering from IM 70.3 Choo, so up until Friday I wasn't going to do it telling myself the HIM was my Big Day. I'm glad I did it. My DOMS went away Wednesday and by Friday I was feeling at 95%. I did a 60' swim Friday night, 4:11 bike and 60' run. My HR monitor wasn't picking up my HR most of the bike so I went off of RPE. The run was strong. It's very motivating reading everyone's workouts. Thanks!
Big Day was Thursday. 48 min OWS 2600 meters, 4 hour 70 mile ride, then 6 mile/51 minute run in 80F sun/shade, with some significant hills in the middle. It felt good to ride aero all that time, and to put away the liquid calories per my plan. This was the first time in all these years I;ve done the swim right before the rest of the Big Day. Coaches' notes on that impact that has on nutrition was enIightening, so I front loaded calories a bit on the ride. I took the day off afterwards, with good effect: I slept 9 hours (highly unusual for me) and napped another 60 minutes later in the day. The next morning, my weight was back up to where I want it, with good hydration status as reflected in a lower BF%. The weather turned to usual June gloom this weekend, as I'd hoped, so my long run this afternoon went equally well: 105 minute, 12.25 mi, progressive with 25 minutes of good MP work, followed by 15 minutes of HMP speed home. I hate thinking about running long as a general principle, today was no exception. But I felt good throughout (good in the sense I was able to handle the work), and took in 4 oz of EFS gel during the run, which helped a lot.
Tomorrow (Sunday) I start week 12/9 to go in a great place, still looking to add some extra-curricular recovery rides commuting to pool and track. I'm switching from Int to Adv plan also this week, after handling the transition from the ToC without incident.
Long run went well today - still able to stick to the "walk 30 steps each mile" interval. I think it's a lot of mind over matter.
In my race last weekend, I went the entire 13 miles only walking aid stations - it was a big confidence boost.
Starting tomorrow, I will officially be "on the same page" as the rest of the IMLP group.
Not exactly a big day here but got the work in spread out over the weekend... Big 4000 yd swim on Friday, Flipped my Sat/Sun around on account of cold/windy weather.... 16 mile run on Saturday..... Today was a Lake Placid esque ride.... 4+ hrs w/lotsa climbing followed up with a 5k brick.....
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/783747105
Just checking in to see how the big day's went. Mine was spent on the couch and in bed sick. Sore throat on Friday and by Saturday morning it was much worse. Starting to feel better today and no ache in my arm and legs. I'm now happy that I did the 4 days of riding prior to the start of the IM plan but feeling the pressure of not getting the workouts done the last few days.
Clear the head, reset as start on the next week. I will see what tomorrow brings but only feel maybe 60% right now so probably no swim tomorrow as well, just work and extra rest.
Week Re-Cap
Mon- too much fatigue shortened my swim. I was doing 600yd sets and by set 4 I was struggling to stay within 3-4 seconds per 100 so pulled the plug and called it a day @ 4x600
Tues - Still feeling fatigued but realized mid run that much was work/life stuff and felt much better after the wko. Did the prescribed 2x1 mile at the HS track. First mile was very hard - felt like I had lead weights on my feet. Second mile was better, especially the last half. My legs were back and felt good to be on pace.
Wed - Bike was MS only getting 10' & 15' at FTP. I did want to do some 85% stuff but felt like the gas tank was empty.
Wed - Run on the TM started at my usual 8:34/7.0 all day pace and upped the pace every mile ending at 8.2. Finished 5 miles 39:xx
Thurs - Long run outside as a somewhat progressive pace. Felt more progressive than the gps indcates but was very happy with the results. 14 miles, 1:53
Fri - Long swim as 2x1800. Was able to hold my form/pace for all laps in both sets. Very please with current pace and endurance. Being a AOS, I've given up on trying to be 'fast' and am more interested in taking my best 200 pace and extend that to beyond 1.2 miles with the goal of getting out of the water with minimal fatigue. ALL my swims are PULL ONLY.
Sat - schedule change for weather and SAU's
Sun - Big Day, bike and run (no swim). Bike was 3:56, 72 miles @ 168NP, 0.835 IF, 1.05 VI; Run 60' @ ~ 8:34 for 7 miles
My Stava posting listed IF @ .85 which came from the GC when I uploaded it, but should have been .835 (from WKO+)Some details on the Big Day:
AM weight = 155.3
40 oz coffee, PB&J @ 400 cal
Bike: 104 oz Infinit on the bike w/1,100 cal and 1,600 mg NA+; 12 oz water (no pee on the bike)
Pee in T2 ~ 8 oz
Run: 24 oz water
Post ride/run weight = 154.7 (only 0.6 lb loss over 5 hours)
Totals: 1500 cal, 1600 mg NA+, 180 oz liquids
[ 36 oz/ hr; 400 mg NA+/ hr ]
It warmed up nicely and sun and 70 to start the run. Wanted to go slower than I did. I was too fast by pace but the perceived effort was low. I told my self "nice and easy" and the first 30 minutes was exactly that. Second 30 minutes, was to push hard and negative split. Done and Done.
Summary: 4 hrs, NP 167 IF .79 RUN: 1 hr, 7.88 miles; 7:42 ave first half, 7:32 ave. second half.
Now it is on to TEST WEEK!
I won;t start a new thread, cause I just can't figure out the weeks to go thing. I mean, counting today, there are nine mondays before the race. And the EN plans say we are in week twelve? Somehow, that doesn't add up, but, for me, it;s 9 weeks and counting THIS WEEK.
It's good to see folks concentrating on nutrition and run pacing on the Big Day. I neglected to detail my nutrition in my post, other than to say I drank all the bottles I brought. I ate all the gel I had, and did not lose or gain weight at the end of the day.
ToC continues to rattle my timing here a bit. I tried to test last week, that did not go too well (5% below what I thought I should have). This week, I'm again starting on Sunday; doing the swims from week 12 (with the "TT" as an OWS), and inserting the previous week's bike and run intervals to replace the tests.
Today was bike interval day: I rode over the bridge to Pt Defiance park, where there is a 5 Mile Drive which is closed to cars until 10 AM each day. It's rolling, mostly uphill for the first 4 miles, so I hit that as my interval, roll downhill 1.5 mi in 4 min, and repeat. Takes about 12+ minutes, right on target for 25' of work time. But the second interval today I did with an IF of 1.115 (1.05 on the first). Couple that with my Big Day intervals of 0.79/0.8 for 2.5 hours, and I feel justified in bumping my FTP back up 5% to where it was at the end of last season. We'll see come race rehearsal time how well that works.