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Week 15 IMC
Welcome to Camp Week! Feels like we are getting close now seeing that on the schedule. Who all is doing camp week and what are your plans?
I'm planning the RR swim at my local 50m pool Thursday morning. Taking 1/2 day (might be more like 3/4) off on Friday to do the RR Bike & Run, then doing the Saturday 112 mile bike and Sunday long run.
This is going to be the confidence booster I need to show myself that I didn't lose as much fitness from being sick that I feared. Or at least that is my hope
I'm planning the RR swim at my local 50m pool Thursday morning. Taking 1/2 day (might be more like 3/4) off on Friday to do the RR Bike & Run, then doing the Saturday 112 mile bike and Sunday long run.
This is going to be the confidence booster I need to show myself that I didn't lose as much fitness from being sick that I feared. Or at least that is my hope
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Camp week for me next week as well. I took next Friday off.
I had to push the long run last week to sunday. Got 14miles in 2:05 in the rain (which I enjoy except the heavy shoes). Last night's 2x1Z4 was more difficult than usual....duh.
I'm still not getting enough bike time (missed Sunday due to long run) but hope the camp week volume next week gives me the boost I need.
I noticed we are supposed to ride a flat course for our 112 test. With so much climbing at IMC is that what everyone is doing? I had planned 5K plus of climbing.
For me the swimming has been the hardest to get in - or the number of swims a week rather. Doing 90 min today and looking forward to it.
Also new shoes (yesterday run, seemed to help the pain issue - we will see), and new 11/28 Ultegra cassette and borrowed zipp wheels.
Personally more anxious then last year. I think last year being my first, I did not know what I did not know! This year I am fully aware of how hard this is going to be! This weekend will hopefully give me more confidence.
Recommend checking out the WIKI at http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=Race+Rehearsal+Protocol
I think also recommended is a race rehearsal plan beforehand which outlines your nutrition, power or pace targets, transition practice, running pace goals. Having a plan is critical and then your execution of the race rehearsal will tweak your plan for next race rehearsal which will set you up then for your actual race plan.
OK. So we just spent time looking at the tubular zipps a friend sent me. So light! But that is just it, tubular.
Is anyone else going tubular? Is this a dumb idea? If I flat, then I am toast for the race, correct?
I have seen many racers out there with a can of "fix a flat" and I've always assumed that is what they must use for tubulars. They sell it at the gear tent at the race if you are flying with your bike.
It's been a good week so far....missed the swim tuesday but got the z4 run intervals....legs felt heavy from the weekend.....yesterday i had a great bike nite....i live on top of a hill so any direction i head i'm going down about 800'....i have a bunch of 3'-16' climbs within 10 minutes of my driveway....so i string a bunch together to net out the equivalent z4 listed on the plan....can definitely feel the leg fatigue everytime I get up from my desk... i keep telling myself this is a good thing....
regarding hills & RR....wiki says not to worry cuz we should be "flattening" the course with our gear selection....however, i think it's important to include hills since we're going to exceed goal watts on race day on the IMC hills ....practicing low cadence riding to control watts is an aquired skill
+1 on Jason comment about RR plan
Goals: Test out 210W for the 112 miles to see if this is right IF. My guess is it might be a few watts high given my recent illness. Focus on maintaining low VI as this was my area for improvement at St George 70.3. Be strong all 3 days as I'm building some key fitness. Run strong on Sunday to demonstrate I've got good base fitness.
Equipment: Will ride in race kit, aero helmet. Not putting on wheel cover or race tires as that requires a swap and I recently had on at St George with no problem.
Nutrition: I'll eat the CD applesauce breakfast on Friday about 3 hours before I am headed out to ride. Race day plan is 2 bottles on bike per hour + 2-3 salt tabs (since IMC has only Gatorade not Gatorade Endurance) + 1 gel every 45 minutes. I will modify this for race rehearsal to be 1 bottle per hour since temperature will be significantly lower, I know my gut handles the extra fluids fine and I don't want to be stopping to pee every 30 minutes. Yes this is a lower calorie consumption but then again I'm not running a marathon off the bike during the rehearsal. For the run, I will use a race belt with 4 oz of fluid every mile. Saturday bike will be similar nutrition. Sunday I am doing a 3k salt water swim in the Puget sound and then doing my 2:15 long run which will be a 5 mile loop through Point Defiance Park so plan to just have bottles at my car for every 5 miles.
Thursday: Already completed RR swim. Was limited to 60 minutes masters session but had a 50M lane to myself and swam 3500m in 60 minutes. Now if only I was that comfortable at the start of the race. Wore my lava pants to somewhat simulate wearing a wetsuit.
Friday: Only taking a half day vacation so will be working until noon. Headed out at noon from house to find 112 miles to ride with lots of hills (Out to flaming geyser, then out on 410 to Greenwater, then into Orting with possible out to Electron, then Home). Goal is 210W steady with autolap every 7 miles and hitting goal watts every lap. Aero entire distance except for climbs that I am not encountering a headwind and less than 10mph. Will need to stop at convenience store to buy more gatorade. Riding with a friend (yes I know that is a no-no but he too will be riding 210W and is training for Vineman full which is same day as IMC).
Within 10 minutes of finishing bike will start the run. Goal pace will be between 8:40-9:10 for first 3 miles and then 8:40 for remaining 3 miles. Will use fuel belt for nutrition (see above)
Saturday: 112 mile ride. Leave house by 6 AM as I've got things to do in afternoon. Will look to ride with low VI and either will repeat same course as Friday or something different (TBD) to provide some variety. Having done camp week last year, I know that I won't have the snap in my legs so won't feel as bad if I opt for a route that is flatter then what I will have done Friday. Goal here is to really demonstrate low VI and not fade towards the end of the ride.
Sunday: I signed up for a salt water swim call "Swim Defiance" which is a crossing of the puget sound (tides, salt water, and cold water 55 degrees) more as a fun event and also a confidence booster as warm water lake swimming will be much easier then this. Following the swim and warming up I plan to do the 2:15 long run. For me this will likely just be Z1 the entire 2:15 as I haven't yet gotten my speed back from being sick.
Sunday afternoon the plan is to crash (naps, food and hang low with the family)
Would love your input, critiques, feedback and more importantly for those doing their own camp week to see your rehearsal plans.
My plan:
Last night, I did a 1 hour swim in our own pool. Tethered and in place. I did this a lot preparing for Coeur D'Alene, good resistance training for the arms when time is limited. Extremely boring, the deffinition of being face down and going no where for an hour.
Today:
112 miles, 7 - 8 hours, close to 6500 feet of climbing. A few areas are stop and go due to lights and stop signs - so I am allowing extra time.
run - will watch my heart rate and pace according to the directions. For me that would be an 11 to 11:30 mile for Z1 plus 30". Z2 is 9:30. In Coeur D'Alene I did not run well, so am really trying to do what the advice says.
Nutrition: Gatorade for the first time 1 24 oz bottle , salt tabs (1 an hour), GU every hour. I have bars, but with the calories in Gatorade, and recommendation for no protein, I am trying this today.
A little concerned about the 10AM start. May increase fluids depending on heat.
Also there is a great nutrition calculator in the WIKI that allows you to determine calories per hour and that combined with your sweat test can give you the right mix between fluids and gels.
Thanks Jason. I also read that you should be riding the approximate time that you will be riding the bike during the race? I will pull in sooner though if I feel the need. Thank you. Appreciate it.
Spent some time on the nutrition calculator to confirm I need 2 salt tabs per hour with todays nutrition so I'm at 1000mg/hour of Na+. Will be even more on race day which features only gatorade.
Thursday evening swim: 1 hours due to limited time. Good
Friday bike: 95 miles, 6 hrs 15 min, 6424 elevation gain. Run: 5.6 miles. Temp: 92, Salt tabs top of hour, GU bottom of hour, 1 24 bottle of Gatorade per hour. = lost 5 lbs during ride
Saturday bike: 72 miles, 6 hours, 6463 elevation gain. Temp 93, 3800 summit to start (different ride then Friday, not sure if I was supposed to do this, but psychologically needed to do something different.) Fried the first 2 hours. Upped my intake to 36 oz per hour, lost 2. 5 lbs. calculated via the sweat test that I need to be drinking 48 oz an hour if hot. Will continue to dial.
Sunday run: 11.1 miles, 460 elevation gain. Hard. Increased GU to every 45
Both Saturday and Sunday battled little bit of nauseousness and had trouble eating after done. I think 3 days of heat...
Curious how the rest of you did. Good job for getting it done!
Friday: Bike 113 miles with 4500ft of climbing in 5:45. Drank 5.5 bottles, 5 gels, and 10 salt tabs when I should have drank 10+. Left home at noon versus my normal 6AM ride which meant for 20+ degrees from what I had been riding. Didn't have to pee at mile 95 and even then only a little. Any way back to my house ends with a 6-10% climb of almost a mile which seems to expend whatever energy I have left. I finished the ride knowing I was pretty dehydrated. 202W which is 72% of FTP which is more in line than my original plan of 210W. Tried to do the run but only managed 3 miles as I was dealing with lightheadedness and some nausea and my heart rate was pretty darn high. Drank 6oz endurance each mile. Came home and weighed myself immediately, was down 8 lbs. So I screwed up my hydration but also validated what my true needs likely are. Finished about 7PM.
Saturday 6AM rode 60 miles at 70% effort.
Sunday 9AM did a 1.8Mile puget sound crossing from Vashon Island to Point Defiance. 55 degrees, current and salt water. Was a good confidence booster for my open water swimming. Intent was to run immediately after but was pretty cold when I finished so I came home and warmed up and napped. Headed out at 2PM and ran 15.7 miles at 8:40 pace for 2:15 so that was right on target and actually in hindsight was probably good as that is the time of day I would be hitting the course during the run. After having been sick for 3 weeks recently, this was the first long run that I've had since that I felt good about.
All in all it was lots of good workouts logged and some valuable learning about what I need to do prior to my next race rehearsal
Lauren....great job. Sure sounds like not enough fluid for those temperatures, but sounds like you're on it. Plus, hopefully it will not be that hot at Whistler. Long rides with brick runs in those temps are just almost impossible to get right.
Jason....great job too. Throwing that cold OWS in there was bold. Way to get it done.
I'm doing camp week this week. Saturday ride had to be pushed to afternoon due to rain. It then started raining on me about 1.5hrs in. I love riding in the rain, but it was getting "ugly" with gusty winds and lightening, etc., so I brought the bike in to the trainer. Got two hours outside at 0.76, then another ~45 mins at 0.76 on trainer, then tried to do the last 2 hours on the trainer at 0.7. Just sucked....lost mojo, lost power, lost my mind. Only did another 1.5hrs, so ended up with a total of 4.5hrs. I then tried to do the 50min brick run, but only could manage 35mins....just no umphh, legs killing me, barely able to run Z1 pace, so I quit.
Today I felt like I needed the whole day off, but ended up going for a 6mi MP run and felt surpringly OK. HR about where it should be.
I think the camp workouts are going to kill me....which I guess is the point....but I'm not looking forward to it.