Week of 10/12/2009
Good morning all Oct OS peeps! Hope everyone had an EPIC weekend, and enjoyed their day off yesterday. It is week 2 and things are starting to ramp up a bit. Only 19 more weeks to go and we will be back into race season! Let's hear how your training is going so far.
I only managed to get the run in this AM, but will get the bike done this evening. Seemed a bit strange doing a "recovery" run before the real work, but the striders definitely felt good. The 3 x 8' intervals should be fun this evening.
In my spare time, I have been going back through the recommended material for the week and it is worth the time. I pick up something new every time I listen/read the material. RnP really know there sh***. I am really pumped about this OS and where I will be come next spring.
Have fun out there,
Pete
I only managed to get the run in this AM, but will get the bike done this evening. Seemed a bit strange doing a "recovery" run before the real work, but the striders definitely felt good. The 3 x 8' intervals should be fun this evening.
In my spare time, I have been going back through the recommended material for the week and it is worth the time. I pick up something new every time I listen/read the material. RnP really know there sh***. I am really pumped about this OS and where I will be come next spring.
Have fun out there,
Pete
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Comments
Have a great week everyone,
Kristen
Feeling good at this point. I am afraid to say it, but I’m sort of suspicious that my FTP might be low. The intervals just aren’t that hard. Well OK, the first couple of minutes of the first one are tough, because I’m still half asleep. But really, holding FTP isn’t hard. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, because it may be that my RPE for these intervals shouldn’t be much more than 6 or 6.5, but it seems weird. My running paces seem spot on though. Enough of a push to confirm for me that I’m working at threshold.
Kristen, a little bit of modification to the schedule is cool. Sometimes it’s the only/best way to get the work done. You probably would have been fine (a.k.a. not as shelled) moving your bike and run workouts to Mon and Tues had you not had your 10 mile event the day before the bike intervals. I don’t think you have to swear off of rearranging, maybe work those fun organized events into your test weeks. Nothing like running with a bunch of people to drive that vDOT up!! Also if you have something like that planned for fun, ping RnP with a request for a little plan rearrangement, they’ll get you set up. Will you be able to take Weds as a rest day? Oh, and while we’re on the subject how did the 10 miles go?! Do tell!
I’m going to do something sort of similar with my Sunday workout this week. I’ll be sneaking my Sunday intervals into my 6 mile leg of the Denver Marathon relay this weekend. I committed to the team months ago, before OS was even on my radar. Shhh: I’m not telling my teammates that I’m not tapering for this run, that I’m doing all my workouts this week, including a Saturday brick. What they don’t know won’t hurt them, right?
Pete, agree that revisiting the material is hugely helpful. It is good to get the mind organized for the work that the body needs to be doing. You’re probably hammering out those intervals as I type….Rock on!
Olivia
You are absolutely right; I should ask RnP for a little guidance when I go off schedule like that. EN is new to me, and I am so used to making all my own workout decisions that it didn't even occur to me to ask for help. I certainly will in the future!
The 10 miler was actually tons of fun. It was a cool morning here (finally), about 58 degrees, overcast with occasional misting/sprinkles. The vibe of the race was really laid-back. I warmed up for 2 miles and allowed the crowd to dissipate a little bit, then hit my intervals, and then kept comfortably hard for the last 5 or so miles. The last 3 miles were tougher than expected, but I got it done. Time: 1:29. Not great, but I had a really good time.
Running in the Denver marathon sounds great! What is the weather like there right now? I have a pipe dream to live in Boulder, but then I remember how much I hate the cold.
Thanks for the tips,
Kristen
Exactly, and they felt pretty good. I think I am finally getting the hand of riding at a steady power level. I am also trying to break the habit of using the middle gear of my triple. In preparation for converting to a compact sometime this winter, I am trying to stay with the big gear as much as possible. Here's what the evening looked liked:
[IMAGE:1]
Pete - I also agree with you on going back over the material - there's so much good information, I pick up something new each time I revisit it.
Kristen - Nice job on the race - sounds like you need a day off to recover from your effort.
Have a great week
Frank
I hear you Frank. Last OS I consistently ran my threshold intervals harder than my prescribed pace. I think I had a similar tendency when we got to the IP / Vo2 Max workouts, and that’s when I happened upon a bunch of threads in the forums and saw some discussions that indicated that work above the prescribed paces and/or insufficient or too much rest wouldn’t support achievement of the objective of the workout. After that I became religious about monitoring my paces. I never did quite master the exact rest period, but there’s something for me to work on with this OS!
I assume the same logic would hold true for the threshold work we’re doing now, as the IP work. But then there’s the part of us all that says “hey, I’m running comfortably at this faster pace for the whole interval, so I’m going with it.” So I guess this is a long winded way of saying it might be worth posing a Q to the smart people in the forum to see what the risk/benefit scenario is for going over the pace. That way you can dismiss my ramblings!
Wait…did I see that Steve Cramer joined this group??
“Paging Steve Cramer…please pick up the EN courtesy bat phone in the October OS Group”
He is truly wicked smart in these matters of run pacing for the EN protocol.
Just think one more day and we already have another day off.
Pete
I skipped the run on Sunday and went to a Mountain bike and poker ride, nice 18 miles through some incredible trails. Lots of uphill in the ride, and it was about 3500ft higher than I'm used to, so my lungs were screaming...and still yelling at me as I do this week's bike and run. It was definitely worth it to go play on the trails though, and meet some great folks who love to ride.
Today's run was a bit tough for me...having a hard time hitting the pace I'm supposed to do...seem to be about 30 seconds faster or slower, so it averages out right on, but can't hit what i'm supposed to. Does anyone know how big a range we have for the pace zone's? Or should I keep focusing to hit the time right on the nose?
Thanks,
Whitney
Frank
Folks, just to clarify, the coaches don't play here...so if you want me to answer it you gotta put it in the forums. But I am here...and I see it...so...
P
Pete- what powermeter software are those screenshots from? WKO?
Lynne
Yes, WKO+. I have been using it for the past 6 months but really only to upload my works. Since OS has started I have been reading some of Maryka's and members posts on "how to use WKO+". I think I am finally starting to understand
Pete
Coach P: Thanks for the reply. I was just about to post this question to the forum for an answer.
Oct OS peeps: So it looks like we are okay to run over our pace as long as we are consistent. However, as the volume builds I don't think I will be as eager/able to maintain that extra speed.
Pete
Was looking forward to getting outside for Saturday's ride, but with the rain and 40's temps I think it is back to the pain cave. There should be enough time to train in bad weather come spring, correct?
Have a good weekend all!
Pete
~P
I think it is finally time for me to break up with my saddle. I swear! I don't relish the thought of having to go through the selection process for a new one. But man, it is going to be a tough season based on the way things are going if I don't start working on it.
Re: the tightness in my right side, I was able to get in with my ART practioner/Chiro on Friday afternoon. I started to worrry that there was something major going on, like pressure being applied to the sciatic nerve or some such nonsense. The doc said that it sounds like the individual bones that make up my pelvis and the ball where my femur bone attaches to my pelvis are out of whack and rubbing on each other in an odd way. One adjustment, lots of pulling on my leg, and some interesting movement/manipulation of the femur bone in the socket and things felt WAY more open in there. I'm a little sore in that area today, but I felt much better in this AMs workouts. So hopefully a few more weeks of that and I won't be any the worse. Thankfully! After a whole season forced into major medical recovery mode, I could not fathom getting sidelined this early in my return.
Anyhoo...I too felt really tired yesterday. Went to bed at 9:30 last night and slept soundly until 7AM today. Maybe we're starting to feel this work already??????
Pete-I don't even know how you were functioning with 3 hours of sleep?!? That is amazing!
It is sort of like the EN motto: If you want to ride/run faster, then ride/run faster. You get use to dealing with no sleep. Other than my family I do three things in life: work, train and Search and Rescue. Sometimes I find that between all three, especially when there is a missing person, that I get very little sleep. I just try to push through it and catch up when I can.
I hear ya on the saddle issue. I am having some numbness issues myself. Hopefully something a good bike fitting will take care of.
Pete
Day off tomorrow kiddos!
It will sound funny but I am actually located in central New Jersey. Believe it or not we have 20+ missions per year. So, yes you can get lost in NJ.
Pete
Hope every one stays healthy...
I seem to have a bit of a cold myself. Not nearly as bad as the flu, but it takes some getting over for sure. Working from home today again to avoid spreading my germs.
+1 on everyone staying healthy.