IM MD - Week 10/20 - 11 to go

Julie Pfeifle · July 19, 2015 9:00PM

I'm so ready to hit it this week... how about the rest of you? I can't wait to get back on my TT bike after a week away, plus I just got 165 cranks and a Stages PM, so all kinds of new "toys" to get used to this week. I really like the focus notes on the swim workouts - this week it will be thinking about body rotation (belly to the wall) for 2 swims and then the catch (fingertips down and climb the ladder) for swim #3. I will be doing belly to the wall at 5am tomorrow - start the week off right!

Have a great week all, and check in on how it's going.

sarahkatemcd@gmail.com · July 20, 2015 8:53AM

I had a pretty good week last week, I felt strong in my workouts and was able to get most everything in. I just got a wahoo kickr so that I can get some good indoor riding done so that my schedule can't keep me from getting the rides in - just got it set up yesterday so I am anxious to try it out. It is a feels like temp of 105 here today so I am not exactly looking forward to going out and running this afternoon! Hydrate is the word of the day.

Nemo Brauch · July 20, 2015 12:47PM

Julie- is the Stages PM your first time working with Power?
Sarah- you are gonna love the wahoo kickr! That combined with TrainerRoad really make the trainer workouts a lot better.

Well, I slept in this morning and didn't get the swim done and I have a massage scheduled for tonight so that's that. I needed the rest, but that means I really do need to get the swim and run done tomorrow and that's gonna hurt!

Julie Pfeifle · July 20, 2015 3:00PM

Nemo - nope; have had a Quarq for a couple years and am a huge power fan (thanks EN!!) I jumped on the recent great Stages deal on EN, because I've been wanting to change to 165 cranks, plus get a PM for my road bike, so Quarq is moving to the roadie and Stages/165 to the TT. I'm a little nervous coz the Quarq is overall a better PM (I think) and I'm hoping I love the 165s; I've read lots of goodness about both, so I should be fine.

I got in the pool this am... yeah for me! So far, so good this week!

Nemo Brauch · July 20, 2015 3:46PM

I used to ride 165's on my TT. I recently switched to 155's if you can believe it!

Julie Pfeifle · July 20, 2015 4:32PM

No way! Didn't know there was such a thing! So, how has it helped you?

Nate Parady · July 21, 2015 8:32AM

Yep, the Ironman Hat is on. Getting back in the swing of things. Trying to hold back just a bit until August to avoid burn out. Swim in the lake yesterday was HOT. I also noticed a difference with focusing on the belly button. Extended reach, more pull. My endurance in the water is still pretty low...
Having to move things around this week as Friday and Sat is a camping trip. Did Bike/Run this morning. Same Tomorrow. I should get back by lunchtime on Sunday with just enough time to hit the trainer for a long ride.

Feeling good overall. oh yah, and most importantly, I did 10 minutes of core (abs and hip) work yesterday. My way of keeping the IT band monster away.

sarahkatemcd@gmail.com · July 21, 2015 8:41AM

Well, I got the run done yesterday, it was SLOW and hot, I was about 45 sec/mi slower than normal but it was a good mental workout to keep pushing when I felt terrible. Apparently weeding my 300 sqft garden on Sunday was a little more active rest than I thought - my legs were super sore. Since the run took a little longer than I planned my swim was short but since it was optional I did 600 m of drills just to loosen up a bit and cool off. I feel better today in terms of stiffness.

I am enjoying everyone's updates, it is reassuring to see that others find it challenging to fit it all in too. Nemo - great choice on the massage, I need to get one on the books! Nate, enjoy the camping trip, I hope it is not too hot!

Nemo Brauch · July 21, 2015 8:42AM

Julie- I had a bike fit back in January and the fitter recommended the 155's. They were hard to find, but they make me much more comfy overall with my fit. I still use 165's on my road bike and my cross bike.

Nate- hey there! You may just be able to time that trainer ride so you can cue up the final stage of Tour de France! Not a bad way to be stuck on the trainer. I'm really bad at fitting in the core stuff- and I really gotta figure that out because it's so important. I think maybe I'm just trying too hard to get in too much and not just doing some basics. I like your 10 minutes idea. Maybe if I think of it like that I can get it done without feeling overwhelmed.

Got the run and swim done this morning! But our indoor pool here has been so hot lately (and the indoor is the only one available before 9am) that I think it was actually cooler on my run than on the swim! OUCH!

Patricia Rosen · July 21, 2015 10:21AM

Nemo, where did you get your 155's? I have 155 on my road and 150 onmy tri bike but wondering if everyone gets them from the same fellow in Minnesota He's great but he is planning on slowing down.

Nemo Brauch · July 21, 2015 11:52AM

Patricia- I bought cranks from Cobb (the guy that also makes the saddles). It was the only place I could find a compact crank with 155 crank arms. Where did you find the 150? That's actually what my fitter guy wanted me to get, but I couldn't find them. I'm very happy with the 155's now though.

Patricia Rosen · July 21, 2015 12:01PM

Mark Stonich;
BikeSmith Design & Fabrication
5349 Elliot Ave S. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417 USA
Ph. (612) 824-2372 http://bikesmithdesign.com

This fellow is a wonderful person to work with and extremely helpful. There are limits on how short you can go. He cuts the cranks for you or he'll make them from an FSA compact set if that is what you want.... and I imagine that is what you want to do...

Nemo Brauch · July 22, 2015 9:32AM

Excellent! Thanks Patricia!

I'm always amazed at how quickly I can go from "Ugh, I really don't feel like doing this today" to "Oh yeah, Knocked that one out of the park! Good to be done!". I really had to motivate myself to get out of bed and onto the bike this morning. I used the "just ride- you don't have to do the intervals if you don't feel up to it" trick. Sure enough, after a nice 15 min warmup the mood changed to "OK, you can probably knock out one 10 minute FTP, you don't have to do 12", and then of course 12 minutes later "wow, that wasn't too bad, just do the next 8 min interval, you don't have to do those VO2 sets", and before you know it, I'm knocking out VO2s (although, I did limit them to 2 min on/off vs 4 min- VO2's just kick my ass no matter how good I feel).

Sooooo- just get out there folks! The hardest part is getting out of bed!

Nemo Brauch · July 23, 2015 8:56AM

OUCH. That run started out fine, but I had to shut it down with 5 minutes to go because the lower GI was NOT gonna make it. I tried a few new nutrition options today, but honestly I also didn't have that nice colon cleansing morning ritual accomplished before the run started, so its hard to say.

Nate Parady · July 23, 2015 9:04AM

Oh Yes, you know its Ironman time when the Thursday Morning Long runs start up in full swing. Managed just under 13 in 1:42 this morning. Now to stay awake for my work day and not eat everyone's lunch out of the office fridge.

I Did todays run in my new tighter fitting EN bike Jersey to see how that felt and it worked great. I also kind of think it makes me look super cool because it kind of a bad ass top.

Not sure the wife would agree with that though. I plan to wear the bike jersey for both the bike and run. My only issue with that top is the back pockets are harder to get things out of. Made it back home by 7am in time for a recovery shake and a big piece of apple bread.

Julie Pfeifle · July 23, 2015 9:47AM

Wow!! I'm impressed that you all get that long run in before work. That's been the bane of my EN existence - fitting the long mid-week run in! I more often do it after work, which you probably know is risky because as the day goes on, the likelihood of training goes down (for me at least ??.) When it does work out and it gets done on Thursday (as I'm planning tonight), I love going into the weekend with lots of riding time ahead of me.

So, for you early am mid-week long runners, any tips? What time do you get up? What time do you go to bed the night before? Do you run solo? I'll take Any tips & tricks to gettin'r done first thing!

Julie Pfeifle · July 23, 2015 9:56AM

Oh, and Nemo... I hear ya on the late in the run GI issues (esp. in the am). I hate it when that happens! Never forget when I ran the Disney Marathon in FL (coming from CA), which started at some ungodly hour - I think 5am (2am per my body clock.) You can probably imagine what the main topic of conversation was pre-race as we all took multiple porta-potty trips. "Were you successful?" "No, damn it, you?" ??

Nemo Brauch · July 23, 2015 9:59AM

So, for you early am mid-week long runners, any tips? What time do you get up? What time do you go to bed the night before? Do you run solo? I'll take Any tips & tricks to gettin'r done first thing!

Well, to be honest, I actually find the long run one of the easier scheduled workouts to get done before work! That Tuesday Swim & Run- that's a 2+ hr workout for me (including the admin of going from run to swim), The Wed Brick, minimum 90 minutes plus another 10-15 admin shakedown stuff with making sure bike tires are pumped etc. By the time I get to "just run" on Thursday- it's an "ahhhhhh, only one thing to do, yay!" feeling. So I really don't have to wake up any earlier than I need to for Tuesday or Wednesday. That said- I'm totally skipping the "Low" run tomorrow and just swimming. Both because my legs could use the rest and because I really don't want to wake up that early again!

The hardest part about the Thursday long run for me is the recovery. I work at a standing desk, so I'm on my feet all day. I try to take time after the run to put feet up, and I'll take a break every hour to do some light/easy leg stretches (and maybe sit down for a bit too).

sarahkatemcd@gmail.com · July 23, 2015 10:59AM

I too get the long run in before work, usually I am up at 5:15 to get all the pre-run"morning routine" taken care of as well as a little breakfast. That puts me out the door at 5:45-6:00 and home by 7:30, just in time to get out the door by 8:15. For me the most challenging is getting two of anything...all the coordination is just a lot. I also seem to have to alternate between morning and afternoon throughout the week to accommodate my schedule which leaves me with uneven rest between workouts.

Is anyone else having trouble sleeping? I am tired but my sleep does not seem very deep or restorative so now I just feel tired all the time.

Nate Parady · July 23, 2015 11:58AM

For me, I try and get into work between 8-8:30. So a typical bike/run morning has me starting at 5:30am and lasts around 90-100 minutes. very low admin time. I almost never swim in the morning. I just don't like it. For the Thursday long run, I end up having to move my start time earlier and earlier as the duration increases. I'm pretty sure I've left my house at 4am one time because I had a meeting I just had to be at. For the bathroom issues, I do loops. so if I need to make a pit stop I just hit the stop button on the watch and go back inside the house. I usually have maybe a half cup of coffee, banana, and today I also had two Eggo Waffles.

The recovery part of Thursday does add extra time on the back end compared to the run-of- the-mill bike/run day. During the long run, I'm doing my best to stay hydrated and taking in calories (banana, Gels, Gatorade).
When I get back home I try my best to follow a protocol that Patrick laid out a while back.
1. in the door, change into dry clothes, usually just shorts.
2. mix a quick recovery drink within about 5 minutes of coming in the door, start drinking.
3. Fix a quick breakfast usually of greek yogurt, fruit, granola or some sort of bagel/bread and a spread
4. sit down while eating with feet up. feet up for a minimum of 1 minute for every mile you ran.
that seems to really help get me on the right track for recovery and a successful Long Bike over the weekend.

in terms of sleep, yep, I've already noticed a little bit of a change to my sleeping pattern. It can be a sign of overtraining, but for me, I am far from that. I think its just part of the deal with IM training. and yes, I'm pretty tired during the day. If only I could sleep 10 hours a day, but I would have to quit my job...

Nemo Brauch · July 23, 2015 12:09PM

Sleep? Well, full disclosure, I'm turning 50 next year so there's a lot of other issues in my body going on right now that are starting to challenge my sleep. I have currently started bringing ice packs to bed with me (in a cooler next to the bed) that I can pull out in the middle of the night when the bed sweats hit. That seems to help, but I'm sure my husband thinks I'm crazy!

sarahkatemcd@gmail.com · July 23, 2015 1:14PM

Nemo, I don't need to do the ice packs yet but I do sleep with snacks on the night table as I often get hungry at night...nothing like a pbj at 2 am!

[Deleted User] · July 23, 2015 2:05PM

Oh, bed sweats! I remember them:-) Don't worry - they go away (eventually!)

sarahkatemcd@gmail.com · July 24, 2015 5:56AM

One of my favorite topics is food, I love it. Would love to hear what you guys are eating to keep up as the calorie demands go up. I am trying to make better choices than I have in the past as I approach the time when I literally feel like I could walk through the grocery store as if it were my own personal buffet!

Yesterday was my "sunday" wko, so I biked and ran in the evening. Got it 90 min on trainer - first time on the kick with trainer road -WHAT A DIFFERENCE! You were so right Nemo. Then I did 45 min outdoor running. Happy swimming everyone - I feel my gills starting to develop!

Nemo Brauch · July 24, 2015 9:40AM

2 mile swim in an 86 degree indoor pool, poke me with a fork, I'm done! That wipes me out more than the Thursday long run!

Food, well, I have oatmeal for breakfast on most days. I combine it with various fruits (whatever is in season), nuts, and yogurt, or PB and a banana. I like steel cut oats and will make a batch ahead of time to use throughout the week. That way when I get home from the workout it's a quick meal. Pop it in the microwave for 1-2minutes, top with whatever I'm in the mood for, and it's ready to go.

Julie Pfeifle · July 25, 2015 6:00PM

Had a great long ride and even mo' great t-run afterwards. Long rides on the IM plan are way better than 1/2 IM! Only downside was the realization that my new Stages PM doesn't "reach" my Garmin 910 when I'm on the aerobars - kind of a bummer! Will have to re-think how to get watts on the bike or more research into how/if it can be fixed. Post-ride run started rough - thought I was going at that mary pace but looked down and nope, was going quite a bit slower. Legs settled in ~10 minutes, then no issues hitting the prescribed paces, including a faster than TP mile in the middle... Happy! Finished it off scarfing down yummy fish and shrimp tacos with my ride buddies. All in all, great day!

How's everyone's weekends going?

sarahkatemcd@gmail.com · July 26, 2015 7:27AM

Yesterday was a ride of highs and lows. I went out with a group of 5 others, all guys all more expierenced than me but also thankfully very patient. We set out to ride 70 miles of rolling terrain which I figured would take me about 4 hours give or take 20 min. The ride ended up lasting a little over 5 hours thanks to me having multiple flat tires be my tire got a quarter size whole in it at mile 30. I also dropped my chain 4 times. Needless to say I felt like a total heel. Not only was I already slower but also incredibly high maintenance. The highs were that I got in my longest ride to date and felt good, albeit tired and followed that with a solid run, including the treshold mile. I would love to find a group of chicks to ride with even though I have no complaint about my dude composed group. There just aren't many lady riders out here. Loving the rest this morning, made the long slog to Sat worth it.

Nemo Brauch · July 27, 2015 8:35AM

Long rides on the IM plan are way better than 1/2 IM!

I thought the same thing Julie!!! I had to double check the workout several times because I thought it just couldn't be right!! But then again, the 3 hr Sunday ABP can be a real kick in the pants!

Sarah- I also rode with the boys this weekend. I joined 2 guys for their "easy" day. "Easy", as in, 22mph pace!!! They let me pull at 19mph (oh gee, thanks). But it did give me .8 IF for the whole ride which is great because I have a real hard time pushing myself on those ABP rides after about an hour. I'm lucky because these guys are really supportive.

Oh and I also had a flat!! Thankfully it was after I'd said goodbye to the boyz at the end of the ride and was just softpeddling home. Figured a little roadside tube change practice couldn't hurt!

IM MD - Week 10/20 - 11 to go

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