IM MD - Week 13 / 20 - 8 to go
The chatter is picking up... I'm loving this! Looks like a pretty "normal" week with expected increases in volume - longer mid-week trainer ride, 2 hour long run, and 5 hour weekend ride... IM, here we come!! I loved finally being able to put in lots of ride hours this past weekend, but had a good chuckle when my riding buddy dubbed that last hour Sunday (the 7th hour) the "I don't give a shit hour". 
Have a great week, all, and looking forward to more and more virtual team mojo!
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Sarah- my volume is basically whatever has been in the plan, except I don't do that Friday run. I just can't get in that super long swim AND a run on Fridays before work, and I don't want to run in the evening when I have that long bike early the next morning. But I hear you on the concerns. My first EN year I was really freaked out that the longest run would only be 2.5 hours, but was told to trust the plan. It worked out just fine and now I'm having to remind myself of that fact again because it just seems 26.2 miles is a looooong way away (especially at my 11min/mile pace).
Folks, I hope everyone is following the below thread in the forum. There's GREAT stuff in here and the guidance for how to pace on race day is changing from previous years, so if you think you know the EN way but haven't been paying attention, you may be missing out! Also, don't wait until your first race rehearsal (or God forbid one week before the race) to start tuning into this kind of stuff. Get in into your head now!
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/19301/Default.aspx
So the off the plan running on Sunday>>>Don't let this make you think I have some secret to preparing...
As this is my 4th IM build with EN, I felt like I needed to change some things up based on 1. my prior history with training performance and 2. what I felt like doing
Last several weeks.
Monday: swim/Core
Tues: bike 60 min/run 6 miles (done as brick)
Wed: bike 60 min/run 5-6 (done as brick) swim in the afternoon.
Thurs: long run (averaging around 8:20 pace) last long one was 14ish...
Friday: Swim/Core. Skip the run, really like to recover after Thursday long run so I can be ready for the weekend. Injury avoidance!
Saturday: Long bike/run 4-5, after bike (I don't like to run before the bike)
Sunday: Run 60 minutes or like last week I ran 85ish because I felt good and was trying to come in at a certain weekly mileage to build from the previous week.
I'm not totally focused on the mileage, its just a result of the frequency mostly. I do know that something starts to click with my body once I get a few weeks at or near 40 miles/week. that number maybe higher or lower for you. but don't have that marathoner mentality of needing to do frequent 20 milers. In a few weeks we have a race rehearsal. After this week, the fatigue usually starts to really build. Dropping that 5th run could easily occur for me as a result. I think the longest I have ever run leading up to a IM is 18 miles and actually walked home once the dial read 18. The cost of recovery is just too big within the weekly requirements of an IM plan. You have to show up fit and strong, not fit and beat down.
I feel most of my runs are with a mind set of "holding back" so I don't ruin the rest of my week. Its been working great as I've been able to keep the frequency up (5 times/week) the last month. When I look back at my best IM performance it came from riding easy and then having run training that allowed me to be very durable and I could run the entire thing without stopping except at the aid stations. And the forum on HR is pretty good. Unfortunately I haven't been running with HR, but agree that you have to start easy and fight to maintain your pace as it begins to feel hard. after mile 15-18, it really comes down to focus, determination, bike pacing, nutrition, Do you still care about your goals, and oh yah, run fitness, to actually run through the pain of the last 10 or so miles.
My week started off great on Monday. I had an awesome run in beautiful weather. It has been downhill big time since then. Tuesday and Wednesday work conspired and kept rooted in the office beyond the point of being able to even part of my workout. I am trying to remain zen about it and not dwell on it. I knew when I started this that life would get in the way sometime and that I would have to be okay with that - it is easier said than done, especially in this final phase. Anyway, in the spirit of moving forward and not looking back today is my "Sunday" and I am headed out for a 2.5 hour ride and 75 min run with a friend this afternoon at 3 - nothing is going to stop me from getting there today. Then it will be early to bed so that I can swim long before work on Friday, then early to bed again so that I can get up at 3:30 am on Saturday to get in most of the long ride on Sat. am before a weekend retreat with our board of trustees (PS tell me if you think this is a bad idea for some reason - to be clear I would be riding on the trainer). I am really hoping this week is the lowest for me in the final march to the start.
Thanks again everybody - hope you are having a great week!
-really try and get some solid sleep tonight through the weekend
-Stay on top of your nutrition/hydration before, during, and after workouts.
I have gone to great measures to get workouts in due to work travel only to come back from the trip sick and or completely exhausted which in turns messes up my next week.
So, you can get up at 3:30am on Saturday to train (I was up at 4:30 this morning for my run), but just guard against it all crashing down on you early next week by focusing on the sleep and nutrition part of this game.
the goal should be setting yourself up for a solid next week while getting as much as you can in this week.
good luck...
Hang in there! From what I can see, you're doing fantastic!!
I'd never done lake logan and I read the hype as a flat course...but that meant flat...for the mountains. and it
(my typing went off the page, had to do a return!) was flat for the mountains but that ain't flat! I tried on Friday, the usual drive the bike and bike the run the day
before but the drive I took was for Saturdays half as the oly route hadn't been marked. the half should be labeled
a "technical" route with all the hills and triple S curves up and down!
Race day I attempted to get "elimination done in my hotel rather than stand on long portapotty lines at the
transition area. SOOO got to the parking later. had to park 1/2 mile from transition. too little time for good set up
up and I need transition practice. there were no lines at the portapotties(!?) I put on my HR transmitter after the
the swim since it has never worked if it is on in the swim...in transition 1 I couldn't find the transmitter or receiver
receiver! so I didn't know anything and the bike route was a complete surprise (for everyone; poor race setup). had to break on almost all downhills as you could not see around the sharp curves. few flat areas for good nutrition or hydration. on T2 I took the time to find my garmin stuff. on the run a marathon coach decided to run with me(?) we talked and I'm sure he made my run faster than otherwise.
with all the "issues" I still took 1st in my AG...but there are few in my older AG.
learned 1) to always get to transition early.2) wear glide under my arms to prevent rubbing rashes 3) with bike/transition/training & preparation "issues" some luck may help.
4 solid hours on the trainer this Saturday followed by a short run. IF keeps climbing up each weekend, lots of time at .75. did another 10 miler today coming in right at 39.6 miles for the week.
this week is a bit challenging for me as I am in a training class for work Mon-thu and am being forced to play paint ball saturday morning by my wife. Sunday my wife is on a wine tour which leaves at 10am. I'm determined to get all the training in, but may have to take Friday off from work. I don't think I can come home on Saturday after playing paintball and get on my bike.
Julie- nice work knocking out 90 miles without even thinking about it! Wish I could say I felt the same. Got in about 85 miles on my 5 hour ride and the last 2 hours were a real struggle. I'm having a hard time hitting the perscribed zones right now for some reason and "JRA" is more than enough. I took Sunday off completely- hopefully a little rest day will help to get things bouncing back again.
Nate- I don't know how you mentally survive 4 hours on the trainer! I think the most I've done is 3, and that was a struggle.
Finally- I had a little set back this week. Got out of bed in the middle of the night and my left leg just buckled under me and then had trouble going up/down stairs the rest of the day. It's a sign I've seen before on my right leg, I'm guessing I've got a small meniscus tear going on. So I took the week completely off from running in hopes of addressing it right away. Fingers crossed!