IM Ville Mojo thread, week 19 - 28 Sept - 04 Oct TAPER MADNESS!!!!!
It's time Team, the hardest part of any EN Ironman Training Plan: The Taper!!! Now, its all about mental execution and pacing, not physical prowess. This week (and next), our minds will come up with all kinds of crazy thoughts (one more race rehearsal will make me stronger, I need to do one more 20 mile run, now that my triathlon volume is decreasing - its a perfect time to introduce boxing, full contact football, rugby, mixed martial arts, rock climbing)... Don't laugh, it will happen to all of us. When those 'good' ideas start coming up (you know, I really want a new, different brand of saddle...), please first stop yourself and re-read all of the taper / race week guidance in the wiki. If it still sounds like a good idea, please tell us (or even better, Coach P) about it so we can gently 'offer' some of our thoughts.
Regardless of that single GREAT!!!! / or HORRIBLE 
workout fore-front in your mind that you think is going to make or break your IM Louisville, relax. You've done a lot of hard, consistent work. You are ready to show up on race day and execute based on the FITNESS YOU HAVE. Remember what RnP preach, race day is about smart execution, not fitness. Now is the time to consolidate our gains, rest, and focus on showing up on race day the freshest and most-rested we can be. We still have some workouts on the schedule, but make smart decisions based on your personal experience / conditions as it applies to your taper. If in doubt, reach out to Coach P in a MICRO thread or to the rest of us here. Let's all show up to the Ville in the best possible condition.
Time to start finalizing (and posting) your race plans, getting your logistics in order, and getting your mind right for travel, registration, and racing. Let's do this!!!
Comments
Thanks for getting week 19 started. I'm up earlier than I want to be to go for another swim at the YMCA. I don't like getting up early to begin with and the darker mornings make it more difficult. After the workout, I take my bike in for a complete tune up, new tires, etc.... My bike is so full of gatorade gunk I don't know what to say. It has never gotten this bad. The race rehearsals plus the torpedo bottle's quick fill lid weakening has contributed to this, poor bike mechanic. He said he could "deep scrub" it.
I will take your advice Roy and read about tapering to get in the mood. Please post your race reports to help me get mine done. I'm procrastinating.
I took yesterday off and will take today off as well as was advised by the folks in the med tent. Pushing fluids and peeing all day long.
started raining here, all the excuse (along with tired legs) to skip the run. Got in a good swim this morning though, followed by a massage. Oh that was great! Signed up for two more before next week.
My bike mechanic said he was cussing all day trying to get that gatorade gum varnish off my bike. That all came from last weekend when my torpedo bottle started leaking.
Oh, did I say I'm starting to get excited! hope I don't eat too much.
I got in a 5 mile run yesterday (all EP) and a 2k swim in at lunch. I did a one hour trainer session (SF Fight Club - love me that Fabian) this morning and am trying to get out the door for a lunch time swim.
I plan to throw up my 2 week taper / race week / race plan later today. Its a bear, but its coming.
Jay, i thought the same thing about the run tomorrow. I won't do anymore bricks. Will probably run 30-35 minutes at lunch with some zone 2, and maybe a few strides. Then will do an hour ride in the evening before our conference call or webinar with Coach P. I need to make sure my bike is working after the mechanic worked on it. The tires look nice, so does the new tape and the really clean cassette!
The good news is that I am happy to have finished yet another RR2 and that I didn't have to ride on the trainer. The bad news is that I was not feeling my best on the bike. It was a struggle to maintain watts and even more of a struggle to stay positive. By mile 80 I was so over it. It may have just been the day, or that Im tired or a comb of both, but let me say I am so glad Sunday was not the actually race. Discouraged a bit because I thought my current level of fitness(the best its ever been)would have turned out an awesome RR2. I guess that just wasn't the case for me on Sunday.
Yesterday, I woke up early to get the kids off to school and I felt as though I was hit by a truck. So so glad yesterday was a day off. Today, feeling much better, I ran my 2x1mile wko on the treadmill and was surprised to run a 7:14 and 6:55mile. Yay, at least my legs still work! Got in the pool immediately after for 2000m as a recovery swim. Was not up for the 3800m swim this morning per the schedule.
Lots of admin stuff to do these next few days as well as getting my house ready for Mr. Mom (aka my husband) to take over while Im away. Great job everyone and Im looking forward to meeting you all in person. Keep up the great work!
@Danielle, thanks for the updates. Today was my struggle on the bike. I had absolutely no energy. My bike felt slow and my legs could hardly put out any wattage. It was in the 50s ( a cold front came through last night) It was actually scary thinking of that being my conditioning for the race. I know that I am exhausted and just need to rest. I may just take the whole day off tomorrow instead of swimming. I ran today also at lunch and maintained an IM pace with a few strides for a little over 3 miles. On the bike I ended up with 14 mile an hour pace. I haven't ridden that slow all year long. I think my legs have gone on strike.
Disappointed about the cancelled live race seminar.
Ran 45 min yday and ran 1:50 today.
@Stephan a day off sounds smart.
Hour ride on the trainer today felt really good, my power was up, HR down. WTF? After that completely confidence destroying ride on Saturday. Sometimes I think our bodies just mess around with us for the shit we put them through.
I got a massage yesterday to unkink the neck/back/shoulders, will likely go back next week. No time to get run in today. Will run after the swim tomorrow. Work front learnt there will be a release going probably next Wednesday or Thursday. Maybe even Friday. I have to sign off on it so that will mean some stress, but on the upside it take my mind off and leave less time for the negative thoughts
@All - Lots of fatigue showing up in posts and a few notes of self doubt. In the most polite and gentle way I can say this: STOP.BEING.STUPID.
In the "I'm tired" theme, I woke up this morning and said, "yeah... I'm not running". It happens. Swam 2k at lunch. Got myself all motivated to go run as I was driving home only to unpack my swim bag and see I forgot my goggles and Garmin 910 at the pool. I hopped into my car, knowing the pool wasn't open in the afternoon, and drove to confirm that, "Yes, that's a closed pool." I'm counting on the kindness of strangers and hoping its there at 0500 tomorrow which is when I'll be up and standing at the door. Fun times. No motivation to run now.
Got my bike packed successfully. Like others have mentioned, I was embarrassed at how dirty it is as I broke it down. Roadie Roy from the early 2000's would look down his nose at triathlete Roy and his filthy bike. Going to start to get the rest of my pack on this evening in prep for a Friday departure.
Keep on it everyone!
Roy - hope you find the Garmin. That should be good motivation to get at it early.
Anu - You sound like you're ready to race. Keep it up!
Paul - You're a machine. Great work!
I'm trying to get in some more swimming this week. 3X so far this week for 7,000yds. Rode yesterday on the drainer for an hour. Too wet to get outside. Ran 9 miles this morning. Fortunately the humidity broke right before we started. Dropped from 100% down to 96%. At 78 degrees it was nice. Felt like summer all over again. Had to wring out my socks after I was done. Then I went and ate a doughnut. Carb loading, right?
Did some experimenting yesterday during an OW swim. Wanted to try both wetsuits. Full Sleeve and sleeveless. I don't like my full sleeve wetsuit because it feels restrictive, but I wanted to see if it was significantly faster. Turns out my pace is about equal in both suits and I feel much more comfortable in the sleeveless. So at least that question has been answered.
Gonna clean the bike this afternoon and then go to a clinic at LBS to work on changing tubes.
BTW, Looks like they're paving the out and back. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and that part will be smooth so Stephan can bomb those hills!
Sad for the IMMD crew. That has to suck.
@Roy I can't imagine having to do everything you are doing to make it home for this race. You will need to recover just from all that.
I took yesterday off, got in 7.7 miles today at IM Pace, and got in a quick 30 minutes of slow swimming afterwards. I'm still feeling sore all over and tired. Very weird but I trust that this is just the accumulated fatigue and that game day, I will have my mojo back. It sure aint there right now.
AM - 3 mile run in Tennessee, followed by 2 hour meeting, then drive to Nashville to catch my plane to Tampa
PM - off the plane, drove home, then to the pool for 2200 yards swim followed by 77 mins on the drainer. That included a 1 x 60 min set at IM intensity. I stayed on ERG mode for the first 30 mins, then manual trying to lock onto my watts as Coach Troy kept changing the gears and cadence.
Yesterday was a busy day. Swam 2000 yds in AM before work. Added in a little speed work to start forcing the pace. Felt good to open it up a little. Did 45 minutes on drainer with a few short FTP stretches. Just trying to keep the legs going. Ran 3.1 mile brick afterwards really focused on HR. Tried to keep in Z1 except on hills. EZ 1000yds in pool this AM to wake up and off to work.
Raining cats and dogs here and supposed to continue all weekend. Looks like another ride on the trainer. Just now starting to feel a little more rested...or maybe that's excitement. Posted Race Plan in Race Execution forum. Starting to get real!!!!
Jay: your slow is my speed work in Swimming.
Yesterday, my short 1300 yard swim, I could barely maintain a 2:20 pace pr 100yrds.
Today, I ran out of time, but was averaging, 1:48 for 3000 yards. I was feeling more energized than I have been. I will be interested to see how I feel tomorrow on the bike. Last tuesday, I could hardly keep 14 mph going. I still find this very weird. It is as if my body has been saying, enough is enough. My body is like my dog on a short walk and I start heading back to the house, he digs in his heels and refuses to walk with me.
Also got in another body massage today.
Friday AM - 4000 yard swim
Friday PM - 7 mile run a little faster than IM pace. I'm at 27.5 miles towards this weeks 30 mile ceiling now. Short run tomorrow!!
Handed my bike in to TBT yesterday, guess this is really happening now.
2.5 hr ride today while watching the course preview. Man some of those roads seem in bad shape, fortunately a lot of my training has been on chip sealed and cracked TX country roads.
About to start packing. Been making lists.
Other good news: I finally had time to take my old road bike to the shop. When I took it off the trainer in the middle of a ride a couple of weeks ago it felt like I had cracked the frame around the crank. Turns out that I merely exploded the bottom bracket inside. My favorite mechanic tells me that I never cease to amaze him with the corrosion I bring in...he has never seen anything like this. But for about $75 the bike will be like new!
And, my race bike is ready to go. I haven't ridden it since it came back from Austria. It was serviced upon arrival but I've done a little more prep and then took it around the block several times. It has to be at the shop for TBT pick-up tomorrow morning. And this is the free transport I get for being a frequent customer despite using my case even more often.
Praying that we are allowed to swim. The thought of extending the season 4 more weeks is not appealing.
Successful day, feeling my energy coming back, at about 80 percent I think. Got in a 2.4 hr bike ride followed by 30 minute brick run. The temps were in the upper 50s with winds about 12-14 mph, sunny. Maybe is the perfect practice for what is coming.
My only issue right now is storage. I've taken off my rear bottle holders, and the seat tube bottle holder. I have one bta bottle and one on the down tube. I have a bento box that holds my gu, salt, and a little more.
I need to figure out where to put my tubes and co2 carts. I can use the bento box but then i don't have room for all the roctane.
Question: Is it easy to get roctane at the water stops on the bike? I will be using the on-course Gatorade picking up at least one bottle every stop. Perhaps, I can plan on picking up a Roctane every other stop. I want to drink two bottles gatorade and eat one roctane
I think I also could tape a few to my frame, or put a tube alongside my bta bottle and cram one under my adamo seat. I feel like I should have two tubes and two co2 cartridges. Or could I get by with 1 tube and put one in the special needs bag. Seems risky.
I'll figure it out.
Week 19 is in the books for me. All the work is done. I finished with a 2.5 hour trainer ride and a 3 mile brick. The weather here has been uncooperative. The last 10 days have been nothing but rain. We have a local Oly that was supposed to happen on the 3rd, but was cancelled because of wind and heavy rain. Too dangerous to get on the road so I did it inside.
Today has been an admin day. Cleaning bike. Lubing chain. Organizing equipment and clothes. Hopefully some easy swimming and running this week before I leave on Wednesday.
Stephan, I'm carrying a tube (crammed under seat) and 2 CO2 cartidges. Will put a CO2, tube and tire in SN.
Looking forward to finally meeting y'all this week!