Help me run a good HR-based IM marathon
Hey Coach P,
Over the past year or so, I’ve integrated HR more and more into my training and racing. And now that EN has recently re-focused run execution on HR, . . . IMFL presents a great testing ground for me. I’ve read, re-read, watched and listened to just about everything you’ve had to say about the HR-based run subject recently, and am somewhat confident I’ve got it. Or I’m pretty close. In Step 7 in the Wiki Defining a Good IM Run w/ HR, you say check our AHR on the bike, especially the last 60-90 minutes. Then, during the first 6 of the run, you advise to run “at ^that^ Bike Average Heart Rate number” – I think you mean our 112-mile AHR and not last 60-9--minutes AHR, but wanna confirm or fix. I’m also curious to hear any other feedback from you or anyone else in the Haus who has reaction, tips, suggestions, success stories or horror stories, so if you want to move it out of the Micro to gather more input, feel free (or I can re-post). Thanks in advance. Looking forward to catching up over some waffles in a few weeks.
Mike
Recent IM Run History:
IMTX ’14: 143 avg HR, pretty steady HR the entire way, started at 133, 140-44 from Mile 2-26, steady pace between 8:30 and 9:00 the entire way, textbook run for me in heat (3:50).
IMNZ ’15: 138 avg HR, started at 132, hit 140 at Mile 2, varied between 140 and 146 through the hills, wheels came off at 16, HR in low- to mid-130s from 16-23, back into the 140s over the last three, classic IM fade/sprint finish, sub-par run (3:57).
Run Training for this IM:
Here are my last nine long runs, all on Sunday after a long Saturday bike (new job = minimalist plan), all on the same course, each starting moderately, moving to GRP (7:45-50) for the bulk, finishing the last couple at MP pace/effort:
Miles Avg Pace Avg HR
13 7:45 152
13 7:54 147
14 7:53 147
15 7:51 147
15 7:45 147
16 7:55 145
17 7:49 142
18 7:54 143
19 7:52 139
Average over all nine: 145.4 Average over last eight: 144.6
When I get near MP during the last 2-3 miles of my long training runs, HR is always 154-55. And 155 is my HR cap for HIM running until Mile 10 (I averaged 152 at Steelhead two months ago). 155 is my Truscott Run HR Cap for this race.
Bike HR:
IMTX ’14: 135 AHR, 139-42 over the last 90 minutes.
IMNZ ’15: 133 AHR (~20 miles of downhill and plenty of rain to keep things cool), fade at the end, but lots of 138-41 before the downhill to transition.
My HR on my last 10 long training rides has averaged between 118 and 128, with numbers rising into the 130s toward the end. Whenever I hit 145 HR on the bike, I know it’s too much, definitely not a should-do IM pace. I maxed at 144 and avg'd 135 at Steelhead.
IMFL Plan:
1. HR will be in the 145-55 range when I start the bike (it always is). Focus #1 is getting that number down into the 130s as quickly as possible. This took 25 minutes at NZ because of the long uphill T1 run and initial climbing on the bike. I’ll shoot for 10 minutes in PCB.
2. Note HR all day on the bike, especially if it’s above the mid-130s where it usually is. Hard cap at 140 early in the bike, 142-3 later in the bike.
3. Note HR the last 90 minutes of the bike, from the turnaround at Mile 80 until the finish. If typical, it will move into the low-140s.
4. Starting the run, I expect to see low 1:30s. For the first six miles, my AHR over the entire 112-mile bike (~135) is a hard cap. This is will feel incredibly slow, ego will be tested, but I’ll easily be able to eat, drink and chat. [Or, do I run the first 6 at the AHR I see over the last 90 minutes of the bike, more like 140, thereby not giving away free time, and making the jump at Mile 6 to 143-45 not that big of a jump?]
5. At the turn-around in the park around Mile 6, I will flip a semi-race switch and focus on slowly driving that HR up into that 143-45 window. It is always difficult to increase HR during an IM run, so it will take focus/effort.
6. Cruise control for the next 13 miles, using 143 as a floor/whip, fueling and cooling properly, trying to avoid the mental face plant/HR slip that always seems to hit me in the 16-18 mile range.
7. After the final turn-around in the park after Mile 19, I’ll give myself permission to let the HR move to the low 150s if I’m able, with the 155 Truscott Cap still in effect. More likely, I’ll be fighting to keep it at/above 143.
8. At Mile 24 when I re-enter the drunken-spectator bar area, I’m free to empty the tank, assuming I’m not already on fumes, but don’t hit 160 unless I can hear Reilly.
Yes, the above plan looks complicated, but for race day I’ll reduce it to something even I can comprehend and follow: “AHR to park, 143-45, race.” Thanks again.
Comments
1. You crushed TX with a super steady bike effort and a run that matched it. Your run was solid all day until the very, very end. Bummer no HR, but you can just tell from the data it was steady.
2. NZ it took 25 MILES (not minutes) for your HR to bottom out...don't kid yourself, strava don't lie, so you rode 1-hour 6-minutes of your bike, to start, at your "End of bike" HR. By mile 90 of the bike you were starting the HR fade...tough place to be, esp when the road goes up!!!! On the run you couldn't sustain your HR...whether that was caloric or from early bike exertion hard to say, but clearly you don't handle variability well.
3. FL ain't variable. On paper it's the same race as TX without the same heat (until I just said that, ha!).
4. Your typical long ride HR data is good to know as in "what do I normally see for HR when I start the bike" and then we play "how close can I get to that number at the start of this bike ride?".
5. You have two HRs in your head at the start of the run -- what you normally see and want to see on a run (you = 140-144), and what you should see (the AHR from the LAST HOUR of your bike)...typically 135-140. So when you start running, you want to keep your HR in that second bracket for the beginning, while you eat and drink and be smart. After about an hour, you can let that HR start to come up to the run cap of 145 as you feel and work on holding it there.
6. Run HR is just as much pacing as it is nutrition. You need calories to run the engine! Medium banana in T2. Then have your target food for the run, but break it into halves. For me, I use caffeinated gels at the start of the run. In training I eat 1 gel per 4 miles...or 3 by mile 12...in an IM, I need those gels as soon as I can get them, not spaced out. Early on I feel good, so I eat. I had gels at miles 2, 5 and 8 in kona, I believe...then I switched to a Clif Blok every 2 miles, with 1/2 a banana as I felt...I eat more than you BUT my point is you need to eat to run.
7. Last leg in is all mental at that point. You are on a mission and you need to come up with your mantra and just f-ig run. By that time, actually running vs shuffling should feel like a nice change. In Kona for me my mantra was "Down ain't my thing, but Up is my bitch!" I don't run downhills well, but the last 7 in HI are mostly up...so it was my time to put the hurt on folks, and I did and it was AWESOME. Best run finish to an IM yet.
Let's keep this rolling...I want you to have the race you are ready for!
Ps - change strava location to NC baby!
Thanks, P. Great stuff. I actually had huge data issues at both TX and NZ. I had HR at both, but it only uploaded for NZ (after a battle). And, yes, my HR bottomed out at NZ at mile 25 (at an artificial reading of 117), but I did move to the low 130s at 25 minutes at the end of the big opening climb (still way too late into the ride, but it was a big climb). Also, that was a chaotic bike - PM was reading 0 or 1,000 to start, never giving consistent readings, while dozens of bikers were passing me, in a cold driving rain on terrible roads. Yes, excuses, but I was way out of my box trying to figure out which end was up through the first 40. Mentally . . . totally unprepared for that craziness. Thus, lots of lessons learned on how to cope with adverse conditions and to rely on back-up data like HR, speed and RPE. I was 100% prepared physically for the bike at NZ, but without power, I didn't handle the wind, rain and hills well at all, and my failed RPE attempt over the last 30 gave up at least 10 minutes. Pretty much nailed nutrition throughout the day and only lost 1/2 lb (they weigh you at the finish line). I was injured and undertrained for the run, and simply got b-slapped by the hills, rain and 35mph winds. Yes, there was a pity party raging at Mile 17. Still, with all the walking, the fact that I went 3:57 and cracked top 20 still kinda amazes me. So, I kinda view NZ as a weird, throw-away race that accompanied an amazing vacation. Complete opposite of TX, where I was alone and in control for both the B&R, so I'm using TX as more of a guide for FL. Your points about nutrition and mission are dead-on and filed away, as is your (accurate) observation that I suck at variability. With my size and w/kg, I've been told for 20 years that I should do hilly bike and run courses. But I've always done far, far better on flat, straight courses where I can get in a groove and auto-pilot. Looking forward to catching up in PCB and giving this HR thing a try. Thanks again.
Great stuff indeed. Thanks Mike for letting us in on this conversation with Coach P. And good luck at IMFL.
Hey Coach P,
A little follow-up. I had never really done an HR post-mortem on a race before, as I typically just reflect on time, speed, power and place. But your analysis of my NZ bike caused me to go back and look at that one and other race performances, see if I could find some HR trends associated with good races and potential causes for bad races. Pretty shocking stuff, at least for me:
Bike (AHR over the first 30 minutes, followed by average for the entire ride):
Steelhead: 136 over first 30 minutes, 135 overall (@~23mph), solid ride
Miami 70.3: data completely corrupted, but most 910xt 5-mile laps were in the mid- to high-130s AHR (warmer than Steelhead)
IMTX (corrupted, only have 910xt 5-mile lap data): 139 first 5 miles, 133 second 5 miles, 135 overall AHR, fade at end but good ride
Sprint Tri this summer: 144 AHR over the entire 25 minutes, pretty much going 100% (lots of time 25+mph)
IMNZ: 144 over first 30 minutes, 139 over first 60 minutes, big fade, 133 overall AHR
So . . . I rode the first half hour of NZ at sprint effort and the first hour at 4-5 beats greater than 70.3 effort. Jeez . . . I wonder why I faded at 90 and then started walking at 16. Prior to today, I never once suspected that I went out too hard on the bike in Taupo. But this data shows I clearly chased watts and paid dearly.
Run (AHR the first two miles, AHR for the entire run)
IMTX (corrupted, only have 1-mi lap averages): 136, 138, 143 for entire run (best IM run ever for me*)
IMNZ: 136, 139, 138 for entire run
Steelhead: 140, 143, 152 for entire run (strong sub-7 finish)
Sprint tri 5k: 150, 153, 154 for entire run (top 10 finish)
Miami 70.3: 153, 155, 154 overall (terrible run - weird, wonder why?)
So . . . at Miami, by focusing only on pace, I started the run off at an effort far greater than 5k, hit a full-sprint Z5 160 at Mile 3.8, followed by some quality time in a ditch, then a shuffle home. If you ever decide to include a chart of how NOT to run a 70.3, you have my permission to use this: https://www.strava.com/activities/212089286/overview.
Take-away from this somewhat-painful exercise: Pace and power are variable results and mean absolutely nothing if they require too much energy output. HR, if too high, must trump pace and power. I now know what my HR should look like at various stages of both the bike and run and plan to use it as a ceiling early, and more of a floor later, in both disciplines.
Thanks for leading me down this road, even if you didn't intend to. I honestly feel like I just graduated and can finally move on to Long Course Middle School.
*Subject to change 11/7/15.