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Brenda Ross Official Coaches Thread
Hi Coach P, staring JOS on January 4.I need some advice on jigging the schedule a bit. I have the following things on my schedule that I would like to work in or around. Please advice. TY
Tuesday - 1 hour with Personal Trainer
Friday - 1 hour swim with Masters Club + 1 hour with personal trainer
Sunday - 1.5hour swim with Masters Club
JOS Schedule is:
Mon - core and swim prep
Tue - bike + run
Wed - run
Thur - bike
Friday - core and swim prep
Sat - bike + run
Sun - long run
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Comments
I like this options, but not sure how the wednesday run will work with your thursday...
Mon - core and swim prep
Tue - bike + personal trainer
Wed - long run
Thur - bike
Friday - master swim + trainer
Sat - bike + run
Sun - Master Swim Long + Interval run (from Wed)
Here's your updated Season Plan, as promised. This is where you'll return to post all your "coach" questions as responses; I'll see them and reply. This first post is my best outline of how to proceed with your races, but you can ask any / all questions you want. So post away, know that I reply here usually M/W/F each week.
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Your Notes
I am currently following the January OS - Lvl 2 for run and Lvl 3 for bike. Like last year my runs are all snowshoe runs except the Tuesday run off the bike which is done off the treadmill. I did not test for running but did for my bike and am using those zones for my bikes. I ride Zwift for all rides. Tue/Thur EN workouts and weekend Sat ABP with the team. I am currently swimming 2 times a week with a local tri team. Lifting weights 2x a week and then the other workouts for EN. I am also doing my first 50km race in October - Ghost Train Rail Trail Race Oct 21/18
Your Races
Season Update
These are your recommended training plans, including the date you should start each one (sometimes you won’t complete a full plan but transition to another one). You can change your plans on the Training Plan page by clicking the Move / Change button. Learn more about each plan on the Training Plan Central Page.
Last updated by Coach on 02/05/2018:
Coach Notes
Queen B... WAZZUP!!! I love see you racking up the Zwift miles and continuing project snowshoe / run durability. If it works...why change it, right!?!??!!
I have you doing the OS into a swim week (taper-ish for your 13.1) then into the Bike Focus for 6 Weeks. This will build some bike volume as you run consistently (we'll want to keep that one long run from the OS on your schedule) so you can handle the (short) build to Welland...then you just continue onwards through Musselman (those hills!) and Steelhead as your "A" race.
Do you have any specific performance goals for either Musselman or Steelhead that I need to be aware of?
Let's get to work!
~ Coach P
As for goals, yes I do have some for both of those races, but will need your help on getting there. Here is a chart from my 2010-2016 HIM results. I did a sprint and an IM last year so there are not here.
I am working on reworking my stroke this winter and have no idea if that is going to change my swim, so that 45:06 at Musselman is a PB for me, so I will know closer to the race if that has a possibility of changing, but I think I can do better on the bike for sure (sub 3 hour) and I think I can bring that 2:09 down as well, because that year I was coming off an injury that had me water running 5 weeks out leading up to the race.
I have never competed at Steelhead before, but I would really like this year to be the sub 5:45 Half year for me. 5:30 would be a pie in the sky goal.
One area you haven’t mentioned that you might want to consider is focusing on your transitions as there might be some free speed in there.
How about you head over to www.theobsessedtriathlete.com to see what other people have done in your age group at steelhead for comparison sake. Then you and I can talk goals here.
Glad we are on the same page with regards to me focusing o the bike and consistency on the run. I forgot about transitions. I used to practice those when I was a duathlete. I would like to hear from you how far out of a race that you might consider putting those into a weekly schedule?
Here are the results for the top 11 women in my age category from last years Steelhead race. Do you think it is possible to go 5:45 at this race?
Monday - weights (stretching/rolling/strength etc...)
Tuesday - bike + 35 min run (this has been outside as of late)
Wednesday - run
Thursday - bike
Fri - swim AM + 35min midday run
Sat - long bike
Sun - swim AM + long run midday
4 runs instead of 6. This profile seems to be working at keeping what is happening at bay. Thoughts?
P.S. Rolling, stretching and strengthing exercise for the lower body are done daily.
P.S.S. Hope I am not going to be run jail and have to water run.
It seems to be the same as last time 5 years ago. Posterior tibialis.
In your case, keeping that thing mobile as much as is possible it is really important. If you don’t already have one, sleeping with a night splint on/boot can make a big difference in terms of not allowing that to shorten while you were sleeping.
From a structural perspective, Do you wear any inserts in your shoes? Sometimes out of me to have a tendency to develop this machine also have hire arches. Just curious?
I do wear inserts in my cycling shoes and am suppose to in my running shoes (back in now), but did not during the winter snowshoeing. I did not all of last year and thought that maybe I had trained my feet to be stronger. Guess not. I do have higher arches and my feet are sore. I have been stretching them daily but again only once a day or after workouts. I might incorporate some water running so I can keep the run volume in but give the lower body a break. I will keep you in the loop as to how things progress. As of today, I am pretty sore.
Or you could start with just three days off as well. Not to be drastic but just trying to get ahead of the problem. Let me know how it goes!
Since Monday my pain in my Achilles is almost none existent. I am going to wait until it is completely gone and then will try to add in some more running, but just 15min to start to see how things progress.
I will keep you in the loop. I am feeling optimistic.
Well, that was short lived. I was feeling really good until I did my long run on Sunday. I got to 12km and the pain came on. Finished 16km and then could not walk all afternoon without a limp. Pain and swelling of Achilles. I took Monday off and then ran yesterday for 30min on the mill in the afternoon. I was able to manage the pain and get 5km in. The swelling was minimal and no limp.
Today, Wednesday it is feeling good, but I do not think an 85min run is in the cards. I have incorporated some other rehab exercises into my regime and have new shoes on order with the hopes that if I keep this up, the symptoms will continue to subside.
I have a half marathon scheduled for April 22 that I think I might step away from. I would rather work on fully rehabing now so that I can have an amazing season. I am out of town this coming weekend. Steven is doing a marathon so I will skip my long run this weekend as well and then see how things feel next week.
Here are my thoughts moving forward
1. Keep short runs (30 minutes to 45minutes) for weekly runs with 1 long run on weekend or
2. Keep runs as is, but split the long Wed run into road/water running (30-45min run + water running to make up the difference) and see if the long run on the weekend can be done fully on the road or
3. same as two expect both longs runs are a combo of road/water running.
Thoughts?
I want to make sure you’re doing that self-care work with the foam roller and lacrosse ball including the bottom of your foot. I also suggest that you do some eccentric heel raises.
That exercise is standing on the balls of your feet with your heels hanging off the edge of the stair. You go up on both feet to your tippy toes, take off the good leg, lower yourself down slowly on the bad leg until you can’t go any lower. Put the good leg back on to help you get back up to the top again. This eccentric work allows you to lengthen and strength in the Achilles. It’s also a lot easier to get full range of motion here with your bodyweight.
As for your eccentric contraction exercise suggestion. I just started them yesterday. 2x a day, 3sets of 15 of straight leg and bent knee. I stretch the bottom of my feet everyday. That feels amazing, and am being better about the foam roller.
I feel like I take one step forward and get pushed back 2-3 steps.
Seeing Physio 1x a week. He is adding more core exercises and I am doing them daily along with stretching, icing, heating, mobility, etc....
I have an assessment scheduled on April 25 for a gait analysis and orthotic check.
I am also going to get my bike fit looked at. My leg was feeling fine until I got on the bike yesterday. It has been over 7 years since I last got a bike fit, so maybe something has changed?
I have swim camp this week with minimal running and only 1 bike, so I hope that my continued attention to healing is going to pay off before I start my bike focus on April 23.
I will update here on what all the professionals say.
ps bike for pics!? I’m such a geek for that stuff!!!
Bike refit - seat height was good, the saddle was moved back and there were some adjustments to my aero bars. I will get hubby to take a pic this weekend and I will post in here.
Run analysis - do not need to change my shoes or my orthotics. They are both good. No major muscle weaknesses (hips are level, foot lands where it should etc... He feels the issue is with my hip flexors. They are so tight they are limiting my stride and in turn, my lower legs are doing double duty.
His suggestions
Wear an elevated heel shoe in the house - done
Get some massage and ART stat - I have not had a massage in two years. Talking to the physio about ART Friday
Mobility work for calves and hips - talking to the physio about what he thinks are best mobility exercises for the calves and hips
Change my work environment so that I am alternating standing and sitting - I currently sit all day, every day. Will get on this stat.
Use heel lifts for a bit to help take the load off the calves
Incorporate couch stretch daily x2minutes - this was so painful last night I thought I was going to pass out
Although I have no big imbalances in my body I have a slight one on the right, so he has suggested two exercises for my glute med and VMO on my right side.
Here is the big one - less intensity in my bike workouts through injury. Currently, the bike really bothers it. You have me down for a 6 week bike block. Lets talk.
I think the two biggest changes you’ll find is the word set up as well as the couch stretch which is a personal favorite of mine. Best use of a couch ever!
Rehab is going well and couch stretch does not make me want to pass out anymore #progress. Standing for half my day is challenging but I am making it work. #squeezeyour glutes #shiftfromlegtoleg #standtall
On another note - for the running what I have been doing is adding 1km a week to my long run. I see that the long run in Week 7 is 1hr30min. I am currently at 10km (57minutes), adding 1 mile this week will bring me to about 67min but there is a test the following week (I am going to skip that) I could do an 8miler (80minutes) then the runs split starting out at 60/45 so 105minutes, so I could do 90minutes for that run 60/30 and then work up from there. I usually run my long runs in the Gatineaus, but I think I will use the month of June to get distance under my legs on the flats then move into the Gatineaus for the long runs.
Thoughts?
80 minutes for that first run sounds perfect. As for the split runs, I agree we want the first two or three of them in a place where you have plenty of wiggle room to adapt to the mileage. My understanding is that those hills are far away, if they were closer I might have you do a long hike on the weekend in replacement of your break run. Can’t beat those hills for strength but want to be respectful of your time too!
I agree with your conservative course of action, and want to reassure you that you are missing out too much on fitness because you have so much going in. Consider it a “long” run taper into your first race. That said, let’s continue to stretch the hips and keep general mobility high without putting to much stress on the hamstring area. You should be fine on race day because of the warm-up on the bike. because of the warm-up on the bike.
I thought it was time for an update on my injury. The high tendon/adductor injury is coming along. I am able to run without any pain. The area is still weak, but I have been doing weights 2-3x a week and that seems to be making things better.
I did my first multisport race in Welland on June 24. It went well. My swim was slow but for the first time ever I was able to draft off of someone for 1.2km of the 2km swim. I had an incredible bike and I could run the entire 15km at race pace. Recovery was easy and I got back at training in two days.
As you saw on my facebook feed I had a little set back with a bit of heat exhaustion on Saturday, but one full day off with hydrating and rest allowed me to get back at it on Monday. Training has been going well. The heatwave has made training challenging, and after my scare, on Saturday I have been diligent about keeping cool and slowing down if I need to.
I have moved my runs up in distance. Before Welland, I was only running 5km because of the pain, but I can now run upwards to 10km. I will start moving the runs up to longer moving forward. Still, no speed work but hope to get in one hill run a week if my guy says yes. He thinks I will be graduating to biweekly treatments after this next treatment.
I am running Boilermaker 15km this weekend. This will be my second 15km distance with the injury. I will not be racing but rather treating it as a training run, as we are going to be cycling and swimming the day before with Jason Baldimor.
I was thinking the other day about my swim. I have put in some hard work this winter and have been perplexed on why I have slowed down rather than sped up, so I thought back to when I was able to swim 43-45min 2km swims and I remembered that I had a different stroke rate, so I decided to try that same stroke rate when I was at my swim the other day and it made a huge difference (like 30sec per 100m faster). I am not sure my Garmin is telling me the truth but I do seem to be swimming faster, so I guess I will really now at the Musselman on July 15.
I think that since Musselman is not my A race I will not taper unless you think I should? We are driving up Friday and my friend is racing the short course on Saturday, so those two days will be rest. That should be enough right?
Remember, you just ran a race pace so it’s not like being smart with your training has negatively impacted your race performance. Bonus if you can do some hills but honestly, I would be fine with you power walking up hills as well — it’s still a great workout.