Feb/Mar 2016 Get Faster Thread

Al Truscott

I'll be starting GF next week, and suspect there's a bunch out there starting about now, coming off Nov OS and/or looking to a spring A race (I'm thinking about Coeur d'Alene 70.3 myself).

So here's a place to Get Faster together. If no one shows up, well, there's still the Jan OS for support.

Paul Curtin

I'm with you Al. Started this week. I feel faster already.

Jacklyn Moore

Started GF this week. Just bike tested today. Not too bad a test. About average for me. Did a 5k run with hubs this weekend, so I used that vdot bump instead of testing again. Looking forward to some decent weather and getting outside on my bike. Put my ftp to work where it counts. Just ordered a new chain and rubber for my 2 wheeled steed. Swim is coming along nicely. Left shoulder is adapting to the work slowly. Only bothering me when my form goes to crap because i'm tired. 

Looking forward to getting to work!

Thanks, Al.

Brad Marcus

I'll jump in here too. Finished Nov OS and working through a run focus now with a GF plan in the cue in a couple of weeks. Patriotman 70.3 is my first Spring race in June. Hope to share all your mojo!

Paul Curtin

Not feeling faster today ... three straight hard days have caught up with me. That hill bounding session on Tuesday was tough.

The GF swim volume is adding to the fatigue. I was used to no swimming from the OS.

Todd Bray

Finished my third swim this morning and am feeling S-L-O-W. Yesterday's 8' Z4 bike intervals may have been the three toughest 8' minute intervals I've completed!

I thought Swim Camp was to "reset" our legs but coming off NOV OS and then Swim Camp I'm feeling pretty cooked.

I may cut back the intensity a bit on the two 15' intervals in tomorrow's bike. I'm thinking low sweet spot and then hopefully I'll hit the V02 work.

Scott Imlay

I'm in, but with a gradual start. Back spasms nixed most of my Swim Camp workouts, and I'm trying to make sure they don't come back. Just doing low intensity work for now.  

Francis Picard

I started this week too and like Todd, its weird but started the week feeling really tired. But I am in the impression of starting a cold.

I did this morning the 150' bike ride and was tought while coughing to get to the numbers.

good training all!

Robert Sabo

I'm in as well. After two weeks of swim camp, it was a rude awakening to jump into 2x20 FTP. Glad I have company. The time commitment just got real. (I am also doing PT for my chronic hamstring tendonopathy)  But I will be ready for my B races, TOC and IMLP. Stay healthy

Todd Bray

Another good point Rob.......the time commitment has gotten real!! I've found myself juggling a lot of balls this week to get the workouts completed.

I intend to sit down tomorrow and map out a solid week next week in lieu of flying by the seat of my pants like I've done this week.

As hard as OS is, I love the intensity approach over volume. It just seems to work better with my work/single-parenting schedule.

Robert Sabo

Did 120 minutes on trainer instead of the 150. very tough wko. 2x20 at .97 and 1.04 and 6x 2' VO2 could not make more then 1:15 to 1:30.

2 hours at IF of .89.  Training with fear of not being ready to ride strong at TOC.

Todd Bray

Got my bike work done today and completed 2 x 15' @ Z4, 6 x 1.5' @ Z5 and 15' @ Z3. I left some watts on the table today but feel pretty good considering the fatigue I was carrying earlier in the week.

A good nights sleep and I'll be ready to run tomorrow.

Hope everyone had a good day and got some quality work in!

Pat Koss

Swapped my weekend workouts since I was running the Sylamore trail race yesterday. 17 miles on what could be the prettiest trail in Arkansas. The hoodie is a real keepsake in these parts. Overall 17+ miles in 4:12 was a PR for me. Drive home this morning.

Not sure the 2:30 bike workout is in my future today. Suggestions welcome, team.

#angrylegs

Francis Picard

tuff run today, will try do it early !

3x 1M + 2X0.5M...@z4 thats gonna hurt !!

Paul Curtin

Good workouts Robert and Todd! I had no power yesterday so it became a 2.5-hour cruise in zone 2. Waiting until this afternoon to try the run.

@Pat - that sounds like a tough run. Perhaps consider 60-90 minutes of easy spinning. See how you feel after 30 min and adjust accordingly.

Francis Picard

Just did the Sunday run, really felt good and it was one of my fastest run of the year! quite happy.. maybe the good weather gave me mojo to run fast haha.

https://www.strava.com/activities/498944710

keep it up team !!!

Pat Koss

Ended up just spinning for an hour. After a long warm up I did 1 x 10' @ about 80-85% and that hurt the right hammy too much. The legs felt all day happy spinning at about 50-60%. Finished the hour right at the finish of Daytona...what a finish!

Scott Imlay

I was a little apprehensive about the long run today. It was just a little over a week ago I was having massive back spasms. The good news is that today felt good, and I was able to complete the full 1h15m, including the z4 intervals. 

Scott Imlay

If you are using TrainerRoad, it looks like the "2016 HIM WK 18 BEG" workout is pretty close to the "Get Faster WK3 Beg" workout for tomorrow (Tuesday). You just need to add the "3 x 1' (1') @ Zone4/Hard" intervals during the warm-up period. 

Likewise, you can use "2016 HIM Wk5 Beg", with similar modifications, for Thursday.

Pat Koss

My lunch was going to get chopped up with meetings today so it was to bed early and up early to get both the 2 x 15' bike and the 8x hill repeats done before 6:30.  Great morning.  

Todd Bray

Nice work Pat!!

I did my bike this morning (followed by yesterday's swim) and it about killed me. I nearly puked during my second 15' FTP interval and I'm not sure why I'm struggling on the bike so much?

Just over three weeks ago, I was able to ride 2 x 20' at about 8-10 watts higher than what I can complete for 2 x 15' now.

Again, I think being a poor swimmer and putting a lot of effort into Swim Camp has built a high level of fatigue.

I check my heart rate every morning when I wake up and it's been consistent so I'm not sure what's going on other than I seem to be dragging ass in my bike wko's.

Francis Picard

Todd: i am on the same boat as you, was in the impression that SC was going to rest me, but seems like the fatigue went up or its maybe because after 2 weeks we came out flat ? dunno.

Did my swim yesterday which went quite well.

Last night I had work to do and couldnt figure out to resolve an issue.. went for a climb run (today's run which was suppose to be 40''), I hacked it to a 90'' climb instead X8, almost puked my dinner on the last climb. Came back home, went back in the contracts and figured everything out ! hah.

Looking forward for the 2X20' tonight, those hurt!

good training Pat & Todd.

Robert Sabo

I hear you both. I killed it last week and now I got nothing. I am also very cranky. I guess I need to take it easier for a day or so and keep working on recovery then get back to it .

Al Truscott

Yikes - Coaches added two weeks to the GF plans, so instead of week 1, I'm in week 3?!? That's OK, I wasn;t going to test anyway. First swim sent fine yesterday. I'm hacking the run intervals a little - doing just 0.5 mi intervals at a faster (5K) pace, just cause I think that will work better for me: 5 x .5 mi (2.5') @ Pace/MaxHR: 7:06/148, 7:28/152, 6:58/152, 7:17/152, 6:58/154. The variable paces are due to the rolling nature of the paved trail I was on.

Francis Picard

Al, it was changed between Sunday and today, the regular 8 weeks were there this week end and when I came back to load the plan, only the 10 weeks are there.

 

I asked Coach Rich in my macro forum

Al Truscott

They announced this sometime in the past two weeks, I forget where. I just wasn't expecting so soon. But it still works for me, as I'm coming straight out of week 7 of the OS, started swimming again last week.

Pat Koss

Is it just me, or did the rest of you get changed to a (new?) 10 week GF plan. I was (as I think a lot of you are) in Week 3 of the old 8 week GF plan. So at dinner Virginia asks me what tomorrow is, and when I bring it up I'm now in Week 5 of a 10 week plan. That puts me right in the middle of test week (which I did not have on my plan).



Improvise, adapt, overcome.



I just did a swim test, so I'm going to bag the swim test and do another workout. But now I do have a 5K on Thursday. I had not planned that, but am considering it depending on the weather (to hit the track).

 

(edit...since I posted this I now see that y'all are in the same boat.  So its improvise week for all of us.)

Francis Picard

yeah in te same boat, at least I had print week 3 pages of the 8 weeks plan.

I will keep doing whats on week 3 and see afterwards what the coach says, cuz we tested on the last week of OS and have been on the new figures since 1 GF week only..

Todd Bray

I too am going to stick with the old week 3 plan as I had also printed it out.

If anyone hears from the coaches please post it here. Thanks!

Paul Curtin

I'd like to hear from Patrick and Rich on this trend of not being able to hit the planned workouts. Is it because swimming was added to the mix ... do our bodies need several weeks to adapt to the water ... is this pattern consistent from prior years?

Al Truscott

Concerning "not being able to hit all the workouts", consider a several factors. One, be really honest with yourself about which plan to load up. Coming off an injury, or in your first Year EVER of structured training, try the Beginner. Aiming for a podium or Kona spot, AND have ALREADY done a sub 11 hour full or sub 5 hour half , choose the Advanced. All others, the intermediate is for you. Second, note the coloured flags right side of each workout...these indicate which are absolute must do (!) and which (M, L) are lower priority. Third, Coaches have fine tuned the order of workouts...messing with their timing can make things harder. Fourth, doing two hard interval sessions (Tues run/Wed bike) closer than 24 hours apart is hard on our physiology. Fifth, neglecting full refueling during and after workouts, both calories and fluid, makes it tougher, leading to chronic glycogen deficit and low grade dehydration. Sixth, sleeping less than 8 hours a night also prevents full recovery.

If you are unable to navigate all of the above due to the exigencies of life, than backing out of one or two workouts might be in order, or even making a day off each week SOP.