2016 IMWI Training Wk Aug 28 - Sept 4
I realized we haven't really discussed the EN4Keys in depth yet. Over the years Ive compiled some odds and ends from the coaches and athletes on the team on each "Key" Below are key X / B and we will leave the 1 until next week!
X - Race day is about execution NOT fitness
Theme for this week is important. Start visualizing your upcoming RR2 and Race Day in terms of simply Executing your Fitness:
The majority of athletes on race day are fitness-focused (look at my T-shirt, look at my abs/veins/etc, look at how fast I can go in the first hour of the bike, etc.). They think of race day as the application of their fitness to the course, the distance. They are wrong. Race day is about the application of sound execution skills to a long day. Your fitness is just along for the ride. Through our observation of many, many races we can tell you that fully 90% of athletes out there do not understand this and do not know how to execute properly. For the Endurance Nation athlete then, race day is largely an exercise is doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing!
Easy to read/comprehend the above, difficult to actually apply on race day, when you feel rested, invincible with adrenaline and the best you have felt during the entire training cycle. So important to start thinking and scripting this concept now.
/ THE LINE
Prepare your mental game. In so doing, remember there will be cumulative fatigue building throughout race day. So important to follow your plan, race your race and prepare for THE LINE.
EVERYTHING before The Line is simply about creating conditions for success for when the Line comes to you.
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A successful race = a good run. There is no such thing as a good bike followed by bad run, period. In our world, if you showed up with solid run fitness, had a "good" bike and a poor run, we will ALWAYS assume you messed up your bike pacing unless you are missing a limb or are in the ICU with an intestinal parasite.
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If you think you can ride faster than we're telling you, prove it by running well off the bike first (preferably not attempted for the first time on race day!).
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Ride your "should" bike split vs your "could" bike split. YourCould split is what you tell Timmy you could ride on a good day, when you're out together for your Saturday ride. If you say you "could ride a 5:50," your Should split is likely 6:00 and defined as the bike split that yields a good run (see #1 above).
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Don't be a Caboose, be an Engine! Ironman in general, but especially the bike leg, is an exercise in consistency. You don't need straight-A's to win your day, you only have to show up with your C game to be at the head of the class. If you find yourself doing the opposite of everyone else, you're doing the right thing. Lots of people passing you in the first 40 miles of the bike? Everyone else sprinting out of T2? These folks are making your race day easier by showing you what not to do; it's up to you to resist the urge to join in!
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Think you made the mistake of riding too easy? You now have 26 miles to fix that mistake. Make the mistake of riding too hard? That mistake now has 26 miles to express itself, to the tune of X miles at 17-18' walking pace vs X miles at 8-10' running pace. Do the math. How is that nice bike split going to look as you are walking/shuffling the last 10 miles of the run adding another hour and forty minutes to your overall finish time?
B -THE BOX
This week think about YOUR box, what you learned in RR1 and RR2 and how you can keep the box as large. Remember you are not out there trying to make anything happen on race day. You are keeping that box as large as you can for as long as you can, you're focused, calm, collected and executing ninjas.
All day long you are going to race inside a box defined by what you can control. Ask yourself "What do I need to do right NOW to create the conditions for success at The Line? Is what I'm doing right now counter to this goal?
Advice: On the swim, the Box is the space your body occupies in the water: focus on your form and the rest will come. On the bike, the box is probably about one aid station long. On the run, the box begins as 2-3 aid stations long but often diminishes to "from here to the next lampost/manhole cover/mail box." Regardless:
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Keep The Box as big as you can for as long as you can.
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Keep in The Box only the things you can control. Let go of the rest.
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Exercise this decision-making process inside your Box: Observe the situation, Orient yourself to a possible course of action, Decide on a course of action, Act (OODA Loop).
**** Looking forward to seeing everyone at Team Dinner, if you can't make it to team dinner we will see you at IMWI Swim Recon Friday morning AND EN4Keys right after - all of this is strongly encouraged for teammates. You can always learn something and you can meet your teammates, hang out with us, and if you missed dinner I MIGHT be nice enough to give you some swag. Please invite your friends to both events via word of mouth, email or social media links *******
P.S. You all are awesome
Comments
Where to begin, last week was tough. No matter if you crushed a 24+ week like some people
or battled through just keep things going, last week was our last physically hard week. I managed Just at 21 hours. I am sure an all time record for me. I think some little kid on a bike with training wheels passed me going up a hill Sunday morning. Sitting at church sunday i wasn't sure I would be able to recover, however, I have made it to the other side. Yes, walking up the stairs at work hurt a lot more than normal but I made it to the top. I am sure this week will be full of good taper stories as we will start to have more time on our hands. Watch your diets and get your rest. And if questions about the race come up just keep them coming. We should be able to figure them out.
Thanks again team EN for keeping me going.
Todd
Where to begin, last week was tough. No matter if you crushed a 24+ week like some people
or battled through just keep things going, last week was our last physically hard week. I managed Just at 21 hours. I am sure an all time record for me. I think some little kid on a bike with training wheels passed me going up a hill Sunday morning. Sitting at church sunday i wasn't sure I would be able to recover, however, I have made it to the other side. Yes, walking up the stairs at work hurt a lot more than normal but I made it to the top. I am sure this week will be full of good taper stories as we will start to have more time on our hands. Watch your diets and get your rest. And if questions about the race come up just keep them coming. We should be able to figure them out.
Thanks again team EN for keeping me going.
Todd
One can never read the below principles too many times IMO.
As I read them again today, I think about last Friday's RR2, what I learned, where I can continue to refine and implement the below principles even better, how I will visualize the implementation of those principles over the next two weeks leading up to 9/11.
Glad it is Monday week 19.
I saw a lot of work, sweat, blood and tears being posted by this group of animals over the last few days. Hope all are ready to rest and taper like champions here on in.
SS
"There is a difference between INTEREST and COMMITMENT. When you're interested in something you only do it when it's convenient. When you are committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results."
Yesterday got half of the swim in (had to hit the pool...felt fast at least!) and had a decent swim.
Today I got the main set of 3x6' ftp and 15' brick. Half again!
I choose to think something is better than nothing vs. beating myself up for missing some work.
I tried to gather stuff for next weeks departure, but am just not ready to do it...very distracted( as I always am in taper) about the state of my house (aka the mess) making some things happen before leaving around here, and my daughter starting a new job (worry wart!) today!!! GAH!
Nice work Trish!!!
Hope all are starting to feel a little better from last weekend's aftermath and grand finale! Enjoy the taper, protect your mind and which thoughts you choose to allow into your mind during these two weeks. Stay close to this group. Post your Race Reports/plans on the EN cite, solicit input. There is a wealth of perspective and experience waiting to make you that much better on race day.
In most cases, less is probably more during the taper. Key, IMO, is to listen to how you feel, and more so mentally than physically. Stay active each day as you let your body absorb all that hard work you just put it through over the last two months.
I leave you with my thoughts come 9/11 race morning:
KMF!
SS
More seriously, all this is voluntary. We are privileged and are at the top of the game! The confidence comes from having completed the training and not going mental in the last few days. By the way, anyone knows what the water temperature is in the Lake? (I laugh so loud to start this question!!!!!). Let's bring the speed suit (a respectful
Happiness to everyone,
Yes the taper can be maddening. Don't be afraid to follow your body's messages. Most people do feel a little tired a sluggish during this time. Try to focus on the mental race prep/plan. And do not pick up any extra weigh this week as our physical activity is down.
@Chris - you have plenty of time to recover and be in great race shape. Take advantage of what you can, hydrate, rest and repeat.
Finalizing my race plan and will post it up tonight or tomorrow. It is great to see only an 80 min run on my plan tomorrow. That will help since I am working on about 4 hours of sleep. Hang in there, we are getting close.
Todd
Link to Lake Monona water temps.
Rumor has it that the lake is cooling off with the cooler night temps( like many of the lakes around here). A few weeks ago it was near 80.
http://infosyahara.org/temp_monona
Went to the indoor pool today due to weather and saw I guy in a red IMWI swim cap. Turns out it was Todd Glass, nice surprise meeting! Then got to watch him swim like a fish, a fast fish!
Good work everyone! Hang in with the taper! Just over 10 days!
@Chris recover fast!
Great things happen during the last few weeks of training. As Alan mentioned, it was fun to have a fellow EN'r crushing laps right next to me in the pool. He was showing off and did the whole workout. It's easy to seem fast when you drop a 600 from the workout .
And this morning I woke up to the nicest St. Louis day I can remember. I shut my workout down 5 min early but had a great run. Funny thing, after beating myself up this summer, 10 miles didn't feel so bad. As an added bonus, i did not sweat through my shorts as usual. My daughter even wondered if I had gone running yet when I got home. And most impressive, my legs didn't hurt walking up the stairs to work. I am livin' right.
Stay focused and keep praying for good weather. It is looking promising.
Todd
Keep it up, everybody! It's getting close enough to touch, but there's still work to do (like the race plan I still need to prepare...).
@Chris - Sorry to hear you have strep. Rest up, take good drugs and you will be rested and ready for 9/11!!!
Nice work, everyone!!
Love all those Race Plans, thanks for sharing all!
@Kevin, we all feel your pain!!! Taper???
@Chris, recover fast!!!
Got 9 1/2 mi run today at 9:31 pace, which is fast for me! Great St Louis weather as Todd reported. Surprise, I saw no EN'er on the route!
9 days/11 hours, exciting!!! See you all next week!!!
Happy Friday all!
@Chris - how are those antibiotics working? Hope all is well!
Coach R has posted an updated screen cast for the current IMWI bike course for all to review.
Lot of great IMWI race plans recently posted under the Race Execution forum - take a look and take advantage as needed!
Completed my RR3 OWS this morning: https://www.strava.com/activities/697835928
Slow but durable would be the best description.....
Looking forward to the long holiday weekend, no super long rides, focusing on be safe, staying healthy, staying active and looking forward to race week with all you ANIMALS!!!
SS
Seeing everyone on Strava posting nice workouts and I'm out of commissoin is pretty frustrating - not gonna lie. Hoping to go for a run this evening and get back on the saddle tomorrow.
Stay healthy team!
On Thursday I am going to drive the bike course and would like to ride some of it. What are some of the key areas that would be good to ride?
Thanks!
Teri