2016 IMCHOO Training Wk Aug 29 - Sept 4
Well CHOO CREW we are 4 weeks out from race week and there are 4 Keys of Racing within EN. What sets EN athletes drastically a part from other athletes is the ability to know to race. You're putting in the training and doing a fantastic job of posting your information with the team to discuss but as you wind down your training in the next couple weeks you need to put your head in a space to have the 4Keys down pat. Even if you have been with EN for a while, there is always something to learn or something you can teach to help someone else's race experience.
Not to reinvent the wheel here is a mixture of coaches perspective and a couple other race captains:
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.
Good Job team.... keep chipping away, two more weeks left of fitness
Comments
I think you're being too hard on yourself. Putting this into perspective: 1. You were coming off a cold and probably not at 100%, 2. three hours of sleep...how did you even wake up with such little sleep, 3. It was already HOT and humid when you started on only got hotter. HOT and humid means, elevated HR and needing tons more fluids, 4. I'm betting due to the situation with your son, mentally you weren't 100% there? And 5. you weren't able to monitor your HR. You could have been riding at a zone 4 HR for a while.
My rides in 100+ degree heat index was more about managing HR and staying on top of hydration, while ignoring power/level of effort.
When you factor in all this, your ride probably was not as disastrous as it seemed.
Don't throw in the towel! I think those thoughts are normal...I've them too from time to time but just have to trust your training. There's still time to improve fitness and we have our second race rehearsal in two weeks and though we'll still have cumulative fatigue, this is the one to test pacing, nutrition, etc.
Hang in there the big day is almost here.
Amy, you know I told you this before, but you had a lot going against you with little sleep and the 2 hour drive, etc.
You are a smart, tough chica who knows how to pace an Ironman properly.
Just do your best with your training for these next two weeks and forget the time goals - it's really not that important given your family challenges, etc. Just go out and have fun! Don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself to beat some arbitrary clock number.
As for me, I felt fine to do a second loop but decided against it with the real temp near 100, I deemed it just not worth it.
So I did my 5 hour ride on Sunday instead + run after. I felt good after the big weekend of training.
My shoulder was real sore after the swim on Saturday, so I will manage my swim efforts going forward by getting in the pool more frequently and doing shorter sets instead of long ones. I am not super happy about my bike effort...I cannot seem to stay on the power consistently for the entire ride. I am about 10-15 watts below where I want to be for the race on my long rides. I guess I need to just work harder. My heart rate is a pretty low (for me) of 129 after 5 hour ride.
Amy, don;t be too hard on yourself!! Just take some of the hills easier, keep your heart rate down. It is a mental game now. Think of all you have done and keep positive!! It was SO great to meet you and Don and I was so glad to get to spend some time with my fellow ironmates!!
So the swim for me was ok. I am so glad I did it and it was actually such a beautiful swim! I was surprised as always that my OW does not translate from the pool. I should know that as I always go into my survival stroke for the first 1000 yards before I can even begin to relax. I am usually a 1:30 swimmer and I made it out under a 56 min so that was cool, even thought it wasnt real. I was going off another gals watch that swam behind me as I forgot to put my garmin on. The water was way too warm for a wetsuit for me. I would of so overheated. I think I need to slow down on race day. It is hard when everyone is swimming so much faster around you. My sighting was so horrible I was thankful some people had the floaty things on so I was just following them. I also just ordered new goggles. I am glad I realized my googles were just not going to work anymore. Amazon, please deliver fast!! ONe of the gals let me try her Ufit googles and i loved them so i just ordered a pair today.
The day before (friday), I just didnt feel great. Couldnt really put my finger on it but did not feel 100%. Sat, did the swim, then did the ride with Amy (little of Don before he speed away). It was a nice pace ride for me and I was so so so thankful to ride it with Amy the whole first loop. As she decided one loop was good for her, I followed suit. I thought that was not like me as I really was planning on doing the 2 loops but i just kinda decided enough for the day, i was getting a headache which i have not had for a long time, and i really wanted to spend time with my family exploring Chattanooa. So my loving husband picked me up and i still didnt feel 100% but couldnt figure out what the deal was. Later that night I felt like I was getting a fever as we were touring around. By the next morning I felt so feverish and horrible and the only relief I could get was when I was laying down. So day 2 was no workouts. I hung out at Starbucks doing some work for about 3 hours while my husband and daughter explored the caves and did some things they had planned.. I was going to sleep in the car but at 100+ I think it would of been a bad situation for me so I worked instead which was fine. I had been sleeping most of the morning as my husband packed up our hotel room. I slept most of the 5 hour ride home too and by 11 when I got home I was feeling tons better. My husband has been sick the week before and it lasted two days for him. I think I am fine now and will be swimming tonight.
I feel a bit like I am blowing it by missing sunday workouts and sat i only did 50 miles after the 2.4 swim. No running. I know I am fine and I think the extra rest will probably benefit me as long as I don't mess up workouts this week. Last week i skipped my wed bike out of rebellion. Who knows why but I felt all rebellious against my workouts. I will be ok.. right??
I need to stay FOCUSED now to the end.
I'm cheering for you all. Keep training.... You are getting close to striking that match!
Love it Mark!
Had a solid weekend here in Arkansas. First time in weeks that it was not raining (typical August here is mid-90's to 100's, so rain was most unusual). Did 100 on Saturday in the hills. Don't know why I go out with a fast group, since I always get dropped. Anyway it was a big loop out west of Little Rock that I had not done ever before. Loved the new countryside...time for a change. Made it back to my house right at 6 hours.
Sunday I rode 32 with a 4 mile brick run after before church. The best part was thinking as I rode back up my side street...Oh I hope Virginia is tracking me and has the garage open. I got home and she had my whole transition set up on the tailgate of her truck in the garage. The entire thing. Drinks. Ice. Ice bag. Water Bottle. Gu and Cliff blox. Shoes and socks. Hat. Sunglasses. Plus as I arrived she took my bike!
What a gift it is to have a team that works with you. How could we do it without them?
Have a great week Choo team!
So I'm still dealing with follow up doctors and now have a local pulmonigist who wants to put a scope in my lungs on Friday just to check one thing out that she saw on the CT. I said yes.
It won't have much of a training effect. But I just want to get out of the water in Chattanooga with this behind me. I feel great and have not backed off the workout intensity at all. I just want this all behind me.
YAY Amy!! Glad to hear this
@Pat: Wow! Glad you are not letting that get to you. Stay safe and you got this!! You are gonna rock it!
I am having an ok week. Not getting in some of the swim distances due to the time I get to the pool/when they close but it is what it is. I also had to do the bike trainer this morning as I have somewhere i need to be after work today. I will do my run during lunch on the treadmill so I am feeling like this is not the best work out week already but again, it is what it is and I am doing my best. This weekend has to be a solid workout session or I will feel that I am blowing it now. Concerned about how to get my 3 hr run in tomorrow. Daylight is not working so well from my later work hours to get a 3 hr run in and early mornings are never a for sure thing with me but i am going to cross my fingers and shoot for the morning run. Bummer with daylight hours getting shorter.. uggh.
I'm dealing with a head cold this week. It came on all of a sudden Monday. I took Monday off and got some extra sleep. I rarely get enough sleep, but will work on that these next 3 weeks. I felt a little better Tuesday and did the workouts. Since the cold is mainly a head cold/congestion, I'm pressing on with my workouts.
I had to move my workouts around again due to being in Pittsburg Friday and Saturday to watch my daughter play Volleyball. ABP ride is Thursday, long run Friday morning, long ride Sunday.
This is not the time to get sick or injured, so take care of yourselves and get adequate sleep.
On Monday I overhead an executive here who came in to work after being sick with the flu all weekend. They were a wreck and didn't last long on Monday. But all I could think about was spreading it in the office and me getting it before IM Choo.
FWIW, given this week is Labor Day, I'm going to shift the long run to Sunday early, and the ABP to Monday. I want to run the 18 mile run on a course that is a 2x simulation of the Barton hills. That would be near impossible to do tomorrow before work. We're planning a 100+ hill ride around west-central Arkansas for Saturday, so running the 18 miler on tired legs would be a good simulation, and opportunity to dial in the early part of the run on HR and really work on running form on tired legs. Plus the weather here is supposed to get real nice over the weekend (in the 60's at night), making the run less about slogging through impossible heat and humidity.
Did you notice from the IM Chatt Tri Team list that there are about 35 ENer's racing? That's a lot!
Buddha said there are four Noble Truths.
If I could hypothesize what the words of the Endurance Nation Buddha would be, it may be as follows.
You sound like you are all doing what you need to do. I am with you in the spirit of the race!
@Pat, I think I am going to do same switch with the workouts. I am just not feeling the 18 miler today. I didnt get up early enough and after work, there are not enough light hours unless I go to the park nearby that gives me about 4 miles around running around the part and I really can't loop and repeat for 3 hours of that. I will go insane.
I got 14.5 miles for a 12:19 min/mile avg in 3 hours (I am real slow, I know).
But, if I can hold this pace for the Ironman I will PR the marathon by a lot.My nutrition was spot on - I felt strong all the way until the end, but my knees were starting to ache in the last 30 minutes.
I guess that is normal for running so long. I wish I were faster
I got 1,200 feet of elevation, running my version of Barton Road two times, once at mile 8 and again on mile 14.
@Don GREAT job!!
15 Miles, started at 5:15 am wearing my headlamp - I haven't run in the dark since Ragnar Chicago at the beginning of June - it was so enjoyable that I was wishing for a later sunrise. Now I just want my compression tights (but forgot to bring them to work).
Suffering is a mental construct (all suffering is in our mind, not our body). Through right thinking (a form of meditation?) we can transmute the suffering into positive feelings, such as, "I feel powerful!" Having an EN race execution plan helps with that process.
Uggg. I ended up in the ER yesterday. I thought I had a collapsed lung. They did an EKG and a CAT scan and found NOTHING. I was in so much pain and still in pain today but not nearly as bad but it is still there. Feels like I am stabbed in the lower right lung. I could not inhale and could only shallow breathe once the "stabbing" happened. I have not been to the hospital since having my kids almost 16 years ago so I was surprised that the pain was that bad that I said I need to go in. I also thought once i got there, it would all go away like that happens when you go to the doc and all of a sudden you don't know where it hurts. but it hurt like hell.
I took pain meds they prescribed just to get some relief and got good night sleep. Woke up this morning hoping it would just go away since they cleared me with finding absolutely nothing. My blood pressure was up when they first took my vitals and by the time I was discharged 4-5 hours later it was back down. I had planned on going swimming this morning if I woke up and felt normal. I got up and felt good for about 20 min while getting my bag ready but then the pain popped up again and now it is just a light stab.
Muscle cramp? Any ideas or anyone have this happen to them ever? I also have a slight cold and I feel the stab when i both inhale and exhale. What would you do? Ugggh. Seriously so close to race. I am sure I will be fine but more concerned about missing these workouts right now.
Any case my husband talked me out of going on the swim this morning (as I was just gonna go and see how I felt ) and just let it rest for another day. I hope it gets better through the day so i can do my workout tomorrow. I was planning on getting my long run (16-18 miles) in on Sun as I was moving my workouts around. I was going to bike yesterday to get some extra biking since i moved things around but that obviously did not happen.
@Mark, that's a good one...Thanks!
@Don and Sue, great job on the LR...way to get it done.
I completed my 18 mile LR this morning. Started at 6:30 with 60 degree temps and a nice cool breeze...it was awesome! The lower temps allowed me to hit my paces. Actually, I went a little faster than Z1 and TRP, but it felt great not running in high humidity. My only issue was (and has been for a few weeks) fatigued hip flexors or upper ITB issues after mile 14, especially when going up hills. I hope it will resolve itself during our taper, if not I'll be doing some walking up Barton Hill. Looking forward to resting Saturday and then my 5 hr ride on Sunday.
@Derrek I was picking up my bike from my LBS and ran into a guy who knows you (online). I was wearing my EN t-shirt. I don't remember his name, but he said he knows you (virtually) through an African-American triathlete group or something like that. He's a big dude and is doing his first IM at Chattanooga.@Kim, oh no! That stinks! Could it be a pinched nerve? Could you have cracked a rib? If it's still bothering you next week go get an xray at an Orthopedic's office. Sometimes it takes a while for a break to show. Definitely rest. No good will come out of aggravating it. Keep us posted.
@Don, sweet, let us know how your bike ride goes tomorrow with the new gearing!
I switched up my week a little to put the long run in tomorrow so that I can get out earlier and it is supposed to be cooler thanks to the hurricane that moved through. I did my long bike in the hills this week and am feeling a lot stronger. So I'm in a better place. Hopefully tomorrow's run won't wreck that!
Hi Team EN racing Chattanooga. I'm back after being on maintenance mode since January. I'll be racing IMCHOO with you and look forward to meeting many of you. I arrive late Thursday afternoon, probably too late for the team dinner but I'll try to get there.
I've been with EN since 2010, but took a break this year. Still, I've had a good summer of training. I won my AG (60-64) in 2 local OLYs and and 1 HIM; got 3rd in another HIM. Qualified for the 2017 70.3 World Championship in (drum roll pls) Chattanooga. So I get to race this course twice in the next 12 months. I did have bit of a set back 3 weeks ago...took a hard crash, bruising my left shoulder and hip, lots of road rash. But nothing broken, and the bike was ok too. Nothing a little rest didn't fixed. So I'm back at. Ran 18 miles Thursday nite @ 8:22 avg pace per mile, swam 3500 meters today. Riding 6 hours tomorrow.
I look forward to participating in this forum as we get closer to race day. I'll chime in when I have something to add. Cheers and stay healthy the next 3 weeks.
@ Kim S...you may have strained or torn an ab muscle. That happened to me earlier this year swimming with a group much faster and younger than I (it basically was a Z5 swim for the entire workout so as not to get run over). Anyway, it really hurt right underneath my bottom left rib. Hurt like hell to twist, or to reach upward. It took several weeks to heal up, but I did NO swimming at for 3 weeks. Just cycled and ran, iced and took ibuprophen. I'm not an MD so don't take any of this as medical advice, I'm just relating my similar experience. Hope you are better soon.
thanks Bruce.. interesting...
thanks Amy. good luck on your run. Let us know how it goes!! Glad you got some good hills in too.
I decided that i am getting up and swimming and testing the lung out and then gonna do my bike. on my trainer. in my home since i dont know how i will feel and then can stop if needed. and i am feeling much better.. still little stabbing but better. i did a 40 min run on the treadmill tonight to test and lung and amazingly it felt better after and felt to good to run after doing nothing on thurs. my husband is out of town too so i dont; feel safe biking by myself with whats going on.
if it is not way better by next week i will freak out. i am thinking it could be a cold or something but it is getting better so that is good.
It's neat you ran into someone who knows me. I'm not sure who you meet but we belong BTA or Black Triathlete Association. It started as as Facebook Group and now a Tri Club. There's at least 10-15 or more doing IM Chatt. I've mentioned EN a lot and invited everyone to the 4 Keys Talk. It's a small tri world.