Rossta Micro Thread
Hi Coaches!
My Week 3 OS training is getting off to a rough start - I've got a sinus infection that has thrown off my equilibrium and brought my energy down quite a bit. Tends to happen this time every year as the seasons change.
I also have a minor hamstring pull that cropped up during a steady run last week, still feeling the effects. I can ride, but feel pain when I'm running. Not sure whether I should keep pushing it or take time away from running altogether until it's better.
So, at this point I've missed a few workouts and it feels like I'm already falling behind, like I need to "make up" for missed time over the next few days and pile on some extra time/effort.
What are your thoughts on dealing with illness and injury at this point of the season?
Thanks!
Ross
Comments
There is no upside to pushing too hard (this early) when your body isn't ready. Instead I suggest that you continue to move forward, ignoring the past.
Also I'd take of running this week...so a normal non run OS week is Tu/Th/Sa (as planned) and a steady state Zone 2 ride on Sunday for 60-90 minutes.
In addition to the above modifications, please focus on getting some good quality sleep. Somewhere in the range of 7 to 8 hours a night would be great. That should really help do the trick.
Please keep me posted!
~ Coach P
Awesome, thanks for the recommendations. I'll focus on the bike and extra sleep this week.
Looking forward to getting healthy and back-on-track!
~ Coach P
Hey Coach P,
I've been healthy the past few weeks (knock on wood) and have been able to hit/approach the target run mileage.
I've noticed a trend on the long hard weekend runs I wanted to ask you about. Following the plan, running the first 3 miles at TRP, then 2 x 1 miles in Zone 4, ending with the remainder in Zone 2... my run pace is dropping 15-30 secs on last Zone 2 leg as compared with the first 3 miles. Is that something to be concerned about? Should I be able to hold the same pace at that heartrate zone after accumulating some miles with effort?
Thanks,
Ross
The good news is that as you get fitter, you will recover faster after the threshold work, and you'll be able run as a faster pace for the remainder of the workout!!!
~ Coach P
I completed my bike and run tests this week and it was nice to see improvement, especially in the run. My vDot jumped from 44 to 48.
I've switched my bike training to an indoor smart trainer since the first few weeks; I did power test where originally I had an outdoor HR test, so a little more difficult to make a comparison.
I really pushed myself hard on the run where it looks like I spent most of the run in Zone 5. At the end, I was really breathing heavy and totally gassed for a minute before I started my cooldown. Question: assuming I'm able to hold a relatively steady pace throughout, is it possible to go too hard on the 5k test?
Thanks,
Ross
Run: https://www.strava.com/activities/808949560
Bike: https://www.strava.com/activities/807135838
The first is when you start to quickly, spiking your heart rate, and then fading effort over the remainder of the test. The heart rate file from your workout shows that was not the case.
The second type of "Too fast" running just when you run significantly harder than you have before. You'll then notice friction when you try to apply the new training zones to your existing workouts. What was once an eight minute mile is now, thanks to your test, a 725 mile.. So if you were eight minutes per mile, and now it's 720's per mile, start at 7:40 (in the middle). Then you can incrementally move it down to your desired 720 pace.
Your bike test also looks great. If possible in the future it will be great to have you usually heart rate monitor there as well. While the one and ride data is helpful, being able to compare what you did effort wise with the work your body was doing(your heart rate) gives us a little bit more depth or perspective on your current fitness. Nothing wrong with what you did, just something to think about moving forward.
Really excited to see where 2017 takes you!!
~ Coach P
I have noticed the "friction" you've described as I've been running in the new training zones for a few weeks now. For the most part, I've been able to hit my HR targets during the workouts though it has been mentally tougher now that my pace has been increasing. For the bike, I've got a bluetooth heart rate monitor now that will work with my computer for the trainer workouts, so I expect to have better data for future tests.
I had a really great week of training last week, hope I can keep it up. Some days, I wake up not feeling quite as rested; I'll work on trying to get to bed a little earlier. I have a tendency to stay up later than I should - 11:30/midnight - when I'm realizing I really need to be in bed by 10pm to get that extra sleep I need to recover.
I'm starting to think about the week 14 tests. I'll be doing the power-based FTP test on the bike and a half-marathon for the run.
Since I'm new to using power (on the bike) and HR measurements in my training, I'm curious about how/whether I should use this data during my tests. While there's a power number I think I want to hit, or a time result I think I want during the half, there's the fear I may either be either holding myself back, or more likely, overshooting an effort I can't maintain throughout the duration of the test.
Would it make more sense to have a target HR in mind and let go on whatever happens to my watts or pace? What's the strategy for managing effort during the tests?
Thanks!
So, guessing is bad. And HR is subjective. Here's what I suggest...
I first advise you to look back at your last few FTP Rides to see what the power numbers were. Take 6 20' intervals add up the NP and divide by 6 for the average...you can aim to beat that, for example.
For the 13.1, look at those long runs. Where are you at? How about your vDOT? You can take a good 5k and use your Zone 3 pace for a good target.
Can you do ^that^ math and then we compare?
~ Coach P
Based on your advice, I've got a good idea about the watts to shoot for on the bike tests.
On the run, I feel like I've been doing pretty well on the long runs, staying on TRP and hitting the upper zones well when prescribed. My vDot from the week 8 5k test was 48, up from 44 at the start of the season. Looks like that predicts a half-marathon pace of 7:14, pretty much right in my Zone 3 territory. It sounds scary to aim for that over 13.1 miles since I have a good idea about what Zone 3 feels like - but I think I can manage low-end Zone 3 to avoid burning out.
Ps - be sure to check out the half marathon pacing guidance in the run wiki here. That will sort of explain how we want you to start a little more conservative so that you can be studying and then finish strong.
How should I account for a hilly course? I signed up to run a HM held in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, which will essentially be four loops of a really big hill (link below). Should I consider thinking about adding/subtracting from my pace targets as I go up/down the hill?
Prospect Park, one loop elevation change
Yes, you should account for that as well. IOW, if your target is 8:00mile...you can expect to see 7:40s on the downs and 8:20s on the ups.
To help you with this, your Heart Rate monitor will show (after a bit of time) whether or not your pace selection is too aggressive (or falling off). Don't beat yourself up too much, as execution will be tough. I'd suggest getting out there for at least one practice loop if possible!
~ Coach P
I ran my half-marathon race yesterday and was really happy with how I executed the plan:
https://www.strava.com/activities/856870493
The hilly profile led me to base my running mostly off HR and RPE instead of pace. I aimed for high Zone 2 for those first three "easy" miles, then Zone 3 for miles 4-10 and best effort rest of the way. Because of the way the hill broke up the race and that I felt really good, I actually turned it up a notch at mile 9 when I reached the crest of the "big hill".
My Garmin read 13.04 at the end of the race - not sure if this is within the acceptable margin of error, but I did run the tangents at every bend in the road.
Overall, I was able to run a negative split. Looking at the first four 5k segments, I made my first 5k the slowest (24:15), the next two around ~24 min and the last 22:45. It may look like my pace was all over the place mile-to-mile but this was mostly a result taking what the course offered.
My 8 week 5k vDot was 48 and the results of this race gave me a 45.8. That's pretty consistent with the wiki suggestion of subtracting 2.5 from the 5k vDot to plan out half-marathon pacing. Though this wasn't my PB (it is second though), I felt like I ran this race to the best of my ability at this point in my training.
So, my question, given the disparity, which number should I use to determine my zones as I enter the next phase of my training?
Thanks!
That HR shows how diligent you were; super impressed given the course!!! That took a lot of discipline around Mile 6 to get things back under control and stay focused!
I'd like you to continue training with the 48 number, but when it comes time for race planning we should use the 45.8. And as fatigue builds you might find long runs don't play nice with the 48, and that's pretty normal.
Again, great work!!
~ Coach P
Just checking in since it's been awhile. I had a solid Swim Camp and am now in my second of four weeks of the Get Faster advanced plan before switching over to the HIM advanced plan building up to Quassy.
I've found the GF plan has been a big uptick in swimming and biking volume and intensity for me. It's been difficult for me to finish all the swim and bike workouts! Some examples:
* I wasn't able to complete all the Saturday bike intervals at the prescribed intensity.
* I got off the trainer at 2:15 instead of getting through the 2:30 time. I aimed for ~350 calories per hour in nutrition for the ride but still sort bonked by the end.
* I couldn't do the 400 of the 100/200/300/400 swim ladder at T-pace in the last swim workout.
I've been trying to push myself but have also needed to dial back a notch at times, like by dropping an interval or aiming for T-pace + 3" when needed, for example. Hope that's not all some kind of warning sign. Perhaps a few weeks of this and I'll improve my ability to hit the targets.
Good news is, my run seems to be in a good place coming out of the NOS.
Let me know if you have any thoughts about falling short over the first 1+ weeks of added volume and intensity.
Thanks!
Ross
Thanks so much for checking in. Don't beat yourself up too much. The Get Fast plan is legit, especially coming out of the OutSeason®. I think your modifications are great, and I think you'll see an improvement over the last few weeks of the plan. But if you don't have it, just back down. Only push that workout as much as you feel like you are in control.
Moderate your effort right now, and you'll still have gas in the tank for the rest of the year!!!!
~ Coach P
Ps - that's great news on your run!
Got my most recent bike FTP test in the books this week. I raised my FTP from 270 to 296. First time I've averaged over 300W for the 20 min!
Looking at my updated zones, I'm a bit nervous. My new Zone 1 stretches all the way up to 207... Zone 2 max: 222, Zone 3: 252. I'm imagining future interval work over 2, 3 hour rides and I'm a little scared (about hitting those numbers). I feel like there's a big gap between my performance on the short power tests and what I can produce week-in, week-out in longer sessions on the training plan. A common thing might be for me to do those first several Zone 4 intervals at the start, but I fade during the latter half of the ride. That normal? What are some things I can trouble shoot?
Overall, it feels like I'm making progress, so that's a good thing!
Thanks,
Ross
Here's how the power thing works. A rising tide does lift all boats...so better 20' power does mean a better 60' power. But not right away. It means you CAN, but you have to get there. So, your 3 or 4-hour power sucks right now because you aren't riding there. But it will come.
I recommend you break those rides up...it's where the 20/5 or 25/5 intervals came from for the Race Prep EN*FULL training. You focus on nailing 20', then have 5' to recover and get it back!
Fading at the end of the ride in training IS THE POINT. If you weren't, then you aren't riding hard enough. That's not the case when you do your Race Rehearsal (!) as that's a different workout, but for now, the training is to make you stronger, so keep it up!!!
~ Coach P
Nice meeting you at Quassy yesterday. Thanks for making the trip to support the team.
I had a blast and was pretty happy with my race execution. I ended up with my best overall time (best swim and best run) on this course.
Swim: I just swam as hard as I could.
http://tpks.ws/p8Sjh
Bike: 253 NP! This is the first time I've raced with power and it was awesome. I had a ceiling and just focused on keeping it close. With the exception of some of the toughest hills, where I had to accept spikes in power, I felt I was pretty successful staying in the box; in the past, I've faded on the last few miles uphill heading back to transition. I had soreness in my hip flexors, but felt like I had energy in the tank by the end. I got in most of the calories I'd planned and managed to avoid the stomach problems I've had in the past.
http://tpks.ws/ibyyI
Run: First five or six miles, I felt good. Mile seven uphill, it got harder to hit my cadence, but I stuck with it and upped my effort a bit the last 10K. Last mile, I raced all out and passed several guys up that last hill. It hurt, but I think the fact I was able to put in that effort meant I'd paced well and was well-prepared for a good day.
http://tpks.ws/vlOrI
Within a I have, you have more wiggle room to get outside your typical zones, we just can't do that in the fall. That is a fantastically executed race, you should be really pumped! Happy recovery.