Rafe Armstrong Micro Thread...

Coach Patrick

Hey! Here's your Micro Thread, as promised. As you'll see in this forum, I handle all manner of edits and changes.  So post away! 



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~ Coach P

Rafe Armstrong

Thanks for getting me set up here Patrick and I look forward to getting started next week

Rafe

Coach Patrick

Of course...looking forward to the test data!!!

~ Coach P

Rafe Armstrong

Tested this morning. Did better than I expected given that I haven't done anything very hard for a month though I have still been training. I think that tells me I was needing some rest. I normally am not that rested when I test as I am usually hitting it pretty hard and just try to do the test after one light day. 5min@323. Started this a little light and ramped up second half. Last test early summer 340. Haven't done V02 intervals for a couple of months as I was focusing on longer workouts and races second half of the season. 20min@272 which surprised me. Best previous test was 272 early summer. Started conservative today first 1/2@263 gradually increased and finished second half strong@275 (lower 280's last couple of minutes). The one question I have is do you want me to put the average of my heart rate for the 20min for the calculation? That was 147. Training peaks gives me a estimate of threshold heart rate after the test of 142. I know you guys use slightly different zones so I wanted to get it in there like you want it. Thanks Rafe

Coach Patrick

Rafe, consistency is key. Don't sell it short...looks like you have even more gains in the future with some solid training too.

I don't want the HR...I only want the power...if you have power, we use power...done...time to start shooting for 285!

Super pumped for you,

~ Coach P

Rafe Armstrong

Got my run test done today.  I have more work to do than on the bike but I usually always keep the bike intensity up pretty good and at the end of the season I was focused on distance with very little fast paced running.  Also had hamstring injury from stepping in a hole on a trail race the first half of the season so this wasn't a typical run training year for me.  Went 20:48 or 6:42 av which was better than I expected. Vdot of 47.  Paced it pretty good.  6:46/6:40/6:41.  For what it is worth my last open 5k was 2 1/2 yrs ago and I think I went about 18:30-18:40 (for VDOT of about 54)  I rarely run test (unlike bike testing which I do ) and if I can get back to that speed I would be happy.  Also FYI I can usually run in the 6:30ish range in a sprint tri and 6:50-lower 7's for oly tri in the mid summer shorter races I typically do.   Best open 1/2 marathon is 1:26ish about 3 years ago and the only marathon I've run went very good for me, 3:10 2 years ago.

Thank, Rafe

Coach Patrick

Rafe, great result. The most encouraging thing there is how consistent those splits are. I think that you will see some great results by the time we get to Week 8! Let's get there...nice and steady.

I want to keep an eye on that hamstring issue, those can take a while to fade!

~ Coach P

Rafe Armstrong

I decided to enter a local 5k today while visiting my parents for New Years. Spur of the moment so no resting and up on feet all day and race was tonight at 6pm after up late last night drinking a little too much. So I was happy I was able to improve my time from 4 weeks ago from 20:48 to 20 :10 (6:42av to 6:30 Av). I've updated zones to reflect this which is more along the lines of where I've been training anyway

Coach Patrick

Wow! That's awesome... Imagine what you could do with you haven't properly prepared for it!! That's a great sign you have the fitness if you're able to perform despite the situation.

Excited to see were 2017 takes us!

~ Coach P

Rafe Armstrong

Wow!  I didn't really expect to do what I did on the bike test this morning.  I having been pushing it hard and my legs have been feeling it.  And weekend before last I decided to enter a 16.5 mile trail race and the terrain ended up being much steeper than I anticipated.  I did well.  First in the old man division but the steep decents gave me the worse DOMS I have ever experienced.  Couldn't walk right or run for 4 days. But was still able to hammer the bike in training.  In fact I did a hard bike w/o after I got home from the race since I had skipped it the day before the race to prep for the race.  Probably didn't rest enough after that race.  This weekends bike and runs trashed my legs since they were already tired and I didn't rest yesterday having done a light 45min bike spin and swam 3000 last night so  I thought about pushing the test to tomorrow but decided to get on the bike and warmup and see how I  felt.  Heart rate looked good in the warmup but legs felt a little flat but decided to go for it and just get it done.  Previous 5min test was 323 and today managed 340 which tied my all time best from late Feb last year. That was tough.  Thought I had put too much into this to do the 20min test.  But after 10min of easy spinning and surging I gave it a go.  Last time  20min was 272 which was also near my best from last year.  This morning I knocked out 290!  Each 5min block was 280,285,286,303.  The last 2min was 319.  Didn't know I had that in me.  Kinda surprised that at my age (54) I can still show that type improvement.  Sorry so long on the post.  Just wanted to keep you up to date since I don't post often.
Rafe

Coach Patrick

@Rafe Armstrong That' is officially BEAST MODE. You are not only super fit, you are super patient with how you paced that test. Super well done. Bonus that your outdoor FTP is usually 8% to 10% higher...looks like it's going to be an epic season for you. 

I hope you are resting somewhere in there...that's a TON of training!

~ Coach P

Rafe Armstrong

Run test 19:50 VDOT 50.  First test was 20:48 VDOT 47.  I was very tired trying to do this test.  I have more in me.  Gonna pull back intensity on the bike a few days.

Coach Patrick

Rafe, still a great result, espeically considering the fatigue you have generated / currently maintain from the bike. This really bodes well for your season!  If you haven't already, please update the Heads / Tails doc with your data!  

Rafe Armstrong

Coach Patrick, I have just copied a post I made to coach Rich and most of that was a copy from a post I made in the Dec OS forum.  This should tell you all you need to know:

Coach Rich,  I am copying a post I made in the DEC OS forum which tells you what you need to know.  In my last post I mentioned I might do Puerto Rico 70.3 but due to some conflicts I instead entered Florida 70.3 next month just as a B/C training race.  Made more improvements on my FTP during this OS than I would have expected.  Your high expectations on the Heads/Tails really challenged me to get it done.  Here is a copy of the other OS post that tells more:

I know I have been absent from the forums a while.  I work as a physician and NEVER EVER get sick.  Last time I was sick was about 20-25 years ago!  Well this year we had a nasty influenza virus going around that was not covered by our flu vaccine and you guessed it.  I got it! Mid February.   Put me out of commission for a good 2 weeks and I have been gradually getting back on board.  Finally I have had some good workouts over the past 2 weeks.  I did get to do a half marathon trail race about 1 1/2 weeks ago and did well.  3rd OA and faster than I did same race last year. Got in a few good hard bike rides recently and waited and pushed my bike test until this morning.  I was able to get some more watts added to the 20minute test.  Initially tested at 271 before the OS then mid way tested 290 and today was able to knock out 296.  Can't believe I was able to push up that high.  I am gonna wait a few days and do a run test.  I have already shifted over to 1/2IM training plan and started up on about week 11 I think.  I am signed up for 70.3 Florida as a B/C race just to train through and also will be doing 70.3 Gulf Coast and also 70.3 Chattanooga both in May.  Hope to see some of you guys there. 

Coach Patrick

@Rafe Armstrong - getting sick totally stinks, but I guess it's as a frequent patient Parent, I want to thank you for your service! Don't know you do it.

Remember getting sick as not just a virus. Sometimes at the intersection of that virus with perfect conditions for to manifest. In your case there was likely a good deal of fatigue from crushing yourself. I only give you this narrative because the result of two weeks of downtime is even better performance.

Sounds like you might need to work in a little bit more rest on a regular basis. If you haven't considered it already, it might be worth while trying to work in one rest day into the EN*HALF plan just to see if it improves everything. What do you think?

Rafe Armstrong

You could be right there on the rest.  I am bad to just keep  working hard.  I have always been quite resilient but can definitely tell as I get older I likely need more rest than I give myself.  I was in a good place though and not feeling overly stressed when I got ill. Just bad luck. Bad strain of flu going around that was not covered by vaccine this year.  Multiple members of my staff also got it.  I was seeing it in the office every day and just unfortunately acquired it myself.  Only missed one day of work.  First one missed for illness in over 20 years.  In the big scheme, the time off may have helped me rest physically.  Mentally I didn't like it.  Got the bike back going much quicker that the running but it is coming around.  Finally got around to doing my last run test this morning.  It was about the same as the mid OS test (5sec faster) 19:45/VDOT 50 but really I didn't expect to be able to do that after being ill and missing so much run training.  I had to work really hard to get that this morning.  I wasn't rested at all however because after being sick I just didn't want to give up too much training (there is that same always pushing it mentality right?) so got in an hour on the bike yesterday and 3800yds of strong swimming last night before run testing this morning.  I feel my run endurance fitness is close but my speed is still lacking some but coming around.  Bike is in a good spot and swimming is really beginning to come around also.  Thanks for your interest and thoughtful insight.  I will try to be a good boy and work in more rest!

Coach Patrick

@Rafe Armstrong -- 

I hear you. If you aren't going forward, you feel like backwards is the only other option!

One of the easiest ways I found that you can maximize recovery is to track one of two variables:

Number one –hours of sleep per night -- if you can just keep this stable, you will be happy. I deleted seven hours but not everyone has an opportunity. Regardless of what it is, just keep it consistent in your body will be happier. 

Number two –resting heart rate in a.m. Just having a number will help you, overtime, gain a more objective understanding of your true fatigue level. Most athletes simply subjectively guess what they think they're capable of, without really knowing where their body is that. That resting heart rate in the morning isn't easy snapshot. You will learn overtime that a high number(Whatever that is) means you need a day off or light day.

I'm happy to talk to you detail about either one if you're interested....

~ Coach P

Rafe Armstrong

Thanks for your insight on the above.  Sleep is a long term problem for me.  The older I get the worse it has gotten and I know that takes a toll on me.  I have plenty of time to sleep, I just can't.  I have tried pretty much everything you can think of.  Have read more than you can imagine on the subject.  I have black out shades, I try to relax in the evening, I have used different herbal therapies, melatonin, occasional prescription but don't rely on this due to habit forming nature of these drugs.  I use meditation, warm baths, electromagnetic pulse therapy, you name it I've tried it.  It is just my draw in life.  Several years ago I developed an anxiety problem and this likely drives my sleep issue partially.  I used to be the most happy go lucky laid back nothing ever bothers me type guy in the word but I think just time living in this day and age have caught up to me.  Being a physician and owner of the business and father and husband and so type A and wanting to do everything right just eventually led to some changes that left me anxious and unsure of a lot of things.  It is better but the sleep is not.

I do track heart rate and also HRV pretty closely.  Also one of the things that I see when I am over done is not being able to get heart rate up on a hard workout.  Even if I can get the work done at the right watts or pace, I can tell a difference if the heart rate is lower than expected and I feel great (in better shape) or heart rate is lower than normal and it feels much harder than it should (over cooked). 

Thanks again for your interest.  Hope to meet you at a race.

Rafe

Coach Patrick

@Rafe Armstrong -

Thank you for sharing. Not easy....but sometimes you are crushing it despite your body, not with it. That's a fine line to walk, so I am glad to hear you know the warning signs. 

Some other thoughts for you...maybe you've already done these, but:

1. What time of day are you exercising?  If it's late...that can have an effect....

2. How much caffeine and when are you taking it? You could be sensitive to it...some folks get that as they get older as well. 

Also, what type of modification do you make when the HR goes down like that? Do you dial back the next day?  

We have those fixed warm ups in the sidebar of your plan. During that Zone 3 period, if your HR is "low" you can adjust the session back so as to not dig a hole. Here's a post on it, see the section on Rest Wise: http://www.samiinkinen.com/post/11347268687/hawaii-ironman-secrets

~ Coach P