Can you get me your TP.com login so I can analyze the race file? You can get that to me using the Red Chat icon on the Main EN site.
Also, what was your target power? I see you holding 204 NP for a century ride on Zwift, but then roll a 172 on race day….30 watts less is a big difference.
Overall your race was GREAT…but opening up TP.com will give me a chance to add some more value!
Hi Coach. I'll give you my TP login info using the red chat button. Here were some of my thoughts.
Since I didn't have much road cycling data with power, and I wasn't sure what to expect over the duration of the IM, I thought that my target power (at least for the majority of the ride would be somewhere between 185-200). I set my first hour to be comfortable at about 170-175, and then increase to 185-200 after that (the first 3 1/2 hours were close to this). I went mainly off of my HR and used power as a check. Before the IM, I was expecting my HR to be around 140 for about 190-200 watts (based on outside rides), but my HR seemed to be about 10-15 beats higher. During the ride, I felt like I was working at about a 135 HR, and not at the 150 measured HR. The only time during the ride that I thought I was pushing at my last training ride effort level was at laps 22-23 where I was at 195NP. My HR average for this time was 155, which was also higher than I expected based on road rides,.
I was well hydrated at this point but it was still very humid and muggy at this point. When I made the final turn on the toll road back into the strong head wind, I made a decision to back off my power and just fall into what seemed like a big passing line that was making its way past riders. I made this decision for a few reasons. 1) That wind was brutal; 2) It seemed super crowded at this point on the course; 3) My HR still seemed high, 4) I didn't know what to expect on the run; and 5) I thought the effort needed to save 10-20 minutes (?) wasn't worth it considering the unknowns that were coming my way on the run. I also knew that this was my first IM, and there wouldn't be another first IM, so why risk a bad experience (One of my goals was to enjoy the IM and have some fun) I do expect my first IM to be the "easiest" effort level wise. I would think the more you do and the better you get, the harder an IM becomes (just a guess).
I felt good about my riding in the section from 1 hour to the turn into the wind where I was at 181NP and averaged about 22 mph. Up to the big wind coming and me deciding to slow down, I figured I was going to finish in about 5:10 or so. Still glad I decided to take it easy coming in as my HR did drop to my normal running HR. My HR was rock steady on the run, except for a couple times near the beginning of the run that it started to drop below what I wanted. Even though it wasn't hot for the run, I kept using the ice bag up until about mile 20.
Overall
Overall I was happy with the swim. Didn't seem like I worked very much (just a couple times when I drafted someone for a little bit). The swim was easier than I expected. Would like to get faster to avoid some of the initial crowds on the bike. I have made some good progress lately with body positioning but more work to be done.
Satisfied with the bike but know I left a bunch out there. Still not sure why my HR was higher than I expected.
Ecstatic about my run considering my current vDot and my run durability. It felt great to pass so many people on the third lap that I know were much better runners than me. The best statement I heard was from a runner who has done 12 IM's and has qualified for Boston multiple times. He told me that his best marathon split for an IM marathon was 4:39 and I was at 4:19! While I was happy with my run, there is LOTS of room for me to improve here. I need to become more durable, as the runs are what seems to beat me up the most. I'm fast for short distances (same on bike), but still need to develop lots more endurance. I would NOT have done as well on a hilly run course. That little 15 foot hill going from the canal to the streets was hard those last two laps (it really was )
Very satisfied with my nutrition. I would be surprised if I lost any weight on the bike (peed 3 times on bike, once after the bike and once during the run). I did notice that I probably was not hydrated enough at the end of the run. If it was hotter, I definitely would have had to drink more.
I am going to do the 70.3 in CDA at end of June and IM Switzerland at end of July, so I should get lots more good data points for the bike.
Great to chat with you...I feel the need to say again..GREAT FIRST RACE. You can't beat a run HR profile like that:
The very definition of steady!!
I think there is some speed on the bike to be had, but you rode it right. And the decision to back off into headwind is what set up your stellar run.
Moving forward, your goal is to push the CDA 70.3® bike at goal paces -- call it .80 (do the math on that) and then see what happens on the run. IOW, rather than bike super conservative to "defend" the run, let's get on the bike, get the HR down in the first 15', then get to work.
I'm close to finishing the 3rd week of the IM transition plan and I haven't done the low priority runs as I had some peroneous longus pain after IM Texas (no ankle pain, closer to the connection near the knee on the side). I have rolled, and stretched my peroneous (longus and brevis) along with my other leg muscles (IT, ...). The rolling and massaging have really helped. I have also gotten some sole inserts with some arch support so my foot is not flopping as much to the inside (those extra 8 miles of flopping during the run in the IM took their toll). My legs feel good now but I didn't want to jump right back into running and re-aggravating the peroneous. I have not had this part of the leg hurt before (normally shins in front, but no pain there).
My plan is to do the scheduled runs over the next couple weeks at an easy long slow distance pace instead of trying to push at all during the run. Sound good?
Swim feels good. I had a swim lesson last week where the coach said I made some great improvement, but I've slowed down my cadence (three steps forward, one backward). So now, I will concentrate on improving my stroke rate to about 65 spm and hopefully continue to improve on the other swim items.
Bike feels good. No pain on side of knee (put some arch support in my bike shoes as well). Still get fatigued a little bit more than pre IM. Although yesterday, I had a five minute stint at the beginning of a Zwift race that averaged 361 watts (5.38 w/kg) (I think that is my best 5 minute power during a normal ride). I was more tired than normal after that effort so I dropped off the front group and rode the rest of the race at 180-200 (I was stuck by myself between the front group and the mid-group the entire ride, plus I couldn't draft off anyone!). It didn't help that I inadvertently changed my bike to a TT bike (pro tip - DONT do that!) I couldn't figure out why it was so hard to stay with the main pack at the beginning. Now I know ) I thought they were just going extra hard for a longer time than normal.
@Tim Sullivan - great call on the rest and the inserts. Since you have been ripping it up on Zwift, I am not too worried about your overall fitness, it's more your run specific, short-term durability. So yes to the easy runs, not for time. You could also just "do" a 2-3 mile run when it works in your day, regardless of your plan. Just first week there has to be at least one day in between the runs.
During this time, shut your mind off on the run (it's just EASY) and continue your focus on the swim. Don't worry about the cadence yet....you'll need more than a week to "lock in" that new form. The cadence will come...take your time!!!
Hi Coach P. Almost time for me to move into a different training program as I don't have any more races planned for this year. I think 2 IM's and a half IM was a good start for my first year. Overall, I am very pleased with my progress and races.
I was also very happy that my Gatorade or Isoactive nutrition with added salt in the run has worked so well for me as it is VERY easy! It's nice not having to worry about that portion at the moment, as I have seen how it can wreck a race. I have also learned a bunch from the races.
BTW, I think those inserts in the shoes helped me a bunch because I didn't have those pains in my legs after this IM! or it was a combination of inserts plus better run fitness
Here are my thoughts.
When the volume got big for IM Texas I dropped the weights to give my body the rest I could give it, so I have added that back into my regimen. I am also adding the cord pulls for swimming so I can get stronger on the "pull" part of the swim.
I was also thinking focusing on biking and running and not swimming much (but working on the strength for swimming). For the running, I was thinking more frequent runs to help build my durability so that when I start training for my next IM (probably an early season IM Texas since I am close) I can get my miles up a little more than they were for my first two IMs.
For biking, I was thinking a bunch of biking with at least a couple days of high intensity (1hr Zwift races) but not long bike rides at this point. The other rides would be like the ABP rides on Sunday.
Obviously, you know best, but I just wanted to give you my thoughts to see if I am in the ball park
@Tim Sullivan - hey man, thanks for checking in. And thanks for the reminder that this is your first year… You have been so prolific that sometimes I forget.
It will be helpful for you to write down all those lessons learned… Having those injuries reports are critical tools for the next time you race in 2018. You'll be able to look back and see everything that you learned so you can continue to progress.
With Texas on the calendar, do you have the outs season starting on October 30. So basically you have about 10 weeks to play around with that are open season for you.
I would still give yourself a little more time before you get serious… You have had a big year in history shows that if you don't recover properly then you'll hate yourself approximately eight weeks before your next big race! This means two weeks of really late work and then two weeks of moderate work before being "normal." Do the math on that date and from that point until the 30th you are free to do your work.
I agree 100% with the durability focus. It will be nice to have you load up the run durability plan and use that as a template by adding Zwift on top of it. If you want, you can do that in your training plan menu to check it out and see what you think… You can outline what a week would look like here and I'll be happy to give you feedback.
Thanks @Coach Patrick - Here is an example week that drops swimming, but adds the biking on top of the run durability 1 plan. I also changed the Sunday run to be on Saturday so that the Sunday Zwift Ride would fit in better. My plan is to not go overboard at this point, but rather to do these workouts according to how I feel. I don't want to burn out.
I have also returned to some gym work to get back some of the strength I lost during the IM training (including some squats, core work, and cords for swimming). I like the gym so these are fun workouts.
One of my goals this year is to be able to get my HR down on the bike for higher watts. I can hold relatively high watts for over an hour but my HR is WAY too high for those watts in an Ironman. (I don't think I'd have a good run if I averaged 165 on the bike ) From my training on Zwift, it seems that on the bike I recover quickly from a HR of 155 (and I feel good at this HR), but if I have a sustained 10 or so minute effort above 165 then my HR doesn't recover as well and this effort is much harder.
My power has also dropped some on the bike (not much), but I'm thinking that is just due to fatigue, a drop in my weight due to the IM builds, loss of strength (since I stopped weightlifting at end of January). On the bike, I'm thinking it might be better to do some rides where I just keep my HR below 150 (at least for the first 3/4 of the workout) to build up my endurance.
On the run, my HR is lower compared to the bike for the same RPE. I would say that a 140-145HR on the run is the same for me as a 150-155 on the bike. It seems much harder for me to stay near my max HR on the run as compared to the bike. Probably just haven't had the motivation to push that hard on the run (plus I don't want to get hurt). I also plan to do a run test within the next couple of weeks (after resting a little more) to see if my zones need to be reset. I'm sure I'm faster now, but ti doesn't show outside as the weather here is still terribly hot
Any comments on this example week?
Monday - Rest Tuesday - RUN ! - MS: 2 x 1 mile (4') @ Zone 4, remainder @ Zone 1 - 40 minutes (THIS WILL BE BEFORE BIKE) BIKE (M) Zwift Ride or Race depending on how I'm feeling from earlier run - 45-60 minutes if Race - up to 90 minutes if just ride Wednesday - RUN ! - MS: Warm up then do 4 to 6 strides, remainder TRP (Total Run Pace). - 30 minutes Thursday - BIKE- Zwift Race and/or ride Friday - RUN ! - MS: Warm up then do 4 to 6 strides, remainder TRP (Total Run Pace) 30 minutes BIKE (L) - up to 90 minutes endurance Z1-Z3 - HR below 150 Saturday - MS: 70' TRP (Total Run Pace) or as close as you can sustain. 70 minutes BIKE (L) - up to 60 minutes endurance Z1-Z3 - HR below 150 Sunday - BIKE: Zwift Sunday ABP Ride
@Tim Sullivan - I really like how you were taking time to get to know your body better into before this given the parameters of success. You are clearly a fast twitch water in learning to convert some of that strength to Endurance will be a bit of a project, so let's start ASAP!
in your case, the steady rides are super important in Zwift even if they're not hard. Just like in a good heart rate and writing it out and adapting to what operating in the load zone means your body will take some time. It's not that you've lost strength, it's just that you're not working at a high-level like you're used to.
of course you want to keep the Waze intervals up, at the very least to get them in once a week on that Thursday. Otherwise I would be OK with study stuff all week. We do need to make a little bit of wiggle room for the one volume to grow and of course you want to keep the waste intervals up, at the very least once a week on that Thursday. Otherwise I would be OK with steady stuff all week and ABP. We do need to make a little bit of wiggle room for the run volume to grow.
My guess is with the running just a little efficient. The bike is a closed chain and very easy to operate whereas running is multi dimensional and dynamic. Since you're focused on that, it might be worthwhile having someone do some iPhone video of you were reading up on one technique to see if there are some easy things for you to improve.
@Tim Sullivan - so good to catch up with you on the phone the other day. I hope you've enjoyed your long weekend with the family and that your mom's house is okay.
Looking ahead to next season you got a lot of opportunities on your plate. I really like how you are intentionally focusing on some critical details regarding human technique and giving yourself the space to develop as a runner. I also want to make sure that we can get your cycling outdoors to match what you are capable of indoors. I feel like there's a pretty healthy disconnect between your fast twitch and slow twitch competency. We will need to really work on bridging that in 2018 with a focus on bike rides that are in the 90 to 180-minute range. Ironically, our Sunday rides are perfect for you on Zwift...so stick with those fo sho.
Hero is how I would recommend you breakdown the year:
Sept through October 30th: Run Durability Program (RDP) + Strength + Bike Maintenance
Think the RDP plan(s) with one long easy ride on Saturday (MTB okay, Road bike okay, etc). The only modification is riding ABP with the Team on Sunday (as able) AND doing the long run on the plan. That ABP ride is the big ride for this phase.
If you are going to add in another hard ride during the week, please limit it to one (or drop the ABP one).
Oct 31 to Feb 5th: OutSeason® Plan.
Normal OS plan here, no mods to that just yet.
Feb+
This honestly depends on your race selection then maybe that doesn't work right now let's focus on the short term and make sure we Dallonta good basic week for you that allows you to get the work done on the run that's required and give you the bandwidth to still work on the bike as you enjoy. Let's just not lose sight of the fact that our priority is the run and the run consistency right now.
I'm up to day 81 on my run durability and everything seems to be going well. My new VDOT is 50 after that Turkey Trot I have been running some of the runs that are supposed to be at TRP much slower than that. I feel like when I run at TRP that Im taking too much of a beating even though my HR isnt high. I have been keeping three runs a week fairly quick according to the plan. One long run that increases from TRP to Z3, a short run with Stryds, and one other run where I do some TRP.
I still haven't decided what my races will be next year, but am thinking about the Austin Rattler (March 31-April 1) 100K MTB and then doing at least one loop of the run the next day. The full run is 2 laps (66k) but one loop is 33K. Here is the link https://www.austinrattlermtb.com/king-queen/
I wouldn't do that race for any time goals, just to finish within the time limits. With that said, if I'm doing OK in the bike portion on the first lap then I might push that a little bit which I think would limit my running ability the next day. As far as elevation goes, it doesn't seem bad for a trail run or a bike and its not technical. I would definitely run SLOWLY as I don't want a super long recovery time.
I'm also thinking about IM Haugesand in Norway on July 1. I'd like to race well, but have no times in mind.
With that said, is there anything I should do with the run to add in any more distance or will the normal build in the OS plan be enough?
Here are a few recent charts to show where I currently stand
Tim - thanks for the update! As I look at your year, there is certainly enough time between when you finish the rattler and head to your Iron Man in July.
The big question is what will adding run volume due to your current training now in the winter. That one’s a hard one to riddle.
If you’re going to do the full 66 KM, then we will need to get you up in the neighborhood of running 35 to 40 miles a week. This would include to “longer“ runs somewhere in the 12 to 15 mile range. Essentially this would mean if you did those on Thursday and Sunday you would need To take the subsequent days off completely so you could recover… Or spent easily.
In other words, your ability to recover by not working out will determine how successful you can be here. I hope that makes sense!
If you’re just going to stick with the 33 KM distance, then you’ll be fine with the OS.
Thanks @Coach Patrick. So my plan is to do the 100k MTB on March 31 and then do the 66k run the next day. No time goals for either. Just finish under Leadville lottery cut off times I will ride the MTB by feel and not push super hard. Not lots of elevation. The bike is 3 loops and the run is 2 loops of same course. Here is a link
For the run I was thinking slow first and second loop. 10-12 minute miles? Just easy with any hard uphills (not many) walking. I've got my run volume up to a decent amount but I think I need to get some longer runs in. My VDOT is 50 now. Here are some current run charts. Thanks for the help!
@Tim Sullivan - looks fun and should be a pretty easier than for you to prepare for, I have especially given the work you’ve been doing in Zwift. With about 10 weeks to go I’m not worried about the bike but I am worried about the run.
Here’s what I suggest...
For the bike, I would have you do one of your weekend rides on the MTB For time. This a pretty easy event for you to prepare for. This way you’re good with carrying stuff including food and pacing. You’ll also need to make sure you’re comfortable on the saddle etc. This allows you to still do what you want during the week and on one other weekend day. The key piece will just be making sure that you fuel the bike ride accordingly so that you are as prepared as possible for the next day. Possibly camelbak, etc.
As for the run, we are going to need to get a little creative. I would like your weekly mileage to be in the 40 range for a couple weeks and then we will divide it up is by having to longer runs. One on Thursday and another one on Friday. These runs should be approximately 15 miles in length and can be done pretty easily.
Here is how I would break down those long runs as Wed / Fri and Weekly Mileage (in parentheses):
Thanks @Coach Patrick. I have started riding my MTB, but I wasn't carrying my hydration pack so I will start doing that.
On the run, are the long runs Wed/Friday or on back to back days like Thursday/Friday? Also, is it OK to switch the long run days some weeks to like Sunday/Monday or Friday/Sunday if they are supposed to be a day apart?
@Tim Sullivan despite your incredible fitness, I think you still have a long way to go in terms of learning your nutrition plan for success on race day… So we might as well use this event to help continue had improvement.
The runs right now I meant to be spaced out I was actually thinking of Wednesday and Friday early on, my apologies for putting Thursday / Friday. So I see the week playing out his bike Tuesday, run Wednesday, but Thursday, run Friday, survive the weekend.
After a couple weeks of these longer runs, it’s OK to do one or two of them where they’re back to back but not the longest run weeks. Make sense? Again, sorry for that.
OK. So I have 2 weeks before my 70.3 in Norway on July 1. Nothing much left for that one. After that I will be doing the Jack and Jill marathon in Seattle on July 28th and try to qualify for Boston. http://jackjillmarathon.com/raceday/
My plan is to follow the last 6 weeks of the 12 week BQ plan I found in the Wiki. My plan is to back off on some of the paces if I get too tired but generally follow the plan. Biking will not be too much besides the 56 miles during the race and some Zwift. Sound good? Thanks!
Sounds good! Just a reminder that the Monday, Thursday, and Saturday workouts are the most important. The other days are essentially built around running frequency. And you have a great deal of that already in your back pocket. I would recommend one hard Zwift session a week, something like a 30 minute race. Anything else can be steady and aerobic. Something like the wagon, etc.
Do your best to get in one or two decent long run before you go to Europe. Will be nice to have those in your back pocket so when you return you don’t have that much to add.
I was super happy with nutrition (and the running) during the marathon. I used Roctane gels every 40 or so minutes and alternated Gatorade and water. Never felt bad. Actually, felt better as marathon went on.
Now that the marathon running is over with, I found a Half in Kerville (near Austin) at the end of September. Between now and then, I'm going to join a Masters Swim group and try to get my splits for the swim to be more consistently in the 1:35-1:40/100 yard range. I am going to try to swim at least 4 times/week with the group. I'm hoping that consistent swimming with a group that pushes me is all that I will need. I'm hopeful because those times shouldn't be that hard to manage if I'm swim fit). At any rate, we will see how that goes. Hopefully that will also give me a good idea of what I need to do swim wise before my next full IM.
I've also loaded the HIM plan that I will generally follow. I'm not planning on doing any super long Zwifting like I did last Winter at this point but I do need to get back some bike fitness. While I had a .82 IF at 70.3 Norway, I did drop off some near the end. That could have been primarily from me running 16 miles 2 days before the race , but maybe not as I hadn't been riding much the 2 weeks before that race. My swim in the 70.3 was only a minute slower than I swam last year so I was happy with that considering I didn't swim the entire month before the race. I was happy with the run in the 70.3.
I will also record me running and post in the forums so I can see if I've improved my form since the last time I recorded. I think I have, but I know I still have stuff to work on.
As you increase the swim, let’s be mindful of fatigue
You already have Great run fitness as we’ve seen from your Marathon. Just short frequent TRP or slower runs during the week are great, and one good run with some speed (5 miles max) and a long run (easy) in the 75 to 90 minute range.
I would make sure you do too hard but it’s during the week, and then just one easier endurance session on the weekends for August. In September, let’s go Tue hard, Thursd Steady in Bars, Saturday and Sunday more ABP. That will help you prep for the requirements of the race.
The dates are 9/1+9/2 and 9/8+9/9 for sure. Maybe /15 and /16 as you are able.
Comments
@Tim Sullivan -
Can you get me your TP.com login so I can analyze the race file? You can get that to me using the Red Chat icon on the Main EN site.
Also, what was your target power? I see you holding 204 NP for a century ride on Zwift, but then roll a 172 on race day….30 watts less is a big difference.
Overall your race was GREAT…but opening up TP.com will give me a chance to add some more value!
~ Coach P
Since I didn't have much road cycling data with power, and I wasn't sure what to expect over the duration of the IM, I thought that my target power (at least for the majority of the ride would be somewhere between 185-200). I set my first hour to be comfortable at about 170-175, and then increase to 185-200 after that (the first 3 1/2 hours were close to this). I went mainly off of my HR and used power as a check. Before the IM, I was expecting my HR to be around 140 for about 190-200 watts (based on outside rides), but my HR seemed to be about 10-15 beats higher. During the ride, I felt like I was working at about a 135 HR, and not at the 150 measured HR. The only time during the ride that I thought I was pushing at my last training ride effort level was at laps 22-23 where I was at 195NP. My HR average for this time was 155, which was also higher than I expected based on road rides,.
I was well hydrated at this point but it was still very humid and muggy at this point. When I made the final turn on the toll road back into the strong head wind, I made a decision to back off my power and just fall into what seemed like a big passing line that was making its way past riders. I made this decision for a few reasons. 1) That wind was brutal; 2) It seemed super crowded at this point on the course; 3) My HR still seemed high, 4) I didn't know what to expect on the run; and 5) I thought the effort needed to save 10-20 minutes (?) wasn't worth it considering the unknowns that were coming my way on the run. I also knew that this was my first IM, and there wouldn't be another first IM, so why risk a bad experience (One of my goals was to enjoy the IM and have some fun)
I felt good about my riding in the section from 1 hour to the turn into the wind where I was at 181NP and averaged about 22 mph. Up to the big wind coming and me deciding to slow down, I figured I was going to finish in about 5:10 or so. Still glad I decided to take it easy coming in as my HR did drop to my normal running HR. My HR was rock steady on the run, except for a couple times near the beginning of the run that it started to drop below what I wanted. Even though it wasn't hot for the run, I kept using the ice bag up until about mile 20.
Overall
Overall I was happy with the swim. Didn't seem like I worked very much (just a couple times when I drafted someone for a little bit). The swim was easier than I expected. Would like to get faster to avoid some of the initial crowds on the bike. I have made some good progress lately with body positioning but more work to be done.
Satisfied with the bike but know I left a bunch out there. Still not sure why my HR was higher than I expected.
Ecstatic about my run considering my current vDot and my run durability. It felt great to pass so many people on the third lap that I know were much better runners than me. The best statement I heard was from a runner who has done 12 IM's and has qualified for Boston multiple times. He told me that his best marathon split for an IM marathon was 4:39 and I was at 4:19! While I was happy with my run, there is LOTS of room for me to improve here. I need to become more durable, as the runs are what seems to beat me up the most. I'm fast for short distances (same on bike), but still need to develop lots more endurance. I would NOT have done as well on a hilly run course. That little 15 foot hill going from the canal to the streets was hard those last two laps (it really was
Very satisfied with my nutrition. I would be surprised if I lost any weight on the bike (peed 3 times on bike, once after the bike and once during the run). I did notice that I probably was not hydrated enough at the end of the run. If it was hotter, I definitely would have had to drink more.
I am going to do the 70.3 in CDA at end of June and IM Switzerland at end of July, so I should get lots more good data points for the bike.
Thanks!
Great to chat with you...I feel the need to say again..GREAT FIRST RACE. You can't beat a run HR profile like that:
The very definition of steady!!
I think there is some speed on the bike to be had, but you rode it right. And the decision to back off into headwind is what set up your stellar run.
Moving forward, your goal is to push the CDA 70.3® bike at goal paces -- call it .80 (do the math on that) and then see what happens on the run. IOW, rather than bike super conservative to "defend" the run, let's get on the bike, get the HR down in the first 15', then get to work.
Will be curious to see what you get!
~ Proud Coach P
I'm close to finishing the 3rd week of the IM transition plan and I haven't done the low priority runs as I had some peroneous longus pain after IM Texas (no ankle pain, closer to the connection near the knee on the side). I have rolled, and stretched my peroneous (longus and brevis) along with my other leg muscles (IT, ...). The rolling and massaging have really helped. I have also gotten some sole inserts with some arch support so my foot is not flopping as much to the inside (those extra 8 miles of flopping during the run in the IM took their toll). My legs feel good now but I didn't want to jump right back into running and re-aggravating the peroneous. I have not had this part of the leg hurt before (normally shins in front, but no pain there).
My plan is to do the scheduled runs over the next couple weeks at an easy long slow distance pace instead of trying to push at all during the run. Sound good?
Swim feels good. I had a swim lesson last week where the coach said I made some great improvement, but I've slowed down my cadence (three steps forward, one backward). So now, I will concentrate on improving my stroke rate to about 65 spm and hopefully continue to improve on the other swim items.
Bike feels good. No pain on side of knee (put some arch support in my bike shoes as well). Still get fatigued a little bit more than pre IM. Although yesterday, I had a five minute stint at the beginning of a Zwift race that averaged 361 watts (5.38 w/kg) (I think that is my best 5 minute power during a normal ride). I was more tired than normal after that effort so I dropped off the front group and rode the rest of the race at 180-200 (I was stuck by myself between the front group and the mid-group the entire ride, plus I couldn't draft off anyone!). It didn't help that I inadvertently changed my bike to a TT bike (pro tip - DONT do that!) I couldn't figure out why it was so hard to stay with the main pack at the beginning. Now I know
During this time, shut your mind off on the run (it's just EASY) and continue your focus on the swim. Don't worry about the cadence yet....you'll need more than a week to "lock in" that new form. The cadence will come...take your time!!!
~ Coach P
I was also very happy that my Gatorade or Isoactive nutrition with added salt in the run has worked so well for me as it is VERY easy! It's nice not having to worry about that portion at the moment, as I have seen how it can wreck a race. I have also learned a bunch from the races.
BTW, I think those inserts in the shoes helped me a bunch because I didn't have those pains in my legs after this IM! or it was a combination of inserts plus better run fitness
Here are my thoughts.
When the volume got big for IM Texas I dropped the weights to give my body the rest I could give it, so I have added that back into my regimen. I am also adding the cord pulls for swimming so I can get stronger on the "pull" part of the swim.
I was also thinking focusing on biking and running and not swimming much (but working on the strength for swimming). For the running, I was thinking more frequent runs to help build my durability so that when I start training for my next IM (probably an early season IM Texas since I am close) I can get my miles up a little more than they were for my first two IMs.
For biking, I was thinking a bunch of biking with at least a couple days of high intensity (1hr Zwift races) but not long bike rides at this point. The other rides would be like the ABP rides on Sunday.
Obviously, you know best, but I just wanted to give you my thoughts to see if I am in the ball park
Thanks! and see you on Zwift
I would still give yourself a little more time before you get serious… You have had a big year in history shows that if you don't recover properly then you'll hate yourself approximately eight weeks before your next big race! This means two weeks of really late work and then two weeks of moderate work before being "normal."
Do the math on that date and from that point until the 30th you are free to do your work.
I have also returned to some gym work to get back some of the strength I lost during the IM training (including some squats, core work, and cords for swimming). I like the gym so these are fun workouts.
One of my goals this year is to be able to get my HR down on the bike for higher watts. I can hold relatively high watts for over an hour but my HR is WAY too high for those watts in an Ironman. (I don't think I'd have a good run if I averaged 165 on the bike
My power has also dropped some on the bike (not much), but I'm thinking that is just due to fatigue, a drop in my weight due to the IM builds, loss of strength (since I stopped weightlifting at end of January). On the bike, I'm thinking it might be better to do some rides where I just keep my HR below 150 (at least for the first 3/4 of the workout) to build up my endurance.
On the run, my HR is lower compared to the bike for the same RPE. I would say that a 140-145HR on the run is the same for me as a 150-155 on the bike. It seems much harder for me to stay near my max HR on the run as compared to the bike. Probably just haven't had the motivation to push that hard on the run (plus I don't want to get hurt). I also plan to do a run test within the next couple of weeks (after resting a little more) to see if my zones need to be reset. I'm sure I'm faster now, but ti doesn't show outside as the weather here is still terribly hot
Any comments on this example week?
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - RUN ! - MS: 2 x 1 mile (4') @ Zone 4, remainder @ Zone 1 - 40 minutes (THIS WILL BE BEFORE BIKE)
BIKE (M) Zwift Ride or Race depending on how I'm feeling from earlier run - 45-60 minutes if Race - up to 90 minutes if just ride
Wednesday - RUN ! - MS: Warm up then do 4 to 6 strides, remainder TRP (Total Run Pace). - 30 minutes
Thursday - BIKE- Zwift Race and/or ride
Friday - RUN ! - MS: Warm up then do 4 to 6 strides, remainder TRP (Total Run Pace) 30 minutes
BIKE (L) - up to 90 minutes endurance Z1-Z3 - HR below 150
Saturday - MS: 70' TRP (Total Run Pace) or as close as you can sustain. 70 minutes
BIKE (L) - up to 60 minutes endurance Z1-Z3 - HR below 150
Sunday - BIKE: Zwift Sunday ABP Ride
in your case, the steady rides are super important in Zwift even if they're not hard. Just like in a good heart rate and writing it out and adapting to what operating in the load zone means your body will take some time. It's not that you've lost strength, it's just that you're not working at a high-level like you're used to.
of course you want to keep the Waze intervals up, at the very least to get them in once a week on that Thursday. Otherwise I would be OK with study stuff all week. We do need to make a little bit of wiggle room for the one volume to grow and of course you want to keep the waste intervals up, at the very least once a week on that Thursday. Otherwise I would be OK with steady stuff all week and ABP. We do need to make a little bit of wiggle room for the run volume to grow.
My guess is with the running just a little efficient. The bike is a closed chain and very easy to operate whereas running is multi dimensional and dynamic. Since you're focused on that, it might be worthwhile having someone do some iPhone video of you were reading up on one technique to see if there are some easy things for you to improve.
Looking ahead to next season you got a lot of opportunities on your plate. I really like how you are intentionally focusing on some critical details regarding human technique and giving yourself the space to develop as a runner. I also want to make sure that we can get your cycling outdoors to match what you are capable of indoors. I feel like there's a pretty healthy disconnect between your fast twitch and slow twitch competency. We will need to really work on bridging that in 2018 with a focus on bike rides that are in the 90 to 180-minute range. Ironically, our Sunday rides are perfect for you on Zwift...so stick with those fo sho.
Hero is how I would recommend you breakdown the year:
Sept through October 30th: Run Durability Program (RDP) + Strength + Bike Maintenance
Think the RDP plan(s) with one long easy ride on Saturday (MTB okay, Road bike okay, etc). The only modification is riding ABP with the Team on Sunday (as able) AND doing the long run on the plan. That ABP ride is the big ride for this phase.
If you are going to add in another hard ride during the week, please limit it to one (or drop the ABP one).
Oct 31 to Feb 5th: OutSeason® Plan.
Normal OS plan here, no mods to that just yet.
Feb+
This honestly depends on your race selection then maybe that doesn't work right now let's focus on the short term and make sure we Dallonta good basic week for you that allows you to get the work done on the run that's required and give you the bandwidth to still work on the bike as you enjoy. Let's just not lose sight of the fact that our priority is the run and the run consistency right now.
I'm up to day 81 on my run durability and everything seems to be going well. My new VDOT is 50 after that Turkey Trot
I still haven't decided what my races will be next year, but am thinking about the Austin Rattler (March 31-April 1) 100K MTB and then doing at least one loop of the run the next day. The full run is 2 laps (66k) but one loop is 33K. Here is the link
https://www.austinrattlermtb.com/king-queen/
I wouldn't do that race for any time goals, just to finish within the time limits. With that said, if I'm doing OK in the bike portion on the first lap then I might push that a little bit which I think would limit my running ability the next day. As far as elevation goes, it doesn't seem bad for a trail run or a bike and its not technical. I would definitely run SLOWLY as I don't want a super long recovery time.
I'm also thinking about IM Haugesand in Norway on July 1. I'd like to race well, but have no times in mind.
With that said, is there anything I should do with the run to add in any more distance or will the normal build in the OS plan be enough?
Here are a few recent charts to show where I currently stand
Preview attachment IMG-5050.JPG
https://www.austinrattlermtb.com/mtb/
For the run I was thinking slow first and second loop. 10-12 minute miles? Just easy with any hard uphills (not many) walking. I've got my run volume up to a decent amount but I think I need to get some longer runs in. My VDOT is 50 now. Here are some current run charts. Thanks for the help!
On the run, are the long runs Wed/Friday or on back to back days like Thursday/Friday? Also, is it OK to switch the long run days some weeks to like Sunday/Monday or Friday/Sunday if they are supposed to be a day apart?
Thanks!
http://jackjillmarathon.com/raceday/
My plan is to follow the last 6 weeks of the 12 week BQ plan I found in the Wiki. My plan is to back off on some of the paces if I get too tired but generally follow the plan. Biking will not be too much besides the 56 miles during the race and some Zwift. Sound good? Thanks!
Do your best to get in one or two decent long run before you go to Europe. Will be nice to have those in your back pocket so when you return you don’t have that much to add.
https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/24993/tim-sullivan-s-jack-and-jill-marathon-bq-race-report-running-a-marathon-was-not-in-my-plans
I was super happy with nutrition (and the running) during the marathon. I used Roctane gels every 40 or so minutes and alternated Gatorade and water. Never felt bad. Actually, felt better as marathon went on.
Now that the marathon running is over with, I found a Half in Kerville (near Austin) at the end of September. Between now and then, I'm going to join a Masters Swim group and try to get my splits for the swim to be more consistently in the 1:35-1:40/100 yard range. I am going to try to swim at least 4 times/week with the group. I'm hoping that consistent swimming with a group that pushes me is all that I will need. I'm hopeful because those times shouldn't be that hard to manage if I'm swim fit). At any rate, we will see how that goes. Hopefully that will also give me a good idea of what I need to do swim wise before my next full IM.
I've also loaded the HIM plan that I will generally follow. I'm not planning on doing any super long Zwifting like I did last Winter at this point but I do need to get back some bike fitness. While I had a .82 IF at 70.3 Norway, I did drop off some near the end. That could have been primarily from me running 16 miles 2 days before the race
I will also record me running and post in the forums so I can see if I've improved my form since the last time I recorded. I think I have, but I know I still have stuff to work on.
Any adjustments or recommendations?
Thanks!
You already have Great run fitness as we’ve seen from your Marathon. Just short frequent TRP or slower runs during the week are great, and one good run with some speed (5 miles max) and a long run (easy) in the 75 to 90 minute range.
I would make sure you do too hard but it’s during the week, and then just one easier endurance session on the weekends for August. In September, let’s go Tue hard, Thursd Steady in Bars, Saturday and Sunday more ABP. That will help you prep for the requirements of the race.
The dates are 9/1+9/2 and 9/8+9/9 for sure. Maybe /15 and /16 as you are able.
What say you!?
ps go buy the biggest fins you can find.