@Coach Patrick yes, that's exactly what i'm saying! I'm no longer tied to outcomes, but very invested in the process. I love that you get me and that we are right on the same page. I've learned so much from you and the haus that I look at success as execution instead of a finish time. Execution trumps all!
I did the first half of my split run this morning and negative split that baby via executing it exactly as prescribed... and that was AFTER I rode Innsbruck last night for my FTP ride, which I also nailed.
I am feeling gains in fitness and it's making me feel so happy! Not for the gains themselves, but it shows that putting in the work is transformative on SO MANY levels.
Have a great week, I'll post up here again Sunday after my Big Training Day. I'll try to keep my check ins weekly from now on!
Great to have you back. I love seeing all of the pictures… Thank you for sharing!
For now I would like you to keep the intensity workout in, and yes please break it up as you need to. Especially if the temperature for you is as crazy as it is here right now. I would happily take half mile or quarter repeat as needed. You can continue that higher intensity working through mid September… Called it the next three weeks. Then we can switch over to the Endurance stuff.
Well I cannot catch a break. I have been dealing with a pinched nerve ever since Labor day weekend. I did 3.5 hours of the 4 hour Saturday ride that weekend (cut it short due to horrific rain and the pain) - it was supposed to be a BTD but I only executed 3.5 hours of a ride... no swim and no run.
That Sunday I decided that since I felt so bad mentally (I was beating myself up about Saturday's failed BTD) I needed to still take the recovery day and hit the SUP for a 3.5 mile paddle board around the lake while my hubby rode. It did the trick, I got in some exercise that lifted my spirits, and Paddleboarding is excellent cross training for swimming. I felt refreshed and happy at the end of it.
Labor day itself I did a ride around our city due to looming rainstorms and took the opportunity to work on some of my racing gear and making adjustments to my race bike.
The week that followed was filled with extreme pain due to the pinched nerve so I only was able to get in a few runs before I *had* to go to the DR because I was in tears just sitting at my desk at work. I am now in PT 3 times a week, and am starting to feel much better. It really hurts when I sit down for periods of time without adjusting, but other than that it is manageable pain and I can get back to training.
This past weekened I was able to successfully complete 4.5 hours on the bike with no pain - so my adjustments of the saddle and equipment choices are starting to really come together. Also my nutrition was well tolerated but because it was barely 60* I really only averaged around 300 calories per hour. Overall I felt really happy at the end - what a change from the weekend prior! I had to travel again for work, coming home at about 1am this morning, then slept for a hot second before waking up for my PT and then work.
I took my travel days as rest days as I needed to make sure that the inflammation was still going down in my spine, and now I am back home and am jumping in on my Wednesday night brick per plan.
I am still feeling like I am going to be very ill-prepared for IMFL but I am going to work with the lemons I have been given, add some vodka and have a party. Vodka = mojo, not the real stuff lol.
I am focusing on getting healthy, strong, and trained enough so that I can start the race, and then focus on smart execution, staying in my box and enjoying the day to the finish line.
In my down time from tri specific training, I have been doing ab work, the PT work is actually strengthening the muscles in my shoulder and scapula area that I use for swimming/running and biking, and I have been working on stretching and keeping my hip flexors loose to keep back pain at bay - so far lower back pain and that freezing up that happened at Ohio has not happened again since I started rehabbing. So while I have missed some workouts, I have been taking the time to work on other fitness and recovery so that I actually come back stronger and can adjust and be flexible with whatever November 3rd throws at me.
QUESTION
So now that we are caught up on the latest, I wanted to ask you how to proceed with the plan - I am currently on Level 1 of the run focused IM Plan, however I notice that I am always missing the run off of the FTP bike because I do the ride in the evening due to work schedule ( I am already up at 5am for PT) and often the same for the Friday night run (Again early day for PT) and I do not want to be out there working out until 11pm- midnight only to get up at 5:30am to run again and then run again 8 hours later for the 2nd half of my split long run. I am trying to be really good about sleep consistency and recovery time between workouts so that I am not injured in addition to my pains and pinches!
I am thinking that I would have better consistency at the minimalist plan because it fits into my life better, however I am afraid of the word minimalist... Am I right that really it is just slightly shy on run miles over the Run focus plan, but the bike time is pretty much the same? I compared this week in both plans (week 13) and see that the totals are very similar if we take Monday as a rest day - 8:15 bike in both, 5:40 vs 7:20 run time (I think because the dropping of the Friday run intervals and a slight reduction in the rest of the weekly volume after the long run gets moved from Thurs to Sun) and then 2:15 v 2:30 on the swimming.
If I can be more consistent with the Minimalist plan, I think that I should try it out... what do you think?
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky Holy cow! I had no idea. I’m so glad you found a path through this; wondering if you ever figured out what the cause was? Back pain can be terrible so glad there’s a little bit of resolution for you.
it’s important to remember that everyone deals with challenges this late in the year with their training. There’s just something about September but kicked everyone’s ass. Your situation is definitely unique and unfortunate, but please know you are not the only one struggling here.
I have no problem whatsoever with you going over to the minimalist plan. They are technically not that different at all it’s more the structure of the workouts which should make things more manageable for you. It is important to note that a great deal of your difficulty right now is the PT on your schedule which is really nonnegotiable. Hopefully once that is reduced he will be in a better place. For now, let’s stick to the critical workouts and you can always add in a mile or two where needed. Remember, it’s not so much about heading a run work out perfectly because it is just getting that consistent running in. Durability matters!
@"Coach Patrick" Fabulous! It is shooting/stabbing/burning pain in my neck, around my shoulderblade through the scapular area and down my arm. We discovered that it is due to a very tight spasming muscle in my scapular area that is pulling on my spine causing it to compress in my upper spine and lower neck - I am just very happy it is not a herniated or ruptured disc.
OK perfect, I love that - I was going to add in some consistency miles as I am slower and I am not hitting the run volumes I need to. I can do a quick durability run at lunch or in the morning after PT - I just don't have 1.5-2+ hours to fit in there. I moved over in Final Surge to the Minimalist plan and will start that tonight with a 2 hour ride and run brick.
THANK YOU for all that you do to help us out and to teach us how to navigate the curveballs Life throws at us. I love EN! 💖
I switched my plan in FS to the minimalist and I must say that I think this is going to work so much better for consistency. It was almost an instantaneous excitement the moment I hit "apply" and saw it populate in the calendar.
I rode my 2 hour ABP ride on Thursday night (just 24 hours after my 1 hour FTP on Wednesday from the old plan) and felt really good.
Friday I had PT at 6am, ran to and from PT (I live really close), then headed to the gym and had Chiropractic work done with additional therapy on the shoulder.
Saturday I got a late start on my long ride so I did 2 hours with the hubby to practice fuelling and then a 2 mile run which even given the heat and humidity was strong and about 2 minutes per mile faster than I have ran all year... ummm... what? My HR was in check so this made me really happy as I felt good, not labored or like I was trying too hard.
Sunday I ended up having to take my race bike to the shop for maintenance (rubbing front derailleur and since Di2, the shop has to hook It up to see what is going on and adjust), so beforehand I did an hour of Zone progressions on the trainer (since I could not get in much time I opted for high quality), and then later about 7 miles easy on my road bike (Switched my focused back on time) around town with Hubby. I was feeling sick and unusually exhausted all day so I decided to not be a hero in the short term to be a zero the rest of this week. IMFL is too close to be stupid.
Today I had 6am PT again, and then did a shortened split long run#1 from the PT before going home - I did a 5k as that was all I had time for, and plan on running again tonight which will give me 24 hours of rest before my FTP bike ride and brick tomorrow evening.
So... Something weird happened today on my morning 5k. Before I took a 3 year break I was running in the 10's-11's over long distances and in the 9's over shorter distances, in the last few years it was more like 17 minute miles, and now this year 14's and 15's. This weekend I ran 2 miles at mid-12 minute miles and then today I ran SUB 12 MINUTE MILES for a 5k (averaged 11:50 however I negative split the run from 11:53 to 11:18 at the end) and felt STRONG. The HR was a little high towards the end of the run with the humidity, but I did not feel like I was overreaching or pushing, I was actually more so just running by feel. I am now verging on 3 minutes per mile FASTER at the same HR and perceived effort as prior weeks... I think that my focus on full body recovery and execution is really working.
I am starting to feel glimpses of my prior fitness peaking through and I love it!
So this week, I moved my split long run from Sunday to today but given my excellent effort this morning I will take my #2 run tonight at a much more conservative pace to focus on fuelling and run durability. I do not need to add ANOTHER injury to the mix just as I am getting fixed from all the rest! Right?!?!
Thanks to PT my pinched nerve pain is all but totally gone - not one back issue from before, and no other issues are creeping up so my plan is to keep on with the PT, Chiro, and massages until IM. The best part is that 6am PT is not interfering with my training, and in fact is keeping me on schedule to fit it all in thanks to giving me a reason to be up at 5am, plus I am actually going to bed at a decent hour and am getting consistent, good sleep.
The pieces are coming together, it is just a matter of keeping them there!
So overall - are we happy with this progress and development? I will provide an update on how this weekend goes on Sunday! :-)
Wow! When I see a long forum post I’m times I get scared, but that was the best long for a post ever! :-) I’m super pleased to hear about where you are at, and, as I am fond of saying, I think a large part of that is due to how well you listen to your body. As we step back and look at this from a macro perspective it will be important to figure out that ratio of work to rest that is allowed you to get to this point because I think it’s a combination and not just some sort of miracle!
It might be worthwhile to also take a look at your cadence in your data files to see if anything is changed there as well is that is probably the only measurable metric outside of heart rate that you might have adjusted. I’m so happy for you.
I’m glad that you did not push that long run, but the speed come where it matters in the short stuff but keep the long stuff easy. I promise speed will be there on race day!
One last final thought on your pinched nerve, wondering if you were work set up might have anything to do with it? Sometimes where your monitor is positioned or how are you functionally work during the majority of your day can have an impact on that upper body tightness. My physical therapist is always pushing me to go upstairs where I have my standing desk so I don’t go insane and injure myself by simply doing my job. Any thoughts on that?
You already saw my long run comments, but wanted to brief you here as well.
this week I was finding myself really tired due to the early mornings of PT with and late nights training so I took Thursday as a rest day and then Friday I forgot I had a wedding d'oh!
On Saturday - I pushed through extreme doubt on the trainer for 4 hours vs the 5 hrs prescribed as I was in too much pain in the saddle, that last hour would've taken 2 hrs with all my starting/stopping at that point. It isn't a fit topic, I was still sore from my Tuesday ride on my other tri bike with a different saddle that isn't the most comfy. My race bike was in the shop until Saturday for an update to the Di2 software whose I would've ridden that Tuesday.
while not fabulous I am proud of myself for not quitting at 2.5 hours like I originally wanted! Mental training day. I didn't finish until 8pm so I opted to skip the brick as I had my long run today and wasn't sure how it would go with my current lack of run durability due to schedule and injury.
Sinday- I originally set out for 2 hours, the split run, but hubby said why not just do all 3 so you'll get them done and I decided to try. I stayed in my TRP for 6 miles and felt *awesome*, then decided to stop looking at the watch on the way home and just run by feel. I had to stop in mile 12 to walk due to a knee pain that developed somewhere around mile 8, and then my feet were killing me but I expected nothing less given the few miles I have on them recently. The last mile home felt better but it proved to me I need run durability, so I'm super focused on putting those runs as priority.
I think for consistency sake I'm going to do the "run second" scheduled for Tuesday- and Thursday to be morning runs, then do the bikes right when I get home BEFORE dinner so that I'm in bed at a decent hour.
I'm sort of re- learning how to get on the training, so next year will.go much better as I'll know what works for me.
1 - eat my pre workout meal at 3pm/4pm so I'm not starving on the way home then eating which pushes out my workouts.
2 - running works better for me in the mornings, riding better for me in the evenings
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky Wow, I saw the long run no it’s bad I didn’t know everything I can before! Thank you for that reminder that every workout is much more than just “that” work out. Super kudos to you for getting it all done. As you mentioned, great mental toughness and some good lessons learned there as well. I think the most important lesson is – don’t forget a wedding! :-)
Seriously though, I’d like the adjustments you made to the week that you bake in the evenings. For some reason running earlier and biking later seems to fit in most peoples general pattern better. I hope that it works for you as well; keep me posted!
As you saw on the GroupMe texts, I had a wonky camp weekend again around timing. Ugh. BUT... I don't see it as a failure (anymore).
I did 127 miles biking in 2 days, felt better in day 2 than on day 1, followed by a solid long run on tired legs totaling 16.5 miles ran over camp. My body is adapting to my fitness gains because I'm not running myself into the ground and I feel that I'm learning how to execute even better.
I am taking Monday off, then trying my hand in the pool on Tuesday. Hopefully my pinched nerve doesn't get worse with the swimming. I had a really bad flare up this week due to posture (you were right!) that is just now starting to ease up after a 1.5 hour massage.
I decided to not make up the 2 hours missed on Friday because that's a bad habit to get into. I cannot keep trying to "make up", I need to let go and move on. I will be ready for the next 6 hour ride in a few weeks!
Here are my take aways:
- if time runs short, make sure to get in the run. I missed 2 hours on Friday of biking and also the 1 hour run. I should have done the 1 hour run when I realized that time wouldn't allow 3 hours of training.
- start earlier even if it's cold. I bought cold weather gear so that I can do as much outside as possible. My delay in 2 hours on Friday was a late start as it was only early 60's and I wanted as much warmth as possible.
- eat earlier and more often so that my night workouts don't start at 8pm. 3 PM is my new fuelling time so that I can get right to my workout.
I love the adaptation both mental and physical. Each iteration is an important step forward; learning is a continuum. There is no “finish line” per se.
I am definitely going to be needing some assistance because I'm right at fair for a 140.6 right now and now that race I'd gone so I'm pivoting to a race in 6 months.
@Coach Patrick Hi! I'm ready to get into some routine now. I've loaded up run durability to start in the meantime.
Should I set up a call with you to go over where to go from here? I was thinking some form of OS to IM plan for IMTX but I know you'll have just the right plan mix for me!
I am laughing so hard because in two days you went from I’m changing to where is my plan. :-) I am going to discuss this on my call on Monday night. I posted the information into the Florida group me, let me know if you need the link. We have to be careful because you have done a lot of good work this year already. Innoway it would be nice if you could find A half marathon or something to do with your fitness.
@Coach Patrick. Ha ha ha!!! Ok I'll step off of the ledge now... thank you for taking my craziness in stride and having patience with me!
Yeah, it hit me yesterday that I now have an ironman in April and this will be my first time with such an early big race!
I will join the call on Monday, I assumed it would be about IMFL in Hines City only so I muted the chat and haven't been looking there on my own.
Guess what? Tomorrow I'm running a half marathon in Detroit, I thought the same thing that now is the time to have fun before we get ready for the work to start again.
Thank you for the webinar last night! I put an end cap on my season with the Detroit Freep half marathon Sunday. Felt really good to be able to feel like I was actually ready for a race for once!
So I'm focusing on body comp now - btw I am also a degreed nutritionist, I just have been in depression for the last 5 years or so and it's one thing to know what to do, a whole other thing to have the desire to do it! I am ready to use the tools I have worked so hard to earn in my toolbox now.
Operation body comp began today. Took my measurements, my starting weight, calculated my nutrition goals, adding in balanced strength work.
As a follow up to yesterday's call, do I have these dates correct?
Run Durability to start 11/5, ends 12/2
DOS- starts 12/3, pull out at week 10, Feb 3rd, and start specific IM race prep training for IMTX 2/4 to end 4/28? I feel like I'm off maybe by a week or so in there.
Sooooo... .I would like some coachly advice on my 2019 plans since 2018 is in da books.
First off, while Detroit was not a PR day on the clock, I have not felt so well trained for a race in years.. YEARS. It felt good to not have a suffer fest and to be able to have the fitness to just go and run a half marathon for fun! Perfect end to 2018 given how my run felt at the start of the year which was much walking, really hard to keep HR down - now I am running the whole distance in a much better HR situation. I have really good feeling about IMTX!
Which brings me to the thing I sort of did not think about... the rest of my 2019 beyond IMTX.
To recap: My plan heading into 2019 was IMFL November 3rd, rest then run durability, some flavor of the OS then some flavor of HIM training before jumping into Race prep for IMKY.
Clearly that did not happen, so my new plan is (and this is where I want to make sure that I am thinking properly here) What we discussed in the above post for my pivot to IMTX April 27th utilizing the 2019 Full distance Minimalist plan (because winter in the north - I can only do so much trainer riding on the weekend but during the week I can knock out the time easily since I am alone, and would prefer to do my long runs NOT in pitch black darkness, so the Sunday long run option really works best for this time of year) then post-IM rest, some flavor of having fun with fitness for a bit, time in the saddle with my hubby, spending time sherpa-ing for him at his 12 and 24 hour bike events, then some flavor of a possible speed forcus or sport specific focus (possibly? dunno about that) mid-year, then dropping into the final 12 weeks of Race Prep for IMKY, starting on July 21st via a focused traditional IM training plan with back to back riding on weekends.
My goal was IMKY in 2019 and IMFL-->IMTX sort of threw a wrench in that, maybe I am not sure.
I am really good at recovery efforts and standing down when needed - and just as importantly at heeding what you say. So I am highly coachable! With IMKY and IMTX being 24+ weeks apart, I was not sure if this was a doable thing if I am SMART and follow your advice. I feel that with adequate down time and following a different plan (i.e. the focus vs. the minimalist) I could do this with minimal injury risk...
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky - This is a really great question. I'm glad you're thinking about it from a macro perspective, but I want to remind you that having a four-week bowling window is probably the most ideal thing. No matter what I say to you about May June and July, things will likely change by the time we get there. That said I like your approach. They're essentially splitting this year into two years we will have you train MP for Texas, then you recover. Stay active while you support Hubby and his endeavors. Then our goal will be to ramp your fitness back up again in point you into Louisville.
As long as you're able to stay active between Texas in the time you start training again, you should be fine. The key is not to have 6 to 8 weeks of inactivity as it will take several weeks to get things back.
So we need to strike a balance between actual training which will drive you insane, and no training which will make things very difficult. Our ability to do that will be what sets you up from Louisville. We can certainly modify that second Ironman® build based off of our lessons learned from Texas. I think your overall structure is good, so please tell Hubby to sign up for those races, because 2019 is a go!
Yessssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!! @Coach Patrick It's on like donkey Kong!
And I love the idea of more play with fitness in there versus training on top of training plan. If I did that I reallllly would have been IM training for nearly 2 years straight.... shoot me now! Lol!
I'll incorporate SUPing into the post TX pre KY period, plus some fun events I've missed in the last few years, namely some fun open water swim events.
I'm going with IMFL over IMKY in the fall so that I can race with family!
But for now my sights are on TX. I've returned to running and swimming, got the bike on the trainer again and am ready to face the heat come April 27th. I'm mentally on my game and physically feeling AWESOME. MUCH better place than I was heading into FL a month ago.
Woohoo!!! I think you need to redo it, and this is just in time. Let’s continue to be mindful of how you’re progressing so that we can keep you as long term “healthy and happy” as possible!
Well go figure - I have been sick with a crazy difficult cold for the last 11 days now - I had to stand down and rest to try to give my body the chance to recover so that I did not end up with something worse like Bronchitis or pneumonia which I am very susceptible to. It has been in my head mainly - very congested, but I know that if I work through it, I get a chest cold that turns very bad very quickly. I have been on high dose Vitamin C, Zinc, and Mucinex to help clear the congestion out.
I am going stir crazy but am still not able to get in a workout, so I am thinking of walking on a treadmill for a little bit to at least get the body moving a little more. I do not want to take 1 step forward only to take 2 steps back. My goal is to be ready for a stellar OS come December.
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky - Out of curiosity, did you ever get a flu shot? If you didn’t, and you got sick, make a mental note next year that you will always do that. I had to make that switch a few years ago and it save me ever since. Even if it doesn’t prevent the cold, it certainly reduces its effects.
I absolutely encourage the walking and enjoying your time just moving. It’s important for you to just have that mental space to reflect which is a huge part of why we exercise. It’s not about being aerobic at all, it’s just staying loose. You’ll be back by December I know it!
@"Coach Patrick" So after a MONTH of being sick I am easing back into the DOS now.
I am definitely a combination of detrained off of the IMFL debacle, and recovering from the cold from Hell. I did not get a flu shot - haven't in years - and maybe will look into it next year as this was ridiculous. 3 solid weeks of the plague - never really in my chest all in my head with constant nasal congestion - but with my uncanny ability to get pneumonia I wasn't going to take any chances with working out.
I tried to get back into it last week but I just couldn't get going an dwhen I did it was not good - still very hard to run.
Sunday I ran a quick 5k because I needed to clear my head as a friend of mine's child was losing his battle with Leukemia - which we passed from Monday evening. A broken heart was my guide on the run and I had no HR data but it felt so good to run outside again - no reprecussions from the run, so I got back into the OS Monday.
This is the graph of my DOS Week 2 Tuesday Night bike ride FAIL. My HR on the warm up was 151-161! It stayed in the high 160's low 170's the rest of the ride, which was an indicator to me that my body is not fully revered from the plague.
I wanted your take on this - should I be worried? What do I do if this happens Thursday as well? Focus more on HR than Power? Something was up with the calibration as I started the ride in ERG mode but my power went all over the place. I had Zwift synced to my Quarq for Power, and my Kickr for controllable. After seeing how crazy it was and how difficult it was to turn the cranks at lower power, I switched the pairing to be 100% Kickr which seemed to help with the Erg topic, but the turn over was really difficult still.
Do you prefer the Strava links or just to see the data in Final Surge?
My plan, and please tell me if this is wrong, is to take the next week or so to ease back into the OS hitting time vs. effort until my body tells me it is ready and able to handle the increase power without exploding my heart. So basically ride and run for time, letting my HR guide me back to full efforts.
Sound about right?
I am going to put in a request formally for my 2019 plan today, FYI. So you will see that soon!
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky - thanks so much for the update with the workout. Honestly, when I take a good look at your training calendar so far I'm not convinced that launching into the Outseason is your best option. I still think there's a good amount of baseline work we need to do, particularly around developing your consistency. It's possible that not all of your workouts are syncing into Final Surge, but as of right now It looks like every week is missing 3 to 4 days of training. Rather than force yourself into the Outseason early when your race isn't until November, the wise move to take her time and build a little more slowly. Especially with the holiday season upon us.
Don't be disheartened, I'm making this move because it's the right one for you. Welcome to train on the bike and do what you like in addition to the running, but the plan will be to make it through the holiday season and then launch into the else season with the rest of the team on January 7.
Here's the UPDATED plan I am thinking for you:
On 12/31/2018 Load the -- Bike Focus Block, 6 Weeks to end on 2/10/2019
On 2/4/2019 Load the EN<em>Full Bike Focused to end on 4/27/2019
On 4/28/2019 Load the -- Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 5/25/2019
On 5/26/2019 Load the -- Get Faster Training Plan, 10wks to end on 8/3/2019
On 8/4/2019 Load the EN</em>Full Run Focused to end on 11/3/2019
On 11/4/2019 Load the Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 12/1/2019
On 12/2/2019 Load the -- Run Durability for Triathletes 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 12/29/2019
Let me know what you think!
~ Patrick
Ps feel free to check in with me if a quick call is easier: (617) 513-3830
I have IMTX in April still, so that's why we did run durability then DOS then pull out and jump into the final 12 wks of race ptep for IMTX. I had to take a few weeks of recovery in late October early November because of IMFL training, and right then I got sick and am still recovering after a month of a mean respiratory infection. I had to skip the first week of the DOS to get healthy, and this week I started out ok then scheduling at work iterrupted my training.
I have 4.5 months to Texas which is my B race, IMFL is the A race. I'm not feeling the OS honestly, I am thinking going more endurance right now, then revisiting how I train for IMFL later this year.
Let's chat about your thoughts moving forward. I'm thinking to move to traditional IM training now. I'll set up a call for this next week.
I'm heading back from Florida where I did a lower effort bike focused week per our call. I rode all 5 days and got my saddle issues worked out, small victory!
The data is in final surge for your review.
So moving forward, am I to dump into IM training this coming week to end on 4/27 (IMTX)?
That is what I have loaded into FS right now. Do you think this is the best plan for me? Would you mind shooting me an updated roadmap considering IMTX and IMFL?
Thank you! By the way I am feeling SO MUCH BETTER!
Comments
@Coach Patrick yes, that's exactly what i'm saying! I'm no longer tied to outcomes, but very invested in the process. I love that you get me and that we are right on the same page. I've learned so much from you and the haus that I look at success as execution instead of a finish time. Execution trumps all!
I did the first half of my split run this morning and negative split that baby via executing it exactly as prescribed... and that was AFTER I rode Innsbruck last night for my FTP ride, which I also nailed.
I am feeling gains in fitness and it's making me feel so happy! Not for the gains themselves, but it shows that putting in the work is transformative on SO MANY levels.
Have a great week, I'll post up here again Sunday after my Big Training Day. I'll try to keep my check ins weekly from now on!
Great to have you back. I love seeing all of the pictures… Thank you for sharing!
For now I would like you to keep the intensity workout in, and yes please break it up as you need to. Especially if the temperature for you is as crazy as it is here right now. I would happily take half mile or quarter repeat as needed. You can continue that higher intensity working through mid September… Called it the next three weeks. Then we can switch over to the Endurance stuff.
Hola Coach P!
Well I cannot catch a break. I have been dealing with a pinched nerve ever since Labor day weekend. I did 3.5 hours of the 4 hour Saturday ride that weekend (cut it short due to horrific rain and the pain) - it was supposed to be a BTD but I only executed 3.5 hours of a ride... no swim and no run.
That Sunday I decided that since I felt so bad mentally (I was beating myself up about Saturday's failed BTD) I needed to still take the recovery day and hit the SUP for a 3.5 mile paddle board around the lake while my hubby rode. It did the trick, I got in some exercise that lifted my spirits, and Paddleboarding is excellent cross training for swimming. I felt refreshed and happy at the end of it.
Labor day itself I did a ride around our city due to looming rainstorms and took the opportunity to work on some of my racing gear and making adjustments to my race bike.
The week that followed was filled with extreme pain due to the pinched nerve so I only was able to get in a few runs before I *had* to go to the DR because I was in tears just sitting at my desk at work. I am now in PT 3 times a week, and am starting to feel much better. It really hurts when I sit down for periods of time without adjusting, but other than that it is manageable pain and I can get back to training.
This past weekened I was able to successfully complete 4.5 hours on the bike with no pain - so my adjustments of the saddle and equipment choices are starting to really come together. Also my nutrition was well tolerated but because it was barely 60* I really only averaged around 300 calories per hour. Overall I felt really happy at the end - what a change from the weekend prior! I had to travel again for work, coming home at about 1am this morning, then slept for a hot second before waking up for my PT and then work.
I took my travel days as rest days as I needed to make sure that the inflammation was still going down in my spine, and now I am back home and am jumping in on my Wednesday night brick per plan.
I am still feeling like I am going to be very ill-prepared for IMFL but I am going to work with the lemons I have been given, add some vodka and have a party. Vodka = mojo, not the real stuff lol.
I am focusing on getting healthy, strong, and trained enough so that I can start the race, and then focus on smart execution, staying in my box and enjoying the day to the finish line.
In my down time from tri specific training, I have been doing ab work, the PT work is actually strengthening the muscles in my shoulder and scapula area that I use for swimming/running and biking, and I have been working on stretching and keeping my hip flexors loose to keep back pain at bay - so far lower back pain and that freezing up that happened at Ohio has not happened again since I started rehabbing. So while I have missed some workouts, I have been taking the time to work on other fitness and recovery so that I actually come back stronger and can adjust and be flexible with whatever November 3rd throws at me.
QUESTION
So now that we are caught up on the latest, I wanted to ask you how to proceed with the plan - I am currently on Level 1 of the run focused IM Plan, however I notice that I am always missing the run off of the FTP bike because I do the ride in the evening due to work schedule ( I am already up at 5am for PT) and often the same for the Friday night run (Again early day for PT) and I do not want to be out there working out until 11pm- midnight only to get up at 5:30am to run again and then run again 8 hours later for the 2nd half of my split long run. I am trying to be really good about sleep consistency and recovery time between workouts so that I am not injured in addition to my pains and pinches!
I am thinking that I would have better consistency at the minimalist plan because it fits into my life better, however I am afraid of the word minimalist... Am I right that really it is just slightly shy on run miles over the Run focus plan, but the bike time is pretty much the same? I compared this week in both plans (week 13) and see that the totals are very similar if we take Monday as a rest day - 8:15 bike in both, 5:40 vs 7:20 run time (I think because the dropping of the Friday run intervals and a slight reduction in the rest of the weekly volume after the long run gets moved from Thurs to Sun) and then 2:15 v 2:30 on the swimming.
If I can be more consistent with the Minimalist plan, I think that I should try it out... what do you think?
ONWARD!!!!!
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky Holy cow! I had no idea. I’m so glad you found a path through this; wondering if you ever figured out what the cause was? Back pain can be terrible so glad there’s a little bit of resolution for you.
it’s important to remember that everyone deals with challenges this late in the year with their training. There’s just something about September but kicked everyone’s ass. Your situation is definitely unique and unfortunate, but please know you are not the only one struggling here.
I have no problem whatsoever with you going over to the minimalist plan. They are technically not that different at all it’s more the structure of the workouts which should make things more manageable for you. It is important to note that a great deal of your difficulty right now is the PT on your schedule which is really nonnegotiable. Hopefully once that is reduced he will be in a better place. For now, let’s stick to the critical workouts and you can always add in a mile or two where needed. Remember, it’s not so much about heading a run work out perfectly because it is just getting that consistent running in. Durability matters!
@"Coach Patrick" Fabulous! It is shooting/stabbing/burning pain in my neck, around my shoulderblade through the scapular area and down my arm. We discovered that it is due to a very tight spasming muscle in my scapular area that is pulling on my spine causing it to compress in my upper spine and lower neck - I am just very happy it is not a herniated or ruptured disc.
OK perfect, I love that - I was going to add in some consistency miles as I am slower and I am not hitting the run volumes I need to. I can do a quick durability run at lunch or in the morning after PT - I just don't have 1.5-2+ hours to fit in there. I moved over in Final Surge to the Minimalist plan and will start that tonight with a 2 hour ride and run brick.
THANK YOU for all that you do to help us out and to teach us how to navigate the curveballs Life throws at us. I love EN! 💖
Hello @"Coach Patrick"
RECAP FROM THE LAST PART OF LAST WEEK
I switched my plan in FS to the minimalist and I must say that I think this is going to work so much better for consistency. It was almost an instantaneous excitement the moment I hit "apply" and saw it populate in the calendar.
I rode my 2 hour ABP ride on Thursday night (just 24 hours after my 1 hour FTP on Wednesday from the old plan) and felt really good.
DATA FILE FOR 1hr FTP RIDE: https://www.strava.com/activities/1837969430
DATA FILE for 2hr ABP: https://www.strava.com/activities/1840139461
Friday I had PT at 6am, ran to and from PT (I live really close), then headed to the gym and had Chiropractic work done with additional therapy on the shoulder.
Saturday I got a late start on my long ride so I did 2 hours with the hubby to practice fuelling and then a 2 mile run which even given the heat and humidity was strong and about 2 minutes per mile faster than I have ran all year... ummm... what? My HR was in check so this made me really happy as I felt good, not labored or like I was trying too hard.
Sunday I ended up having to take my race bike to the shop for maintenance (rubbing front derailleur and since Di2, the shop has to hook It up to see what is going on and adjust), so beforehand I did an hour of Zone progressions on the trainer (since I could not get in much time I opted for high quality), and then later about 7 miles easy on my road bike (Switched my focused back on time) around town with Hubby. I was feeling sick and unusually exhausted all day so I decided to not be a hero in the short term to be a zero the rest of this week. IMFL is too close to be stupid.
DATAF ILE FOR SATURDAY's WORKOUTS:
Ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/1843961247
Run1 https://www.strava.com/activities/1843784762
Run2 (hit stop&save instead of lap and had to do it in 2 files, d'oh!)https://www.strava.com/activities/1843814776
DATA FILE FOR SUNDAY's TRAINER RIDE: https://www.strava.com/activities/1846100985
THIS WEEK
Today I had 6am PT again, and then did a shortened split long run#1 from the PT before going home - I did a 5k as that was all I had time for, and plan on running again tonight which will give me 24 hours of rest before my FTP bike ride and brick tomorrow evening.
DATA FILE FOR today's 5k: https://www.strava.com/activities/1847533449
So... Something weird happened today on my morning 5k. Before I took a 3 year break I was running in the 10's-11's over long distances and in the 9's over shorter distances, in the last few years it was more like 17 minute miles, and now this year 14's and 15's. This weekend I ran 2 miles at mid-12 minute miles and then today I ran SUB 12 MINUTE MILES for a 5k (averaged 11:50 however I negative split the run from 11:53 to 11:18 at the end) and felt STRONG. The HR was a little high towards the end of the run with the humidity, but I did not feel like I was overreaching or pushing, I was actually more so just running by feel. I am now verging on 3 minutes per mile FASTER at the same HR and perceived effort as prior weeks... I think that my focus on full body recovery and execution is really working.
I am starting to feel glimpses of my prior fitness peaking through and I love it!
So this week, I moved my split long run from Sunday to today but given my excellent effort this morning I will take my #2 run tonight at a much more conservative pace to focus on fuelling and run durability. I do not need to add ANOTHER injury to the mix just as I am getting fixed from all the rest! Right?!?!
Thanks to PT my pinched nerve pain is all but totally gone - not one back issue from before, and no other issues are creeping up so my plan is to keep on with the PT, Chiro, and massages until IM. The best part is that 6am PT is not interfering with my training, and in fact is keeping me on schedule to fit it all in thanks to giving me a reason to be up at 5am, plus I am actually going to bed at a decent hour and am getting consistent, good sleep.
The pieces are coming together, it is just a matter of keeping them there!
So overall - are we happy with this progress and development? I will provide an update on how this weekend goes on Sunday! :-)
Wow! When I see a long forum post I’m times I get scared, but that was the best long for a post ever! :-) I’m super pleased to hear about where you are at, and, as I am fond of saying, I think a large part of that is due to how well you listen to your body. As we step back and look at this from a macro perspective it will be important to figure out that ratio of work to rest that is allowed you to get to this point because I think it’s a combination and not just some sort of miracle!
It might be worthwhile to also take a look at your cadence in your data files to see if anything is changed there as well is that is probably the only measurable metric outside of heart rate that you might have adjusted. I’m so happy for you.
I’m glad that you did not push that long run, but the speed come where it matters in the short stuff but keep the long stuff easy. I promise speed will be there on race day!
One last final thought on your pinched nerve, wondering if you were work set up might have anything to do with it? Sometimes where your monitor is positioned or how are you functionally work during the majority of your day can have an impact on that upper body tightness. My physical therapist is always pushing me to go upstairs where I have my standing desk so I don’t go insane and injure myself by simply doing my job. Any thoughts on that?
@Coach Patrick
You already saw my long run comments, but wanted to brief you here as well.
this week I was finding myself really tired due to the early mornings of PT with and late nights training so I took Thursday as a rest day and then Friday I forgot I had a wedding d'oh!
On Saturday - I pushed through extreme doubt on the trainer for 4 hours vs the 5 hrs prescribed as I was in too much pain in the saddle, that last hour would've taken 2 hrs with all my starting/stopping at that point. It isn't a fit topic, I was still sore from my Tuesday ride on my other tri bike with a different saddle that isn't the most comfy. My race bike was in the shop until Saturday for an update to the Di2 software whose I would've ridden that Tuesday.
while not fabulous I am proud of myself for not quitting at 2.5 hours like I originally wanted! Mental training day. I didn't finish until 8pm so I opted to skip the brick as I had my long run today and wasn't sure how it would go with my current lack of run durability due to schedule and injury.
Sinday- I originally set out for 2 hours, the split run, but hubby said why not just do all 3 so you'll get them done and I decided to try. I stayed in my TRP for 6 miles and felt *awesome*, then decided to stop looking at the watch on the way home and just run by feel. I had to stop in mile 12 to walk due to a knee pain that developed somewhere around mile 8, and then my feet were killing me but I expected nothing less given the few miles I have on them recently. The last mile home felt better but it proved to me I need run durability, so I'm super focused on putting those runs as priority.
I think for consistency sake I'm going to do the "run second" scheduled for Tuesday- and Thursday to be morning runs, then do the bikes right when I get home BEFORE dinner so that I'm in bed at a decent hour.
I'm sort of re- learning how to get on the training, so next year will.go much better as I'll know what works for me.
1 - eat my pre workout meal at 3pm/4pm so I'm not starving on the way home then eating which pushes out my workouts.
2 - running works better for me in the mornings, riding better for me in the evenings
3 - run durability matters!!!!!!
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky Wow, I saw the long run no it’s bad I didn’t know everything I can before! Thank you for that reminder that every workout is much more than just “that” work out. Super kudos to you for getting it all done. As you mentioned, great mental toughness and some good lessons learned there as well. I think the most important lesson is – don’t forget a wedding! :-)
Seriously though, I’d like the adjustments you made to the week that you bake in the evenings. For some reason running earlier and biking later seems to fit in most peoples general pattern better. I hope that it works for you as well; keep me posted!
@Coach Patrick
As you saw on the GroupMe texts, I had a wonky camp weekend again around timing. Ugh. BUT... I don't see it as a failure (anymore).
I did 127 miles biking in 2 days, felt better in day 2 than on day 1, followed by a solid long run on tired legs totaling 16.5 miles ran over camp. My body is adapting to my fitness gains because I'm not running myself into the ground and I feel that I'm learning how to execute even better.
I am taking Monday off, then trying my hand in the pool on Tuesday. Hopefully my pinched nerve doesn't get worse with the swimming. I had a really bad flare up this week due to posture (you were right!) that is just now starting to ease up after a 1.5 hour massage.
I decided to not make up the 2 hours missed on Friday because that's a bad habit to get into. I cannot keep trying to "make up", I need to let go and move on. I will be ready for the next 6 hour ride in a few weeks!
Here are my take aways:
- if time runs short, make sure to get in the run. I missed 2 hours on Friday of biking and also the 1 hour run. I should have done the 1 hour run when I realized that time wouldn't allow 3 hours of training.
- start earlier even if it's cold. I bought cold weather gear so that I can do as much outside as possible. My delay in 2 hours on Friday was a late start as it was only early 60's and I wanted as much warmth as possible.
- eat earlier and more often so that my night workouts don't start at 8pm. 3 PM is my new fuelling time so that I can get right to my workout.
Onward!
I love the adaptation both mental and physical. Each iteration is an important step forward; learning is a continuum. There is no “finish line” per se.
Hi @Coach Patrick !
So... I'm deferring IMFL to IMTX!
I'M so happy!
I am definitely going to be needing some assistance because I'm right at fair for a 140.6 right now and now that race I'd gone so I'm pivoting to a race in 6 months.
Where do I begin?
@Coach Patrick Hi! I'm ready to get into some routine now. I've loaded up run durability to start in the meantime.
Should I set up a call with you to go over where to go from here? I was thinking some form of OS to IM plan for IMTX but I know you'll have just the right plan mix for me!
I am laughing so hard because in two days you went from I’m changing to where is my plan. :-) I am going to discuss this on my call on Monday night. I posted the information into the Florida group me, let me know if you need the link. We have to be careful because you have done a lot of good work this year already. Innoway it would be nice if you could find A half marathon or something to do with your fitness.
@Coach Patrick. Ha ha ha!!! Ok I'll step off of the ledge now... thank you for taking my craziness in stride and having patience with me!
Yeah, it hit me yesterday that I now have an ironman in April and this will be my first time with such an early big race!
I will join the call on Monday, I assumed it would be about IMFL in Hines City only so I muted the chat and haven't been looking there on my own.
Guess what? Tomorrow I'm running a half marathon in Detroit, I thought the same thing that now is the time to have fun before we get ready for the work to start again.
You're the best!
@"coach patrick"
Thank you for the webinar last night! I put an end cap on my season with the Detroit Freep half marathon Sunday. Felt really good to be able to feel like I was actually ready for a race for once!
So I'm focusing on body comp now - btw I am also a degreed nutritionist, I just have been in depression for the last 5 years or so and it's one thing to know what to do, a whole other thing to have the desire to do it! I am ready to use the tools I have worked so hard to earn in my toolbox now.
Operation body comp began today. Took my measurements, my starting weight, calculated my nutrition goals, adding in balanced strength work.
As a follow up to yesterday's call, do I have these dates correct?
Run Durability to start 11/5, ends 12/2
DOS- starts 12/3, pull out at week 10, Feb 3rd, and start specific IM race prep training for IMTX 2/4 to end 4/28? I feel like I'm off maybe by a week or so in there.
The dates are perfect, and you are ready to go look at you already closing out your year. Is there anything you can’t do? 🤜Onwards!
@"Coach Patrick" : BOOM!
Sooooo... .I would like some coachly advice on my 2019 plans since 2018 is in da books.
First off, while Detroit was not a PR day on the clock, I have not felt so well trained for a race in years.. YEARS. It felt good to not have a suffer fest and to be able to have the fitness to just go and run a half marathon for fun! Perfect end to 2018 given how my run felt at the start of the year which was much walking, really hard to keep HR down - now I am running the whole distance in a much better HR situation. I have really good feeling about IMTX!
Which brings me to the thing I sort of did not think about... the rest of my 2019 beyond IMTX.
To recap: My plan heading into 2019 was IMFL November 3rd, rest then run durability, some flavor of the OS then some flavor of HIM training before jumping into Race prep for IMKY.
Clearly that did not happen, so my new plan is (and this is where I want to make sure that I am thinking properly here) What we discussed in the above post for my pivot to IMTX April 27th utilizing the 2019 Full distance Minimalist plan (because winter in the north - I can only do so much trainer riding on the weekend but during the week I can knock out the time easily since I am alone, and would prefer to do my long runs NOT in pitch black darkness, so the Sunday long run option really works best for this time of year) then post-IM rest, some flavor of having fun with fitness for a bit, time in the saddle with my hubby, spending time sherpa-ing for him at his 12 and 24 hour bike events, then some flavor of a possible speed forcus or sport specific focus (possibly? dunno about that) mid-year, then dropping into the final 12 weeks of Race Prep for IMKY, starting on July 21st via a focused traditional IM training plan with back to back riding on weekends.
My goal was IMKY in 2019 and IMFL-->IMTX sort of threw a wrench in that, maybe I am not sure.
I am really good at recovery efforts and standing down when needed - and just as importantly at heeding what you say. So I am highly coachable! With IMKY and IMTX being 24+ weeks apart, I was not sure if this was a doable thing if I am SMART and follow your advice. I feel that with adequate down time and following a different plan (i.e. the focus vs. the minimalist) I could do this with minimal injury risk...
what say you?
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky - This is a really great question. I'm glad you're thinking about it from a macro perspective, but I want to remind you that having a four-week bowling window is probably the most ideal thing. No matter what I say to you about May June and July, things will likely change by the time we get there. That said I like your approach. They're essentially splitting this year into two years we will have you train MP for Texas, then you recover. Stay active while you support Hubby and his endeavors. Then our goal will be to ramp your fitness back up again in point you into Louisville.
As long as you're able to stay active between Texas in the time you start training again, you should be fine. The key is not to have 6 to 8 weeks of inactivity as it will take several weeks to get things back.
So we need to strike a balance between actual training which will drive you insane, and no training which will make things very difficult. Our ability to do that will be what sets you up from Louisville. We can certainly modify that second Ironman® build based off of our lessons learned from Texas. I think your overall structure is good, so please tell Hubby to sign up for those races, because 2019 is a go!
Yessssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!! @Coach Patrick It's on like donkey Kong!
And I love the idea of more play with fitness in there versus training on top of training plan. If I did that I reallllly would have been IM training for nearly 2 years straight.... shoot me now! Lol!
I'll incorporate SUPing into the post TX pre KY period, plus some fun events I've missed in the last few years, namely some fun open water swim events.
😎
Just an update that I'm still alive!
I'm going with IMFL over IMKY in the fall so that I can race with family!
But for now my sights are on TX. I've returned to running and swimming, got the bike on the trainer again and am ready to face the heat come April 27th. I'm mentally on my game and physically feeling AWESOME. MUCH better place than I was heading into FL a month ago.
Woohoo!!! I think you need to redo it, and this is just in time. Let’s continue to be mindful of how you’re progressing so that we can keep you as long term “healthy and happy” as possible!
Well go figure - I have been sick with a crazy difficult cold for the last
11 days now - I had to stand down and rest to try to give my body the
chance to recover so that I did not end up with something worse like
Bronchitis or pneumonia which I am very susceptible to. It has been in my
head mainly - very congested, but I know that if I work through it, I get a
chest cold that turns very bad very quickly. I have been on high dose
Vitamin C, Zinc, and Mucinex to help clear the congestion out.
I am going stir crazy but am still not able to get in a workout, so I am
thinking of walking on a treadmill for a little bit to at least get the
body moving a little more. I do not want to take 1 step forward only to
take 2 steps back. My goal is to be ready for a stellar OS come December.
So frustrating but I am a good soldier!
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky - Out of curiosity, did you ever get a flu shot? If you didn’t, and you got sick, make a mental note next year that you will always do that. I had to make that switch a few years ago and it save me ever since. Even if it doesn’t prevent the cold, it certainly reduces its effects.
I absolutely encourage the walking and enjoying your time just moving. It’s important for you to just have that mental space to reflect which is a huge part of why we exercise. It’s not about being aerobic at all, it’s just staying loose. You’ll be back by December I know it!
@"Coach Patrick" So after a MONTH of being sick I am easing back into the DOS now.
I am definitely a combination of detrained off of the IMFL debacle, and recovering from the cold from Hell. I did not get a flu shot - haven't in years - and maybe will look into it next year as this was ridiculous. 3 solid weeks of the plague - never really in my chest all in my head with constant nasal congestion - but with my uncanny ability to get pneumonia I wasn't going to take any chances with working out.
I tried to get back into it last week but I just couldn't get going an dwhen I did it was not good - still very hard to run.
Sunday I ran a quick 5k because I needed to clear my head as a friend of mine's child was losing his battle with Leukemia - which we passed from Monday evening. A broken heart was my guide on the run and I had no HR data but it felt so good to run outside again - no reprecussions from the run, so I got back into the OS Monday.
This is the graph of my DOS Week 2 Tuesday Night bike ride FAIL. My HR on the warm up was 151-161! It stayed in the high 160's low 170's the rest of the ride, which was an indicator to me that my body is not fully revered from the plague.
I wanted your take on this - should I be worried? What do I do if this happens Thursday as well? Focus more on HR than Power? Something was up with the calibration as I started the ride in ERG mode but my power went all over the place. I had Zwift synced to my Quarq for Power, and my Kickr for controllable. After seeing how crazy it was and how difficult it was to turn the cranks at lower power, I switched the pairing to be 100% Kickr which seemed to help with the Erg topic, but the turn over was really difficult still.
STRAVA or it did not happen: https://www.strava.com/activities/2012790776
Do you prefer the Strava links or just to see the data in Final Surge?
My plan, and please tell me if this is wrong, is to take the next week or so to ease back into the OS hitting time vs. effort until my body tells me it is ready and able to handle the increase power without exploding my heart. So basically ride and run for time, letting my HR guide me back to full efforts.
Sound about right?
I am going to put in a request formally for my 2019 plan today, FYI. So you will see that soon!
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky - thanks so much for the update with the workout. Honestly, when I take a good look at your training calendar so far I'm not convinced that launching into the Outseason is your best option. I still think there's a good amount of baseline work we need to do, particularly around developing your consistency. It's possible that not all of your workouts are syncing into Final Surge, but as of right now It looks like every week is missing 3 to 4 days of training. Rather than force yourself into the Outseason early when your race isn't until November, the wise move to take her time and build a little more slowly. Especially with the holiday season upon us.
Don't be disheartened, I'm making this move because it's the right one for you. Welcome to train on the bike and do what you like in addition to the running, but the plan will be to make it through the holiday season and then launch into the else season with the rest of the team on January 7.
Here's the UPDATED plan I am thinking for you:
Let me know what you think!
~ Patrick
Ps feel free to check in with me if a quick call is easier: (617) 513-3830
Hi @Coach Patrick ! Let's do a call.
I have IMTX in April still, so that's why we did run durability then DOS then pull out and jump into the final 12 wks of race ptep for IMTX. I had to take a few weeks of recovery in late October early November because of IMFL training, and right then I got sick and am still recovering after a month of a mean respiratory infection. I had to skip the first week of the DOS to get healthy, and this week I started out ok then scheduling at work iterrupted my training.
I have 4.5 months to Texas which is my B race, IMFL is the A race. I'm not feeling the OS honestly, I am thinking going more endurance right now, then revisiting how I train for IMFL later this year.
Let's chat about your thoughts moving forward. I'm thinking to move to traditional IM training now. I'll set up a call for this next week.
So good to talk with you on the phone. Thank you for being patient with me! I hope things are turning the corner for you now. Keep me posted!
Hi @Coach Patrick !
I'm heading back from Florida where I did a lower effort bike focused week per our call. I rode all 5 days and got my saddle issues worked out, small victory!
The data is in final surge for your review.
So moving forward, am I to dump into IM training this coming week to end on 4/27 (IMTX)?
That is what I have loaded into FS right now. Do you think this is the best plan for me? Would you mind shooting me an updated roadmap considering IMTX and IMFL?
Thank you! By the way I am feeling SO MUCH BETTER!