Those are such great pictures!!! Thanks for sharing them...and that riding looks great from a data perspective.
I have updated your roadmap ^above^. I think the best next step for you is bike time via the Bike Focus plan. Will be good to build that bike up with 4 rides a week, while maintaining run frequency. Check it out.
In the meantime, please send me realistic dates for indoor riding and I'll get ready to help you modify the plan (after you load it in Final Surge: View My Plans page).
@Coach Patrick Thank you! I loaded up the plan and started to execute - so far I am 100% GREEN for the week - feels really good.
I put a note on my workout last night but thought that I would check in here as well - I really struggled to hold that Z4 effort for 20' intervals. I made it 15 minutes before having to reduce by 10%, then on my 2nd set I made it 3 minutes before I had to change my FTP all together to get to something that was work but maintainable for the whole time - my legs were toast! The good thing was that my HR was normal and not the crazy 170 we saw last attempt at a hard effort.
Z4) into 2 x (3 x 5' @ Z4) so that I am accumulating the same Z4 time but in a way that my body can handle right now?
I haven't ridden in Z3 or 4 in a really long time, so this is just another part of me getting back on track.
Morning @Coach Patrick ! Sounds good, I will do the bike focus plan first then transition over!
For me, Saturdays are the best days for the longest indoor rides, and during the week I can manage 1 hr to 2 hour rides easily. I'd like to have Sunday's as my long run day due to safety of daylight if that's ok? Is that what you meant for realistic indoor riding days?
I loaded up the Minimalist IM plan 2/4-4/27 because in the winter it's much safer for me to run during the weekends and do longer rides inside during the week. Is that ok?
Making BIG plans in 2019! Thanks for ALL that you do for us Coach!
Oh Em Gee, I am so jealous of your journaling! They look beautiful. I saw your note above about Bike Power, I am not so worried about that at this early in the 2019 season. There will still be some transition time for you moving to the longer intervals, so get as much of the time in that you can at the Watts that you want, and then do your best after that. If it’s easier, you can always break them up into smaller chunks like 4 x 8 minutes if you think that’s more sustainable in the short term. Let me know.
Thank you @Coach Patrick ! I have finally done something that I never thought possible - I achieved green weeks - week after week.
In order to be the smartest ninja on the block, I decided to start tracking my daily vitals to get a feeling for recovery needs. For sleep I am averaging around 8.5 hours (varying from 6.5 to nearly 11 hours, but most nights are over 8 hours). Moving forward I will be tracking my RHR and my Blood Pressure. I think the 3 metrics will really show my recovery and work.
This past week at work was really busy with many 12 hour plus days and seeing how tired I was physically from 4 weeks of daily workouts I decided to take a step back week and do more active recovery (walking, swimming easy, easy run, and then on the weekend I did an hour of intervals (the first hour of the long ride) to wake up the legs) to keep active but to allow my body time to absorb the work.
I was curious how I am doing this year over last year, whereas last year I struggled to train due to health issues and actually am pretty happy with what I am seeing.
The below graph from Strava shows my FFF scores, I love this as it is just like Training Peaks scores, so I can see where I am. This represents 1 full year and I dropped the black line at the same relative week in training that I am in now. While the 2 months of sickness (shown below as the huge downslope) did a number on my fitness, I am happy that I am building consistency like never before and feel that I am coming back stronger than I was back at the black line.
So looking ahead at starting the final 12 week push to IM next Monday, I see that the 2019 workouts are not available for Zwift on the master long course triathlon learning page or in FDS yet so I reviewed the 2019 min. plan in the thread and provided my findings/comments and will update FS Manually.
I took a nasty fall Thursday and rested for 2 days then did my weekend workouts like a champ. I decided Saturday to go ahead and bike test, earned myself a 20% improvement over my ability the start of the year. My fitness is starting to return and even though in still a far cry away from where I was, I am finally feeling like I'm an athlete again.
I'm starting race prep in the right headspace, I'm clear headed HEALTHY and ready to go for it.
This is my weekly tracker on consistency. I split up the state into as many slices as weeks of trading, starting up there with green and moving CCW. The star in the middle is for the last week before race week, the Mdot is over the Woodlands and is for race week completion.
Green = perfect week / week executed to my expectations (green dot on FS)
Yellow = came up a little short on 1 workout / 1 day of training (1 yellow or 1 red dot on FS)
Red = missed more than 1 workout for no good reason or multiple for any reason (2 or more red dots on FS)
This started 2 weeks before my trip to Florida over Christmas. I gave myself yellow/green for the prior week when I added some rest days due to my body adjusting to the work load, and then red for this past week due to my fall and bruised knee requiring me to miss days to recover.
Hi again Coach! OK - I really need to just keep a notebook and make 1 super thread every week with my thoughts and questions but man they just keep coming to me as I am experiencing more growth quicker than normal. For next week, I will do 1 post on Wednesday as I think you answer the forums on Thursday now.
My new thought /question is - is it appropriate to supplement my formal training plan with other Zwift activities? For example, is it OK to do a social recovery ride as real recovery (i.e. spin the legs, low HR) on days that biking is not on plan as long as it doesn't hinder my upstream performances? I did the HERD recovery ride on Monday and it was truly a recovery effort for me - time in the saddle but without killing my legs.
I want to do the VOXTour (5 stage women only tour) and was wondering how to incorporate it into my training. For reference yesterday started the final Race Prep phase for IMTX, so week 9 of the Full Training Plan. I am doing the Minimalist plan only because of my running safety being better on Sundays to go long than on Thursdays.
Here is what I am thinking:
EN PLAN (Vox Tour "hack" in Italics)
2/4 - Rest or run if feeling good (Rode VoxTour stage 1 as recovery effort (high spinning low watts and under 150 BPM HR) )
2/5 - FTP Bike per plan (did the formal FTP test and am at 170W now)
2/6 - Swim Intervals and Run Intervals
2/7 - ABP Bike (VoxTour Stage 2 ride as ABP ride, Zone 2, with as much Z3 as possible - stay on for additional time after the tour to hit the Rx'd1.5 hours. )
2/8 - Swim endurance and run skills
2/9 - 30:00 run then 4 hour bike (Run and VoxTour Stage 3 plus additional time to make the 4 hours)
2/10 - Long run 1 and 2
2/11 - Swim Speed ( Swim Speed in AM plus VoxTour stage 4 as a easy recovery effort in the evening)
2/12 - FTP Bike (Use VoxTour Stage 5 - as my FTP ride?)
What are your thoughts oh wise triathlete whisperer?
I completed the VOX Tour and had a BLAST! I am glad that I spent so much time in the saddle already this month (over 330 miles from 2/1 - 2/17) as I am feeling the fitness in even my run. I am feeling stronger on the run and am trying to keep my HR average for the run at about my long ride HR average.
2 things I need to do - 1 YOGA and daily stretching/foam rollering. My quads are feeeeeling it - but dang they are looking good! #QuadLife
EDITED 2/21: I am now increasing my calories and I think part of the problem has been nutrition. I am logging my macros and now making sure that I am eating enough to fuel me daily.
2019 IM Training Plan Uploaded and Question on swim strength building without a Vasa:
Last night I loaded up the new 2019 plan in FS to replace the "so last year" 2018 plan 😉 I love it. I decided to forget the "minimalist" and go full on bike focus as I am really REALLY digging Zwift these days and it is making Bike training a breeze! I really was afraid that it would be more difficult to get time in the saddle over the winter but Zwift is a game changer. Also since seeing how biking is helping my run fitness, I feel that overall the bike focus plan is best for me at this point.
Now my struggle is honestly the swim! It is just pool availability however every week I am doing better and getting back to where I need to be.
Question: is it a good idea to supplement (not replace) my swim time with Vasa-esque workouts on my total gym? It's similar to a Vasa Pro Trainer pully system, not the Erg. I just don't have Vasa $$ with 2 IMs this year!
Bike Question on ERG mode in workouts in Zwift:
One thing that I find odd is that I have the power but when I execute a workout in erg mode, it just becomes SUPER DIFFICULT to turn the peddles at the prescribed power over Zone 2 efforts. Like brick hard. Even on my 4 hour long ride Saturday, anything in the green or higher zone was at like a 50-60 rpm cadence. My average cadence over the 4 hours was 76! That is really low for me. What on earth could be causing that?
It has been like that ever since I updated my FTP from 140 to 168. Am I just that weak and the fatigue in my legs shows on these efforts? I am finding it difficult to do the prescribed watts in ERG mode so I often end up dialing down the bias, or flat out changing my FTP in the system.
HOWEVER- During free riding, no issues what so ever turning over the cranks for those numbers, but as soon as I am in ERG mode - boom, like riding through cement. I have to adjust down my FTP all the time now which makes no sense as I am capable of riding at that wattage, or am I not? I also am using my Quarq for power and cadence, over my smart trainer, which a new change for me as well....
I wonder if it would be better to use the Wahoo as my power meter for now as well? I used to and recently switched that up to have power numbers that were more real world as it was coming from my bike and not the trainer - I wonder if there is a topic there, as once I switched to using Quarq readings I am also not able to stay in the power zones even in ERG mode. It is really weird as I keep losing and gaining power quickly resulting in missed stars in my workouts as I'm all over the map from 90 to 170 in a few seconds.
Hmmmm... let me do the FTP workout this week with smart trainer only and see if that helps.
If it does not - any suggestions? Or is it just "Suck it up buttercup?"
EDITED 2/21: OK I switched back to Wahoo for power and I had no issues with turning the cranks last night on my FTP ride. It was hard work as I would expect it to be, but definitely not cement and I could do a decent RPM average. :-)
RUNNING IS AWESOME!
Question - next week (wk 12 of 2019 IM BF) is a test week on the bike however I tested 2 weeks ago. Is it OK for me to do a run focus type week to kick me back into some run durability if I play it smart? I can still do a ride just to keep bike consistency.
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky - I am so excited you decided to do that tour and get out of your comfort zone. It sounds like it was not only a benefit to you physically but that you actually had fun as well! A humble Tri coach cannot ask for more. :-)
I am glad that you are keeping an eye on those calories. It’s worth testing making small changes now so you can see with the investors as we know that will only grow exponentially as the length in duration of your workouts increase when the weather improves.
I am glad that you are keeping an eye on those calories. It’s worth testing making small changes now so you can see with the investors as we know that will only grow exponentially as the length and duration of your workouts increase when the weather improves. I am 100% OK with you supplementing your swim time right now. A huge part of swimming properly is having the requisite strength and control of important muscle groups. Time in the water and general comfort also matters, but those can be checked off as the season gets closer and swimming becomes more of a larger priority.
When you get a chance can you give me a quick outline as to what you are thinking? Remember, it doesn’t have to be very much in the first week or two but once you get comfortable you can begin to build it up.
Sometimes there is an issue translating the power from an extra source into resistance via the kicker. If it’s not “smooth“ then you really need to keep the cadence up to overcome that initial resistance. You can definitely use the wahoo directly for the ERG workouts, but it’s important to note that there’s typically a power differential. For me my kicker was 20 W higher than my actual power, if this is the case for you as well then maybe you will need to increase the FTP for those specific workouts when you use the kicker as the source. Just a thought.
100% YES To a runner focused weeks. Remember it’s all about frequency not any individual workout volume. Will be nice to get you back into a little bit of a run mode to complement your bike fitness and see how your body handles it.
SWIM Supplementation - Add in the 12 week Dry Land workouts 1-2x week to assist in strength. I can do these over lunch as to not interrupt my typical training and would be the first thing I would drop if I had crunch for time.
There is also a new SRAM women's Tour that is happening (3 stages over 1 week) so here is my proposed HACK , or what I call the "Get Kryvicky back to butt kicking goodness safely albeit quickly ,in time to start and be fit enough to cross the finish line at IM TX like the true EN Ninja she is" Plan. Too wordy? Nah!
BOLD = Rx'd plan Italics = my proposed hack
WEEK 12 IM PLan
Monday - Swim Test ADD: 30-45 minute easy run
Tuesday - Bike Test REPLACE WITH SRAM Women's Tour Stage 1, Watopia Flat. Goal: Push hard. ADD: Swim Dryland Routine and 30 minute easy run for durability
Wednesday - Run Cruise Intervals ADD: Restorative Yoga
Thursday - Run long 1 + 2ADD: Swim Dryland Routine at lunch
Friday - Swim Red Mist + Bike Long (done as SRAM Tour Stage 2)
Saturday - Bike Long + Run
Sunday - ABP ADD: 30-45 minute easy run
^^^This adding of runs will bump my weekly volume by 6-10 miles in a safe way.
Week 13 and on we are now back to Tues/Thursday rides and Sunday long runs, so I would propose to keep in the Dryland work on Mondays, as I will be swimming Wednesday and Fridays in the plan.
Sounds perfect. My only edit would be to give you flexibility with regards to the weekend running. I think Red mist plus the rides will put a lot of stress on you. Consider drop a WKND run just for additional recovery. Don’t think of it negatively, think of it is giving yourself a reason and room to grow on the bike.
I need some "looking ahead" help here. I just found out that I am going to Germany for work next month, leaving the last day of CAMP week (in the evening, hours after the long run - perfect for forced rest and recovery since I will be flying overseas non-stop through the night)
Here is the plan as written with my travel and plan hack proposal for you - I need some assistance on altering the WKOs for my travel to make sure I am on the right thought path here.
BOLD = Rx'd per plan, Italics = hack proposal for feedback
For reference I am in the IM Plan Bike Focus, Level 2.
Wk17 Monday - REST Mandatory for camp week participants (which I will be) - Direct Flight to Frankfurt 5:30pm Sunday night arrive 7:30am German time, Monday morning. Rest up and recover - wear calf sleeves on flight, maybe some light walking around on Monday during the day to get used to time change. REST
Wk17 Tuesday - Bike Max Effort GERMANY Work, most likely an evening event. No idea on accommodations yet to know if there will be a pool or gym, however would propose a durability run or swim if possible in place of the bike.
Wk 17 - Wednesday Swim tempo, Run FTP May need no alteration here as I can do these depending on accommodation set up - run for sure if weather is nice or if treadmill in case weather is not nice, swim a possibility if hotel has one. In Europe you never know!
Wk17 Thursday - Bike Intervals - TRAVEL DAY back from Germany - should arrive in the afternoon. Recovery from flight. Skip bike WKO all together. A nice walk with the dogs when I get home then SLEEP.
Wk 17 Friday - Bike big gear WKO + Red Mist swim No alternations aside from possibly skip bike if tired from travel - swim is top priority of these 2 WKOs
Wk17 Saturday onwards - no change, complete plan as Rx.
You did!!! At the end of the day you might more time when you get BACK than there (at least that’s my personal perspective) so be prepared. If you had to “lose a day” then Friday is it.
So a recap of last week - did not go at all as I wanted but I think that I adjusted well.
I missed Thursday's long run and did Friday's recovery ride in its place. Friday I took as a forced Training Day off after I could not find a pool that could accommodate my Red Mist Swim! I was really starting to get upset because I went to 3 pools and there was no room for me to do the workout before their swim team practices would start, or there was no room for me in a lane at all. The pool situation is frustrating!
Saturday I woke up and went to get in my 4.5 hour ride and boom - had tech issue after tech issue and overall motivation fail and after an hour of fighting with the ride I waved the white flag, got off of the bike and ran a 5k to get my mood back in place.
Sunday I decided to extend the ABP ride to 3 hours to help with volume, and will be getting in the pool today for active recovery and swim durability.
Looking ahead for this week I am going to focus on morning swims and evening bikes, with some lunchtime runs. I am finding what times work best for which workouts right now. I am getting REALLY nervous about IMTX. I think I will be fine to manage the swim and the bike, but my concern is surviving the run/walk. I am going to be hyper focused on recovery and durability these final few weeks. It will all come down to execution!
I have a new saddle I'm trying out but am still so beat up from my other saddle that I'm not getting an accurate read on fit. I am feeling some relief already but the sores are really creating an issue when I try to adjust for a hard effort or recovery effort. I am fairly sensitive from the saddle sores being aggravated each ride and am thinking of skipping my Thursday and Friday rides (SST and recovery) so that I'm in better condition soft tissue wise for my 5 hour ride Saturday.
Does this sound like a smart approach? I will do my running and swimming in place of the bike rides until Saturday.
I went ahead and took the test of the week off from riding to let my saddle sores heal. Saturday I woke up at 3am very sick and slept basically through today (Sunday).
Just a heads up that I make te executive decision to be smart last week and again this weekend and listened to my body.
I have no hacks needed for te next 2 weeks so now it's just do the darn thing! I don't see any foreseeable reasons why I can't be really successful trade next few weeks! Score!
There is always a period of time in each training build where we were at in counter pretty serious resistance. Sometimes it’s logistical, as you have experienced. Other times it’s emotional or even physical. All of this is a good reminder that you are putting your body through some really serious levels of work. Whether it’s the fatigue you are feeling from the training session, or the exasperation at trying to make all the things work. Please know that you are definitely not alone in this situation!
It’s really hard for me to advise you on the specifics of a saddle that might work for you. You might want to search the forms here for “women’s try saddle” or maybe head over to visit with chat group me and ask the other people who are actively riding right now. Rest for those saddle sores is key. So two are an excellent pair of bib shorts with plenty of chamois cream before each ride. Once you are done, you want to get those shorts off immediately so that you can keep the area as dry as possible. You definitely don’t want to spend time standing around in wet shorts.
If you do have a saddle sore, I have found that thoroughly cleaning the area and then applying some Neosporin for during the day can be helpful.
I am OK with you taking some time off the bike if you need to let your body heal. Don’t hesitate to add in the other aerobic work in the meantime. A long hike or time on the stairmaster, for example will also work. At this point I just care about time at heart rate and good nutrition execution.
Hi @Coach Patrick I already have a new saddle, just couldn’t try it out due to the sores, I make an executive decision and stood down on rides. I missed the weekend due to feeling really under the weather and here I am now with the Flu- I cannot catch a break.
I am am resting and will return when the body is ready. Right now I am taking this as a reminder that I’m demanding a lot of my body. I need to respect it when it is needing recovery.
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky So Sorry with the forum thread problem....that was me. And I hope you can use the Forums on your mobile phone...they work great for me. In fact I prefer to use the forums on mobile.
Just because you are sick doesn't mean you are any less awesome...it just means you aren't ready to handle any work. If you can stay aerobic with walking or elliptical or easy spinning, I'll take it. I would avoid the pool until you can breathe properly!
Thank you @Coach Patrick ! Your words always help calm the type-A tri animal in me.
This flu is the extreme chills, fever, headache, everything hurts to the touch, haven't eaten in 3 days, stomach is very angry flu. I've been surviving on extra strength flu meds at night and immodium at day. I'm finally on the upswing today thank goodness, at dinner had my first bite of food since Tuesday breakfast!!! Yay!!!
I hope this means I'll not be sick again for a few years.. I've honestly had enough to last me already!
@Coach Patrick - So guess who is sick again thanks to a trip to Germany that turns out to have been completely unnecessary.
I'm so frustrated and defeated. I'm only able to do what I'm able to do and I'm going to start the race dammit.
IMTX is going to be used as a training day and as execution practice. That's all I can hope for and who knows, maybe something magical will happen and I refuse to deny myself the opportunity for something magical to happen!
I'm just checking in to let you know that I'm still working at it, despite the lack of green in my FS calendar. :-) it's not that I an not trying!!!
I was able to knock it out pretty quickly! I think by this weekend I will be at 100%. I did Zone 1 work all week - did massage and chiro and walking to keep recovery going, and got in some pool and bike time!
I basically made sure to stay active but careful to monitor the ick. I would do honey to keep coughing at bay between med doses (holy crap that really worked!) , and then took an ati-histamine and Tussin during the day to stop the runny nose and coughing, and then at night mucinex to help move the process along.
I am now feeling much better! I attempted the FTP interval ride last night (IM Wk 17) but my legs laughed at me - hard to jump into 10 minute intervals of FTP when you have been on a diet of steady Z1 effort the last few weeks! I switched to the Wk 13 workout of 3' intervals and reduced the intensity to 90% and was able to complete. Triage!
I feel like I have not EARNED the right to be at IMTX. I am trying to stay out of my head on this and honestly switching from "race" to "baseline/ catered training day" is helping. I received a message this morning from a dear friend who wanted to tell me that I am inspiring her through her own journey to World Championships in Spain. Her message was EXACTLY what I needed to hear at this point and it helped me regain perspective on the journey, the process.
I am shutting out negativity and embracing my wonder woman self!
I also broke the cardinal rule and ran the numbers - I honestly think that I have a hope of finishing this race if I can just stay consistent from here on out and be smart on race day. It is going to be a mental toughness race but I have been preparing for that my whole life. I am both mental and tough! ha ha ha!
So let me run some things by you while I am here...
My plan for the week is:
Today (Friday): lunch swim, PM Bike
Tomorrow (Saturday): ride/run OUTSIDE!!!!! It is supposed to be in the 60's and no rain so I am going to get in some confidence miles. I have a new rear hydration system that fits my new saddle so I am hoping to test it out in the real world for how well it stays put.
Sunday: 3 hour run in the AM to test out nutrition and clothing.
Tuesday: Red Mist swim and Taper Vo2 Run and Massage w/hot stones
Wednesday: Bike FTP
Thursday: ALTERED WORKOUT: Split 2 hour long run I do not have any free time at all on Thursday due to an early morning and late night planned at work. My goal is to split the workout if possible or do whatever I can at night.
Friday onwards: per plan. Chiro and massage before leaving for IMTX
RACE WEEK EXECUTION
I am travelling the 22nd-24th so my idea was to keep hydrated and stetch as much as possible while on the road. Once in TX, I will do some acclimation work - I see that you suggested 4pm, pre-dinner 30' run as an option, so I will do that at least once, and then some preactice swims and easy bike work just to make sure everything is working from the trip down.
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky Thanks for the update. You are ready. There is no particular minor level of fitness that’s a prerequisite. As you know, people of all different shapes and sizes and backgrounds and ability levels complete Iron Man. It’s what you have upstairs that matters and how much heart. I speak confidently knowing that you possess both in spades.
Your progression is fine. Yes, you can begin the sauna work as you have time. I agree, how are you execute will end up being the final arbiter of your placed a performance. Let me know when you posted your race plan to the race forum and I will take a look at it! Good luck the rest of this week and this weekend!
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky - so great to talk to you last week. My apologies that it has taken me a few days to get back to you.
I have outlined the plan for you through IMFL. I recommend a modified RDP Phase 3 plan into the Bike Focus plan before the build to IMFL. I want you to reintegrate slowly enough that we can build some meaningful momentum into the rest of your year.
I haven't loaded the final weeks into IMFL as I want to see how you are going to do first in the middle part of your year. OK?
Comments
Those are such great pictures!!! Thanks for sharing them...and that riding looks great from a data perspective.
I have updated your roadmap ^above^. I think the best next step for you is bike time via the Bike Focus plan. Will be good to build that bike up with 4 rides a week, while maintaining run frequency. Check it out.
In the meantime, please send me realistic dates for indoor riding and I'll get ready to help you modify the plan (after you load it in Final Surge: View My Plans page).
~ Coach P
so far I am 100% GREEN for the week - feels really good.
I put a note on my workout last night but thought that I would check in
here as well - I really struggled to hold that Z4 effort for 20'
intervals. I made it 15 minutes before having to reduce by 10%, then on my
2nd set I made it 3 minutes before I had to change my FTP all together to
get to something that was work but maintainable for the whole time - my
legs were toast! The good thing was that my HR was normal and not the
crazy 170 we saw last attempt at a hard effort.
Z4) into 2 x (3 x 5' @ Z4) so that I am accumulating the same Z4 time but
in a way that my body can handle right now?
I haven't ridden in Z3 or 4 in a really long time, so this is just another
part of me getting back on track.
Morning @Coach Patrick ! Sounds good, I will do the bike focus plan first then transition over!
For me, Saturdays are the best days for the longest indoor rides, and during the week I can manage 1 hr to 2 hour rides easily. I'd like to have Sunday's as my long run day due to safety of daylight if that's ok? Is that what you meant for realistic indoor riding days?
I loaded up the Minimalist IM plan 2/4-4/27 because in the winter it's much safer for me to run during the weekends and do longer rides inside during the week. Is that ok?
Making BIG plans in 2019! Thanks for ALL that you do for us Coach!
Oh Em Gee, I am so jealous of your journaling! They look beautiful. I saw your note above about Bike Power, I am not so worried about that at this early in the 2019 season. There will still be some transition time for you moving to the longer intervals, so get as much of the time in that you can at the Watts that you want, and then do your best after that. If it’s easier, you can always break them up into smaller chunks like 4 x 8 minutes if you think that’s more sustainable in the short term. Let me know.
Thank you @Coach Patrick ! I have finally done something that I never thought possible - I achieved green weeks - week after week.
In order to be the smartest ninja on the block, I decided to start tracking my daily vitals to get a feeling for recovery needs. For sleep I am averaging around 8.5 hours (varying from 6.5 to nearly 11 hours, but most nights are over 8 hours). Moving forward I will be tracking my RHR and my Blood Pressure. I think the 3 metrics will really show my recovery and work.
This past week at work was really busy with many 12 hour plus days and seeing how tired I was physically from 4 weeks of daily workouts I decided to take a step back week and do more active recovery (walking, swimming easy, easy run, and then on the weekend I did an hour of intervals (the first hour of the long ride) to wake up the legs) to keep active but to allow my body time to absorb the work.
I was curious how I am doing this year over last year, whereas last year I struggled to train due to health issues and actually am pretty happy with what I am seeing.
The below graph from Strava shows my FFF scores, I love this as it is just like Training Peaks scores, so I can see where I am. This represents 1 full year and I dropped the black line at the same relative week in training that I am in now. While the 2 months of sickness (shown below as the huge downslope) did a number on my fitness, I am happy that I am building consistency like never before and feel that I am coming back stronger than I was back at the black line.
So looking ahead at starting the final 12 week push to IM next Monday, I see that the 2019 workouts are not available for Zwift on the master long course triathlon learning page or in FDS yet so I reviewed the 2019 min. plan in the thread and provided my findings/comments and will update FS Manually.
Hi @Coach Patrick !
I took a nasty fall Thursday and rested for 2 days then did my weekend workouts like a champ. I decided Saturday to go ahead and bike test, earned myself a 20% improvement over my ability the start of the year. My fitness is starting to return and even though in still a far cry away from where I was, I am finally feeling like I'm an athlete again.
I'm starting race prep in the right headspace, I'm clear headed HEALTHY and ready to go for it.
This is my weekly tracker on consistency. I split up the state into as many slices as weeks of trading, starting up there with green and moving CCW. The star in the middle is for the last week before race week, the Mdot is over the Woodlands and is for race week completion.
Green = perfect week / week executed to my expectations (green dot on FS)
Yellow = came up a little short on 1 workout / 1 day of training (1 yellow or 1 red dot on FS)
Red = missed more than 1 workout for no good reason or multiple for any reason (2 or more red dots on FS)
This started 2 weeks before my trip to Florida over Christmas. I gave myself yellow/green for the prior week when I added some rest days due to my body adjusting to the work load, and then red for this past week due to my fall and bruised knee requiring me to miss days to recover.
Super nerdy, right? 🤓
Hi again Coach! OK - I really need to just keep a notebook and make 1 super thread every week with my thoughts and questions but man they just keep coming to me as I am experiencing more growth quicker than normal. For next week, I will do 1 post on Wednesday as I think you answer the forums on Thursday now.
My new thought /question is - is it appropriate to supplement my formal training plan with other Zwift activities? For example, is it OK to do a social recovery ride as real recovery (i.e. spin the legs, low HR) on days that biking is not on plan as long as it doesn't hinder my upstream performances? I did the HERD recovery ride on Monday and it was truly a recovery effort for me - time in the saddle but without killing my legs.
I want to do the VOXTour (5 stage women only tour) and was wondering how to incorporate it into my training. For reference yesterday started the final Race Prep phase for IMTX, so week 9 of the Full Training Plan. I am doing the Minimalist plan only because of my running safety being better on Sundays to go long than on Thursdays.
Here is what I am thinking:
EN PLAN (Vox Tour "hack" in Italics)
2/4 - Rest or run if feeling good (Rode VoxTour stage 1 as recovery effort (high spinning low watts and under 150 BPM HR) )
2/5 - FTP Bike per plan (did the formal FTP test and am at 170W now)
2/6 - Swim Intervals and Run Intervals
2/7 - ABP Bike (VoxTour Stage 2 ride as ABP ride, Zone 2, with as much Z3 as possible - stay on for additional time after the tour to hit the Rx'd1.5 hours. )
2/8 - Swim endurance and run skills
2/9 - 30:00 run then 4 hour bike (Run and VoxTour Stage 3 plus additional time to make the 4 hours)
2/10 - Long run 1 and 2
2/11 - Swim Speed ( Swim Speed in AM plus VoxTour stage 4 as a easy recovery effort in the evening)
2/12 - FTP Bike (Use VoxTour Stage 5 - as my FTP ride?)
What are your thoughts oh wise triathlete whisperer?
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky Always post. Always be posting! You rock with all of this!!!
Really excited to see your quick return; you are doing quite well...let's keep it rolling!!!
~ Coach P
Hi @Coach Patrick !
Today I have some updates and questions for ya!
BIKE BUILD/VOX TOUR Update:
I completed the VOX Tour and had a BLAST! I am glad that I spent so much time in the saddle already this month (over 330 miles from 2/1 - 2/17) as I am feeling the fitness in even my run. I am feeling stronger on the run and am trying to keep my HR average for the run at about my long ride HR average.
2 things I need to do - 1 YOGA and daily stretching/foam rollering. My quads are feeeeeling it - but dang they are looking good! #QuadLife
EDITED 2/21: I am now increasing my calories and I think part of the problem has been nutrition. I am logging my macros and now making sure that I am eating enough to fuel me daily.
2019 IM Training Plan Uploaded and Question on swim strength building without a Vasa:
Last night I loaded up the new 2019 plan in FS to replace the "so last year" 2018 plan 😉 I love it. I decided to forget the "minimalist" and go full on bike focus as I am really REALLY digging Zwift these days and it is making Bike training a breeze! I really was afraid that it would be more difficult to get time in the saddle over the winter but Zwift is a game changer. Also since seeing how biking is helping my run fitness, I feel that overall the bike focus plan is best for me at this point.
Now my struggle is honestly the swim! It is just pool availability however every week I am doing better and getting back to where I need to be.
Question: is it a good idea to supplement (not replace) my swim time with Vasa-esque workouts on my total gym? It's similar to a Vasa Pro Trainer pully system, not the Erg. I just don't have Vasa $$ with 2 IMs this year!
Bike Question on ERG mode in workouts in Zwift:
One thing that I find odd is that I have the power but when I execute a workout in erg mode, it just becomes SUPER DIFFICULT to turn the peddles at the prescribed power over Zone 2 efforts. Like brick hard. Even on my 4 hour long ride Saturday, anything in the green or higher zone was at like a 50-60 rpm cadence. My average cadence over the 4 hours was 76! That is really low for me. What on earth could be causing that?
It has been like that ever since I updated my FTP from 140 to 168. Am I just that weak and the fatigue in my legs shows on these efforts? I am finding it difficult to do the prescribed watts in ERG mode so I often end up dialing down the bias, or flat out changing my FTP in the system.
HOWEVER- During free riding, no issues what so ever turning over the cranks for those numbers, but as soon as I am in ERG mode - boom, like riding through cement. I have to adjust down my FTP all the time now which makes no sense as I am capable of riding at that wattage, or am I not? I also am using my Quarq for power and cadence, over my smart trainer, which a new change for me as well....
I wonder if it would be better to use the Wahoo as my power meter for now as well? I used to and recently switched that up to have power numbers that were more real world as it was coming from my bike and not the trainer - I wonder if there is a topic there, as once I switched to using Quarq readings I am also not able to stay in the power zones even in ERG mode. It is really weird as I keep losing and gaining power quickly resulting in missed stars in my workouts as I'm all over the map from 90 to 170 in a few seconds.
Hmmmm... let me do the FTP workout this week with smart trainer only and see if that helps.
If it does not - any suggestions? Or is it just "Suck it up buttercup?"
EDITED 2/21: OK I switched back to Wahoo for power and I had no issues with turning the cranks last night on my FTP ride. It was hard work as I would expect it to be, but definitely not cement and I could do a decent RPM average. :-)
RUNNING IS AWESOME!
Question - next week (wk 12 of 2019 IM BF) is a test week on the bike however I tested 2 weeks ago. Is it OK for me to do a run focus type week to kick me back into some run durability if I play it smart? I can still do a ride just to keep bike consistency.
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky - I am so excited you decided to do that tour and get out of your comfort zone. It sounds like it was not only a benefit to you physically but that you actually had fun as well! A humble Tri coach cannot ask for more. :-)
I am glad that you are keeping an eye on those calories. It’s worth testing making small changes now so you can see with the investors as we know that will only grow exponentially as the length in duration of your workouts increase when the weather improves.
I am glad that you are keeping an eye on those calories. It’s worth testing making small changes now so you can see with the investors as we know that will only grow exponentially as the length and duration of your workouts increase when the weather improves. I am 100% OK with you supplementing your swim time right now. A huge part of swimming properly is having the requisite strength and control of important muscle groups. Time in the water and general comfort also matters, but those can be checked off as the season gets closer and swimming becomes more of a larger priority.
When you get a chance can you give me a quick outline as to what you are thinking? Remember, it doesn’t have to be very much in the first week or two but once you get comfortable you can begin to build it up.
Sometimes there is an issue translating the power from an extra source into resistance via the kicker. If it’s not “smooth“ then you really need to keep the cadence up to overcome that initial resistance. You can definitely use the wahoo directly for the ERG workouts, but it’s important to note that there’s typically a power differential. For me my kicker was 20 W higher than my actual power, if this is the case for you as well then maybe you will need to increase the FTP for those specific workouts when you use the kicker as the source. Just a thought.
100% YES To a runner focused weeks. Remember it’s all about frequency not any individual workout volume. Will be nice to get you back into a little bit of a run mode to complement your bike fitness and see how your body handles it.
Thank you @Coach Patrick !
SWIM Supplementation - Add in the 12 week Dry Land workouts 1-2x week to assist in strength. I can do these over lunch as to not interrupt my typical training and would be the first thing I would drop if I had crunch for time.
There is also a new SRAM women's Tour that is happening (3 stages over 1 week) so here is my proposed HACK , or what I call the "Get Kryvicky back to butt kicking goodness safely albeit quickly ,in time to start and be fit enough to cross the finish line at IM TX like the true EN Ninja she is" Plan. Too wordy? Nah!
BOLD = Rx'd plan Italics = my proposed hack
WEEK 12 IM PLan
Monday - Swim Test ADD: 30-45 minute easy run
Tuesday -
Bike TestREPLACE WITH SRAM Women's Tour Stage 1, Watopia Flat. Goal: Push hard. ADD: Swim Dryland Routine and 30 minute easy run for durabilityWednesday - Run Cruise Intervals ADD: Restorative Yoga
Thursday - Run long 1 + 2 ADD: Swim Dryland Routine at lunch
Friday - Swim Red Mist + Bike Long (done as SRAM Tour Stage 2)
Saturday - Bike Long + Run
Sunday - ABP ADD: 30-45 minute easy run
^^^This adding of runs will bump my weekly volume by 6-10 miles in a safe way.
Week 13 and on we are now back to Tues/Thursday rides and Sunday long runs, so I would propose to keep in the Dryland work on Mondays, as I will be swimming Wednesday and Fridays in the plan.
Sounds perfect. My only edit would be to give you flexibility with regards to the weekend running. I think Red mist plus the rides will put a lot of stress on you. Consider drop a WKND run just for additional recovery. Don’t think of it negatively, think of it is giving yourself a reason and room to grow on the bike.
Will do!
I need some "looking ahead" help here. I just found out that I am going to Germany for work next month, leaving the last day of CAMP week (in the evening, hours after the long run - perfect for forced rest and recovery since I will be flying overseas non-stop through the night)
Here is the plan as written with my travel and plan hack proposal for you - I need some assistance on altering the WKOs for my travel to make sure I am on the right thought path here.
BOLD = Rx'd per plan, Italics = hack proposal for feedback
For reference I am in the IM Plan Bike Focus, Level 2.
Wk17 Monday - REST Mandatory for camp week participants (which I will be) - Direct Flight to Frankfurt 5:30pm Sunday night arrive 7:30am German time, Monday morning. Rest up and recover - wear calf sleeves on flight, maybe some light walking around on Monday during the day to get used to time change. REST
Wk17 Tuesday - Bike Max Effort GERMANY Work, most likely an evening event. No idea on accommodations yet to know if there will be a pool or gym, however would propose a durability run or swim if possible in place of the bike.
Wk 17 - Wednesday Swim tempo, Run FTP May need no alteration here as I can do these depending on accommodation set up - run for sure if weather is nice or if treadmill in case weather is not nice, swim a possibility if hotel has one. In Europe you never know!
Wk17 Thursday - Bike Intervals - TRAVEL DAY back from Germany - should arrive in the afternoon. Recovery from flight. Skip bike WKO all together. A nice walk with the dogs when I get home then SLEEP.
Wk 17 Friday - Bike big gear WKO + Red Mist swim No alternations aside from possibly skip bike if tired from travel - swim is top priority of these 2 WKOs
Wk17 Saturday onwards - no change, complete plan as Rx.
How'd I do for travel adjustment?
You did!!! At the end of the day you might more time when you get BACK than there (at least that’s my personal perspective) so be prepared. If you had to “lose a day” then Friday is it.
Heads up you know we’ll want pictures!!!
~ Coach P
Hey coach!
So a recap of last week - did not go at all as I wanted but I think that I adjusted well.
I missed Thursday's long run and did Friday's recovery ride in its place. Friday I took as a forced Training Day off after I could not find a pool that could accommodate my Red Mist Swim! I was really starting to get upset because I went to 3 pools and there was no room for me to do the workout before their swim team practices would start, or there was no room for me in a lane at all. The pool situation is frustrating!
Saturday I woke up and went to get in my 4.5 hour ride and boom - had tech issue after tech issue and overall motivation fail and after an hour of fighting with the ride I waved the white flag, got off of the bike and ran a 5k to get my mood back in place.
Sunday I decided to extend the ABP ride to 3 hours to help with volume, and will be getting in the pool today for active recovery and swim durability.
Looking ahead for this week I am going to focus on morning swims and evening bikes, with some lunchtime runs. I am finding what times work best for which workouts right now. I am getting REALLY nervous about IMTX. I think I will be fine to manage the swim and the bike, but my concern is surviving the run/walk. I am going to be hyper focused on recovery and durability these final few weeks. It will all come down to execution!
SOS @Coach Patrick or any WSMs that may catch this first i.e. @Brenda Ross @Trish Marshall etc....
I have a new saddle I'm trying out but am still so beat up from my other saddle that I'm not getting an accurate read on fit. I am feeling some relief already but the sores are really creating an issue when I try to adjust for a hard effort or recovery effort. I am fairly sensitive from the saddle sores being aggravated each ride and am thinking of skipping my Thursday and Friday rides (SST and recovery) so that I'm in better condition soft tissue wise for my 5 hour ride Saturday.
Does this sound like a smart approach? I will do my running and swimming in place of the bike rides until Saturday.
Hey @Coach Patrick
I went ahead and took the test of the week off from riding to let my saddle sores heal. Saturday I woke up at 3am very sick and slept basically through today (Sunday).
Just a heads up that I make te executive decision to be smart last week and again this weekend and listened to my body.
I have no hacks needed for te next 2 weeks so now it's just do the darn thing! I don't see any foreseeable reasons why I can't be really successful trade next few weeks! Score!
There is always a period of time in each training build where we were at in counter pretty serious resistance. Sometimes it’s logistical, as you have experienced. Other times it’s emotional or even physical. All of this is a good reminder that you are putting your body through some really serious levels of work. Whether it’s the fatigue you are feeling from the training session, or the exasperation at trying to make all the things work. Please know that you are definitely not alone in this situation!
It’s really hard for me to advise you on the specifics of a saddle that might work for you. You might want to search the forms here for “women’s try saddle” or maybe head over to visit with chat group me and ask the other people who are actively riding right now. Rest for those saddle sores is key. So two are an excellent pair of bib shorts with plenty of chamois cream before each ride. Once you are done, you want to get those shorts off immediately so that you can keep the area as dry as possible. You definitely don’t want to spend time standing around in wet shorts.
If you do have a saddle sore, I have found that thoroughly cleaning the area and then applying some Neosporin for during the day can be helpful.
I am OK with you taking some time off the bike if you need to let your body heal. Don’t hesitate to add in the other aerobic work in the meantime. A long hike or time on the stairmaster, for example will also work. At this point I just care about time at heart rate and good nutrition execution.
Hi @Coach Patrick I already have a new saddle, just couldn’t try it out due to the sores, I make an executive decision and stood down on rides. I missed the weekend due to feeling really under the weather and here I am now with the Flu- I cannot catch a break.
I am am resting and will return when the body is ready. Right now I am taking this as a reminder that I’m demanding a lot of my body. I need to respect it when it is needing recovery.
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky So Sorry with the forum thread problem....that was me. And I hope you can use the Forums on your mobile phone...they work great for me. In fact I prefer to use the forums on mobile.
Just because you are sick doesn't mean you are any less awesome...it just means you aren't ready to handle any work. If you can stay aerobic with walking or elliptical or easy spinning, I'll take it. I would avoid the pool until you can breathe properly!
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Thank you @Coach Patrick ! Your words always help calm the type-A tri animal in me.
This flu is the extreme chills, fever, headache, everything hurts to the touch, haven't eaten in 3 days, stomach is very angry flu. I've been surviving on extra strength flu meds at night and immodium at day. I'm finally on the upswing today thank goodness, at dinner had my first bite of food since Tuesday breakfast!!! Yay!!!
I hope this means I'll not be sick again for a few years.. I've honestly had enough to last me already!
@Coach Patrick - So guess who is sick again thanks to a trip to Germany that turns out to have been completely unnecessary.
I'm so frustrated and defeated. I'm only able to do what I'm able to do and I'm going to start the race dammit.
IMTX is going to be used as a training day and as execution practice. That's all I can hope for and who knows, maybe something magical will happen and I refuse to deny myself the opportunity for something magical to happen!
I'm just checking in to let you know that I'm still working at it, despite the lack of green in my FS calendar. :-) it's not that I an not trying!!!
It was good to check in with you the other day, can you give me an update on how you’re doing?
H i Coach!
I was able to knock it out pretty quickly! I think by this weekend I will be at 100%. I did Zone 1 work all week - did massage and chiro and walking to keep recovery going, and got in some pool and bike time!
I basically made sure to stay active but careful to monitor the ick. I would do honey to keep coughing at bay between med doses (holy crap that really worked!) , and then took an ati-histamine and Tussin during the day to stop the runny nose and coughing, and then at night mucinex to help move the process along.
I am now feeling much better! I attempted the FTP interval ride last night (IM Wk 17) but my legs laughed at me - hard to jump into 10 minute intervals of FTP when you have been on a diet of steady Z1 effort the last few weeks! I switched to the Wk 13 workout of 3' intervals and reduced the intensity to 90% and was able to complete. Triage!
I feel like I have not EARNED the right to be at IMTX. I am trying to stay out of my head on this and honestly switching from "race" to "baseline/ catered training day" is helping. I received a message this morning from a dear friend who wanted to tell me that I am inspiring her through her own journey to World Championships in Spain. Her message was EXACTLY what I needed to hear at this point and it helped me regain perspective on the journey, the process.
I am shutting out negativity and embracing my wonder woman self!
I also broke the cardinal rule and ran the numbers - I honestly think that I have a hope of finishing this race if I can just stay consistent from here on out and be smart on race day. It is going to be a mental toughness race but I have been preparing for that my whole life. I am both mental and tough! ha ha ha!
So let me run some things by you while I am here...
My plan for the week is:
Today (Friday): lunch swim, PM Bike
Tomorrow (Saturday): ride/run OUTSIDE!!!!! It is supposed to be in the 60's and no rain so I am going to get in some confidence miles. I have a new rear hydration system that fits my new saddle so I am hoping to test it out in the real world for how well it stays put.
Sunday: 3 hour run in the AM to test out nutrition and clothing.
Wk18 - Start sauna heat acclimation protocol (correct?)
Monday: Recovery Swim and Chiro
Tuesday: Red Mist swim and Taper Vo2 Run and Massage w/hot stones
Wednesday: Bike FTP
Thursday: ALTERED WORKOUT: Split 2 hour long run I do not have any free time at all on Thursday due to an early morning and late night planned at work. My goal is to split the workout if possible or do whatever I can at night.
Friday onwards: per plan. Chiro and massage before leaving for IMTX
RACE WEEK EXECUTION
I am travelling the 22nd-24th so my idea was to keep hydrated and stetch as much as possible while on the road. Once in TX, I will do some acclimation work - I see that you suggested 4pm, pre-dinner 30' run as an option, so I will do that at least once, and then some preactice swims and easy bike work just to make sure everything is working from the trip down.
Thank you coach P!
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky Thanks for the update. You are ready. There is no particular minor level of fitness that’s a prerequisite. As you know, people of all different shapes and sizes and backgrounds and ability levels complete Iron Man. It’s what you have upstairs that matters and how much heart. I speak confidently knowing that you possess both in spades.
Your progression is fine. Yes, you can begin the sauna work as you have time. I agree, how are you execute will end up being the final arbiter of your placed a performance. Let me know when you posted your race plan to the race forum and I will take a look at it! Good luck the rest of this week and this weekend!
~ Coach P
Hi Coach! It is done!
https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/25733/kryvickys-imtx-race-plan/p1?new=1
it looks fantastic...nicely done!!
~ Coach P
@Jenniferlyn Kryvicky - so great to talk to you last week. My apologies that it has taken me a few days to get back to you.
I have outlined the plan for you through IMFL. I recommend a modified RDP Phase 3 plan into the Bike Focus plan before the build to IMFL. I want you to reintegrate slowly enough that we can build some meaningful momentum into the rest of your year.
I haven't loaded the final weeks into IMFL as I want to see how you are going to do first in the middle part of your year. OK?