@Coach Patrick Hello and hope all is well! Expecting you are near boarding a flight at this point. Best of luck next weekend and of course we will all be following you. One of these years I look forward to getting there with you.
Practical question please...for Louisville. I have been planning to ride the course with target stats as per MT. I was pretty close to where I should have been. Could have pushed it a bit more...but for what it's worth, stats were TSS 294, NP 155, IF .72. I plugged in a TSS of 294 into BBS to do the calcs.
I was planning to ride with similar targets....but now thinking to double check with you. Should I be targeting the same or considering this is my second race, take it down a notch assuming there is still some residual fatigue. OR....perhaps target a bit more as I was perhaps a bit low on the IF? I am not inclined to go higher as my main goal on this race is to see if I can better the run....I don't want to go all out on the bike.
Dawn - while Coach P is on Hawaii, he's asked some of us to look in on the Coach Threads and "answer for him" (as if that would be possible!). Here's my take on how you should approach the bike leg at IMLV:
I took a look at your bike file from IMMT again. I notice that your avg power in the first 20 miles is pretty much the same as in the last 20 miles - 150 at the start, 148 at the end (which seems to have a fair amount of climbing).
Your run @ IMMT disappointed you, hence the desire to focus primarily on getting that right @ LV - you're looking for 20 minutes.
Your metrics for the bike in MT were right at the edge of your envelope: IF, VI, TSS
I put all that into my brain and come out with...follow the EN execution rules for the first 45-60 minutes of the bike. Backing off to an average power of 140 right out the chute, building to 150 by the end of the first hour - *gradually* - might cost you a couple of minutes at the most, but could gain you massive minutes on the run. Consider this an experiment to see if that little tweak gives you the run endurance you are looking for. Of course, you'll have to make the nutrition modifications you considered in your race recap...
To specifically answer your question: I would keep the same assumption about your bike power going into this race, unless you have either a short (Oly) bike split, or true field test (40 minutes on your TT bike outside) which gives you an FTP that differs by more than 2-3 watts from the one you assumed @ Mont Tremblant.
Apply the same level of focus and attention to process details during the bike and run that you did in Tremblant, back off a touch for the first hour of the bike, and nail your hydration and fueling last hour of the bike and first 2.5 hours of the run, and you'll have the strength you're looking for to bring it home.
@Al Truscott Hello Al, and thanks for "standing in" for Coach P...your advise is always spot on!
I like your thinking. Overall this race is more of a "test" race for me. i.e., it's not A race so let's try out some things and see what happens. If it goes wrong, I will more than likely be upset however on the flip side, I will have learned something valuable to set me up for next year's A race. If it works....super bonus on Sunday!
I have also changed my nutrition plan and been practicing on my longer runs. Granted, long runs since MT have been capped at 1.5 hours however I have focused on taking in more nutrition at the start (i.e., gels at T2, 2 miles, 4, 6, 8) where in the past I would actually only take gels every 45 minutes from the start (and in MT as you know my head was in a different planet and missed 1.15hrs of nutrition!) Will see if that also helps later down the road on the run.
This week's plan is going to be to take it easy. I have actually been feeling very fatigued in the last week or so...very different to what I have ever felt. I have never done 2 IM's in a year...much less within 6 weeks of each other. If you have any helpful hints on what to do this final week to help "recover", do let me know.
@Coach Patrick Hello! Hope you are recovering well and look forward to hearing about Kona.
As promised in our chat window...here are some things I would like to get your perspective on as we think next year.
1. Post mortem on Louisville - I did PR by a few minutes off IMMT however I actually thought I could achieve more. High level...happy with swim and transitions, no major discussion on this. Kept my head in the box unlike MT....at the end of the run actually "caught/passed" 2 ladies in my AG. Bike...I intentionally decided to ride more of a "should" bike this time to save myself for the run. IF .70 / NP 150 / VI 1.03 / Avg HR 135. Winds and weather were awful however I didn't feel spent after the ride. Not sure if I dialed it down to much however the plan to take it down a notch vs IMMT is how I executed. Run = Nutrition 100% as planned...GE at each mile...gels at start, mile 2, 4, 6, 8. Blocks starting from mile 10. 1 gatorlyte at mile 18. 1st half went well...used heart rate and kept to 135 and not to max 140. All good. Around mile 14 things started to get dodgy....serious GI issues that had me in the porto for a while. Took me a lot to get back going...and in total, had to stop 4-5 times in total with same thing. Each time losing minutes...and tough to get the legs back going. I have NEVER had to stop on the run like this. Could it be the plan to increase nutrition was just TO much? (FYI..bike nutrition was spot on...gel every 30 minutes, 2 bloks, GE).
2. Forward planning - I feel I can hold my own on swim and bike. Simple plan...get faster on swim (work cadence this winter), and up the FTP on bike, including 5 hour power. I am not to worried about these. RUN....this is where I need your help to make a big step change. Goal = how do I run a 3:45 marathon. If I can, I should be in the running for Kona. My best IM marathon is 4:20...best stand alone (although years ago) was 3:50.
3. Race selection - I have not booked anything for 2018. If I were to ask you to rank the races that would maximize my chances at Kona...what would you say? Perhaps you have top 3 races in mind to give me some thoughts.
It’s always hard to race again, and the fact that you raced it close to what you did before is a fantastic sign.
I agree with you and that right now you have the first 2/3 down and you are simply in a position of trying to pick a race with the runners don’t show up! But we need to get your run up there and it will be a long-term project. The key is balancing that one development with your overall health.
I am not worried about your five hour power on the bike, I think that’s important for athletes and their second or maybe third year of Racing. You are beyond that in terms of your strength and actually need to focus more on raising your one, two and three hour power… I see much Zwift in your future.
@Coach Patrick Many thanks for the discussion a while back and also for the new plan. I have jumped straight into the plan and we are off and running (literally!)
A few things then to follow up: 1. Good news is that I am still running. If you remember last year this is when I was out for injury. I am already better off than last year. The question I have is in regards to intensity now. I am easily doing the 25 MPW you have planned and currently doing the run challenge (100 days of straight running). The official run durability plan has 2x1 mile Z4, strides, etc etc. Should I keep up with this intensity? What about the long runs....RD shows up to 90 minutes....you want me to keep closer to an hour to start? 2. Swim...using the Vasa a lot now and just doing 1,000m or so at a time. I should think about doing some workouts now. I can take the workouts in the plan unless you have something specific that is tailored to Vasa? 3. Bike...I am now getting into races and really enjoying them. I find that my average watts are a lot higher than just doing a normal workout. I haven't really been doing 2 hour rides on the weekend...most has been 90 minutes. Not sure if this is hurting me? How do we ensure I get a bump in FTP over the winter? Do you think this will come from racing? Should I start doing more of the formal OS plan for Feb and drop the racing...how should I balance?
Big picture questions around running: As we agreed, we are looking at improving my run in stages...ideally 4:20 marathon to 4ish in '18...and 3:45 in '19. I am doing the miles and time now but finding that I am not very quick. I am actually feeling very sluggish on the treadmill. It's been so cold outside this winter that most miles are done on the TM unfortunately. Should I worry about pace NOW? If so, should we be adding something more into the plan to push?
Season planning racing: I have officially booked CHOO and plan for Steelhead (although not booked) as we talked about. As it happens, Ohio 70.3 is July 29th. Steelhead is the 12th, and CHOO is Sept 30th. We talked about possibly booking two 70.3's if they were close to each other. Question: do you think it helps prep me for CHOO to do two of them? If we think it better prepares me for the full....I will book it. If however you think to focus on one is a better prep, I will more than likely just do Steelhead. Thoughts?
Appreciate thoughts and hope you are keeping warm this winter!
1. We don't need run intensity right now. If you want intensity, then add in some strides...but that's it. Healthy Dawn first before Hard Working (on the run) Dawn please!
2. I'd keep the vasa short and sweet right now. 10' to warm up...then 15' of hard work/intervals...then anywhere from 5' (for a 30' session) to 20' (for a 45' session) at a Steady State effort. Work intervals can be 50s, 100s, 200s but no longer. I'd keep these to 2x a week still for at least 4 weeks. And there's nothing wrong with doing a 30' TT as well, for time. Still plenty of time to do A LOT of work later...build build build...
3. The Racing will Help Tons and will boost the FTP. Let's see where your values are after a few weeks. That said, I'd like you to start getting in a bit more weekend work. The Sunday ABP ride (if that works for you) is the real deal. Anything that's about 2 hours long with several surges of 5' to 8' in duration in there should do the trick. I find group rides are the best for that. Your call. You can let me know your schedule too and I can advise on the races if needed.
4. No pushing right now. You are supposed to feel sluggish. You had a massive year last year, recovered properly and getting into it. When that pace DOES NOT feel sluggish is a great time to add in some work...it just means you aren't ready quite yet!
@Coach Patrick Thanks for the comments...makes all the sense in the world.
The bike is the only piece I could use recommendations still. I managed 2.5 hours last weekend however even with zwift I find it incredibly dull. The last hour of the ride I was doing a race and my heart was just not in it and my power numbers were not there....not because I was tired (in fact I didn’t feel like I worked out!) but just because I was bored.
so with that...if you have suggested races or rides that are good, please let me know. The Sunday ABP ride normally doesn’t work in my schedule. I could do earlier morning sessions on Saturday....or a bit later in the am Sunday. If there are good races during the week...let me know that too. I can ride at 7:30am or mid day-ish during the week.
I may try a built workout this weekend and a movie and see how it goes. If you have ideas on other events however, shoot them over!
@Dawn Cass - I hear you aren’t feeling bored in those workouts. For me typically staying in the group is challenge enough to stay engaged in the race. But I certainly rely on the Discord channel for banter to keep me engaged. I have found that to be very useful as I get to chat or at least listen to people chatting about the ride while I’m in the ride.
It’s all good until people start climbing a hill at 1 million Watts and it all sounds kind of gross. :-)
During the weekends, there are plenty of events to do all day long so you really have no shortage of things to choose from. My personal preference is either to do a longer ride as a warm-up with a short race at the end… Or a moderate race at the beginning and then and endurance ride just to add some time. This past Saturday, for example, there are several 2.0 to 2.5 W per kilo rides that were group training sessions for Endurance. I did my hard ride early and then jump in with them to get extra time. Team ODZ does a ride with 50 minutes steady and then 20 minutes of sprinting which is also great.
They also have a Sunday ride to starts at 5:30 AM EST would you use to get in some steady miles before the family wakes up.
That’s the races, I think you just look at the event channel in years with the app. From what I can see, there are quite a few races that fall into your window, although I don’t know how long that window lasts or if you’re talking EST or CST. Maybe you take a look at Zwift and should be some events the fit the mold and I’ll let you know?
For the record, I don’t write much longer than 100 K which is roughly the 2 1/2 to 3 hour range. That certainly sufficient and you can make it count more by working in a short race or event just to get some TSS.Given the density of men on the platform, you may be better off picking a flatter eighth so Ralph given the density of men on the platform, you might be better off picking a flatter race so you have a better chance of staying in the group.
@Coach Patrick Hello...long time no speak! Hope all is well on your end.
I would like to set up another call however will frame where things are at here to get your first thoughts!
Swim...Vasa has been fantastic! The fact that you can just pop on it downstairs has made life a lot easier. I have only been in the pool once since November and that was in the last couple weeks. I only did sets of 100 and 200 however was comfortably doing 1:27-1:28. I could do this in the past however could not maintain it over the 2,000yds I did the other week. This is clearly not endurance however I like the progress. Our outdoor pool opens next weekend so will plan to get some decent yards in a real pool soon. NEED WORK: I think I need some specific training sessions to challenge my cadence...and then keep that cadence up over a longer distance.
Bike...looking at the last post...I was just getting into racing on Zwift. Since then I have loved it and done a lot more (granted not as much as you)! I seem to be able to hold 200ish watts for 40-60 minutes of a race fairly easily. When doing a normal workout, I felt like I couldn't do that for only 10 minutes. I have not tested this year at all however I certainly feel a lot stronger. My FTP last year was 215 and feel like it "must" have improved. I go into bike focus next so assume this will challenge me additionally above and beyond the OS? NEED WORK: continue to do longer blocks at higher watts than my comfy 150-170. 5 hour power measure probably still needs improvement.
Run....NEED HELP URGENTLY! Here is my biggest concern and where we need to talk more. I have successfully gone from IM Lou until now without major injury (knock on wood now!). My durability is the best it's ever been and I have been sticking to the hack plan completely. 30 mile weeks seem pretty easy and overall expect my average is much higher than last year. Concern is at the moment....it actually feels hard to run. I feel stuck in a rut where 9-9:30's are difficult and my heart rate is high as if I am running 8-8:30's. I wonder if I am just bored? We have not done anything apart from some strides in hack plan and all runs feel the same. Last year at this time I was just coming off injury however ran 70.3 CHOO with a PR run time of 1:58 and felt like I still had a ton left in the tank when finished. Last weekend I did a stand alone half marathon and did it in the same 1:58....but it felt difficult (and I hadn't even done a swim and bike before!). Any thoughts as to what could be going on here? Do we try to push the pace now...or do you think it's still risky on the injury side?
As said, will look to schedule a call however please let me know if you have some initial thoughts.
I will put this in my schedule to review this weekend. Feel free to book that call, just remember I am on the road for that first part of June at Al camp!
@Coach Patrick Thanks for the note...and I have now gotten in and booked a call. The only time that I could get this week was Friday the 1st. I would actually prefer to talk earlier in the week so please let me know if you have some free time...I am pretty flexible. Also, I know you mentioned that you will be with Al next week however not sure when you leave.
Comments
Hello and hope all is well! Expecting you are near boarding a flight at this point. Best of luck next weekend and of course we will all be following you. One of these years I look forward to getting there with you.
Practical question please...for Louisville. I have been planning to ride the course with target stats as per MT. I was pretty close to where I should have been. Could have pushed it a bit more...but for what it's worth, stats were TSS 294, NP 155, IF .72. I plugged in a TSS of 294 into BBS to do the calcs.
I was planning to ride with similar targets....but now thinking to double check with you. Should I be targeting the same or considering this is my second race, take it down a notch assuming there is still some residual fatigue. OR....perhaps target a bit more as I was perhaps a bit low on the IF? I am not inclined to go higher as my main goal on this race is to see if I can better the run....I don't want to go all out on the bike.
Thoughts?
- I took a look at your bike file from IMMT again. I notice that your avg power in the first 20 miles is pretty much the same as in the last 20 miles - 150 at the start, 148 at the end (which seems to have a fair amount of climbing).
- Your run @ IMMT disappointed you, hence the desire to focus primarily on getting that right @ LV - you're looking for 20 minutes.
- Your metrics for the bike in MT were right at the edge of your envelope: IF, VI, TSS
I put all that into my brain and come out with...follow the EN execution rules for the first 45-60 minutes of the bike. Backing off to an average power of 140 right out the chute, building to 150 by the end of the first hour - *gradually* - might cost you a couple of minutes at the most, but could gain you massive minutes on the run. Consider this an experiment to see if that little tweak gives you the run endurance you are looking for. Of course, you'll have to make the nutrition modifications you considered in your race recap...To specifically answer your question: I would keep the same assumption about your bike power going into this race, unless you have either a short (Oly) bike split, or true field test (40 minutes on your TT bike outside) which gives you an FTP that differs by more than 2-3 watts from the one you assumed @ Mont Tremblant.
Apply the same level of focus and attention to process details during the bike and run that you did in Tremblant, back off a touch for the first hour of the bike, and nail your hydration and fueling last hour of the bike and first 2.5 hours of the run, and you'll have the strength you're looking for to bring it home.
Hello Al, and thanks for "standing in" for Coach P...your advise is always spot on!
I like your thinking. Overall this race is more of a "test" race for me. i.e., it's not A race so let's try out some things and see what happens. If it goes wrong, I will more than likely be upset however on the flip side, I will have learned something valuable to set me up for next year's A race. If it works....super bonus on Sunday!
I have also changed my nutrition plan and been practicing on my longer runs. Granted, long runs since MT have been capped at 1.5 hours however I have focused on taking in more nutrition at the start (i.e., gels at T2, 2 miles, 4, 6, 8) where in the past I would actually only take gels every 45 minutes from the start (and in MT as you know my head was in a different planet and missed 1.15hrs of nutrition!) Will see if that also helps later down the road on the run.
This week's plan is going to be to take it easy. I have actually been feeling very fatigued in the last week or so...very different to what I have ever felt. I have never done 2 IM's in a year...much less within 6 weeks of each other. If you have any helpful hints on what to do this final week to help "recover", do let me know.
Thanks again Al.
Hello! Hope you are recovering well and look forward to hearing about Kona.
As promised in our chat window...here are some things I would like to get your perspective on as we think next year.
1. Post mortem on Louisville - I did PR by a few minutes off IMMT however I actually thought I could achieve more. High level...happy with swim and transitions, no major discussion on this. Kept my head in the box unlike MT....at the end of the run actually "caught/passed" 2 ladies in my AG. Bike...I intentionally decided to ride more of a "should" bike this time to save myself for the run. IF .70 / NP 150 / VI 1.03 / Avg HR 135. Winds and weather were awful however I didn't feel spent after the ride. Not sure if I dialed it down to much however the plan to take it down a notch vs IMMT is how I executed. Run = Nutrition 100% as planned...GE at each mile...gels at start, mile 2, 4, 6, 8. Blocks starting from mile 10. 1 gatorlyte at mile 18. 1st half went well...used heart rate and kept to 135 and not to max 140. All good. Around mile 14 things started to get dodgy....serious GI issues that had me in the porto for a while. Took me a lot to get back going...and in total, had to stop 4-5 times in total with same thing. Each time losing minutes...and tough to get the legs back going. I have NEVER had to stop on the run like this. Could it be the plan to increase nutrition was just TO much? (FYI..bike nutrition was spot on...gel every 30 minutes, 2 bloks, GE).
2. Forward planning - I feel I can hold my own on swim and bike. Simple plan...get faster on swim (work cadence this winter), and up the FTP on bike, including 5 hour power. I am not to worried about these. RUN....this is where I need your help to make a big step change. Goal = how do I run a 3:45 marathon. If I can, I should be in the running for Kona. My best IM marathon is 4:20...best stand alone (although years ago) was 3:50.
3. Race selection - I have not booked anything for 2018. If I were to ask you to rank the races that would maximize my chances at Kona...what would you say? Perhaps you have top 3 races in mind to give me some thoughts.
Look forward to catching up!
It’s always hard to race again, and the fact that you raced it close to what you did before is a fantastic sign.
Keep me me posted on the call @Dawn Cass
Many thanks for the discussion a while back and also for the new plan. I have jumped straight into the plan and we are off and running (literally!)
A few things then to follow up:
1. Good news is that I am still running. If you remember last year this is when I was out for injury. I am already better off than last year. The question I have is in regards to intensity now. I am easily doing the 25 MPW you have planned and currently doing the run challenge (100 days of straight running). The official run durability plan has 2x1 mile Z4, strides, etc etc. Should I keep up with this intensity? What about the long runs....RD shows up to 90 minutes....you want me to keep closer to an hour to start?
2. Swim...using the Vasa a lot now and just doing 1,000m or so at a time. I should think about doing some workouts now. I can take the workouts in the plan unless you have something specific that is tailored to Vasa?
3. Bike...I am now getting into races and really enjoying them. I find that my average watts are a lot higher than just doing a normal workout. I haven't really been doing 2 hour rides on the weekend...most has been 90 minutes. Not sure if this is hurting me? How do we ensure I get a bump in FTP over the winter? Do you think this will come from racing? Should I start doing more of the formal OS plan for Feb and drop the racing...how should I balance?
Big picture questions around running:
As we agreed, we are looking at improving my run in stages...ideally 4:20 marathon to 4ish in '18...and 3:45 in '19. I am doing the miles and time now but finding that I am not very quick. I am actually feeling very sluggish on the treadmill. It's been so cold outside this winter that most miles are done on the TM unfortunately. Should I worry about pace NOW? If so, should we be adding something more into the plan to push?
Season planning racing:
I have officially booked CHOO and plan for Steelhead (although not booked) as we talked about. As it happens, Ohio 70.3 is July 29th. Steelhead is the 12th, and CHOO is Sept 30th. We talked about possibly booking two 70.3's if they were close to each other. Question: do you think it helps prep me for CHOO to do two of them? If we think it better prepares me for the full....I will book it. If however you think to focus on one is a better prep, I will more than likely just do Steelhead. Thoughts?
Appreciate thoughts and hope you are keeping warm this winter!
Dawn
Thanks for the update...here we go!!!!!!!!!
1. We don't need run intensity right now. If you want intensity, then add in some strides...but that's it. Healthy Dawn first before Hard Working (on the run) Dawn please!
2. I'd keep the vasa short and sweet right now. 10' to warm up...then 15' of hard work/intervals...then anywhere from 5' (for a 30' session) to 20' (for a 45' session) at a Steady State effort. Work intervals can be 50s, 100s, 200s but no longer. I'd keep these to 2x a week still for at least 4 weeks. And there's nothing wrong with doing a 30' TT as well, for time. Still plenty of time to do A LOT of work later...build build build...
3. The Racing will Help Tons and will boost the FTP. Let's see where your values are after a few weeks. That said, I'd like you to start getting in a bit more weekend work. The Sunday ABP ride (if that works for you) is the real deal. Anything that's about 2 hours long with several surges of 5' to 8' in duration in there should do the trick. I find group rides are the best for that. Your call. You can let me know your schedule too and I can advise on the races if needed.
4. No pushing right now. You are supposed to feel sluggish. You had a massive year last year, recovered properly and getting into it. When that pace DOES NOT feel sluggish is a great time to add in some work...it just means you aren't ready quite yet!
5. Yes to both 70.3's please...that's perfect!!!
~ Coach P
Thanks for the comments...makes all the sense in the world.
The bike is the only piece I could use recommendations still. I managed 2.5 hours last weekend however even with zwift I find it incredibly dull. The last hour of the ride I was doing a race and my heart was just not in it and my power numbers were not there....not because I was tired (in fact I didn’t feel like I worked out!) but just because I was bored.
so with that...if you have suggested races or rides that are good, please let me know. The Sunday ABP ride normally doesn’t work in my schedule. I could do earlier morning sessions on Saturday....or a bit later in the am Sunday. If there are good races during the week...let me know that too. I can ride at 7:30am or mid day-ish during the week.
I may try a built workout this weekend and a movie and see how it goes. If you have ideas on other events however, shoot them over!
thanks as always!
During the weekends, there are plenty of events to do all day long so you really have no shortage of things to choose from. My personal preference is either to do a longer ride as a warm-up with a short race at the end… Or a moderate race at the beginning and then and endurance ride just to add some time. This past Saturday, for example, there are several 2.0 to 2.5 W per kilo rides that were group training sessions for Endurance. I did my hard ride early and then jump in with them to get extra time. Team ODZ does a ride with 50 minutes steady and then 20 minutes of sprinting which is also great.
They also have a Sunday ride to starts at 5:30 AM EST would you use to get in some steady miles before the family wakes up.
That’s the races, I think you just look at the event channel in years with the app. From what I can see, there are quite a few races that fall into your window, although I don’t know how long that window lasts or if you’re talking EST or CST. Maybe you take a look at Zwift and should be some events the fit the mold and I’ll let you know?
For the record, I don’t write much longer than 100 K which is roughly the 2 1/2 to 3 hour range. That certainly sufficient and you can make it count more by working in a short race or event just to get some TSS.Given the density of men on the platform, you may be better off picking a flatter eighth so Ralph given the density of men on the platform, you might be better off picking a flatter race so you have a better chance of staying in the group.
Hello...long time no speak! Hope all is well on your end.
I would like to set up another call however will frame where things are at here to get your first thoughts!
Swim...Vasa has been fantastic! The fact that you can just pop on it downstairs has made life a lot easier. I have only been in the pool once since November and that was in the last couple weeks. I only did sets of 100 and 200 however was comfortably doing 1:27-1:28. I could do this in the past however could not maintain it over the 2,000yds I did the other week. This is clearly not endurance however I like the progress. Our outdoor pool opens next weekend so will plan to get some decent yards in a real pool soon. NEED WORK: I think I need some specific training sessions to challenge my cadence...and then keep that cadence up over a longer distance.
Bike...looking at the last post...I was just getting into racing on Zwift. Since then I have loved it and done a lot more (granted not as much as you)! I seem to be able to hold 200ish watts for 40-60 minutes of a race fairly easily. When doing a normal workout, I felt like I couldn't do that for only 10 minutes. I have not tested this year at all however I certainly feel a lot stronger. My FTP last year was 215 and feel like it "must" have improved. I go into bike focus next so assume this will challenge me additionally above and beyond the OS? NEED WORK: continue to do longer blocks at higher watts than my comfy 150-170. 5 hour power measure probably still needs improvement.
Run....NEED HELP URGENTLY! Here is my biggest concern and where we need to talk more. I have successfully gone from IM Lou until now without major injury (knock on wood now!). My durability is the best it's ever been and I have been sticking to the hack plan completely. 30 mile weeks seem pretty easy and overall expect my average is much higher than last year. Concern is at the moment....it actually feels hard to run. I feel stuck in a rut where 9-9:30's are difficult and my heart rate is high as if I am running 8-8:30's. I wonder if I am just bored? We have not done anything apart from some strides in hack plan and all runs feel the same. Last year at this time I was just coming off injury however ran 70.3 CHOO with a PR run time of 1:58 and felt like I still had a ton left in the tank when finished. Last weekend I did a stand alone half marathon and did it in the same 1:58....but it felt difficult (and I hadn't even done a swim and bike before!). Any thoughts as to what could be going on here? Do we try to push the pace now...or do you think it's still risky on the injury side?
As said, will look to schedule a call however please let me know if you have some initial thoughts.
Looking forward to speaking!
Dawn
Thanks for the note...and I have now gotten in and booked a call. The only time that I could get this week was Friday the 1st. I would actually prefer to talk earlier in the week so please let me know if you have some free time...I am pretty flexible. Also, I know you mentioned that you will be with Al next week however not sure when you leave.
Please let me know!
Have a great Memorial Day and talk soon.