Patti Thompson Micro
Hi coach, I know you're in camp so not expecting instant reply but I am sick - a cold which sounds so wuss but I feel just totally knackered - I'm in week 14 of HIM beginner for Esgleman on June 11and it's my first HIM. I missed Thursday's long run and Friday's swim - did a walk run thing for three miles Friday and I was all set to kill it on the trainer this morning and I just have nothing. I'm planning now to hopefully do a totally aerobic ride later today outside - our weather here in NJ is supposed to be gorgeous - and then tomorrow do the ABP ride as written. This is all barring a fever ... if that happens I know to pull the plug.
Am I going to be ready for June if I can get myself together next week??? I did a 49 miler last weekend in the rain and cold and ten hours total training which is my most ever.
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Up last night with coughing and not really looking forward to trying to swim this morning with this hacking so I'm going to go for a jog of about 3-4 miles in my new Brooks Transcends and hopefully whatever is living in my lungs will get out of there soon!!!!
*EDIT* So that 3-4 mile run turned into about a 2 mile jog/mostly walk. Head and chest closed up on me once I got out there - maybe I'm dealing with a bit of allergies too... Time for Dayquil then off to the office.
SO jealous of all the camp pics from Blue Ridge Mountains - I definitely plan to get in on a camp next season!!!!
I am glad you slept, can't afford not to listen to your body...that rest is KEY. I feel like allergies might be the issue, as we dealt with this last year, no? What was our solution then?
~ Coach P
Ps would LOVE to have you at camp!!!
I'm NOT sick
I did a swim race practice today and got in some over/unders on the bike followed by a quick two mile run and my core routine. Loved it! 3 times around the quarry just getting used to the wetsuit. Hit all my numbers... running still a little flat since Boston but otherwise good. even washed and lubed the bike
( and still did some work at the office!)
Sorry Coach that was me!!! I should've put my last name (Thompson) - and come to think of it I really didn't ask much of a question! Just to bring you up to speed I'm on week 15 of Beg HIM plan - got in abbreviated 1900 yd swim this morning and shooting to do run after work....
Next Saturday I am signed up to do a 62 mile bike tour with the club. Plan is to do it on my tri bike (we are all triathletes so its cool) then on Sunday we drive to Williamsburg VA for a visit with grandchildren. While I am away I plan to do a "longish" run on Monday and maybe some recreational/mild swims. How does that sound? The following weekend (May 13) I will be doing my first race rehearsal weekend.
And yes, just like the other Patti, I think this may be somewhat allergy-related, as the Flonase seemed to help a lot!
Sorry for all the confusion Coach!
@Patricia Rosen @Patti Thompson
I think if it was the top of your foot and the PTT area, that could be significant. Have you contacted your PT / Doc yet to learn their opinion?
I say no running right now...and honestly I support you no matter what you decide. This might just mean that this year's 13.1 isn't in the cards, but let's get more info first!
Standing by...
~ Coach P
I have a half aqua bike this weekend that I was using as a race rehearsal anyway, so I figure I will just see how everything feels when I get off the bike and if the leg is willing I will do the RR run, obviously pulling the plug if anything feels bad.
I have not yet made an appt with my doc, will do so if this goes south. Will keep you updated as to how this all pans out. Sound okay?
Thanks Coach P!
Patti
I'm not sure how to keep on track mentally when I am feeling so crappy physically. I think I am also terrible at monitoring my power output. The numbers jump around a lot and I sort of tune out and go by feel like I'm racing short course. My biggest problem is that I have a hard time maintaining focus for these long course events.
Nutrition went well, I took a gel every 45 minutes and drank 1.5 bottles of Gatorade Endurance. My takeaway from all my long rides is that I have an iron gut, though I have not had a really hot day yet. The swim was fine, it just is what it is right now.
On the up side, my foot and leg and even my lower back feel 1000 times better today and I plan to do a little trot around the block tomorrow (Tuesday) after my swim and do a genuine RR brick of 6 miles on Saturday.
Sorry about yesterday’s tone. I was feeling pretty down about how I executed. After work I went home and put my bike back to where I feel comfortable again and also to where I feel like I can produce some power to the pedals. Also, did a good swim this morning followed by a strong 3 mile run. Just ran how I felt and it felt wonderful. Stretched good afterward and will do my PT tonight as well.
I have to remind myself that long course racing doesn’t happen overnight, even though all my friends are doing it and having success, I am a newbie and there will be a long learning curve at 52 years old. That being said, the biggest thing I have to let go is my ego on the bike. I hate (hate!) having others pass me and especially others near my age. There are times when it seems that to stay in my necessary power zone I am going to have to switch to the small ring!!! I have to make peace with this. I will learn it if it kills me!
All this being as it is, what do you think I can do as far as my run? I last ran a 9 miler on May 4th and an 8 miler on May 11th. Those were my longest runs this training phase. If my leg holds up and is feeling good, I wanted to shoot for an 8 miler this Thursday, then the RR 6 miler on Saturday. Based on this, if all goes well next Thursday I would shoot for a 10 miler and that would be my last long run until Eagleman. Let me know what you think and thank you!
Second, I want to remind you that Racing long course it's just a different exercise. It's much less a drag race of who is in front, but a game of tortoise versus the hair. The smartest athlete will win, and patience and staying inside your own happy place on the bike and run or critical components of that success. You can certainly try to chase other people, and try to go harder to pass them, but overall rate they only cares how consistent you are all day. There are no metals or rewards for getting to the top of the hill, or to the telephone pole first.
Hi Coach and thanks for the sensible words. What you say makes perfect sense and when I read the aqua bike article in the blog the other day it really shed light on the strategy of long course aqua bike as well. I have to remember that my fitness and my ability is where it is right now (not where I WISH it was!) and that I have to ride sensibly and keep the big picture in mind. Yes, I like the analogy of playing chess! Racing short course and always being strong on the bike I got used to making snap decisions - which is probably why I always thought my run sucked! I'm going to look at long course as a project and a long term project at that. Also, my power meter is set to (I think) 30 second average? I thought that it would smooth it out more. Also, I have the Quarq Riken if that helps. Thanks again!
BTW, I also put my bit fit back to about what I had it at previously, raising seat about an inch and leveled out aero bars so that they were not in the praying mantis configuration. Ahhhh!!! Gels, blocks and GE on the bike, no problem getting them in about every 45 minutes. Still hate the roads and traffic when I am not in a race but got this done with an NP of 123/ average power of 118. Should I be watching average power or NP or just the current power at 30 seconds on my Garmin during the race?
Got off the bike, only sore in my saddle area, not the legs too much, even from earlier wobbliness. Mentally had just NO desire to run but headed down the road telling myself I could walk every mile for 30 paces. Ran facing traffic which due to the camber of the road causes my right arch and PTT to take the brunt of the angle so I turned around and ran farrrr over to the shoulder of the road with traffic. Ran past my car at 20 minutes and was actually feeling fantastic, like really surprisingly good, legs and body and everything! So I ran out to the 40 minute point, not really looking at my watch, just running super comfortably and walking when each mile beeped for 30 steps. Got back to the car with about 3 minutes to spare, walked around the parking area and hit the button on 60 minutes with an average pace of 11:21, which is my Zone 3 pace.
I was shocked at how well this went and excited all over again for Eagleman. Sunday I did a 1.2 mile local OWS race which was in a river with a wicked current so it was a hell of a workout. Followed up with a road bike spin for about an hour with a friend who is doing Eagleman too. Just a wonderful weekend of training which makes me so happy about long course racing! Leg(s) and body feeling great and fingers crossed the next 2 weeks rocks!
I am pleased with all the numbers I see. When you were writing life you want to look at the real power. If you haven't done so already, I suggest you set your Garman to auto lap every 2 miles. This will give you a normalized power number for those 2 miles, and you can work on keeping that number as close to what your target is this possible. It's basically like getting a six-minute summary of how you are doing...over and over!!
~ Coach P
Hey Coach P! Eagleman went beautifully!!! I truly could not have asked for a better introduction to long course racing than the day I had. So excited about my training and thanks to EN. All I kept telling myself on the bike was "long course racing is a chess game, not checkers." Perfect! My race report is up if you want more details.
My question is what's next. My next big race (A) is our NJ State Oly distance Aqua Bike on July 23rd. I really want to do my best here because it is the first year there will be named state champs! Coach Rich has me loading the GF plan next but I was wondering about the AquaBike programs instead? Will I be overdoing it though to do the long course AB plan for the Oly race or will I be sacrificing my bike legs if I do the shorter harder stuff in the GF plan? Is there a happy medium or a way I can modify one or the other?
Thank you so much Coach!
I would like you to load the AB plan into your account, and then you and I can discuss about how to adjust accordingly. As a starter, please get me the distances of the swim and the bike and we can go from there. So excited for you!
Actually, now that I think about it, how about you start a new thread in the general discussion form titled "adjusting the aqua bike plan for the Olympic distance" and then we can have a discussion of the rest of the team can follow and view. Please post the link here when you are ready. Thank you!
We have to balance your desire to keep some level of Brun fitness with the demands of the event. Given your training thus far this season, I don't feel we need to force the run and the extra swim.
Hi Coach! Haven't checked in in a bit and I am behind on race reports but I just wanted to give you the condensed version of where I am at. I raced a sprint aqua bike on July 8th and took 2nd to a wicked fast 39 year old. I woke up that morning sick to my stomach, eventually getting sick before leaving the house, so I don't think my legs were 100% in that race. Yesterday I finally finished a short cycling TT (the first one a couple years ago I flatted and then earlier this spring weather caused a cancellation and this was the first one that fit into my schedule). I was lucky in that only 4 CAT 4's showed up so I got a podium but even better than that was I bumped up my FTP by TEN WATTS!!! I knew I was sandbagging, LOL! ;-)
So I am going 100% aqua bike going forward for the rest of my season. The few short, easy runs that I have done (probably totaling 8 miles since Eagleman) have caused my PTT to be just too sore. I am limping around and my boyfriend has just finally said "Are you kidding?" and he's right - there is no joy in running for me right now but I am so excited and passionate about improving my swim and bike so I think I have made the decision to DNF LP 70.3 (which means I can sit and watch all the runners after my bike is over!)
So my "A" race of NJ State aqua bike is this Sunday and then I am jumping into Week 5 of 20 week Aqua Bike program. My Big "A" race is obviously Aqua Bike Nationals at Miami Man on November 12.
All the best and I am excited about EN's future and maybe I will be looking to you for cyclocross guidance in the future.... Looks wicked!
Patti