IMMT Training July 31 - August 7
Has everyone looked at the Four Keys yet? Time to brush up as you're doing your last bit of training.
X - Race day is about execution NOT fitness
Theme for this week is important. Start visualizing your upcoming RR2 and Race Day in terms of simply Executing your Fitness:
The majority of athletes on race day are fitness-focused (look at my T-shirt, look at my abs/veins/etc, look at how fast I can go in the first hour of the bike, etc.). They think of race day as the application of their fitness to the course, the distance. They are wrong. Race day is about the application of sound execution skills to a long day. Your fitness is just along for the ride. Through our observation of many, many races we can tell you that fully 90% of athletes out there do not understand this and do not know how to execute properly. For the Endurance Nation athlete then, race day is largely an exercise is doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing!
Easy to read/comprehend the above, difficult to actually apply on race day, when you feel rested, invincible with adrenaline and the best you have felt during the entire training cycle. So important to start thinking and scripting this concept now.
/ - The Line
Prepare your mental game. In so doing, remember there will be cumulative fatigue building throughout race day. So important to follow your plan, race your race and prepare for THE LINE.
EVERYTHING before The Line is simply about creating conditions for success for when the Line comes to you.
A successful race = a good run. There is no such thing as a good bike followed by bad run, period. In our world, if you showed up with solid run fitness, had a "good" bike and a poor run, we will ALWAYS assume you messed up your bike pacing unless you are missing a limb or are in the ICU with an intestinal parasite.
If you think you can ride faster than we're telling you, prove it by running well off the bike first (preferably not attempted for the first time on race day!).
Ride your "should" bike split vs your "could" bike split. YourCould split is what you tell Timmy you could ride on a good day, when you're out together for your Saturday ride. If you say you "could ride a 5:50," your Should split is likely 6:00 and defined as the bike split that yields a good run (see #1 above).
Don't be a Caboose, be an Engine! Ironman in general, but especially the bike leg, is an exercise in consistency. You don't need straight-A's to win your day, you only have to show up with your C game to be at the head of the class. If you find yourself doing the opposite of everyone else, you're doing the right thing. Lots of people passing you in the first 40 miles of the bike? Everyone else sprinting out of T2? These folks are making your race day easier by showing you what not to do; it's up to you to resist the urge to join in!
Think you made the mistake of riding too easy? You now have 26 miles to fix that mistake. Make the mistake of riding too hard? That mistake now has 26 miles to express itself, to the tune of X miles at 17-18' walking pace vs X miles at 8-10' running pace. Do the math. How is that nice bike split going to look as you are walking/shuffling the last 10 miles of the run adding another hour and forty minutes to your overall finish time?
Whats going on in everyones mind?
Did everyone sign up for team dinner?
Comments
Done with all the bike rides, tomorrow doing the last long run
Day 1
Swim:
https://www.strava.com/activities/1110340849
Decided to race IMMT without wetsuit, I am pretty sure that the reason why I cant get same OWS time.
Bike:
https://www.strava.com/activities/1111019450
Was a warm day here today, so really paid attention to the nutrition and hydratation and on execution, avg speed is below the targeted pace but thats mainly due to lights and stops and places where I had to slow down. Happy with the execution and how my day went.
90% of the HR was in zone 2
Tried to focus on keeping cadence and steady power but realized its impossible with all the stops and lights.
Got caught in the rain in my way back on the bridge coming back home
Run :
https://www.strava.com/activities/1111135258
It was really cool after the storms, so that explains why I could ran that fast, that wasnt suppose to happened !
Day 2:
Bike:
https://www.strava.com/activities/1112640680
I honestly think the 2nd bike ride was better executed, I went faster and the watts were steady, the road was gorgeous, no cars so I felt safe!
Day 3:
Bike:
https://www.strava.com/activities/1114316130
That one was tuff, I started feeling the bonk coming at km 80-85 and was still far from home. Had to dig deep, couldnt feel the taste of my sport drinks hah.. at least its done and my butt is glad that all this biking is over !
Tomorrow doing 2hrs long run, goal will be not slow down, focus hydratation and rest hard when getting back home.
Good luck and have fun to those starting their camp!
https://www.strava.com/activities/1115378452
This morning wanted to go for a 5K swim but that didnt happened, I stayed to bed a bit longer
https://www.strava.com/activities/1116808478
The first mile was hard AF, body didnt want to comply, took a 200m EASY and everything came back to normal speed.
Good luck this week end !
for me the plans are to do the interval run tomorrow morning and the EN ABP Zwift ride Sunday.
Who here arrives in Mtl a few days before heading to MT ? let me know if you want to go for dinner or anything else, I am finally leaving for MT early Thursday morning.
Enjoy your camp week end for those doing it this week end !
@Dawn Cass how is your foot going ? just saw this in the coatch thread
Hello Francis and excellent work in the last week.....workouts have been strong and now take the time to taper.
On my end...unfortunately after my 14 mile run last week, my calf started to bother me. I actually tore it last November and spent 6 months nursing it back to health. Seems it's come back so now playing it safe. No final long run for me and will spend as much time on the bike this weekend as possible. Was teed up to do a 40 mile run week this week...which will turn into approx 3...yikes!
Will see how things develop but not the best timing to have a setback!
Julian and I will be driving into town on the Thursday so will aim to make the team dinner if we can get into town on time.
Good luck to all this weekend...nearly there!
Now time to get my head around doing what it takes to manage successfully the last 8 miles of a IM run on 8/20.
Looking forward to sharing the experience with all!
SS
looking forward to meeting everyone in a couple of weeks!
http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/MasterRacingPages/IronmanMontTremblant.aspx
Coach P does a course overview, for those who never trained or raced on the course its a must watch
one week left and is party (??!?) time