Hoffs 2017 IMKY Report
Ironman Louisville 2017 –
The stats Planned 2017 IMKY-2011
Swim 1:05 1:04:54 1:26:05
Bike 5:21 5:29:18 6:13:54
Run 3:40 4:29:16 5:30:26
Total 11:12:07 13:22:20
T1 + T2 9:30 8:49(top3) 11:55
AG Place Top
10 22 133
Bike power 192NP/186AP
1.03 Vi
Total Ride Avg HR 131
1st half power 206NP/196AP
1st half Avg HR 128
2nd half power 182NP/176AP
2nd half Avg HR 135
HR PACE
Total Run 120 10:23
1st 7 Miles 134 8:38
1st 1/2 129 9:12
2nd 1/2 113 11:40
Bike power file - http://tpks.ws/GlNvv
run File - http://tpks.ws/zXSnl
Pre-start & Swim
The new Louisville line up which used to be first come first served was
changed to line up in groups by predicted time. I had wanted to be near the
front and predicted my swim to be a 1:05. After taking care of bike at
transition, I walked to the start, found Dave Tallo, where we sat and chatted.
Nerves started getting edgy as we put on wetsuits and they started to organize
us to walk down to the docks. I was on the floating dock for the start, not far
from the front. By coincidence, my friend Colin Martin’s sister was right in
front of me, that helped calm the nerves.
Gun goes off, line moves up, cross timing wires, start watch, jump in
and start swimming. Pretty uneventful swimming up-current on the back side of
the island, at least compared to Lake Placid’s fight for the cable. Once you
clear the island, you still have a few hundred yards up current and I think it’s
pretty clear there is more current here. I am the “weather guy” from my former
sailing days and while sharing thoughts on the weather forecast, (very sharp
front coming through during the race) I did not share that we would have wind
against current (which means more chop) I think people were worried enough
about thunderstorm potential. It was choppy and I got a mouthful of water on
more than one occasion. During the swim, I continually channeled Mike Robert’s
& John Withrow’s advice on my race plan thread. Swim hard with no gliding
in the upstream portion and don’t get lazy on the downstream portion, swim hard
the whole time, which I can say I did! I came out of the water and across the
timing mat and saw a 1:04 on my watch. 1st sigh of relief as I had
nailed the swim to the best of my potential.
Got my wetsuit stripped and took off, (I had a Transition time bet to
win against Withrow). Grabbed my bag, ran to the t tent, slowing down to
negotiate the entrance on wet grass, dumped bag, called a volunteer to pack my
bag, and took off. They changed the transition mount line since the last time I
did this race in 2011. Instead of mounting at the bike out arch, they have you
jog about 200 yards of concrete walk to the street, make a left turn, &
then mount in the street.
Got off uneventfully on the bike and got to work. In a usual IM
situation, I would have my target NP (185 in this case) a goal watts to create
that NP that’s a lil higher, (190) and goal watts for hills (205) and a hard
cap for steep short hills (220). For this race, I decided to load and follow a
Best Bike Split power plan. I am not sure it had me riding harder, but I was
always often over target… It just felt right. I’d come down a hill, into a
climb, look at a target of 210, see 230 on my power meter and feel my RPE as
barely pushing on the pedals.. I’d back off as the hill got steeper, and try to
moderate the number, but I observed myself continually hitting higher numbers.
It became evident as Paul Curtin passed me on mile 57 (just as I was taking a
leak) that This was not sustainable. One of these IMs, I am going to have the discipline
to truly stick to my numbers for the first 50 miles. Maybe I’ve finally learned
my lesson? More on that later..
The only thing of note on this bike was the wind. Aside from the front
moving across with a strong gradient between the incoming cold low and outgoing
high, was the rain cells along the front. I never really saw anything more than
a light drizzle for a few minutes, but as cells would open up, the already
crazy winds (15-20 with gusts to 30) would alter direction and intensity. The
last turn on the course leads you into a section that is rollers with a net downhill
for 30 miles to the finish. This is usually the fastest part of the course where
“your bike split is made.” On this day we would have torturous soul bashing
headwinds. Staying aero was paramount. The only thing I did realize was that I was
doing well because I saw very few people once I broke free of the turn for loop
2. I did well staying on nutrition, having 3 of the 4 gels I took with me, plus
3 mini clif bars and 1 bottle of Gatorade per aid station plus the one I
started with for a total of 7.
Arriving back at transition, one dismounts, jogs the 200ish yards to the
bike corrals(with bike), hands of bike, runs for bag, etc.. once again, moving
purposefully and quickly. Exiting transition and starting the run. I filled my
racesaver bag with ice at the first aid station (I needed it) and started to
jog off. Legs weren’t feeling great, walked a 100 feet, started jogging. This
part of the course weaves around a few downtown blocks which are under construction
and with the heavy winds, this was like being in a dust storm. The dust seem to
dissipate when one gets on to third street which is the beginning of a roughly
6.5 out and back that we run 2x for the marathon course. The first interesting
thing to me was how empty it was.
I ran the first mile in 8:51, not where I wanted to be, but I did walk a little to get sorted out near the beginning. I knew I wasn’t going to have the run I wanted, but also knew I needed to find a comfortable pace to run at and decided to just trot along and find a comfortable pace without looking at my watch. Mile 2 – 8:10, good start.., as I continued, the pace drifted to the mid 8s, frankly a number that I knew would produce a great result, but not a KQ, and I was fine with that. There are a couple of very slight hills on the course and the first one showed me how trashed my legs were as I walked it and quickly got going. Once making the turn back, the race becomes a blur. Every mile became a process of managing a walk / run pace. The one thought I continually had as I saw some recognizable people including a guy in my AG who befriended me during check in go by, was how important it is to not work so hard on the bike but make it up on the run. All of these folks who I finished well ahead of on the bike were now passing me on the run.
I can go on about how I managed my run walk to the end, and how I only
dropped from a peak of 8th place (at the end of the first out of the
run, to 22nd in my AG and still finished in the top 10% of my AG,
etc. But I will spare you all the details.
In hindsight, I don’t have answers, many questions and noting that for
the 2nd year in a row I am having trouble putting together a good
run on the heels of an overbiked 2nd IM in a year (IMWI 2016). In
the case of 2016, I did do the Leadville 100MTB between LP & WI. The one
thing that has been preached to me is that if you want Kona, you make that your
priority. Did I not focus on the 2nd IM enough after LP?
- Body comp lost focus and it showed(that alone would not have solved the run issue, I’d jut not have KQd, but would have had a better run.
- training was haphazard
- 2 week recovery from LP
- 1 week of training rolling into a very fast half marathon and ensuing recovery messing with the next week
- 1 huge training week at the end of August (18k Swim, 320miles Bike, 50 miles run)
- 1 big bike week in CO capped off with an all out race performance in an OLY.
I think comparing 2016 with the Leadville interruption and the sporadic interruptions of this August & September, it’s clear why I didn’t have it to close out this race.
I have already gotten a fair amount of people providing me with what I view
as consolation with a theme that let’s me know that when pushing the envelope,
you take risks and that sometimes the risk is too high. I truly believe I did
not execute with discipline on the first bike lap. Pushing the envelope is
fine, having a plan of HOW you are doing that would reflect it. Sticking to
that plan would reflect discipline.
On the positive note, I started this sport 7 years ago. I lost 2 seasons
to what turned out to be a MIS-diagnosis of a pretty harrowing cardiac
condition. I lost a season to a herniated disc. I came back and put myself in
the front of the pack in every race I am doing. Look at the difference between
my IM0-Lou stats ^^up there^^, the difference between IM #2 and #9. Even when I
blow up, I am still in the front and there is a consistent theme that has
developed and its up to me to get the discipline for the “last mile,” of
training, body composition and execution.
I was fortunate with the group we had as a team in Louisville. Some of whom I’ve met before and some I didn’t. In reflecting on the weekend I spent chatting with other EN members who came alone or with small contingents to Louisville, I’ve found inspiration on many levels. If you don’t connect with team members during the race weekends, you are missing the biggest opportunity to capitalize on the EN experience. We are much more of a team onsite at races (even the non-focus ones) than most local teams are that have their large contingents. Without calling anyone out (at the risk of leaving someone out) thank you all for sharing yourselves with me during this weekend.
Comments
I personally am amazed at the mental and physical toll I *think* a 2 IM season would take. I've done IM and Long course worlds in the same year twice and that is why I have never done 2 IM's. It is a tough prescription for this girl. I admire that you have done it twice now and probably will again next year!
Take a beat...absorb the work and process your approach and the day. I LOVE that despite the day not going to plan, you shared your thoughts on the beauty of the team. It's all true Jersey, all true!
2 IMs in a year? As one who signed up for 32 IMs between 2000 and 2016, I'll note that I did best when they were end of June (CDA) and mid-Nov (AZ), or nearly 6 months apart. (I've also noted that Boston and Kona are six months apart.)
Listen, my friend, at this point you know you can train yourself into superb bike and run fitness, you have elevated confidence in your ability to keep going when tired (trashed?). You're working on the body comp. You can see the next step, which is perfecting race execution. In the end, you're the only one you have to satisfy. (Certainly, not BBS.)
At LP this year, my numbers were fairly similar, given the spectacular run I had in LP, it's hard to fault the overpowered 3 hours on the bike, though in both cases, the way I felt on the 2nd lap, i know this is THE area I need to work on in executing my next race. It just doesn't answer the question of why i had no legs on the run course.
Lake Placid
Bike power 194NP/187AP 1.03 Vi
1st half power 202NP/193AP
2nd half power 186NP/180AP
Louisville (Copied from above)
Bike power 192NP/186AP 1.03 Vi
1st half power 206NP/196AP
2nd half power 182NP/176AP
I'm looking forward to racing with you at IMLP.
Doing 2 races/year is hard on the body and I think that on the 2nd race we focus mainly on what went wrong in the first but we forget to apply what went good in the 1st one so that can create some distortion between the 2 races
Your ultimate goal is really close, I am confident you will get it soon, you know what to do and just need to totally commit to these.
Rest well and see you next year at IMLP !
You'll get there my friend. Patience, discipline, and persistence.
Just know that your learnings posted here help a community of others in a BIG way and extend well beyond yourself.
You know you are a badass when a Sub 11:15 IM is a bad day.......hope that puts in all in perspective.
Followed you on the tracker through every turn.....Congratulations on a strong Bad day Ironman!
SS
Congratulations on #9 and rest well Ironman.
It was a pleasure to meet you and race with you. You did a fantastic job being the Super Sherpa and creating the opportunities for the team to gather. I really enjoyed every moment. I was super amazed that you had taken on the role of Super Sherpa when I heard your goals for this race. What amazed me even more was the way that you were even able to encourage me while you had your own race to deal with. As soon as I got back to my room I started checking times for everyone to see how they had done. When I saw your finish, I knew you had not had the day that you wanted and I was so bummed for you. It was good seeing you at the ceremonies and even given your rough day you said some things to me at the awards ceremony that really hit home and I really appreciate it. Scott, you are a great team mate and a terrific person. I know that you will achieve your goals because I could see the fierce competitive spirit in you after meeting you. I look forward to watching you take this and use it as a learning experience to build from and continue working toward your ultimate goal.
{Did I not focus on the 2nd IM enough after LP?
I think comparing 2016 with the Leadville interruption and the sporadic interruptions of this August & September, it’s clear why I didn’t have it to close out this race.}
You know my thoughts on the above as we have had this discussion before and we have started it again, will continue it privately.... I am one of your biggest cheerleaders and believers... I want to see you succeed in that KQ goal by addressing what you know to be true above....
Back to this race and some numbers.
BIKE- While I dont believe you over rode the first half of the bike that much vs. the second half , it was a touch hotter with a bigger spread than you did at IMLP ride... Once we get to a certain point that 5-10 watts above or below really does make a difference. So there certainly could be part of the picture...
RUN- I did not see any short walk breaks on the run file beginning at mile 1. Did you incorporate those or just wait till later?
I'd like to see some correlation's of the data... BIKE- Power/HR for the 1st half and Power/HR for the 2nd half.... RUN- Pace/HR for the 1st half vs. Pace/HR for the 2nd half.
HUGE Congrats on that swim and transitions :-)
Nice Race!
the run breaks in the 1st 8 miles were mostly aid stations, but they are visible in the TP file linked above as well.
at the end of the day - I think Jeremy's comments resonated the most, just not my day. I think the execution was "fair" on the bike. If one wants to say I allowed myself to push harder, because I was trying to have a big day, I can live with that. If the outcome was a top 10 performance with a great run, even not a KQ, we'd all be saying I pushed the bike appropriately enough to push the envelope... I am looking for a "reason" on why the blow up happened.
I think the reason lies as I said in our private email, compare the shape of my PMC in the 9 weeks before LP vs the 9 weeks before LV, and there is an answer. Inconsistent training, partially due to stacking events in the calendar.
The half marathon & OLY would have been fine if they were executed as training events and not races requiring some recovery. The big tri week AND the Al week in CO were probably too much. Had I gone to CO and just executed a "normal" training week, that probably would have been better. I can say that since doing the trail run in Middlebury 2 weeks before the race, my legs never felt right, after that.
The good news is that I (and anyone else) just needs to compare the #s on the 2011 race vs last weekend's race to see the huge progress one can make(recognize that there were 2 separate year long breaks in that time as well). I also need to reflect on the fact that 4 years ago I was being scheduled to have an cardiac defibrillator implanted & that turned out to be way wrong. I am playing a great game at practically the highest level and have the confidence to try and make the KQ happen.
Now, I need to get that last piece of low hanging fruit - body comp inline and focus on another year of similar training and ensuring no distractions.
I am confident that you know what you need to do to KQ, and you certainly have the ability to do it. Like @"Shaughn Simmons" said "You know you are a badass when a Sub 11:15 IM is a bad day". You have received great advice from everyone above!
I look forward to crossing paths with you again!
- Looking back at your IMLP report (here for reference)
- Your bike was identical in terms of Watts and HR, only in #IMLP you were steadier than at IMLou...so less bandwidth to handle "harder" early work in later race of the year...I know what that feels like.
- Your run HR started off the same as well, but quickly faded...
- From the two points ^above^ that tells me your execution wasn't great but it wasn't terrible either...I think there are two factors here:
- First, you just did too much work between the races with the peak volume stuff and Al camp...no need to go that big after an already big year.
- Second, yo continue to chase a bike split vs riding your split. IMLou was still 294 TSS, which I would only recommend for sub-3 marathoners on the perfect race day to attempt. When you use BBS, you need to set the TSS model version and put that at 260 or 265 and ride THAT time, then run.
Big picture wise, you are spot on. You are in a new zip code, but that only means things get harder. Not as in "work a ton harder" but rather "doing the right work at the right time". I think you likely have some valuable lessons on what not to do (bike pacing) and on fatigue (review your CTL numbers, etc) relative to performance. For example, your TSB for placid was good, but for Lou not so much.More on the call!!!!
~ Coach P
Two things to consider:
- Wind. I've found that windy rides cost me more than the power meter shows. One can spend a lot of energy keeping the bike straight, fighting gusts, just generally not having the relaxed ride that could be had on a typical day. These watts do not show up on the Garmin or the TSS... but they have a big physiological impact. A technical course can also play into stress that doesn't show up on the power meter - WI is one of those courses that costs more than the TSS you see. I haven't done Louisville, but expect it is the same. Even though the watts are about the same, I believe this ride on a completely fresh body would 'cost' you more than your LP ride cost you.
- Second IM: I've done 3xIM in one calendar year 2x. At one point, I had 4x IM in 365 days + 2 half IMs... I've found that after a race I can bounce back with strength and big power numbers for shorter durations, but the disruption that an IM causes to my training routine impacts my ability to carry intensity at longer durations. In 2015, I raced IMMT, CHOO and IMFL - it felt like my target power needed to drop about 5w for each of those races. probably needed to drop 10w for IMFL (based on performance). I am struggling with the same issue now going from IMMT to Cabo... my FTP is up, but my ability to hold watts over 5hrs is not.
No matter how you cut it - you are doing a great job!I think that @Al Truscott is spot on with needing a longer time period between races so that one can have a full training cycle with a high degree of consistency over ≈10wks.
Congrats!!
I've been scratching my head on how did I F this race up so badly.
the one thing I left off my report was the hip thing that was going on.. I can recall somewhere early on the run, feeling a pain in my hip and consciously saying to myself, "That's not normal & that's not something I've felt before."
Fast forward six weeks. I recovered, started running, did a bit of biking and was supposed to do the CIM (Sacramento Mary) this coming Sunday. Not happening.
I've had hamstring pain in both legs, that finally dissipated in the left to call it normal, but my right is a mess. Have a combo of hamstring/glute/groin pain, and something going on with my hip. It's always worse when i get up from sitting, it never hurts when i run or bike. I've gone full stop on running, and as of this AM, only doing some Z3 work on Zwift, and no races.
been to my ART guy, Dr Stu 1x and going back Friday, Seeing an orthopedic on Friday as well. It is very clear to me that I likely did something to my hip prior to KY and that it expressed itself after a hard bike. While I am annoyed & concerned about my hip, it gives me much more confidence in my abilities once I figure this out and get healthy.
in the meantime I am swimming (in a pool), VASAing when at Jill's, doing weight training 2 or more times a week and focusing on body comp in my weight challenge...