@Jeff Horn - sorry for the delay man, you should transition out of the OS ASAP b/c YOLO and get to work in the Half Plan. You'll see me updated info on the first page. I have you rolling through FL 70.3 into CHOO on the same plan, so let's you and I connect to see how we want to modify anything.
I think your volume is pretty close to good, it's more about making sure that your that your week is more s/b/r balanced at this point and the long run is in the 8 to 10 miles zip code.
YOLO bro. Ok I loaded up the half plan last night anyway just as a preview. I've been keeping up with some swimming but will ramp it up this week. My long runs are right at 10.2miles for the 1:30 weekend runs. Wed is more like 8.5. But overall run volume is now approaching 35 / week at 6x/week. One question on the half plan: Saturdays have a RacePacePlus ride of 3hrs where it is 45'@z3, then 3x20' at z2/3 interface. One comment said ride TSS is to approach 300....is this right for half distance? When I created the ride in TP as a wko I only got like 175 TSS. I thought that 300 was TSS budget for FullIM. Anyway, thanks for quick response, I will get to work.
Crap I think I loaded the wrong plan. Loaded the 2018 ENHalfRunFocused20wk by accident. Now fixed.
On a separate note, when I create bike wko in TP for import into le Zwift I need some guidance. For instance if my next workout is 4 x 10' zone 4 and I am power user, do I set the wattage at top of zone 4? Middle? This may be a stupid easy question but I am looking for an IF in those segments of 0.95 to 1.0. If I set it to 1.0, i am doing more work and improving my fitness I assume. I see plenty of folks in the OS forum posting their IF's in the 1.2-1.3 range for these FTP sets. Is this just bravado? Or should I be continually upping the ante to get the FTP to inch upwards?
No worries, you can always change it back if you want. Just go back to the new change the plan to the new one. There’s only a few subtle differences as one discipline over the other.
And all the plans this year or 20 weeks to reduce the total workload I have regarding edits and changes.
Ok so you want me to change back to the 2018 EnHalfRunfocused20wk? Not a problem I can do it. But then my question above still lingers. The Race Pace Plus 3 hr rides on Saturday...are they really supposed to be close to 300 TSS?
Awesome...I don't mind doing the work (300TSS) I just couldn't create the workout and have it come out anywhere in the ballpark. And its official...i am now on 2018EnHalfBikeFocused20wk.
I'm currently on week 12 of 20 on the half plan (designed to end at Chatt70.3). For the week of April 2-8 (Haines City on 8th) you want me to fast forward to week 20 of the plan (for taper purposes) and then get back on track with week 15 after Haines City? Or just keep things as they are and do week 14 that week as described? Thanks
CoachP: need some advice for FL70.3 run strategy. I have read wiki on the 1/2 pacing formula, splitting up into 3 sections. First section try to match heart rate coming off bike. FL is 3 laps and first 1.5 miles or so maybe 2 is quite hilly (HR will explode). Last year I walked a bunch of this course...mental, physical, heat? Anyway, wondering how you would approach this course. I don't want to get hammered on the first lap and then struggle / walk the other two. One thing I am thinking to do with Stryd is set a target for these hills and ignore pace. Maybe even set a HR cap. Then once over the hilly part, get back to pace guidelines as before. Maybe set power targets for the climbs and be consistent each of 3 laps on those sections. Then consider the remainder 2.3 miles of the course...easy on lap one, steadier on lap two, and crush the remainder on lap 3? Curious to know how you'd approach this knowing you have those grinders coming out of T2.
Thanks for reaching out, I appreciate the opportunity to help you out. I think the best way to approach it is a combination of both heart rate and power.
Let’s start off with heart rate, as in carrying that bike heart rate into the beginning of the run. That will force you to slow down enough to eat and drink which is critical in those first 3 miles. Once you’re through those 3 mile safely, and heart rate jail, you can then focus on the power goal you have for your run.
Because you were smart in the first 3 miles, you will have the bandwidth to handle the work associated with that desired steady run Power number. Since you have experience with this number, you know that it works it’s just the conditions that might be making it harder than normal. So you should focus in on power in the second part of your run, with a glance every now and then to your heart rate to make sure it’s not crazy high as compared to wkat you expect.
The final 3 miles is always the final 3 miles… They are the hardest, and honestly I don’t care what number use just make sure it looks better and better as the race finish gets closer! I hope this helps.
CoachP: that is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks. Had a great long run today on simulated course conditions with a very hilly front end on a 3 loop course like FL. Feel like I am going to be ready. Mental part was on lock today.
Sweet! You’ve definitely done the work and you have the Pedigree, the question is just doing the right thing and rest day when your brain gets a little cloudy. I know you can do it!
@Coach Patrick a question about re-entry protocol from injury close to race time. I read the wiki on run injury and come back. So I was developing bad heel pain a few weeks before Haines City. Didn't hurt when I ran, just the morning after. The last week of prep before FL70.3 it was hurting bad during running, ending in my last long run of 11 miles before the race. Couldn't even walk on it morning after. Every am felt like I'd been hit in the heel by a baseball bat. So I shut down running for a while. I did run during the 70.3 obviously, and didn't feel too bad until mile 10 or so. The week after the race I was walking miles and miles at Disney and pain was there but wasn't horrible. Did a lot stretching / golf ball rolling / night splint and it improved slowly. Saw ortho this Monday just to see if I could start it up again. She gave me medrol dose pack for the week, and said I can start it up next week slowly. I have had 4 straight pain free days, even in the morning. I am thankful for that and want to run again. Question is: Chatt70.3 is in two weeks. I don't wanna go from 0 to 60 this week and re-aggravate it right before i have to run a half off the bike. Do I just take it easy and run a couple miles at a time at TRP with no intensity and just make it through the half on May 20? That's kinda what common sense is telling me. Thanks.
Happy diagnosed andrea? Sounds like a little plantar fasciitis but I’m not 100% sure. Also, can’t tell what you been doing to take care of it aside from the meds and rest. And self-care stuff there that’s worked or not?
There’s nothing good that can come running right now even though your mind wants to. Too close to Prepare and the risk is too high.
I like the idea of a good woman and a couple short 2 mile run to TRP just to stay loose and make sure your bio mechanics are in play. Whatever self-care you been doing such as a night splint or icing, let’s keep that up.
Have you investigated if your running shoes of the problem or your dress shoes? Let me know.
Yeah, sorry may have left out a few details. And did you have some autocorrect there? No maybe not, a good woman sounds about right.lol At first I self diagnosed achilles insertional tendonitis. Pain was more rear heel than plantar surface. But as things got worse, the bottom developed as well. Things I did to help: Voltaren gel twice a day, foam roller to calves and roller ball to feet. Also did strasbourg sock at night. The last week I did focused intense golf ball massage to heel because pain was no longer on the back of the heel. Golf ball massage sounded like bag of broken glass kinda cartoon like. But not really that funny. Also did foot and calf stretching. The MD I saw really thinks it is plantar fascia. No bone spur or fracture. Medrol dose pack has been great I am on 5th consecutive day pain free. I do not walk around barefoot--got a pair of house shoes (hoka slides). I don't wear dress shoes at all. I stopped operating at work in hard plastic operating room clogs. I went to Specialized store and got new insoles for cycling shoes...apparently needed extra arch support based on their foot sensor thingy. I put superfeet inserts in all my running shoes. My running shoes I rotate after every run and they only have about 150 miles each. I had read some online mumbo jumbo about people switching to Hokas and having good results. So I went out and bought some last week. But my ortho MD said take em back, too drastic a change from Newtons (I run in Fates for several years). He says to get good inserts (superfeet heel pain / plantar fasciitis inserts) and make gradual changes but continue stretching exercises, golf ball, etc. Thanks
As your coach, I reserve the right to confuse an insult to you at any time! :-)
You’ve taken all the right steps. And I’m glad you made some changes to your day-to-day Footwear.
It might be worthwhile take a look at any changes you made to your training in the last four weeks if there was a tempo change your terrain change or mileage change that could’ve set this off.
In addition to the self-care, I suggest you work on hip flexor mobility as that could help relieve some of the pressure on your lower legs. Is a great stress you can do on the sofa that helps open them up. I am not going to Google it as I will likely find unsuitable video content! Keep me posted.
So just an update. I had a pain free week with steroids. Once I came off, pain was low grade but present early in the week maybe 1-2/10. I ran Thursday solo 3 miles and Sunday brick 5 miles. I ran great, had good fitness and foot felt fine during running. This week, pain has been severe again so I shut it down. Went to PT today for some advanced therapy (ultrasound, laser, scraping, vodoo). I will go W-Fri this week, then M/W/Fri next week which unfortunately is race week. Swim and bike are fine at this point. Got to look at bigger picture I guess (Wisconsin). I was considering doing Ohio in July since Chatt is not working out too well with running. but if foot doesn't improve quickly, will bag that idea quick.
Remind me again if you’ve had an MRI? Might be nice to get a more detailed look inside there and see what the condition of her infrastructure is. I agree with you and shutting it down, simply not worth it.
Have those heell inserts worked for you at all? For me, the Newton set up is fundamentally stressing your plantar and Achilles out of the gate with those metatarsal pads. But I admittedly am not familiar with the Fate model. We need to get you in a shoe that has 7 to 10° heel to toe drop...the Fate is 5mm.
No I have not had MRI yet. OrthoMD will order if I don't get results at PT. So I met with the foot/ankle expert at PT today. He was VERY thorough. After all the testing he put me through here is what we have... Positive: 1. Strong eversion and inversion at the ankle (+10% over athletic norms) 2. Great run form (no pronation, supination, hip dip etc. Granted a short test not under 10 mile loads, but a good start) 3. Great metatarsal spread up front
Negatives / Problems: 1. Heel fat pad damage / gristle 2. Nerve impingement on bottom of calcaneus from inflammation 3. Hallucis rigiditus (big toe is supposed to dorsiflex 90 degrees, mine is <40). This was interesting because with my foot dorsiflexed, when he tries to dorsiflex big toe it DIRECTLY aggravates my spot on the heal...no other toes did this. 4. Obvious plantar fasciitis
He says he can knock out the pain with two more treatments (M-W). The treatment was very painful -- aggressive scraping (name is Gwa Sha?) actually had me close to tears. Also did cold laser. He gave me some exercises to do at home and I'm now in a night boot (not sock) as of monday. He thinks that Wednesday he will do some kinesiotape and have me run a few miles to see how it responds. He has no problem with me racing next weekend. He is also consulting with a prosthetist to see if there are orthotics that will help with my specific set of conditions. He didn't hate my combination of Newton (4.5mm drop) and superfeet PF inserts, but actually he was very interested to see me in some Hokas to see if the heel stress can be distributed elsewhere in the foot. He didn't want to make that change until after my race. All in all seems like he is in tune with the problem and has a good plan to address it. If I need 10mm drop, perhaps I should sell that to my wife and order several pair of vapor fly 4% lol.
Anyway, more info than you probably wanted but thanks for listening and suggestions.
Thank you so much for sharing. The best part is we have this here are the forms for Evernote which we can refer to, so I appreciate you recording it here.
Couple of things come to mind.
Curious to know more about that heel pad issue. Does that mean that you are he’ll striking in your newtons? If you are, the combination of metatarsal pad and he’ll strike could really be an issue for your plantar. Think about it: if every time you run on that foot you are a essentially in a calf stretch position, that is quite a significant stretch on the area.
I have found the newtons affective for short fast friends were home at a certain speed in them 100% up on the balls of my feet but for longer runs they were insufficient. And since most of my runs were out long run piece, eventually they had to go. And they don’t have a lot of heel cushioning has your doctor mentioned.
That treatments sounds crazy, but we’ll see how you respond. Feet are generally pretty tough. Sounds like some good foot mobility might also be in order. Something like a lacrosse ball that you can use to keep the bottom of your feet a little bit looser than they are now. Any thoughts around that? And please keep me posted on this progress!
Good thoughts there coach. The heel striking is not an issue for me. Since I've been in these (combo of fate and gravity) for 4-5 years I have rotated to a mid to forefoot striker. As a matter of fact my shoes wear down on the FRONT 1/3 of the lugs and very evenly from left to right. There is almost no wear on the rear of lugs or rear of the shoe.
I agree with your thoughts on the Newtons for fast folks. I am not fast by any stretch, but this winter I was getting faster than I have ever been. Also really ticked up the mileage. So maybe Newtons are ok for me for slower shorter stuff, but not the fast or long stuff. My first thoughts when this happened were to switch shoes (as Newton was struggling anyway and I can't get them at any local store). So after Chatt this weekend Ill make transition to something else. Any thoughts on brand or model? My PT thought the Hokas would distribute stress better away from the heel so maybe will try those. I think drop is 5mm in those compared to 4.5 in the fates. Thanks again for the help.
Yeah, I think your analysis is spot on. It’s quite possible that you can keep things together for the shorter runs during the run durability program. But as we move to the longer training sessions associated with race prep, and your form changes a bit, it’s not the best shoe for you.
I have always liked the hokas, but not super in love with the new versions of the old shoes I run with. I would ask the team what they like, as there are some good alternatives to the clifton‘s (their original “race” shoe) that light mimic the lightness of the Newton you like.
So just a short update. I have signed up for Ohio 70.3. There are about 10 of us going from Chattanooga as a small group. Did this race last year and had a blast. It will be a quick trip leave Friday am and get back LATE Sunday. Can't say I'm treating this as a race, more of an organized experiment in nutrition under race conditions. I got really dehydrated at Chatt70.3 (similar symptoms as I've had on fulls) and after reading a bunch I think that these nutrition mixes (infinit, tailwind, EFS) are making matters worse (pulling water out of body to dilute in small intestines). So last week I started doing separate hydration / eating according to Scratch. I downloaded the EN IM nutrition excel spreadsheet and think I have a pretty good plan based on recent sweat tests. I'm gonna keep scale down by zwift setup so that I can monitor my losses / intakes pretty closely to make sure I am staying on top of fluids (ie not losing 2% or more of body weight coming off bike). Also gonna start using Scratch Hyper mix a few hours before long rides to pump up plasma volume (thanks to tip from Mike Roberts) Don't think I need to adjust training plan schedule, Ill just use this as a short race sim I think. As far as my foot goes, I've been released from PT. Still have some dull toothache type pain but getting better. I am currently trialing a pair of Saucony Liberty ISO and a pair of Hoka Clifton 4. Gonna alternate runs this week and see which works better. Went to my local shoes place and must have tried on about 20 pair, and these felt the best. Ironically I have been soaking in Epsom salts since Wednesday and it has cut down my discomfort by 90%. PT guy recommended custom shoe inserts but I think I'm gonna hold off on that for a bit. So gonna start running full time again this week.
All right, this looks good. Doing that much thought process stuff on both sides of the spectrum is going to take a long time for you to process.
To help you out, I want you to prioritize the physical stuff over the nutritional stuff. Let’s be very thoughtful about this return to running. If possible I would like 24 hours between runs with you doing all the self care stuff you need like icing, etc. if you don’t do it already, please include this brief warm-up for your hips before each one just to make sure your whole kinetic chain is ready:
all right, this looks good. Doing that much thought process stuff on both sides of the spectrum is going to take a long time for you to process.
To help you out, I want you to prioritize the physical stuff over the nutritional stuff. Let’s be very thoughtful about this return to running. If possible I would like 24 hours between runs with you doing all the self care stuff you need like icing, etc. if you don’t do it already, please include this brief warm-up for your hips before each one just to make sure your whole kinetic chain is ready:
On the Nutrition) front I think you’re right. I like the idea of separating things out and you’re going to need to practice it in every single ride. So you don’t need a hyper load for every session but definitely do the mix in all of your workouts. I personally use that hyper load stuff before Cabo because I knew it was gonna be hot. I’m not sure I would recommend doing it before the ride itself but definitely the night before in the early evening. Try it yourself and see what works!
In addition to practicing it in every session, the most important thing is that you outlined a raise plan and then execute it on the big day. That means packing the right stuff and doing all the feeding at the right of us. Sometimes that can be harder than anything else which is why we practice, so make the top of your list for the race. Early Nutrition on the bike is what sets the tone for the entire race.
@Coach Patrick haven't had an update in a while. Just finished the season, happy with progress. I think I am on to why stomach is faltering during long events. We will see if it is a sustainable fix. Not planning on as many races this coming year. I am moving from Chattanooga to Billings, MT this January. So the move will be interesting, as will the climate. But as far as work goes, certainly for the better.
I finished 12 IM this year, so probably gonna try to keep the legacy thing going. The rules are mirky, I've heard I only need a 70.3, I've heard I need a full next year, then any race after that. Not sure. So I'll plan Boulder if I need a full, or Coeur d'Alene if its a 70.3. Both in June I think. Hopefully get an email to clarify that soon.
In the immediate vicinity, the plan is for the Lookout Mtn 50 miler December 15 https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=55183. I've loaded the ultra plan into FinalSurge today, looks brutal, but will follow as a guide. I also plan to keep cycling Tues / Thurs / Sun. My overall goal across the winter is to get my running up to speed. I made good progress last winter before plantar fasciitis set me back. Thankfully that has not come back. My thought is ultra plan to mid December then JanOS after that? I think the Ultra plan will get me onto a run streak that if I can keep going will pay dividends. Not sure about any other local events near MT after I move, but there are some serious cyclists I met on the interview there, so will likely have some good riding buds this spring.
Comments
should I still switch from JanOS to 1/2 plan on 3/19?
I think your volume is pretty close to good, it's more about making sure that your that your week is more s/b/r balanced at this point and the long run is in the 8 to 10 miles zip code.
Let me know!
~ Coach P
One question on the half plan: Saturdays have a RacePacePlus ride of 3hrs where it is 45'@z3, then 3x20' at z2/3 interface. One comment said ride TSS is to approach 300....is this right for half distance? When I created the ride in TP as a wko I only got like 175 TSS. I thought that 300 was TSS budget for FullIM. Anyway, thanks for quick response, I will get to work.
On a separate note, when I create bike wko in TP for import into le Zwift I need some guidance. For instance if my next workout is 4 x 10' zone 4 and I am power user, do I set the wattage at top of zone 4? Middle? This may be a stupid easy question but I am looking for an IF in those segments of 0.95 to 1.0. If I set it to 1.0, i am doing more work and improving my fitness I assume. I see plenty of folks in the OS forum posting their IF's in the 1.2-1.3 range for these FTP sets. Is this just bravado? Or should I be continually upping the ante to get the FTP to inch upwards?
new change the plan to the new one. There’s only a few subtle differences
as one discipline over the other.
And all the plans this year or 20 weeks to reduce the total workload I have
regarding edits and changes.
Let me know if you need help.
~ Coach P
You’re right, the TSS should be 175. That is a mistake and I will fix it!
And its official...i am now on 2018EnHalfBikeFocused20wk.
And the descriptions have been updated as well. Thanks Boss!
~ Coach P
One thing I am thinking to do with Stryd is set a target for these hills and ignore pace. Maybe even set a HR cap. Then once over the hilly part, get back to pace guidelines as before. Maybe set power targets for the climbs and be consistent each of 3 laps on those sections. Then consider the remainder 2.3 miles of the course...easy on lap one, steadier on lap two, and crush the remainder on lap 3? Curious to know how you'd approach this knowing you have those grinders coming out of T2.
you expect.
At first I self diagnosed achilles insertional tendonitis. Pain was more rear heel than plantar surface. But as things got worse, the bottom developed as well. Things I did to help: Voltaren gel twice a day, foam roller to calves and roller ball to feet. Also did strasbourg sock at night. The last week I did focused intense golf ball massage to heel because pain was no longer on the back of the heel. Golf ball massage sounded like bag of broken glass kinda cartoon like. But not really that funny. Also did foot and calf stretching.
The MD I saw really thinks it is plantar fascia. No bone spur or fracture. Medrol dose pack has been great I am on 5th consecutive day pain free. I do not walk around barefoot--got a pair of house shoes (hoka slides). I don't wear dress shoes at all. I stopped operating at work in hard plastic operating room clogs. I went to Specialized store and got new insoles for cycling shoes...apparently needed extra arch support based on their foot sensor thingy. I put superfeet inserts in all my running shoes. My running shoes I rotate after every run and they only have about 150 miles each. I had read some online mumbo jumbo about people switching to Hokas and having good results. So I went out and bought some last week. But my ortho MD said take em back, too drastic a change from Newtons (I run in Fates for several years). He says to get good inserts (superfeet heel pain / plantar fasciitis inserts) and make gradual changes but continue stretching exercises, golf ball, etc. Thanks
It might be worthwhile take a look at any changes you made to your training in the last four weeks if there was a tempo change your terrain change or mileage change that could’ve set this off.
In addition to the self-care, I suggest you work on hip flexor mobility as that could help relieve some of the pressure on your lower legs. Is a great stress you can do on the sofa that helps open them up. I am not going to Google it as I will likely find unsuitable video content! Keep me posted.
Went to PT today for some advanced therapy (ultrasound, laser, scraping, vodoo). I will go W-Fri this week, then M/W/Fri next week which unfortunately is race week. Swim and bike are fine at this point. Got to look at bigger picture I guess (Wisconsin). I was considering doing Ohio in July since Chatt is not working out too well with running. but if foot doesn't improve quickly, will bag that idea quick.
Positive:
1. Strong eversion and inversion at the ankle (+10% over athletic norms)
2. Great run form (no pronation, supination, hip dip etc. Granted a short test not under 10 mile loads, but a good start)
3. Great metatarsal spread up front
Negatives / Problems:
1. Heel fat pad damage / gristle
2. Nerve impingement on bottom of calcaneus from inflammation
3. Hallucis rigiditus (big toe is supposed to dorsiflex 90 degrees, mine is <40). This was interesting because with my foot dorsiflexed, when he tries to dorsiflex big toe it DIRECTLY aggravates my spot on the heal...no other toes did this.
4. Obvious plantar fasciitis
He says he can knock out the pain with two more treatments (M-W). The treatment was very painful -- aggressive scraping (name is Gwa Sha?) actually had me close to tears. Also did cold laser. He gave me some exercises to do at home and I'm now in a night boot (not sock) as of monday. He thinks that Wednesday he will do some kinesiotape and have me run a few miles to see how it responds. He has no problem with me racing next weekend. He is also consulting with a prosthetist to see if there are orthotics that will help with my specific set of conditions. He didn't hate my combination of Newton (4.5mm drop) and superfeet PF inserts, but actually he was very interested to see me in some Hokas to see if the heel stress can be distributed elsewhere in the foot. He didn't want to make that change until after my race. All in all seems like he is in tune with the problem and has a good plan to address it.
If I need 10mm drop, perhaps I should sell that to my wife and order several pair of vapor fly 4% lol.
Anyway, more info than you probably wanted but thanks for listening and suggestions.
I have found the newtons affective for short fast friends were home at a certain speed in them 100% up on the balls of my feet but for longer runs they were insufficient. And since most of my runs were out long run piece, eventually they had to go. And they don’t have a lot of heel cushioning has your doctor mentioned.
Good thoughts there coach. The heel striking is not an issue for me. Since I've been in these (combo of fate and gravity) for 4-5 years I have rotated to a mid to forefoot striker. As a matter of fact my shoes wear down on the FRONT 1/3 of the lugs and very evenly from left to right. There is almost no wear on the rear of lugs or rear of the shoe.
I agree with your thoughts on the Newtons for fast folks. I am not fast by any stretch, but this winter I was getting faster than I have ever been. Also really ticked up the mileage. So maybe Newtons are ok for me for slower shorter stuff, but not the fast or long stuff. My first thoughts when this happened were to switch shoes (as Newton was struggling anyway and I can't get them at any local store). So after Chatt this weekend Ill make transition to something else. Any thoughts on brand or model? My PT thought the Hokas would distribute stress better away from the heel so maybe will try those. I think drop is 5mm in those compared to 4.5 in the fates. Thanks again for the help.
I have always liked the hokas, but not super in love with the new versions of the old shoes I run with. I would ask the team what they like, as there are some good alternatives to the clifton‘s (their original “race” shoe) that light mimic the lightness of the Newton you like.
Maybe check in with the Run Durability GroupMe .
As far as my foot goes, I've been released from PT. Still have some dull toothache type pain but getting better. I am currently trialing a pair of Saucony Liberty ISO and a pair of Hoka Clifton 4. Gonna alternate runs this week and see which works better. Went to my local shoes place and must have tried on about 20 pair, and these felt the best. Ironically I have been soaking in Epsom salts since Wednesday and it has cut down my discomfort by 90%. PT guy recommended custom shoe inserts but I think I'm gonna hold off on that for a bit. So gonna start running full time again this week.
all right, this looks good. Doing that much thought process stuff on both sides of the spectrum is going to take a long time for you to process.
On the Nutrition) front I think you’re right. I like the idea of separating things out and you’re going to need to practice it in every single ride. So you don’t need a hyper load for every session but definitely do the mix in all of your workouts. I personally use that hyper load stuff before Cabo because I knew it was gonna be hot. I’m not sure I would recommend doing it before the ride itself but definitely the night before in the early evening. Try it yourself and see what works!
In addition to practicing it in every session, the most important thing is that you outlined a raise plan and then execute it on the big day. That means packing the right stuff and doing all the feeding at the right of us. Sometimes that can be harder than anything else which is why we practice, so make the top of your list for the race. Early Nutrition on the bike is what sets the tone for the entire race.
@Coach Patrick haven't had an update in a while. Just finished the season, happy with progress. I think I am on to why stomach is faltering during long events. We will see if it is a sustainable fix. Not planning on as many races this coming year. I am moving from Chattanooga to Billings, MT this January. So the move will be interesting, as will the climate. But as far as work goes, certainly for the better.
I finished 12 IM this year, so probably gonna try to keep the legacy thing going. The rules are mirky, I've heard I only need a 70.3, I've heard I need a full next year, then any race after that. Not sure. So I'll plan Boulder if I need a full, or Coeur d'Alene if its a 70.3. Both in June I think. Hopefully get an email to clarify that soon.
In the immediate vicinity, the plan is for the Lookout Mtn 50 miler December 15 https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=55183. I've loaded the ultra plan into FinalSurge today, looks brutal, but will follow as a guide. I also plan to keep cycling Tues / Thurs / Sun. My overall goal across the winter is to get my running up to speed. I made good progress last winter before plantar fasciitis set me back. Thankfully that has not come back. My thought is ultra plan to mid December then JanOS after that? I think the Ultra plan will get me onto a run streak that if I can keep going will pay dividends. Not sure about any other local events near MT after I move, but there are some serious cyclists I met on the interview there, so will likely have some good riding buds this spring.