2017 IM Arizona- Week 17- 4 Keys
Week 17
I have to say I am SO EXCITED about all your hard work for your race rehearsals!!!! And now we are 4 weeks out from race week! So let’s get chatting. There are 4 Keys of Racing within EN. What sets EN athletes drastically apart from other athletes is the ability to know to race. You're putting in the training and doing a fantastic job of posting your information with the team to discuss but as you wind down your training in the next couple weeks you need to put your head in a space to have the 4Keys down pat. Even if you have been with EN for awhile, there is always something to learn or something you can teach to help someone else's race experience.
Not to reinvent the wheel here is a mixture of coaches perspective and a couple other race captains:
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.
Some other important notes- Check out the videos this week about sports specific tapering AND checking your gear! Start this NOW because race week WILL sneak up on you!!!!
Good Job team.... keep chipping away, two more weeks left of fitness
Comments
Yawn, I been watching the IMAZ threads and you guys are boring me to death. Come on your gonna do an Ironman in 4 weeks. Try to get fired up for it just a little bit.
KONA last week, 4 days off with 4 days of pure gluttony , eased back into it the last 4 days, today I ran 6 miles at a full minute per mile slower than I ran the Marathon in KONA and felt absolutely horrible. However yesterday's 2.5 hr bike felt really strong... With 4 weeks to go I'm not looking to add anything just trying to get back to where I was physically and mentally for race day.
Last year had a fantastic AZ race, so am hunkered down trying to work hard to get stronger to hopefully PR
My running volume is up ....and very consistent. I *think* I am stronger on the bike - I created an adjusted AZ course for my computrainer and it pretty much killed me today - 79% yesterday -77%
on the run side - both days - dead on same pace so happy about that - yesterday in the rain and today in the dry until the last .25 mile where the sky just opened up and DUMPED and then hailed. It was awesome- couldn't help but laugh and smile.
I am experimenting with my new Vasa....loving it
cheers to a more Fired up WEEK!!! 4 weeks to go!
@Satish- I totally forgot you were doing IMAZ... While I'm glad your in a different AG since everytime we race together ,Rev3 Maine HIM and Quassy HIM ,you beat me, I'm looking forward to sharing the IMAZ course with you... Heather and I are planning a post race Monday Brunch at http://udupiaz.com/ which is right across the street from where we are staying at The Red Lion Tempe , hope you can join us? They didnt have cookies but the lentil donuts were to die for and just bricks of calories :-)
last week recap - a bit of a mixed bag. 1072 tss which is fine for the week after a camp week for me. Early 1/2 of the week feels good but I ran long on Saturday by rpe and ended up going too hard and struggling to recover. Long swim Saturday evening w fine but Sunday trainer session was underpowered and shortened by 30min and I still didn't feel right this morning.
this week I am aiming for a bike/run race sim on Thursday. Heavier and slower than I would like to be but given how the past year has been I am greatful to be where I am.
@jimmy augustine YES dont think I have seen you since IMTX???
BTW love your car... I used to have nice cars before I retired :-)
@All - Everyone is invited to brunch on Sunday will be sometime after awards 11-3pm Indian Buffet at the link above...
Checked my bib# today and counted how many in my AG55-59 and it was 214 which seemed a bit high, sure enough there were lots of duplicate names... WTC strikes again, apparently they are aware of it and a new bib list is coming out.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1244944575/analysis
@Satish Punna Dont be so modest my friend... You are going to up my game while I try to catch you , and you know I am gonna up your game just knowing I am coming :-) Start wrapping your head around a sub 10 !
Aborted outside ride after a few hrs of fighting 20-30mph winds added back some Hrs of >IM pace on trainer and did a lousy 6ml run,,,, 2 miles legs felt good but tired body...then I had nuthin. Was 7 lbs down so likely dehydrated pre run and also not enough calories when on bike. (oh did a 2 mile swim in wetsuit on FRI night (pool closed before getting 2.4mls)
Day 2 Sped sensor failed on first lap and had to deture and pull disc covers off etc. had to stop more than usual for cross traffic, and lights and several potty breaks..... but less wind.
Got a full 112 at 5:30:38 but chose not to run ....saving my heal for the RR run this week (tomorrow?) Its been crazy 14-16 hr shifts.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1242740388
Three more weeks to go!!!
i actually braved the traffic and got off the trainer for the last 1:45 or so. First time in weeks. The wind was really surprising. Granted it was windy but it drove home the point that I need to get outside more over the last few weeks even if it means sessions are more broken up.
By the time I was ready to run it was mid 80’s and my hr was through the roof.
thats ok. It’s just a workout (and a good tough one at that).
swim only day tomorrow to recover.