2017 IM Arizona- Week 18- The LINE
/ 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!
* TEAM DINNER: There will not be an official team dinner. HOWEVER- I encourage you to use GroupMe which will begin on Tuesday or Wednesday of race week to try and get together on Thursday night!
*** If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. You're almost their rock star EN'rs can't wait to watch you unleash on the course**
Comments
This week- is the last week to get the work done or in my case last week to get back to racing fitness - my plan will look a lot like last week but hope to bump the ride to 110 and run to 14... Then a normal 2 week taper!
Last week - I did 3000 yds and 2500 yds on the vasa. Figuring on the same this week and then 4400 in pool sometime on weekend or next Monday just to get feel of water.
hoping for a sunny day this weekend to get one last long ride in and long run.
I had a FANTASTIC race last year...hoping for another awesome one this year.
1. Lost car key is gonna cost $337 and another $125 to program it. Might have to spend a few more hours searching for it.
2. Car replacement tire was $112 (was expensive week training)
3. Power Meter P1's sent to Saris for rebuild.
4. Since my Ventum just got back from KONA via TBT (picking up today) I had a choice to train on my FELT or Heather's Trek SC since she is recovering from Rotator Cuff surgery... I been on the TREK and I think I am gonna race that for IMAZ... (her P1 pedals will be going to SARIS as soon as I get mine back because they are doing the same things mine were)!
5. The good news is I am liking the numbers I am seeing the last few days, feeling optimistic and confident...
a few more tough days then tapertime
If you got the Ventum back, why aren't you riding it?
The Ventum- Couple reasons. 1. While waiting for Ventum to return I had a choice of FELT DA (which I have ridden for 5 years) or Heathers TREK SC (since it was available and I never get to ride it:-)) so I have completed 6 wko's on the TREK, its all set up for this weekends long ride , I thought I would just stick to it and its an awesome bike.... 2. Since I am doing ZERO Ironmans next year I may actually sell the Ventum... nobody wanted my FELT but might be able so sell the Ventum.... I do plan a little experiment this afternoon or tomorrow to set up a trainer in the garage and do a short video on each of the 3 bikes to look at my position on each one... They are all equally comfortable to me and I get the same speeds and same power numbers on all three...
the final 12 weeks have gone well in terms of training output. My paces and power isn't where it was a year ago but I had a big layoff during the first 1/2 of the year.
Work and family commitments have kicked up this week and it might end up being a bit lighter than I had planned in terms of training but not anything dramatic. Lots of sick people around me all of a sudden. Gonna have to get into my pre race bubble wrap soon.
Looking forward to taper time!
seriously, why do I kill myself over a missed session?
So if the weather allows Ill RR SAT 112 at Current GRPw ~ 5:30 then SUN shoot for +10wN and see how that feels (IF .74)
click ...wheeeer... recalculating.....
Well, I pushed way to hard on my run yesterday and today might need to be full rest or dialed back recovery ride.
RPE to hit the paces that I was targeting yesterday was really high. I chased the target paces but it felt too much like race day 2 weeks early. Bad stuff.
I have been totallly MIA from the forum. I am local and have done the last 5 IMAZs so number 6 if I decide to race. I have been totally ambivalent this year. Health issues more important than chasing VDOT/FTP numbers. Have roughly followed an EN schedule but at my own pacing. Mostly MAF HR. I did Jan OS then short HIITS until my 12 week beginner minimalist plan started. And THAT was still more training than I wanted to do!!!
this plan has long bike Saturday, long run Sunday-which complementsmy work schedule and is sooo much better.
Ive done all my bike on the trainer for several reasons, even all the long ones except yesterday:
1-I know the course like the back of my hand, every inch of beeline (distances, landmarks but not numbers like grade). Don't ever need another practice ride there.
2-too many falls in training rides-no broken bones ever, but just not willing to risk all the road rash
3-heat, race day is never hot on the bike so why all those horribly hot days...
4-too many online courses/webinars in my life. I got lots accomplished on those long Saturday trainer rides!
All runs done outside with dogs. Pit bull Emma is my long run partner.
i hate to admit I just started swimming this summer and ramped up about 6 weeks ago. Those of you who know me know I'm a perennially slow swimmer. Coach Rich once said. "I'm the guy you hate who can pull a 50' IM swim out of gr closet anytime". Well, I've found I'm the sucker who can pull a 1:40 IM swim out of the closet anytime and it seems no matter what I do, I never get faster. And don't talk to me about form-I've worked hard for the last 5 years and improved 1000%-doesn't matter.
So to recap:
week 17
10,000 yards swim, most of weekday training
sat-5 hour trainer ride
sun-2.5 hr long run
Week 18
onky got a weekday 2000 swim in
Fri-only time for 3k instead of 4 (my usual 2:30/100-ugh!)
saturday-tadah! Only beeline ride of the season.
I've done one FTP test in 2017-about a month ago-and I tested right where I thought-about 10% less than my 2016 high. But, previous was always done upright trying to mash out extra watts. I never felt in IM training rides I could keep where I wanted to be in aero. This year all training in aero and the test was all aero. Much more realistic Number.
So, yesterday's ride was to test that pacing and Hr.
Weather couldn't have been more perfect! Cool, cloudy, minimal wind (do not expect perfection on race day, but we can always hope).
Gary met me and we started around 7 after sunrise (one of worst falls last year was hitting horrible debris in dark)
ride time for 100 mile 5:39
avg Hr 135-which is 10 over MAF
FInally figured out how to do a safe simulation of course loop:
mcdowell gas station to road to dump and back (8 mile loop with minimal gain/loss elevation to simulate out from tempe), 22 mile loop to shea and back, then repeat 8 mile loop.
I did this at the end, like 3rd loop which is always a bit slower, and did 2:05, at my predicted watts average. I had to accept HR 145 to do it but I felt really good.
One of my (many) criteria for racing this year is to be able to do bike within 30 minutes of previous. So looking on track maybe even do as well (all depending on getting HR down after swim)
i came home and did3 miler with Emma. Can't say it felt great but pacing was about where I predicted (not winning any contest for sure)
sorry for long winded post but making up for 10 weeks on gr MIA list.
Off for hour run now
Oh! One addition To discussion about Curry hill. aid station Is right on corner before you turn onto Curry and start your .25mi climb. That's where I volunteerd 2011. Don't get distracted by the BBQ smell-it's a park and the volunteer leader makes food for volunteers. That year was one of hottest years on record-I still remember giving Al Truscott and other ENers wet sponges
@Besty Kantor You are a rock star. You have this race, just get you head into it. One thing I thought about this morning after we talked about your swimming. Have you thought about stroke rate? Have you resigned yourself to being a slow swimmer, with good form but gliding to much instead of turning over at a higher rate? Where's that metronome you told me you used last year?
Good 3 days of RR's in the books, swim only RR on friday followed by carbo loading as the day before IM, 112bike and 4mile brick on saturday with fueling exactly as race day , today 14 mile run with short walk breaks every mile as race day.... Refueled with a big plate of pancakes, banana's, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and maple syrup...
Taper kicks off tomorrow with a swim and massage...
Totally AGREE on the Swim - right there with ya!
@Tim Cronk will see about racing. I feel like the Hawaiian surfers who only go out when the waves are perfect (and a hotelier told me nobody shows up to work on those rare days). Lake temp has to be 63 or greater (at a 1:40 swim, I get sooo cold) and no rain-2015 did 6 hours bike in rain, don't need to ever do that again.
@Ann Sloan long suffering swimmers LOL
Did 3 hour run yesterday. 2dogs first hour-which means a few extra sniff stops. Everready pit bull alone for second hour. All by myself 3rd hour (too hot for Emma-she was miffed when I left her home).
I have done all my running this year at a slow MAF HR of 125. So my MAF predicted run pace at 15s faster, at best is 12:00 min miles. I made that pace 15 miles in 3 hours. HR way higher than I wanted. 150s. Not sure how that will play out at end of ironman day but definitely looking at 5:10 run or worse.
Last comment, for those of you who follow your HRV (I play around with several monitors-research for my retirement career in health/wellness)
My 'Whoop' told me Saturday I had the highest strain that day over 100% whoop users. Today it said, 'ready to peak at max strain-go for it'.
even my technology is telling me I didn't work hard enough this year. I thought I had already peaked this weekend.
Happy taper all!