Thanks for zeroing in on the key points I was learning from my data dive.
Regarding the suggestions:
• I'm lovin' the cruise intervals - they are just the right speed and length to provide work without excess stress. Those plus a day of 8 strides provides all the speed fix my brain needs from running. Both those are on the track or other wise on the flats.
• Long bikes: the IM plan over the next four weeks had five long rides: 4.5, 5, 5, and one week of 2 x 6 hours. Are those the long bikes you are highlighting? Or are you suggesting I add another long bike somewhere, or that I should lengthen one or more of those? Otherwise, I'll just be following the plan as it's written.
• Also, I think you are highlighting that I need to get at least some time on the TT bike, and thus the "on a flat course" comment. When I get to CO, I have the opportunity to put in 6 hour/100 mi "flat" rides from Aspen-Vail the "flat" way on a regular basis (that's 1-2% down for 35 miles after the initial drop from home, then 58 miles 1-2% up until the final 11% hill to friends' condo.) I'll need to be goaded into doing those earlier long rides on flat courses exclusively, the ones during the upcoming 4 weeks, as it's (a) incredibly boring to me, (b) I;d have to do it alone, which I hate and (c) it would be in addition to the mountain rides I;m already planning on weekly here over the next four weeks.
• Shortening the ABP ride and adding a 90' brick after sounds good to me - how does that fit with the long run in the week I do it, and how does it impact the other run days that week. Like you, I seem to have a weekly run mileage max I can handle, and I don;t want to overshoot.
Last week I really backed off on both bike and run, both for a bit of recovery/consolidation and as a taper for the USAT NC. As a result, my CTL went from a peak of 130 the week before, to peak of 124 the day of the race (Saturday). I hit a TSB of + 19 the day of the race, so I was in good form. And it showed while racing.
I felt really good, both during the race and afterwards. The swim was a bit tough, at least the first 150 meters or so, which were into a wind-blown choppy 6 foot Lake Erie swell (not ocean waves). Swim was shortened to 750 meters as a result. The bike was the fastest split I can remember - 1:07:18, the fastest in my AG. I'm sure I went faster sometime before 2009, but not by much; I'm sure I never went faster than 22.5 mph in an Oly bike - that's better than most of my Sprints. The course was mostly flatish, but had a fair number of rises, bridges (nothing steep; 955' elevation gain), and turns which required a bit of skill and attention beyond just head down motoring. I had all the power I wanted and needed to be ready for the run; after the first five minutes of "warm-up", my IF was 0.9 for an hour, with a VI of 1.03, reflecting the turns, descents, and periods of enforced drafting. I slowly ramped up the run, which started out at a 3% upgrade: my average HRs/mile were: 127, 129, 132, 136, 137, 140, 145 (last 0.2). I swear I never looked at my power on the bike, nor my HR on the run - I did the whole thing by feel, which is my goal when racing. I ended up 5th, exceeding my expectations. Reflecting back on the day the following morning, I realised it was one of those races (there have only been about 5 or 6 in my life, last @ IM MD 2016) where I felt completely satisfied with my performance, the time, the pacing, the total focus and response to any challenges along the way. What amazed me most was not my times nor my placing, but rather how I felt during all three legs. I felt like I was working very hard, but that I was easily capable of working at that level, and I was pushing within 1-2% of the maximum possible - anything more, and I felt like I would have risked blowing up. Oh, and my knee survived just fine, although it was a bit swollen and stiff at the end. Confirming my belief that my problem is with long sustained efforts, not shorter, harder ones.
So a great confidence booster to take into the next seven weeks of training.
Now, my questions/comments on your four points above ^^
• I agree 100% with those 1 km cruise intervals. I;ve done them twice now, and I feel great as a result. It gives me the needed sense of speed, but without the feeling that I'm putting my knee at risk Those plus a few strides 1-2 x a week are just right for hard run work.
• "...there should be one really long ride day in there, but easy. You are doing great hard work, but we need one day of easy riding but a long day…has to be flat. What would this look like for you and when could it fit?" Question here - the plan has a weekly long ride of 4.5-5 hours over the next 3 weeks, and back to back 6 hour rides in 4 weeks. Do you mean something in addition to those rides, or are you talking about making sure I get those in? Also, my long rides the next three weeks I'm planning on doing with my group in the mountains. Then when I get to Snowmass, five weeks from now, I can do back-to-back 100 mile rides to and from Vail, the easy way (down 2,000' miles 6-40, then up 2000' miles 41-98, with climbs at each end). Does that work?
• "...modifying the traditional Sunday ABP ride to be 90 minutes, and then do a longer race pace brick off of it of 8 to 10 miles..." My questions here are: how many times? When? and most important, What do I do about the long run that week - is this in addition to a long run that week, or in place of?
This week I;ve got planned:
Mon - Recovery bike, 4 mi run, weights
Tues - OWS of 65-75', run 4-5 mi
Wed - Split long run 75'/60'
Thurs - Mountain ride 4.5 hrs. maybe a 2-3 mi run in the PM
Fri - ABP ride, weights
Sat - RACE! Another Olympic, to serve as my swim sprints, bike FTP intervals and run cruise intervals for the week
Sun - Maybe social swim with wife/friends, maybe a 3-5 mi run.
So pumped for your race. You’ve been really consistent this year, despite the knee and despite your early volume / racing. That’s no small feat. And that bike…man, that really, really bodes well for the Big Island as the bike is where it’s at.
So the training questions you had:
1. Yes, we continue to cruise. It’s perfect.
2. I meant in place of those long rides…riding in the hills makes you stronger for sure, and the social aspect matters. But Kona isn’t hilly hard, it’s mentally hard. And flats are mentally hard. They are boring, solo and can be soul sucking…remind you of an island in October??? Seriously though, those aerobar rides are good, and even better, we can do them with little cost (lower VI, lower HR) than a traditional ride. I would be okay with a September trip down there. So mountains now, but flats to come (in some aspect)
I don’t know how you feel about bike volume, but for any other person I would have them doing CAMP WEEK as two back to back long ride days for that aerobic volume boost. Let me know what you think of it. If you did that in SEPT, then you could do 1 flat ride in first weekend, then normal week of hills, then 2x flat rides in weeks 3 (week 17?) as the final RR part.
3. Re the ABP plus long brick, this is tough because you have built a great week with rest and recovery. I almost feel as though this would mean too much damage to your week. Perhaps a good compromise is to go brick run of 30’ off of your ABP ride instead of later in the day? Would that alone challenge you enough / help you enough to prepare for Kona? Ideally yes as it would give you more time for recovery between that AM session and the following day (no PM run). Thoughts?
Also, this week looks like a good "re entry week" so lets roll with it.
Looking forward to our next call to discuss your Data Homework on past Kona performances…
First, I start with some anxiety. I'm following all these folks on Strava, on EN Live, watching people do the epic Leadville rides and runs, seeing the final preps for LP and MT, etc, and wondering, "Am I not working hard/long enough?" And no, I don't go out and do extra credit work, I'm just feeling a little...insufficient. In the end, though, I do trust my training, especially as I see how well my biking and my running are progressing with the work I *am doing. Not asking for support or encouragement here, just sharing.
Past week: started with an easier Monday after return from Cleveland: Recovery ride on zwift, 42' run, and weight room. Highlights included: 14.25 miles on Wed split into two runs of 75' & 60'; 4 hr 15' mountain ride on Thursday, and another Olympic race on Saturday - 50/192 OA, won AG by 15', affirming the only meaningful competition will come when I go to the "big" races on nat'l/international level.
Stats for the week: CTL dropped from 130 week before USAT NC to 124 the day after that race, back to 125 after the Wed/Thurs Big Days. Ramp is now @ 1.5, with TSB back into negative territory, and TSS for the week back up to 950. My running was up to 31 miles which is pretty awesome I think.
Health report: I'm a touch fatigued this week, dropped anticipated 2.5 mile run this evening, and shortened my swims. I have also dropped the formal PT sessions, but have kept up the 30' 4-5 x/week of those exercises, and adding Blood Flow Restriction work to my weaker leg. The Key Thing here is that my knee is certainly no worse, either during running, or at rest. If anything, it seems a bit less swollen and less painful when just moving around. I hate to sound hopeful, because it's been over a year during which it has seemed like, maybe I really shouldn't be running anymore...
Planned for the upcoming week:
Monday - Bike Max Effort 1 (as Zwift wko) with 30-40' OTB run
Tuesday - Swim, OWS vs pool (tempo 200s) 65' in AM, run FTP. The plan says 1 mile (4') repeats, but I think I will try to keep with the 1 km cruise intervals, upping them to 5 (2-3').
Wednesday - Bike - "Full SST" on Zwift as race, workout, or group ride, depending on whats available.
Thursday - No Mountain Goats this week; Split Long Run here of 75'/75' going for 16+ miles.
Friday - Big Gear Work as Friday Freight Train
Saturday - Long Ride here in the lowlands, working for six hours on the TT bike
Sunday - OWS in the AM, hopefully 80', with 30-45' run in the evening.
Questions for this week:
Do you endorse my upping the cruise intervals instead of start the 1 mile run repeats?
Should I try a short OTB run after my long ride?
When does the next phone call come in the grand scheme of things?
Will we be getting snails and frog legs in France? Not sure I'm ready for that...
I hear you on the FOMO with all of this awesomeness going on. It’s a good opportunity for us to remember that what these incredible athletes are accomplishing is the result of years of work and meticulous planning. Our time will come! 👍
Yes, your run mileage for last week is getting me very excited. Especially considering how you been able to keep your knee in a healthy space. We can’t project that the knee will remain healthy the entire time, but it’s clear that the decisions you are making right now have you in a very strong place. I submit to you that your knowledge of your own body and humility are what keep you so healthy.
If you overall build for this week looks good, and I agree with the changes to cruise intervals and to attempting a short brick run off of Saturday’s ride (2 miles max!); remember that Saturday ride is in stark contrast to the climbing sessions you have been doing. The goal here is to essentially get you locked into your aero bars and riding steady.
In many ways, we are replicating the long ride experience that you’ll have on the big Island due to the conditions. Being able to stay focused, patience and absorb that stress will be a critical part of your race experience. Just as important as all of the great work you’re doing to build strength and stay healthy.
Are usually schedule calls at the beginning of each month, but with Kona looming, I think next week would be appropriate. I’m generally very free on Monday through Wednesdays: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/30min
I cannot speak directly to what animal will eventually end up living in rob’s suitcase, but I can assure you that I will not be ordering any such creatures! I am more of a baguette and Nutella guy!
• Bike - Max Effort (75'), SST ) 75', Recovery (65') all on Zwift; Social 60', Long Ride 100 mi/6:36 Total 11:20/184 mi
• Run - Split Long Run 9/7 mi, 90'/68'; Intervals 3 x 1 mi @ ~ 8'.mi, Brick after long ride 5.25 mi/50'; 4 mi LRP. Total 5 hrs/31.2 mi
• Weights x 2 + Home PT work x 4
Total of 20 hrs 20'
Seems I'm transitioning to long activities, and tolerating those well. The pace is slow, but I do not feel trashed at the end, I guess that's a good sign?
PMC Update: TSS for the week: 1015; Max CTL on Sunday, 130 ( back to where I was pre-USAT Nat'l race); -15 TSB, Ramp 3.0 today. I'm expecting to average a ramp of 2-3 over the next 5 weeks, hitting 140 TSS two weeks before the IM.
Upcoming week:
Mon - Recovery day after long ride/brick. 24 hours off, then weights and Max Effort 3 in the PM
Tuesday - Run 6 miles @ LRP; Pool swim sprint session
Wednesday - Long Run, 2 hours, hope for 13 miles
Thursday - Long Ride in the mountains, last year it was 70 miles. 5 hr 15', @ 0.78 IF, TSS 327. Hoping to do this with Sid Wavrin.
Friday - Bike Friday Freight Train for Big Gear Work; 30-45' run @ slow LRP
Saturday - Final Olympic race for SST work, Run Intervals
Sunday - Long OWS, Run a couple of miles
Phone call prep:
The Following week after Labor Day will include a half marathon, and another long bike ride, the following week I head to CO for 3 weeks including travel days. My questions:
You'd suggested shorter (90') ABP rides followed by an 80' run (8-10 miles). I'm not sure how to fit that in with the schedule as it is written.
My plan for long rides is as follows: Camp week (back-to-back 6 hr rides) would normally be weekend of Sept 7-8. It would fit better with my life to do that the week of Sep 14-15, "Week 16". Ride to Vail (the easy way) on Saturday, Come back Sunday afternoon. But it's really tough to get bricks in after that first ride.
Final Race Rehearsal planned for Sep 28, end of "Week 18" Plan calls for 3.5 hour ride the next day.
Knee update - no news is good news. I'm handling 30 mile weeks at a slow pace ( overall average 9:37, which is my LRP) on flat to easy rolling terrains, as well as 3 x 1 mi (4') @ 8:13, 8:03, 7:56 pace. No after effects except after hard and long runs, there is a bit of swelling, more than the usual background level. I think I need to turn my attention to hydration strategy for the Big Island, as well as bike pacing there. My plan for12' miles with run a mile walk a minute seems feasible form the standpoint of knee tolerance, but I worry (based on previous performances) about de-hydration and the effects of a long day on all systems.
Last week ended up a little light, due to a shortened long mountain ride - showers, rain knocked off 2+ hours of anticipated length. I took Monday (a week ago) as a rest day, only hitting the weight room. And the race I did was 10% short on the swim and the bike.
PMC Status: Max CTL was 129, down from 130 the week before. I've been flat for the last month. TSS total 850 (remember, I took a day off). My TSB has been single digit negative, with a ramp of 0-2. But the next four weeks should be tiring; I just don't want to overshoot in an attempt to hit an arbitrary CTL target.
Swim: 2 x OWS, on an Oly swim of 1500 yds @ 27:50, the other a 1.5 hour OWS the day after the race. I was tired...
Bike: 4 sessions - Max Effort 3, Friday Freight Train for Big Gear Work, Oly race 21 miles in 58" @ 0.885 IF for SST work, and a mtn ride of 3:36, with 4900' of climbing.
Run: My long run this week was two hours. After the first 4 miles, my left ("good") knee started to hurt under the patella any time I went up hill with any strength, or tried to run faster than about 10' mile pace. So I only went 11.3 miles/2 hours. The rest of the week was fine. Three days later @ the Oly race, I went 6.1 mi in 52', and tried to push the last 1.5 miles, hitting a 7:50 pace. Total runs: 5/28.5 miles. I'm a touch concerned about the long run issue, but we've got a good test coming up this Saturday, so I won't worry yet.
Upcoming week plan:
Monday: Max Effort 3 on the bike. I'm doing the 10" intervals @ 1.85 IF, 20" @ 1.6, and 1' @ 1.3
Tuesday: Gym was closed yesterday, so I hit the weight room today, after running 4 miles in 38:12. Left knee worked just fine. Evening social bike ride of about an hour.
Wednesday: This will be a long ride in the mountains, 71 miles/6000' climbing. Last year I did it in 5:15, probably a little slower this year as I will be trying to hit 0.76 IF, compared to the 0.8 or so last year on the climbs, so I can push the flats and downhill a bit more.
Thursday: Swim Tempo 200s in morning, Run FTP in the PM. I'll try to hit 3 x 8' miles again.
Friday: Fri Freight Train + 4 mile brick
Saturday: Half Marathon. Starts in a 2.5 mile long rail tunnel, followed by hard pack gravel descent x 10 miles @ 1.6% avg grade. I;ve got no specific plan for the pace. I am interested in seeing how my knees hold up after 7 miles (4 miles downhill). If they feel willing, I'll see if I can handle a strong pace the rest of the way, not sure what that will be given the down hill. I will be wearing a Stryd, but not trying to hit a specific power. I'll warm up for about a mile, then there's 1.2 miles from the finish to the buses which take us back to the start. And I might try 2 miles in the evening, for 16-18 mile day.
Sunday: OWS x 3800 meters, maybe run 4 miles in the PM.
The following week will feature a day off for travel to CO, then a Big Weekend.
Summary: I had a solid week, with good intensity workouts on both bike and run, and good long swim, bike and run. I fell a little short on my run volume goal. PMC #'s: CTL max @ 133, end week @ 131 with a ramp of 2.7. 1,025 total TSS. Details:
Monday: Max Effort 3 on bike; 3.3 mi progressive brick @ 9:43/8:38/8:09/8:01 on the track
Tuesday: Weight session, 4 mile run, evening "social" ride of an hour @ 0.87 IF
Wednesday: Long Ride in the mountains. 71.5 mi, 6300' gain, 0.72 IF, 288 TSS. I felt tired that evening
Thursday: 24 hour rest, then 3 x 1 km (3') on the track @ 7:55/44/37 pace
Friday: OWS x 1:11, 2 miles. Another weight session. No run, to "save" a bit for the next day -
Saturday: Half Marathon race (86/320 OA, 1/3 in AG). This was through a tunnel x 2.5 miles, then down a pretty steady 1.5% grade on packed gravel. My time was 1:54, just what I wanted. I did feel strong towards the end, and maybe went a bit to hard the last mile or so. I ended up in the evening sore in my right quad, but my knee(s) felt no worse than after any of my Oly tris or track workouts this summer, and certainly better than after either of my long races in May and June.
Sunday: Risk of thunder in the AM, so I did a pool swim of 3800 meters (7 x 400 meters on 9', then 2 x 500 m). My right quad still felt a bit sore, so I skipped a potential run on the track and watched football and the Vuelta instead.
I'm a touch concerned that I'm on the shy side of my planned run volume, but I'm feeling OK about juggling the need to recover after hard/long efforts with the desire to hit a specific number. Next three weeks in Colorado hopefully will allow even more time for recovery than here at home, where I do nap 25-30 minutes a day, and use the Normatec nearly daily.
Plan for the upcoming week:
Monday: Max Effort 4: same IF targets for the intervals. Brick of 3-4 miles. Pick up our NEW mini-can pop-up camper conversion in the afternoon.
Tuesday: Early morning track 3 x 1 km session, then leave for two-day drive to CO.
Wed: Day off; travel.
Thursday: I should really swim, bike and run.
Friday: I should swim again, then ride 100 mi to Vail
Saturday: I'm planning a 4 hour walk/hike with Vail friends and wife in lieu of this week's long run
Sunday: Return home to Snowmass on bike, another 100 miles, follow with a run.
I'm suspecting this week will show me just where I'm at vis-a-vis my biking capacity. The following week will be my longest run, with three swims. And the week after that will feature three more swims and a full-bore race rehearsal on Fri or Sat, and drive home Sat/Sun or Sun/Mon. Leaving for Kona Tuesday PM the 2nd of Oct.
This week turned into a recovery period, mainly from life issues:
Monday: Max Effort 4 on Zwift, followed by short weight session. Pick up new mini-camper, which takes up the rest of the day, in preparation to leave for CO
Tues/Wed - Despite my intentions, I do nothing but drive to CO, and arrive Wed PM to house which had been invaded by a local bear. Son Cody has already cleaned up most of the mess, which was about as minimal possible: damage to pantry, front door, and carpet, and food lost, but house returned to relatable status by the next day.
Thursday: Swim x 2.4 i in AM; PM 75' recovery ride (41 TSS) followed by attempt to run, ended after 1 mile - Altitude? Despair?
Friday - Bike to Vail to stay with friends for the weekend while house rented out. Had a disconcerting fall in Glenwood Canyon (42 miles in) lost a little skin on one knee and elbows, and saved from disaster by helmet when the fall ended with head hitting a rock. Drove thru Glenwood, tried to ride again, but 10 miles in or so, hit a high seam on a bike path bridge, popped both latex tubes, and took that as a sign to drive the rest of the way.
Saturday - Lolled around with friends in Vail in the AM, 8.5 miles of swift hike in PM.
Sunday - Mojo returned with uneventful 102 mile return bike trip, But again, did not run after, not sure why other than I felt very fatigued.
PMC report: the long swim, walk, and bike alone accounted for 500 TSS points, which allowed my max CTL to only dip to 133 from 137 10 days earlier.
I felt pretty refreshed coming into this week, obviously, and hopeful that I can handle a standard two weeks (actually, 10 more days) here at my CO camp before driving back home at the start of my taper, then leaving for HI on Oct 2.
Planned:
Monday: accomplished - 55' recovery swim, 5.5 mile run practicing run a mile/walk a minute @ 10:30 pace.
Tuesday: Swim Sprint Intervals, Bike FTP Intervals (climb the neighborhood hills). Hopefully, rain won't inhibit.
Wednesday: Split 3 hour run, 120'/60'
Thursday: Swim 10 x 400 ( hard to do as red mist @ altitude); 60' recovery bike.
Friday: Bike about 6 hours up and down the Fryingpan, run 60' after
Saturday: Bike about 3.5 hrs on Capitol and Snowmass creeks OR Castle & Maroon Creeks, run 30'
Sorry for the delay in responding, I was replying to you this AM and got interrupted,..and in my mind I had answered you. 😢 So...here we go:
Your diligence with updates is outstanding. Thank you for them as it realyadds value to what I am seeing on the data side.
I know you are concerned about run volume but there's "work" and there's "adaptation"....or inputs and outcomes. I think you are rightly concerned / aware of the total health of your knee and the decision to Cut back the run that week was the right call.
The direction of your CTL doesn't lie...you are doing work!
Moving the short term this week looks great to me. I believe you will be sufficiently tired by Saturday midday and will enjoy your 24 hours off. Please closely monitory your "ride mood" on Frying Pan day and see if in creased calories (more frequent) makes a difference. Sometimes I need to shorten things by 5' (on the 25' vs the 30') when fatigued vs sticking with my historical plan.
Looking ahead, I would suggest the following changes:
9/23 is a long swim but not red mist. You could pull a 4km TT swim for example (buoy, no paddles).
9/26 no swim before the bike; just bike run the sim.
9/27 is possible do the swim before the Friday Ride day (a shorter ride, good chance to loosen up, again more pulling is okay).
Before I comment on the rest, can you get me some specifics on When you travel to Kona?
@Coach Patrick I agree with and will implement all your suggested changes.
Travel Plans:
• I drive home from CO to WA Sat/Sun 28/9. Plan to have an hour Sat AM for possible recovery ride or run.
• I leave my house for Kona on Wed Oct 2 @ about 3 PM, leaving Wed morning available for training. Arrive Kona 8:30 PM - 5-6 hour non-stop flight. Remember, not my first Rodeo, so I don't anticipate any need to ease myself into the scene; it's familiar to me.
First off, the past 9-10 days has me teetering on the edge of overtraining. I took 24 hours "off (4 PM-4PM Fri/Sat), then woke up today/Monday totally fried. NO training at all today, rested so hard, ate, drank, did very minor house cleaning. I'm aiming for a final push the next six days before two week taper. Here is a copy/paste of last week's plan, with notes in bold:
Monday: accomplished - 55' recovery swim, 5.5 mile run practicing run a mile/walk a minute @ 10:30 pace.
Tuesday: Swim Sprint Intervals, Bike FTP Intervals (climb the neighborhood hills). Hopefully, rain won't inhibit. Accomplished
Thursday: Swim 10 x 400 ( hard to do as red mist @ altitude); 60' recovery bike. Did the swim, not the bike
Friday: Bike about 6 hours up and down the Fryingpan, run 60' after Did the bike, ran 45'
Saturday: Bike about 3.5 hrs on Capitol and Snowmass creeks OR Castle & Maroon Creeks, run 30' Did the run on Sat, the bike on Sun
Sunday: Run: "Taper VO2" vs just run for 50' Replaced with Saturday's schedule bike
Totals: 18.25 hours for the week, with the previous weekend, 10 days @ an average of 156 TSS/day. I thought I was being a bit of a wimp, then I noticed that on the EN Strava leaderboard, only @Coach Patrick had put in more time than I the past two weeks (among Ironman trainers.) So I felt OK about taking a day off, and recommitted to the attitude that my race is about spending time in the water, on the bike, and running, not about overall speed. That informs my upcoming week, basically long run, swim, bike:
Monday: REST!!! (scrubbed planned swim and FTP bike)
Tuesday: 2 hour run
Wednesday: Race Rehearsal (we're calling it a simulation now?). This will be 80 miles on the Rio Grande Trail, then 31.5 miles on the Fryingpan, the final 15 into the wind (it was pretty stiff last week). that's as flat as I can get it around here, still 3200' gain.
Thursday: Swim 65-70', then bike 3.5 hours
Friday: Drive home, run 30-40' before I leave.
Saturday: Drive home, recovery ride on Zwift when I get back.
Sunday: Swim 85'/3800m. OWS if the lake is still tolerable, the the pool otherwise. Run 30-40' in the PM
Knee report: My right knee is not getting any worse. I'm able to handle the runs at a very slow (for me, historically) speed, running 1 mile, walking 60" (or 1/2 mile/30". Going at a 10:30-45 pace that way. The only pain I get is the first 200-400 meters starting up. After that, I think I generate enough lubrication in the joint to ease the scraping of the rough edges on the cartilege. I AM looking forward to ending my long runs this year, and only doing 10-21k in races.
Other health: I am almost too lean, I feel. I'm down to 64.6 kg, when I'd like to be about 66.5, and race @ 67. Gotta eat, eat, eat on the bike and after the run this week, just to stay even, I guess. Thats tough after hour 4 in the saddle...
@Al Truscott - deal! 👍 so for the training on the island, I see you are NOT doing the Ho'ala swim on Saturday (prefer to swim on your own on Sunday?).
In terms of importance the key workouts are:
The 3 hour ride on Queen K. You need time in the heat, all easy, but a great jump start to local adaptation (mental and physical).
A run in from the energy lab to downtown I did this last year and it was mentally great. Start from the Pine Tree Cafe and run back to transition...it's a 7 mile run and you can do it easy. Will take you 1:20 max? Only session of the day here. Let me know what you think. Hydration belt required, etc.
Daily runs as you are able just for acclimation...even short 20' sessions count.
Good plan. I am not signed up for Hoala as I tried too late; it was closed to new registrations. I can always bandit it. I'm thinking, though:
Friday - Run from Pine Tree to town. I'd need to either get a ride out there, or ride my bike back to pick up my car parked there. AND remember to bring my Fuel Belt, which I haven't used in maybe 5-6 years.
Saturday - Ride from Waikoloa to Hawi and back, getting three hours altogether.
Sunday - Swim. The buoys will be up, and I can get the full course in. It may not sound safe, but I've done it in training every other time, and the Ocean does not scare me. You may not remember, but I have the option to "wear a wetsuit", and I'm going to try this with Lava Pants.
Runs - yes, I heard your Kona podcast, and will incorporate this into the plan.
Tomorrow (Wednesday), I'm doing the Race Sim, and will report back on Thursday after I follow that with another ride up Maroon and Castle Creeks before my drive home from CO to WA. I ran 13.11 miles today, and while it's slow, and my quads felt it, my knees are not swelling like after the Spain and Boulder races earlier this year...
BTW, your workouts this week and last - swim, bike, and run - are scary fast. Here's hoping you nail the taper, that's the key now. Try to enjoy it.
I was going to drive there, run in, ride back out to get the car. Yes to fuel belt. I personally LOVE this run. You get to run AND you get all the landmarks and EMOTION that fill those last few miles.
The rest of your week looks really good. I like the idea of lava pants, sounds like the perfect combination.
The race sim looked really strong, and I am looking forward to your run data. You have built some real resilience here; I am pleased to see how your body and mind are responding.
Thanks for the kudos..taper has started as a I travel this week, so cutting things down. Usual fatigue. I rode .62 yesterday for 80 miles and went 20.9 mph...a good reminder that being aero and slippery are just as important as more watts. Now just trying to stay skinny, sane and (not) sick!
@Coach Patrick Welcome back...only to turn around again next week?
Weekly Update, 9-23-29:
I was really raggedy edge this week, with three days off, and a few dropped workouts from my plan
Monday: Took the day off after I slept nearly nine hours, and then napped for two more throughout the day.
Tuesday: Long Run, 2 hr 19 min, 13.11 miles. The legs held up, but more important was my GE hydration, and my mental persistence. I need to remember this day when I want to start walking after 3 hours...
Wednesday: Race Sim. Again, I needed to put in the extra time to draw on mentally on race day. 112 mile bike, 6:46 moving time, followed by a one hour run. I forced myself to eat more, and it paid off in the last two hours. Again, gotta remember that race day.
Thursday: In intended to swim and bike, but the weather reports for the weekend, both in CO, and in WA, were looking iffy, I missed my wife, I was tired, and I just wanted to GO HOME. So I did. The bad news: two hours into the drive, I remembered I had left some very significant items behind, so I circled back, drove and extra FIVE hours, and then on
Friday: I had to drive another 14+ hours. The perennial optimist in me noted that this was good mental training for being persistent on race day. I slept 8.5 hours the next two nights, with 45-60' naps each day.
Saturday: Three back-to-back-toback Zwift rides for three hours, @ 0.7 IF, 150 TSS. Ran 5K in the PM
Sunday: Red mist, + 200 to make 4200 yds, in 1:22 swimming time. Ran another 5K.
Sounds liek a very well executed "Almost done" week! The balance of work and recovery is critical and I am pumped you are focusing on "what matters" aka the food and fluid. So easy to lose that focus when we are tired and not where we want to be (or going as fast as we want); but slowing down to do things right consistently pays off in IM! 👍
I will check out that race plan...I'll be tracking you on the island in those early workouts!
@Coach Patrick I've got a bit of time before flying of the island. So first a review of race day. I felt just fine going into the morning. Dinner the night before, breakfast the morning of were all the same as I always have done. I had no hiccups with morning pier preparation, nor with getting to the start on time. You saw me an hour before take off, I hope I seemed OK. Only slight issue was stepping on the scale - I was as feared maybe a pound or two under what I had hoped would be my minimum weight.
My swim was 1:21:40; for comparison, my very first in '06 was 1:18, my last two were 1:32 and 1:44. I was swimming very easily. I was going 24 strokes/minutes, which is my standard at all times. According to my Garmin the course was 190 meters short - I haven't talked with anyone else, was this actually the case? That would have added 4 minutes to my time, so even if that were the case, and even considering the neoprene pants, I would call the swim a big plus. Transition was pretty routine; I'd planned on 10 minutes, used 7:30.
The bike went exactly as planned. It took 7:35 total time, I;d allowed 7:30. I stopped whenever I needed to refill my front bottle. I pee'd after 10 miles (did not in T1), again @ 38 and 75 miles. I drank every 10 minutes, all of my planned Infinit (1400 calories), about 20 oz of GE, and the rest water. I ate 1.67 clif bars (350 cal), and a bottle of EFS gel (450 cal) for a total of about 2300 cal, or 300 an hour, about my maximum I can get in. My numbers on the bike (the goal "Take it Easy"): time - 7:18 moving; TSS 163; Kilojoules 2300; VI 1.126; Avg HR 103. That'a about as easy as I can go...
T2 was 9:45, same as planned. The run started with the first 11 miles between 11:35 and 12:22 pace (13:14 for the mile includingPalani). this is slower than my ttraining runs on the island, and 70-100 s/mile slower than long run pace) My HR was 115-118 during those miles, what I always do my long runs at. I pee'd once at mile 11, after about 2 hours, so I felt I was hydrating OK. Everything seemed on track.
So that got me to sunset and darkness, and I started to fade. It started with my right knee beginning to hurt (the bad one), so I walked a fair amount the next few miles, which were 14:13, 15:56, and 13:58. My hands and feet were tingling, so I took two cups of chicken broth, two bananas halves, some more gatorade, and some coke. That helped, so I began running again, but my calves were feeling like they would cramp if I really "ran", so it was more of a jog/shuffle. Also the knee was still hurting. Next mile was 12:12, then back up to 14. At an aid station coming back out the energy lab, I stopped at a table to take a coke. I must have looked terrible, because the volunteers asked if I were OK. I wanted to sit down, and once I did, I realised I was cold, shivering, with goosebumps, and my calves were fasiculating (very quick small quivering, like they would cramp if I stood up or tried to walk). Something in me told me I should not continue, even though I had more than 4 hours in which I could finish. I was feeling like pushing any further would not be fun, and I had no desire to spend the next three hours trying to get back to Ali'i via walking/shuffling/staggering. I weighed 138 at the end, compared to 145 at the start, about 5% down.
Looking back, I might have finished if I had stopped for half an hour and refueled, hydrated, whatever, but I was really COLD, man, and worried about my knee. That's the story.
I do not feel disappointed, mad or angry at myself. I had a great time this two weeks on the island. But given that I have now done 15 races between Xterra and IM in Hawaii, and only two of them were satisfying, I'm going to accept I can't race here. Whether it's my physiology or my psychology is irrelevant, I can't bring myself to try anymore.
I'm entirely satisfied that I trained well, executed within myself, stayed fed and hydrated, and did not work too hard early on the run. I just couldn't go more than about 3+ hours on the run.
But I do want to follow through with the plan, which is to race Arizona. First, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this post-mortem, then we can plan three weeks of training and a taper, along with an execution strategy.
@Al Truscott Thank you for the detailed info;; and I appreciate the decision you made.
First being cold is not a good sign during sustained exertion; and add in all the other issues where you were feeling not in control of your body...no brainer.
I was following you and thought that you were executing really, really well on the run. I figured something happened with the knee but it certainly wasn't the kind of ting that numbers (splits) normally show. And I've seem some really bad live tracking splits in my time. 🤣
The only thing I can point to is your HR being so much lower than you experienced in training. Your AHR in Kona was 102, but in training you had long rides at 121 (6+ hours) and 110 (last RR). 8 beats doesn't seem like much but that's 10%! Is it possible to under exert yourself and face consequences? I have experienced this riding with super beginners in TOC for 6 hours and I felt terrible. On the run I think part of the issue is that you weren't working hard enough to generate heat in the cooler evening.
This article mentions how you can get the shivers post run, especially those with lower mass (you ain't a Withrow). With hindsight, you need warmer Clothing (long sleeve technical shirt, maybe a skull cap) To avoid losing head so quickly once temps have dropped.
Let me know what you think!
In terms of moving Forward, it's re-entry time. I will map out through next weekend...Let's see how you handle the retun and we can go from there. You still need to continue to rest / process...and use the extra time to plan for the Temps and race in AZ!
Here is the best representation of the run I can create.
It shows my HR (grey bar) was in the mid-teens while I was running during the first 2.5 hours. My cadence (orange dots) was rock steady @ 89-90 during that time. Looking at those dots, it's easy to see when I was running vs walking, which started once my knee started to hurt. The green line shows the ups and downs of the course. Look at the cadence dots after 2.75 hours - they show a very rapid cadence, with a slower pace, what I termed a shuffle jog. That switch led quickly to extra stress on the calves, which couldn't handle it. I also guess I had started to drift below 95% of my body weight by that point, with dehydration creeping in. I don;'t see how I was externally "cold" as the air temp @ that time dropped from 86 before sunset to 82 according to the watch. Something was happening internally to make me shiver and get goosebumps, probably lack of sufficient internal blood volume to keep my core temp stable.
I'm not going to worry about fixing it unless I were to get myself into the same conditions again, which would only happen if I break my vow not to come back to Hawaii. Unfortunately, those thoughts are drifting into my head again. But now, I need to focus on having a successful race @ Arizona. Last year, I swam 1:22, biked 5:58, and ran 5:03. I want to replicate that, and maybe get a slightly faster run, as I did a bit of walking the last 6 miles or so. I think the flat terrain, lack of humidity and normal temps will offer me an opportunity to finish this race running slowly (11 min/mile) especially if I increase the amount of walking I do early on, compared to last year (60s/mi, compared to 20-30 last year).
I'm going to use the next week to:
• Run 25-35 minutes a day, aiming to run 80' next Sunday. Maybe take a day off if I feel it's needed.
• Swim 60-65' x 2, aiming to swim 90' next Friday (I did 45' easily two days ago)
• Bike: 1 x 45' Zwift race @ FTP; 1 x 75' Zwift ride @ 0.8 FTP x 60'; and 3.5-4.5 hr ride either outside or on Zwift , gettin about 2100 kj
@Al Truscott That's a great chart. I agree air temps hadn't dropped much, but no sun vs sun is a material difference. So the "real feel" drops drastically as the humidity begins to go up again. So more moisture in the air...Here's a quick weather chart to show those changes.
On top of that ^above^ we also had a much lower HR due to your change in pacing. I thing having something to keep you warmer as the day goes on is a good idea; can't hurt to carry arm warmers, for example, or go full roadie and carry a plastic shopping bag that you could put inside the front of Your kit that will retain heat.
I like you're weekly plan. Keep up the sleep. Key session elements this week:
frequent runs
1 hard bike, 1 long bike this weekend
revisit swim technique with kona lessons learned (other than swim shorter than everyone else 🤣)
@Coach Patrick Weekly update, Oct 28...4 weeks to go before IM AZ.
I am realizing that I have had a long, hard season when I look over at my door, where I post my race bibs from the past year. There's not enough room at the top where I leave space for my A races. Looking back at my training diary, I have not had much of a break since winter of 2018 (20 months ago.)
The first week after Kona was totally ad lib, using subjective feelings of tiredness during and between activities to determine how far/hard to go. This past week was a bit more structured:
Monday: Treadmill run 3.15 mi, weights, Zwift Bump Race @ IF of 1.023 for 27' (2nd Place
Tuesday: Run 5K/30'
Wednesday: Swim Tempo 200s for 2900 yds; Run 5K/31' (took a class in disc brake maintenance @ nite)
Thursday: Bike home from grand-daughter visit 23 mi/1:47
Friday: Run 3.44 mi/33.5'; weights
Saturday: Bike on Zwift, five different events, 4 hr 10', IF = 0.762, TSS 242, KJ = 2100. The first 45' were 0.94 IF, most of the rest split between IM pace, recovery intervals, and race pace +.
Sunday: Swim 10 x 300 on 30" @5:40/50; Run 9 mi in 1:26
I did find myself needing to sleep 9-10 hours on some nights, as well as take 40-50 minute naps most days. And my weight seems to have dropped a pound in the last week. After the hard cycling and running efforts, I am noticing a bit of excess swelling/sorenes in my right knee. But I did feel strong at the end of each of the weekend's long efforts, so I'm going to up the volume this week, and space out those long efforts a bit more, with the run first, to try and get more recovery; I'll be riffing off of the IM minimalist plan:
Monday: Day "off", meaning 25' in the weight room.
Tuesday: Zwift Masters race (so I can compete against other 70+!!!) for FTP Intervals; Run second 45'
Wednesday: Swim Sprint Intervals "3"; Run 45' ?
Thursday: Long Run - 2 plus hours - we'll see how far I can go...I'm thinking I can actually do double what I did yesterday.
Friday: Bike ABP vs Recovery x 1:30
Saturday: Bike 5 hours/100 miles/2450 KJ/270 TSS/0.735 IF on Zwift; Run x 40'
Sunday: Swim Red Mist x 1:15 (maybe only 9 x 400)
I'm intending to win this race in Arizona. I know I have been adamant about not taking the Kona slot should that happen, but I am having serious second thoughts about that. A big reason: The ITU changed their long course WC in Holland from 3K/120K/30K (2nd week of Sept) to 3.8K/180K/42.2K distance. Since I don't have a chance to do the "shorter"/saner Long Course WC, I might as well go for the Big One once again, and finish it this time, when it won't be in the middle of such a massive year.
Mentally, I'm feeling pretty good and optimistic about racing in Arizona I've NEVER had a bad race there, and I have every reason to feel I should once again have success on that course.
@Coach Patrick Hmm...looks like I didn't do a weekly update this past Monday. Had I done so, here's what my plan for this week would have looked like then:
Mon - Recovery swim, weights
Tues - 3 hour run
Wed - Red mist swim, weights
Thurs - Bike FTP 75', Run 45'
Fri - RR Swim, Weights
Sat - RR Bike/Run 60'
Sun - Consider ABP Bike 1.5-3 hrs, run 30'
I made a specific decision to significantly separate the long run and ride this week, precisely to prevent fatigue on Race Rehearsal Day, as well as ensure I could get the entire run done without impacting downstream workouts.
While I felt "OK" the morning after the long run, I was worried that if I tried a hard swim, I would just make the fatigue hole deeper. So no swim yesterday.
I am following very closely not only feelings of fatigue and knee pain, but also length of naps and length of sleep, as well as weight and hydration status. ALL of those are on the correct side of the scale this morning. The morning of IM HI, I weighed 143#, which is not enough IMO. I am now 146, would like to hit 147 by IM AZ. I'm getting there by keeping my hydration status up, eating extra protein, and hitting the weight room 3x/week. I think I look better (I thought I was too lean in HI.) The past 3 nights, I've needed "only" 8 hours of sleep, with my naps dropping down into the low 20' range.
I think it is very important that I complete the swim, bike, and run this Friday and Saturday. The gain for me will be at least 50% mental/confidence. I know my fitness is good, and I don't think I will add much to it by doing an 80' instead of 60-70' swim, or a 5 hr vs a 6 hr bike. But I need to remind myself that the work is hard, and I can keep going past the point when I would really like to quit. In that last hour of the bike, the last 20' of the run, the last 25' of the swim, 100% of the game (and gain) at this point in the season is 100% mental, and I need some sharpening up and re-booting of confidence.
Last week on Saturday, I did 5 hours on Zwift, the first 2.5 with Brian and Sid (and a few others), first hour @ 2.0 w/kg/0.65 IF, then 75' @ 2.5/0.8 IF, then a 90' group ride @ race pace plus (2.3 w/kg/0.78 IF) , finishing with a 52' race @ 2.7 w/kg/0.85 IF. No run afterwards. My total KJ were 2729. For comparison, last year's IM AZ split was 5:58 @ 2792 KJ, 2.0 w/kg, 0.63 IF.
This Saturday, my goal will be to get in 6 hours @ race effort level with several in the EN IM AZ crew in a series of meet-ups. The advantage of the group meet-up, as you know, is we stay together even if we are working at different w/kg, just like a group workout on Zwift. That helps a lot. Then if I can get a run of 60' after that, hitting 10:30-11 min miles, I will feel totally ready for the Big Day two weeks later. Anything I do on Sunday will be optional, depending on fatigue, etc.
I am paying a lot of attention to nutrition and hydration during my long rides and runs. I had an insight in the past week about long runs. I had been doing them on a local bike path, with water fountains 1-1.75 miles apart. After my 2 hr 15' run a week ago, I got dehydrated. I realised that with my current speed, I am taking a lot longer between water stations than even 2 years ago. So if I drink the same amount at each stop, I'm actually getting less fluid. For the long run two days ago, I switched to a totally flat path, at a spot where I can do three different 6 mile out and backs, and carried a fresh bottle with me each hour, drinking and walking each mile. It started to hurt after 5 miles, but I found I could keep going at my new slow pace, and re-learned how to push through the physical desire to stop. Also, I took along a banana and had half after an hour, then again after the second hour. Don't know if that helped, but I've never done it in races before, think I will this last time. (My rejection of bananas up to now has been to avoid solid food, and also a fear that I was still allergic to them.)
On the long rides, I have the nutrition and hydration dialed in. I'm using the same plan exactly as I have for my IM races over the past 5-6 years, so I know I can handle it and it works. Again, just doing it in training is primarily about being able to do it without thinking on race day, not that I really need that much fluid and calories on a training day. So I've got 5 bottles lined up with Infinit + a small amount of GE, two clif bars, and a flask of EFS gel all ready to feed my face at 15' intervals.
My FTP interval workout this morning - 14', 10', 10' (4') going up Alpe d Zwift went well. I'll take it as a positive omen that I finally secured the Milenstein wheels.
Thank you so much for the complete update. I agree that you were totally on track and I like to see how the workouts are stacking up. Greg Cole and separating those concessions, I agree that you are in the position where strength is required for success.
really curious about your knee. Do you think some form of compression may actually help keep the swelling down and I need to keep running? Not a full rigid brace, but almost thinking of like some kind of a compression sock deal. Just curious. It came to me today during my run, I was wondering if reduce the swelling without impeding blood flow would allow you to run longer without messing up your bio mechanics.
I know that you were through the weekend, we can focus on sharpening up for Arizona. a few key bike sessions and some consistent swimming is all that’s needed as far as I’m concerned. What are your thoughts?
I think your suggestion about a compression knee "brace" had some merit, but of course I didn't want to try it out during the race without testing it in training. Ideally, that would have been on the long run a week ago. So I tried it today on a 5 mile run. Background: I have a neoprene brace which I've used on and off for decades - when my knee would feel sore, I would put it on intermittantly for a day or three, my theory being keeping it warm would increase local blood flow and maybe enhance healing/fluid absorption. But in this year, I have taken to wearing a strap (common brand name "Cho-Pat", though that's not what I use) around my leg just below the joint at the level of the patellar tendon. The theory is, it helps to keep the patella aligned as it slides along the femur, making up for weakened quad/hip muscles. While I don;t think I have that weakness, I did find that wearing it seemed to retard the sharp pain I would get on rare occasion if the kneecap deviated from its proper course even slightly.
So I did wear the neoprene brace instead today. While I was running, I did not notice any issues. But when I got home, the first time I walked downstairs, I had sharp pains under the patella, something I have not had for months now. My MD brain tried to create an explanation, which was: without the strap, even though the brace has a hole in it for the patella, there had been enough movement of the patella outside of it's ideal groove with the femur that it had gotten more abrasion than usual. That pain did eventually go away after a session with Norma Tec.
I think I'll take a brace with me to Tempe, and consider putting it into Run SN, to possibly put on for the second loop. But I kinbda think I'll just go with the strap.
Last week's work:
Mon - Swim 60': 1000, 10 x 50, 15 x 75; Weights + Sauna session
Tue - Long Run: 3 hours, 16.55 mi
Wed - Weights + Sauna
Thurs - FTP intervals 14', 10', 10' (4') up ALpe d Zwift, followed by "easy spinning" to the top, where I FINALLY got the Meilenstein Wheels. Total of 2 hours
Fri - RR swim in the pool, 2.4 miles/1:24; Run 4.4 mi.
Sat - Though I was gonna ride for six hours, "only" did 4:18. I was feeling both quite tired, and ach-y in my knee. I felt a lot better when I looked at last year's ride on the same day two weeks before IM AZ: I had the same time/distance/kilojoules, etc and ended up doing sub-6 hr bike split on the race. So I gave myself a pass.
Sun - Progressive run of 5.5 miles/53', finishing with a sub 9 min mile. Confidence building.
Mon - Weights/Sauna
Tue (Today) - Swim 10 x 300 (30"). Run 5 mi/48', again feeling strong.
Plan for the remainder of the week:
Wed - Week 19 FTP intervals 3 x 6' (4'), Run 20'
Thurs - Run 1:20-1:30/9 mi, weights/Sauna
Fri - Swim - 600/500/400/300/200/100; Bike 1 hour recovery spin
Sat - Bike 3 hours on Zwift, try to run 3.1 miles
Sun - Swim 2.4 miles
Race week:
Mon - Swim45', run 30', Sauna/Weights
Tues - Bike Taper Work, Run 20-30'
Wed - Swim 30'/Weights
Thurs - Travel, maybe run down by the lake in the early evening
Friday - Register, Beeline, Team Dinner.
Saturday - Admin, Movie, Jamba Juice
I am going in with the attitude I want to win this race...
Thanks for the feedback on the brace. I wasn’t 100% sure how it would work, I thought it was worth a shot. I appreciate you giving it a chance. Last week was a really good week for you, now we have to make sure that you observe it. In all honesty, that is a tall order. Feel free to cut your salary short if you are tired. Nothing new to be gained there.
In all honesty, I think the most important thing you can do is get our minds right about what we’re gonna do on Sunday. The fitness stuff right now it’s just to keep us from going insane!
Apparently you're spot on. After a ride on Saturday when I did 1/2 the KJ of my IM split in 2 hr 40' on Zwift, then ran 30', I felt pretty good. Woke up Sunday, went swimming with Cheryl intending to do 10 x 150s. No way was that happening. I'm pretty sure I was being told to stand down and let my neurotransmitters and hormonal stores rejuvenate. I will work a little tomorrow, Tues, and Wed, then show up ready to roll on Thursday, with a final shakedown cruise on Beeline Friday to see what race pace feels like for 1.5 hours.
To keep occupied, I replaced my jockey pulleys and chain with Ceramic Speed's magic stuff. Race day is looking perfect, weather-wise, from this distance out.
Did Tim ask you for another time to review Ultra stuff, so I can take him to see Ford v Ferrari Saturday afternoon. It's a perfect movie for the day before an IM, I'm hoping.
Exit self-interview after a prolonged bout of high-end racing....
On January 7, 2018, I was near the end of a 4-5 month stretch of lacking any specific athletic focus, after competing at the ITU LC WC end of August '17. That was the earliest I had ever ended a season; usually, my final big races were in mid-late Oct or November (Kona, Xterra, IM FL, IM AZ, ). I added daily running (got up to 115 days) during this time along with the beginnings of heavy rotation on Zwift rides and races. I was planning for a two-year assault on my age-up year. I have a little game I occasionally play, which is to check out y body's fatigue, aches, pains, and assign a %-age score. The best I usually could get to would be maybe 95-8%, always a little something in some joint or other. On Jan &, I gave myself 100% for the first and only time in my life. On Jan 8, I put 450# on the leg press machine instead of the 360 I had built up to, trying to get ready for the next ski trip which was less than two weeks away. The next day, my right knee hurt, so much that I ended the daily run streak, and only ran two days the erst of the month. I ran 10/15 days before the next ski trip in Feb/Mar. On Mar 5th, a stellar powder day, I went 50% more time than usual, and ended up really hurting as I tried to climb stairs to a lunch break. But I kept skiing. Luckily, I had a sports MD appt scheduled for my return. Got an MRI which showed a lot of bone swelling and cartilege erosion in that right knee. More down time and efforts to find out just what I could handle running, after being told I could "run as long as it didn't hurt".
This chart tells the story. Far right column is my average pace for all runs in a given month. After my return to running following the dual insults to my knee from weight lifting and skiing, the only time I got below 9 min/mile was Oct '18, when I did three half marathons all at about 8:20.
In Nov '18, I had a fairly good race @ IM AZ, with a sub 6 hour bike (from all the Zwifting and time in the mountains and at camps) and a marathon with minimal walking. It had been preceded the week before by a half iron in Miami, where I qualified 2019's ITU LC WC. But I also learned there that the timing of the race had been moved from early Sept to early May, same weekend as Santa Rosa, I think. My plan had been to try a KQ in Santa Rosa, race in Spain in early Sept, then Kona/AZ in Oct.Nov. But all that got blown up, and I switched to Boulder which was only 5 weeks after Spain. The end result is from April-Nov, I felt like I was on a treadmill of peak/taper/rest/peak/taper/rest. As I went from ITU WC to IMB to USAT SC NC (Aug), Kona, then AZ. I was satisfied with my races in Spain, Cleveland, and Tempe, but came up short in Boulder and Kona.
I'm not quite sure what I've learned from all this, other than that my right knee does not like to run more than 2 hours at a time. It will put up with 3 hours if managed carefully, but longer than that, I've gotta do some walking to survive. IM races are no longer "fun" like they used to be - they seem too much like work, with the pressure to perform (win) exceeding the inner rewards I feel purely for myself during and after. So I'm looking at the new challenge of ITU races as an opportunity to stay invigorated and race without feeling like there's an impossible standard I have to meet.
My plans for the next year go something like this right now:
Dec: Ski for a week or two, mix in Zwifting and return to running
Jan/Feb: ski from Jan 18-Feb 14, return to Zwifting and running frequency
Mar: Road trip to Arizona to support Cronk UM and partially participate in EN Tucson camp.
Apr: Build-up to May/June activities
May: Start with Belgian Wafer Ride, two week Grand Canyon rafting trip, then get to CO for 2-3 weeks
June: another week or two hosting campers in Snowmass, end with June Alps camp
July: Maybe do Calgary 70.3 to qualify for WC in St George 2021
August: Local races, then ITU SC WC in Edmonton
Sept; Back to CO for serious Kona preparation
Oct: Kona.
Nov/Dec: consider a 70.3 if needed for St George Qualification.
I'd appreciate scheduling a phone call to review my past two years and process it a bit.
@Al Thank you for all the data...and I agree, that decline is precipitous and a bit much for what we would expect. But we can discuss.
That said, I really really like your winter of FUN. Look, you are on the finite side of the fun stuff, and you should definitely maximize that. After all this work for this season, you built a great platform and with some basic maintenance should be able to roll that into the late spring with minimal "gotta pile on the work" focus.
Comments
Thanks for zeroing in on the key points I was learning from my data dive.
Regarding the suggestions:
• I'm lovin' the cruise intervals - they are just the right speed and length to provide work without excess stress. Those plus a day of 8 strides provides all the speed fix my brain needs from running. Both those are on the track or other wise on the flats.
• Long bikes: the IM plan over the next four weeks had five long rides: 4.5, 5, 5, and one week of 2 x 6 hours. Are those the long bikes you are highlighting? Or are you suggesting I add another long bike somewhere, or that I should lengthen one or more of those? Otherwise, I'll just be following the plan as it's written.
• Also, I think you are highlighting that I need to get at least some time on the TT bike, and thus the "on a flat course" comment. When I get to CO, I have the opportunity to put in 6 hour/100 mi "flat" rides from Aspen-Vail the "flat" way on a regular basis (that's 1-2% down for 35 miles after the initial drop from home, then 58 miles 1-2% up until the final 11% hill to friends' condo.) I'll need to be goaded into doing those earlier long rides on flat courses exclusively, the ones during the upcoming 4 weeks, as it's (a) incredibly boring to me, (b) I;d have to do it alone, which I hate and (c) it would be in addition to the mountain rides I;m already planning on weekly here over the next four weeks.
• Shortening the ABP ride and adding a 90' brick after sounds good to me - how does that fit with the long run in the week I do it, and how does it impact the other run days that week. Like you, I seem to have a weekly run mileage max I can handle, and I don;t want to overshoot.
@Coach Patrick Monday update and a couple of questions.
Last week I really backed off on both bike and run, both for a bit of recovery/consolidation and as a taper for the USAT NC. As a result, my CTL went from a peak of 130 the week before, to peak of 124 the day of the race (Saturday). I hit a TSB of + 19 the day of the race, so I was in good form. And it showed while racing.
I felt really good, both during the race and afterwards. The swim was a bit tough, at least the first 150 meters or so, which were into a wind-blown choppy 6 foot Lake Erie swell (not ocean waves). Swim was shortened to 750 meters as a result. The bike was the fastest split I can remember - 1:07:18, the fastest in my AG. I'm sure I went faster sometime before 2009, but not by much; I'm sure I never went faster than 22.5 mph in an Oly bike - that's better than most of my Sprints. The course was mostly flatish, but had a fair number of rises, bridges (nothing steep; 955' elevation gain), and turns which required a bit of skill and attention beyond just head down motoring. I had all the power I wanted and needed to be ready for the run; after the first five minutes of "warm-up", my IF was 0.9 for an hour, with a VI of 1.03, reflecting the turns, descents, and periods of enforced drafting. I slowly ramped up the run, which started out at a 3% upgrade: my average HRs/mile were: 127, 129, 132, 136, 137, 140, 145 (last 0.2). I swear I never looked at my power on the bike, nor my HR on the run - I did the whole thing by feel, which is my goal when racing. I ended up 5th, exceeding my expectations. Reflecting back on the day the following morning, I realised it was one of those races (there have only been about 5 or 6 in my life, last @ IM MD 2016) where I felt completely satisfied with my performance, the time, the pacing, the total focus and response to any challenges along the way. What amazed me most was not my times nor my placing, but rather how I felt during all three legs. I felt like I was working very hard, but that I was easily capable of working at that level, and I was pushing within 1-2% of the maximum possible - anything more, and I felt like I would have risked blowing up. Oh, and my knee survived just fine, although it was a bit swollen and stiff at the end. Confirming my belief that my problem is with long sustained efforts, not shorter, harder ones.
So a great confidence booster to take into the next seven weeks of training.
Now, my questions/comments on your four points above ^^
• I agree 100% with those 1 km cruise intervals. I;ve done them twice now, and I feel great as a result. It gives me the needed sense of speed, but without the feeling that I'm putting my knee at risk Those plus a few strides 1-2 x a week are just right for hard run work.
• "...there should be one really long ride day in there, but easy. You are doing great hard work, but we need one day of easy riding but a long day…has to be flat. What would this look like for you and when could it fit?" Question here - the plan has a weekly long ride of 4.5-5 hours over the next 3 weeks, and back to back 6 hour rides in 4 weeks. Do you mean something in addition to those rides, or are you talking about making sure I get those in? Also, my long rides the next three weeks I'm planning on doing with my group in the mountains. Then when I get to Snowmass, five weeks from now, I can do back-to-back 100 mile rides to and from Vail, the easy way (down 2,000' miles 6-40, then up 2000' miles 41-98, with climbs at each end). Does that work?
• "...modifying the traditional Sunday ABP ride to be 90 minutes, and then do a longer race pace brick off of it of 8 to 10 miles..." My questions here are: how many times? When? and most important, What do I do about the long run that week - is this in addition to a long run that week, or in place of?
This week I;ve got planned:
Mon - Recovery bike, 4 mi run, weights
Tues - OWS of 65-75', run 4-5 mi
Wed - Split long run 75'/60'
Thurs - Mountain ride 4.5 hrs. maybe a 2-3 mi run in the PM
Fri - ABP ride, weights
Sat - RACE! Another Olympic, to serve as my swim sprints, bike FTP intervals and run cruise intervals for the week
Sun - Maybe social swim with wife/friends, maybe a 3-5 mi run.
@Al Truscott -
So pumped for your race. You’ve been really consistent this year, despite the knee and despite your early volume / racing. That’s no small feat. And that bike…man, that really, really bodes well for the Big Island as the bike is where it’s at.
So the training questions you had:
1. Yes, we continue to cruise. It’s perfect.
2. I meant in place of those long rides…riding in the hills makes you stronger for sure, and the social aspect matters. But Kona isn’t hilly hard, it’s mentally hard. And flats are mentally hard. They are boring, solo and can be soul sucking…remind you of an island in October??? Seriously though, those aerobar rides are good, and even better, we can do them with little cost (lower VI, lower HR) than a traditional ride. I would be okay with a September trip down there. So mountains now, but flats to come (in some aspect)
I don’t know how you feel about bike volume, but for any other person I would have them doing CAMP WEEK as two back to back long ride days for that aerobic volume boost. Let me know what you think of it. If you did that in SEPT, then you could do 1 flat ride in first weekend, then normal week of hills, then 2x flat rides in weeks 3 (week 17?) as the final RR part.
3. Re the ABP plus long brick, this is tough because you have built a great week with rest and recovery. I almost feel as though this would mean too much damage to your week. Perhaps a good compromise is to go brick run of 30’ off of your ABP ride instead of later in the day? Would that alone challenge you enough / help you enough to prepare for Kona? Ideally yes as it would give you more time for recovery between that AM session and the following day (no PM run). Thoughts?
Also, this week looks like a good "re entry week" so lets roll with it.
Looking forward to our next call to discuss your Data Homework on past Kona performances…
~ Patrick
Weekly Update, week of Aug 12-18...
First, I start with some anxiety. I'm following all these folks on Strava, on EN Live, watching people do the epic Leadville rides and runs, seeing the final preps for LP and MT, etc, and wondering, "Am I not working hard/long enough?" And no, I don't go out and do extra credit work, I'm just feeling a little...insufficient. In the end, though, I do trust my training, especially as I see how well my biking and my running are progressing with the work I *am doing. Not asking for support or encouragement here, just sharing.
Past week: started with an easier Monday after return from Cleveland: Recovery ride on zwift, 42' run, and weight room. Highlights included: 14.25 miles on Wed split into two runs of 75' & 60'; 4 hr 15' mountain ride on Thursday, and another Olympic race on Saturday - 50/192 OA, won AG by 15', affirming the only meaningful competition will come when I go to the "big" races on nat'l/international level.
Stats for the week: CTL dropped from 130 week before USAT NC to 124 the day after that race, back to 125 after the Wed/Thurs Big Days. Ramp is now @ 1.5, with TSB back into negative territory, and TSS for the week back up to 950. My running was up to 31 miles which is pretty awesome I think.
Health report: I'm a touch fatigued this week, dropped anticipated 2.5 mile run this evening, and shortened my swims. I have also dropped the formal PT sessions, but have kept up the 30' 4-5 x/week of those exercises, and adding Blood Flow Restriction work to my weaker leg. The Key Thing here is that my knee is certainly no worse, either during running, or at rest. If anything, it seems a bit less swollen and less painful when just moving around. I hate to sound hopeful, because it's been over a year during which it has seemed like, maybe I really shouldn't be running anymore...
Planned for the upcoming week:
Monday - Bike Max Effort 1 (as Zwift wko) with 30-40' OTB run
Tuesday - Swim, OWS vs pool (tempo 200s) 65' in AM, run FTP. The plan says 1 mile (4') repeats, but I think I will try to keep with the 1 km cruise intervals, upping them to 5 (2-3').
Wednesday - Bike - "Full SST" on Zwift as race, workout, or group ride, depending on whats available.
Thursday - No Mountain Goats this week; Split Long Run here of 75'/75' going for 16+ miles.
Friday - Big Gear Work as Friday Freight Train
Saturday - Long Ride here in the lowlands, working for six hours on the TT bike
Sunday - OWS in the AM, hopefully 80', with 30-45' run in the evening.
Questions for this week:
I hear you on the FOMO with all of this awesomeness going on. It’s a good opportunity for us to remember that what these incredible athletes are accomplishing is the result of years of work and meticulous planning. Our time will come! 👍
Yes, your run mileage for last week is getting me very excited. Especially considering how you been able to keep your knee in a healthy space. We can’t project that the knee will remain healthy the entire time, but it’s clear that the decisions you are making right now have you in a very strong place. I submit to you that your knowledge of your own body and humility are what keep you so healthy.
If you overall build for this week looks good, and I agree with the changes to cruise intervals and to attempting a short brick run off of Saturday’s ride (2 miles max!); remember that Saturday ride is in stark contrast to the climbing sessions you have been doing. The goal here is to essentially get you locked into your aero bars and riding steady.
In many ways, we are replicating the long ride experience that you’ll have on the big Island due to the conditions. Being able to stay focused, patience and absorb that stress will be a critical part of your race experience. Just as important as all of the great work you’re doing to build strength and stay healthy.
Are usually schedule calls at the beginning of each month, but with Kona looming, I think next week would be appropriate. I’m generally very free on Monday through Wednesdays: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/30min
I cannot speak directly to what animal will eventually end up living in rob’s suitcase, but I can assure you that I will not be ordering any such creatures! I am more of a baguette and Nutella guy!
@Coach Patrick
Weekly Update
Last week's #'s:
•Swim - OWS x 2, 6800m, 2 hr 30"
• Bike - Max Effort (75'), SST ) 75', Recovery (65') all on Zwift; Social 60', Long Ride 100 mi/6:36 Total 11:20/184 mi
• Run - Split Long Run 9/7 mi, 90'/68'; Intervals 3 x 1 mi @ ~ 8'.mi, Brick after long ride 5.25 mi/50'; 4 mi LRP. Total 5 hrs/31.2 mi
• Weights x 2 + Home PT work x 4
Total of 20 hrs 20'
Seems I'm transitioning to long activities, and tolerating those well. The pace is slow, but I do not feel trashed at the end, I guess that's a good sign?
PMC Update: TSS for the week: 1015; Max CTL on Sunday, 130 ( back to where I was pre-USAT Nat'l race); -15 TSB, Ramp 3.0 today. I'm expecting to average a ramp of 2-3 over the next 5 weeks, hitting 140 TSS two weeks before the IM.
Upcoming week:
Mon - Recovery day after long ride/brick. 24 hours off, then weights and Max Effort 3 in the PM
Tuesday - Run 6 miles @ LRP; Pool swim sprint session
Wednesday - Long Run, 2 hours, hope for 13 miles
Thursday - Long Ride in the mountains, last year it was 70 miles. 5 hr 15', @ 0.78 IF, TSS 327. Hoping to do this with Sid Wavrin.
Friday - Bike Friday Freight Train for Big Gear Work; 30-45' run @ slow LRP
Saturday - Final Olympic race for SST work, Run Intervals
Sunday - Long OWS, Run a couple of miles
Phone call prep:
The Following week after Labor Day will include a half marathon, and another long bike ride, the following week I head to CO for 3 weeks including travel days. My questions:
@Coach Patrick Weekly Update:
Last week ended up a little light, due to a shortened long mountain ride - showers, rain knocked off 2+ hours of anticipated length. I took Monday (a week ago) as a rest day, only hitting the weight room. And the race I did was 10% short on the swim and the bike.
PMC Status: Max CTL was 129, down from 130 the week before. I've been flat for the last month. TSS total 850 (remember, I took a day off). My TSB has been single digit negative, with a ramp of 0-2. But the next four weeks should be tiring; I just don't want to overshoot in an attempt to hit an arbitrary CTL target.
Swim: 2 x OWS, on an Oly swim of 1500 yds @ 27:50, the other a 1.5 hour OWS the day after the race. I was tired...
Bike: 4 sessions - Max Effort 3, Friday Freight Train for Big Gear Work, Oly race 21 miles in 58" @ 0.885 IF for SST work, and a mtn ride of 3:36, with 4900' of climbing.
Run: My long run this week was two hours. After the first 4 miles, my left ("good") knee started to hurt under the patella any time I went up hill with any strength, or tried to run faster than about 10' mile pace. So I only went 11.3 miles/2 hours. The rest of the week was fine. Three days later @ the Oly race, I went 6.1 mi in 52', and tried to push the last 1.5 miles, hitting a 7:50 pace. Total runs: 5/28.5 miles. I'm a touch concerned about the long run issue, but we've got a good test coming up this Saturday, so I won't worry yet.
Upcoming week plan:
Monday: Max Effort 3 on the bike. I'm doing the 10" intervals @ 1.85 IF, 20" @ 1.6, and 1' @ 1.3
Tuesday: Gym was closed yesterday, so I hit the weight room today, after running 4 miles in 38:12. Left knee worked just fine. Evening social bike ride of about an hour.
Wednesday: This will be a long ride in the mountains, 71 miles/6000' climbing. Last year I did it in 5:15, probably a little slower this year as I will be trying to hit 0.76 IF, compared to the 0.8 or so last year on the climbs, so I can push the flats and downhill a bit more.
Thursday: Swim Tempo 200s in morning, Run FTP in the PM. I'll try to hit 3 x 8' miles again.
Friday: Fri Freight Train + 4 mile brick
Saturday: Half Marathon. Starts in a 2.5 mile long rail tunnel, followed by hard pack gravel descent x 10 miles @ 1.6% avg grade. I;ve got no specific plan for the pace. I am interested in seeing how my knees hold up after 7 miles (4 miles downhill). If they feel willing, I'll see if I can handle a strong pace the rest of the way, not sure what that will be given the down hill. I will be wearing a Stryd, but not trying to hit a specific power. I'll warm up for about a mile, then there's 1.2 miles from the finish to the buses which take us back to the start. And I might try 2 miles in the evening, for 16-18 mile day.
Sunday: OWS x 3800 meters, maybe run 4 miles in the PM.
The following week will feature a day off for travel to CO, then a Big Weekend.
I'd appreciate it if you looked at my current plan for Sept 9-29 on Final Surge. https://log.finalsurge.com/Calendar.cshtml#
I can text you user name and password if you don't already have them.
My head right now is totally into the next four weeks, not having any thoughts about taper or race yet...
@Coach Patrick Weekly Update, Sept 2-8: 6 weeks to go.
Summary: I had a solid week, with good intensity workouts on both bike and run, and good long swim, bike and run. I fell a little short on my run volume goal. PMC #'s: CTL max @ 133, end week @ 131 with a ramp of 2.7. 1,025 total TSS. Details:
Monday: Max Effort 3 on bike; 3.3 mi progressive brick @ 9:43/8:38/8:09/8:01 on the track
Tuesday: Weight session, 4 mile run, evening "social" ride of an hour @ 0.87 IF
Wednesday: Long Ride in the mountains. 71.5 mi, 6300' gain, 0.72 IF, 288 TSS. I felt tired that evening
Thursday: 24 hour rest, then 3 x 1 km (3') on the track @ 7:55/44/37 pace
Friday: OWS x 1:11, 2 miles. Another weight session. No run, to "save" a bit for the next day -
Saturday: Half Marathon race (86/320 OA, 1/3 in AG). This was through a tunnel x 2.5 miles, then down a pretty steady 1.5% grade on packed gravel. My time was 1:54, just what I wanted. I did feel strong towards the end, and maybe went a bit to hard the last mile or so. I ended up in the evening sore in my right quad, but my knee(s) felt no worse than after any of my Oly tris or track workouts this summer, and certainly better than after either of my long races in May and June.
Sunday: Risk of thunder in the AM, so I did a pool swim of 3800 meters (7 x 400 meters on 9', then 2 x 500 m). My right quad still felt a bit sore, so I skipped a potential run on the track and watched football and the Vuelta instead.
I'm a touch concerned that I'm on the shy side of my planned run volume, but I'm feeling OK about juggling the need to recover after hard/long efforts with the desire to hit a specific number. Next three weeks in Colorado hopefully will allow even more time for recovery than here at home, where I do nap 25-30 minutes a day, and use the Normatec nearly daily.
Plan for the upcoming week:
Monday: Max Effort 4: same IF targets for the intervals. Brick of 3-4 miles. Pick up our NEW mini-can pop-up camper conversion in the afternoon.
Tuesday: Early morning track 3 x 1 km session, then leave for two-day drive to CO.
Wed: Day off; travel.
Thursday: I should really swim, bike and run.
Friday: I should swim again, then ride 100 mi to Vail
Saturday: I'm planning a 4 hour walk/hike with Vail friends and wife in lieu of this week's long run
Sunday: Return home to Snowmass on bike, another 100 miles, follow with a run.
I'm suspecting this week will show me just where I'm at vis-a-vis my biking capacity. The following week will be my longest run, with three swims. And the week after that will feature three more swims and a full-bore race rehearsal on Fri or Sat, and drive home Sat/Sun or Sun/Mon. Leaving for Kona Tuesday PM the 2nd of Oct.
@Coach Patrick Weekly Update Sep 9-15
This week turned into a recovery period, mainly from life issues:
Monday: Max Effort 4 on Zwift, followed by short weight session. Pick up new mini-camper, which takes up the rest of the day, in preparation to leave for CO
Tues/Wed - Despite my intentions, I do nothing but drive to CO, and arrive Wed PM to house which had been invaded by a local bear. Son Cody has already cleaned up most of the mess, which was about as minimal possible: damage to pantry, front door, and carpet, and food lost, but house returned to relatable status by the next day.
Thursday: Swim x 2.4 i in AM; PM 75' recovery ride (41 TSS) followed by attempt to run, ended after 1 mile - Altitude? Despair?
Friday - Bike to Vail to stay with friends for the weekend while house rented out. Had a disconcerting fall in Glenwood Canyon (42 miles in) lost a little skin on one knee and elbows, and saved from disaster by helmet when the fall ended with head hitting a rock. Drove thru Glenwood, tried to ride again, but 10 miles in or so, hit a high seam on a bike path bridge, popped both latex tubes, and took that as a sign to drive the rest of the way.
Saturday - Lolled around with friends in Vail in the AM, 8.5 miles of swift hike in PM.
Sunday - Mojo returned with uneventful 102 mile return bike trip, But again, did not run after, not sure why other than I felt very fatigued.
PMC report: the long swim, walk, and bike alone accounted for 500 TSS points, which allowed my max CTL to only dip to 133 from 137 10 days earlier.
I felt pretty refreshed coming into this week, obviously, and hopeful that I can handle a standard two weeks (actually, 10 more days) here at my CO camp before driving back home at the start of my taper, then leaving for HI on Oct 2.
Planned:
Monday: accomplished - 55' recovery swim, 5.5 mile run practicing run a mile/walk a minute @ 10:30 pace.
Tuesday: Swim Sprint Intervals, Bike FTP Intervals (climb the neighborhood hills). Hopefully, rain won't inhibit.
Wednesday: Split 3 hour run, 120'/60'
Thursday: Swim 10 x 400 ( hard to do as red mist @ altitude); 60' recovery bike.
Friday: Bike about 6 hours up and down the Fryingpan, run 60' after
Saturday: Bike about 3.5 hrs on Capitol and Snowmass creeks OR Castle & Maroon Creeks, run 30'
Sunday: Run: "Taper VO2" vs just run for 50'
Sorry for the delay in responding, I was replying to you this AM and got interrupted,..and in my mind I had answered you. 😢 So...here we go:
Moving the short term this week looks great to me. I believe you will be sufficiently tired by Saturday midday and will enjoy your 24 hours off. Please closely monitory your "ride mood" on Frying Pan day and see if in creased calories (more frequent) makes a difference. Sometimes I need to shorten things by 5' (on the 25' vs the 30') when fatigued vs sticking with my historical plan.
Looking ahead, I would suggest the following changes:
Before I comment on the rest, can you get me some specifics on When you travel to Kona?
Thanks and onwards!
~ Coach P
@Coach Patrick I agree with and will implement all your suggested changes.
Travel Plans:
• I drive home from CO to WA Sat/Sun 28/9. Plan to have an hour Sat AM for possible recovery ride or run.
• I leave my house for Kona on Wed Oct 2 @ about 3 PM, leaving Wed morning available for training. Arrive Kona 8:30 PM - 5-6 hour non-stop flight. Remember, not my first Rodeo, so I don't anticipate any need to ease myself into the scene; it's familiar to me.
@Coach Patrick Weekly update 9-23-19
First off, the past 9-10 days has me teetering on the edge of overtraining. I took 24 hours "off (4 PM-4PM Fri/Sat), then woke up today/Monday totally fried. NO training at all today, rested so hard, ate, drank, did very minor house cleaning. I'm aiming for a final push the next six days before two week taper. Here is a copy/paste of last week's plan, with notes in bold:
Monday: accomplished - 55' recovery swim, 5.5 mile run practicing run a mile/walk a minute @ 10:30 pace.
Tuesday: Swim Sprint Intervals, Bike FTP Intervals (climb the neighborhood hills). Hopefully, rain won't inhibit. Accomplished
Wednesday: Split 3 hour run, 120'/60' Accomplished
Thursday: Swim 10 x 400 ( hard to do as red mist @ altitude); 60' recovery bike. Did the swim, not the bike
Friday: Bike about 6 hours up and down the Fryingpan, run 60' after Did the bike, ran 45'
Saturday: Bike about 3.5 hrs on Capitol and Snowmass creeks OR Castle & Maroon Creeks, run 30' Did the run on Sat, the bike on Sun
Sunday: Run: "Taper VO2" vs just run for 50' Replaced with Saturday's schedule bike
Totals: 18.25 hours for the week, with the previous weekend, 10 days @ an average of 156 TSS/day. I thought I was being a bit of a wimp, then I noticed that on the EN Strava leaderboard, only @Coach Patrick had put in more time than I the past two weeks (among Ironman trainers.) So I felt OK about taking a day off, and recommitted to the attitude that my race is about spending time in the water, on the bike, and running, not about overall speed. That informs my upcoming week, basically long run, swim, bike:
Monday: REST!!! (scrubbed planned swim and FTP bike)
Tuesday: 2 hour run
Wednesday: Race Rehearsal (we're calling it a simulation now?). This will be 80 miles on the Rio Grande Trail, then 31.5 miles on the Fryingpan, the final 15 into the wind (it was pretty stiff last week). that's as flat as I can get it around here, still 3200' gain.
Thursday: Swim 65-70', then bike 3.5 hours
Friday: Drive home, run 30-40' before I leave.
Saturday: Drive home, recovery ride on Zwift when I get back.
Sunday: Swim 85'/3800m. OWS if the lake is still tolerable, the the pool otherwise. Run 30-40' in the PM
Knee report: My right knee is not getting any worse. I'm able to handle the runs at a very slow (for me, historically) speed, running 1 mile, walking 60" (or 1/2 mile/30". Going at a 10:30-45 pace that way. The only pain I get is the first 200-400 meters starting up. After that, I think I generate enough lubrication in the joint to ease the scraping of the rough edges on the cartilege. I AM looking forward to ending my long runs this year, and only doing 10-21k in races.
Other health: I am almost too lean, I feel. I'm down to 64.6 kg, when I'd like to be about 66.5, and race @ 67. Gotta eat, eat, eat on the bike and after the run this week, just to stay even, I guess. Thats tough after hour 4 in the saddle...
@Al Truscott - deal! 👍 so for the training on the island, I see you are NOT doing the Ho'ala swim on Saturday (prefer to swim on your own on Sunday?).
In terms of importance the key workouts are:
Thoughts?
~ Coach P
Good plan. I am not signed up for Hoala as I tried too late; it was closed to new registrations. I can always bandit it. I'm thinking, though:
Friday - Run from Pine Tree to town. I'd need to either get a ride out there, or ride my bike back to pick up my car parked there. AND remember to bring my Fuel Belt, which I haven't used in maybe 5-6 years.
Saturday - Ride from Waikoloa to Hawi and back, getting three hours altogether.
Sunday - Swim. The buoys will be up, and I can get the full course in. It may not sound safe, but I've done it in training every other time, and the Ocean does not scare me. You may not remember, but I have the option to "wear a wetsuit", and I'm going to try this with Lava Pants.
Runs - yes, I heard your Kona podcast, and will incorporate this into the plan.
Tomorrow (Wednesday), I'm doing the Race Sim, and will report back on Thursday after I follow that with another ride up Maroon and Castle Creeks before my drive home from CO to WA. I ran 13.11 miles today, and while it's slow, and my quads felt it, my knees are not swelling like after the Spain and Boulder races earlier this year...
BTW, your workouts this week and last - swim, bike, and run - are scary fast. Here's hoping you nail the taper, that's the key now. Try to enjoy it.
I was going to drive there, run in, ride back out to get the car. Yes to fuel belt. I personally LOVE this run. You get to run AND you get all the landmarks and EMOTION that fill those last few miles.
The rest of your week looks really good. I like the idea of lava pants, sounds like the perfect combination.
The race sim looked really strong, and I am looking forward to your run data. You have built some real resilience here; I am pleased to see how your body and mind are responding.
Thanks for the kudos..taper has started as a I travel this week, so cutting things down. Usual fatigue. I rode .62 yesterday for 80 miles and went 20.9 mph...a good reminder that being aero and slippery are just as important as more watts. Now just trying to stay skinny, sane and (not) sick!
@Coach Patrick Welcome back...only to turn around again next week?
Weekly Update, 9-23-29:
I was really raggedy edge this week, with three days off, and a few dropped workouts from my plan
Monday: Took the day off after I slept nearly nine hours, and then napped for two more throughout the day.
Tuesday: Long Run, 2 hr 19 min, 13.11 miles. The legs held up, but more important was my GE hydration, and my mental persistence. I need to remember this day when I want to start walking after 3 hours...
Wednesday: Race Sim. Again, I needed to put in the extra time to draw on mentally on race day. 112 mile bike, 6:46 moving time, followed by a one hour run. I forced myself to eat more, and it paid off in the last two hours. Again, gotta remember that race day.
Thursday: In intended to swim and bike, but the weather reports for the weekend, both in CO, and in WA, were looking iffy, I missed my wife, I was tired, and I just wanted to GO HOME. So I did. The bad news: two hours into the drive, I remembered I had left some very significant items behind, so I circled back, drove and extra FIVE hours, and then on
Friday: I had to drive another 14+ hours. The perennial optimist in me noted that this was good mental training for being persistent on race day. I slept 8.5 hours the next two nights, with 45-60' naps each day.
Saturday: Three back-to-back-toback Zwift rides for three hours, @ 0.7 IF, 150 TSS. Ran 5K in the PM
Sunday: Red mist, + 200 to make 4200 yds, in 1:22 swimming time. Ran another 5K.
I Zwifted this morning, and wrote my "Race" Plan: https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/26113/at-kona-race-plan/p1?new=1
Will keep running 5K daily, swim tomorrow, leave for HI on Wed, arrive late evening, and switch to Islan' Time Thursday morning.
I'm not going to review PMC or 12 week totals now; nothing I can do about it, as the Hay is just about in the Barn...
Off to pack, prep bike, etc.
Sounds liek a very well executed "Almost done" week! The balance of work and recovery is critical and I am pumped you are focusing on "what matters" aka the food and fluid. So easy to lose that focus when we are tired and not where we want to be (or going as fast as we want); but slowing down to do things right consistently pays off in IM! 👍
I will check out that race plan...I'll be tracking you on the island in those early workouts!
~ Coach P
@Coach Patrick I've got a bit of time before flying of the island. So first a review of race day. I felt just fine going into the morning. Dinner the night before, breakfast the morning of were all the same as I always have done. I had no hiccups with morning pier preparation, nor with getting to the start on time. You saw me an hour before take off, I hope I seemed OK. Only slight issue was stepping on the scale - I was as feared maybe a pound or two under what I had hoped would be my minimum weight.
My swim was 1:21:40; for comparison, my very first in '06 was 1:18, my last two were 1:32 and 1:44. I was swimming very easily. I was going 24 strokes/minutes, which is my standard at all times. According to my Garmin the course was 190 meters short - I haven't talked with anyone else, was this actually the case? That would have added 4 minutes to my time, so even if that were the case, and even considering the neoprene pants, I would call the swim a big plus. Transition was pretty routine; I'd planned on 10 minutes, used 7:30.
The bike went exactly as planned. It took 7:35 total time, I;d allowed 7:30. I stopped whenever I needed to refill my front bottle. I pee'd after 10 miles (did not in T1), again @ 38 and 75 miles. I drank every 10 minutes, all of my planned Infinit (1400 calories), about 20 oz of GE, and the rest water. I ate 1.67 clif bars (350 cal), and a bottle of EFS gel (450 cal) for a total of about 2300 cal, or 300 an hour, about my maximum I can get in. My numbers on the bike (the goal "Take it Easy"): time - 7:18 moving; TSS 163; Kilojoules 2300; VI 1.126; Avg HR 103. That'a about as easy as I can go...
T2 was 9:45, same as planned. The run started with the first 11 miles between 11:35 and 12:22 pace (13:14 for the mile includingPalani). this is slower than my ttraining runs on the island, and 70-100 s/mile slower than long run pace) My HR was 115-118 during those miles, what I always do my long runs at. I pee'd once at mile 11, after about 2 hours, so I felt I was hydrating OK. Everything seemed on track.
So that got me to sunset and darkness, and I started to fade. It started with my right knee beginning to hurt (the bad one), so I walked a fair amount the next few miles, which were 14:13, 15:56, and 13:58. My hands and feet were tingling, so I took two cups of chicken broth, two bananas halves, some more gatorade, and some coke. That helped, so I began running again, but my calves were feeling like they would cramp if I really "ran", so it was more of a jog/shuffle. Also the knee was still hurting. Next mile was 12:12, then back up to 14. At an aid station coming back out the energy lab, I stopped at a table to take a coke. I must have looked terrible, because the volunteers asked if I were OK. I wanted to sit down, and once I did, I realised I was cold, shivering, with goosebumps, and my calves were fasiculating (very quick small quivering, like they would cramp if I stood up or tried to walk). Something in me told me I should not continue, even though I had more than 4 hours in which I could finish. I was feeling like pushing any further would not be fun, and I had no desire to spend the next three hours trying to get back to Ali'i via walking/shuffling/staggering. I weighed 138 at the end, compared to 145 at the start, about 5% down.
Looking back, I might have finished if I had stopped for half an hour and refueled, hydrated, whatever, but I was really COLD, man, and worried about my knee. That's the story.
I do not feel disappointed, mad or angry at myself. I had a great time this two weeks on the island. But given that I have now done 15 races between Xterra and IM in Hawaii, and only two of them were satisfying, I'm going to accept I can't race here. Whether it's my physiology or my psychology is irrelevant, I can't bring myself to try anymore.
I'm entirely satisfied that I trained well, executed within myself, stayed fed and hydrated, and did not work too hard early on the run. I just couldn't go more than about 3+ hours on the run.
But I do want to follow through with the plan, which is to race Arizona. First, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this post-mortem, then we can plan three weeks of training and a taper, along with an execution strategy.
@Al Truscott Thank you for the detailed info;; and I appreciate the decision you made.
First being cold is not a good sign during sustained exertion; and add in all the other issues where you were feeling not in control of your body...no brainer.
I was following you and thought that you were executing really, really well on the run. I figured something happened with the knee but it certainly wasn't the kind of ting that numbers (splits) normally show. And I've seem some really bad live tracking splits in my time. 🤣
The only thing I can point to is your HR being so much lower than you experienced in training. Your AHR in Kona was 102, but in training you had long rides at 121 (6+ hours) and 110 (last RR). 8 beats doesn't seem like much but that's 10%! Is it possible to under exert yourself and face consequences? I have experienced this riding with super beginners in TOC for 6 hours and I felt terrible. On the run I think part of the issue is that you weren't working hard enough to generate heat in the cooler evening.
This article mentions how you can get the shivers post run, especially those with lower mass (you ain't a Withrow). With hindsight, you need warmer Clothing (long sleeve technical shirt, maybe a skull cap) To avoid losing head so quickly once temps have dropped.
Let me know what you think!
In terms of moving Forward, it's re-entry time. I will map out through next weekend...Let's see how you handle the retun and we can go from there. You still need to continue to rest / process...and use the extra time to plan for the Temps and race in AZ!
~ Coach P
Here is the best representation of the run I can create.
It shows my HR (grey bar) was in the mid-teens while I was running during the first 2.5 hours. My cadence (orange dots) was rock steady @ 89-90 during that time. Looking at those dots, it's easy to see when I was running vs walking, which started once my knee started to hurt. The green line shows the ups and downs of the course. Look at the cadence dots after 2.75 hours - they show a very rapid cadence, with a slower pace, what I termed a shuffle jog. That switch led quickly to extra stress on the calves, which couldn't handle it. I also guess I had started to drift below 95% of my body weight by that point, with dehydration creeping in. I don;'t see how I was externally "cold" as the air temp @ that time dropped from 86 before sunset to 82 according to the watch. Something was happening internally to make me shiver and get goosebumps, probably lack of sufficient internal blood volume to keep my core temp stable.
I'm not going to worry about fixing it unless I were to get myself into the same conditions again, which would only happen if I break my vow not to come back to Hawaii. Unfortunately, those thoughts are drifting into my head again. But now, I need to focus on having a successful race @ Arizona. Last year, I swam 1:22, biked 5:58, and ran 5:03. I want to replicate that, and maybe get a slightly faster run, as I did a bit of walking the last 6 miles or so. I think the flat terrain, lack of humidity and normal temps will offer me an opportunity to finish this race running slowly (11 min/mile) especially if I increase the amount of walking I do early on, compared to last year (60s/mi, compared to 20-30 last year).
I'm going to use the next week to:
• Run 25-35 minutes a day, aiming to run 80' next Sunday. Maybe take a day off if I feel it's needed.
• Swim 60-65' x 2, aiming to swim 90' next Friday (I did 45' easily two days ago)
• Bike: 1 x 45' Zwift race @ FTP; 1 x 75' Zwift ride @ 0.8 FTP x 60'; and 3.5-4.5 hr ride either outside or on Zwift , gettin about 2100 kj
@Al Truscott That's a great chart. I agree air temps hadn't dropped much, but no sun vs sun is a material difference. So the "real feel" drops drastically as the humidity begins to go up again. So more moisture in the air...Here's a quick weather chart to show those changes.
On top of that ^above^ we also had a much lower HR due to your change in pacing. I thing having something to keep you warmer as the day goes on is a good idea; can't hurt to carry arm warmers, for example, or go full roadie and carry a plastic shopping bag that you could put inside the front of Your kit that will retain heat.
I like you're weekly plan. Keep up the sleep. Key session elements this week:
Onwards!
~ Coach P
@Coach Patrick Weekly update, Oct 28...4 weeks to go before IM AZ.
I am realizing that I have had a long, hard season when I look over at my door, where I post my race bibs from the past year. There's not enough room at the top where I leave space for my A races. Looking back at my training diary, I have not had much of a break since winter of 2018 (20 months ago.)
The first week after Kona was totally ad lib, using subjective feelings of tiredness during and between activities to determine how far/hard to go. This past week was a bit more structured:
Monday: Treadmill run 3.15 mi, weights, Zwift Bump Race @ IF of 1.023 for 27' (2nd Place
Tuesday: Run 5K/30'
Wednesday: Swim Tempo 200s for 2900 yds; Run 5K/31' (took a class in disc brake maintenance @ nite)
Thursday: Bike home from grand-daughter visit 23 mi/1:47
Friday: Run 3.44 mi/33.5'; weights
Saturday: Bike on Zwift, five different events, 4 hr 10', IF = 0.762, TSS 242, KJ = 2100. The first 45' were 0.94 IF, most of the rest split between IM pace, recovery intervals, and race pace +.
Sunday: Swim 10 x 300 on 30" @5:40/50; Run 9 mi in 1:26
I did find myself needing to sleep 9-10 hours on some nights, as well as take 40-50 minute naps most days. And my weight seems to have dropped a pound in the last week. After the hard cycling and running efforts, I am noticing a bit of excess swelling/sorenes in my right knee. But I did feel strong at the end of each of the weekend's long efforts, so I'm going to up the volume this week, and space out those long efforts a bit more, with the run first, to try and get more recovery; I'll be riffing off of the IM minimalist plan:
Monday: Day "off", meaning 25' in the weight room.
Tuesday: Zwift Masters race (so I can compete against other 70+!!!) for FTP Intervals; Run second 45'
Wednesday: Swim Sprint Intervals "3"; Run 45' ?
Thursday: Long Run - 2 plus hours - we'll see how far I can go...I'm thinking I can actually do double what I did yesterday.
Friday: Bike ABP vs Recovery x 1:30
Saturday: Bike 5 hours/100 miles/2450 KJ/270 TSS/0.735 IF on Zwift; Run x 40'
Sunday: Swim Red Mist x 1:15 (maybe only 9 x 400)
I'm intending to win this race in Arizona. I know I have been adamant about not taking the Kona slot should that happen, but I am having serious second thoughts about that. A big reason: The ITU changed their long course WC in Holland from 3K/120K/30K (2nd week of Sept) to 3.8K/180K/42.2K distance. Since I don't have a chance to do the "shorter"/saner Long Course WC, I might as well go for the Big One once again, and finish it this time, when it won't be in the middle of such a massive year.
Mentally, I'm feeling pretty good and optimistic about racing in Arizona I've NEVER had a bad race there, and I have every reason to feel I should once again have success on that course.
I like where your head is at, but we need to make sure your body will follow. That long run has me worried about your recovery.
first how do you feel now?
Second, what is your plan for this weekends work? Thinking we might need to factor in more rest.
p
@Coach Patrick Hmm...looks like I didn't do a weekly update this past Monday. Had I done so, here's what my plan for this week would have looked like then:
Mon - Recovery swim, weights
Tues - 3 hour run
Wed -
Red mist swim, weightsThurs - Bike FTP 75', Run 45'
Fri - RR Swim, Weights
Sat - RR Bike/Run 60'
Sun - Consider ABP Bike 1.5-3 hrs, run 30'
I made a specific decision to significantly separate the long run and ride this week, precisely to prevent fatigue on Race Rehearsal Day, as well as ensure I could get the entire run done without impacting downstream workouts.
While I felt "OK" the morning after the long run, I was worried that if I tried a hard swim, I would just make the fatigue hole deeper. So no swim yesterday.
I am following very closely not only feelings of fatigue and knee pain, but also length of naps and length of sleep, as well as weight and hydration status. ALL of those are on the correct side of the scale this morning. The morning of IM HI, I weighed 143#, which is not enough IMO. I am now 146, would like to hit 147 by IM AZ. I'm getting there by keeping my hydration status up, eating extra protein, and hitting the weight room 3x/week. I think I look better (I thought I was too lean in HI.) The past 3 nights, I've needed "only" 8 hours of sleep, with my naps dropping down into the low 20' range.
I think it is very important that I complete the swim, bike, and run this Friday and Saturday. The gain for me will be at least 50% mental/confidence. I know my fitness is good, and I don't think I will add much to it by doing an 80' instead of 60-70' swim, or a 5 hr vs a 6 hr bike. But I need to remind myself that the work is hard, and I can keep going past the point when I would really like to quit. In that last hour of the bike, the last 20' of the run, the last 25' of the swim, 100% of the game (and gain) at this point in the season is 100% mental, and I need some sharpening up and re-booting of confidence.
Last week on Saturday, I did 5 hours on Zwift, the first 2.5 with Brian and Sid (and a few others), first hour @ 2.0 w/kg/0.65 IF, then 75' @ 2.5/0.8 IF, then a 90' group ride @ race pace plus (2.3 w/kg/0.78 IF) , finishing with a 52' race @ 2.7 w/kg/0.85 IF. No run afterwards. My total KJ were 2729. For comparison, last year's IM AZ split was 5:58 @ 2792 KJ, 2.0 w/kg, 0.63 IF.
This Saturday, my goal will be to get in 6 hours @ race effort level with several in the EN IM AZ crew in a series of meet-ups. The advantage of the group meet-up, as you know, is we stay together even if we are working at different w/kg, just like a group workout on Zwift. That helps a lot. Then if I can get a run of 60' after that, hitting 10:30-11 min miles, I will feel totally ready for the Big Day two weeks later. Anything I do on Sunday will be optional, depending on fatigue, etc.
I am paying a lot of attention to nutrition and hydration during my long rides and runs. I had an insight in the past week about long runs. I had been doing them on a local bike path, with water fountains 1-1.75 miles apart. After my 2 hr 15' run a week ago, I got dehydrated. I realised that with my current speed, I am taking a lot longer between water stations than even 2 years ago. So if I drink the same amount at each stop, I'm actually getting less fluid. For the long run two days ago, I switched to a totally flat path, at a spot where I can do three different 6 mile out and backs, and carried a fresh bottle with me each hour, drinking and walking each mile. It started to hurt after 5 miles, but I found I could keep going at my new slow pace, and re-learned how to push through the physical desire to stop. Also, I took along a banana and had half after an hour, then again after the second hour. Don't know if that helped, but I've never done it in races before, think I will this last time. (My rejection of bananas up to now has been to avoid solid food, and also a fear that I was still allergic to them.)
On the long rides, I have the nutrition and hydration dialed in. I'm using the same plan exactly as I have for my IM races over the past 5-6 years, so I know I can handle it and it works. Again, just doing it in training is primarily about being able to do it without thinking on race day, not that I really need that much fluid and calories on a training day. So I've got 5 bottles lined up with Infinit + a small amount of GE, two clif bars, and a flask of EFS gel all ready to feed my face at 15' intervals.
My FTP interval workout this morning - 14', 10', 10' (4') going up Alpe d Zwift went well. I'll take it as a positive omen that I finally secured the Milenstein wheels.
Thank you so much for the complete update. I agree that you were totally on track and I like to see how the workouts are stacking up. Greg Cole and separating those concessions, I agree that you are in the position where strength is required for success.
really curious about your knee. Do you think some form of compression may actually help keep the swelling down and I need to keep running? Not a full rigid brace, but almost thinking of like some kind of a compression sock deal. Just curious. It came to me today during my run, I was wondering if reduce the swelling without impeding blood flow would allow you to run longer without messing up your bio mechanics.
I know that you were through the weekend, we can focus on sharpening up for Arizona. a few key bike sessions and some consistent swimming is all that’s needed as far as I’m concerned. What are your thoughts?
~ Coach P
@Coach Patrick Weekly Update 10 days before race.
I think your suggestion about a compression knee "brace" had some merit, but of course I didn't want to try it out during the race without testing it in training. Ideally, that would have been on the long run a week ago. So I tried it today on a 5 mile run. Background: I have a neoprene brace which I've used on and off for decades - when my knee would feel sore, I would put it on intermittantly for a day or three, my theory being keeping it warm would increase local blood flow and maybe enhance healing/fluid absorption. But in this year, I have taken to wearing a strap (common brand name "Cho-Pat", though that's not what I use) around my leg just below the joint at the level of the patellar tendon. The theory is, it helps to keep the patella aligned as it slides along the femur, making up for weakened quad/hip muscles. While I don;t think I have that weakness, I did find that wearing it seemed to retard the sharp pain I would get on rare occasion if the kneecap deviated from its proper course even slightly.
So I did wear the neoprene brace instead today. While I was running, I did not notice any issues. But when I got home, the first time I walked downstairs, I had sharp pains under the patella, something I have not had for months now. My MD brain tried to create an explanation, which was: without the strap, even though the brace has a hole in it for the patella, there had been enough movement of the patella outside of it's ideal groove with the femur that it had gotten more abrasion than usual. That pain did eventually go away after a session with Norma Tec.
I think I'll take a brace with me to Tempe, and consider putting it into Run SN, to possibly put on for the second loop. But I kinbda think I'll just go with the strap.
Last week's work:
Mon - Swim 60': 1000, 10 x 50, 15 x 75; Weights + Sauna session
Tue - Long Run: 3 hours, 16.55 mi
Wed - Weights + Sauna
Thurs - FTP intervals 14', 10', 10' (4') up ALpe d Zwift, followed by "easy spinning" to the top, where I FINALLY got the Meilenstein Wheels. Total of 2 hours
Fri - RR swim in the pool, 2.4 miles/1:24; Run 4.4 mi.
Sat - Though I was gonna ride for six hours, "only" did 4:18. I was feeling both quite tired, and ach-y in my knee. I felt a lot better when I looked at last year's ride on the same day two weeks before IM AZ: I had the same time/distance/kilojoules, etc and ended up doing sub-6 hr bike split on the race. So I gave myself a pass.
Sun - Progressive run of 5.5 miles/53', finishing with a sub 9 min mile. Confidence building.
Mon - Weights/Sauna
Tue (Today) - Swim 10 x 300 (30"). Run 5 mi/48', again feeling strong.
Plan for the remainder of the week:
Wed - Week 19 FTP intervals 3 x 6' (4'), Run 20'
Thurs - Run 1:20-1:30/9 mi, weights/Sauna
Fri - Swim - 600/500/400/300/200/100; Bike 1 hour recovery spin
Sat - Bike 3 hours on Zwift, try to run 3.1 miles
Sun - Swim 2.4 miles
Race week:
Mon - Swim45', run 30', Sauna/Weights
Tues - Bike Taper Work, Run 20-30'
Wed - Swim 30'/Weights
Thurs - Travel, maybe run down by the lake in the early evening
Friday - Register, Beeline, Team Dinner.
Saturday - Admin, Movie, Jamba Juice
I am going in with the attitude I want to win this race...
Thanks for the feedback on the brace. I wasn’t 100% sure how it would work, I thought it was worth a shot. I appreciate you giving it a chance. Last week was a really good week for you, now we have to make sure that you observe it. In all honesty, that is a tall order. Feel free to cut your salary short if you are tired. Nothing new to be gained there.
In all honesty, I think the most important thing you can do is get our minds right about what we’re gonna do on Sunday. The fitness stuff right now it’s just to keep us from going insane!
Apparently you're spot on. After a ride on Saturday when I did 1/2 the KJ of my IM split in 2 hr 40' on Zwift, then ran 30', I felt pretty good. Woke up Sunday, went swimming with Cheryl intending to do 10 x 150s. No way was that happening. I'm pretty sure I was being told to stand down and let my neurotransmitters and hormonal stores rejuvenate. I will work a little tomorrow, Tues, and Wed, then show up ready to roll on Thursday, with a final shakedown cruise on Beeline Friday to see what race pace feels like for 1.5 hours.
To keep occupied, I replaced my jockey pulleys and chain with Ceramic Speed's magic stuff. Race day is looking perfect, weather-wise, from this distance out.
Did Tim ask you for another time to review Ultra stuff, so I can take him to see Ford v Ferrari Saturday afternoon. It's a perfect movie for the day before an IM, I'm hoping.
Exit self-interview after a prolonged bout of high-end racing....
On January 7, 2018, I was near the end of a 4-5 month stretch of lacking any specific athletic focus, after competing at the ITU LC WC end of August '17. That was the earliest I had ever ended a season; usually, my final big races were in mid-late Oct or November (Kona, Xterra, IM FL, IM AZ, ). I added daily running (got up to 115 days) during this time along with the beginnings of heavy rotation on Zwift rides and races. I was planning for a two-year assault on my age-up year. I have a little game I occasionally play, which is to check out y body's fatigue, aches, pains, and assign a %-age score. The best I usually could get to would be maybe 95-8%, always a little something in some joint or other. On Jan &, I gave myself 100% for the first and only time in my life. On Jan 8, I put 450# on the leg press machine instead of the 360 I had built up to, trying to get ready for the next ski trip which was less than two weeks away. The next day, my right knee hurt, so much that I ended the daily run streak, and only ran two days the erst of the month. I ran 10/15 days before the next ski trip in Feb/Mar. On Mar 5th, a stellar powder day, I went 50% more time than usual, and ended up really hurting as I tried to climb stairs to a lunch break. But I kept skiing. Luckily, I had a sports MD appt scheduled for my return. Got an MRI which showed a lot of bone swelling and cartilege erosion in that right knee. More down time and efforts to find out just what I could handle running, after being told I could "run as long as it didn't hurt".
This chart tells the story. Far right column is my average pace for all runs in a given month. After my return to running following the dual insults to my knee from weight lifting and skiing, the only time I got below 9 min/mile was Oct '18, when I did three half marathons all at about 8:20.
In Nov '18, I had a fairly good race @ IM AZ, with a sub 6 hour bike (from all the Zwifting and time in the mountains and at camps) and a marathon with minimal walking. It had been preceded the week before by a half iron in Miami, where I qualified 2019's ITU LC WC. But I also learned there that the timing of the race had been moved from early Sept to early May, same weekend as Santa Rosa, I think. My plan had been to try a KQ in Santa Rosa, race in Spain in early Sept, then Kona/AZ in Oct.Nov. But all that got blown up, and I switched to Boulder which was only 5 weeks after Spain. The end result is from April-Nov, I felt like I was on a treadmill of peak/taper/rest/peak/taper/rest. As I went from ITU WC to IMB to USAT SC NC (Aug), Kona, then AZ. I was satisfied with my races in Spain, Cleveland, and Tempe, but came up short in Boulder and Kona.
I'm not quite sure what I've learned from all this, other than that my right knee does not like to run more than 2 hours at a time. It will put up with 3 hours if managed carefully, but longer than that, I've gotta do some walking to survive. IM races are no longer "fun" like they used to be - they seem too much like work, with the pressure to perform (win) exceeding the inner rewards I feel purely for myself during and after. So I'm looking at the new challenge of ITU races as an opportunity to stay invigorated and race without feeling like there's an impossible standard I have to meet.
My plans for the next year go something like this right now:
Dec: Ski for a week or two, mix in Zwifting and return to running
Jan/Feb: ski from Jan 18-Feb 14, return to Zwifting and running frequency
Mar: Road trip to Arizona to support Cronk UM and partially participate in EN Tucson camp.
Apr: Build-up to May/June activities
May: Start with Belgian Wafer Ride, two week Grand Canyon rafting trip, then get to CO for 2-3 weeks
June: another week or two hosting campers in Snowmass, end with June Alps camp
July: Maybe do Calgary 70.3 to qualify for WC in St George 2021
August: Local races, then ITU SC WC in Edmonton
Sept; Back to CO for serious Kona preparation
Oct: Kona.
Nov/Dec: consider a 70.3 if needed for St George Qualification.
I'd appreciate scheduling a phone call to review my past two years and process it a bit.
I'm pretty sure you saw my IM AZ race report : https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/26269/at-im-az-19-a-story#latest
@Al Thank you for all the data...and I agree, that decline is precipitous and a bit much for what we would expect. But we can discuss.
That said, I really really like your winter of FUN. Look, you are on the finite side of the fun stuff, and you should definitely maximize that. After all this work for this season, you built a great platform and with some basic maintenance should be able to roll that into the late spring with minimal "gotta pile on the work" focus.
Let's do a call next week if you can! https://calendly.com/pmccrann/30min
~ Coach P