@Robert Sabo OK, I like how things are coming together. I agree on picking the week and for the aerobic a ride to: which ever one turns out to be the better weather is the better day.
Honestly, with you outside for that long my biggest concern is just keeping you warm. Please be a bit aggressive with your layering just so you can be safe. Maybe do a butterfly shape loop from your house so that you come back to the middle again if you need to stop and change.
So jealous of you being outside already. When you get a chance, please send me my motivation! 😂
I know you are heading to Mallorca. I don't really need a response. This is just an update.
A little tired at the weekend and the rides were a bust but I did mange to lead CnC and get 3rd and be competitive on some sprints. I then ran outside Sunday afternoon and felt great and ran faster then expected/planned. Total run miles last week was 37 miles. swim is getting stronger and the shoulder is just about fixed. Chiropractor is now every two weeks.
Tuesday's z3 intervals I was too tired and did easy 7 miles. The bike FTP intervals went well with .95, .95 and .96
so far so good with the split long run. AM was 10.2 miles in 1:15 and I'll do 1 hour(8miles) this afternoon.
working on my research for the IM. I am putting together a book with all my notes in one place: course, nutrition, the numbers, mental game, etc
Thursday split run went well. solid seocond run with just under 7:30 pace for 8 miles. Thursday evening felt a little weary and planned to take off Friday unless I felt great. Saturday AM and was debating about riding and decided not to and as the day went on progressively worse. runny nose ear ache. We'll see on Monday. I'm not rushing. I still have time.
@Robert Sabo Thanks for the update. I don't want any more weekend ride intensity from you. I want long, aerobar, steady state time. Think .68 out, .7 to .72 back. The volume is up, the stress is on and you are wiling under the combined workload. Drop me a line to tell me how things are going and we can sort out what the next best step is!
So Saturday was to be split long run 1:15 x 2. ran 10 in the AM and had a niggle in left knee like the pain from ITB. DId some foam rolling and tried second run in the evening but stopped in <1/2 mile. no pain when not running and tight ITB. Sunday rode 125 miles Z1-2. First outdoor ride in NJ this year might as well go big. Easy bike this AM on Zwift the quads were still tight and heavy. Ran 5k on TM ez this evening without pain. tomorrow I will swim and run again. Also have a massage scheduled.
Hopefully will do some bike intervals on Thursday.
Had to cancel massage yesterday due to work. Those damn patients. I ran an easy 7 at TRP with no knee pain. Felt good.
This am tried to ride workout with no luck. The ache in the quads was just worse and couldn’t generate power even into high zone 2.
Didnt do the brick run either. Not sure where to go from here. The run and swim seems to be going fine but I haven’t been able to generate any power since being sick.
Take today and tomorrow off? Reschedule massage? Use my compeq and normative? Keep foam rolling?
im guessing all of the above. I know if I can get my shit together in a few days I would still have a good month till taper time. If I do rest when should I get back to it and what workouts?
@Robert Sabo Glad we checked in! I have looked at TP.com and your WKO4 data...I don't see any major outliers Or events that could have triggered this, although you are close to the situation you hit last year in terms of fatigue. So we need to be careful. Here are my thoughts:
Confirm bike set up is good...sometimes seat post slipping = evil quad pain.
Confirm good calories...if you are restricting carbs that = difficult with higher intensity biking.
Plan on the rest of this week as listed, but make FRI bike EASY spinning. Saturday no sprinting just a good long ride (if indoors you can cap at 3.5 to 4 hours).
Keep the run frequency rolling....not hard...so we have 10 miles as of now..if you can do 4 x 5 miles as Today/Fri/Sat/Sun...we get back to 30 and you can rest for the rest of the day on Sunday and hopefully we are better next week...
Ok so I think things are back on track. Good workouts so far this week. Camp week this weekend. First long ride Friday AM. Fine tuning the nutrition plan. Wondering what the bike strategy should be as far as planned efforts. Looking forward to hearing back from you.
@Robert Sabo Excited to see the turnaround; really glad you rested when you did! I think thaT to break this up we should:
(1) do Friday super easy and aerobic. Think .65 to .70 IF. Every 30' you can do 1' at 400w....slow down, get in the right gear, make sure you are safe. Then punch it. 10 to 15" at 425" then hold it.. Rest of time is Zone 1. Total time is 5 to 6 hours.
(2) Is your traditional Race Sim ride With a power Distribution twist. From .7 to .75 as: 20' at .70, 20' at .72, 20' at .74....then 90' at .75 (note HR), then remainder of time at .7.....tell me how that works out for you!
This is a great combo weekend. I am excited to see your volume / endurance already so high...but we need a bit of sharpening for the sorter work, which Friday will provide.
@Robert Sabo Posted so you can see the "why" behind the ride science. Your 20' and under power has dropped in the last 30 days relative to what you've done all year. And your 2 to 4.5h power has grown (orange vs red line). So Friday is a chance to regain some of that higher end power....and Saturday to grow the Steady! 👍
It's a 1' interval where you hold 425w for the first 10 to 15 seconds, sit down, and keep the effort up.
You'll want To update your current main Garmin Screen /Bolt Screen To show: Lap Time so when you hit the lap button you know how long you have been pushing it.
Then create a new Screen that you can review after you do the interval so you can see how you did:
Last Lap Avg Power
Last Lap Lap Normalized Power (more for the longer intervals).
@Robert Sabo - looks like those 1' intervals really worked!!! Look at the yellow line bump At 1' mark! Now we want do to 2' intervals...so 3 to 4 3' intervals. First is 330 target,Remainder are 300 to 315. rest Interval is 8 minutes after each. You can do these on Saturday after a 30' warm up...then do the rest of your scheduled ride time.
It's an equal distribution, but based off of the temps out there With an NP of 173... I think we should Plan on 3 hours pretty solid NP Of 178 and then dialing it back as the heat breaks Through 75 and heads up to the 80s... This will give you 6 more minutes on the bike (closer to a 5:10 ride time). This would be a top 5 split vs a top 50 split (like in LP).
So you ride Close to HIM effort out to Port Douglas (about 3 hours) then steady back. So if you went out around 180 NormPower, then your last 50-ish miles would be Split into 25 miles at 165 and then 25 miles at 160NP. You might want to push a hill or two at the end, but the power and HR should be stable if not dropping a bit.
The goal here is to have you hit the run rested, in a great position, and not too hot so you can run well.
SOunds good to me. The time seems fast but I have never used BBS before. The goal watts seem reasonable. I think I may go ride in Pennsylvania next weekend. 101 miles 6000 ft climb. usually a good group with fair number of tri bikers. I was thinking that might be fun and different then solo ride on same flat roads. I would try to maximize aerobar time when not climbing. I still have a last RR at the end of week 18. Whatever you think.
It's likely a bit hot as their coast algorithm Needs some love. But the watts are what matters...so when you do ride the RR...we are looking foR first 3 hours a bit higher than typically planned...practically HIM watts for you (of old, not your new FTP!).
Very happy with my Saturday long ride. Wicked head wind last ten miles. Legs feel strong again. Finished the week with with over 40 miles on the run again.
inre above : Coast as in coasting or near the sea coast?
do you want me to do the VO2 run taper as written? Just go faster then the Zone 2-3 stuff closer to Z4 I was thinking. Zone 5 scares me from injury risk perspective.
This weather sucks. I hope it cooperates for my long run on Thursday.
Had a strong week. Felt good on run RR. 20 miles of rolling at avg 7:31 pace. Last 3 fastest. Saturday ride also went well. Not much left for Sunday. Hit over 40 miles on run for 3 consecutive week. Scheduled bike mechanic appointments and I’m working on my race plan.
I’m signed up for the Green island open water sim. On the Thursday prior to the race. I’m in for the 3k but might be able to switch to 1.5k. I just thought swimming in Great Barrier Reef would be cool. Suggestions? Don’t have much else to do that day.
Yeah, do the full swim...why not. It's a blast and you are otherwise ready to go. 💪
Please use that link above from BBS to map out your race plan. I am happy to do a pre-race cal with you if that works: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/30min (or text me with a better time for you): (617) 513-3830
I had a really great RR today. Felt strong from start to finish. Plan was 180 W for first 67 miles and actual NP was 179 with admin and intersections etc. Last part was to be 165w and then 160 W but ended up being all about 170W. Strong head wind the last 20 miles. Avg HR was 111.
114 miles 5:40
brick run was too fast. It just felt so easy. I did 7.3 miles at 7:16 pace. I will need to slow that down a bit.
Rob’s Race Plan Asia Pacific Champs Cairns Australia 6-9-2019
GOAL: KQ; Top 3 AG; sub 10:10
Tuesday
● Arrive in Australia
● Assemble bike
● Go for a run
● Shop to stock room
Wednesday
● Swim
● Expo for gels and suit
● 90' bike ride - test rear hydration reach.
Thursday
● Green Island 3k OW Swim
● 90 minute bike
● Afternoon short run and meet up with Tri-Travel crew
Friday
· OWS
· Bike ride
· Registration and expo in afternoon
· Charge STRYD, DI2
Saturday
● Big Breakfast by 8am - Get Your Carb On
● Drop off Run Bag at T2 in AM
● Sip Electrolytes all Day
● Smart Lunch + Snacks -- SALT!
● Final Review of Bike / Bags to T1
● Drop off after Lunch:
○ Walk route from water to bags to bike to exit. Think about places to run fast, run slower, shortcuts. // TAKE PICTURES!
○ Look for 2x landmarks and markers for bike rack position. Note row/column of t bags. // TAKE PICTURES!
○ Get outta there fast
● Back to Hotel to Chill, Stretch, Watch Movie, Etc.
● Charge 920XT
● Light Dinner by 6pm -- pasta + chicken.
● In Bed by 9pm -- Final review of Race Plan. Set alarm
Friday (ziplocs for these bags or no? In or out? Depends on weather rain? Are bags under tent?)
T1 Bag:
● Bike Shoes on Bottom
● Ziploc Mega Bag (between shoes):
● Salt for left hip pocket
● 1 gel
● Arm warmers, rolled ⅔ of way.
● Light gloves
● Helmet AEROHEAD with Visor
● Clear glasses if rain?
T2 Bag:
● 4 GU Gels, caffeinated in side pocket.
● Sun glasses
● Race number belt + number.
● Race saver bag
● EN Hat
● Base Salt
● Sun screen
● Newton Motion 8 and STRYD
● Socks with lube
Special Needs Bike:
● Extra tube
● 1 x CO2 rubber banded to tube above.
● Clif Bloks opened and extra gel
Special Needs Run:
● 3 x caffeinated gels
● Extra base salt
● Extra chamois cream?
● sunscreen
Morning Bag:
● Wetsuit
● Swim Cap with Goggles
● Back up Swim goggles.
● Bike Emergency Kit
● gloves
● lube/sunscreen
● HRM/920XT
● Chip
● Water and non-caf gel
RACE DAY Wake Up
1. Eat Breakfast:
a. 3 cups applesauce, 1 scoop protein powder, banana, bread and nut butter, bottle sportsdrink
2. Get Dressed:
a. Castelli EN aero top and shorts
b. Chamois Cream
c. HRM (Snug)
d. Tee shirt/Sweat shirt
e. Sunscreen
3. Head to transition to prep bike T1 open 5-7AM - SWIM START is 7:35AM
4. Then back to room
Transition Flight Check
1. Nutrition bottles on the bike
a. Two bottles of Gatorade Endurance (1 = BTA #2 = down tube.)
2. 1 bonk breaker in½ and 2 clif bar in 1/3 in bento box
a. wrapped in rice paper
b. 1 gel GU Roctane with caf
3. Left pedal at 9 oclock
4. Garmin mounted.
5. Tire pressure check.
6. 5:45am power bar
Final Suit Up
● Last chance chamois cream
● Body glide on bits,etc.
● Take out swim ziplock with: cap, goggles, spit anti-fog.
● Clothes into dry clothes bag.
● Phone into dry clothes bag in ziplock.
● Hand off bag / drop it off
PreSwim
● Goggles under cap!
● Water and Gel at 20 minutes.
● Easy warm up if possible with a few short efforts.
● 920XT and HRM tri
Race Pillars
● No Racing Until Mile 18.
● Steady Effort Wins the Day.
● No Highs, No Lows.
● Best Races After Slowest Starts -- You Are a Diesel Engine.
The Swim –
Wave 2 < 1:07
● Start strong and smooth - don't be shy - stay in control.
● Focus on: (1) rhythm and high cadence, (2) over the barrel / pulling with the forearms and firm wrist “Grip it and Rip it”, (3) frequent siting (4) Taut with good alignment
● Stick with a group -- no wandering off on your own -- especially return trip.
● You get faster as you warm up so finish the second half strong
● Never stop moving! Catch a wave on the way out of the ocean
T1
1. Into Tent, Hop first line for bag 191 (make sure you have the right one) and into back end of Change Tent.
a. Salt/Pill canister for left hip pocket
b. Arm Coolers over wrists
c. Take out shoes.
2. Hand wetsuit & T1 bag to nearest volunteer.
3. Find Bike - INSERT LOCATION,
4. Put on shoes.
5. Helmet On GIRO AEROHEAD with visor/ Buckled.
6. Jog bike to Mount Line & Power On Garmin
7. Execute clean, single-sided mount.
8. Roll up arm coolers if wearing. If less then 60 degrees for more then first hour
Bike // Pacing -- Steady + Aero Wins the Day
● Settle in, confirm everything is good and working.
● First few miles are admin to get out of Palm Cove and to the quick turn around – be aware of HIM athletes coming thru
● Target 180w (.72 IF) till second time out to Port Douglas ~mile 68 (a little over 3 hours). Have a caffeinated gel and then Ease up to T2 but stay aero always. 165W back to Palm Cove (~22miles) and then 160W in to Cairns T2 (~22 miles). Climbs - all short - up to 220w as needed. Use your gears.
● Adjust position as needed - Super Aero vs Choked up vs Climbing
● HR in less then 120s top should NOT be higher then 130
● Smooth cadence fixate on 90, don’t be greedy on flats with gearing.
● Ride your watts and stay on the gas.
● Super aero all day; Visuals: "I get small and punch through the wind" ... "Momentum is Speed"
● Best bike Split predicts 5:16 ( ithink more like 5:30) but time is NOT your worry. If it’s windy it will effect everyone the same - just stay AERO. mFTP250 VI 1.03 2.41 W/kg 251 TSS AP168 NP 172.6
Bike // First 30 Minutes:
● Start Garmin 520 recording.
● Note early HR and work to get it down.
● Start fueling with 1 piece of bar @ 15' mark. Bonk breaker then Clif then Clif with caf
● Fluid targets = 1 bottle in first 45 minutes and then 1 bottle per hour of GE or Pure Hydration
● 1 base salt lick an hour.
● Pee by Mile 30.
Bike // Outbound
● Ride super aero / turtle style when able.
● Ride choked up when on rollers, loose fingers!
● Ride tall / good gear / front of saddle when climbing -- loose fingers!
● Water on arm coolers for hills, etc.
● Fluid target = 1 bottles per hour.
● GE or PURE on downtube and in BTA, water behind.
Bike // Second turnaround in Port Douglas is landmark to refocus and recover.
Bike // Inbound:
● Ride your watts and let the speed/pace drop as needed.
● Your preparing for the run
● Get wet at aid stations and for hills as needed. Its rainy season so might be unnecessary
Bike // End:
● Make sure you stay cool by dumping water the last 40 miles of the ride.
● Stay on 165 to PC (37k) and 160W (28k) into T2 , nothing super special. Flatline that HR. No spikes
● Bloks and gels on the ride back to Cairns
● Super mental focus here.
● Banana and gel at last aide station
● Stretch as needed.
● unstrap shoes, drop watts, easy light spinning, get mind into t2 game
T2
1. Flying dismount / hand off bike.
2. Take off Helmet on the move.
3. Find bag, 191 (make sure you have the right one) head to tent.
4. Bag down & Open.
5. GO BAG
6. Race belt with number on.
7. Shoes (on top), single sock in each lube in socks.
8. Start walking out with GO Bag.
9. Race saver bag
10. Ice in hat on head. Sun glasses
11. Make sure 920 XT is on RUN and start
12. Spray sunscreen all over.
Run // Lap One of Four laps-- Diesel Engine Strong
● Toggle Garmin to right screen for HR.
● Keep HR low 120’s as possible for first 6 miles – 1 loop
● Watts 255
● Stay cool by dumping water the first 10 miles of the run.
● HR target is 120-125.
● Run smart: take tangents, follow shortest paths anywhere
● Great form -- shoulders before hips; shoulders relaxed/elbows down. Chin up
● Speed is Not Slowing Down - Easy miles in control
● Get in early calories. Two gels in first 6 miles. Hit every aid station and make sure you get what you need. No flying through with haste.
Run // Part Two -- Steady Eddie
● HR target is 120-130 thru mid lap 3.
● Maintain focus.
● Smart through aid stations. Self eval prior to aid station – liquid? Salt? Gel? Cola? Need ice?
Run // Part Three -- Empty the Tank
● Mile 18 move from "reserved, internal focus" to "gutsy, external focus." Pass people and steal their energy. Try to get pace to STRONG.
● Keep turnover, keep form, don't walk anywhere.
● Constantly be Passing someone
Run Nutrition:
● Feel good? Eat! Target is 3 gels in first half, then three more with last Caf Gel at Mile 18. [2,6,10,14,18]Then COLA but will need more salt. Base salt every ½ hour at the aid right after gel and more when on cola.
● 4oz PURE each aid station.
Aid Station Process -- Execute and Back to Running ASAP
● Sponge for face; squeeze over head.
● Water for head/neck cooler.
● Ice in hat race saver bag.
● Stop at PURE person for drink/walk. (If eating gel / salt do it before you get there.)
Run Troubleshoot:
● Take the HR out conservative the first 10 miles of the run! That's the deadly pocket.
● If you get tingling fingers on the run, replace a gel with a banana and pop a lick of base.
Finish strong – you want to feel the pain to know you worked hard. Expect it/accept it.
@Robert Sabo - Really loved the race rehearsal. Honestly I think you can ride harder than .72 once settled…could be .74 until your HR hits like 120 then dial it back to .72. Regardless you are to "push" for about 150 TSS. Once you hit that number (.72 for 3 hours) then you dial it back and get stupid aero.
On the run, I don’t care if you are running fast as long as your watts are where they should be (and your HR is good). I trust you know the difference between running fast naturally vs pushing it. As long as you are riding the wave and not pushing it, we are good.
You have earned the right to race with intent, and I am excited to see how that plays out. Let’s talk race plan on our call, feel free to put any extra notes in here pre call!
Great to chat yesterday. As I mentioned on the phone, I believe you have the infstructure to be fast; and now we have a really solid plan.
So…here are the pieces left on the table: kill snag
1) Let’s get that second "summary" screen all set so that you can review that last lap.
2) Lets’ get that TSS field on a screen…perhaps with an AVG HR and Total Ride IF field as well so you can "capture the work" you have done up until that point. .
3) Make sure the FTP on your 520 is set to 250 (those numbers could get confusing!)
This is the visual; note how the blue/gray background is stacked such that the first half of the ride is "harder" than the second…this is effectively how we will roll.
Also, below you’ll find the "cheat sheet" with numbers for terrain. These are good for the first 150 TSS (3 hours), then you will drop it down. By about 10 watts. You might drop more in the last 10 miles if you think you need more recovery (another 5 to 10 W).
Honestly, I think you could ride 185 for 150 TSS (that would be 2:45 ride time), but I leave that to your judgement.
recovery is going well. My race report is done and should be up tonight. I am doing the 4 week recovery plan but loosely depending on my work and family schedule. I guess I would then go to bike get faster or equivalent. I have signed up for three short races.
July 5 sprint
July 20 evening beach ocean swim run for soldiers charity fun event
Rob, the recovery looks like it is going well…very good to see. So much work requires a break, and a good Kona build requires you to be rested! You have four weeks as of now until 12 weeks to go. But 12 wks of building is A LOT for your second IM.
I like the idea of a different style of training between now and mid August, with a push to the Kona build at the end.
That would be a recovery week for this week, then five weeks. We could do Bike Focus plan or the Get Faster plan. You can preview both in Final Surge under "My Plans" section. Either way, we’ll want run consistency and at least one epic long ride day.
Starting week 2 of Bike Focus this week. I am also doing Tower 26 2-3 workouts per week. I also have a group that does an OWS in the ocean on Sunday morning when this fits into my schedule.
I did a long sprint this weekend. 5th OA but only 70 people. I did bike to and from the race with backpack ~20 miles each way. Ran a steady 6:30 pace in almost 90 degree temps with almost 90% humidity.
In Looking at the bike focus and then the last nine weeks of bike focus IM plan it seems to be all 120 and 150% or max effort and low on FTP work. I was wondering if it would be better to do 4-4-4?
@Robert Sabo Thanks for checking in. You are strong and getting stronger…I like the numbers you are putting out (high effort vs steady state). Right now, you have more to gain with the shorter / harder work. We can go back to the "easy" more traditional stuff in mid-August, but right now we raise the left…then we’ll extend the right. You know the drill. Nothing wrong with time just below threshold at SST during a longer session…so 90% FTP….you could do 30 minutes of that as 3 x 10 (5) as part of a long ride. I just don’t want to lose focus on boosting your strength right now!
Comments
@Robert Sabo OK, I like how things are coming together. I agree on picking the week and for the aerobic a ride to: which ever one turns out to be the better weather is the better day.
Honestly, with you outside for that long my biggest concern is just keeping you warm. Please be a bit aggressive with your layering just so you can be safe. Maybe do a butterfly shape loop from your house so that you come back to the middle again if you need to stop and change.
So jealous of you being outside already. When you get a chance, please send me my motivation! 😂
I know you are heading to Mallorca. I don't really need a response. This is just an update.
A little tired at the weekend and the rides were a bust but I did mange to lead CnC and get 3rd and be competitive on some sprints. I then ran outside Sunday afternoon and felt great and ran faster then expected/planned. Total run miles last week was 37 miles. swim is getting stronger and the shoulder is just about fixed. Chiropractor is now every two weeks.
Tuesday's z3 intervals I was too tired and did easy 7 miles. The bike FTP intervals went well with .95, .95 and .96
so far so good with the split long run. AM was 10.2 miles in 1:15 and I'll do 1 hour(8miles) this afternoon.
working on my research for the IM. I am putting together a book with all my notes in one place: course, nutrition, the numbers, mental game, etc
Thursday split run went well. solid seocond run with just under 7:30 pace for 8 miles. Thursday evening felt a little weary and planned to take off Friday unless I felt great. Saturday AM and was debating about riding and decided not to and as the day went on progressively worse. runny nose ear ache. We'll see on Monday. I'm not rushing. I still have time.
@Robert Sabo Thanks for the update. I don't want any more weekend ride intensity from you. I want long, aerobar, steady state time. Think .68 out, .7 to .72 back. The volume is up, the stress is on and you are wiling under the combined workload. Drop me a line to tell me how things are going and we can sort out what the next best step is!
~ Coach P
@Robert Sabo - how's it going right now? I know these are big weeks...let me know!
So Saturday was to be split long run 1:15 x 2. ran 10 in the AM and had a niggle in left knee like the pain from ITB. DId some foam rolling and tried second run in the evening but stopped in <1/2 mile. no pain when not running and tight ITB. Sunday rode 125 miles Z1-2. First outdoor ride in NJ this year might as well go big. Easy bike this AM on Zwift the quads were still tight and heavy. Ran 5k on TM ez this evening without pain. tomorrow I will swim and run again. Also have a massage scheduled.
Hopefully will do some bike intervals on Thursday.
Had to cancel massage yesterday due to work. Those damn patients. I ran an easy 7 at TRP with no knee pain. Felt good.
This am tried to ride workout with no luck. The ache in the quads was just worse and couldn’t generate power even into high zone 2.
Didnt do the brick run either. Not sure where to go from here. The run and swim seems to be going fine but I haven’t been able to generate any power since being sick.
Take today and tomorrow off? Reschedule massage? Use my compeq and normative? Keep foam rolling?
im guessing all of the above. I know if I can get my shit together in a few days I would still have a good month till taper time. If I do rest when should I get back to it and what workouts?
@Robert Sabo Glad we checked in! I have looked at TP.com and your WKO4 data...I don't see any major outliers Or events that could have triggered this, although you are close to the situation you hit last year in terms of fatigue. So we need to be careful. Here are my thoughts:
What do you think?
~ Coach P
Ok so I think things are back on track. Good workouts so far this week. Camp week this weekend. First long ride Friday AM. Fine tuning the nutrition plan. Wondering what the bike strategy should be as far as planned efforts. Looking forward to hearing back from you.
@Robert Sabo Excited to see the turnaround; really glad you rested when you did! I think thaT to break this up we should:
(1) do Friday super easy and aerobic. Think .65 to .70 IF. Every 30' you can do 1' at 400w....slow down, get in the right gear, make sure you are safe. Then punch it. 10 to 15" at 425" then hold it.. Rest of time is Zone 1. Total time is 5 to 6 hours.
(2) Is your traditional Race Sim ride With a power Distribution twist. From .7 to .75 as: 20' at .70, 20' at .72, 20' at .74....then 90' at .75 (note HR), then remainder of time at .7.....tell me how that works out for you!
This is a great combo weekend. I am excited to see your volume / endurance already so high...but we need a bit of sharpening for the sorter work, which Friday will provide.
Deal?
~ Coach P
@Robert Sabo Posted so you can see the "why" behind the ride science. Your 20' and under power has dropped in the last 30 days relative to what you've done all year. And your 2 to 4.5h power has grown (orange vs red line). So Friday is a chance to regain some of that higher end power....and Saturday to grow the Steady! 👍
Is it 1 minute intervals or 10-15 seconds?
It's a 1' interval where you hold 425w for the first 10 to 15 seconds, sit down, and keep the effort up.
You'll want To update your current main Garmin Screen /Bolt Screen To show: Lap Time so when you hit the lap button you know how long you have been pushing it.
Then create a new Screen that you can review after you do the interval so you can see how you did:
Onwards!
~ Coach P
@Robert Sabo - looks like those 1' intervals really worked!!! Look at the yellow line bump At 1' mark! Now we want do to 2' intervals...so 3 to 4 3' intervals. First is 330 target,Remainder are 300 to 315. rest Interval is 8 minutes after each. You can do these on Saturday after a 30' warm up...then do the rest of your scheduled ride time.
Race Planning DRAFT for Cairns...
Here is the link: bestbikesplit.com/public/130799
It's an equal distribution, but based off of the temps out there With an NP of 173... I think we should Plan on 3 hours pretty solid NP Of 178 and then dialing it back as the heat breaks Through 75 and heads up to the 80s... This will give you 6 more minutes on the bike (closer to a 5:10 ride time). This would be a top 5 split vs a top 50 split (like in LP).
So you ride Close to HIM effort out to Port Douglas (about 3 hours) then steady back. So if you went out around 180 NormPower, then your last 50-ish miles would be Split into 25 miles at 165 and then 25 miles at 160NP. You might want to push a hill or two at the end, but the power and HR should be stable if not dropping a bit.
The goal here is to have you hit the run rested, in a great position, and not too hot so you can run well.
Thoughts?
SOunds good to me. The time seems fast but I have never used BBS before. The goal watts seem reasonable. I think I may go ride in Pennsylvania next weekend. 101 miles 6000 ft climb. usually a good group with fair number of tri bikers. I was thinking that might be fun and different then solo ride on same flat roads. I would try to maximize aerobar time when not climbing. I still have a last RR at the end of week 18. Whatever you think.
It's likely a bit hot as their coast algorithm Needs some love. But the watts are what matters...so when you do ride the RR...we are looking foR first 3 hours a bit higher than typically planned...practically HIM watts for you (of old, not your new FTP!).
Have a great trip to PA!
~ Coach P
Very happy with my Saturday long ride. Wicked head wind last ten miles. Legs feel strong again. Finished the week with with over 40 miles on the run again.
inre above : Coast as in coasting or near the sea coast?
do you want me to do the VO2 run taper as written? Just go faster then the Zone 2-3 stuff closer to Z4 I was thinking. Zone 5 scares me from injury risk perspective.
This weather sucks. I hope it cooperates for my long run on Thursday.
Coast as in SEA COAST...the weather is more variable there.
Zone 4 is fine; no need to get the injury radar beeping on you.
Here's an image from last week...ride was a success for those shorter efforts.
Pleased with your full ride Norm Power of 177 vs the 172 target we have for race day! 💪
Had a strong week. Felt good on run RR. 20 miles of rolling at avg 7:31 pace. Last 3 fastest. Saturday ride also went well. Not much left for Sunday. Hit over 40 miles on run for 3 consecutive week. Scheduled bike mechanic appointments and I’m working on my race plan.
I’m signed up for the Green island open water sim. On the Thursday prior to the race. I’m in for the 3k but might be able to switch to 1.5k. I just thought swimming in Great Barrier Reef would be cool. Suggestions? Don’t have much else to do that day.
Yeah, do the full swim...why not. It's a blast and you are otherwise ready to go. 💪
Please use that link above from BBS to map out your race plan. I am happy to do a pre-race cal with you if that works: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/30min (or text me with a better time for you): (617) 513-3830
~ Coach P
I had a really great RR today. Felt strong from start to finish. Plan was 180 W for first 67 miles and actual NP was 179 with admin and intersections etc. Last part was to be 165w and then 160 W but ended up being all about 170W. Strong head wind the last 20 miles. Avg HR was 111.
114 miles 5:40
brick run was too fast. It just felt so easy. I did 7.3 miles at 7:16 pace. I will need to slow that down a bit.
Rob’s Race Plan Asia Pacific Champs Cairns Australia 6-9-2019
GOAL: KQ; Top 3 AG; sub 10:10
Tuesday
● Arrive in Australia
● Assemble bike
● Go for a run
● Shop to stock room
Wednesday
● Swim
● Expo for gels and suit
● 90' bike ride - test rear hydration reach.
Thursday
● Green Island 3k OW Swim
● 90 minute bike
● Afternoon short run and meet up with Tri-Travel crew
Friday
· OWS
· Bike ride
· Registration and expo in afternoon
· Charge STRYD, DI2
Saturday
● Big Breakfast by 8am - Get Your Carb On
● Drop off Run Bag at T2 in AM
● Sip Electrolytes all Day
● Smart Lunch + Snacks -- SALT!
● Final Review of Bike / Bags to T1
● Drop off after Lunch:
○ Walk route from water to bags to bike to exit. Think about places to run fast, run slower, shortcuts. // TAKE PICTURES!
○ Look for 2x landmarks and markers for bike rack position. Note row/column of t bags. // TAKE PICTURES!
○ Get outta there fast
● Back to Hotel to Chill, Stretch, Watch Movie, Etc.
● Charge 920XT
● Light Dinner by 6pm -- pasta + chicken.
● In Bed by 9pm -- Final review of Race Plan. Set alarm
Friday (ziplocs for these bags or no? In or out? Depends on weather rain? Are bags under tent?)
T1 Bag:
● Bike Shoes on Bottom
● Ziploc Mega Bag (between shoes):
● Salt for left hip pocket
● 1 gel
● Arm warmers, rolled ⅔ of way.
● Light gloves
● Helmet AEROHEAD with Visor
● Clear glasses if rain?
T2 Bag:
● 4 GU Gels, caffeinated in side pocket.
● Sun glasses
● Race number belt + number.
● Race saver bag
● EN Hat
● Base Salt
● Sun screen
● Newton Motion 8 and STRYD
● Socks with lube
Special Needs Bike:
● Extra tube
● 1 x CO2 rubber banded to tube above.
● Clif Bloks opened and extra gel
Special Needs Run:
● 3 x caffeinated gels
● Extra base salt
● Extra chamois cream?
● sunscreen
Morning Bag:
● Wetsuit
● Swim Cap with Goggles
● Back up Swim goggles.
● Bike Emergency Kit
● gloves
● lube/sunscreen
● HRM/920XT
● Chip
● Water and non-caf gel
RACE DAY Wake Up
1. Eat Breakfast:
a. 3 cups applesauce, 1 scoop protein powder, banana, bread and nut butter, bottle sportsdrink
2. Get Dressed:
a. Castelli EN aero top and shorts
b. Chamois Cream
c. HRM (Snug)
d. Tee shirt/Sweat shirt
e. Sunscreen
3. Head to transition to prep bike T1 open 5-7AM - SWIM START is 7:35AM
4. Then back to room
Transition Flight Check
1. Nutrition bottles on the bike
a. Two bottles of Gatorade Endurance (1 = BTA #2 = down tube.)
2. 1 bonk breaker in½ and 2 clif bar in 1/3 in bento box
a. wrapped in rice paper
b. 1 gel GU Roctane with caf
3. Left pedal at 9 oclock
4. Garmin mounted.
5. Tire pressure check.
6. 5:45am power bar
Final Suit Up
● Last chance chamois cream
● Body glide on bits,etc.
● Take out swim ziplock with: cap, goggles, spit anti-fog.
● Clothes into dry clothes bag.
● Phone into dry clothes bag in ziplock.
● Hand off bag / drop it off
PreSwim
● Goggles under cap!
● Water and Gel at 20 minutes.
● Easy warm up if possible with a few short efforts.
● 920XT and HRM tri
Race Pillars
● No Racing Until Mile 18.
● Steady Effort Wins the Day.
● No Highs, No Lows.
● Best Races After Slowest Starts -- You Are a Diesel Engine.
The Swim –
Wave 2 < 1:07
● Start strong and smooth - don't be shy - stay in control.
● Focus on: (1) rhythm and high cadence, (2) over the barrel / pulling with the forearms and firm wrist “Grip it and Rip it”, (3) frequent siting (4) Taut with good alignment
● Stick with a group -- no wandering off on your own -- especially return trip.
● You get faster as you warm up so finish the second half strong
● Never stop moving! Catch a wave on the way out of the ocean
T1
1. Into Tent, Hop first line for bag 191 (make sure you have the right one) and into back end of Change Tent.
a. Salt/Pill canister for left hip pocket
b. Arm Coolers over wrists
c. Take out shoes.
2. Hand wetsuit & T1 bag to nearest volunteer.
3. Find Bike - INSERT LOCATION,
4. Put on shoes.
5. Helmet On GIRO AEROHEAD with visor/ Buckled.
6. Jog bike to Mount Line & Power On Garmin
7. Execute clean, single-sided mount.
8. Roll up arm coolers if wearing. If less then 60 degrees for more then first hour
Bike // Pacing -- Steady + Aero Wins the Day
● Settle in, confirm everything is good and working.
● First few miles are admin to get out of Palm Cove and to the quick turn around – be aware of HIM athletes coming thru
● Target 180w (.72 IF) till second time out to Port Douglas ~mile 68 (a little over 3 hours). Have a caffeinated gel and then Ease up to T2 but stay aero always. 165W back to Palm Cove (~22miles) and then 160W in to Cairns T2 (~22 miles). Climbs - all short - up to 220w as needed. Use your gears.
● Adjust position as needed - Super Aero vs Choked up vs Climbing
● HR in less then 120s top should NOT be higher then 130
● Smooth cadence fixate on 90, don’t be greedy on flats with gearing.
● Ride your watts and stay on the gas.
● Super aero all day; Visuals: "I get small and punch through the wind" ... "Momentum is Speed"
● Best bike Split predicts 5:16 ( ithink more like 5:30) but time is NOT your worry. If it’s windy it will effect everyone the same - just stay AERO. mFTP250 VI 1.03 2.41 W/kg 251 TSS AP168 NP 172.6
Bike // First 30 Minutes:
● Start Garmin 520 recording.
● Note early HR and work to get it down.
● Start fueling with 1 piece of bar @ 15' mark. Bonk breaker then Clif then Clif with caf
● Fluid targets = 1 bottle in first 45 minutes and then 1 bottle per hour of GE or Pure Hydration
● 1 base salt lick an hour.
● Pee by Mile 30.
Bike // Outbound
● Ride super aero / turtle style when able.
● Ride choked up when on rollers, loose fingers!
● Ride tall / good gear / front of saddle when climbing -- loose fingers!
● Water on arm coolers for hills, etc.
● Fluid target = 1 bottles per hour.
● GE or PURE on downtube and in BTA, water behind.
Bike // Second turnaround in Port Douglas is landmark to refocus and recover.
Bike // Inbound:
● Ride your watts and let the speed/pace drop as needed.
● Your preparing for the run
● Get wet at aid stations and for hills as needed. Its rainy season so might be unnecessary
Bike // End:
● Make sure you stay cool by dumping water the last 40 miles of the ride.
● Stay on 165 to PC (37k) and 160W (28k) into T2 , nothing super special. Flatline that HR. No spikes
● Bloks and gels on the ride back to Cairns
● Super mental focus here.
● Banana and gel at last aide station
● Stretch as needed.
● unstrap shoes, drop watts, easy light spinning, get mind into t2 game
T2
1. Flying dismount / hand off bike.
2. Take off Helmet on the move.
3. Find bag, 191 (make sure you have the right one) head to tent.
4. Bag down & Open.
5. GO BAG
6. Race belt with number on.
7. Shoes (on top), single sock in each lube in socks.
8. Start walking out with GO Bag.
9. Race saver bag
10. Ice in hat on head. Sun glasses
11. Make sure 920 XT is on RUN and start
12. Spray sunscreen all over.
Run // Lap One of Four laps-- Diesel Engine Strong
● Toggle Garmin to right screen for HR.
● Keep HR low 120’s as possible for first 6 miles – 1 loop
● Watts 255
● Stay cool by dumping water the first 10 miles of the run.
● HR target is 120-125.
● Run smart: take tangents, follow shortest paths anywhere
● Great form -- shoulders before hips; shoulders relaxed/elbows down. Chin up
● Speed is Not Slowing Down - Easy miles in control
● Get in early calories. Two gels in first 6 miles. Hit every aid station and make sure you get what you need. No flying through with haste.
Run // Part Two -- Steady Eddie
● HR target is 120-130 thru mid lap 3.
● Maintain focus.
● Smart through aid stations. Self eval prior to aid station – liquid? Salt? Gel? Cola? Need ice?
Run // Part Three -- Empty the Tank
● Mile 18 move from "reserved, internal focus" to "gutsy, external focus." Pass people and steal their energy. Try to get pace to STRONG.
● Keep turnover, keep form, don't walk anywhere.
● Constantly be Passing someone
Run Nutrition:
● Feel good? Eat! Target is 3 gels in first half, then three more with last Caf Gel at Mile 18. [2,6,10,14,18]Then COLA but will need more salt. Base salt every ½ hour at the aid right after gel and more when on cola.
● 4oz PURE each aid station.
Aid Station Process -- Execute and Back to Running ASAP
● Sponge for face; squeeze over head.
● Water for head/neck cooler.
● Ice in hat race saver bag.
● Stop at PURE person for drink/walk. (If eating gel / salt do it before you get there.)
Run Troubleshoot:
● Take the HR out conservative the first 10 miles of the run! That's the deadly pocket.
● If you get tingling fingers on the run, replace a gel with a banana and pop a lick of base.
Finish strong – you want to feel the pain to know you worked hard. Expect it/accept it.
@Robert Sabo - Really loved the race rehearsal. Honestly I think you can ride harder than .72 once settled…could be .74 until your HR hits like 120 then dial it back to .72. Regardless you are to "push" for about 150 TSS. Once you hit that number (.72 for 3 hours) then you dial it back and get stupid aero.
On the run, I don’t care if you are running fast as long as your watts are where they should be (and your HR is good). I trust you know the difference between running fast naturally vs pushing it. As long as you are riding the wave and not pushing it, we are good.
You have earned the right to race with intent, and I am excited to see how that plays out. Let’s talk race plan on our call, feel free to put any extra notes in here pre call!
We are using an FTP or mFTP of 250?
@Robert Sabo
Great to chat yesterday. As I mentioned on the phone, I believe you have the infstructure to be fast; and now we have a really solid plan.
So…here are the pieces left on the table: kill snag
1) Let’s get that second "summary" screen all set so that you can review that last lap.
2) Lets’ get that TSS field on a screen…perhaps with an AVG HR and Total Ride IF field as well so you can "capture the work" you have done up until that point. .
3) Make sure the FTP on your 520 is set to 250 (those numbers could get confusing!)
4) Here is some info on what your 520 can do from DC Rainmaker: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/07/garmin-edge-520.html
In terms of your race plan, here is the link: bestbikesplit.com/public/130803
This is the visual; note how the blue/gray background is stacked such that the first half of the ride is "harder" than the second…this is effectively how we will roll.
Also, below you’ll find the "cheat sheet" with numbers for terrain. These are good for the first 150 TSS (3 hours), then you will drop it down. By about 10 watts. You might drop more in the last 10 miles if you think you need more recovery (another 5 to 10 W).
Honestly, I think you could ride 185 for 150 TSS (that would be 2:45 ride time), but I leave that to your judgement.
Keep me posted!
~ Coach P
1
hey @Coach Patrick
recovery is going well. My race report is done and should be up tonight. I am doing the 4 week recovery plan but loosely depending on my work and family schedule. I guess I would then go to bike get faster or equivalent. I have signed up for three short races.
July 5 sprint
July 20 evening beach ocean swim run for soldiers charity fun event
August 10 AC Tri Olympic
then back to IM plan?
I will write more inre Kona later
Rob, the recovery looks like it is going well…very good to see. So much work requires a break, and a good Kona build requires you to be rested! You have four weeks as of now until 12 weeks to go. But 12 wks of building is A LOT for your second IM.
I like the idea of a different style of training between now and mid August, with a push to the Kona build at the end.
That would be a recovery week for this week, then five weeks. We could do Bike Focus plan or the Get Faster plan. You can preview both in Final Surge under "My Plans" section. Either way, we’ll want run consistency and at least one epic long ride day.
Looking forward to getting you on track!
~ Coach P
Starting week 2 of Bike Focus this week. I am also doing Tower 26 2-3 workouts per week. I also have a group that does an OWS in the ocean on Sunday morning when this fits into my schedule.
I did a long sprint this weekend. 5th OA but only 70 people. I did bike to and from the race with backpack ~20 miles each way. Ran a steady 6:30 pace in almost 90 degree temps with almost 90% humidity.
In Looking at the bike focus and then the last nine weeks of bike focus IM plan it seems to be all 120 and 150% or max effort and low on FTP work. I was wondering if it would be better to do 4-4-4?
@Robert Sabo Thanks for checking in. You are strong and getting stronger…I like the numbers you are putting out (high effort vs steady state). Right now, you have more to gain with the shorter / harder work. We can go back to the "easy" more traditional stuff in mid-August, but right now we raise the left…then we’ll extend the right. You know the drill. Nothing wrong with time just below threshold at SST during a longer session…so 90% FTP….you could do 30 minutes of that as 3 x 10 (5) as part of a long ride. I just don’t want to lose focus on boosting your strength right now!