Two weeks since last race: use old Power/Pace numbers, or retest?
I raced AZ on Nov 22, and have since taken 2 weeks of total rest. I'm beginning OS on Monday with corresponding week 1 run and bike tests. (even though this is a short turnaround, I'm totally psyched to start short, hard stuff again ... it seems like an entirely different animal from in-season training!).
Going forward, is it appropriate to just continue with my 'in season' FTP and VDOT numbers from two weeks back? Although I understand that there is some detraining that occurs over a few weeks, I also seem to recall this is particular to higher-end speed, where the threshold #s that a VDOT or a FTP score signifies don't drop off quite as quickly. Think "I missed two weeks training b/c of the flu."
I'm still fine to knock out the prescribed tests, but I would imagine the old numbers would still be valid enough, would they not? It just seems there's lots of recent fitness and training that those numbers represent, and I've earned and race-proven the numbers only a short time ago.
Dave
Comments
Your numbers should still be fine. Sounds like you are on the post IM high right now and want to crush, kill, destroy next season. I would be careful jumping back in so soon. Lots of people who try end up digging a big hole even though they feel great a couple weeks later. Regardless, the testing is part of the fun of the OS. Do the bike test and see how you feel. May be an eye opener.
The tests could be valuable too in terms of judging how recovered you are from AZ. If you can't get close to what you would expect based on race fitness 2 weeks ago, could be a good indication that your recovery isn't quite complete yet.
FWIW. I am in exactly the same boat. Finished AZ 2-weeks ago. Have felt pretty good with some mountain biking and light running the last few days, but RnP want me to take the full 3-week transition before I restart the OS.
Dude, as you know, I'm in the same boat. If was me I'd do everything by feel right now -- especially all of the hard stuff. Ride with the PM but I think it should just be used to record the data. You're not looking to hit specific numbers. You not only finished a IM 2 weeks ago, you finished a whole seaon's worth of training.
Thanks, Chris
P
Well, that's four for four saying chill out. Can't get clearer than that!
Five.
Standdown, seriously
Dave T, I have the same flaw in my character. I am so used to just progressing from one IM training cycle to another (having gone through 16 in nine years), that I need outside objective experts THAT I AM PAYING FOR to get me to stick for more than two weeks with an easy does it, wait till the New Year training "plan" for the "non" season we are in now. I've gotten so amped by my success at AZ, and by my recent ability to turn around from Kona to Tempe, that shear momentum would just have me out in the garage banging thorugh 75 minutes of 80+% intervals on the bike, and 4-6 one mile intervals on the track or treadmill at 10 K pace.
The GUILT I feel at "just" swimming for 45 minutes twice a week, biking to work 90 minutes round trip twice a week with a leisurely 30 mile group ride on Sat AM, and jogs around the neighborhood is almost too much to bear. I remember mancona's sig line "looking forward to getting back to structured training" after IMMoo. That drive to get back kicks in just about now for me. Maybe we need a support group for this?
I suspect I have an additional hang-up having to do with a feeling of finite injury free-time in front of me - I don't know when my last season will be, as I see the numbers in my age group fall by more than half every five years, down to under 40 now for most IMs. I can rationally see that getting the rest now will lead to my being one of those 40 (or 20 in five years), instead of falling by the wayside as so many other of my contemporaries I have seen. But old habits give me the feeling that I will lose it if I don't ramp back up NOW. MUST RESIST!
Sounds familiar...I may know someone who felt like a rock star and keep training right after an IM this year since there body never got sore.
Sure enough about 3-4 weeks later, the mind decided it wasn't into it and needed some time off. The body was actually fine, but the hole was starting to get deeper and I had to back off for a while, re-access what I was doing and just chill (and gain some weight).
Adding the fact that the 2010 season has already started here down in Florida, it is very tempting to go back full speed.
Adding the fact that the 2010 season has already started here down in Florida, it is very tempting to go back full speed.