Need Help-GH RR#2(1)
dear team,
I have 2 IM AZ races under EN tutelage, but lead up to those races was not optimum. this year, things have gone relatively more smooth, but i'd say my bike training has lacked overall long rides (would get in at least one long ride a week, but not always two). weekly volume during race prep hovered around 100's, typically with an occasional 150 or 170, but not many.
RR#1: i got sick that weekend and just decided to keep training the following week.
RR#2: saturday headed out and at mile 15 broke rear spoke. flipped it and road back to car easy with rear wheel rubbing. at mile 15 my NP was 159.
my FT earlier in the week, strictly in aero position, was 214NP. using the race pace calculation tables for 71% yielded: 144, 156 goal watts, 164, 172. i have no sitting up FT test this year.
the above numbers seemed too low based upon my training rides, so i decided to try a goal watts of 160 for the saturday ride. However, based upon my feeling on saturday's first 15miles, 159 also seemed too easy.
sunday was the re-do and my plan was to go out the first hour at 160 and then see how i felt going a bit higher as the ride went on.
logistically this ride was not ideal, since i didn't get a spare rear wheel until late morning sunday. my ride started at 12:15pm.
also, my VMware is not working tonight, so i can't download the data, but i do have the basic summary from the joule computer:
ride time 6:08! for 106.32 miles. it started getting dark and the bike path i ride has no lights and i have no lights, so had to stop at 106miles!
NP 159 1st hour, by my observation and then did not budge from 160 the whole rest of the way.
total ride NP = 160; avg watts 158;
avg HR = 135!!! and never really went above 145.
3205KJ;
avg speed 18.3mph. i think that's slower than my previous two races at IMAZ and I am definitely more fit now. it was windy and the total cummulative climbing was 2400ft, but i don't know how much difference that made.
i tried to go above 160 watts after the first hour, but i was nervous about hitting 170's too long, since i didn't want to over do it. it felt like work to do 170's, whereas 160's felt more managable. however, if i noticed the watts dipping below 160 i could call on 170's and 180's at will. However, i noticed the 160 NP not budging, so i felt like that's where my body was wanting to be. the entire ride was hovering around 160's and going higher when needed to not go below a NP of 160. it did indeed feel like hard work, which is why i kept doing it.
i did go through a hard spot of feeling over cooked around mile 70-80, but from mile 80 to the finish i felt in control and able to stay at 160 comfortably, in fact i even purposely pushed at the end to try make up for the 6 miles i was not going to get to ride. i got to the car in the dark, changed quickly and headed out for the run, with 2 fuel belt bottles laced with salt tabs.
my legs bounced back pretty quickly and the first two miles were at 7:23pace. my goal was 8:30's the first 30 minutes and then 8's the last 30minutes. however, it was clear i was going to be able to hold those paces after the first few steps, so i wanted to see how tired i was...first 2 miles at 7:23's easy and the i held 8's no problem for the rest and felt completely fine. i only went thru one of the bottles. i could have gone 7:30's the entire way (1hr run) i think, but wanted to hold 8's to get more info. about how it feels to drink at that pace.
i could not get to a sclae afterwards, but i was not thirsty & my pee was only faintly yellow.
also, i feel completely normal right now. 
i even walked a mile to my lab just now and my legs don't feel the satisfying lactic acid build up that is customary.
during the bike, it definitely felt like work, but HR and the run says otherwise.
my FT was set at 214, so my TSS was 330 's, but obviously my FT is not accurate.
any advice on how to interpret this would be most helpful. how can i get to a goal wattage that will yield a solid biike leg for my ability? a sitting FT test?
Sorry for the lack of details regarding the numbers, but i'll include them as soon as i can download from the joule.
Thanks very much for your time!
GH
Comments
hi again, forgot to mention that my FT test avg HR is 167 and my max is 182.
GH
PS I am assuming you are doing the off set before each ride to make sure you are calibrated, etc, right?
A totally unscientific perspective: I'm a believer that the body is smarter than the (conscious) mind. 160 was what your body felt comfortable doing for six hours, and it probably knows best. Your experience on the run to me confirms that. On race day, going easier in the first 60-90 minutes may allow a slightly higher NP for the rest of the race, but not by a dramatic amount.
Again, my own personal experience, I typically am only able to race at a pace about 40 sec/mile SLOWER than what I can do in the final RR. This is the pace that allows me to hold an even pace from start to finish, running the whole way (except aid stations).
Thanks for the advice. I will do as you say. I did run thru the calibration.
I am only concerned that I feel so normal today. my body feels absolutely no effect from yesterday and that makes me worry that with a proper taper, i may be going too easy on the bike on race day and waste a chance to get as much out of the bike as i can.
how do you guys feel after a perfectly executed RR?
I'll review my key sessions from the last few weeks and will determine a range for goal watts, but not go overboard and then i'll make sure to start slow and build from there.
on race day, i'll let my body decide what is best.
If you come up with any further suggestions please let me know!
GH