Week 14 Testing
Week 14 starts tomorrow for me. Who else is testing this week? (With the way my legs feel these days, it is going to be interesting!)
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Week 14 starts tomorrow for me. Who else is testing this week? (With the way my legs feel these days, it is going to be interesting!)
Comments
Me either I am on week 13. I can say I don't know how I could run faster than right now, so part of me hopes my VDOT stays the same. Cuold just be fatigue.
Good luck to everyone testing this week.
hi: my testing is this week, but will set the week up a bit different. mainly i want bike data this time around, since i am better at keeping tabs on how my run is progressing vs. bike.
yesterday ran an easy 13 miles with only the last 1.5miles at half marathon pace.
monday: FTP test on Flat course;
tuesday: hard uphill trail run;
wednesday: vdot 5km test morning; afternoon: 1000m swim TT for rich's swim experiment;
thursday: bike Vo2;
friday: easy uphill trail run;
saturday: hill climb TT ftp test with Rich and local ENers plus more climbing afterwards;
sunday: 25km trail run. it's a race, but i am just doing it for fun and to get some good work in. there's a 6mile ascent.
GH
@ Larry - I test next week since I'm in week 13. Good luck tonight.
@ Bill- Hey, don't be too hard on yourself. You scored an improvement. Always good to move in the right directions.
@ GH - Wow! What a week. Good luck with those tests and other workouts. Also, I read your 2010 IMAZ race report. Well done and thanks for sharing.
bill: that's a good jump. nice job! i would be very happy with a jump like yours.
ok, flat ftp test done.
FTP: 223; same as last test! but weight dropped since last test, so watt/kg at 3.2; same as it was at start of OS when i weighed more and my ftp was 232.
i will avg the above with what i get from the hill climb test on saturday and that will be my final ftp for this block. i'll try to hold 225watts for most of the 8mile climb and give whatever is left in the tank at the end. we'll see!
i am not really worried about the lack of big jumps in ftp so far. i am still learning on the bike and managing to stay lean. i expect the big rides i have lined up during the race prep period to boost my ftp a bit more. what i do feel so far is an improved resiliency to training loads, so that's cool.
good luck to the rest of you testing this week!
bruce: thanks for reading the race report. the podcasts for that race are also informative in case you are considering IMAZ.
safe training to all!
gh
Not good, to say the least but after an hour I figured out what happened and that the data was not loast but that WKO was not reading it. After another hour, I got finally got it into WKO. No wonder why I am feeling tired this morning!
Anyway, raised my FTP from 205 to 215. I was really hoping for 220 but I'll take the increase, for now!
@Bill, An increase is an increase, right? Plus, with the fatigue factor that sets in over these OS weeks, I suspect you are a bit higher than you tested.
@GH, you make me feel like I do not train enough! A rising w/kg is always impressing.
Good luck to everyone with the rest of the week, and the run testing.
Larry
ok, so trying to hold the week together. things got busy at work and had to take tueday off.
today, was going to do vdot test, but decided to just keep building, since i was motivated to do mile repeats:
2mile warm up and then:
mile 1: 5:28.77;
rest 3minutes;
mile 2: 5:28.65;
rest 4minutes;
mile 3: 5:34.22;
felt good, no issues, held it together. my avg pace at last vdot test was 5:38, so i'm still in the ball park and will keep a close eye on my progress until the next test.
needed to get back to my job, so no 1000mTT swim today. maybe tomorrow or friday.
next for me is the hill climb tt with rich on saturday. hope i get above 219NP for the climb.
good luck with testing everyone!!!
gh
I am on Week 14. I went skiing in Utah with my 16 year old son on Friday and Saturday. Thursday and Monday were travel. Sunday I ran. I did the bike test yeasterday and had hoped to put up 230+ watts based on what I was able to do in the VO2 sessions. My January test was 217. I did 215. 223 on the first 20 and 211 on the second. I chalk it up to skiing and travel and am not worried. W/kg is 3.0 since I am down on weight. I ended last OS at 229W and I will exceed that.
VDOT test his morning. Did 20:25. A PR for me at 48.6 VDOT. Very excited!
@Gilberto, expressive mile times! Wow. When you rest between them are you still running or do you just walk around? Just asking because after my mile repeats I had to walk instead of run, and felt like maybe I should have pushed through it.
@Scott, nice work on the 5k!!! That is an awesome result. Like you said, I wouldn't worry about the FTP, just keep at it and I'm sure you will see a gain next time. Travel and lots of skiing will take it out of you. Good work on the weight as well.
I was feeling strong on the run and bike last week but this week is another story. Going to go into the tests and do my best but not sure I will see any improvements. I might take an extra day off to rejuvenate myself. I think running outside for my last two bricks put my body through a beating it wasn't used to. Don't feel sore, just super fatigued. Anyway, enough of my griping! I hope you are all having a good week!
@melissa: if i am alone on the track i walk during the rest. if i am with a running group on the track for mile repeats, i walk for 30meters and then jog for one entire lap and then start right away again. good luck on your tests next week and rest up for an accurate test...although i didn't do that
.
@all: did a 20min @ interval today on the bike
. just wanted to see if with a better pacing i could go above 223...i got 223. oh well. hill climb tt next. i did 219 last time up that hill at 4.0lbs heavier. will start at 220 for 25minutes and then try to go for just under 230 for the next 23-25minutes.
last time i started at above 230's and ended around 215's
.
nice with the testing everyone!
gh
@Scott, a PR is always a great result.
@GH, Impressive biking. I'm sure you can hold / increase the watts this time around.
@ Larry - Nice job fighting the wind and increasing VDOT.
I'm staying in OS thru week 16, then 1 week of transition and then loading up the 12 week IM plan. My "A" race is IM Coeur d' Alene June 26. Gilberto and Scott Steward, both Dec OS, are racing it too, and I'm looking forward to meeting them in person. I've got a half marathon (B race) on 3/20 so I might take it easy for an extra day or 2 after that, so it really might be more like a week and a half transition. Kinda depends on how I feel as I don't want to go into the IM plan feeling tired already.
Nice work everyone on the tests and good luck to those testing next week.
Some time on the bike tomorrow will make me feel better I think.
I am finishing out the texting next week and then transitioning into the last 6 weeks of HIM plan. Have a HIM in Charleston on April 30.
getting back in the pool next Tuesday for the first time since September.
Paul
@ Jane, I hear you about work. Been working 16 hour days; fitting in the workouts has been a challenge.
@ Paul, good luck! April 30th will be here before you know it. (Hopefully with much warmer weather.)
Nice work, Jane!
@everyone: if you have a weak stomach, stop reading now...i did the hill climb TT with Rich and did horrible (considering my FTP)!!!
NP: 180. my FTP test on the flats this week was 223. so, this was a 0.80IF tt. i felt good going in, but just couldn't get the watts high enough. i didn't give up though
. i simply stopped looking at the watts and just went up with whatever i could do and ignored the fact that i was being passed by many who started minutes behind me.
Rich invited local triclubs, so i was passed by a bunch of people who i bet i could run circles around, backwards(!)
, but what can you do? triathlon is about three sports and i got creamed on the bike today. 
i decided to take the hint that my legs were giving me and cut the ride short: 2:54:38 total time. Rich and crew likely did close to 4hours.
i will swim easy today to help clear the lactic acid, stretch, and rest up for my official trail run debut tomorrow: malibu creek trail run 25km with ascent to 2900feet.
so far there are 19 in the M30-39 age group. i have no idea what type of time i can put up, but the top guys the last few years put up 1:56 to 2:15 range.
good luck to everyone testing next week and i promise to do better at the hill climb TT next time.
GH
@ Gilberto - Hey doc, don't be so hard on yourself. We all have tough days from time to time. You have been putting in some monster workouts so your fitness is there. Perhaps you just need a day or 2 of complete rest to recover (how's that for a layman giving a MD some medical advice). It seems like skipping a few days has paid off for Jane this week as she hit her bike intervals on the money.
@ Jane - Way to go!!
I did the bike intervals this am. 4x2.5' on/off. HR of 163,164,163, 166. Then did 50' @ Z3 HR 139-146. Total time on bike - 90 minutes. Felt ok, not great. Then ran 12 miles @8:06 avg pace with a marathon training buddy. I've got a half mary in 2 weeks so wanted to get some more miles in. It was 30*F, snowing and 20 mph north wind (balmy weather for Jane). We ran into the wind for the first 6 miles @ about 8:40 pace then came back with the wind at about 7:40 pace, with a couple of 7:30s thrown in. Quads getting tight now but not as bad as I expected. Resting up tomorrow then on the TT tests of week 14.
Good luck on the tests everyone.
thanks, bruce. i am always open to advice, especially great advice.
great job with those 12miles in wind and cold and the bike vo2 work. rest up and test well next week!
gh
Had an awesome 1:20 ride outside yesterday for the first time in 5 weeks. First time trying to do VO2 work outside. I did my 5 X 2.5 in IF's of 1.24, 1.22, 1.22, 1.35, and 1.20 (decided to pound the last two, but had to soft pedal four times due to cars on the last one) felt great. Then did the last 45 minutes at IF of 0.935 (really tried to stay in Z3, but just felt great).
Really looking forward to testing on the bike tomorrow morning. Gonna try and go over 300 (from 278) for my final test before the run up to the first HIM.
@ Paul - Way to go. You must really feel good about riding so well and getting some wind in your face. Good luck on the tests.
Gilberto - Good luck with your trail run today. Sounds like a fun event. Let us know how it goes.
Ok, so I made up for stinking up the hill climb tt yesterday:
Gh 25km trail run 2970ft; 3rd in age group; 10th male; 13th overall. A woman won overall, probably friend of Melissa and Jane. 2hrs21min and change was my time.
Got to top of climb with three other guys, but they dropped me on the descent. I don't have the trail descending skills yet, but almost caught one of them by the end, like 3 or 4 seconds back. It had a 3foot river crossing!
Fun!
Gh