IMLP Rally week before a HIM?

henrysacco

Would love to do the IMLP rally this year, but its the weekend before a HIM.

The HIM is a B race for me, but i'd still like to PR the course. I'm looking for feedback on the rally bike volume a week before. Too much or manageable? 

Coach Rich

Posted By Henry Sacco on 01 Mar 2011 06:48 PM

Would love to do the IMLP rally this year, but its the weekend before a HIM.

The HIM is a B race for me, but i'd still like to PR the course. I'm looking for feedback on the rally bike volume a week before. Too much or manageable? 

 

Are you racing IMUSA this year?

mancona

I did the IMWI rally last year which was 1 week prior to a B HIM. I did a good bit more riding than was suggested at the camp (i.e. I added in an extra day before and after, to make it 5 days of riding and about 500 miles). The B HIM went ok... I PR'ed but I definitely felt some fatigue in my legs during the second half of the bike and the whole run. I'm sure I could have went a few minutes faster in the HIM if I skipped the rally, but I have no regrets as I had a great time at both events and would do it again.

The key is that my A race was move than 12 weeks after the rally/HIM so I had plenty of time to recover and rebuild. As Rich was getting to, how does the rest of your schedule look around the rally and what's your A race?

Gordon Cherwoniak

Henry,

I think the keys for me would be the HIM is a B race and as coach R asked if you are doing IMLP or any other IM this could be very valuable as a RR. 

If you are fine with attending the rally and perhaps not hitting a PR then go for it.  Another option would be to attend the rally and just do one bike loop thus limiting you bike miles some what.  Depending on the cost involved to get there this might now be a good option.

Gordon

 

henrysacco

Yes, i'm scheduled for IMLP this year. I had the same schedule last year, and "felt" ok during the race. Matt mentioned having your A race no less than 12 weeks....?

Coach Rich

Notes:

• Generally we don't like to have people racing (much) within 12wks from their A-race. We don't like to see you racing at all, generally, within...5-7wks before your race because PnI have a put a LOT of thought into what you're doing those last weeks: race rehearsals, timing of all the workouts, etc. IOW, this is critical time for your training and we want you to get it right. We've specifically chosen the date of the LP camp to fit within these goals.
• Doing an HIM that close (~3rd week fo June?) it's ideal. It's not the best training event you could do, it's not an IM execution specific event, and it punches a big hole in your training plan, as you'll have to make many adjustments to your IM plan to accommodate what is for a B race...see where I'm going with this? It's about opportunity cost, and the lost opportunity to really, really focus on the IM and hit all the workouts as planned.
• Since you are racing LP, time on the course during the camp would be invaluable, from a bike race rehearsal standpoint. As this is your first time racing an IM with EN, it would be huge to dial in "our" way of riding the course on your race course.
• From a recovery standpoint, if you did the camp, as 2x big days on the bike and a long run on Sunday, on the course, you can expect to be feelin' it through about the following Thursday -- you'd feel about 80% good on Thursday, back to normal on Friday. If you did the Friday and Saturday rides, then a short run on Sunday (I would recommend running about half of the river road and then the "up" back into town, wrapping your head around what this will feel like on race day, maybe 5-6mi total), you'd likely be back to 80% on Tues, 100% on Wednesday.
• You can see how either of these would affect your ability to have a good race the following weekend, and how one of them could lead to you digging yourself into a big hole that you won't be out of until a week or more after your HIM.

My recommendation, if you haven't registered for the HIM:

• Do the camp, assuming you can work the time and $$
• Don't do the race. Save it for a year when you're not doing and IM and crush your PR.
• Follow our plan, as well as you can, from about May 15-LP.

henrysacco

Thanks for the thorough explanation!

You make some really good points. I am signed up for the HIM, but think i might scrap it this year.