RR #2 Quassy HIM
Pre ride/Prep (if not interested skip to next section):
Got most things prepped the night before, Infinit made (450 cals) etc. Actually got to bed at a decent time despite some family comittments.
Up at 5AM, pre race meal of about 200 cals and my caffeine, sipping water. Weather was foggy and about 52 degrees. i decided to wear a few extra pieces of clothing but still keep the tri kit on to make sure it works for me.
Wheels up at 6:15.
Ride
Ride time: 3:42:50
Distance: 55.5 miles
IF .746
VI 1.09
SWAG FTP of 130 based on some previous advice. I felt very good the first 45 minutes in 'gear 1'. Really just riding along. After that went to 'gear 2', still not so bad. I never felt like I was really working hard, more difficult to maintain focus on the numbers for so long. I'm still new to power and still working very hard to stay smooth on the hills. I felt like maybe I could have pushed a bit more especially because the run went so well. Staying aero after about 2 hours is also a bit of a challenge. I also pulled the straw of my speedfill out too far and lost some nutrition that way. Definitely not enough water (20 oz) but I couldn't carry any more. I will plan on probably 3-4 x that on race depending on the heat or lack there of.
So lessons from the bike:
-so this is how easy is supposed to feel!
-easy=good, even if you are getting bored
-make sure the speedfill is working before getting on the bike
-really need to try other saddles as this is the barrier to staying aero
Run
Time: 54:14
Distance: 6.01 miles
Lap 1: 9:37
Lap 2: 9:00
Lap 3: 9:26
Lap 4: 7:33
Lap 5: 7:56
Lap 6: 7:41
I will admit to being a bit confused as the correct pacing. The RR instructions on the Weekly plan called for zone 1 pace + 30 seconds for the first 3 miles and then zone 2. I looked at the wikil HIM race instructions and it says zone 2 + 30 seconds then zone 2. I went with it, had to walk to keep the pace down initially. Felt really good on the last 3 miles, my zone 2 pace is 7:57 so I was in the ball park with those numbers.
I actually got lost on my last turn to come home on the run and ended up running a few more miles. Still felt fine. Intersection of Washington and Washington and I'm looking for Pearl....(damn Boston streets).
Overall I felt really good about this. I have a few things to work from an equipment perspective.
Questions:
Should I be going harder on the bike? Biking is certainly my least competent event. I want to run well but I can't really afford to give up a lot of time on the bike. Should I keep the higher FTP of 140? I used .75 for my calculations, maybe I can go a bit higher to .78 or .80? I feel like its a fine line and without a lot of experience a difficult decision to make. The course is very hilly and even with compact crank and 12-28 I have a hard time keeping watts down on longer climbs.
Thanks for any/all input!
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