WEEK 9 Workout Thread
Hey all -- Due to work travel, I had to do Tuesday's bike workout this morning. Last year I did all the VO2 stuff in the OutSeason as 2.5/2.5s, so I figured I would give that a shot today.
I got to "enjoy" my new FTP today. Target was 312W, and you can see that I overshot that pretty hard and had a difficult time bringing it back on the four intervals.
- Power / IF / Avg HR / Cadence
- 325W / 1.25 / 161 / 93
- 329W / 1.29 / 162 / 89
- 321W / 1.23 / 162 / 82
- 317W / 1.22 / 163 / 92
One thing I did to break them up was to change up Gearing and Cadence for each new interval. The 2nd interval I changed about one minute in so that is why the cadence is so similar to #1.
I hope everybody enjoys their VO2 work as much as I did. Thanks Rich.....I think 
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WKO today was 5' walking WU & CD with MS of 2x0.25 miles (2'). Just started to sweat and it was over. Then stretching and ice added another45 min but I'll take it. Knee is a little stiff but no worse than it has been. Will continue to run ever other day building to 1 mile steady then reassess.
Now I just need to fit in the workout. So far no additions to the garmin map collection...work has been flat-out. But I'm probably getting home a day early tomorrow and will try to hit the bike for sure.
Cheers!
Dottie, on the VO2 length, you should be doing the intervals for as long a duration you can hold without power dropping off, either within an interval, or across the intervals. Personally, I'm going to ease into the VO2 phase this year, do 30/30's this week, bump to 60/60's next week, and 90/90's the week afterwards. After that, I may or may not play with some 2/2 and 3/3's in the last week or two.
Overall 6.03 miles in 45:29, 7:32 pace. Probably about 7:00 or 7:10 pace overall if I mentally adjust for the GPS wackiness.
Paces (current z3 7:07, z4 6:58, z5: 6:00 for <400, 6:28 for >400m)
W/U 15' @8:31
2x200m: 6:17, 5:52
3x400m: 5:56, 5:52, 5:59
2x200m: 5:46, 5:47, 5:46
C/D: 4.5' @7:47
Remainder time: 8.5' @6:44
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153547395
Good run...now off to the airport this afternoon and back home!
This was the first V02Max work I have done and I felt really strong on the 4x200m. That distance seemed perfect to me to go flat out and was over just before I faded. Plan also called for 1x400m and this distance rocked my world. I came out way too hot and tried to run it like a 200m. At 300m is was fading and the pace was falling. My first total blow up! Something learn there I am sure...
Otherwise, run was a super fun Tempo run.
On another note.... After this week I changing plans to the HIM plan to prepare for Wildflower on May 5th. Is everyone else slowly changing as well?
Pic:
Matt DC now China you are all over the place.
First VO2max bike today went for 10x1'(1') held pace steady with low IF of 1.14 (going down hill) yes there is a hill um er overpass on my bike route. High was 1.26 (going up the overpass). Another 1/2 run tomorrow. Knee is holding up well.
Great workouts happening out there! I did a very short easy run today during lunch on the TM. 15 min only is all I could fit in due to some GI issues, but oh well, got something in.
Then after dinner, did my VO2 work on the bike: 10 x 60/60's plus 20 min @ .85 to finish with a total time of 57 min.
First V02 run mañana!
G'night!
I've always found VO2 work easier than FTP. Either I'm not a good FTPer and a better VO2er, or I'm still bagging the FTP test. But, that doesn't make since cuz the FTP intervals are still really hard to get done. Eh, who knows. On to the next workout!
So last weekend did 12 mile run on Saturday as last big run before half mary coming up in few weeks. Did it Saturday so would be fresh and figured if bike Sunday suffered so be it. To my suprise, hit all my numbers on Sunday ride so was pretty pumped about that.
Unfortunately could not take Monday completely off and paid for it, had a hockey game late and did not get to bed until 2:30 or so (hard to wind down after game) only got about 4.5 hours of sleep. Then got on trainer last night for first VO2 workout, turned the cranks for like 3 minutes to just warm up and my legs were already burning. Discretion was the better part of valor and hopped off the bike and joined my wife and son for a game of monopoly. Oh well, first workout missed in the OS.
On the positive side, got up at O dark thirty and headed to pool for first swim since last August. Was not too bad but really going to ease back into it. Looking forward to VO2 run today and VO2 bike tomorrow.
The thing I like about the 30/30's is that I feel a lot more like Phil Skiba describes how his athletes feel when doing VO2 work, that they recover fairly well, and that the sessions aren't as taxing as threshold work. Especially with my SC focus (again) this year, I'm not planning to kill myself through the VO2 work this time through, maybe in a few months on the SC plan. I figure that the worst possible scenario by under-cooking the intervals is that I don't quite see the gains I'd like. Honestly, that to me is a heck of a lot better than the possibility of getting under-recovered this early in the year.
Mike
so you did 20' of ON time?
Lovin' the VO2! I started with 1' (1'). Anyone else having a hard time holding 60% on the recovery?
@ Dino: Great pic!!!
Happy Hump Day!
I did my 8' of work as 4 x 2' (2'):
2' @ 1.244 IF, avg cad: 81
2' @ 1.197 IF, avg cad: 83
2' @ 1.188 IF, avg cad: 81
2' @ 1.193 IF, avg cad: 81
Then 10' Z3 @ .863IF
15' Z1 run @ 1.0 incline- 1.25mi.
Any rate, happy to be into VO2 phase. Run went well today 4x200 and 1x400 @ 6:48 pace. Very happy with that and the new paces from the VDOT test didn't feel too bad. I ended up walking about equal distance for each one to recover. Something to work on there.
Not looking forward to the bike tomorrow coming off 2 wks w/ virtually no cycling since my FTP, but will give it a go.
Off to Asia on Sunday for a week (more time w/o cycling) ... so I may hack things around a bit a over-ride before heading out.
Echoing the sentiments of Lovin' the VO2 stuff...just what my mind and body needed...this is my first full OS and the bike work is just great....First run effort today went well ..modified to 4x200 and 4x400 @ 6-6:04 avg. pace...whats everybody doing for the recovery? I walk/jog for .10-.20...
On the bike...I did 30/30's the first time and will probably stick with that for the first couple of times...then try 1:1 hopefully getting to 2:2 by the end of the block.
Cheers all!
Overall 60' @ 220 watts, IF 0.902. Full 22' warmup incl 10' easy then 3x3'(1') @z3. Then:
5x2'(2') @z5, target AP 293+ for 120%
AP: 306, 308, 306, 306, 309
HR avg: 150, 154, 158, 162, 167
HR max: 161, 168, 171, 175, 178
Cadence avg: 93, 94, 93, 93, 91 (tried a higher gear for first quarter of last interval)
Finally 18'@ z3 – NP 215 (IF 0.880), HR 162/167, cad 87
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153815405
Followed it up with a 3 mile brick run, as I couldn't do it after my Tuesday bike (which actually happened on Wednesday). Overall great workout!
catching up..
wed run - went well on the treadmill. really like the shorter efforts that earn 'full recovery between'!
thursday bike - liked the 60' intervals better than tuesday's 30' on times.
thursday run - tuesday's shorty tacked on, so still on schedule for the week (much better this OS with staying on schedule, hope it pays off)
also, been swimming about 3x week with nothing but the drills and the short sets that my swim coach has given me. very short 'practices' as opposed to workouts. have stayed away from watching the clock while doing this. well, the other day, I had a nothing to do 20' at the gym so I decided just to swim a couple of ez 100's regular stuff and found that my 2:00 per 100 effort was hanging around sub 1:50's. Real happy with that. Not looking for delusions of grandeur, just want that 1:15 IM swim in November.
1st VO2 run workout. Love these too!
4 x 200 + 1 x 400= 1:08, 1:08, 1:06, 1:05, 2:16
Then I did a little upper body strength. Need to do that more, big time.
Wow, I can't believe it, but the last brick I did was way back on Feb 7. All the Saturday workouts since then I was running later in the day, and a bunch of the weekday bricks I have been doing morning runs followed by evening bike. So today I had quite a workout!
Just catching up with the thread posts. Good stuff. I've been moving my family to a new house the last 2 weeks (needed to be out March 1). So I've been quite busy. Nevertheless, I made workouts a priority and have been getting them all in, just no time to post here.
Got my Thursday workout done this AM: 5 x 120/120's + 15 min @ .85.
Wondering about the run intervals. Are you all using the same Z5 pace for all interval distance or do you go faster for the 200's vs the 400's?' I went faster on the 200's just cuz it didn't seem right to go at Z5 pace.
Good work everybody. I've had a crazy week @ work so no time to post. Here is a recap:
Monday: rest
Tuesday: Swim lesson in am then flight to Phoenix and meetings until 10 pm. Heel better.
Wednesday: EZ 40' swim in 20 yd hotel pool, then more meetings, flight back to Chicago and a business dinner after getting off the plane. No heel pain 2 days in a row.
Thursday: Bike WU:15'. MS1: 10 x 1' ON (1') Off @ 330W and 170W. Wow! new zones are tough. MS2: 2 x 10' (2') @ 228W. No heel pain during workout or after.
Friday: Swim 2500 yds. WU + drills. 4 X 250. 5 x 50s. CD - 250. No heel pain 4th day in row.
I am gonna try running one mile tomorrow after the bike WO to see how the heel feels. I've decided to withdraw from the 1/2 marathon on 3/18. No need to chance re-injury and no need to be fast now. Just need to fast @ ; IMWI in Sept. Have good weekend.
BTW - My brother JT (also in EN) is have surgery on his shoulder next Thursday to fix remaining damage from his bike crash last Sept.. Wish him best of luck if you get a chance.
That's how it felt to me too. I felt the need to go faster to "get" something out of the interval. I'll check out the VDOT paces. Thanks.
DId Thurs. bike tonight as "wham bam thank you ma'am"... Got the 8' "ON" done and that was it. (It IS Friday night after all!) First time using the intervals function on the Joule....
2' @ 1.223 IF, avg cad 81; 2' @ .67 IF, avg cad 63
2' @ 1.219 IF, avg cad 83; 2' @ .58 IF, avg cad 72
2' @ 1.189 IF, avg cad 73; 2' @ .566 IF, avg cad 73
2' @ 1.197 IF, avg cad 83
Tomorrow I'll do Sunday run, then the Sat. bike on Sun. Then off to San Antonio on Monday. Hopefully will be home early enough on Tues. to hit the bike!
So, you've finished up 8 weeks of FTP intervals. You've gotten used to feeling ready to hurl at the end of intervals. You KNOW what work feels like. And now, you're transitioning into VO2 work. It's much, much shorter. And somehow, your brain is wired to know what feeling WORKED is like. So you seek that out. You crave it. You exceed power/pace on your VO2 intervals. You rapidly add on duration to bike intervals. You push yourself like you know you CAN.
I'm here to tell you that this is an exceedingly dangerous strategy. The dropout rate in the OS is overwhelmingly tilted towards these 6 weeks. Many, many folks just fade into the distance, stop posting, stop hitting their workouts every day, scale it back, think they're wimps, and that they just can't hack it. How do I know? Aside from knowing people who have done the above, I also crazy overdid it in the 2009-2010 OS. Fried myself like a potato. I spent months questioning myself, my training, everything. All because I took a "Crush Myself!!!" attitude towards the VO2 phase of training. Fortunately, wise folks like Bill were able to walk me off the ledge, and show me the path.
So, consider your ability to recover before going and pushing the pace/power/duration on these intervals. They're not necessarily meant to leave you feeling crushed. In fact, Phil Skiba writes in his book that most athletes find VO2 work much easier to bounce back from than FTP work. I suspect that's because he's adamant that his athletes do not do "more, more, more!" in these sessions.
--Rant off--
Thanks!