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Week 2 of 12 IMAZ - Warming up the engines
Hello week 2! Happy Labor day all!
Labored up a few hills this morning: http://www.strava.com/activities/188286008 
Pool was closed early so will see if I can make that work later today.
Hope all had a safe / fun weekend with family!
Good luck this week all!
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Long Labor Day swim: http://www.strava.com/activities/188503916
Slow, steady and water logged.
Tuesday 2 X 1s: http://www.strava.com/activities/188777733
Hard to escape the heat here. 4:50 a.m. and it is 80 degrees and 85% humidity - hard to breathe on those 2 X 1s.....suffered
... but done.
As we ramp into week 2, think "Consistency" for those on the 12 week plan.
Good luck today all!
I did today's run yesterday (a little late, started at 0830 and temp was soaring in the sun).
2x 0.5 at sub z4(8:22): 8:09,8:18; then 1x1mi at 10s over z4.
As for swim-got the green light at swim lesson Saturday that I'm holding form and started sprints. So yesterday and today did last weeks MS1 workouts and the sprint part was 0.1s faster than my comfort zone on the tempo trainer. Got'er done! I focused on just what coach notes said-chin to shoulder
Went up north to Durango to visit my sister this weekend, so I missed posting and reading updates. Good work to everyone!
I did my saturday ride early friday at home and had a great one finally, 3:20 & 70 miles. Stuck the IF solidly in the 75-80% range for the whole thing. I'll credit that to properly fueling BEFORE my ride as well as on the ride. Duh, got to remember to eat more before those long workouts!
Saturday did a ride in unknown territory up in Durango, was doing well until mile 33, when I had what is now officially my annual Labor Day Weekend Bike Crash. I'm 3 for 3 years now, good grief, and this year was due to railroad tracks at a diagonal across the road. Relatively minor damage to the bike -- bent derailleur hanger, slight wobble in the rear wheel, and busted rear bottle cage. My skin is amazingly intact, but I shredded my favorite jersey (again!) and destroyed my helmet (again!) and pretty seriously bruised several ribs. Luckily the car behind be stopped in time, and held up traffic, so I and my yard-sale of triathlon gear could get cleared from the road. Another driver was a paramedic and gave me a full check out before loading me up and driving me back to the hotel ( I did not want to have to make THE call to my wife!.) Took the rest of the weekend off. I'm finally walking around with out too much pain, but I'm going to ease into it this week and see where I get. My main lesson here is that I should have followed my instincts and bagged the ride to begin with, because I was nervous about it at the start, and being nervy on the bike in aero at speed is no bueno. I likely made my own self fullfiling prophecy.
Rian - lucky, amigo. Gonna get a new aero road helmet? I'm seeing the Air Attack ($200-240) for $140-160 without/with shield, $100 off.
I took Labor Day off, to visit with my kids in Seattle, as caught up with Scott Alexander, who was in town for a few days after his trip to Eastern Europe. Today, weight room, followed by a 75 min trainer ride, 10', 15' @ FTP, then 3 x 4' @ 110%. The last two weeks, I've been feeling real good at these intervals, hitting the proper %-ages with work, but not misery. I think I will keep my FTP set where it is, and simply focus on hitting 72.5% on race day, instead of trying to overachieve.
I'm being a guinea pig for Coach R, following the IM Adv. Minimalist plan, which has an extra bike interval day instead of two weekend rides. I think it's better for someone like me, who's both an OF, and has 20+ years now of weekly long-distance biking, year in year out, no breaks really except when I was down with injury for 3-4 months. The key will be: don;'fool around on those long rides, hit the paces on every one, and maybe through in a couple extra rides while I'm back in the mountains next week.
The studies on altitude basically show that "acclimation" (a complex of physiological changes) occurs quickly at first, and slowly over an more extended period. So two weeks, gets you about 50- 60% of the way there, with up to three months needed for full effect. Then, the changes disappear over a 2-4 week period.
Another thing to consider is the reduction in FTP and VDOT which occur with altitude. At 5000' (Boulder), the reduction is in the range of 3-5%, at 6200' (Tahoe), its more like 6-7%, and at 8-9000' (Aspen, Vail, Breckinridge), its 8-12%. So doing hard intervals doesn't get you as much benefit, and swimming is a real pain. Interestingly, intervals shorter than about 3 minutes are affected hardly at all.
Here's a Joe Friel blog post on this: http://www.joefrielsblog.com/2010/0...mance.html
And here's a blog post I wrote this spring, which kind of speaks more directly to your question: http://bikrutz.org/triblog/?p=1457
@Al-thanks for the nice refresher on altitude. With my schedule working full time, I have no time to acclimate, hence the reason I don't go to any of those races. I even refuse to go to Mountain Man in Flagstaff for that reason. I gasp in the pool at Phoenix altitude
@ Rian - those wrecks a scary bro - been there many times. Very glad it was not worse and I know you will recover quickly. Keep moving forward.
@ Betsy - solid work on the swim drills and improvements! Very smart focusing on form at this stage. I need to do more of that myself.
@Al - every post is such great advice. Thanks for leading and sharing. Will certainly make us a much stronger team with each passing week. I did basically the same workout you described on the bike this morning.....was work. I truly believe the two a week intensity rides and one long ride on the weekend routine you are doing is very effective. I am most likely switching to that routine for my build into IMLP next year.
Lunch swim yesterday: http://www.strava.com/activities/188950269 Was asked to get out of the pool before I finished due to high chlorine content.........made sense....lips where shriveling a little bit and I could smell it.......
Intensity bike this morning at o dark thirty: http://www.strava.com/activities/189243195 48' of Z4+ work.....not a fun way to wake up..
Maybe a TM run at lunch......
Have a great day all!
SS
Good to see you Al, been a few years since we last met at IM CDA.
Summary 1:45:03 12.05
1 9:53.7
2 8:29.0
3 8:29.0
4 8:28.0
5 8:22.9
6 8:26.7
7 8:37.4
8 8:28.5
9 8:01.5
10 8:07
11 8:00
12 10:51
quite humid...can see my breath at 75 degrees out!
And Al- I mentioned your post last year about strategy on tempe town lake, but couldn't find it. Can you redirect us to it please?
Strong work David. I have an olympic in two weeks-trying to decide if saturday before will be a normal bike day or rest day (thinking the former)
Today's bike on trainer went better than last week: .99 on the 10' and 15' sprint, and 1.08 on the 5' 110% (only had time for one.)
Skipped the low priority run and did weights this evening (I'm on a 3-4x/week program too)
Have a great long run tomorrow!!!
It;s in this forum, thread labeled "Swim Advice": http://members.endurancenation.us/F...fault.aspx
@David H. - nice work on the run! 12 miles any way you cut it is work!
Lunch TM run yesterday: http://www.strava.com/activities/189350686
This morning's Longish run: http://www.strava.com/activities/189719617
I paid for yesterday's workload during this morning's run.......
What's your Long Run recovery routine?
Mine is (all items can be bought at Costco) Almond Milk, Hershey's chocolate syrup, and Whey Protein powder. Drinking that while my feet are up for a short while, then shower, then large bowl of Oatmeal, Blueberries, Raspberries, brown sugar (a little), almond milk.....
Then coffee of course........
Need a nap......
.......but, have to work now......
@ Shaughn- Thanx... My recovery is dependent on day or _usually_ nigh run. In either case I collect these little boxes of chocolate milk (the no refrig needed type) and always have some to suck down as soon as I walk n the door, I then use a variety of "recovery powders" I usually avoid the usual whey powders that I drink with milk mainly out of variation, The ones I use are like EFS's or Muscletec and the like. And on occasion a nice IPA
legs up on wall,,,, At night it means dinner and a bath/shower then bed. I have a cheep pneumatic sequential leg squisher I use as well. Daytime is more proper timing for food and I usually don't skip the stretching that gets dropped at night.
really quite sore from yesterdays run?! kinda unexpected.
Lots of cr@p to do once home from work tonight so taking an off day. I think I'm needing a much deeper taper than I thought for the REV3 HIM in about a week.
I payed for my PM weight workout-stiff and slow this morning. Got in 80 min. (Up at 0400, out at 0435-darn 0700 start in OR). Run was Mostly in the dark-still Desert hot but nice not to have burning sun shining.
First 30', full 60s over LSP, next 30' barely LSP. Last 20 min, 15-20 s over z2 and a final short sprint to the house at end z3.
@ Mary - I am sure there is no way I was doing V02 sets like you that soon after my last IM. Looks like your recovery is on track or ahead of schedule!
@ Betsy - nice job getting the long run done with the schedule limitations and work load!
Thurs JRA Recovery stint: http://www.strava.com/activities/189980549
Fri morning EZ short run: http://www.strava.com/activities/190158013
Hoping to swim at lunch today but I expect it to be a slog due to cumulative fatigue.......
Be safe out there on those bike excursions tomorrow all!
SS
Trying to fit 7 days of training into 6 days on the calendar - doing an Oly race on Sunday makes it a bit easier.
Today was my long run: 12 miles in 1:39.31. 3 mies @ MP, ending with a miles @ HMP, and another @ MP. Feeling good about that one. Swim tomorrow, race on Sunday, leave for CO on Tuesday.
@Al - good luck Sunday! Look forward to the race report.
My Fri long swim slog: http://www.strava.com/activities/190296127
Did a pre-ride run this morning with a 1X1:http://www.strava.com/activities/190533968
Long ride today: http://www.strava.com/activities/190699350
Body is complaining about adjusting to these 1st two weeks..........need a nap!
SS
Shaughhn-strong work getting all the workouts in!
Friday am-50' to swim. Got the warmup and 1st set done-negative splitting, ending on tempo trainer at goal pace (what I thought would be way to fast)!
I was on call for OR today but got coverage to ride this AM. Ended up being 60 mi in 3:20 instead of 4 hr ride: -https://www.strava.com/activities/190678154
One full AZIM loop with a second beeline before heading back to the car. I didn't think there was a lot of debris but at the end of the first loop, head tucked in aero, I look up and there is a sign pole down across the bike lane. I braced and flew over it-didn't crash but blew both tires. I got them both changed in 20' all by myself!! I rewarded myself with a stop at the gas station and filled water bottles. Hopefully will get the weekend run in tomorrow
4 am wakeups are making me tired-need to get to bed now!
Shaughn-strong work getting all the workouts in!
Friday am-50' to swim. Got the warmup and 1st set done-negative splitting, ending on tempo trainer at goal pace (what I thought would be way to fast)!
I was on call for OR today but got coverage to ride this AM. Ended up being 60 mi in 3:20 instead of 4 hr ride: -https://www.strava.com/activities/190678154
One full AZIM loop with a second beeline loop before heading back to the car. I didn't think there was a lot of debris but at the end of the first loop, head tucked in aero, I look up and there is a sign pole down across the bike lane. I braced and flew over it-didn't crash but blew both tires. I got them both changed in 20' all by myself!! I rewarded myself with a stop at the gas station and filled water bottles. Hopefully will get the weekend run in tomorrow before the ride
4 am wakeups are making me tired-need to get to bed now!
@ Annie - SOLID!
Looks like all IM Wisconsin peeps are out of the water and well on their way this morning!
Sunday ride: http://www.strava.com/activities/191225688
Week 2 is in the books! check!
Happy napping today all!
SS
Nice job on week 2 everyone.
Betsy: glad you stayed upright and sailed over the post!
Crash recovery is underway: I managed a few easy paced runs during the week and most of the trainer ride on Wed. I did not do the long thurs run, running was pretty uncomfortable but manageable for 30-45 minutes, don't know if I could have lasted 1:45. Swimming was a no go, pulling with the left side was just too painful, a friend suggested I just do kick sessions with a board, so I might try that tomorrow. Luckily riding the ol roadie was just fine so I got both full rides in this weekend! Interesting to note: same route, same wheels, same power output and the roadie was 2mph slower than the tri-bike. Says a lot about aero position! I also realized how nice and smooth and stable the roadie rides, its like the difference between crusin in cadillac vs tearing it up in a mini-cooper. I need to ride the road bike more in the offseason!!!
Keep up the hard work!
I love this ride-sorta like the AZIM loop. The 14 mile Sonoran parkway is like the beeline but no traffic on Sunday morning and absolutely no debris in wide bike lane! ABP with lots of 80-85%.
@Rian-speedy recovery!