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2016 IM Canada Week 10- The Run
Week 10-- Focus: The Split Run
Greeting EN Canada athletes! THANK YOU for chiming in last week and sharing who is out there!! We are starting to get a group going :-) Who else is in?? I LOVED seeing your posts last week…….you all are RAMPING UP!!! Burning a hole in Strava and posting some on social media. Now that we have a laser focus on IM Canada (a a couple of others as well), let’s keep that up! It’s FANTASTIC!
Remember…… #EN4Keys
This year the coaches made big changes to the OutSeason training plans, adding a significant "run durability" component by adding running frequency. So now as you head into the IM Full plan you will notice the following…….
Split Long Run: in weeks 9 through 12, the long run is split into two Thursday sessions. The coaches experimented with this in 2015 and found they were able to run both runs a faster average pace and put up higher single day mileage, with less recovery cost vs a traditional one-session long run. Then then enables...
Additional Friday Run: the ability to put in a run the day after the long run allows us to significantly boost the run volume, and therefore the run durability component, of the long course training plans.
Saturday Pre-Ride Brick Run: this run, added to the plans years ago, remains a running staple.
Sunday Post-Ride Brick Run: an extremely valuable session for helping our athletes dial in the critical first 4-6 miles of their running race execution strategy
So this week- let’s focus on that split long run and report back on how we do! Check out the wiki page for more info! http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=Understanding+the+Endurance+Nation+Split+Long+Run
Remember…..your race day run should be:
Consistent
Smart
Effective
Sustained Pace
PACING:
No one run will make or break your race but how you look at pacing will.
Focus on sustainable pace.
RECOVERY:
Set yourself up like a rock star---
Eat and Hydrate during your workout
Recovery Shake immediately after
Compression socks or resting in the first half hour window after. Aim for at least one minute elevated resting legs per mile. i.e. 10 mile run, 10 minutes legs elevated, compression socks and resting.
Recovery sets you up for the weekend volume rides
****** Remember to use the forum! You're building friendships that you will LOVE to have out there on race day. The more you know each other the more you might be able to help, and this is the beauty of EN. We are all one big endurance racing family! If you need ANYTHING from your trusty Race Captain…...I'm here! ******
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I like the run durability program but will hack a lot of this week for several reasons. 1) Gran Fondo in N. Georgia this weekend. 2) Spent most of Jan-Mar working run durability. 3) Transitioning off season from winter to summer since summer challenges here are similar to winter challenges up north. My run speed has about disappeared this year. As I'm getting close to 60 it's like the legs don't work anymore. My perception is that my decline is greater than my peers but that's probably be caused I used up every chit I had in my 20s and 30s.
AM - I was attacked by the sleep monster. I heard my 1st and 2nd alarm but just couldn't move, then decided that if I got up to swim I would probably not hit my power targets in the evening.
PM - I pulled forward Wednesday's bike workout and nailed it. 28 trainer miles in 90 mins with 10 & 15 mins at mid Z4 and 3 x 5 mins at high Z4...a few watts under my Z5 threshold...close enough. I just lock the trainer in erg mode for those and pedal while praying I make it to the end. Pulled out the movie "Haywire" to watch former MMA star Gina Carino kick butt! She not only looks credible beating up on the guys, she also looks great doing it!
AM - got up quickly this morning and swam 3800 SCY then straight to Snap Fitness for 45 mins weights. I was going to the gym 3x week in the offseason, 2x week during my base period, and now just 1x week during the build period (last 12 wks).
PM - 5 miles on the track. 1 warm-up, 12 x 300 fast w 100 walk, then 1 mile easy jog. #desperatelyseekingspeed! Left leg imbalances are what brought me to triathlon and are probably going to be what makes me retire from it. Trying hard but the left leg just doesn't work right anymore.
I'm feeling the fatigue here too. Monday I tried the optional run but cut it short as I felt pretty bad. Monday/Tuesday swims were okay, though I felt like I fatigued quickly on Tuesday. Still, I got in 3700m Tuesday which is the longest I've ever done. My shoulders were sore yesterday and I'll need to keep an eye on it.
Yesterday I really hammered the bike and ended up with about 20 Strava PRs on my usual route (it helps that I decided to just leave on the disc cover for the time being). I find it a lot easier mentally to push hard outdoors. I had someone jump on my wheel during my second z4 interval which gave me extra motivation to finish strong.
With the fatigue I knew I needed to split today's long run and I was able to get out this morning to get the first one done, going easy for the first half hour.
L hip bursitis is just beginning though, will need to watch that.
cheers-
AM - Very sore, rode 42 miles Z2 spin on the drainer watching Creed ... boxing scenes always make the time go buy fast.
PM - Still sore, ran an easy 4 miles. My long run will be Sunday in the mountains at Clayton, GA. The forecast calls for a low of about 40 with a high of 67 on Sunday. Contrast that to Tampa with lows in the low 70s and highs in the upper 80s now. I got my last long run at the BRC less than 2 wks ago. I'm on a binge and need to do as many as I can. After this weekend, it will be all split runs for me except for a long run in Portland, OR in late Jun. If I try to run a long one in the heat, I'm just straining to continue rather than training the legs. So while I think the plans are spot on, I've learned that I need to take advantage of cool snaps in the winter, events in cooler climes, and adjust the plans accordingly.
@ Doug - your AM run sounds miserable, except for the fact that you can still run. Every run I do I am fighting old legs and feet that gave up the ghost in the past couple of years. I'm beginning to understand why there are so few people in the upper age divisions.
It's strange that the long run is the easy day but that's what it feels like now. I'm sure that will change when we go back to single runs of 2-3 hours.
Paul, in the northwest we have the opposite problem weather-wise. I don't have to worry much about heat on the run since the worst it gets now is 80 with low humidity. But rain can make getting in the bike workouts a challenge. We've been lucky with the weather the past couple of weeks, but it looks like that is changing this weekend. Saturday may be okay but Sunday is looking pretty wet.
I may bump up the ride time on Saturday and plan for a shorter ride Sunday, which will be easier to get in if the rain lets up in the afternoon.
Friday - Got up early and swam 3900 SCY with 1800 at all out intensity. About every other Friday I slip out of my triathlon lane at the pool and move to the end to train with the ex collegiate swimmers. There is no coach... this is swim on your own and those guys are very accepting when I join them. Of course, I must cheat like hell to keep up. I wear my Roka Sim shorts, fins, and often use paddles to maintain their pace. For IM order intervals I sub freestyle for butterfly. For long intervals like a 400 free today, I kept up for 200, gasped while they continued then jumped back in for the final 150. Incredibly challenging! It's taken me 10 years in the same pool with the same guys before I finally felt I could swim them once in awhile. I ran 20 mins after that, finished packing, and spent the day driving up to Clayton, GA. An epic bike ride is on tap for Saturday!
Cycling friends keep telling me horror stories of cyclists getting hit by distracted drivers, I almost got hit by such a driver this am (in my raised F250 of all things), and its supposed to rain tomorrow. Looking like a long trainer ride on Saturday or maybe a 2 hour early ride, then 2 trainer hours. And that 7th run of the week is looking tasty.
The more I stare at the bike elevation map at Whistler...
Long bike today up to Callahan valley. Hopefully survive the cars between here and whistler. Sketchy bit of shoulderless road.
Consider staying here for training, versus whistler. Quieter. Still plenty of food options.
Today was about the bike, not the run. I'm in Clayton, GA and did the Tour of Georgia Gran Fondo. 108 miles and 10,233 Ft of climbing. I averaged 11.3 mph on the 4 timed sections. I just climbed the first 3 sections, but only really gave a race effort on the last one. For the two big 7 mile climbs it was all I could do just to get up the mountain. Good running weather for tomorrow morning ... I will see how much I can do on tired legs. Plus, there isn't and flat place to run in this town. I've found a 2 mile loop that I will probably repeat many times.
What's the elevation at Whistler?
Paul - you asking about the mountain or the bike? Bike course is 6600 gain I believe.
Now get some sleep!
I have chronic insomnia. Last night was typical - little over 4 hrs of sleep. I was stressed about the 4hr bike ride today. I know, totally stupid.
DS
Doug, I hear you on the TSB. Thanks to today's run and ride, tomorrow I will be at -52! I'll need to be careful the next few days. Fortunately next week will be lighter with the easier days before and after the big day and travel forcing a day or two off.
Today the forecast was showing only a 10-15% chance of rain in the morning, so I headed out for the long ride. About 90 minutes in the rain started and it didn't let up. I decided to stick it out (not much choice as I was about 30 miles from home) and ended up going 5 hours and 76 miles, both the longest I've done. With the wet roads I was taking it really easy on the descents and ended up with an IF of 0.7, right about where I plan to be for Whistler.
I've had a few close calls with cars lately. Most drivers around here are pretty good, though it can get worse as you get further out of town. On Wednesday I had a moped start to make a left turn right in front of me as I was descending at 30 mph. It was a straight road with clear line of sight, so they either didn't see me or thought I couldn't have been going that fast. Fortunately they corrected, but not before I hit the brakes hard and had some fun controlling the bike.
Robin, stay safe and let us know how the course is looking. I'll be up there starting June 17 for RR #1 but the road work will have split the course by then.
I checked Best Bike Split to see how the IMC course compares to others. For a 273 TSS bike, it has me at 5:52 for Whistler, vs. 5:08 for Arizona. So a pretty big difference. At least we'll have some scenery! And we shouldn't have the heat and humidity that affect other races. If you ride an 11-28 cassette and a compact crank you should be fine on the hills (I'm using an 11-32 since I like to keep my cadence higher).
No terrible car or truck incidents. But the big trucks scary when they go by. Callahan valley and Pemberton flats very peaceful and calm.
I have done this race 1.5 times. But always helps to refine course knowledge.
The Whislter to Pemberton, and back, sucks regarding traffic. Will be fine on race day. The bad shoulders don't need to be used on race day. Going down to Pemberton, still some sucky hills, Invluding the steepest one of the whole course. Coming back to Whistler, down this steep and curvy hill, slow down like the race signs say !
Will do 2-3 hours on the Pemberton flats today.
Lunch/dinner yesterday: Poutine. Burger. Big salad. Idea was to have leftovers but ..,
Hang tough folks. For the zombie folks maybe consider some days down. Maybe take a couple weeks and just hit the !!! Workouts good.
Fyi:::: My schedule is about the same as the minimalist plan. Off tues so longish bike there. Long run is my favorite part of the week so i am not going to relegate it to dark thursday am. Long run is sunday for me normally.