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2016 IM CDA Week 17- 4 Keys
#EN4KEYS WEEK 17
Hey team! I apologize for the delay in my post this week, I was wrapped up in Lake Placid and just got home yesterday! BUT here it is!
Well CDA Crew we are 4 weeks out from race week and there are 4 Keys of Racing within EN. What sets EN athletes drastically apart from other athletes is the ability to know to race. You're putting in the training and doing a fantastic job of posting your information with the team to discuss but as you wind down your training in the next couple weeks you need to put your head in a space to have the 4Keys down pat. Even if you have been with EN for awhile, there is always something to learn or something you can teach to help someone else's race experience.
Not to reinvent the wheel here is a mixture of coaches perspective and a couple other race captains:
X - Race day is about execution NOT fitness
Theme for this week is important. Start visualizing your upcoming RR2 and Race Day in terms of simply Executing your Fitness:
The majority of athletes on race day are fitness-focused (look at my T-shirt, look at my abs/veins/etc, look at how fast I can go in the first hour of the bike, etc.). They think of race day as the application of their fitness to the course, the distance. They are wrong. Race day is about the application of sound execution skills to a long day. Your fitness is just along for the ride. Through our observation of many, many races we can tell you that fully 90% of athletes out there do not understand this and do not know how to execute properly. For the Endurance Nation athlete then, race day is largely an exercise is doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing!
Easy to read/comprehend the above, difficult to actually apply on race day, when you feel rested, invincible with adrenaline and the best you have felt during the entire training cycle. So important to start thinking and scripting this concept now.
Good Job team.... keep chipping away, two more weeks left of fitness
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Did my long run yesterday - 17.5 miles in 3 hours - the longest run I've ever done. It was also pretty hot (for Seattle) at 90deg F. I thought this would be good practice for CdA in August.
It went reasonably well. I quickly discovered that Zone 1 was pretty much all I could manage in the heat. The plan called for going to TRP after an hour and (optionally) zone 2 after that, but I was already having trouble managing the heat at the slower pace. I used my normal technique - drink as much fluid as I can manage and soak my hat and shirt in cold water. During races I've also use a zip-lock bag with ice, but I didn't have any ice with me. Perhaps ice would have allowed me to up the pace a bit.
I think my nutrition went OK. I was just using normal Gatorade and water. At CdA they will have Gatorade Endurance. Is that different enough from normal Gatorade that I should be practicing with it during race rehearsals?
My biggest surprise was the amount of chafing in the, um, "under-carriage" region.
This has never happened on my 2 hour runs, so I was a bit surprised. The combination of a longer run and more perspiration must have caused the additional irritation. During triathlons I use chamois butter to avoid chafing on the bike. I suppose this will take care of any chafing on the run as well.
I also did the long run yesterday but I had to work late and didn't want to finish the run at 8:30 or 9:00 at night so I got up early and started running at 3 am. It was so quiet and peaceful. Since it was dark l couldn't see my watch so I had to run using RPE. I ran 18.5 miles in just under 2:45 and hit my goal pace, but I wasn't able to run faster as the run wore on as the plan dictated. I was very consistent across the run and I didn't slow down.
I volunteered at bike aid station #1 during the IMLP race so learned a lot through action and observation. It will help with my mental game on race day.
Dialing in nutrition plan this weekend for full race rehearsal next weekend before the tapering off period. Will be getting to Coeur D'Alene on the 16th so anyone there who wants to do reconnaissance ride together let me know. Staying at Roosevelt Inn near city park ... Just about here.
More data over the weekend!
Marc
Marc,
I'd love to run up there if I had the time off to go over the course again. If there is anything I can do let me know since I'm down here in Portland, OR. Look at the CdA 70.3 run race course and see if the full run course might be changed since the half was similar but not the same. If that is the case, I think it would be easier with the hill (elevation with a right hand cant) after Tony's Restaurant not on the docket.
Have fun !
Jay.
Thanks.
Marc
I was reading the written directions, which say, "Turn around past aid station 3 near Silver Beach Marina". That's at the bottom of the GENTLE hill which is just about a mile from where the route turns onto the Centennial Trail by the lake.
I'm not doing the race, I'm just following this thread as I've done IM CDA 10x, and I still have an interest in it.
Al is correct about the run course. Rollers with occ. flats between. As you run up or away from aid station 3 you can run/walk along a fence line that has over growth that will get you out of the sun. Lots of MOJO at aid station 3 of the run. The turn around is only about ~2 city blocks from that particular aid station.
The bike course heading towards the casino is something you have to experience and at the very, very, very least drive. I found it tiresome...but that's me. The downhill is a real screamer, but beware of slower riders on their brakes as you speed past >45+/mph.
Jay
The turn-around looks to be near the base of the hill, farther down the road than the 70.3 turn-around. I think it's an improvement. I wasn't looking forward to climbing that hill the second time!
My plan as a beginner is:
Monday - Swim in the books - 4,000 yards in the pool 1:50/100yd, quite a bit of rest doing ... 200WU, 20/100's, 8/50's, 3/200's, 600, 200CD
Tueasday - Run - 120 minutes tonight ... 90+ degrees & high RH
Wednesday - Swim & Run
Thursday - Run
Friday - RR Swim & Bike & Run
Saturday - Bike & Run
Sunday - Bike
More data to come ... Race Plan being constructed for submittal later in the week.
Marc