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IMAZ 2016 Training Wk 9/12 - 9/18

Figured I would get this started since I'm sure Mariah is still catching up from the IMOO.

Lots of good work done last week.  Let's keep it up this week and get ready for the big tri workout on Saturday!

I'm traveling this week, so I'm going to get done what I can - lots of running and probably a session on an exercise bike somewhere :-(  I did my big tri weekend last week as I'm riding a charity bike ride this weekend with nowhere to swim.  

Keep up the strong work!

Comments

  • Thanks for starting this!

    Learned yesterday that pools are closed for 2 weeks in my area for annual cleaning, will not swim for the next 2 weeks but that doesnt bother me.

    Going for my ABP ride (new wheels test!! yeahh) in a few mins and will follow with a 60' run as prescribed by Patrick.

    Weather is weird here in Montreal this week, yesterday was 18C and today its 34C.
  • Thanks Clark. Did some swimming yesterday. That's the hardest to get done. Completed my run this morning.

    I won't be able to do the tri practice on Saturday but racing an Olympic around Tempe and swimming in the lake, so I'll call it good. :-)

    Keep up the good work and thanks for the MOJO last week.
  • Thanks for starting this Clark-it crossed my mind yesterday to do too.

    @Gary-I'm signed up for Sunday as well and have done it the last 5 years. But have to be in Davis Ca for family event-have fun! Wishing I would be could be there. You know there is a splash and dash Thursday night at TTL?

    On call yesterday so didn't get the swim in, and only short short run.
  • CLARK YOU ARE MY HERO! I wrote our post on the plane yesterday and the reception was so spotty it wouldn't post!

    Since I didn't get into town until midnight - it was a this morning project. YOU ARE SUCH A BLESSING THANK YOU!

    Ok so... Here is what I wrote ha!

    Second “Big Day”

    Things to pay attention to

    Nutrition
    Watching your pacing (are you making mistakes early on?)

    Don’t “rest” in-between but no need to go full fledge tri geek and set up transitions where you sprint from event to event

    What coaches want to see this week is us talking about how we are going to prepare. Post your “big day” check list here, a chance to even practice your “race plan” and “race report”

    Let’s not wait until after the big day to start discussing what we did or didn’t do. Lets plan it out, write it out and discuss it now so we can help each other. Then debrief the awesome crew after the big day on what worked and what didn’t.

    This will set you up for your race rehearsals closer to race day.

    ****There is still time to find a friend who is racing Arizona and give them the best gift you could give someone— no not a power meter, a free 30 days of Endurance Nation. Sharing is caring! (you get a Free month when they sign up also)**** give them friend@endurancenation.us email and we take care of the rest!

    Ya’ll are EN rock stars…. soooo what’s on your mind?
  • Hi guys hope you are all well. I am signed up for AZ, but may not be able to race. I had to care for my mom over the summer, and then I broke my big toe. I am in a boot until 9/19 when I go back to the Dr. Contingent on the outcome I will have to make a go/no go decision. Unfortunately my fitness level is not good right now, so I am lacking confidence.

    I hope all of you are doing well and training hard! Not sure how many EN folks are doing this race, but I am sending you all positive MOJO!! Go get 'em!
  • For those who raced or live in the area.

    I watched last night Coach P video regarding Kona and acclimatization.

    Living in the big white Canadian North.. starting November temperature is between 2C to 8C during the last 3 weeks of training. I am pretty sure this is not AZ temperature.

    What I've read so far on the interwebs is that end of November is around 20C (sorry no idea in F!)

    Keep up the good work team.

    Paula : so sorry to hear.. but I think taking care of our parents i wayyy more important than a race image IM will still be here when you will be ready !
  • @Francis- here is the conversion:

    C (9/5)+32 or F(-32)x5/9

    So 20 C is about 68F
    I just looked at prediction:

    77 (25C) high, 44 (7C) low and SUNNY all week. This is what I remember for years 2012-2014. Water temps have varied from 61 (16) (a little cold for me)2012, to 68 in 2014(perfect with wetsuit).
    Last year I don't really remember.
    But it's a little cold on the beginning of bike and warms up nicely. If you are fast and running early it's a little hot but most of my run has been lovely. Last year was an anomaly with the rain and cold-very doubtful to have any repeat of those conditions this year. It's usually perfect racing weather, and nothing like how brutally hot the run will be in October for our 70.3., or the humid and hot conditions in Kona (I've been there-very different from AZ)

    @Paula-agree with Francis. Take care of family and yourself. There is always another race.

    I'm writing in this in my car at the pool parking lot-time to go in and get it done
  • Ok Swim is like 70.3MT in June which is always around 60F

    So looking fwd to see cactus on the bike !! hah

    Betsy: just looked at your signature, hope you get it!! image
  • Thanks!  I hope you kicked butt in the pool

  • Thanks Francis.  You are right, but not doing something I committed to really bugs me.  Oh, well stuff happens!  Best of luck to you, if I am not there I will be cheering for all of you from my laptop!!!

     

  • Paula, over the past year my definition of commitment has changed slightly (ok, a lot) from the race to train to train. Works for me. For sure I would get more salty missing a standard SLR than a race at this point

    FTP tested - last done in May I think. 255 with HE peaking into 174 range. 6months ago that HR would have bought me 290z. Where does it go!

    Run continues to be my strength, no joke, am as healthy as I've been in months.

    I have a wedding deal tgis weekend which will be fun. While ride z5 intervals to the chapel!
  • DS: I am pretty sure if you focus on hard bike work it will come back, it didnt dissapear ! Were you training with a 290ftp ? if yes, thats good.

  • Was able to finally find a pool near my house which is not on its annual cleaning!

    Really happy to see that I was able to swim at the same pace & effort than prior IMMT!

    https://www.strava.com/activities/712148452
  • Francis-not only will you see cactus, you will get a bike pic of you with cactus background!  The photographer has his spot strategically picked out.  Also, if you see my pic icon here-on the run there is a rock that looks like a phoenix that they also take pics at. Good you found a pool-i am defaulting mostly to my indoor gym pools even though the outdoor ones don't close.  They just have such limited hours due to budget.

    I had a good swim yesterday.  I am following my own TI protocol.  So, doing descends at different rates on tempo trainer, keeping stroke per length at upper limit for my height (22/length in 25 yd pool, 24/length 25m).  I did 1000 yd at 1.3, then 1.2.5, then for the first time, 500@1.2 and able to maintain my 22/length.  I really felt i was holding form at the faster pace ( and requires a lot of focus).

    45' trainer ride this am-1x10', 1x12'@1.0 (+1).  No endurance so I could get a 20' run in.  My HR was so high I would have had to walk to do my LSP HR controlled run so abandoned that and maintained TRP-

    So, I also am traveling this weekend so hacking the schedule.  I am doing saturday tomorrow since I have the day off.  Friday will by my sunday off/travel day and thurs/friday runs done sat/sun.  

    I have been debating my plan for tomorrow and have two alternatives:

    1) Drive to my tempe LA fitness which is parallel to the IM course and not a lot of traffic to and from beeline.  Swim 0500-0600.  Then bike to beeline and back for 4 hour ride, then one hour run, either TM or on the street if not too hot-temps are only supposed to hit mid 90s this week (down 5-10 degrees).  I could also start an hour later and swim in the outdoor pools, but that we would then be a 20' drive to beeline (I am not riding the scottsdale streets to beeline and back on a weekday) and risk for riding in more heat

    2) just do 4 hour bike in AM, then splash and dash at 6PM-1500m tempe town lake swim, followed by 5k (which i could extend to an hour)

    I have a busy afternoon and am leaving early am friday so tending towards #1. I know Gary is using the lifetime tri Olympic at TTL this sunday for his 'big day'-sadly i have to miss it due to this family commitment (once in a lifetime lifecyle events have to trump a local oly, right??)

     

  • Great action in here this week - so many people sharing how they are managing to get it done. A workout is almost never a first priority. There is always something, work, spouse, kids, grand kids, that is a higher priority, and yet, if we want to be successful in IM, we have to figure out how to get the workouts done in and around the higher priority things. It's really helpful to hear about others making the same sacrifices and struggling with the same challenges.

    I raced last weekend, partly as motivation to finally get my bike build fully finished. The big tri weekend, while not a race, is a great motivational tool to finish off any lingering details that you have hanging around. Take advantage! Look at your last race plan and use it as the foundation for your work this weekend. It only takes a few minutes to update an existing plan and once that's done, you've already started your plan for IMAZ '16. Same thing with nutrition! Take a look at the team nutrition spreadsheet and use it for your work this weekend. Wait, what, you've never used the nutrition spreadsheet?!? It can be found under nutrition central in the wiki and it's an invaluable tool for planning your long training days and races. Logistics for this weekend should be very similar to what we will experience during camp week and again in our final race rehearsal. Keep that in mind as you plan out your transitions and your routes. Take notes if that helps you and after the workout, go back over your notes and think about what worked and what did not. Each time we do this we will be more tired and more stressed out than the time before. However, if we learn something each time and if we build off of our past work, the logistics should become more and more of a background task.

    I spent 75 minutes on a spin bike this morning, in a hotel fitness room, with no fan. Four towels, and many awkward looks later, I was soaked to the skin and ready to make the trek back to my room. I'm glad that they had some sort of bike in the fitness center and I'm really glad the scheduled workout was only 75 min. Tonight I'll run since I ran out of time this morning and could not run as a brick. So glad I don't travel much for work!
  • I've been feeling pretty good the last couple of days, completing my workouts on schedule. Ran the first split this morning and I'm going to try to get to Tempe this afternoon for the SnD. The weather was great out this morning. Sure made running enjoyable.

    @Betsy, if you make it out, I plan to wear my EN kit, so hopefully we'll run into each other.

    @Clark, lots of admiration for the cranking it out on a hotel bike.
  • @FP: I got up to 286 for IMC. After logging a few WHOs at the new FTP (255), can tell some of that fitness did go, but now at least I can hold z4...

    The week got crunchy, goose egged Wed and Fri, but I got in solids bike WKOs and 2 good runs, as well as a walk/jog with my 11yo daughter. 0 swims. That just can't bode well.

    I get the pain cave to myself this am tho, will log a 2 hour trainerfest and a brick run, then split-long run tomorrow. We are at 60's and 40-80% of rain all weekend so will fire up the netflix and get to work. Good luck IMAZ crew!
  • HI Gang- great job getting the work in...even when it's NOT convenient. It's all part of the sacrifice and it will payoff on race day! I'm back from IMWisconsin where I suffered an abdominal injury that hasn't been officially diagnosed...but I've been to two doctors now and had an ultrasound last night which concluded that there are no abnormalities to any organs (appendix, gallbladder, spleen, or kidneys) which is a huge relief as I've been pretty worried all week. The pain has begun to subside but I want to wait just a bit more before starting back up with light training.
    If the doctors conclude this to be a muscle strain/tear I may wait longer. One of the doctors felt like the cause of the pain was most likely nerve endings coming in contact with rib cage, so he treated me with dextrose injections which seems to be working..thankfully!
    At this point my hope is to be back in action after a nice, relaxing weekend now that I appear to be "in the clear" from any serious injury.
    Good luck with everyone's workouts this weekend and stay safe out there!!
  • Really back on the IM on the running - back to the volume I was prior IMMT taper.

    Speed is back, able to do 44 miles this week. Today was my first SLR since IMMT and I went with a 215M climb on the first run. It was really warm today in here.

    On the bike, still working the vo2 and ftp sets Patrick had me doing since 2 weeks. I already see results on my ABP rides that are now at speed over 20mph (including lights & stops). - I also wonder if its the impacts of the new wheels and bike fit that bring those results.

    Hope you all had a great week end of training!
  • 44 miles in a week...beast. Not sure how you restarted the engine so fast after MT, you sure came back strong FP.

    I got my work in this weekend. Hit my targets for the week, >30 run miles, >4 hours on the bike (all indoor intervals). 0 swim minutes :0

    Next week looks to be about the same I think for me before I dive into the full IM plan. Its pretty clear the only way I am going to get in the pool is the dreaded 445am weekday start time. Ugh.
  • DS : I dont think about your swim fitness, but based on what you did in the previous races do you really need to train alot in the pool for the 8 upcoming weeks ? or you can maybe pump up the volume in the last 3 weeks ? that would make 3 weeks of early mornings instead of 8 ? you could touch base with Patrick to see about it.. cuz you gonna need the sleep in the upcoming weeks with camp weeks !

  • Saturday morning I discovered that my bike would not shift (hopefully dead battery) and that I was stuck in 53/11. Ugh. I had packed tools, but not the charger, so I ran through a bunch of steps to try and get things working again. I pulled and seated all of the cables in the junction box and at the derailleurs and Dfly. Then I pulled the seat and checked the battery connection. Everything looked great, but no luck in getting things working. I was crushed at the thought of missing the entire weekend of training.

    Fortunately, the charity ride has two routes, a flat 30 mile route and a hilly 60 mile route. My wife stuck with her plan and braved the 60 (her longest ride in several years). I called an audible and rode the 30 twice plus a couple of extra miles for 70 total. It's been a while since I've ridden a single speed and I have to say it was actually kinda fun.

    Sunday the weather changed for the worse so we decided to head home early so I could charge my battery and get in a trainer ABP. Except that the battery would not charge...

    Once again I unplugged and re-plugged but with no success. Finally I hooked everything up the the PC and ran the e tubes software to see what I could see. In the end, e tubes found everything except the battery, which leads me to conclude that the battery is somehow dead. Not want I wanted to happen, especially since I only have about 500 miles in total on the bike.

    Now I'm trying to figure out if I can test tomorrow by adjusting the trainer resistance, since the shop guys are all at Interbike and can't look at my issue until Thursday. Worst case I'll just ride my other bike and test next week once this issue is resolved.
  • Hi all! Behind on posting, but had a nice weekend in my old stomping grounds-Davis/Sac CA.

    @FP-agreed you are beastly getting up to that mileage so soon after MT! Strong work!

    @DS-I feel your pain re odark thirty starts-I'm there often. If it helps at all-last year I spent most of September and October doing TI drills exclusively and just a few real swims at the end. My time (which sucks anyway) didn't suffer. You know you can swim 2.4 on race day

    @Clark-so sorry about your shifter. Not being so techie with electronics I don't quite understand all of your troubles except that you couldn't shift

    @MQ-what a strange injury. Heal fast!

    @GL-sorry I missed you at all the events. It's the first time in last 5 years I haven't been at both

    Here is how I hacked last weekend:
    Saturday long day on Thursday:

    I parked at my LA fitness on Rio Salado and Dobson just east of 101 and about 5 miles east of Mill (IMAZ start)
    1) 2250 us swim in 46'-paced well for me. I did it fasted. Probably should have my usual pre of full fat yogurt

    2) Bike-left from there, 4 mi ride east to alma school then up to McDowell and out to beeline. 63mi in 3.5 hour moving time, 2 water stops. Paced between .7-.75. Nutrition practiced as I plan on race day. Gratefully, cooling trend and not too hot at the end.( As I was pulling into lot, guy at stop light asked if I was doing IMAZ. He wasn't this year, he just did Maryland. Always a community!)
    NUTRITION:
    (I'm a little different, more on the fat adapted side):
    Downtube bottle:
    4x concentrated with serving Thorne BCAAs and MCT oil to give 3gm fat/HR. Finished each serving, swilling last in parking lot.
    My homemade GU-1/HR: sticky rice, MCT oil, chocolate and blueberry. Wrapped in cellophane serving packets, bite and suck down. About 100cal/ serving. I probably will try to up the cal to one every 45'

    3) due to increasing heat, did 1hour run on TM back in gym.
    Mile1-warm up very LSP
    Mile 2-4-LSP+30"
    remainder-LSP
    Felt good-only drank water

    Friday-day off for travel.
    I decided to take dogs for 1.6mi loop before and it's first time Garmin told me I 'was not recovered' -that made me slow down

    Saturday-SLR. I'm sad the Garmin just won't sync that day-as afternoon run was outside in my old hood
    Am-60' on hotel TM-negative split from WU to LSP
    PM.-6 mile out and back in 90 degree sun, west Davis bike trail into countryside.
    Mile1-4 LSP+30"
    Mile 5-LSP
    Mile 6-LSP-30"

    HR way higher than I wanted!

    Sun-30' On hotel TM-LSP

    THAT's it for week 11!
  • Nice work Betsy, way to get it done. Hopefully it's starting to cool off a little in AZ.
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