@Gilberto: Intermediate plan is no slouch; you'll be grateful for the demotion soon enough.
As for me, despite a painful gut of barium swallow I drilled the 2x15, even at the new improved FTP (up 11 watts!). I'm always amazed that even when I'm feeling crappy, when I call down to the engine room the power is there. Fitness, baby!
Dan, I hope to start IM training 26 April, not sure what weeks that will mean I will cut out but that means 2 more weeks here. where are the pics of the turkey, turkey? Al, glad you checked in! sounds like your training is going well, didn't knwo about the shoulder though hope that heals up as I know you like swimming and with wife too. Gilberto.... glad you got your plan worked out. didn't think of you as a baby anyways. Bekcy: ouch on the hand. I am not much of a cat person, okay I will admit... smile. but that sounds rough about the hand. PITA Nemo, glad your training is picking up and you are outside. Nathalie, you still sound chipper so good news and glad things are going well Gordon: try running on some grass to be outside if you get achilles better. Michele: sorry about the cold, and a sick husband, OH NO!! not sure if I got everybody.... I have enjoyed running about 3 -4 Sun - Thursday and doing some core/leg drills etc afterwards. enjoying the warmer temps today it was 70 when I finished running. I figured running was my fastest way to drop some pounds and my feel good is at its high after running and that is when I pray.. so given my fatigue, decided that with X time and X energy, I was gonna run! I have some songs that I love and basically to those beats, do hops, lunges, sideways, yoga poses, crunches whatever I feel like and then drop down for some pushups (no still can't get past 50!) and in one hour I have run, stretched and did some light strength work. Today I did ride for 17 miles with GF and talked most of the time but I rode more than 30'!!! it was 86 by then so I could feel the heat of the pavement and the day.. lots of peeps out in late afternoon. my running buddy? my dog, well still not healed up so no running, one more week hopefully before medial paw part has no ulcer, still on meds and really? any PM money has gone into the dog! poor hubby working hard to pay the vet bill! I really miss running with Rudy. nobody to talk to! or laugh at. yep I am smitten with "my guy" as he lays here in front of me dozing... m
@Gilberto- you were not whining. I didn't want to come off as "I know it all and you know nothing about changing plans" but it really seemed to me that things were way out of whack time wise. Glad it got fixed for ya! I am on intermediate so couldn't help there. @Marianne- sounds like you are coming around. Glad to hear it. been a long course of "Yuck" for you lately. @Bill- great job with the barium even! Now I feel like wimp! (kidding)
Came home from work and fell sound asleep for 30 minutes, but awoke feeling fine. Hope this passes. Rest tomorrow - push ups and core work. Too tired to swim this week.
@Michele - feel better soon!!! at least it's a cold and not allergies, so there's an end in sight.
@Gilberto - intermediate is rough....I'm almost afraid to find out what advanced looks like.
@Dan - I've got a week and a half before I jump into the last 6 weeks of HIM, then take a week off before 8 weeks of general prep, then 12 weeks of IM prep. Jeez, when I put it that way it seems like November will be here before I know it.
@Marianne - someday I'd love to have dogs... but in my little condo that would be mean... not to mention I think I'd need some help with the TLC. Not that I don't love my kitties (even the one that bit me), but I've got lots of room to love lots of pets!
so, for the second night in a row I was totally lacking mojo to get my workout done. Probably because I finished up work about 5:30 and had to sit around and wait to head out to be sure track practice would be done... but I took someone's advice (or advice I've read) and told myself I'd warm up for 10 minutes and if it still totally sucked I'd bag it... well, it was a gorgeous night (a far cry from last weeks' 90 degree track work) and I had a great time of it. I've decided to not try to stick to my official pace zone for the track segments because I'm fairly sure I can go faster (I did last week) ... and this week I went even faster than I expected... especially considering how slow I felt out there (there were a few guys who were blowing by me like I was crawling)... even more amazing is how consistent my splits were.
So here's my breakdown for the sprints (it was a 4x200, 2x400, 2x200 workout) -- 0:49, 0:49, 0:49. 0:51, 1:48, 1:48, 0:54, 0:54 -- not breaking any land speed records, but better than I expected. Glad I talked myself into going (there's a lot to be said for the accountability factor of EN!)
@Dan- My HIM is 6/19 but I am staying in OS to the end, 10 days of semi HIM training, 2 weeks of scuba diving, then 3 days to get ready for the race. Monday after the race I start 12 week IM plan.
@al: yes, please send me your advanced plan pdfs. Rich is on the job changing my plan back to advanced, but I have no 'safe' plan filed away, should something like this happen again. thanks!
@tired peeps: at least your plan is accurate! just kidding. sounds like you all are adapting accordingly. focus on eating well, resting as much as you can, recovering from work outs with stretching, and keeping stress low when possible. if not related to an illness, then your bodies will bounce back soon enough. good wishes!
@Becky. Wow, what an ordeal with your hand !! Hang in there, one more week of OS !? It really went fast..
@Michele: Hope you feel better..head cold are the worst .!
@Marianne: Hope your thyroid problems get better soon..You sound so active all the time..Must be hard. Good Job on the bike..I just try to stay as positive as you !! You are so inspirational ! Love to read your posts : )
Long run today instead of Sunday. Going to run trails with Kitima ( Nov OS) . I will go for 2hrs. I have my 20k trail race next saturday..My left knee has a bit of tendernitis I think. Just a bit sore..I've been wearing a knee strap at work and it's feeling better. I think all these years of standing at work for 8-10hrs straight is taking it's toll. Plus training for IM"s i guess too. and just maybe being 42 also might have something to do with it ; ). I am keeping an eye on it..
@Nathalie... yeah, 1 more week... I'm a bit nervous to leave the nest after only 14 weeks (and 11 running)... but need to get my volume up for the half... kinda sad to see the OS group dissolve in a month (I think that's when 20 will be done for those of you in for the long haul).
Maybe I'll do random Jan OS remember when threads so we can stay in touch throughout the season.
Happy rest day. I'm catching up with some DC Tri club gals tonight for a ladies' HH... looking forward to it before a hard training weekend.
Nathalie- I'm jealous of you getting to run trails with Kitboo! I love trails, and I bet running with her is gonna be a blast!!
Becky- you are just gonna rock Eagleman, I can tell! That "just run for 10 min" trick has gotten me through many a workout I wanted to bail on!
Michele- so sorry your sick. Skip the pushups and rest!
Marianne- sooooo glad the thyroid thing is getting worked out for you. Just in time!
Bill- barium??? WTF??? That's some serious Mojo to get through that!!!
I'm still going to be doing the OS workouts, but I'm starting to put them on the calendar in the General Prep/HIM type schedule. I'm still far behind on the actual OS plans, but I'm a creature of habit and I need to work out the kinks of that weekly schedule now while I have some flexibility. So I'll be around!
Therefore, I swam today. I've managed to befriend the head of Nags Head Ocean Rescue who also coaches the HS swim team. He swims at the Y in the mornings and I'm always the one willing to split a lane with him when asked. He's now offering me tips and advice on my technique- which is awesome!! I hope he'll continue to be in the pool in the mornings this summer when the lifeguards start manning the beaches- I'd hate to lose my personal "coach" just when I've finally found him!!
Hello Jan OSers! Been a while. Work, travel and family stuff have been crazy the past couple weeks so the forums took a back seat. Getting the email updates from this group, though, so it's nice to hear people are still on their game. Highlights for me from the past couple weeks:
Spent most of last week in San Diego for work. Stayed through Sunday and got in some epic riding on Saturday with fellow EN athlete Tom Nelson and his buddy Eric. What a day!!! Over 6 hrs of training time and almost 8,000 ft of elevation gain. You can see some pics and a report on my blog.
Still working through some fit tweaks on my new tri bike with TTBikeFit Todd. I'm almost there. Took the machine out on the road for the first time yesterday for 3 x 10's. Early on in the ride this old, gray hair guy comes flying by me looking like he's out for a spin around the neighborhood. I said good morning, then I realized, "Hey that's Mike!" It was none other than our fellow Jan OSer Mike Biarnesen - the OS is treating that dude well! He's strong!
This morning I did another 1,000yd swim TT. Hit a new PR of 14:30. Beat my previous PR (set in 2008) by 11" and my time from 4 weeks ago by 52"! New goal is under 14:00 - I've got some work to do but the stroke is really feeling light years ahead of my old self.
Family day tomorrow in Michigan to celebrate my nephew's 2nd b-day then I plan to get in a long ride on the great SE Michigan country roads Sunday morning. I'm pondering a 2 x 20' FTP test during this ride to establish zones on the new TT bike - the set up has definitely affected my power output.
After this week I'm transitioning to the Gen Prep plan for swimming and biking. I'll stick with the run OS workouts for another 6 weeks (I'm on week 6 now) but add some distance to the 2nd run workout of each week. This all in prep for a June 19 HIM, then IM prep begins!
There ya go Marianne! My PT head unit died and is being sent back. No real data to report. Just good old RPE. Still hitting the workouts plus a swim today 2000 total didn't feel all that bad. I think these crazy EN coaches might be right about not losing much when you don't swim in the OS. Crazyiness....I like it
I knew you would have a pic!! nice and warm here and I just finished mulching front yard so gotta scoot and shower cuz i stink! walked 3 miles this a.m. with GFs and I swear my right side hurts now
hi all... looking for some advice (got the draft of an options memo done, looked through it once, now taking a breather before I edit it once more before sending to the boss)... so I'm gonna try my hand (ha ha... I kill me) at my first outdoor ride this Sunday and I'm not sure how I should play it.
The outdoor option is 5x4x30/30 remainder at 80-85%. I could do that. But not sure how those pesky 30/30s are outside... almost afraid to try - my bike handling skills are really rusty (only ridden maybe 3x after my crash... and the last ride was in October)
I was thinking I could also just try to ride and get it done - not not knowing how my hand will do...I will be riding my TT so shifting is a ton easier for me - although it's a flat course with few turns, won't be shifting much with my left hand once I get going and put it in the big ring up front.
Last option: try more of an RR approach - with the 30' in Z2, and remainder in Z3... at least I think that's what I read somewhere... so I will know what actually riding in Z3 feels like.
I was a little worried about the 30/30s outside too- but really, they weren't that bad. That said, I have a VERY quiet stretch of road to do these on. I wouldn't want to be on a busy street where I had to pull the emergency brake. If you've got that kinda route in mind, I think you'd be fine.
However- if it were me- and I was dealing with your kinda injury/situation- I'd probably want just one ride on my bike outside with no real goals, just a "shake down" ride. See how it all feels to be outside. If after a nice easy warmup your feeling really comfortable, go ahead and do the 30/30s. But don't feel like you "MUST" do them on this maiden voyage outside. Life won't end if you "skip" or postpone this one workout.
If you are just gettting outside and don't feel that comfortable skipping one session of 30/30's won't be as hugh issues in the OS.
After 15-20 minutes I'd just try to hit the 80-85% stuff, that's z3 is it not (sorry been using power). If your not comfortable then just get in some saddle time outside and increase the workload next time out a little. I'm like Nemo and have access to some pretty safe road so it's not much of a concern to me when I head out in the spring.
I rested yesterday by sleeping in, but I did go to work. My reward was a 90 minute nap when I got home. Feeling even worse today, but I expected that. 3 days to come on (Tues- Thurs), 3 days to take hold (Fri-Sun) and 3 days to leave (Mon-Wed). Not doing the workout today. Hoping I'll feel good enough tomorrow to meet up with the crew in town for the Boston Marathon. Back to sleep...
After work travel all week I did Thursday's ride today on my new bike a Specialized transition comp. This was my first ride outside since my mountain bike last fall and 3 years since I've been in the aero bars on the road. To throw in something extra this was the my first time on bar end shifters and s-bends, the latter not being such a big issues but a change non the less.
Everything felt good and the bike felt fast till I got home and downloaded the garmin file, 16.6 mph. Oh yes no power on this ride, I felt naked as I had to switch from 650 to 700 wheels. I'll continue to do my rides on my old bike, after tomorrow until I get the PM swapped out.
So the bottom line is I have to lose some beef! There's just not enough watts to go around. I did hit the biggest hill there is around my place, 1/2 mile 4% grade is pushing it. There was some wind 10mph but nothing to complain about so...new bike good, fat a$$ bad.
so howdid the 30's 30 go with the injured hand, more woried about your bikehandling skills you don't need another wreck!! becky? Nemo glad you are trucking along, sounds great and I know you are excited about ToC! Gordon, 3 years since tri bike?? wow. how did that go?? It has been since Feb 09 since I have ridden my road bike!! and guess what Dan? it has a cracked frame, Orbea, so now I gotta contact them to see if under warranty and forgot the name that they gave you! LBS told me it is not safe to ride! I took it in for checkup, no wait you call that servicing, well ya know what I mean. Al excited about your Ironmans this year. I did CDA in 08 and yep I guess you are in the thick of training right now. Man the scenery was gorgeous up there, could almost pinch myself when i was scouting out the course pre race! Michele I am misssing something on your info, you are leaving to go somewhere yet you have been tired. did you get your thryoid checked?? shewee I was tired yesterday and napped 1.5 hours then went to bed at 9:30 and got up at 7:30. took a rest day yesterday but wrapped up daughter's last soccer game and then her game pool party and then we went to a crawfish boil for dinner! kept telling hubby, I am ready to go home..... ready whenever you are...? you know how that is.. anyways, drinking coffee now and I hope to go run here in a bit as it has been since Thursday. I think I have missed some peeps, Gilberto, Dan and others I hope your training is going well and I bet some of you are racing too? m
Been MIA all week, but getting some of the workouts in, and reading all your updates! You all are doing so well. @Marianne - You're not a big chicken. you're smart for getting checked out. @Becky - I hate it when I have a workout plan that gets foiled by circumstances. Nice adjustment. And ... I couldn't believe the FB pictures of your cat / hand ordeal. I never knew what happened to your hand - that is just freaky. Glad you're getting better. @Gilberto - I'm on the Advanced Plan, and never went to Beta (that I know of!) Sounds like it's worked out now, but so sorry I don't get in her some weeks to help. Like Al, I have all the weeks saved if you ever need one again. @Dan - Nice bird! @Michelle - So sorry you're not feeling well - Hang in there.
Highlights of the week: Track workouts started Wednesday, and it was beautiful here for April: 60 degrees! did 5 x 600 @ sub-6:00 pace. Felt great!. Got my FTT in today - came in at 295 Watts, a 6 Watt bump. With the Watts bump, and weight loss (down to 173!), I'm at 3.8 W / Kg.
With Alcatraz in 2 weeks, I'm hoping to get some open water swims in. The water here is below 60, so it should be comparable to SF Bay.
Well, this week, I'm living an ENer's dream: I have all the time I need for my race prep training AND I get mega SAUs. My wife and are are down in Brentwood/LA sorting through her parents' home after her father's death (following a long illness) 6 weeks ago. I can ride all I want on Pacific Coast Highway and up into the Santa Monica Mountains (Mulholland Dr, etc.), as well as do my running and bike intervals along the ocean. As long as I spend some time helping separate the wheat from the chaff among the possessions left behind. Living in one house for 50 years, and with almost unlimited resources (he was a neurosurgeon), it makes for a prolonged and deeply nostalgic process.
EG, my 3 hour ride today, along the coast was 56 miles, NP=181, IF=0.80, TSS 193, HR=107. Tomorrow, I'll do my run intervals along the same surf-side course I dod my long run on Thurs.
Al, that does sound divine training wise!! Mike good luck at Alcatraz and hopefully you will get to meet my buddy: Heather also doing it. I took another rest day today since I was tired and been doing loads of laundry! I had a front flat car tire which son got fixed for me and he also went to the store for me (while I did his laundry!!) and the other son took the dog for a walk (while I did his laundry!), cool here and cloudy so while watching the kids swim in pool, I had a towel over me to stay warm!! did some light gardening but basically too tired for a run or a ride! smile. did make that smoothie though advertised in nutrition forum. very tasty. daughter helped me clean some bathrooms and normally I don't do big housework on Sunday but we got behind as Friday and Saturday was a bit busy!
@Gordon - congrats on your maiden outdoor voyage - I had a crash last fall, too... and my first ride out was terrifying and my mojo was non-existent! Only got in 3 rides before I had to put the bikes away for the season... then the damn cat bite...
@M and Nemo: I survived! I scrapped the workout plan and even the RR sort of ride - plan and just rode.
As at least Nemo knows, Cambridge can be windy and today was wind like I've never known... bike handling was hard. when a cross wind would blow (which was a lot), it was hard for me to stay in aero. I probably rode up more than I rode in aero - and actually that was slightly better for my hand becuase I was holding my bars/shifters for dear life. Looking at my Garmin numbers I did spend most of my time in Z3 or below, which is good... only about 25 minutes in Z4. It surprised me bc I'm not sure if I had 13.1 in me ... I did jog 2 and I felt like I was standing still (although I averaged a 9:30 pace it felt like 11:00). Today was not only physically tough because of the winds (although my legs felt okay)... but it was really about mental toughness. I was freaked about riding, freaked I'd get blown over, freaked bc my handling skills sucked... but I stuck with it and ... drumroll... finished 2d in our group (granted there were 2 or 3 guys who were better, but they stopped for potty breaks)... I don't know my avg pace and honestly I don't care because the winds were brutal and I finished ahead of at least 3 people I know are very, very good riders. Granted, one got there too early and ran 6 miles before starting... but hey, I'll take it!
Speaking of running slow out of transition, it's pretty common for me to start a run out of transition and get very tight shins. Usually goes away after a few miles, once they're loosened up - wonder if other folks have that problem and what I might try...
I am sooooo glad tomorrow is a day off! I should be testing on the bike but since I don't have a PM it's not a test day for me... I will say that I'm NOT looking forward to 2x20s Tuesday. I don't even want to look at my bike right now.
Hey all, I got everything in this week. I just have no data to post. Long rides up are up 90 minutes now KS 70.3 is 7 weeks away so I'm thinking I"m going to put some far under the fast. Turkey tag is now filled! I can shoot one more but the fourth season isn't open until early May....which always makes it hard to make time and get motivated for provided I get one in the first season. As turkeys go that one will be pretty hard to top. Marianne- That sux about the cracked frame. A new frame for my Orbea is 1700 bucks, Steve offered me a crash replacement price. Not sure how much it will be but I'm pretty ready to pull the trigger on a new one. I'm a little confused on this so someone who is smart with the stuff please feel free to chime in. I got 7 weeks to go for my "B" race KS 70.3 then onto IM Louiville stuff RnP say 4 weeks for an "advanced" athlete to a very good Half IM. Where do I put some "transition". time. Right now? In two weeks? Someone please give me a little guidance. I'll be adding some abp stuff to the rides here as time allows. Same goes for the runs. Swimming, I've been sprinkling in as well. Take care all,
Becky congrats on your riding! wow, what a aride!! I bet your bike handling skills will be better next time. I find that the tenser I am, the more the wind affects me so the anxiety you had probably made it all worse! smile... so relaxing on a windy ride helps as well as tightening the core and getting real real low! now without proper use of your hand, a bit hard! my bike moves like with a crosswind so if I am flexible with the bike then we move together! rather than me being stiff and me going one way and the bike the other!! now I wonder if Plan B, if the left hand is not working, can you move your right hand over to shift into large ring? just thinking that you might need pLan B working just in case!! I see you are doing FLA, and in 06 it was windy!! (80 of the 112 miles) so all of this was good training...see? so you did it, and congrats to you. you really want to ride in that flat windy terrain esp as you get closer to NOV, so mentally it is a piece of cake or shall I say it doesn't bother you! not sure how flexible you are either, but down in aero position, really low helps fight the wind but does require some flexiblity so you got plenty of time to increase that if need be. just thinkin' aloud here.Nemo did FLA the same year I did and can attest to the winds. if you sit up, you will lose time!! as there are no hills to contemplate sitting up to ride on. down low and no decrease in pedalling either. nice and even at FLA. and in reading Al's post back in the General Governor principle, practice on focus on such a long, hot flat road is key I think. so next time you ride outside, you can break it down, agAIN after reading that article... so that the whole ride is broken down by , shifting, getting aero and back up and going back down and casually leaning and weaving on the bike to get the feel of the bike underneath you. I also tend to get stiff and not be relaxed when riding faster and have been told this so mentally really try to relax my upper body... and sort of let that energy be released into power.
*Dan, yes I haven't contacted Orbea yet but right now don't have moulah for new bike....
Nemo and other WSMs, help with his transition question. I have my thoughts but not sure if they are correct! to me a transition is a vacay mentally and physically either after a big race, B or A, or right before some "serious" training! for example. 6 weeks pre - 2 weeks pre Ironman are heavy weeks, so 7 weeks out, I will look at a recovery week as some breathing space before the big month. I would also recover/transition after an HIM (but not doing one this year!) and right now? if I felt a tad overtrained, fatigued, stressed or other? yep I would take a week now too.. or two and then "get serious" about the kansas race. since I have hardly been training then I feel like my whole OS has been a transition! in the past... in my transitions or recovery or other, I will forget conveniently to take the Garmin, will walk whenever, do some yoga, lunch with friends, hike ya know, like you might have already done this week with turkey hunting! just a break from the grind of get up at o dark thirty to go swim and be ultra prepared to then ride or run afterwards and always have everything packed and whew! do it again! schedule in doc visits and all other admin, and just get regrouped.. this is the way I view transitions. you know yourself ? one last thought is that there is probably a group in EN of kansas 70.3 peeps, or if not, start one!! and you can see what they are doing and compare notes!
thanks, M! I was definitely tense... and just didn't feel comfortable in aero at all (which surprised me b/c I ride the drainer on that bike) let alone when the cross wind would come calling I would grip the bars for dear life which was too much for my hand to bear (it's still pretty stiff today). Part of it was being outside for the first time in a while... and then there was the aquacell between my bars taking up space I'm not used to so my hand/arm position wasn't like on the drainer (note to self, start using it for all rides - so i can work on my body position).
Will definitely start working more on core and now that I can sort of hold weights and bands, need to start getting my shoulders, bis and tris in shape (amazing how much those got stiff from that ride, too... I am way out of shape from 6 months of IR... so this ride was a very good wake up call for me).
I suspect I'll be out in Cambridge at least once more before race day in June, probably 2 or 3 times... which will be very good practice for me... and knowing FL can be flat and windy I suspect I'll make a trek or two back out there post-Eagleman before November rolls around. If only it weren't 2 hours away...
@ Dan- If you are 7 weeks out from KS 70.3, then you should start preparing for a 1-2 week transition, 4-5 week race prep with RR, then transition / downtime before IM Prep. I am going straight through OS. It ends 4 weeks beofre my HIM, then I have 10 days of HIM prep followed by 2 weeks of scuba diving, so no opportunity to ride or run as we will be living on a small boat all that time. I return 3 days before my HIM. (Race HIM on Saturday and start IM prep Monday.) I have cleared this with Coach P. Our weekend rides are plenty long if you do the outside version. Now our goals may be different. I always want to better my time from the previous year, but it is more important to me to finish smiling. If you are looking for AG placement, then your plan is better.
Comments
As for me, despite a painful gut of barium swallow I drilled the 2x15, even at the new improved FTP (up 11 watts!). I'm always amazed that even when I'm feeling crappy, when I call down to the engine room the power is there. Fitness, baby!
Al, glad you checked in! sounds like your training is going well, didn't knwo about the shoulder though hope that heals up as I know you like swimming and with wife too.
Gilberto.... glad you got your plan worked out. didn't think of you as a baby anyways.
Bekcy: ouch on the hand. I am not much of a cat person, okay I will admit... smile. but that sounds rough about the hand. PITA
Nemo, glad your training is picking up and you are outside.
Nathalie, you still sound chipper so good news and glad things are going well
Gordon: try running on some grass to be outside if you get achilles better.
Michele: sorry about the cold, and a sick husband, OH NO!!
not sure if I got everybody.... I have enjoyed running about 3 -4 Sun - Thursday and doing some core/leg drills etc afterwards. enjoying the warmer temps today it was 70 when I finished running. I figured running was my fastest way to drop some pounds and my feel good is at its high after running and that is when I pray.. so given my fatigue, decided that with X time and X energy, I was gonna run! I have some songs that I love and basically to those beats, do hops, lunges, sideways, yoga poses, crunches whatever I feel like and then drop down for some pushups (no still can't get past 50!) and in one hour I have run, stretched and did some light strength work. Today I did ride for 17 miles with GF and talked most of the time but I rode more than 30'!!! it was 86 by then so I could feel the heat of the pavement and the day.. lots of peeps out in late afternoon. my running buddy? my dog, well still not healed up so no running, one more week hopefully before medial paw part has no ulcer, still on meds and really? any PM money has gone into the dog! poor hubby working hard to pay the vet bill! I really miss running with Rudy. nobody to talk to! or laugh at. yep I am smitten with "my guy" as he lays here in front of me dozing... m
@Marianne- sounds like you are coming around. Glad to hear it. been a long course of "Yuck" for you lately.
@Bill- great job with the barium even! Now I feel like wimp! (kidding)
Came home from work and fell sound asleep for 30 minutes, but awoke feeling fine. Hope this passes. Rest tomorrow - push ups and core work. Too tired to swim this week.
@Michele - feel better soon!!! at least it's a cold and not allergies, so there's an end in sight.
@Gilberto - intermediate is rough....I'm almost afraid to find out what advanced looks like.
@Dan - I've got a week and a half before I jump into the last 6 weeks of HIM, then take a week off before 8 weeks of general prep, then 12 weeks of IM prep. Jeez, when I put it that way it seems like November will be here before I know it.
@Marianne - someday I'd love to have dogs... but in my little condo that would be mean... not to mention I think I'd need some help with the TLC. Not that I don't love my kitties (even the one that bit me), but I've got lots of room to love lots of pets!
so, for the second night in a row I was totally lacking mojo to get my workout done. Probably because I finished up work about 5:30 and had to sit around and wait to head out to be sure track practice would be done... but I took someone's advice (or advice I've read) and told myself I'd warm up for 10 minutes and if it still totally sucked I'd bag it... well, it was a gorgeous night (a far cry from last weeks' 90 degree track work) and I had a great time of it. I've decided to not try to stick to my official pace zone for the track segments because I'm fairly sure I can go faster (I did last week) ... and this week I went even faster than I expected... especially considering how slow I felt out there (there were a few guys who were blowing by me like I was crawling)... even more amazing is how consistent my splits were.
So here's my breakdown for the sprints (it was a 4x200, 2x400, 2x200 workout) -- 0:49, 0:49, 0:49. 0:51, 1:48, 1:48, 0:54, 0:54 -- not breaking any land speed records, but better than I expected. Glad I talked myself into going (there's a lot to be said for the accountability factor of EN!)
@al: yes, please send me your advanced plan pdfs. Rich is on the job changing my plan back to advanced, but I have no 'safe' plan filed away, should something like this happen again. thanks!
@tired peeps: at least your plan is accurate! just kidding
. sounds like you all are adapting accordingly. focus on eating well, resting as much as you can, recovering from work outs with stretching, and keeping stress low when possible. if not related to an illness, then your bodies will bounce back soon enough. good wishes!
GH
@al: gilberto.hernandez.jr@gmail.com. thanks again. GH.
@Michele: Hope you feel better..head cold are the worst .!
@Marianne: Hope your thyroid problems get better soon..You sound so active all the time..Must be hard. Good Job on the bike..I just try to stay as positive as you !! You are so inspirational ! Love to read your posts : )
Long run today instead of Sunday. Going to run trails with Kitima ( Nov OS) . I will go for 2hrs. I have my 20k trail race next saturday..My left knee has a bit of tendernitis I think. Just a bit sore..I've been wearing a knee strap at work and it's feeling better. I think all these years of standing at work for 8-10hrs straight is taking it's toll. Plus training for IM"s i guess too. and just maybe being 42 also might have something to do with it ; ). I am keeping an eye on it..
Have a great day everybody !!
Nathalie
@Nathalie... yeah, 1 more week... I'm a bit nervous to leave the nest after only 14 weeks (and 11 running)... but need to get my volume up for the half... kinda sad to see the OS group dissolve in a month (I think that's when 20 will be done for those of you in for the long haul).
Maybe I'll do random Jan OS remember when threads so we can stay in touch throughout the season.
Happy rest day. I'm catching up with some DC Tri club gals tonight for a ladies' HH... looking forward to it before a hard training weekend.
Becky- you are just gonna rock Eagleman, I can tell! That "just run for 10 min" trick has gotten me through many a workout I wanted to bail on!
Michele- so sorry your sick. Skip the pushups and rest!
Marianne- sooooo glad the thyroid thing is getting worked out for you. Just in time!
Bill- barium??? WTF??? That's some serious Mojo to get through that!!!
I'm still going to be doing the OS workouts, but I'm starting to put them on the calendar in the General Prep/HIM type schedule. I'm still far behind on the actual OS plans, but I'm a creature of habit and I need to work out the kinks of that weekly schedule now while I have some flexibility. So I'll be around!
Therefore, I swam today. I've managed to befriend the head of Nags Head Ocean Rescue who also coaches the HS swim team. He swims at the Y in the mornings and I'm always the one willing to split a lane with him when asked. He's now offering me tips and advice on my technique- which is awesome!! I hope he'll continue to be in the pool in the mornings this summer when the lifeguards start manning the beaches- I'd hate to lose my personal "coach" just when I've finally found him!!
Hello Jan OSers! Been a while. Work, travel and family stuff have been crazy the past couple weeks so the forums took a back seat. Getting the email updates from this group, though, so it's nice to hear people are still on their game. Highlights for me from the past couple weeks:
Family day tomorrow in Michigan to celebrate my nephew's 2nd b-day then I plan to get in a long ride on the great SE Michigan country roads Sunday morning. I'm pondering a 2 x 20' FTP test during this ride to establish zones on the new TT bike - the set up has definitely affected my power output.
After this week I'm transitioning to the Gen Prep plan for swimming and biking. I'll stick with the run OS workouts for another 6 weeks (I'm on week 6 now) but add some distance to the 2nd run workout of each week. This all in prep for a June 19 HIM, then IM prep begins!
Happy and safe traing this weekend everyone!
There ya go Marianne! My PT head unit died and is being sent back. No real data to report. Just good old RPE. Still hitting the workouts plus a swim today 2000 total didn't feel all that bad. I think these crazy EN coaches might be right about not losing much when you don't swim in the OS. Crazyiness....I like it
hi all... looking for some advice (got the draft of an options memo done, looked through it once, now taking a breather before I edit it once more before sending to the boss)... so I'm gonna try my hand (ha ha... I kill me) at my first outdoor ride this Sunday and I'm not sure how I should play it.
The outdoor option is 5x4x30/30 remainder at 80-85%. I could do that. But not sure how those pesky 30/30s are outside... almost afraid to try - my bike handling skills are really rusty (only ridden maybe 3x after my crash... and the last ride was in October)
I was thinking I could also just try to ride and get it done - not not knowing how my hand will do...I will be riding my TT so shifting is a ton easier for me - although it's a flat course with few turns, won't be shifting much with my left hand once I get going and put it in the big ring up front.
Last option: try more of an RR approach - with the 30' in Z2, and remainder in Z3... at least I think that's what I read somewhere... so I will know what actually riding in Z3 feels like.
What do you think? Thanks.
However- if it were me- and I was dealing with your kinda injury/situation- I'd probably want just one ride on my bike outside with no real goals, just a "shake down" ride. See how it all feels to be outside. If after a nice easy warmup your feeling really comfortable, go ahead and do the 30/30s. But don't feel like you "MUST" do them on this maiden voyage outside. Life won't end if you "skip" or postpone this one workout.
Becky,
If you are just gettting outside and don't feel that comfortable skipping one session of 30/30's won't be as hugh issues in the OS.
After 15-20 minutes I'd just try to hit the 80-85% stuff, that's z3 is it not (sorry been using power). If your not comfortable then just get in some saddle time outside and increase the workload next time out a little. I'm like Nemo and have access to some pretty safe road so it's not much of a concern to me when I head out in the spring.
Gordon
After work travel all week I did Thursday's ride today on my new bike a Specialized transition comp. This was my first ride outside since my mountain bike last fall and 3 years since I've been in the aero bars on the road. To throw in something extra this was the my first time on bar end shifters and s-bends, the latter not being such a big issues but a change non the less.
Everything felt good and the bike felt fast till I got home and downloaded the garmin file, 16.6 mph. Oh yes no power on this ride, I felt naked as I had to switch from 650 to 700 wheels. I'll continue to do my rides on my old bike, after tomorrow until I get the PM swapped out.
So the bottom line is I have to lose some beef! There's just not enough watts to go around. I did hit the biggest hill there is around my place, 1/2 mile 4% grade is pushing it. There was some wind 10mph but nothing to complain about so...new bike good, fat a$$ bad.
Gordon
@Marianne - You're not a big chicken. you're smart for getting checked out.
@Becky - I hate it when I have a workout plan that gets foiled by circumstances. Nice adjustment. And ... I couldn't believe the FB pictures of your cat / hand ordeal. I never knew what happened to your hand - that is just freaky. Glad you're getting better.
@Gilberto - I'm on the Advanced Plan, and never went to Beta (that I know of!) Sounds like it's worked out now, but so sorry I don't get in her some weeks to help. Like Al, I have all the weeks saved if you ever need one again.
@Dan - Nice bird!
@Michelle - So sorry you're not feeling well - Hang in there.
Highlights of the week:
Track workouts started Wednesday, and it was beautiful here for April: 60 degrees! did 5 x 600 @ sub-6:00 pace. Felt great!.
Got my FTT in today - came in at 295 Watts, a 6 Watt bump. With the Watts bump, and weight loss (down to 173!), I'm at 3.8 W / Kg.
With Alcatraz in 2 weeks, I'm hoping to get some open water swims in. The water here is below 60, so it should be comparable to SF Bay.
Well, this week, I'm living an ENer's dream: I have all the time I need for my race prep training AND I get mega SAUs. My wife and are are down in Brentwood/LA sorting through her parents' home after her father's death (following a long illness) 6 weeks ago. I can ride all I want on Pacific Coast Highway and up into the Santa Monica Mountains (Mulholland Dr, etc.), as well as do my running and bike intervals along the ocean. As long as I spend some time helping separate the wheat from the chaff among the possessions left behind. Living in one house for 50 years, and with almost unlimited resources (he was a neurosurgeon), it makes for a prolonged and deeply nostalgic process.
EG, my 3 hour ride today, along the coast was 56 miles, NP=181, IF=0.80, TSS 193, HR=107. Tomorrow, I'll do my run intervals along the same surf-side course I dod my long run on Thurs.
Al, that does sound divine training wise!! Mike good luck at Alcatraz and hopefully you will get to meet my buddy: Heather also doing it. I took another rest day today since I was tired and been doing loads of laundry! I had a front flat car tire which son got fixed for me and he also went to the store for me (while I did his laundry!!) and the other son took the dog for a walk (while I did his laundry!), cool here and cloudy so while watching the kids swim in pool, I had a towel over me to stay warm!! did some light gardening but basically too tired for a run or a ride! smile. did make that smoothie though advertised in nutrition forum. very tasty. daughter helped me clean some bathrooms and normally I don't do big housework on Sunday but we got behind as Friday and Saturday was a bit busy!
@Gordon - congrats on your maiden outdoor voyage - I had a crash last fall, too... and my first ride out was terrifying and my mojo was non-existent! Only got in 3 rides before I had to put the bikes away for the season... then the damn cat bite...
@Al - glad to hear you're banking some SAUs!
@M and Nemo: I survived! I scrapped the workout plan and even the RR sort of ride - plan and just rode.
As at least Nemo knows, Cambridge can be windy and today was wind like I've never known... bike handling was hard. when a cross wind would blow (which was a lot), it was hard for me to stay in aero. I probably rode up more than I rode in aero - and actually that was slightly better for my hand becuase I was holding my bars/shifters for dear life. Looking at my Garmin numbers I did spend most of my time in Z3 or below, which is good... only about 25 minutes in Z4. It surprised me bc I'm not sure if I had 13.1 in me ... I did jog 2 and I felt like I was standing still (although I averaged a 9:30 pace it felt like 11:00). Today was not only physically tough because of the winds (although my legs felt okay)... but it was really about mental toughness. I was freaked about riding, freaked I'd get blown over, freaked bc my handling skills sucked... but I stuck with it and ... drumroll... finished 2d in our group (granted there were 2 or 3 guys who were better, but they stopped for potty breaks)... I don't know my avg pace and honestly I don't care because the winds were brutal and I finished ahead of at least 3 people I know are very, very good riders. Granted, one got there too early and ran 6 miles before starting... but hey, I'll take it!
Speaking of running slow out of transition, it's pretty common for me to start a run out of transition and get very tight shins. Usually goes away after a few miles, once they're loosened up - wonder if other folks have that problem and what I might try...
I am sooooo glad tomorrow is a day off! I should be testing on the bike but since I don't have a PM it's not a test day for me... I will say that I'm NOT looking forward to 2x20s Tuesday. I don't even want to look at my bike right now.
Hope everyone else had a great weekend!
Marianne- That sux about the cracked frame. A new frame for my Orbea is 1700 bucks, Steve offered me a crash replacement price. Not sure how much it will be but I'm pretty ready to pull the trigger on a new one.
I'm a little confused on this so someone who is smart with the stuff please feel free to chime in.
I got 7 weeks to go for my "B" race KS 70.3 then onto IM Louiville stuff
RnP say 4 weeks for an "advanced" athlete to a very good Half IM.
Where do I put some "transition". time.
Right now?
In two weeks?
Someone please give me a little guidance. I'll be adding some abp stuff to the rides here as time allows. Same goes for the runs. Swimming, I've been sprinkling in as well.
Take care all,
Becky congrats on your riding! wow, what a aride!! I bet your bike handling skills will be better next time. I find that the tenser I am, the more the wind affects me so the anxiety you had probably made it all worse! smile... so relaxing on a windy ride helps as well as tightening the core and getting real real low! now without proper use of your hand, a bit hard! my bike moves like with a crosswind so if I am flexible with the bike then we move together! rather than me being stiff and me going one way and the bike the other!! now I wonder if Plan B, if the left hand is not working, can you move your right hand over to shift into large ring? just thinking that you might need pLan B working just in case!! I see you are doing FLA, and in 06 it was windy!! (80 of the 112 miles) so all of this was good training...see? so you did it, and congrats to you. you really want to ride in that flat windy terrain esp as you get closer to NOV, so mentally it is a piece of cake or shall I say it doesn't bother you! not sure how flexible you are either, but down in aero position, really low helps fight the wind but does require some flexiblity so you got plenty of time to increase that if need be. just thinkin' aloud here.Nemo did FLA the same year I did and can attest to the winds. if you sit up, you will lose time!! as there are no hills to contemplate sitting up to ride on. down low and no decrease in pedalling either. nice and even at FLA. and in reading Al's post back in the General Governor principle, practice on focus on such a long, hot flat road is key I think. so next time you ride outside, you can break it down, agAIN after reading that article... so that the whole ride is broken down by , shifting, getting aero and back up and going back down and casually leaning and weaving on the bike to get the feel of the bike underneath you. I also tend to get stiff and not be relaxed when riding faster and have been told this so mentally really try to relax my upper body... and sort of let that energy be released into power.
*Dan, yes I haven't contacted Orbea yet but right now don't have moulah for new bike....
Nemo and other WSMs, help with his transition question. I have my thoughts but not sure if they are correct! to me a transition is a vacay mentally and physically either after a big race, B or A, or right before some "serious" training! for example. 6 weeks pre - 2 weeks pre Ironman are heavy weeks, so 7 weeks out, I will look at a recovery week as some breathing space before the big month. I would also recover/transition after an HIM (but not doing one this year!) and right now? if I felt a tad overtrained, fatigued, stressed or other? yep I would take a week now too.. or two and then "get serious" about the kansas race. since I have hardly been training then I feel like my whole OS has been a transition! in the past... in my transitions or recovery or other, I will forget conveniently to take the Garmin, will walk whenever, do some yoga, lunch with friends, hike ya know, like you might have already done this week with turkey hunting! just a break from the grind of get up at o dark thirty to go swim and be ultra prepared to then ride or run afterwards and always have everything packed and whew! do it again! schedule in doc visits and all other admin, and just get regrouped.. this is the way I view transitions. you know yourself ? one last thought is that there is probably a group in EN of kansas 70.3 peeps, or if not, start one!! and you can see what they are doing and compare notes!
thanks, M! I was definitely tense... and just didn't feel comfortable in aero at all (which surprised me b/c I ride the drainer on that bike) let alone when the cross wind would come calling I would grip the bars for dear life which was too much for my hand to bear (it's still pretty stiff today). Part of it was being outside for the first time in a while... and then there was the aquacell between my bars taking up space I'm not used to so my hand/arm position wasn't like on the drainer (note to self, start using it for all rides - so i can work on my body position).
Will definitely start working more on core and now that I can sort of hold weights and bands, need to start getting my shoulders, bis and tris in shape (amazing how much those got stiff from that ride, too... I am way out of shape from 6 months of IR... so this ride was a very good wake up call for me).
I suspect I'll be out in Cambridge at least once more before race day in June, probably 2 or 3 times... which will be very good practice for me... and knowing FL can be flat and windy I suspect I'll make a trek or two back out there post-Eagleman before November rolls around. If only it weren't 2 hours away...
I am going straight through OS. It ends 4 weeks beofre my HIM, then I have 10 days of HIM prep followed by 2 weeks of scuba diving, so no opportunity to ride or run as we will be living on a small boat all that time. I return 3 days before my HIM. (Race HIM on Saturday and start IM prep Monday.) I have cleared this with Coach P. Our weekend rides are plenty long if you do the outside version. Now our goals may be different. I always want to better my time from the previous year, but it is more important to me to finish smiling. If you are looking for AG placement, then your plan is better.