4 weeks to IMWI!
Can you believe it!? Another long run, another Race Rehearsal, and then we'll be in for the taper!!! I always hate the taper, but I gotta say I an really looking forward to it this time around!
Decided to get a little extra sleep this morning so I moved the run to this afternoon. Since tomorrow is just a swim, I think it will be OK. Got the swim workout done this AM and really liked the sets. Those fast/easy kinda sets really help me stay focused and interested (plus I don't loose count nearly as much).
Let's make this a great week everyone!
0
Comments
Just chiming in. I have have been way, way off the radar recently. My training has been pretty good, but work and life continue to get in the way. It seems to be the way things are going to work this season. I did spend 10 days in northern Michigan without internet,
training and relaxing in near perfect weather. Now, on to the fun stuff; four weeks of focus. I think I might have to stop eating so many donuts now that we are so close to the race.
In other news, weather finally broke here in the midwest, I have to imagine that it is beautiful up in Madison right now because it is in the 70s here in Iowa after weeks of 90-100+ heat indices. My APB ride yesterday started off pretty disastarous with a lot of mechanicals, headwind, some bleeding from trying to fix said mechanicals, but glad that I slugged through it instead of going with one of the many excuses to quit. This morning was a nice swim with masters, the air was downright cold for me at the outdoor pool but water was nice. Running PM and plan to love it since it won't actually be a suana for the first time.
Just booked my hotel for this weekend's RR in Madison too, at the Country Inn & Suites SW.
The weather people got it wrong. No rain was in the forecast. Woke up to wet roads. Drove to the beach and headed out to run. During my TP intervals, I felt a few sprinkles, then the wind started to pick up. Got in 3 miles at closer to IP than TP. Very happy. Hit the beach and decided to swim into the wind while I had the energy, then the return would not be awful. Rain began to pick up, which obviously did not matter since I was swimming. Had the lake to myself most of the time. I was NOT feeling it with the sprints. Made myself do 8 of each instead of 16, then got out. Still felt like the morning was great.
@Trevor - Keep up with the eating. Lately, if I've been a little light on the calories I definitely feel it in my workouts. The good thing for you is the taper will start soon so less calories in should be okay.
Here's my catch-up since I was off the forum radar this weekend:
Friday: Nice and easy 1.2 mile OWS at sunrise with former EN'er Mike Biarnesen. Didn't feel great but it felt good to get in the lake after staring at black lines so much lately. Then the 'Matt Ancona shelling' started at 10am. We rode the same route as last Friday (94 miles from my house to Lake Geneva, WI and back) but with less FTP work. It was blazing hot & humid, sweat was pouring down our faces. Matt was caked in salt before we even finished the warm up. I felt good the whole 4.5 hour ride and managed .802 IF and 292 TSS (.83 IF & 265 TSS excluding WU and CD). Then we hit the river trail for a 30' steady brick run. I lost a total of 10 lbs after taking in 160 oz (10 lbs) of fluids - pretty sick knowing you can sweat out 20 lbs of fluid in 5 hours!!
Saturday: Stoopid easy 35' recovery run pushing my 2 year old in the jogging stroller with my dog leading the way.
Sunday: 3 hour ABP ride with Matt Ancona and Matt Sullivan. I had a tough time hanging on for the first couple hours. There was no surging or climbing power in my legs at all. Then at the 2 hour point I got mad at my legs and decided I would force them to work at 90-100% of FTP until I absolutely couldn't turn the cranks anymore. Ended up never exploding and riding the last hour at .902 IF. Another great mental hurdle crossed that will help me on 9/12!
Got out early this morning for just over 7 miles with 3 x 1 mile all just below 6:00 pace. Legs were feeling pretty wiped from the weekend but I was easily under my TP (6:15). Now off to the pool for the speedwork.
I don't know about you guys, but my one worry coming into IM training this year was being burned out by August. I'm happy to say that I've never felt more motivated to get up in the morning and tackle another workout, whether it's a 2.5 hour run, 100 mile ride or a long endurance set in the pool. Mentally, I really feel in a good place. Bring on the taper and physically I'll be right there, too. However, I'm also at that point where I feel like I need more training to meet my goals. It's never enough, is it?!
Nemo, Michael Castle here. Mike B's brother in law. Met you in the parking lot in Verona! A big thanks to you for the details you posted on your RR previously. Used it as a guide for planning mine for this last weekend... It was very helpful!!
@Nemo - I'm with you, usually hate the taper part and am pretty nervous about it right now but the body could really use it!!!
Had my first 'crack/bonk' this weekend. Saturday's long ride killed me. Don't know what happened, although I traveled to altitude during the week and came back to long run on no sleep in high humidity. Whatever the excuse, holy cow. Started the ride feeling great, hit all the Z4 intervals and then was supposed to do 5x15 min at Z3, well, during #4 realized I didn't know where I was. How cool is that? I was completely confused, realized I'd missed a turn, couldn't quite figure it out, etc etc. Tried really hard to focus on #5 and then bring it home at Z2 and was just so bloody tired! Pretty disappointed, never had anything like that happen before. Oh well, back on the horse yesterday for the 3 hours of 'work' and a 30 min run (thank goodness no run scheduled for SAturday's ride, I wouldn't have made it and would have been that much more disappointed in myself). Had a very good day, amazing the difference a day makes. I left a little later than I would have liked given the heat but felt I needed to sleep in more than anything.
Today's run/swim was hard, no energy/desire, bad stomach. I saw some of the guys' notes about no appetite etc, I think that's a function of cumulative training in all this heat perhaps? My stomach has just been awful and I find it hard to find anything I want to eat and I really like to eat! I saw someone's notes about it being downright cold at the outdoor pool this morning - no kidding!! I brought a jacket and was so glad I did! I ran beforehand and two things of note 1) great running weather today in Chicago, it was 67 degrees and NO humidity and 2) it was tragically dark at 5'30 still, that means summer is nearing an end...
Have a great week and look forward to seeing peeps in Madtown this weekend for RR #2. If weather holds, Kathy and I were talking about a sunset at the Memorial Union Terrace!
Had to cut my swim a little short this a.m.- 2400 yds as 20x100 and then wu/cd. moving the run to Sunday when I don't have to smash it in.
Looking forward to the week. A few more things to check off the to do list!
Heather- Michele Moreno did mention in the RR#2 thread, that the terrace will be crowed with lots of college kids back in town. She did suggest a few other places---what do u think? Guess I can do whatever...oh and it will be Sheryl W. also, we are riding up together from Minneapolis.
Jim- u are amazing! U and Matts x2 are officially the engergizer bunnies
U are going to rock IMWI and I so hope u get that Kona slot cuz u so deserve it!
Nemo-glad to hear u had a good swim and the moojo is flowing back
Took LPs suggestion this am and cut the run to 30 with only 1 TP interval. then hopped into the pool and did 2000. Just right for me for today. I didn't want to take the day off, so the compromise worked well.
Like Gina said on FB this morning-----digging deep week has begun
Jim- WOW, you are totally in a different place that I have been. I gotta bundle up that enthusiasm and take it with me for the rest of the week!
IMWI training thread confessional time. Bike rides did not happen this weekend. I completely shelled my calves moving on Friday. Shelled. Like I was walking around like John Wayne. Thinking I was a bike interval or two away from an possible overuse injury, I decided to stand down, foam roll/ice bath/stretch my calves like it was my job and am feeling way better. Yeah. Don't do the equivalent of six or so hours of bikram stairmaster class with serious weights during Ironman prep. Just don't.
Run happened today. I started. I didn't want to do it, but knew that I would feel way better after the intervals, as usual. It worked. Looking forward to swimming in a few hours. I love speed day. =-)
Remember, Mojo can come back and you can recover just as fast as you lost it. The begining of last week had 3 days of the worst workouts I have done all year....but my week ended great with some really solid workouts over the weekend.
@Trevor - you're right, it is absolutely beautiful in Madison right now! Yesterday and today have been cool (70's, up to 80 degrees) and no humidity. Such a welcome change from the recent hot/humid nastiness.
@Jim - you are KILLING IT! So glad to hear how well your training is going.
@Jennifer - your experience this weekend is not uncommon, but you're being super smart and standing down. Take as much time and rest as you need, and ease back into things to make sure your body is ready.
@Heather - sounds like a scary day on Saturday! Glad you got home ok...be careful out there!
everyone else - keep up the great work!
I think today is the most tired I have been. The up side of that is I have earned that feeling
. The run did happen for me this morning, but not after a great deal of mental back & forth in the wee hours. I managed to get out the door by 5:25ish I think and was embraced by the same heat/humidity we've had for what seems like 6 weeks now.
Bagging the swim for the day and going to clean up my bike.
Below is a little video Su made last year after I (unbeknownst to her) had signed both of us up for MOO. It still makes me laugh, as there is much truth to it!
www.xtranormal.com/profile/1830847/
@ Jennifer- good for you on making the smart move to recover rather than dig a deeper hole.
@Leigh and Dave- can't thank you enough for the hard riding.
@Michele M.- You are an angel. Thank you for all of your words of support and wisdom. It means everything to all of us struggling to remember why we signed up for this crazy thing in the first place!
@Matt- Glad to hear that the weekend ended much better than it started. You are rockin'! How much time until Kona?
@Jim- So glad that this is a happy journey for you this year. Pink visor? Perhaps a pink speedo over the lycra?
@Michelle C: thanks for the neck/shoulder stretches
and here here on diggin' deep. That is so perfectly said.
@Michele M: ditto the crowd in the 'thanks for your support' category. Now that CDA is behind you, is Moo on your '11 calendar????
Matt- you are so right, mojo comes and goes just as fast as the weather changes. Yesterday I was in the dulldromes. Today I'm feeling pretty good (sleep helped, so did having a fun swim). You non-racers who pipe up to keep our spirits high are so helpful! Thanks guys!
Feedback, por favor. I am riding tomorrow b/c I'm doing the LR on Wed. For the record, I'm passing on the FT test. I know where my FT is at. And, frankly, I (speaking only for me, LP) do not need to add that stress to a week that has a 2:30 run, RR swim and bike. This is where I am self-coaching my way out of 2x20.
That said, what would you do instead? I'm torn between something like FT work like 8', 12' 15' like last week; or a solid outing at 85%. Thoughts?
Glad you posted that, L- I am not testing either. How should we spread out the work??
Unfortunately, no such option in my materials.
The intervals are 20, 15, 10. But I think any combination there of should be more than enough.
WOOHOO! I had the most awesome swim! I could do the race tomorrow if all of it was as good as today! Of course I was swimming alone, not with 2000+ bodies. The air temp was over 70, so I decided against the wetsuit even though the water has felt a bit cool. Felt chilly during warm up. Started the 6 x 500 and the first is usually the fastest as I try to get warm. Time was 1 minute faster than last time I did this (quite a while). Each one was progressively faster through the first 4, I was almost 1:30 faster. This was not about getting warm. I was psyched. So psyched that I decided to do 8!!! (This totally makes up for not feeling into it yesterday and only doing half the swim.)
So pretty darn close to a swim RR except I had 30" RI each time. Planning to do RR Friday in wetsuit if weather cooperates.
I know some folks are switching things up. I felt like I needed an easy swim only day. How did the bike/ runs go?
Haven't gotten my swim in yet today, I have no pool access during the summer other than designated masters practices and public outdoor pools/lakes. Hoping to hit the lake after work though, and so far unless I get talked out of it I actually am planning to do the FTP test tomorrow. I'm not expecting an FTP bump, I too am fairly sure I have my FTP dialed in by this point, but even if my test is no revelation, 2x20 is still one killer workout for practicing mental toughness.
FTT today and woke up with some pretty sore legs, delayed from the weekend no doubt. Still, Dave came strolling in having smashed the household record so I sucked it up and suited up. hahaha.
Total time for 21.5 = 1:01:32 and a 20.8 mph avg. Wattage wasn't huge, but the ride clocked in at .95 all said and done. Gave that course everything I had today in the hopes of cracking the hour mark and was ahead of schedule coming into that last climb. I've gotta stay north of 10 mph for the mile plus and it's just so damn tough at the end of the ride. My best 40 min was +5 watts of my current FTP (edited after actually downloading and looking at the data).
I swam/ran this morning. Gotta say Michele, 500s in a 25m pool is not the same experience as what you had in the lake! BORING! Anyway- I felt loose and comfy in the water so that part was good.
I've already given Joe a heads up that my last RR is this weekend and he's gonna paddle the kayak (or surfboard depending on which body of water we end up in) for the Swim RR later this week so I don't have to play "77 bottles of beer on the wall" wall tag again! Mother nature will decide the final venue and date- I just gotta watch the weather. It's 2 miles accross the sound from my island to the next island, I'd kinda like to do that (and have Joe paddle me back home again) but we'll see.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?05429000
That is a ton of variation within the span of a week, but looks like I may get to practice my RR in my wetsuit afterall.