Eek, I agree with Nemo, with all of these stories of PTs not reading recently I'm glad I have a Quarq Except for the whole being stuck with a double part, joke's on me there.
Anyway, again no one had it easy on this RR it seems, thinking happy thoughts for race day.
Jennifer- wow and wow!!! and when I saw you, you were smiling But I think that was after you spent 3 hours in the shop! Incredible day for you! Way to hang in there....mental toughness in a whole other realm! Good desicion to skip second loop! Was fun to chat with you on the course, made my day
WOW! A lot of adversity for folks on this RR. Each and every one of you handled your own issues extremely well under very stressful conditions. Seriously impressive. That mental and physical fortitude will go a long way on race day. Can't wait to see you out there!
I was out in Madison for the MOWS swim and followed that with one lap of the course. I am not happy with how things went on Saturday... but can improve by more thoughtful planning. I bailed on my Thursday long run and did it Friday so I had tired legs going into the 5 hr drive to Madison. I was stiff all evening and in the morning - I did not stretch out enough I guess. My wife and I planned on heading out to Madison Friday night and got in late since we had to drop off the kids and dog at different "sitters". I would have preferred to get to Madison earlier to get comfortable. As it turns out, I did not get a solid dinner (couldn't bring myself to order fast food) and ended up snacking on veggies and a Naked juice I planned to drink at 2am. The swim on Saturday went fine - I finished in 1:24 which I'll take. I would love to speed up my swim, but will leave that for another season. It was great running into Trevor, Jim, and Beth - so cool to be a part of a team. My chest started hurting a bit towards the end, but I took it easy and relaxed for the final 300m. I need to remember to pull with my right hand. Since I breathe on my left side, my right pull gets weak and I steer left. oops!
*By the way, has anyone heard from Jim since Saturday? I haven't seen a post from him... want to make sure he made it safe.
I did not prep well enough for the ride. I planned to go from Monona but changed plans last minute and had my wife drive me to Verona. I added 10 miles or so to the loop and only managed one loop. I don't know what I was thinking, but I only had my aero bottle with water and a 4 scoop bottle of infinite. Of course I planned to refill both before the second loop. But I was thirsty from the get-go and finished my water before Mt Horeb. I bought a bottle at a station there but knew I should be drinking more. When I realized I wasn't peeing on the bike (I did before the swim and during it) I figured I was in trouble. During the last 20 miles I convinced myself to end the day after one loop. I was low on energy, my neck was en fuego from wetsuit chafing or sun burn, and I had totally miscalculated the drive home. One of my pedalscleats developed a squeak and I was afraid it would break like it did during the IMWI camp and I would have to call my wife to pick my up out on the course. I didn't have any major blow-ups, but it was not one of my better days. I need to be more thoughtful about race day!
I did get out for a ride with a friend on Sunday. I rode my road bike - with no power - just for fun. It was great! I have to admit I am approaching burn-out and to do something fun was a nice break. I have a duathlon on Sunday I am looking forward to. But honestly, I am ready for a break from the intensity. I have heard people refer to this week as taper, but the work outs in the plan are still significant. i will not allow myself to taper until next week. i still need to hit those workouts and not let me guard down this week.
David, Jennifer -- Seriously tough workouts there! Way to be smart. And, yes, where is Jim?
Madison swimmers -- did any of you get out of the water a little saltier than usual? I finished the swim and was covered in salt, which never happens here. Maybe a note when doing a warm swim with wetsuit to take in some extra hydration/salt?
Jennifer -- Oh, the Uphill Grind boys are amazing! I'm glad they were so fantastic in helping you. We should make them honorary ENers!
@David- saw Jim on the course, actually he went flying past me looking quite good in his EN kit on his first loop. Indicated that he had indeed done the OWS. That's the only news I have.
As for me, like you David got a late start out of Evanston on Friday, ended up eating dinner much later than anticipated and was trying something different since the last RR meal was not good (chicken with whole wheat pasta). This meal did not sit well either - chicken, brown rice and sweet potato. Perhaps its nerves and has nothing to do with food content? Never had this trouble before and it's rather foreboding to start a long day completely 'empty'. Suggestions anyone?
Goal was to ride as follows:
1st hr: 120 w
2nd hr: 125 w
Hrs 3-4: 130 w
4th hr: 135 w
5th hr: 140 w
To ideally average 135 w at a TSS of 302 (current FTP 185)
How did I do? 120 w for the first hour and pretty much flat-lined 130-132 for each subsequent hour resulting in an average of 130 w and TSS of 296. According to the EN power calculator I am supposed to average 130 w and 302, so pretty much right on. Who knew?
OK, that's the numbers. How did it feel? Had trouble like most of the gang with focus, was bored and drifting, and with the empty stomach at the start, fluids ran through me and I had to stop 3 times over the 102 miles to hit the head (as the boys say). Very frustrating. The second loop of the course was less fun - all those OWS were now on the course and it was crowded and that was frustrating. Made me realize how easy it will be to overbake on this course if paying attention to others. There was this one couple that played cat & mouse with me, they'd kill it on the hills and I'd think they were gone and then I'd catch them on the flats at my "safe cruising speed", I couldn't believe it. They were literally hauling up all those hills and then having a picnic on the flats. I didn't get it, finally pulled over for a pitstop to get rid of them and kept saying "90% of the people out there have no idea what they are doing, stay the course, do not overbake'. Regardless, felt I was overdoing it and was nervous for the run. Drained the 40 oz of Infinit (6 hr bottle of 150 cal/hr) at the 5'30 mark, but had sufficient water to suck down the GU with 10 minutes to go. Got off the bike and headed out for "the Arb" loop from my parent's house, it's 7.5 miles, gorgeous and relatively hilly (I live in Chicago) which is why I chose it. I ran my goal times of 8'45s for 3.5 miles and then 8'15s for the rest and felt really really comfortable. Was so surprised and I guess it proves that despite the new little cuts on my lower quads from the Zoot Compression shorts, I'll be sportin' 'em come race day.
Beth, I didn't notice the salt, but I was pretty thirsty at the end of the swim. I drank an entire gatorade and then a water in pretty short order. I'm trying to recall, do you have sleeveless or a full sleeve? The sleeveless may have kept me a bit cooler out in the water, but I thought it was pretty comfortable water temperature once we got out a little bit from the shore line.
David, I agree with you there, I was quite a bit under the amount of water I should have been drinking on the bike. I was drinking probably 24-30oz of water per hour but it just wasn't enough. I had dehydration headaches on the second loop until I started stopping more frequently to refill along the course, like at the top of the second climb on Old Sauk. Planning to drink a lot more water on race day, I don't mind stopping to pee, I don't even get off my bike, just pull over, lift a pant leg and let'r rip. Probably not the most graceful act but I'm not quite to pee-myself levels yet.
As for Jim, he posted over in the 3-week thread, he's alive and well.
WERD!!! Heather, throw out those Hr 3-6 goal watts numbers. Just do exactly what you did on RR#2, ride steady at that AVG Watt Gear after the first hour and you are gonna be GOLDEN!!!!
Yikes, you all are starting to worry me! You all better promise me that some of you will be waiting for me at the finish line! Looks like I'm gonna be the last EN kid across and I want to see some EN Love at that finish line!!!
Yikes, you all are starting to worry me! You all better promise me that some of you will be waiting for me at the finish line! Looks like I'm gonna be the last EN kid across and I want to see some EN Love at that finish line!!!
You're gonna rock it, Nemo. Even if you were the last chica, not that you should even be thinking in those terms, there will be a whole lot of road kill still on the course. There will also be a huge group of friends and loved ones at the finish waiting for you.
Girl, I am sooooo nervous. Thanks for the kind words, I hope I can deliver. I seriously think that's what's eating at my insides and causing all this GI trouble! This isn't my first IM and I feel I know too much now after training with EN. What does that mean? I mean, I just did it in '08 and that was truly a case of ignorance is bliss - had a smile from mile 1 to 140 simply defeating the beast, but now I have goals and expectations and I've seen the numbers that I can post, oh the self-inflicted expectations are killing me!! Can she beat the new beast (herself) in '10???
Another couple comments after reading others' posts again...
I had trouble concentrating and so my watts spiked frequently. I found myself getting tiredoredlow energy and I would lose focus on my watts. I also had less patience on the up hills and so my watts spiked again.
I had about 75 big @ss motorcycles roared past me on the way to Mt Horeb. They had a police escort, so I assume it was some sort of charity ride. That was a new experience. I wonder how many of them wished they were riding my bike like I wished I was riding theirs.
I need to remember to breathe deeply during the ride. I know a side stitch is going to hurt me early and often on the run. The only way I know to deal with it is to prevent it by breathing deeply.
I am considering switching my cassette to something easier. I struggled up some of those hills and Rich's words during IMWI were ringing in my head... he asked how many of us ran out of gears during the Friday ride.
I am glad to read of the lessons people learned on these rr's... hope it makes us better athletes come 9-12!
Simply wow. You are all so amazing! I feel like I somehow cheated during my RR's in June since they went really smoothly. I truly believe you learn the most from races and workouts that don't go well. So sounds like all of you learned a ton and gained valuable experience. You will all ROCK on race day! Can't wait to watch it unfold.
Trevor - I gotta say, as I read your post, I was thinking OMG, I don't think it could get any worse! But such a valuable experience in so many ways, it will make race day seem like a piece of cake, even if you encounter any problems throughout the day (which you won't!). I'm so impressed that you stuck with it.
Jennifer - jeez, what a frustrating situation! I think I would have called for someone to come get me after waiting for the first hour...or I would have overdosed on smoothies at uphill grind. Or both. (best smoothies ever!) I'll pass your appreciation along to Dave.
Those of you who altered your plans when issues beyond your control came up...sounds like you chose wisely. It's important to realize when continuing is futile. Sometimes hard to do, but you all know that the RR is not a predictor of race day, it's just a workout that can help you dial in your plans and learn about how to deal with issues that come up. That's why you do 2 of them.
You guys are all so awesome!
It was great to hang out with Heather, Sheryl, Kathy, and Hasan on Saturday evening!
I did something a little different with this RR. The Reston Century just happened to be the same weekend of our second RR, so away I went. It is 108 super hilly miles. It was not a mass start, you just had to start by 10:00. I started at 7':00 and pretty much rode by myself. It was nice to have lots of people out on the same course. I also did something different with my nutrition. For the 1st RR I did the old stand by with concentrated Infinit. I know this works for me and I used it for IM Florida. This time I wanted to see if I could live off the land if I had to. I started with 2 bottles of Ironman Perform, which I really like. I then used Gatorade from the rest stops. I ate one Powerbar, half at the 2 hour mark and half at the 3 hour mark. I took one gel and used 2 servings of Cliff Shot Blocks. I took 1 S Cap per hour and 3 Sportlegs at the start and 3 more at the 3 hour mark. I avg 230-250 calories an hour and lost count of how much water I drank, it was HOT. I felt good during the ride and after. I am going to use the concentrated Infinit but now I know if I get sick of it I will be just fine with Perform and gels. Ready or not we are almost there!!!!!
Yikes, you all are starting to worry me! You all better promise me that some of you will be waiting for me at the finish line! Looks like I'm gonna be the last EN kid across and I want to see some EN Love at that finish line!!!
Neems- FWIW, I have NEVER seen RnP @ ;Mile 18, cause I am a BOP finisher. But, you know what they call the first & last person to cross that line???
Yikes, you all are starting to worry me! You all better promise me that some of you will be waiting for me at the finish line! Looks like I'm gonna be the last EN kid across and I want to see some EN Love at that finish line!!!
Neems- FWIW, I have NEVER seen RnP @ ;Mile 18, cause I am a BOP finisher. But, you know what they call the first & last person to cross that line???
Haha...Nemo...you crack me up!!! I will most definitely by the final EN'r across the line. I'm looking at what I think my times will be and I'm gonna pray myself in. I'll see ya'll at midnight!
Chiming a little late as always... RR #2 is in the books. I waited until Sunday due to rain and was rewarded with hot humid conditions. I hate hot humid conditions. However, the RR went really well for me. I posted that it was a real confidence booster. It really seemed as though all the little changes I have been tinkering with went well. My family even came with me for the trip(went out of town for the ride.) and we all survived. Reading through everyones post, I remembered all the different pre-race rides I have done; some went well others did not. I learned a little something from all of them.
Remember, stay focused and don't think too much during this taper.
Finally getting my act together to post. Had a great RR#2!!! Did the two loops of course...am feeling like I can ride this course in my sleep! Sheryl and I parked at Fireman's Park in Verona. My plan was to not stop at any stations and just use the van like I would kind of on race day. So, filled up aerolite with water, arundel with perpetuem and off I went. No stopping on first loop. Pulled into the park, used restroom, refilled water and changed out my perpetuem bottle for a cold heed bottle. That was a nice change for the taste buds....I prolly only drank 1/4 of perpetuem. Ate half pbj and was off again. On second loop saw Trevor and Jennifer! Lifted my spirits! Only stopped once to get water from a nice couple giving out water on the course, this was going into Mt. Horeb at top of hill. End of second loop at park. Used the restroom ( only peed twice, not sure if that is good or bad) I did not feel dehydrated, but might have been slightly. I remember the other two times on the course, I stopped at the stations 3 or 4 times and always went to the restroom. I also know I was drinking more the previous times. Have to remember to drink more water.
Stashed the bike...grabbed some water, downed some caffene and ran six. Was between LRP and MP on all six miles.
Bike stats:
Goal watts was 98 (.70 of 140)
Hour 1= 103 (.73)
Hour 2= 104 (.74)
Hour 3= 110 (.78)
Hour 4= 110 (.78)
Hour 5= 85 (.60)
Total time =5 hr 27 min.
NP=106
VI= 1.17
Tss=313.6 (.75)
86.29 miles.
So, I was a bit above .70. But felt good the first 6 miles of run. Not sure how I biked .75 avg....felt much slower.
I'm thinking .75 IF is probably too high! Guess I need to bring that down on race day!
WOW- I'm so glad to see all these GOOD Race Rehearsals come in! Great to know some of you guys had a good experience!!
Kathy- I'm betting your FTP is higher than 140 and that you are closer to 150-155 which would put your Goal Watts for .7 IF closer to 105. When did you do your last test? And how much do you weigh again? I know your another l'il peep like me. I'm actually feeling quite encouraged seeing your results- cause they look like what mine should look like if I execute right. SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Crazy RR stories out there – way to get through the challenges.Lots of lessons learned for race day.And what’s up with all the PT issues??Add me to that list…I’ll get to that later.
RR #2 Summary:
The ride and run went much better than RR #1.I was much more focused, had a better attitude and felt more rested.I really felt dialed in for this one and eager to nail it.
The swim was embarrassing – 1:21-something!I must have gotten lost out there or something.I felt pretty smooth and comfortable but somehow my time showed I was doing something other than swimming.
The bike went well aside from a few Powertap issues where the hub would stop sending a signal to the Joule.It looks like my power execution was spot on and a VI in the 1.04-1.05 range – I’ll definitely take that on race day!Overall ride time was somewhere around 5:35.
The run was easy and enjoyable.I ran through downtown Madison, State St. and out to Mile 18 where I flipped it.Very comfortable – felt like I could have gone all day.Again, I’ll take that on race day!
Now for the details with some tweaks from my RR #1 plan:
Pre-RR nutrition: For RR #1 I experimented with liquid only (Odwalla Protein Smoothies) from 2am until ride time.It gave me plenty of calories but I felt a little depleted while riding and gave me a “hungry” stomach.So, for RR #2 I went back to my usual pre-race nutrition with a couple tweaks…
5 hours pre-race: Naked Juice Mango Protein Smoothie and a baked potato (590 cals); 3 hours pre-race: Koala Krisp cereal, almond milk, banana, 2 cups coffee (280 cals); 1.5 hours pre-race: ½ Naked Juice Mango Protein Smoothie (220 cals); 20 minutes pre-race: EFS Drink (100 cals) for a total of 1200 calories.This has pretty much been my standard pre-race nutrition this year with the exception of the baked potato – that was a nice addition to fill the belly.I also practiced my nutrition in the 3 days leading up to the RR that I’ll use in the race – worked great.
Lesson learned: Keep this nutrition plan as it worked perfectly for me.
Swim: Registered for the Madison OWS race in Lake Monona in the non-wetsuit division. I’m sure wetsuits will be legal for IMWI but I wanted a worst-case scenario in case they’re not.Great seeing Dave, Trevor and Beth again.It was a real low-key atmosphere and hanging with these fine folks again was very fun.
I got in the water late (just before start horn sounded) so I didn’t position myself on the inside line where I wanted to be.So I swam pretty far outside until the first turn buoy.I felt good – stroke felt decent (with the exception of not breathing bilaterally which I normally do at IM pace.I did all single side breathing), breathing was rhythmic, I was actually enjoying myself…until I saw my time: 1:21.WTF??!!My first swim RR (in a 25 SCY pool) was 1:07.That’s almost 2:00/100.Yesterday I tried swimming that pace in the pool – the slowest I could go was 1:50/100 and it felt like I was going to sink.My Garmin showed 2.6 miles but that extra .2 miles only accounts for maybe 2-3 minutes.A wetsuit may give me a couple more minutes.But the real concern was how my time stood up against other swimmers in the non-wetsuit division...I was one of the last!Not good, but it is what it is. Something went wrong.I got lost somewhere.
Lesson learned: Get on the inside line at IMWI, stay there and follow fast feet no matter what.Also, try to breathe bilaterally as much as possible to stay balanced and in rhythm.
Bike: First I should mention that my Powertap hub went kaput last week.Saris did a fantastic job rebuilding the entire hub and having it ready for me on Friday when I got into town.They also hooked me up with a new Joule which I’ve had my eye on for a few months.So the RR was the first time riding with it.
I parked in Monona Terrace and planned on using it as my transition for the day just like in the actual race.Immediately after the swim I made my way to T1 and got set up.With the bike path and all the stop lights it was tough to get in a groove but eventually made it out to Verona for the start of loop 1 in about 45 minutes of easy riding.
Once I got on G towards Mt. Horeb my 1st hour of admin riding was done.I cranked up the watts to 215 (my target for the day which is ~.72 IF for me).Felt comfortable.Peed 2x on loop 1.One change I made for this RR was to drink from my Infinit (in the Speedfil) every 10’ instead of every 15’ as I had done in RR #1.This worked much better as I never felt depleted of energy or on the verge of crashing.Took in an S-cap at hour 2 and sucked on a couple Clif Shot blocks later in the loop. Met Heather somewhere around Garfoot - she was looking awesome!
Finished loop 1 in 2:07 feeling great.Made a 5-6’ stop in the BP in Verona (saw Dave’s wife who mistook me for Dave!) for water refill and pee and headed back out.
Goal was to raise power every hour by 5 watts so I rode loop 2 with a little more intensity.Didn’t pee at all during this loop.Took in an S-cap at hour 4 and a Motivator cap at about mile 85. This was my first time using the Motivators.Not sure it really did anything but I did feel a little more focused from miles 90-105, then lost it again until the end of the ride.
Finished loop 2 in 2:05.Now I’m feeling pretty fatigued and I make my way on my least favorite part of the course back to Monona Terrace – I hate Whalen!It’s so bumpy and boring.On top of that, this is where I started having Powertap issues.My Joule started losing signal from the hub for a few minutes, then it would come back on with some crazy high wattage numbers.So this really screwed with my overall ride data as you’ll see below (hour 6).Up to that point I was riding with a VI of 1.05 and an IF of .71 – pretty much right on my targets and much better than RR #1!Peak 60’ power was from miles 60-80 (right after starting 2nd loop).
Made it back to Monona Terrace with a ride time of somewhere in the 5:35 range.It’s hard to say exactly what it was since the timer on the Joule would stop when the hub stopped sending a signal.Looking at WKO, which showed a ride time of 5:32, it appears the signal was lost for a total of ~3-5’.I’ll take that on a day of riding with no aero anything, 8 lbs of fluids on me and slowing down for stop signs/lights!
RR #1 Hour by Hour (weather: 70s, overcast, rain)
1 – 41.8 TSS / 0.646 IF / 189 NP / 1.04 VI / 113 HRavg / 657 kJ
2 – 47.9 TSS / 0.691 IF / 203 NP / 1.04 VI / 117 HRavg / 700 kJ
3 – 49.1 TSS / 0.700 IF / 205 NP / 1.04 VI / 118 HRavg / 711 kJ
4 – 47.8 TSS / 0.691 IF / 202 NP / 1.06 VI / 116 HRavg / 691 kJ
5 – 50.2 TSS / 0.708 IF / 207 NP / 1.06 VI / 119 HRavg / 706 kJ
6 – 42.6 TSS / 0.683 IF / 200 NP / 1.07 VI / 118 HRavg / 616 kJ
RR #2 Hour by Hour (weather: 80s, humid, overcast for 1st half, sun 2nd half)
1 – 38.6 TSS / 0.623 IF / 182 NP / 1.07 VI / 110 HRavg / 614 kJ
2 – 52.2 TSS / 0.724 IF / 212 NP / 1.02 VI / 129 HRavg / 751 kJ
3 – 50.7 TSS / 0.718 IF / 210 NP / 1.05 VI / 126 HRavg / 722 kJ
4 – 55.7 TSS / 0.751 IF / 220 NP / 1.03 VI / 131 HRavg / 771 kJ
5 – 50.6 TSS / 0.717 IF / 210 NP / 1.03 VI / 130 HRavg / 735 kJ – losing a little focus
Lessons learned: Drink from feed bottle every 10’ instead of every 15’.Focus on hitting peak 60’ power after mile 80.Maintain focus after mile 100.
Run: As I said in the summary, the run was very easy and enjoyable.I left the terrace and ran towards the Capitol, down State and along the lake to Mile 18.Target pace for the first 3 miles was 8:15, then 7:45 for the remaining 3 miles.First mile came in at 7:52, definitely too fast but it’s also mostly downhill.Walked for 30” at mile 2 to bring the avg pace up where it should be.Took in EFS Liquid Shot at miles 2 and 4 (180 cals total).Felt great and added on an extra ¼ mile cool down running down MLK Dr where the finish line is to get a taste of what will be coming in 3 weeks!
Mile splits:
1: 7:52
2: 7:59
3: 8:15
4: 7:43
5: 7:31
6: 7:27
Lessons learned: Stay with the EFS Liquid shot and water early on in the marathon as it continues to work.STICK TO THE PACE PLAN!!
Overall, I had a good day aside from the stupid swim.Now it’s time to get organized, prepare mentally and repair the body from the past 9 weeks of stress.
Finally catching up! First, thank you for all your kind words of encouragement. I really appreciate it.
Nemo: Pepcid AC at 4 hours when you had stomach shut down. So basically, did you feel like your stomach wasn't emptying (feeling bloated/nauseous/burping alot? A Pepcid AC isn't going to really help as it will not be absorbed as it should in your non-empyting stomach. It also doesn't do anything for increasing gastric emptying. Sounds like you were quite dehydrated. The only thing you can do is to really slow down and take in non-concentrated liquids until there's enough blood flow restored to your gut to get it going again.
Trevor: As everyone has said, IF = 0.68 is okay. If you end up with that for race day, you'll have a great opportunity to crush it on the run. As for duct tape on the bike, I wrap some around my tire lever. That being said, I've found that duct tape has really been wimpy recently and it doesn't rip off as easily as it used to. So I've switch to Gorilla tape. You can buy a 1" wide handy roll and throw it in your saddle bag or bento box for the race.
Gina: Good call on no Vivarin. I'm with you with the caffeinated gels at hour 4 or...
Sheryl: Brilliant idea about the frozen coke at special needs!
Jennifer: Wow! that's one bike mechanical problem you had. Really, really glad it's fixed now. Uphill grind RAWKS! Also, so happy to hear that your knee was without an effusion.
David: Dehydration...what an easy hole to dig for oneself, isn't it? Good on ya for recognizing it.
Heather: So your target watts are 135 for a 185 FTP...making your race day IF = 0.73, right? Those self-imposed goals---they've obviously motivated you this season for all the work you've done. I say let them continue to motivate you and not become a potential source of disappointment. You've come so far to not completely CRUSH it on race day!
Kate: Great idea testing out alternative calorie sources. I'm gonna grab some Perform for the last long rides this weekend.
Kathy: Agree with Nemo---your FTP might be higher than you think.
Jim: I tried liquid calories only and it left me hungry too. I'm bringing my rice cooker to IMWI to make my jasmine rice for breakfast. As for the swim: fishies sign up for non-wetsuit swims so don't be too bummed out about your placement. Also, if you are good at flip turns and pushing off at the wall, your pool swim test will be faster than OWS for sure (mine always are---I love the wall!) What are Motivator caps? Had no idea motivation came in capsule form...coulda really used some during OS. Ha! Excellent bike execution! Doode, you are gonna rock this course.
Kathy- I'm betting your FTP is higher than 140 and that you are closer to 150-155 which would put your Goal Watts for .7 IF closer to 105. When did you do your last test? And how much do you weigh again? I know your another l'il peep like me. I'm actually feeling quite encouraged seeing your results- cause they look like what mine should look like if I execute right. SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nemo- I retested last week and came out with 140 on trainer. though it seems that my watts always differ from trainer to road. For me riding on road is easier and watts tend to be higher. I prolly should have tested on road. You could be right about FTP if tested on road seems like maybe last weekend RR shows higher watts. What I am concerned about is my cadence. I listened to Coach P's crucible for Michele, and the once comment he had about her RR was her lower cadence, I think it was in the 80ish range and he commented she might have a problem later on with that cadence. Though her execution looked flawless way to go Michele!!! So, my cadence for this RR was 75. Do you look at cadence? I have not been paying much attention to that....maybe I should and If I did I'm thinking my watts would have been lower last weekend? HIgher cadence = lower watts. Does that make sense? Do you ride at a higher cadence say 90? It is really hard for me to ride my FTP watts with high cadence. My weight is 111.
Kitboo- thank you so much for that feedback about the Pepcid. You are right- makes so much sense now a few days later when I read what you wrote! Duh. I really gotta concentrate on drinking more H20, bottom line.
Oh- and where do you get Guerrilla Tape? Is that a Home Depot kinda thing?
Kathy- increasing your cadence won't change your watts. You would basically use an easier gear to pick up the cadence and thus end up with the same watts. I tend to be a bit of a "masher" and ride with cadence in the upper 80s. I had been working and working on getting myself into the 90s, but I tire easily when I ride at that cadence. So I've stopped trying so hard to force something that doesn't quite feel right. A cadence of 75 does seem really low, BUT to climb a lot of those hills (even with a 12-28 and a compact crank) you are simply gonna have a lower cadence if you don't want to spike the watts. Don't sweat it!!! I'm getting the feeling that you and I are gonna be pretty closely matched on the course. I had a FANTASTIC race at IMWI in 2008 and my Avg Cadence on race day was 76 with an NP=108. I'm predicting you'll have a good race too! What does your swim time look like? I'm kinda hoping you and I will be in the same area on the course- would be so nice to know you were just 5-10 min or so ahead of me on the course!
Gorilla tape: you can buy it at any hardware store, Home Depot, Lowe's.
I've used it (and duct tape) to hold a snapped cable to the bike frame, to keep a snapped spoke (after I've wound it around another spoke) from banging into the cassette, hold a water bottle cage that a rusty bolt had come loose.
ok, so RR #1 - yep you heard that right. my first RR, I was doing steelhead. lots of testosterone involved, as that was a RACE between me and my childhood best friend, so NEEDED to beat him, which i eventually did. however, despite skipping on RR#1, I actually felt like I did it reading all the race reports posted. . actually, I read them again the day before doing my RR. Coming in, I thought I had a massive fund of knowledge. I did. If anything, those race reports are worth being published, bc we all do mistakes. the expensive way is to learn from our own mmistakes, even though we are inclined to do the mistakes other people do, so why not learn from that....
well, I decided to skip MOWS, and do the swim the night before. so, that will remain my biggest fear. every time I reach 1.5-2 miles in open water, with a swimsuit (and sometimes earlier), my right leg cramps...... I'm so afraid of this (cos I;ve tried everything...) tonight, I'm actually heading for a 2,4 mile swim sans wetsuit - I will just have to give it a shot. swim went well. looking at getting out of the water in the 1:30 range..
Saturday headed to Madison. I also thought I would need something more solid, protein shake will feel good, but I love to EAT;-) total caloric intake was close to 1000 cals.
started off on my ride from downtown madison - based on HR. I was glued to my HR monitor - literally, and very happy with how I was pacing. When I got settled into my first 30-40 mins, my HR did not change more than 2 bpms. thought to myself I'll be happy if I keep this up. only problem was that i could still feel my legs from the long run on Thursday. Instead of going harder at 30 mins, I decided to delay that to 60 (afraid of the 6 mile run afterwards...). Av HR cam down to low 132 for the first 1/2 of the ride, and 138 for the second 1/2. 135 for entire ride.
nutrition was dead on 250 cal/hr perpeteum for the first 2 hrs, then gatorade and bars/shots. I can tell you one thing, that choc-chip bar was the second best thing I've had in a while. The best was the MARGARITA Shots, LOVE them. drank a total of 4 liters of water. peed once only at the half-way point. didn't feel like i was dehydrated, but i def need to acquire the skill of peeing while riding come 9/12.....
when i got off the bike at around 6:06 riding time (garmin on autostop when I'm not moving), I thought I could run forever. That didn't prove to be the case - even though I met all 6 mile times (and walked 30 seconds at EVERY mile marker), I was happy to sit down, by the lake, and just enjoy a couple of minutes to myself... total time was litereally 2 secs from anticipated time. 1100 for the first 3 miles and 1035 for the last 3 (my fabulous vDot of 37)
All in all, it was a great day. ended as well in a great recovery drink (fermented hops), sitting with some ENer's on the terrace.
If I can maintain my level of focus on race, my restraint, and execute like I did on RR, I'd be very happy man. I know I won't, but i still hope to enjoy it. I have to admit, I enjoyed RR a TON.
NOTE to self, and things to do differently - get my toenails clipped a day before IMWI.
thanks for everybody's race report. YOU can not imagine how much I learnt from them
Nemo, don't worry, I'll be finishing sometime with you, or behind you; but we will both be finishing STRONG - that's one thing i'll promise.
Michelle, stellar job on RR.
rest of the team. I'm JUST AMAZED (especially jennifer with such a great perspective......) congrats, and GOOD LUCK
Hasan, let me just say this...... you don't need no stinkin power meter ;-) That was a fantastic RR. Just do exactly THAT on race day and you'll have an amazing day!
Comments
Eek, I agree with Nemo, with all of these stories of PTs not reading recently I'm glad I have a Quarq
Except for the whole being stuck with a double part, joke's on me there.
Anyway, again no one had it easy on this RR it seems, thinking happy thoughts for race day.
Jennifer- wow and wow!!! and when I saw you, you were smiling
But I think that was after you spent 3 hours in the shop! Incredible day for you! Way to hang in there....mental toughness in a whole other realm! Good desicion to skip second loop! Was fun to chat with you on the course, made my day 
WOW! A lot of adversity for folks on this RR. Each and every one of you handled your own issues extremely well under very stressful conditions. Seriously impressive. That mental and physical fortitude will go a long way on race day. Can't wait to see you out there!
I bailed on my Thursday long run and did it Friday so I had tired legs going into the 5 hr drive to Madison. I was stiff all evening and in the morning - I did not stretch out enough I guess.
My wife and I planned on heading out to Madison Friday night and got in late since we had to drop off the kids and dog at different "sitters". I would have preferred to get to Madison earlier to get comfortable. As it turns out, I did not get a solid dinner (couldn't bring myself to order fast food) and ended up snacking on veggies and a Naked juice I planned to drink at 2am.
The swim on Saturday went fine - I finished in 1:24 which I'll take. I would love to speed up my swim, but will leave that for another season. It was great running into Trevor, Jim, and Beth - so cool to be a part of a team. My chest started hurting a bit towards the end, but I took it easy and relaxed for the final 300m. I need to remember to pull with my right hand. Since I breathe on my left side, my right pull gets weak and I steer left. oops!
*By the way, has anyone heard from Jim since Saturday? I haven't seen a post from him... want to make sure he made it safe.
I did not prep well enough for the ride. I planned to go from Monona but changed plans last minute and had my wife drive me to Verona. I added 10 miles or so to the loop and only managed one loop. I don't know what I was thinking, but I only had my aero bottle with water and a 4 scoop bottle of infinite. Of course I planned to refill both before the second loop. But I was thirsty from the get-go and finished my water before Mt Horeb. I bought a bottle at a station there but knew I should be drinking more. When I realized I wasn't peeing on the bike (I did before the swim and during it) I figured I was in trouble. During the last 20 miles I convinced myself to end the day after one loop. I was low on energy, my neck was en fuego from wetsuit chafing or sun burn, and I had totally miscalculated the drive home.
One of my pedalscleats developed a squeak and I was afraid it would break like it did during the IMWI camp and I would have to call my wife to pick my up out on the course.
I didn't have any major blow-ups, but it was not one of my better days. I need to be more thoughtful about race day!
I did get out for a ride with a friend on Sunday. I rode my road bike - with no power - just for fun. It was great! I have to admit I am approaching burn-out and to do something fun was a nice break. I have a duathlon on Sunday I am looking forward to. But honestly, I am ready for a break from the intensity. I have heard people refer to this week as taper, but the work outs in the plan are still significant. i will not allow myself to taper until next week. i still need to hit those workouts and not let me guard down this week.
David, Jennifer -- Seriously tough workouts there! Way to be smart. And, yes, where is Jim?
Madison swimmers -- did any of you get out of the water a little saltier than usual? I finished the swim and was covered in salt, which never happens here. Maybe a note when doing a warm swim with wetsuit to take in some extra hydration/salt?
Jennifer -- Oh, the Uphill Grind boys are amazing! I'm glad they were so fantastic in helping you. We should make them honorary ENers!
@David- saw Jim on the course, actually he went flying past me looking quite good in his EN kit on his first loop. Indicated that he had indeed done the OWS. That's the only news I have.
As for me, like you David got a late start out of Evanston on Friday, ended up eating dinner much later than anticipated and was trying something different since the last RR meal was not good (chicken with whole wheat pasta). This meal did not sit well either - chicken, brown rice and sweet potato. Perhaps its nerves and has nothing to do with food content? Never had this trouble before and it's rather foreboding to start a long day completely 'empty'. Suggestions anyone?
Goal was to ride as follows:
1st hr: 120 w
2nd hr: 125 w
Hrs 3-4: 130 w
4th hr: 135 w
5th hr: 140 w
To ideally average 135 w at a TSS of 302 (current FTP 185)
How did I do? 120 w for the first hour and pretty much flat-lined 130-132 for each subsequent hour resulting in an average of 130 w and TSS of 296. According to the EN power calculator I am supposed to average 130 w and 302, so pretty much right on. Who knew?
OK, that's the numbers. How did it feel? Had trouble like most of the gang with focus, was bored and drifting, and with the empty stomach at the start, fluids ran through me and I had to stop 3 times over the 102 miles to hit the head (as the boys say). Very frustrating. The second loop of the course was less fun - all those OWS were now on the course and it was crowded and that was frustrating. Made me realize how easy it will be to overbake on this course if paying attention to others. There was this one couple that played cat & mouse with me, they'd kill it on the hills and I'd think they were gone and then I'd catch them on the flats at my "safe cruising speed", I couldn't believe it. They were literally hauling up all those hills and then having a picnic on the flats. I didn't get it, finally pulled over for a pitstop to get rid of them and kept saying "90% of the people out there have no idea what they are doing, stay the course, do not overbake'. Regardless, felt I was overdoing it and was nervous for the run. Drained the 40 oz of Infinit (6 hr bottle of 150 cal/hr) at the 5'30 mark, but had sufficient water to suck down the GU with 10 minutes to go. Got off the bike and headed out for "the Arb" loop from my parent's house, it's 7.5 miles, gorgeous and relatively hilly (I live in Chicago) which is why I chose it. I ran my goal times of 8'45s for 3.5 miles and then 8'15s for the rest and felt really really comfortable. Was so surprised and I guess it proves that despite the new little cuts on my lower quads from the Zoot Compression shorts, I'll be sportin' 'em come race day.
Now, to rest up those legs.
David, I agree with you there, I was quite a bit under the amount of water I should have been drinking on the bike. I was drinking probably 24-30oz of water per hour but it just wasn't enough. I had dehydration headaches on the second loop until I started stopping more frequently to refill along the course, like at the top of the second climb on Old Sauk. Planning to drink a lot more water on race day, I don't mind stopping to pee, I don't even get off my bike, just pull over, lift a pant leg and let'r rip. Probably not the most graceful act but I'm not quite to pee-myself levels yet.
As for Jim, he posted over in the 3-week thread, he's alive and well.
Heather, you are SO gonna rock this course!!
WERD!!! Heather, throw out those Hr 3-6 goal watts numbers. Just do exactly what you did on RR#2, ride steady at that AVG Watt Gear after the first hour and you are gonna be GOLDEN!!!!
Yikes, you all are starting to worry me! You all better promise me that some of you will be waiting for me at the finish line! Looks like I'm gonna be the last EN kid across and I want to see some EN Love at that finish line!!!
You're gonna rock it, Nemo. Even if you were the last chica, not that you should even be thinking in those terms, there will be a whole lot of road kill still on the course. There will also be a huge group of friends and loved ones at the finish waiting for you.
Girl, I am sooooo nervous. Thanks for the kind words, I hope I can deliver. I seriously think that's what's eating at my insides and causing all this GI trouble! This isn't my first IM and I feel I know too much now after training with EN. What does that mean? I mean, I just did it in '08 and that was truly a case of ignorance is bliss - had a smile from mile 1 to 140 simply defeating the beast, but now I have goals and expectations and I've seen the numbers that I can post, oh the self-inflicted expectations are killing me!! Can she beat the new beast (herself) in '10???
I had trouble concentrating and so my watts spiked frequently. I found myself getting tiredoredlow energy and I would lose focus on my watts. I also had less patience on the up hills and so my watts spiked again.
I had about 75 big @ss motorcycles roared past me on the way to Mt Horeb. They had a police escort, so I assume it was some sort of charity ride. That was a new experience. I wonder how many of them wished they were riding my bike like I wished I was riding theirs.
I need to remember to breathe deeply during the ride. I know a side stitch is going to hurt me early and often on the run. The only way I know to deal with it is to prevent it by breathing deeply.
I am considering switching my cassette to something easier. I struggled up some of those hills and Rich's words during IMWI were ringing in my head... he asked how many of us ran out of gears during the Friday ride.
I am glad to read of the lessons people learned on these rr's... hope it makes us better athletes come 9-12!
Trevor - I gotta say, as I read your post, I was thinking OMG, I don't think it could get any worse! But such a valuable experience in so many ways, it will make race day seem like a piece of cake, even if you encounter any problems throughout the day (which you won't!). I'm so impressed that you stuck with it.
Jennifer - jeez, what a frustrating situation! I think I would have called for someone to come get me after waiting for the first hour...or I would have overdosed on smoothies at uphill grind. Or both. (best smoothies ever!) I'll pass your appreciation along to Dave.
Those of you who altered your plans when issues beyond your control came up...sounds like you chose wisely. It's important to realize when continuing is futile. Sometimes hard to do, but you all know that the RR is not a predictor of race day, it's just a workout that can help you dial in your plans and learn about how to deal with issues that come up. That's why you do 2 of them.
You guys are all so awesome!
It was great to hang out with Heather, Sheryl, Kathy, and Hasan on Saturday evening!
Neems- FWIW, I have NEVER seen RnP @ ;Mile 18, cause I am a BOP finisher. But, you know what they call the first & last person to cross that line???
IRONMAN
Amen to that!
Haha...Nemo...you crack me up!!! I will most definitely by the final EN'r across the line. I'm looking at what I think my times will be and I'm gonna pray myself in. I'll see ya'll at midnight!
Chiming a little late as always... RR #2 is in the books. I waited until Sunday due to rain and was rewarded with hot humid conditions. I hate hot humid conditions. However, the RR went really well for me. I posted that it was a real confidence booster. It really seemed as though all the little changes I have been tinkering with went well. My family even came with me for the trip(went out of town for the ride.) and we all survived. Reading through everyones post, I remembered all the different pre-race rides I have done; some went well others did not. I learned a little something from all of them.
Remember, stay focused and don't think too much during this taper.
Finally getting my act together to post. Had a great RR#2!!! Did the two loops of course...am feeling like I can ride this course in my sleep! Sheryl and I parked at Fireman's Park in Verona. My plan was to not stop at any stations and just use the van like I would kind of on race day. So, filled up aerolite with water, arundel with perpetuem and off I went. No stopping on first loop. Pulled into the park, used restroom, refilled water and changed out my perpetuem bottle for a cold heed bottle. That was a nice change for the taste buds....I prolly only drank 1/4 of perpetuem. Ate half pbj and was off again. On second loop saw Trevor and Jennifer! Lifted my spirits! Only stopped once to get water from a nice couple giving out water on the course, this was going into Mt. Horeb at top of hill. End of second loop at park. Used the restroom ( only peed twice, not sure if that is good or bad) I did not feel dehydrated, but might have been slightly. I remember the other two times on the course, I stopped at the stations 3 or 4 times and always went to the restroom. I also know I was drinking more the previous times. Have to remember to drink more water.
Stashed the bike...grabbed some water, downed some caffene and ran six. Was between LRP and MP on all six miles.
Bike stats:
Goal watts was 98 (.70 of 140)
Hour 1= 103 (.73)
Hour 2= 104 (.74)
Hour 3= 110 (.78)
Hour 4= 110 (.78)
Hour 5= 85 (.60)
Total time =5 hr 27 min.
NP=106
VI= 1.17
Tss=313.6 (.75)
86.29 miles.
So, I was a bit above .70. But felt good the first 6 miles of run. Not sure how I biked .75 avg....felt much slower.
I'm thinking .75 IF is probably too high! Guess I need to bring that down on race day!
Kathy- I'm betting your FTP is higher than 140 and that you are closer to 150-155 which would put your Goal Watts for .7 IF closer to 105. When did you do your last test? And how much do you weigh again? I know your another l'il peep like me. I'm actually feeling quite encouraged seeing your results- cause they look like what mine should look like if I execute right. SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Crazy RR stories out there – way to get through the challenges. Lots of lessons learned for race day. And what’s up with all the PT issues?? Add me to that list…I’ll get to that later.
RR #2 Summary:
The ride and run went much better than RR #1. I was much more focused, had a better attitude and felt more rested. I really felt dialed in for this one and eager to nail it.
The swim was embarrassing – 1:21-something! I must have gotten lost out there or something. I felt pretty smooth and comfortable but somehow my time showed I was doing something other than swimming.
The bike went well aside from a few Powertap issues where the hub would stop sending a signal to the Joule. It looks like my power execution was spot on and a VI in the 1.04-1.05 range – I’ll definitely take that on race day! Overall ride time was somewhere around 5:35.
The run was easy and enjoyable. I ran through downtown Madison, State St. and out to Mile 18 where I flipped it. Very comfortable – felt like I could have gone all day. Again, I’ll take that on race day!
Now for the details with some tweaks from my RR #1 plan:
Pre-RR nutrition: For RR #1 I experimented with liquid only (Odwalla Protein Smoothies) from 2am until ride time. It gave me plenty of calories but I felt a little depleted while riding and gave me a “hungry” stomach. So, for RR #2 I went back to my usual pre-race nutrition with a couple tweaks…
5 hours pre-race: Naked Juice Mango Protein Smoothie and a baked potato (590 cals); 3 hours pre-race: Koala Krisp cereal, almond milk, banana, 2 cups coffee (280 cals); 1.5 hours pre-race: ½ Naked Juice Mango Protein Smoothie (220 cals); 20 minutes pre-race: EFS Drink (100 cals) for a total of 1200 calories. This has pretty much been my standard pre-race nutrition this year with the exception of the baked potato – that was a nice addition to fill the belly. I also practiced my nutrition in the 3 days leading up to the RR that I’ll use in the race – worked great.
Lesson learned: Keep this nutrition plan as it worked perfectly for me.
Swim: Registered for the Madison OWS race in Lake Monona in the non-wetsuit division. I’m sure wetsuits will be legal for IMWI but I wanted a worst-case scenario in case they’re not. Great seeing Dave, Trevor and Beth again. It was a real low-key atmosphere and hanging with these fine folks again was very fun.
I got in the water late (just before start horn sounded) so I didn’t position myself on the inside line where I wanted to be. So I swam pretty far outside until the first turn buoy. I felt good – stroke felt decent (with the exception of not breathing bilaterally which I normally do at IM pace. I did all single side breathing), breathing was rhythmic, I was actually enjoying myself…until I saw my time: 1:21. WTF??!! My first swim RR (in a 25 SCY pool) was 1:07. That’s almost 2:00/100. Yesterday I tried swimming that pace in the pool – the slowest I could go was 1:50/100 and it felt like I was going to sink. My Garmin showed 2.6 miles but that extra .2 miles only accounts for maybe 2-3 minutes. A wetsuit may give me a couple more minutes. But the real concern was how my time stood up against other swimmers in the non-wetsuit division...I was one of the last! Not good, but it is what it is. Something went wrong. I got lost somewhere.
Lesson learned: Get on the inside line at IMWI, stay there and follow fast feet no matter what. Also, try to breathe bilaterally as much as possible to stay balanced and in rhythm.
Bike: First I should mention that my Powertap hub went kaput last week. Saris did a fantastic job rebuilding the entire hub and having it ready for me on Friday when I got into town. They also hooked me up with a new Joule which I’ve had my eye on for a few months. So the RR was the first time riding with it.
I parked in Monona Terrace and planned on using it as my transition for the day just like in the actual race. Immediately after the swim I made my way to T1 and got set up. With the bike path and all the stop lights it was tough to get in a groove but eventually made it out to Verona for the start of loop 1 in about 45 minutes of easy riding.
Once I got on G towards Mt. Horeb my 1st hour of admin riding was done. I cranked up the watts to 215 (my target for the day which is ~.72 IF for me). Felt comfortable. Peed 2x on loop 1. One change I made for this RR was to drink from my Infinit (in the Speedfil) every 10’ instead of every 15’ as I had done in RR #1. This worked much better as I never felt depleted of energy or on the verge of crashing. Took in an S-cap at hour 2 and sucked on a couple Clif Shot blocks later in the loop. Met Heather somewhere around Garfoot - she was looking awesome!
Finished loop 1 in 2:07 feeling great. Made a 5-6’ stop in the BP in Verona (saw Dave’s wife who mistook me for Dave!) for water refill and pee and headed back out.
Goal was to raise power every hour by 5 watts so I rode loop 2 with a little more intensity. Didn’t pee at all during this loop. Took in an S-cap at hour 4 and a Motivator cap at about mile 85. This was my first time using the Motivators. Not sure it really did anything but I did feel a little more focused from miles 90-105, then lost it again until the end of the ride.
Finished loop 2 in 2:05. Now I’m feeling pretty fatigued and I make my way on my least favorite part of the course back to Monona Terrace – I hate Whalen! It’s so bumpy and boring. On top of that, this is where I started having Powertap issues. My Joule started losing signal from the hub for a few minutes, then it would come back on with some crazy high wattage numbers. So this really screwed with my overall ride data as you’ll see below (hour 6). Up to that point I was riding with a VI of 1.05 and an IF of .71 – pretty much right on my targets and much better than RR #1! Peak 60’ power was from miles 60-80 (right after starting 2nd loop).
Made it back to Monona Terrace with a ride time of somewhere in the 5:35 range. It’s hard to say exactly what it was since the timer on the Joule would stop when the hub stopped sending a signal. Looking at WKO, which showed a ride time of 5:32, it appears the signal was lost for a total of ~3-5’. I’ll take that on a day of riding with no aero anything, 8 lbs of fluids on me and slowing down for stop signs/lights!
RR #1 Hour by Hour (weather: 70s, overcast, rain)
1 – 41.8 TSS / 0.646 IF / 189 NP / 1.04 VI / 113 HRavg / 657 kJ
2 – 47.9 TSS / 0.691 IF / 203 NP / 1.04 VI / 117 HRavg / 700 kJ
3 – 49.1 TSS / 0.700 IF / 205 NP / 1.04 VI / 118 HRavg / 711 kJ
4 – 47.8 TSS / 0.691 IF / 202 NP / 1.06 VI / 116 HRavg / 691 kJ
5 – 50.2 TSS / 0.708 IF / 207 NP / 1.06 VI / 119 HRavg / 706 kJ
6 – 42.6 TSS / 0.683 IF / 200 NP / 1.07 VI / 118 HRavg / 616 kJ
RR #2 Hour by Hour (weather: 80s, humid, overcast for 1st half, sun 2nd half)
1 – 38.6 TSS / 0.623 IF / 182 NP / 1.07 VI / 110 HRavg / 614 kJ
2 – 52.2 TSS / 0.724 IF / 212 NP / 1.02 VI / 129 HRavg / 751 kJ
3 – 50.7 TSS / 0.718 IF / 210 NP / 1.05 VI / 126 HRavg / 722 kJ
4 – 55.7 TSS / 0.751 IF / 220 NP / 1.03 VI / 131 HRavg / 771 kJ
5 – 50.6 TSS / 0.717 IF / 210 NP / 1.03 VI / 130 HRavg / 735 kJ – losing a little focus
6 (32’) - 62.9 TSS / 1.108 IF / 325 NP / 1.54 VI / 129 HRavg / 404 kJ – POWERTAP ISSUES!!
Lessons learned: Drink from feed bottle every 10’ instead of every 15’. Focus on hitting peak 60’ power after mile 80. Maintain focus after mile 100.
Run: As I said in the summary, the run was very easy and enjoyable. I left the terrace and ran towards the Capitol, down State and along the lake to Mile 18. Target pace for the first 3 miles was 8:15, then 7:45 for the remaining 3 miles. First mile came in at 7:52, definitely too fast but it’s also mostly downhill. Walked for 30” at mile 2 to bring the avg pace up where it should be. Took in EFS Liquid Shot at miles 2 and 4 (180 cals total). Felt great and added on an extra ¼ mile cool down running down MLK Dr where the finish line is to get a taste of what will be coming in 3 weeks!
Mile splits:
1: 7:52
2: 7:59
3: 8:15
4: 7:43
5: 7:31
6: 7:27
Lessons learned: Stay with the EFS Liquid shot and water early on in the marathon as it continues to work. STICK TO THE PACE PLAN!!
Overall, I had a good day aside from the stupid swim. Now it’s time to get organized, prepare mentally and repair the body from the past 9 weeks of stress.
Nemo: Pepcid AC at 4 hours when you had stomach shut down. So basically, did you feel like your stomach wasn't emptying (feeling bloated/nauseous/burping alot? A Pepcid AC isn't going to really help as it will not be absorbed as it should in your non-empyting stomach. It also doesn't do anything for increasing gastric emptying. Sounds like you were quite dehydrated. The only thing you can do is to really slow down and take in non-concentrated liquids until there's enough blood flow restored to your gut to get it going again.
Trevor: As everyone has said, IF = 0.68 is okay. If you end up with that for race day, you'll have a great opportunity to crush it on the run.
As for duct tape on the bike, I wrap some around my tire lever. That being said, I've found that duct tape has really been wimpy recently and it doesn't rip off as easily as it used to. So I've switch to Gorilla tape. You can buy a 1" wide handy roll and throw it in your saddle bag or bento box for the race.
Gina: Good call on no Vivarin. I'm with you with the caffeinated gels at hour 4 or...
Sheryl: Brilliant idea about the frozen coke at special needs!
Jennifer: Wow! that's one bike mechanical problem you had. Really, really glad it's fixed now. Uphill grind RAWKS! Also, so happy to hear that your knee was without an effusion.
David: Dehydration...what an easy hole to dig for oneself, isn't it? Good on ya for recognizing it.
Heather: So your target watts are 135 for a 185 FTP...making your race day IF = 0.73, right?
Those self-imposed goals---they've obviously motivated you this season for all the work you've done. I say let them continue to motivate you and not become a potential source of disappointment. You've come so far to not completely CRUSH it on race day!
Kate: Great idea testing out alternative calorie sources. I'm gonna grab some Perform for the last long rides this weekend.
Kathy: Agree with Nemo---your FTP might be higher than you think.
Jim: I tried liquid calories only and it left me hungry too. I'm bringing my rice cooker to IMWI to make my jasmine rice for breakfast.
As for the swim: fishies sign up for non-wetsuit swims so don't be too bummed out about your placement. Also, if you are good at flip turns and pushing off at the wall, your pool swim test will be faster than OWS for sure (mine always are---I love the wall!)
What are Motivator caps? Had no idea motivation came in capsule form...coulda really used some during OS. Ha!
Excellent bike execution! Doode, you are gonna rock this course.
Nemo- I retested last week and came out with 140 on trainer. though it seems that my watts always differ from trainer to road. For me riding on road is easier and watts tend to be higher. I prolly should have tested on road. You could be right about FTP if tested on road seems like maybe last weekend RR shows higher watts. What I am concerned about is my cadence. I listened to Coach P's crucible for Michele, and the once comment he had about her RR was her lower cadence, I think it was in the 80ish range and he commented she might have a problem later on with that cadence. Though her execution looked flawless
way to go Michele!!! So, my cadence for this RR was 75. Do you look at cadence? I have not been paying much attention to that....maybe I should and If I did I'm thinking my watts would have been lower last weekend? HIgher cadence = lower watts. Does that make sense? Do you ride at a higher cadence say 90? It is really hard for me to ride my FTP watts with high cadence. My weight is 111.
Oh- and where do you get Guerrilla Tape? Is that a Home Depot kinda thing?
Kathy- increasing your cadence won't change your watts. You would basically use an easier gear to pick up the cadence and thus end up with the same watts. I tend to be a bit of a "masher" and ride with cadence in the upper 80s. I had been working and working on getting myself into the 90s, but I tire easily when I ride at that cadence. So I've stopped trying so hard to force something that doesn't quite feel right. A cadence of 75 does seem really low, BUT to climb a lot of those hills (even with a 12-28 and a compact crank) you are simply gonna have a lower cadence if you don't want to spike the watts. Don't sweat it!!! I'm getting the feeling that you and I are gonna be pretty closely matched on the course. I had a FANTASTIC race at IMWI in 2008 and my Avg Cadence on race day was 76 with an NP=108. I'm predicting you'll have a good race too! What does your swim time look like? I'm kinda hoping you and I will be in the same area on the course- would be so nice to know you were just 5-10 min or so ahead of me on the course!
I've used it (and duct tape) to hold a snapped cable to the bike frame, to keep a snapped spoke (after I've wound it around another spoke) from banging into the cassette, hold a water bottle cage that a rusty bolt had come loose.
ok, so RR #1 - yep you heard that right. my first RR, I was doing steelhead. lots of testosterone involved, as that was a RACE between me and my childhood best friend, so NEEDED to beat him, which i eventually did. however, despite skipping on RR#1, I actually felt like I did it reading all the race reports posted.
. actually, I read them again the day before doing my RR. Coming in, I thought I had a massive fund of knowledge. I did. If anything, those race reports are worth being published, bc we all do mistakes. the expensive way is to learn from our own mmistakes, even though we are inclined to do the mistakes other people do, so why not learn from that....
well, I decided to skip MOWS, and do the swim the night before. so, that will remain my biggest fear. every time I reach 1.5-2 miles in open water, with a swimsuit (and sometimes earlier), my right leg cramps...... I'm so afraid of this (cos I;ve tried everything...) tonight, I'm actually heading for a 2,4 mile swim sans wetsuit - I will just have to give it a shot. swim went well. looking at getting out of the water in the 1:30 range..
Saturday headed to Madison. I also thought I would need something more solid, protein shake will feel good, but I love to EAT;-) total caloric intake was close to 1000 cals.
started off on my ride from downtown madison - based on HR. I was glued to my HR monitor - literally, and very happy with how I was pacing. When I got settled into my first 30-40 mins, my HR did not change more than 2 bpms. thought to myself I'll be happy if I keep this up. only problem was that i could still feel my legs from the long run on Thursday. Instead of going harder at 30 mins, I decided to delay that to 60 (afraid of the 6 mile run afterwards...). Av HR cam down to low 132 for the first 1/2 of the ride, and 138 for the second 1/2. 135 for entire ride.
nutrition was dead on 250 cal/hr perpeteum for the first 2 hrs, then gatorade and bars/shots. I can tell you one thing, that choc-chip bar was the second best thing I've had in a while. The best was the MARGARITA Shots, LOVE them. drank a total of 4 liters of water. peed once only at the half-way point. didn't feel like i was dehydrated, but i def need to acquire the skill of peeing while riding come 9/12.....
when i got off the bike at around 6:06 riding time (garmin on autostop when I'm not moving), I thought I could run forever. That didn't prove to be the case - even though I met all 6 mile times (and walked 30 seconds at EVERY mile marker), I was happy to sit down, by the lake, and just enjoy a couple of minutes to myself... total time was litereally 2 secs from anticipated time. 1100 for the first 3 miles and 1035 for the last 3 (my fabulous vDot of 37)
All in all, it was a great day. ended as well in a great recovery drink (fermented hops), sitting with some ENer's on the terrace.
If I can maintain my level of focus on race, my restraint, and execute like I did on RR, I'd be very happy man
. I know I won't, but i still hope to enjoy it. I have to admit, I enjoyed RR a TON.
NOTE to self, and things to do differently - get my toenails clipped a day before IMWI.
thanks for everybody's race report. YOU can not imagine how much I learnt from them
Nemo, don't worry, I'll be finishing sometime with you, or behind you; but we will both be finishing STRONG - that's one thing i'll promise.
Michelle, stellar job on RR.
rest of the team. I'm JUST AMAZED (especially jennifer with such a great perspective......) congrats, and GOOD LUCK