@GH ; I do recall that your FTP went down and that you were a little bummed by that, but it seems like you are making solid progress. Those long rides with Coach P on those beautiful hills with the blue ocean in the background must be paying off. And your running based on the recent HM race results is outstanding too. Well done. And oh i wish i could get down to 153 lbs. Seems like 160 is a floor I just can't break thru. Thanks for being a wonderful example for the rest of us (you're probably really fast in the swim too).
Well I had a good VO2 run today. Did the 200s, 400s at 6:20 pace but my HR never got above 155 and it should be @ 165+ for Z5. So for the 3x800s I ran @ even 6:00/mile pace and that did the trick - HR 168 to 171. The last one was hard, but manageable. I really believe that WORK WORKS. After a short cool down, I jumped in the pool for 1500 yds. Did sets of 50s @ :58 to :59 per set with :15 rest between. Near the end of the swim my neck got a little stiff so I've a ice pack on it right now. Feels better already.
Good wishes to all for safe and rewarding training.
Bill: Vo2 work is tough. i think i am 2 weeks ahead of you. maybe this will be helpful:
GHVo2:
-week 1 of vo2 on bike: did a lot of >than 120%; state of mind: Vo2 is hard, but excited to be generating high watts.
-week2 of Vo2 on bike: kept trying to do >than 120% but could not sustain and would then drop to below 100%; state of mind: Vo2 is hard and kind of bummed to be dropping below 120% at latter sets.
-week3 of Vo2 on bike: started noticing the watts i could sustain for all the sets while still pushing, then cross checking those watts with my ftp. state of mind: mindful now of the fact that i cannot go beyond what my body can do right now. sticking to the watts that allow me to consistently complete workouts. adjusting FTP accordingly, if needed. this mindfulness now has me looking forward to the vo2 sessions once again.
i got too excited by the first week and then kind of wasted the second week/third week. so, see what you can do and then stick to that and you'll get make the most of the work and will be sad when the workout is over.
Bruce: thanks for the nice sentiments and the encouragement. in fact, i suck at swimming even though i have the best intentions. i have a friend who will help me when the time comes with proper technique and think about technique all the time. so, hopefully things will come together when the time comes. i can swim 1hr20min for 2.4miles and feel normal afterwards now. in the past i swam 1:20ish, but felt completely spent. i would like to swim less than 1:07 at IMCdA.
6:00min/mile for 3x800 is not too shabby! excellent. sit at that pace until you notice the natural urge to go faster, just like you did in this most recent jump. try not go slower than the 6:00min/mile pace for those intervals. you have proven you can do it.
i think my weight floor is around 148lbs unless i lose significant muscle. i am living a rather spartan life now and this helps a lot, so i can't take real credit for dropping the weight. student budget/cook for myself/leave house early-return late/spend my day training and in my laboratory. if i had access to normal protions of tasty food, i'd be much heavier!!
Hope everyone is having a good week. Minor setback for me this week. Woke up Wed morning with major heel pain, inside left heel. Never had that before. Stretched, ice, not much better so went and got some ART yesterday, hurt like hell but today feels a little better even after VO2 bike wko. Skipped wed run, skipped today run, was doing half mary hack and will skip long run tomorrow. Do FTP test Monday, more ART Monday night then hopefully will be good to go.
Anyway, todays bike done, crushed it. 5 x 2.5 at 1.23,1.23,1.26,1.24,1.25 then 1 x 15 at .83 and 1x20 at .86. I guess no running for a few days helps the legs.
Bill that stinks - best stay off it for a few more days at least
I also kinda bagged the VO2 max run this week, but all week I have been CRUSHING my bike intervals. Crushing them. Boy I love the biking. I can't wait to get outside. I have to seriously hold myself back for the Z3 portions. I can barely do them - alwasy creepy up
Talking to a headhunter about a job in Chi-town today, then off to the opera to see Nixon in China tonight.And Elly making twice cooked pork tonight for dinner. This day just keeps getting better and better!
@ Bill and Jane - Great jobs on your bike intervals. You both are getting stong and very consistent in hitting the target ranges. Don't worry about the run - a few days off from the pounding and extra stress from the speed work will be fine in the long run.
@ Jane - good luck with the headhunter. I love living in Chi-town so you can't go wrong if the job is the right thing for you and your family.
@ GH - Ok so now I know you are a sandbagger - 1:07 target in the CDA swim isn't a time for somebody who sucks in the water. I hope to break 1:25, more likely 1:30 with all the traffic. I don't really care if I give up a few minutes on the swim as I just don't want to cook myself; I'd rather save my energy for mile 18 on the run.
I'm running 13-14 miles tomorrow with my marathon training buddies. I got a half mary in 3 weeks so I need to get some longer runs done.
Today I rode on the trainer for 3 hours, did the wo intervals at Z4 then 7x15' (2') @ Z3. Ran 15 minutes @ 7:30 pace then swam 2000 yds. I lost 4 lbs during the wo even though I drank 120 oz over the course of the morning. A 45 minute nap was the next thing on the agenda. I'm tired but my legs feel better than expected.
@bill - the twice cooked pork was Fabulous - when Elly was in China last fall he stayed an extra week and took a cooking course in Chengdu, SIchuan. We've all been very happy ever since!
so here's a self serving question/fishing for a compliment - I am killing the bike - loving it, having a great time. Am i going to be faster on the road? I sure hope so. Any true life stories out there from the veterans?
and intervals today - on hills even!! 3x1000 8:30 (uphill!)/6:51 (downhill)/7:09 (flat, just right!). All in spite of the 6 inches of snow! great great run.
Comments
@GH ; I do recall that your FTP went down and that you were a little bummed by that, but it seems like you are making solid progress. Those long rides with Coach P on those beautiful hills with the blue ocean in the background must be paying off. And your running based on the recent HM race results is outstanding too. Well done. And oh i wish i could get down to 153 lbs. Seems like 160 is a floor I just can't break thru. Thanks for being a wonderful example for the rest of us (you're probably really fast in the swim too).
Well I had a good VO2 run today. Did the 200s, 400s at 6:20 pace but my HR never got above 155 and it should be @ 165+ for Z5. So for the 3x800s I ran @ even 6:00/mile pace and that did the trick - HR 168 to 171. The last one was hard, but manageable. I really believe that WORK WORKS. After a short cool down, I jumped in the pool for 1500 yds. Did sets of 50s @ :58 to :59 per set with :15 rest between. Near the end of the swim my neck got a little stiff so I've a ice pack on it right now. Feels better already.
Good wishes to all for safe and rewarding training.
Week 11 for me - the V02 is tough.......I am hopping on the bike for a little 2.5 pain....five of them!!
Hope everyone is healthy and enjoying the OS!!
Bill: Vo2 work is tough. i think i am 2 weeks ahead of you. maybe this will be helpful:
GHVo2:
-week 1 of vo2 on bike: did a lot of >than 120%; state of mind: Vo2 is hard, but excited to be generating high watts.
-week2 of Vo2 on bike: kept trying to do >than 120% but could not sustain and would then drop to below 100%; state of mind: Vo2 is hard and kind of bummed to be dropping below 120% at latter sets.
-week3 of Vo2 on bike: started noticing the watts i could sustain for all the sets while still pushing, then cross checking those watts with my ftp. state of mind: mindful now of the fact that i cannot go beyond what my body can do right now. sticking to the watts that allow me to consistently complete workouts. adjusting FTP accordingly, if needed. this mindfulness now has me looking forward to the vo2 sessions once again.
i got too excited by the first week and then kind of wasted the second week/third week. so, see what you can do and then stick to that and you'll get make the most of the work and will be sad when the workout is over.
Bruce: thanks for the nice sentiments and the encouragement. in fact, i suck at swimming even though i have the best intentions. i have a friend who will help me when the time comes with proper technique and think about technique all the time. so, hopefully things will come together when the time comes. i can swim 1hr20min for 2.4miles and feel normal afterwards now. in the past i swam 1:20ish, but felt completely spent. i would like to swim less than 1:07 at IMCdA.
6:00min/mile for 3x800 is not too shabby! excellent. sit at that pace until you notice the natural urge to go faster, just like you did in this most recent jump. try not go slower than the 6:00min/mile pace for those intervals. you have proven you can do it.
i think my weight floor is around 148lbs unless i lose significant muscle. i am living a rather spartan life now and this helps a lot, so i can't take real credit for dropping the weight. student budget/cook for myself/leave house early-return late/spend my day training and in my laboratory. if i had access to normal protions of tasty food, i'd be much heavier!!
safe training to all.
GH
Anyway, todays bike done, crushed it. 5 x 2.5 at 1.23,1.23,1.26,1.24,1.25 then 1 x 15 at .83 and 1x20 at .86. I guess no running for a few days helps the legs.
I also kinda bagged the VO2 max run this week, but all week I have been CRUSHING my bike intervals. Crushing them. Boy I love the biking. I can't wait to get outside. I have to seriously hold myself back for the Z3 portions. I can barely do them - alwasy creepy up
Talking to a headhunter about a job in Chi-town today, then off to the opera to see Nixon in China tonight.And Elly making twice cooked pork tonight for dinner. This day just keeps getting better and better!
@ Bill and Jane - Great jobs on your bike intervals. You both are getting stong and very consistent in hitting the target ranges. Don't worry about the run - a few days off from the pounding and extra stress from the speed work will be fine in the long run.
@ Jane - good luck with the headhunter. I love living in Chi-town so you can't go wrong if the job is the right thing for you and your family.
@ GH - Ok so now I know you are a sandbagger - 1:07 target in the CDA swim isn't a time for somebody who sucks in the water.
I hope to break 1:25, more likely 1:30 with all the traffic. I don't really care if I give up a few minutes on the swim as I just don't want to cook myself; I'd rather save my energy for mile 18 on the run.
I'm running 13-14 miles tomorrow with my marathon training buddies. I got a half mary in 3 weeks so I need to get some longer runs done.
Today I rode on the trainer for 3 hours, did the wo intervals at Z4 then 7x15' (2') @ Z3. Ran 15 minutes @ 7:30 pace then swam 2000 yds. I lost 4 lbs during the wo even though I drank 120 oz over the course of the morning. A 45 minute nap was the next thing on the agenda. I'm tired but my legs feel better than expected.
@bruce, thanks!
@bill - the twice cooked pork was Fabulous - when Elly was in China last fall he stayed an extra week and took a cooking course in Chengdu, SIchuan. We've all been very happy ever since!
so here's a self serving question/fishing for a compliment - I am killing the bike - loving it, having a great time. Am i going to be faster on the road? I sure hope so. Any true life stories out there from the veterans?
and intervals today - on hills even!! 3x1000 8:30 (uphill!)/6:51 (downhill)/7:09 (flat, just right!). All in spite of the 6 inches of snow! great great run.
I am definately feeling the cumulative fatigue. Ride/brick yesterday went great, todays run with the VO2 1000's was very hard.
Really looking forward to tomorrow off.