Ready, Set, Week 13 Bike and Brick a Go Go
Hay JOS!
I'm "off the grid" for the next two weeks but will still be checking in. And whaddaya know, I get to start the thread - weeeeee!
This week is a tri camp on the Big Island. Biked yesterday into a 1,000 MPH head/tail/cross/spinning/up/down-wind and holy moly I am glad to have power. Not that there is a lot you can do when you're just trying to stay on your bike, but I can really see how this will help moderstae efforts. It is as verrrrry tempting to push too hard, if only so you can get back before dark! 
Good luck this week!
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@Jenn, enjoy it. Waikaloa and north, Madam Pele will humble you, no doubt. Make sure you hold on real well.
Bike+run complete. On the road again, stationary bike as usual, run outside.
bike 60min, 6x2.5min(2.5min) by feel+ run (modified) 40min, 2mi@HMP/3.5mi EP
I am beginning to modify the Tuesday brick with faster running vs. Saturday as I want the session to be more short course specific. I will keep extending the HMP segment and will occasionally add 10k pace segments for upcoming sprint as well. So, please disregard my deviation from the planned workouts.
Workout was hard but very enjoyable.
@ Alek - I read about your work travelling on another thread - wow - I really have it easy compared to you when it comes to scheduling workouts. Yet your pretty darn fast - amazing - kudos to you....
I 'm still going on RPE for last couple weeks here - Power still @ sickbay - waiting on word. I'm very curious to know how my RPE skills are holding up. I know I'm working it... Hope to have it back for wk 14 test. Did bike on trainer (still below 30 degrees when I get up) and ran 40min outside. I actually enjoy the brick runs especailly about 15 minuties into it - legs come back an feel good. The brisk weather really cools me down after the trainer....
@Pete, thank you. I hope, that being able to share a little of that would help someone know that it can be done, would motivate to reach for the goals. We all need that. I get my motivation reading all these posts here, it is powerful and I am so grateful.
Workout assigned was 60' with 6x 2.5'(2.5') @ z5. I did the full 22' "standard warmup" plus the main set and the "remainder" 8' at z3…then went into overtime because my wife was late getting home and I couldn't leave the kids asleep and go out on my brick run until she got home.
So it was 13' of overtime, 1:13 total, 21' of z3 after the MS. It actually worked out well since I finished Braveheart on the DVD, which was started on Saturday's long brick ride.
I did not hit the ball out of the park on the z5 stuff today. I just got off the plane after a trip to NYC and I was just sort of tired to be honest. I hit the numbers, and it was not a brutal battle to get it done…but was just sort of "sluggish". Strangely, the HR got quite a bit higher than usual for me on the bike (in contrast to the run, see below).
z5 intervals, 120%=270, 65%=146
275/162, cad 92, HR 152
274/167, cad 93, HR 164
275/160, cad 93, HR 169
279/156, cad 93, HR 174
276/154, cad 93, HR 178
276/144, cad 93, HR 181
"Remainder 21" @z3 - NP: 189w (IF 0.842), cadence: 89, HR: 173
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/76087289
The 45' brick run was very tough tonight. It took a lot of mental energy to keep going. Very sluggish. In the second half I felt like I was "pushing" but my pace was not even z3. My HR avg was 171 and never really got over 180, very strange for me – usually it is low on the bike then 186-188 on the run. I also got some tightness / cramping in my quads in the last mile, something that happens to me only very rarely when I do a hard brick (but this was not so hard…). On the upside, my hamstrings felt okay…we'll see how they feel tomorrow…
Overall 47:14, 6.48 miles, 7:17 pace.
Lap Dist Pace
1 0.43 07:54
2 0.52 07:34
3 0.49 07:26
4 0.56 07:16
5 0.51 07:08
6 0.71 07:15
7 0.71 07:11
8 0.51 07:07
9 0.53 07:20
10 0.49 07:13
11 0.53 07:13
12 0.49 07:00
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/76087334
Cheers,
Matt
Hey Pete... a few weeks w/o power has to feel like an eternity, especially after you've had it. I'll bet I'm not the only one very interested to hear the diagnosis/resolution. Seems like for that amout of time a new one could be built? Hang tough....
ok, really slummed it for the last two weeks, this week i am back in the saddle and on the road. started up with saturdays brick, sunday's run. OUCH, this hurts when you skip a couple of weeks. hitting the bottom ends of my ranges and feeling it come back, pumped to finish the OS in style
120%=290, 65%=157, ABP=206
292/168
291/154
288/161
289/153
292/162
289/156
ABP 15' pNorm=213
Overall: pNorm=227 TSS=87.6
Today was the first time it was warm enough that I felt like I could jump off the trainer and do my brick run in the great outdoors... WOW! That felt GREAT!!! I was on fire 5.76 miles 41 minutes:
mile 1: 8:45 (slow because I had to run back in the house and didn't stop watch)
mile 2: 7:18
mile 3: 7:37 (slowed at a couple intersections
mile 4: 7:23
mile 5: 7:12
mile .6: 4:32 (7:08 pace)
I signed up this week for a 5k this weekend for my TT and a half marathon at the end of April just to see what is in the tank and set myself up for a fantastic 20k race at the end of May to see how the OS has treated me.
5min wu
5 x 2.5
1.18/.68
1.21/.70
1.2/.71
1.2/.66
1.28/.6
5min cd
Surprising, I hit all my intervals, but I didn't have the time nor desire to ride out the hour at 85%. I skipped yesterday's run as my desire to sleep won the alarm battle in the morning. I'm going to take off from work early today with the plan to ride for a full hour AND run for 30-45 min. I'm hoping this will jump start the motivation to push through the last few weeks of the OS.
My first race (series) starts in 2 weeks, it's a weekly time trial. I don't want to limp into the start of race season. Perhaps getting out of the basement will help.
@Tom - looks like the outdoors did wonders for ya. I'm hoping for the same results.
I'm back as well at least I hope so. My wife has had a couple trips to the ER in the last two weeks and training has been almost non-existent, which is fine given the circumstances. She is feeling better but still needs another test and possibly surgery.
Gordon
1.26/.59
1.23/.65
1.23/.64
1.24/.65
1.22/.60
1.22/.53 (totally spent)
I'm just about to head down to do my Thursday bike, but I had a question. Does this stuff get easier? During the FTP phase holding the power got easier near the end - obviously because I was getting stronger. But not this time - if anything they seem to be getting harder. I guess it doesn't matter too much since this is the last v02 week. I wonder what my test will show next week if these intervals are still so hard.
Maybe I'm the oddball but I like the Vo2 stuff- especially when stuck to a trainer....the intervals make the time fly by....and makes the z3 work seem much easier. Today I felt so good I did 10 x 30s after the 5 x 2.5 intervals....but alas I'm still on RPE - so maybe i'm not pushing as hard as I think I am......
@ Jenn - ur right - not having my PM after just getting used to it kind've puts a downer on the OS - but you deal with the hand your dealt....or so they say...
@Bob. I found the 2nd and 3rd weeks of the VO2 work to be easier than week 1 (except for the sunday runs which have become death marches), but when it hit 6 repeats this week, it got harder, especially today after the Tuesday/Wednesday workouts.
Workout assigned was 60'
- I did the full 22' "standard warmup"
- 6x 2.5'(2.5') @ z5
- "remainder" 8' at z3
I could feel a calf about to cramp on the fifth interval so I had to break that one into two pieces. So technically a fail but not because I couldn't keep up the power output.
Also, I upshifted and dropped my cadence after the first two intervals…was able to generate more power that way. I do like to switch it up a bit with the cadence and gearing sometime.
z5 intervals, 120%=270, 65%=146
274/157, cad 93, HR 154
278/155, cad 94, HR 161
282/148, cad 90, HR 168
280/149, cad 89, HR 172
278/143, cad 94, HR 165 (only the last 1:00)
286/144, cad 90, HR 176
"Remainder 8" @z3 - NP: 193w (IF 0.858), cadence: 91, HR: 165
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/76422074
Cheers,
Matt
After my mini-T2 I ran EZ for 15 min and then wrapped up with 12 30-sec hill repeats. Aside from the 30mph wind, all was good.
I must be the odd one out, I'm enjoying the VO2 work. I like that it's short and sweet.
Have a good night all
Nice work guys! I am with you Aaron, I like this kind of work, running it even more.
Got my work done today, AM 5500SCM swim with threshold and VO2max swimming. PM bike work, 6x2.5min(2.5min)@120%FTP, evening run 5mi EP with my wife. Felt like a real triathlete.
Bike: 50min, xP 238W, IF .86, TSS 64
120%=332W
332W 332W 334W 331W 332W 331W
all cad 107
Felt hard but ok, much like the FTP work toward the end.
Few words on the FTP test expectation, very individual but will not be much. I know in my case I may not even see a bump, maybe few watts. I am guessing average bump maybe 2-3%. Just make sure you don't implode during the test targeting something less realistic.
Great work guys, keep it up.
I'm lurking, lurking........have bike races starting and weather is turning. I plan to STAY ON THE TRAINER for 1 z5 interval workout per week. Going to get in another ft test to make sure I've held my strength form last year, or close. Looking for 325. Prob not going to see it.
Weight is down thanks to life stress and colonoscopy prep (old guy). Easier than long runs! Looking forward to cycling fun.
Totally impressed with the group performance. April 1 and EN folk are way ahead of the game.
Saturday brick report. The short story is that it was a very good workout. I did it starting at about 1pm after a reasonable breakfast but no lunch. So I had a sleeve of Shot Bloks with caffeine, headed down to the basement and got on the bike.
No movie today, instead I watched the Cubs trail all afternoon (and was on the brick run by the time the 8th inning rally to win the game happened!!).
The bike workout was 75 mins with 6x 2.5'(2.5') @ z5. I did the full 22' "standard warmup" plus the main set and the "remainder" 23' at z3.
Felt very good on the bike today and hit all the intervals. I kept in the aerobars the whole time except for the z1 recoveries.
z5 intervals, 120%=270, 65%=146
280/157, cad 94, HR 158
282/152, cad 95, HR 164
286/157, cad 96, HR 169
291/154, cad 91, HR 171 – did this one in a higher gear
285/147, cad 96, HR 173
288/151, cad 91, HR 175 – did this one in a higher gear
23' @z3 - NP: 196w (IF 0.869), cadence: 92, HR: 162
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/76762781
The run – for the first time in a couple of weeks – felt really, really good. I decided ahead of time that I'd do 45 mins instead of the 30' assigned given that the weather was nice and I wanted to get a bit more run volume in. I ended up feeling great and running the whole thing at better than z4 (z4=6:56). Avg cadence was 84 with a ton of time at 85, so I' m really happy with that too.
Overall the run was 47:00, 6.91 miles, 6:48 pace. I triggered splits manually at each 7:30 for no other reason than 45:00 is divisible by 7:30. Also I ran about 2min at the beginning not counted in the time since the Garmin took some time getting satellites today.
Lap Dist Pace
1 1.12 06:43
2 1.09 06:51
3 1.09 06:54
4 1.1 06:47
5 1.12 06:43
6 1.11 06:53
7 0.28 06:34
I did stop 4 times, 3 of those in the last 7:30 and none because I needed to recover. Once was to go under a tunnel, once for traffic, and once at 45:00 when I was supposed to be done (but then decided to run the extra 2 mins home). And once after the first 7:30 for the same tunnel. Total stopped time was <3min.</p>
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/76764442
Cheers,
Matt
@Matt, very nice work. Those numbers look great. You are in for a serious bump.
Saturday bike complete on the trainer, no run. Kansas City was 90F with winds gusting over 40mph, I don't run in that.
It was my buddies cool and humid basement, so numbers are not as high as last time but close enough and well into the VO2max 105-120%.
120%=332W
323W 325W 328W 326W 331W 323W
75min total today. The upcoming test will be on Tuesday for me and I do not expect any rise in FTP. I don't feel that this segment had any positive effect on my FTP. Will see on Tuesday.
Good night.