Four Weeks to Go Before Ironman Arizona 2019

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Al

 Weekly update, Oct 28…4 weeks to go before IM AZ.

I am realizing that I have had a long, hard season when I look over at my door, where I post my race bibs from the past year. There’s not enough room at the top where I leave space for my A races. Looking back at my training diary, I have not had much of a break since winter of 2018 (20 months ago.)

The first week after Kona was totally ad lib, using subjective feelings of tiredness during and between activities to determine how far/hard to go. This past week was a bit more structured:

Monday: Treadmill run 3.15 mi, weights, Zwift Bump Race @ IF of 1.023 for 27′ (2nd Place

Tuesday: Run 5K/30′

Wednesday: Swim Tempo 200s for 2900 yds; Run 5K/31′ (took a class in disc brake maintenance @ nite)

Thursday: Bike home from grand-daughter visit 23 mi/1:47

Friday: Run 3.44 mi/33.5′; weights

Saturday: Bike on Zwift, five different events, 4 hr 10′, IF = 0.762, TSS 242, KJ = 2100. The first 45′ were 0.94 IF, most of the rest split between IM pace, recovery intervals, and race pace +.

Sunday: Swim 10 x 300 on 30″ @5:40/50; Run 9 mi in 1:26

I did find myself needing to sleep 9-10 hours on some nights, as well as take 40-50 minute naps most days. And my weight seems to have dropped a pound in the last week. After the hard cycling and running efforts, I am noticing a bit of excess swelling/sorenes in my right knee. But I did feel strong at the end of each of the weekend’s long efforts, so I’m going to up the volume this week, and space out those long efforts a bit more, with the run first, to try and get more recovery; I’ll be riffing off of the IM minimalist plan:

Monday: Day “off”, meaning 25′ in the weight room.

Tuesday: Zwift Masters race (so I can compete against other 70+!!!) for FTP Intervals; Run second 45′

Wednesday: Swim Sprint Intervals “3”; Run 45′ ?

Thursday: Long Run – 2 plus hours – we’ll see how far I can go…I’m thinking I can actually do double what I did yesterday.

Friday: Bike ABP vs Recovery x 1:30

Saturday: Bike 5 hours/100 miles/2450 KJ/270 TSS/0.735 IF on Zwift; Run x 40′

Sunday: Swim Red Mist x 1:15 (maybe only 9 x 400)

I’m intending to win this race in Arizona. I know I have been adamant about not taking the Kona slot should that happen, but I am having serious second thoughts about that. A big reason: The ITU changed their long course WC in Holland from 3K/120K/30K (2nd week of Sept) to 3.8K/180K/42.2K distance. Since I don’t have a chance to do the “shorter”/saner Long Course WC, I might as well go for the Big One once again, and finish it this time, when it won’t be in the middle of such a massive year.

Mentally, I’m feeling pretty good and optimistic about racing in Arizona I’ve NEVER had a bad race there, and I have every reason to feel I should once again have success on that course.

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Kona 2019 Race Report

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Al

My race report, as posted in Endurance Nation:

Brief Background: 7th race @ Kona, following 10th KQ, @ Boulder. My plan was NOT to race, but try and enjoy myself both during my time on the Island (wife, son, sister+bro-in-law came as well) and on IM Day.

I felt just fine going into the morning. Dinner the night before, breakfast the morning of were all the same as I always have done. I had no hiccups with morning pier preparation, nor with getting to the start on time. Only slight issue was stepping on the scale @ body marking – I was as feared maybe a pound or two under what I had hoped would be my minimum weight, coming in @ 145# with shoes on.

My swim was 1:21:40; for comparison, my very first in ’06 was 1:18, my last two were 1:32 and 1:44. The goal was: “Enjoy Yourself”; I allowed 1:40 in my plan. I was swimming very easily. I was going 48 strokes/minute, which is my standard at all times. Even considering the neoprene pants I wore, I would call the swim a big plus. Transition was pretty routine; I’d planned on 10 minutes, used 7:30.

The bike went exactly as planned. It took 7:35 total time, I’d allowed 7:30. I stopped whenever I needed to refill my front bottle. I pee’d after 10 miles (did not in T1), again @ 38 and 75 miles. I drank every 10 minutes, all of my planned Infinit (1400 calories), about 20 oz of GE, and the rest water. I ate 1.67 clif bars (350 cal), and a bottle of EFS gel (450 cal) for a total of about 2300 cal, or 300 an hour, about my maximum I can get in. My numbers on the bike (the goal: “Take it Easy”): time – 7:18 moving; TSS 163; Kilojoules 2300; VI 1.126; Avg HR 103. That’a about as easy as I can go…

T2 was 9:45, same as planned; took advantage of the porta-potti in the tent to pee. The run started with the first 11 miles between 11:35 and 12:22 pace (13:14 for the mile includingPalani). I had planned 12:00-12:30. This is slower than my training runs on the island, and 70-100 s/mile slower than long run pace). My HR was 115-118 during those miles, what I always do my long runs at. I pee’d once at mile 11, after about 2 hours, so I felt I was hydrating OK. Everything seemed on track.

That got me to sunset and darkness, and I started to fade. It started with my right knee beginning to hurt (the bad one, with a ratty joint between the patella and femur), so I walked a fair amount the next few miles, which were 14:13, 15:56, and 13:58. My hands and feet started tingling, so I took two cups of chicken broth, two banana halves, some more gatorade, and some coke. That helped, so I began running again, but my calves were feeling like they would cramp if I really “ran”, so it was more of a jog/shuffle. My cadence thus went up from about 89/90 to 95/97. Also the knee was still hurting. Next mile was 12:12, then back up to 14. At an aid station coming back out the energy lab, I stopped at a table to take a coke. I must have looked terrible, because the volunteers asked if I were OK. I wanted to sit down, and once I did, I realised I was cold, shivering, with goosebumps, and my calves were fasiculating (very quick small quivering, like they would cramp if I stood up or tried to walk). Something in me told me I should not continue, even though I had more than 4 hours in which I could finish. I felt like pushing any further would not be fun, and I had no desire to spend the next three hours trying to get back to Ali’i via walking/shuffling/staggering. I’ve done too many of these to not enjoy myself. I ‘d gone 17 miles in 3:36 when I abandoned the race. I weighed 138 at the end, compared to 145 at the start, about 5% down. 

Looking back, I might have finished if I had stopped for half an hour and refueled, hydrated, whatever, but I was really COLD, man, and worried about my knee. That’s the story.

I do not feel disappointed, mad or angry at myself. I had a great time this two weeks on the island. But given that I have now done 15 races between Xterra and IM in Hawaii, and only two of them were satisfying, I’m going to accept I can’t race here. Whether it’s my physiology or my psychology is irrelevant, I don’t know if I can bring myself to try anymore.

I’m entirely satisfied that I trained well, executed within myself, stayed fed and hydrated, and did not work too hard early on the run. I just couldn’t go more than about 3.5 hours on the run.

But I do want to follow through with the plan, which is to race Arizona.

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Kona 2019 “Race” Plan

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Al

Race in quotes because I’m doing this as an “event”, not a race. It’s my seventh time doing this, and only once was I satisfied with the outcome – the first time, in 2006, when I beat my qualifying time and actually set an IM marathon PR (subsequently bettered.) Since then: DNF, DNS, I forget (it was kind of a redemption after the DNS), 16:0X, 16:2X, last two with a lotta walking. Every other race I enter, I expect to (and almost always do) finish on the podium, in with a chance to win. Not here. Too much heat, wind, and top flight competition. Also, it will be my last time doing this thing, and I want to feel satisfied at the end. So: my number one goal is to run, every mile, walking 60 seconds/steps during each one (presumably at the aid stations, or 1/2 mi running/30 seconds walking. I’ve been practicing this the last two weeks.

The plan, therefore, is pretty simple. Even though I’ve done the requisite volume of training over the past four months, I’m counting on that to allow me to persist, not to race at the edge of my capacity. My biggest fear in 2006 was to “not blow up on the run”, so I trained and raced towards that goal. This time around, it’s more like “not blow out my knee on the run.” The last two long distance triathlons I’ve done, in May and June of this year, produced so much swelling in my rickety right knee that I had to drastically back off after about 11-14 miles. Not fun, and I want to try and avoid that. So here’s the strategy to get there:

Swim: Ironman has a little secret at this race, which is not wetsuit legal. If you are 70 or over, you can wear a wetsuit, and become an official finisher, but just not qualify for the podium. So I will wear Lava Pants – those Xterra neoprene “capris” which I train in all the time anyway. My last IM swims were about 1:23 in a wetsuit; last Kona swim was 1:44 without. So I’m shooting for 1:40.

Transitions: I want to total 20 minutes between the two, giving me time to gather myself, for a total of two hours swim/T1/T2.

Bike: Here is where the urge to race has to been chained up. I’m giving myself seven hours and 30 minutes to complete this. Best Bike Split says that I can go 6:40 @ an IF of 0.53; I just did a race rehearsal of 112 miles in 6:46 at altitude at an IF of 0.51. So why would I plan on 45 minutes longer? I want to be able to stop at an aid station now and then, stretch, make sure I get enough fluids, whatever, without feeling pressured to perform. This sounds a little incongruous, given how much I harangue people on this forum to “race”, but remember, my whole goal is to have a run I can feel good about, so cut me come slack, OK?

Run: For the last year and a half, I’ve been running on borrowed time. My right knee has severe osteoarthritis, with minimal to no cartilege between the kneecap and the femur. It is chronically swollen as a result, and only gets worse when I run more than about 2.5 hours. So I’ve concluded I have to quit doing marathons/IMs, and am hoping I can use some smarts to go as slow as I need to to keep running to the end. Those smarts start with good nutrition (see below), and move through proper pacing, making sure to walk every mile to give the knee a bit of a rest. I’m going to use RPE and HR to find a pace that’s lets me keep going past 2.5 hours. I think that HR is 111-117, and the pace will end up being 12:15-12:40 given the heat and my current training numbers. I was going 10:35 @ altitude the past two weeks, and am closer to 10:10 at sea level. I figure, add at least 90 sec/mile for the heat/humidity. So I’m allowing 5:30 to the marathon.

That adds up to 15 hours as my goal. Anything over that, I’ll be increasingly dissatisfied with the outcome; anything under, I’ll be increasingly happy with the result. That’s a lot of time to be paying close attention to the process of swimming, biking, and running, as well as managing pace, nutrition, hydration, fatigue, etc. That’s the half that’s 90% mental.

Nutrition: I want to take in at least 2100 calories on the bike, about 300/hour I hope. Four bottles of Infinit @ 350 each = 1400; Two cliff bars (1/6th every half hour) @ 250 = 500/1900; 5 oz of EFS gel = 450/2350; and a small bag of trail mix (raisins, peanuts, almonds, M&Ms) at Special Foods @ 200/2550. Allowing for spillage, droppage, etc, that should get my 66 kg frame through the afternoon. I will be using either a BTA refillable bottle or a 50 oz racing (aero) Camelbak for extra water. The hardest part of this will be to get enough water through my gut into my blood stream. That’s one of the reasons I’m allowing an extra 45 minutes to fool around at the aid stations – it’s OK to stop, get water, Gatorade Endurance, pee, whatever I need to do to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Challenges: I will be starting at about 7:15, I believe, in the last men’s wave. That, couple with my slow swim and bike, means I’ll be dealing with the worst of the winds both going up to Hawi, and from Waikoloa to past the airport. I know exactly what that’s like, having done it a few times before, which is another reason I’m giving myself 7 1/2 hours to finish the bike. The other significant challenge will be mental, simply maintaining focus and persistence throughout 26 x 12:30 minute miles. I absolutely know that I have more than enough cardiovascular and muscular fitness to do that. I just have to convince my knee that it will have to put up with it all, and that’s another reason I’m allowing myself a 2+ min/mile discount over my usual training pace.

“Keep doin’ it ’till you can’t.”

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Kona: Two Weeks to Go

Posted on September 29, 2019 by Al

Weekly Update, 9-23-29:

I was really raggedy edge this week, with three days off, and a few dropped workouts from my plan

Monday: Took the day off after I slept nearly nine hours, and then napped for two more throughout the day.

Tuesday: Long Run, 2 hr 19 min, 13.11 miles. The legs held up, but more important was my GE hydration, and my mental persistence. I need to remember this day when I want to start walking after 3 hours…

Wednesday: Race Sim. Again, I needed to put in the extra time to draw on mentally on race day. 112 mile bike, 6:46 moving time, followed by a one hour run. I forced myself to eat more, and it paid off in the last two hours. Again, gotta remember that race day.

Thursday: In intended to swim and bike, but the weather reports for the weekend, both in CO, and in WA, were looking iffy, I missed my wife, I was tired, and I just wanted to GO HOME. So I did. The bad news: two hours into the drive, I remembered I had left some very significant items behind, so I circled back, drove and extra FIVE hours, and then on

Friday: I had to drive another 14+ hours. The perennial optimist in me noted that this was good mental training for being persistent on race day. I slept 8.5 hours the next two nights, with 45-60′ naps each day.

Saturday: Three back-to-back-toback Zwift rides for three hours, @ 0.7 IF, 150 TSS. Ran 5K in the PM

Sunday: Red mist, + 200 to make 4200 yds, in 1:22 swimming time. Ran another 5K.

I Zwifted this morning, and wrote my “Race” Plan: https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/26113/at-kona-race-plan/p1?new=1

Will keep running 5K daily, swim tomorrow, leave for HI on Wed, arrive late evening, and switch to Islan’ Time Thursday morning.

I’m not going to review PMC or 12 week totals now; nothing I can do about it, as the Hay is just about in the Barn…

Off to pack, prep bike, etc.

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Kona Three Weeks To Go

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Al

Weekly update 9-23-19

First off, the past 9-10 days has me teetering on the edge of overtraining. I took 24 hours “off (4 PM-4PM Fri/Sat), then woke up today/Monday totally fried. NO training at all today, rested so hard, ate, drank, did very minor house cleaning. I’m aiming for a final push the next six days before two week taper. Here is a copy/paste of last week’s plan, with notes in bold:

Monday: accomplished – 55′ recovery swim, 5.5 mile run practicing run a mile/walk a minute @ 10:30 pace.

Tuesday: Swim Sprint Intervals, Bike FTP Intervals (climb the neighborhood hills). Hopefully, rain won’t inhibit. Accomplished

Wednesday: Split 3 hour run, 120’/60′ Accomplished

Thursday: Swim 10 x 400 ( hard to do as red mist @ altitude); 60′ recovery bike. Did the swim, not the bike

Friday: Bike about 6 hours up and down the Fryingpan, run 60′ after Did the bike, ran 45′

Saturday: Bike about 3.5 hrs on Capitol and Snowmass creeks OR Castle & Maroon Creeks, run 30′ Did the run on Sat, the bike on Sun

Sunday: Run: “Taper VO2” vs just run for 50′ Replaced with Saturday’s schedule bike

Totals: 18.25 hours for the week, with the previous weekend, 10 days @ an average of 156 TSS/day. I thought I was being a bit of a wimp, then I noticed that on the EN Strava leaderboard, only @Coach Patrick had put in more time than I the past two weeks (among Ironman trainers.) So I felt OK about taking a day off, and recommitted to the attitude that my race is about spending time in the water, on the bike, and running, not about overall speed. That informs my upcoming week, basically long run, swim, bike:

Monday: REST!!! (scrubbed planned swim and FTP bike)

Tuesday: 2 hour run

Wednesday: Race Rehearsal (we’re calling it a simulation now?). This will be 80 miles on the Rio Grande Trail, then 31.5 miles on the Fryingpan, the final 15 into the wind (it was pretty stiff last week). that’s as flat as I can get it around here, still 3200′ gain.

Thursday: Swim 65-70′, then bike 3.5 hours

Friday: Drive home, run 30-40′ before I leave.

Saturday: Drive home, recovery ride on Zwift when I get back.

Sunday: Swim 85’/3800m. OWS if the lake is still tolerable, the the pool otherwise. Run 30-40′ in the PM

Knee report: My right knee is not getting any worse. I’m able to handle the runs at a very slow (for me, historically) speed, running 1 mile, walking 60″ (or 1/2 mile/30″. Going at a 10:30-45 pace that way. The only pain I get is the first 200-400 meters starting up. After that, I think I generate enough lubrication in the joint to ease the scraping of the rough edges on the cartilege. I AM looking forward to ending my long runs this year, and only doing 10-21k in races.

Other health: I am almost too lean, I feel. I’m down to 64.6 kg, when I’d like to be about 66.5, and race @ 67. Gotta eat, eat, eat on the bike and after the run this week, just to stay even, I guess. Thats tough after hour 4 in the saddle…

Coach reply:

In terms of importance the key workouts are:

  1. The 3 hour ride on Queen K. You need time in the heat, all easy, but a great jump start to local adaptation (mental and physical). 
  2. A run in from the energy lab to downtown I did this last year and it was mentally great. Start from the Pine Tree Cafe and run back to transition…it’s a 7 mile run and you can do it easy. Will take you 1:20 max? Only session of the day here. Let me know what you think. Hydration belt required, etc. 
  3. Daily runs as you are able just for acclimation…even short 20′ sessions count. 

Thoughts?

Me:

Good plan. I am not signed up for Hoala as I tried too late; it was closed to new registrations. I can always bandit it. I’m thinking, though:

Friday – Run from Pine Tree to town. I’d need to either get a ride out there, or ride my bike back to pick up my car parked there. AND remember to bring my Fuel Belt, which I haven’t used in maybe 5-6 years.

Saturday – Ride from Waikoloa to Hawi and back, getting three hours altogether.

Sunday – Swim. The buoys will be up, and I can get the full course in. It may not sound safe, but I’ve done it in training every other time, and the Ocean does not scare me. You may not remember, but I have the option to “wear a wetsuit”, and I’m going to try this with Lava Pants.

Runs – yes, I heard your Kona podcast, and will incorporate this into the plan. 

Tomorrow (Wednesday), I’m doing the Race Sim, and will report back on Thursday after I follow that with another ride up Maroon and Castle Creeks before my drive home from CO to WA. I ran 13.11 miles today, and while it’s slow, and my quads felt it, my knees are not swelling like after the Spain and Boulder races earlier this year…

BTW, your workouts this week and last – swim, bike, and run – are scary fast. Here’s hoping you nail the taper, that’s the key now. Try to enjoy it.

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Coach/Athlete Conversation

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Al

From Patrick:

Sorry for the delay in responding, I was replying to you this AM and got interrupted,..and in my mind I had answered you. 😢 So…here we go:

  1. Your diligence with updates is outstanding. Thank you for them as it realyadds value to what I am seeing on the data side. 
  2. I know you are concerned about run volume but there’s “work” and there’s “adaptation”….or inputs and outcomes. I think you are rightly concerned / aware of the total health of your knee and the decision to Cut back the run that week was the right call. 
  3. The direction of your CTL doesn’t lie…you are doing work!

Moving the short term this week looks great to me. I believe you will be sufficiently tired by Saturday midday and will enjoy your 24 hours off. Please closely monitory your “ride mood” on Frying Pan day and see if in creased calories (more frequent) makes a difference. Sometimes I need to shorten things by 5′ (on the 25′ vs the 30′) when fatigued vs sticking with my historical plan. 

Looking ahead, I would suggest the following changes: 

  • 9/23 is a long swim but not red mist. You could pull a 4km TT swim for example (buoy, no paddles). 
  • 9/26 no swim before the bike; just bike run the sim.
  • 9/27 is possible do the swim before the Friday Ride day (a shorter ride, good chance to loosen up, again more pulling is okay). 

Before I comment on the rest, can you get me some specifics on When you travel to Kona? 

Thanks and onwards!

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Kona 2019: Four Weeks To Go

Posted on September 17, 2019 by Al

Weekly Update Sep 9-15

This week turned into a recovery period, mainly from life issues:

Monday: Max Effort 4 on Zwift, followed by short weight session. Pick up new mini-camper, which takes up the rest of the day, in preparation to leave for CO

Tues/Wed – Despite my intentions, I do nothing but drive to CO, and arrive Wed PM to house which had been invaded by a local bear. Son Cody has already cleaned up most of the mess, which was about as minimal possible: damage to pantry, front door, and carpet, and food lost, but house returned to relatable status by the next day.

Thursday: Swim x 2.4 i in AM; PM 75′ recovery ride (41 TSS) followed by attempt to run, ended after 1 mile – Altitude? Despair?

Friday – Bike to Vail to stay with friends for the weekend while house rented out. Had a disconcerting fall in Glenwood Canyon (42 miles in) lost a little skin on one knee and elbows, and saved from disaster by helmet when the fall ended with head hitting a rock. Drove thru Glenwood, tried to ride again, but 10 miles in or so, hit a high seam on a bike path bridge, popped both latex tubes, and took that as a sign to drive the rest of the way.

Saturday – Lolled around with friends in Vail in the AM, 8.5 miles of swift hike in PM.

Sunday – Mojo returned with uneventful 102 mile return bike trip, But again, did not run after, not sure why other than I felt very fatigued.

PMC report: the long swim, walk, and bike alone accounted for 500 TSS points, which allowed my max CTL to only dip to 133 from 137 10 days earlier.

I felt pretty refreshed coming into this week, obviously, and hopeful that I can handle a standard two weeks (actually, 10 more days) here at my CO camp before driving back home at the start of my taper, then leaving for HI on Oct 2.

Planned:

Monday: accomplished – 55′ recovery swim, 5.5 mile run practicing run a mile/walk a minute @ 10:30 pace.

Tuesday: Swim Sprint Intervals, Bike FTP Intervals (climb the neighborhood hills). Hopefully, rain won’t inhibit.

Wednesday: Split 3 hour run, 120’/60′

Thursday: Swim 10 x 400 ( hard to do as red mist @ altitude); 60′ recovery bike.

Friday: Bike about 6 hours up and down the Fryingpan, run 60′ after

Saturday: Bike about 3.5 hrs on Capitol and Snowmass creeks OR Castle & Maroon Creeks, run 30′

Sunday: Run: “Taper VO2” vs just run for 50′

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Six Weeks To Kona

Posted on September 8, 2019 by Al

Weekly Update, Sept 2-8: 6 weeks to go.

Summary: I had a solid week, with good intensity workouts on both bike and run, and good long swim, bike and run. I fell a little short on my run volume goal. PMC #’s: CTL max @ 133, end week @ 131 with a ramp of 2.7. 1,025 total TSS. Details:

Monday: Max Effort 3 on bike; 3.3 mi progressive brick @ 9:43/8:38/8:09/8:01 on the track

Tuesday: Weight session, 4 mile run, evening “social” ride of an hour @ 0.87 IF

Wednesday: Long Ride in the mountains. 71.5 mi, 6300′ gain, 0.72 IF, 288 TSS. I felt tired that evening

Thursday: 24 hour rest, then 3 x 1 km (3′) on the track @ 7:55/44/37 pace

Friday: OWS x 1:11, 2 miles. Another weight session. No run, to “save” a bit for the next day – 

Saturday: Half Marathon race (86/320 OA, 1/3 in AG). This was through a tunnel x 2.5 miles, then down a pretty steady 1.5% grade on packed gravel. My time was 1:54, just what I wanted. I did feel strong towards the end, and maybe went a bit to hard the last mile or so. I ended up in the evening sore in my right quad, but my knee(s) felt no worse than after any of my Oly tris or track workouts this summer, and certainly better than after either of my long races in May and June.

Sunday: Risk of thunder in the AM, so I did a pool swim of 3800 meters (7 x 400 meters on 9′, then 2 x 500 m). My right quad still felt a bit sore, so I skipped a potential run on the track and watched football and the Vuelta instead.

I’m a touch concerned that I’m on the shy side of my planned run volume, but I’m feeling OK about juggling the need to recover after hard/long efforts with the desire to hit a specific number. Next three weeks in Colorado hopefully will allow even more time for recovery than here at home, where I do nap 25-30 minutes a day, and use the Normatec nearly daily.

Plan for the upcoming week:

Monday: Max Effort 4: same IF targets for the intervals. Brick of 3-4 miles. Pick up our NEW mini-can pop-up camper conversion in the afternoon.

Tuesday: Early morning track 3 x 1 km session, then leave for two-day drive to CO.

Wed: Day off; travel.

Thursday: I should really swim, bike and run.

Friday: I should swim again, then ride 100 mi to Vail

Saturday: I’m planning a 4 hour walk/hike with Vail friends and wife in lieu of this week’s long run

Sunday: Return home to Snowmass on bike, another 100 miles, follow with a run.

I’m suspecting this week will show me just where I’m at vis-a-vis my biking capacity. The following week will be my longest run, with three swims. And the week after that will feature three more swims and a full-bore race rehearsal on Fri or Sat, and drive home Sat/Sun or Sun/Mon. Leaving for Kona Tuesday PM the 2nd of Oct.

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8 Weeks To Go – Weekly Update

Posted on August 26, 2019 by Al

Weekly Update (in preparation for coach phone call tomorrow)

Last week’s #’s:

•Swim – OWS x 2, 6800m, 2 hr 30″

• Bike – Max Effort (75′), SST ) 75′, Recovery (65′) all on Zwift; Social 60′, Long Ride 100 mi/6:36 Total 11:20/184 mi

• Run – Split Long Run 9/7 mi, 90’/68′; Intervals 3 x 1 mi @ ~ 8′.mi, Brick after long ride 5.25 mi/50′; 4 mi LRP. Total 5 hrs/31.2 mi

• Weights x 2 + Home PT work x 4

Total of 20 hrs 20′

Seems I’m transitioning to long activities, and tolerating those well. The pace is slow, but I do not feel trashed at the end, I guess that’s a good sign?

PMC Update: TSS for the week: 1015; Max CTL on Sunday, 130 ( back to where I was pre-USAT Nat’l race); -15 TSB, Ramp 3.0 today. I’m expecting to average a ramp of 2-3 over the next 5 weeks, hitting 140 TSS two weeks before the IM.

Upcoming week:

Mon – Recovery day after long ride/brick. 24 hours off, then weights and Max Effort 3 in the PM

Tuesday – Run 6 miles @ LRP; Pool swim sprint session

Wednesday – Long Run, 2 hours, hope for 13 miles

Thursday – Long Ride in the mountains, last year it was 70 miles. 5 hr 15′, @ 0.78 IF, TSS 327. Hoping to do this with Sid Wavrin.

Friday – Bike Friday Freight Train for Big Gear Work; 30-45′ run @ slow LRP

Saturday – Final Olympic race for SST work, Run Intervals

Sunday – Long OWS, Run a couple of miles

Phone call prep:

The Following week after Labor Day will include a half marathon, and another long bike ride, the following week I head to CO for 3 weeks including travel days. My questions:

  1. You’d suggested shorter (90′) ABP rides followed by an 80′ run (8-10 miles). I’m not sure how to fit that in with the schedule as it is written.
  2. My plan for long rides is as follows: Camp week (back-to-back 6 hr rides) would normally be weekend of Sept 7-8. It would fit better with my life to do that the week of Sep 14-15, “Week 16”. Ride to Vail (the easy way) on Saturday, Come back Sunday afternoon. But it’s really tough to get bricks in after that first ride.
  3. Final Race Rehearsal planned for Sep 28, end of “Week 18” Plan calls for 3.5 hour ride the next day.
  4. Knee update – no news is good news. I’m handling 30 mile weeks at a slow pace ( overall average 9:37, which is my LRP) on flat to easy rolling terrains, as well as 3 x 1 mi (4′) @ 8:13, 8:03, 7:56 pace. No after effects except after hard and long runs, there is a bit of swelling, more than the usual background level. I think I need to turn my attention to hydration strategy for the Big Island, as well as bike pacing there. My plan for12′ miles with run a mile walk a minute seems feasible form the standpoint of knee tolerance, but I worry (based on previous performances) about de-hydration and the effects of a long day on all systems.
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Weekly Update August 18

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Al

(To my Coach)

Weekly Update, week of Aug 12-18…

First, I start with some anxiety. I’m following all these folks on Strava, on EN Live, watching people do the epic Leadville rides and runs, seeing the final preps for LP and MT, etc, and wondering, “Am I not working hard/long enough?” And no, I don’t go out and do extra credit work, I’m just feeling a little…insufficient. In the end, though, I do trust my training, especially as I see how well my biking and my running are progressing with the work I *am doing. Not asking for support or encouragement here, just sharing.

Past week: started with an easier Monday after return from Cleveland: Recovery ride on zwift, 42′ run, and weight room. Highlights included: 14.25 miles on Wed split into two runs of 75′ & 60′; 4 hr 15′ mountain ride on Thursday, and another Olympic race on Saturday – 50/192 OA, won AG by 15′, affirming the only meaningful competition will come when I go to the “big” races on nat’l/international level.

Stats for the week: CTL dropped from 130 week before USAT NC to 124 the day after that race, back to 125 after the Wed/Thurs Big Days. Ramp is now @ 1.5, with TSB back into negative territory, and TSS for the week back up to 950. My running was up to 31 miles which is pretty awesome I think.

Health report: I’m a touch fatigued this week, dropped anticipated 2.5 mile run this evening, and shortened my swims. I have also dropped the formal PT sessions, but have kept up the 30′ 4-5 x/week of those exercises, and adding Blood Flow Restriction work to my weaker leg. The Key Thing here is that my knee is certainly no worse, either during running, or at rest. If anything, it seems a bit less swollen and less painful when just moving around. I hate to sound hopeful, because it’s been over a year during which it has seemed like, maybe I really shouldn’t be running anymore…

Planned for the upcoming week:

Monday – Bike Max Effort 1 (as Zwift wko) with 30-40′ OTB run

Tuesday – Swim, OWS vs pool (tempo 200s) 65′ in AM, run FTP. The plan says 1 mile (4′) repeats, but I think I will try to keep with the 1 km cruise intervals, upping them to 5 (2-3′).

Wednesday – Bike – “Full SST” on Zwift as race, workout, or group ride, depending on whats available.

Thursday – No Mountain Goats this week; Split Long Run here of 75’/75′ going for 16+ miles.

Friday – Big Gear Work as Friday Freight Train

Saturday – Long Ride here in the lowlands, working for six hours on the TT bike

Sunday – OWS in the AM, hopefully 80′, with 30-45′ run in the evening.

Questions for this week:

  1. Do you endorse my upping the cruise intervals instead of start the 1 mile run repeats?
  2. Should I try a short OTB run after my long ride?
  3. When does the next phone call come in the grand scheme of things?
  4. Will we be getting snails and frog legs in France? Not sure I’m ready for that…
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