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I picked up the new Trek Equinox TTX 9.9 from Bicycle Sport on Thursday!!
STATS:
Swimming: 20,100yds in 5 sessions
Cycling: 191 mi in 4 sessions
Running: 10 mi in 4 sessions
Total: 18.2 hrs
Maintenance: 1.5 hrs
Ave Weight: 164 lbs
GOALS FOR LAST WEEK:
Last week was still a little up in the air because I didn't know if or when I'd be able to run. My planned key sessions were:
* Tuesday Bike: 2 X 30 mins Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 155-160 bpm) ~25-26 mph
* Sunday Brick: Bike 30 mins Steady + Run 3 miles Steady
My overall goals for last week were:
* Do whatever is necessary to get my calf back in action....massage, stretch, ice, heat, etc.
* One strength session.
* Swim 20K, Bike 180 mi, Run 20 mi
RECAP:
The main focus for this week was to get my calf back in action. I got ART/Stim done on Tuesday and the rest of the week I focused on stretching and massaging my calf and hamstring. I tried jogging on Monday but only ended up running for 8 mins total and walked the rest of the 3+ miles to and from the YMCA. I tried again on Wednesday with very similar results and was very discouraged. FINALLY, on Friday I went out for a jog and made it 4 miles without too much discomfort and I came back with another 4 miles on Saturday. This was encouraging. It felt much better on the grass than pavement and if I went much faster than 7:30 pace it started to give me some signals that I didn't want to mess with so I just kept it nice and easy.
Aside from my running, the rest of my workouts went great and I got in some good maintenance sessions this week and really opened up the adductors which I think is the cause to my hip flexor discomfort on the bike. I had a great workout on Tuesday with 2 X 30 mins steady on the bike and on Thursday I added in another 15 mins steady. On Sunday I had an 80 mile ride and decided to do some work between steady and LT and felt great during the whole ride. My swimming is feeling very good and I've managed to hit around 20k swimming for 3 of the last 4 weeks. That's got to be a lifetime best for me.
GOALS FOR NEXT WEEK:
Next week my main goal is to get my run frequency and durability back on top. I plan on running all seven days next week even if it's just 4 miles each day. If feeling good I'd like to get in an 8-10 mile run on Sunday. I'm going to continue with 70.3 specific work on the bike and swim to try and get more comfortable at those intensities for longer and longer. So far so good for the swim and bike. I think I can get the run back within the next 3 weeks.
* Build run durability back by running each day this week
* One-two strength sessions.
* Swim 20K, Bike 180 mi, Run 36 mi
NEXT WEEK'S KEY SESSIONS:
* Tuesday Bike: 30 mins Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 155-160 bpm) ~25-26 mph
* Thursday Bike: 3 X 30 mins Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 155-160 bpm) ~25-26 mph
* Sunday Run: Run 8 miles
THOUGHTS:
I picked up the new Trek Equinox TTX 9.9 from Bicycle Sport on Thursday and took it out for spin. We took my exact measurements from my old bike and mapped them perfectly to the new Trek. I rode it on Thursday and Sunday and love it! It rides so smooth and looks bad ass. I'm super pumped to ride it at Clearwater in a few weeks.
On Saturday night we went to Murph and Julie's wedding and had a great time. Aside from seeing Jen in her black dress........I think the highlights of my night were seeing a photo of Murph on the beach in a tan colored speedo with a mullet and a cowboy hat.........and watching Watty dance like "Uncle Ron" in his velvet jacket, plaid pants, and white shoes. Too funny.
I recently had a buddy of mine ask me about how to structure his triathlon training week and I thought up a pretty simple way to explain how to incorporate stress and recovery within his training. When I am creating a weekly sequence for either myself or other athletes I typically use a color coded model to be able to visually see the level of stress that each workout and/or day puts on the body. My simple approach to the color coding is as follows. The distances and intensities would vary based on the athlete's history and current fitness level but this is what I use for myself. As you can see I tend to lean on the cautious side.
RED:
* High effort that needs 1-2 recovery days afterwards
* Steady State workouts (70.3 intensity :: LT minus 10-15 bpm) longer than 20 mins in duration
* Lactate Threshold workouts of any duration
* Speed workouts (VO2 max intervals, long hill repeats w/ short rest)
* Sprint workouts (Short hill repeats w/ long rest, Economy workouts)
* Endurance run sessions over 14 miles
* Endurance bike sessions at or over 4:00
ORANGE:
* Moderate effort and distance that could be completed day after day
* Bike rides at Ironman effort (LT minus 20-25 bpm) or lower for durations at or below 3 hrs
* Run sessions at Ironman effort (LT minus 20-25 bpm) or lower for durations at or below 12 miles
BLUE:
* Super easy recovery day
* Easy spin at HR levels of Lactate Threshold minus 50 bpm or below for 20-40 miles
* Easy run at HR levels of Lactate Threshold minus 50 bpm or below for 4-6 miles
* Easy swim workout
The idea is to schedule a recovery day after a session that either overly damages the muscles, depletes glycogen stores, or depletes fluid stores. Typically hard workouts and long workouts both tend to do this so each would deserve a recovery day (BLUE) after that particular hard day (RED). Taking a BLUE day gives your body the chance to repair the damage and store more glycogen and fluids so you are ready for another RED or ORANGE session. An ORANGE session is a session that could be completed every day while allowing your body to recover between each workout. It's neither too hard nor too long and is mainly used for building a solid foundation and maintaining your aerobic system. An instance where I elect to take two BLUE days after a RED day is when I combine a long and hard workout. For instance, if I do a 4 hr bike session with 2 X 30 mins at 70.3 intensity then I would be best off taking two BLUE days afterwards to ensure that my body is recovered from such a session. I've found that combining long and hard workouts tends to take my body longer to recovery from especially if you are doing part of your work towards the tail end of the session when your muscles are tired and your body is low on glycogen and fluids. I've learned to use these workouts sparingly.
Here is an example of a weekly sequence for a foundation building week. The bulk of the week is geared towards building a solid aerobic foundation while getting in some primer workouts that will set you up nicely for the real work to come in the race specific period.
Monday: ORANGE
Tuesday: RED (Steady or Hills)
Wednesday: BLUE
Thursday: ORANGE
Friday: ORANGE
Saturday: RED (Endurance)
Sunday: BLUE
Here is an example of a weekly sequence for a race specific week. For these weeks you are either doing tougher sessions that are very specific to your goal race, resting from those workouts, or maintaining your aerobic system. The actual workouts themselves would differ depending on what your goal race was.
Monday: ORANGE
Tuesday: RED (LT)
Wednesday: BLUE
Thursday: RED (VO2)
Friday: BLUE
Saturday: RED (Endurance)
Sunday: BLUE
This was a fairly simplified explanation of how to set up stress and recovery within your triathlon weekly schedule. Hopefully it will get you pointed in the right direction for creating a weekly sequence that fits your schedule and allows for enough stress and recovery to reach your goals.
STATS:
Swimming: 19,400yds in 5 sessions
Cycling: 260 mi in 6 sessions
Running: NO MILES!!!
Total: 19.1 hrs
Ave Weight: 163 lbs
GOALS FOR LAST WEEK:
Last week was kind of up in the air because I did't know how quickly my calf would recover from the strain. I strained my right calf on Sunday of last week so decided to try to bike more frequently to make up for the lost run time. My planned key sessions were:
* Thursday Bike: 2 X 30 mins Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 155-160 bpm) ~25-26 mph
* Sunday Run: 2 X 4 miles Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 165-170 bpm) ~5:25-5:35 pace (THIS IS QUESTIONABLE)
My overall goals for last week were:
* Do whatever is necessary to get my calf back in action....massage, stretch, ice, heat, etc.
* One strength session.
* Swim 20K, Bike 230 mi, Run ?? mi
RECAP:
The main focus for this week was to get my calf back in action. I spent a lot of time massaging, icing, heating, and stretching. Here was the progression as the week went on:
Monday: Still hurt to walk. Riding was fine while seated in a small gear but was uncomfortable standing and in the big ring.
Tuesday: Walking felt a little better. Riding felt a little better while standing and was fine seated. Got a massage.
Wednesday: Walking feels fine but still hurts to get up on my toes.
Thursday: Walking is fine and standing on toes feels a little better but hopping is still painful.
Friday: Walking and standing on toes is fine but standing on toes with a bent knee is still painful as is hopping.
Saturday: Same as Friday but getting a little better.
Sunday: This is starting to clear up but still have a slight pain when hopping.
My swim and bike volume were where I had planned for them to be with the bike getting a little more attention this week due to the bum calf. I didn't feel particularly good in my bike workouts this week and I feel like I need to do more big ring work but was too afraid to this week because I didn't want to set the calf back. I shortened my workouts for the week in hopes of a quicker recovery.
My only actual workout for the week was my Thursday bike session which I cut short and only did 15 minutes steady. It was unseasonably cold and raining this week so there weren't too many other people out riding. The cold weather also made it tough to warm up the body so it felt like I was straining at lower intensities. I probably should have done this on the trainer but like riding outside so much better.
GOALS FOR NEXT WEEK:
Next week is still a little up in the air at this point. I'm going to try and run on Monday or Tuesday to see how it feels and have another ART/Stim appointment on Tuesday. I don't want to rush this calf back to action because I need it to be 100% by Clearwater.
* Do whatever is necessary to get my calf back in action....massage, stretch, ice, heat, etc.
* One strength session.
* Swim 20K, Bike 180 mi, Run 20 mi
NEXT WEEK'S KEY SESSIONS:
* Tuesday Bike: 2 X 30 mins Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 155-160 bpm) ~25-26 mph
* Sunday Brick: Bike 30 mins Steady + Run 3 miles Steady
THOUGHTS:
This week was a little disappointing but it was also a good reminder to listen to the body. My formula for success is: CONSISTENCY + PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD == SUCCESS. If I'm INJURED then I can't be CONSISTENT and if I can't be CONSISTENT then I can't be SUCCESSFUL. So.....avoid injuries at all cost. It's better to miss a workout than miss a whole week. My high school coach, Marty Bushland, used to say........when in doubt, leave it out. Luckily for me, I feel like my run was ahead of where I needed it to be to reach my goals for Clearwater for this year so the week off will just be an equilizer. Since I took this week off of running I've decided to cut my taper from 14 days to between 7-9 days. I feel like I will need the additional fitness on the run. With 4 weeks left I plan on trying to hit 20 miles running this week followed by 40, 40, and then race week.
Aside from triathlon Jen and I had a busy weekend. On Saturday morning we put on the Carolina's Open Water Challenge for our buddy Steve since he was in Kona. It consisted of 800m, 1 mile, and 2 mile open water swim options. The turnout was about 35 people which didn't compare to the 150+ from the last swim but it's late in the season. The highlight for me was watching three of the top MAC swimmers duke it out in the 2 mile competition. One of the guys holds the current 50M Short Course American Record. I think everyone had a good time and said the water felt nice at the chilly 65-66 degrees.
On Sunday we showed our condo that recently became vacant to a prospective tenant. We've learned quite a bit over the years with our rentals and it now all feels pretty simple. Maybe I'll share some more about this in a later post.
STATS:
Swimming: 15,400yds in 4 sessions
Cycling: 145 mi in 3 sessions
Running: 19 mi in 4 sessions
Total: 13.9 hrs
Ave Weight: 164 lbs
GOALS FOR LAST WEEK:
Last week I planned on taking a 3 day recovery block to start off the week and then start to focus on increasing the amount of time spent at 70.3 intensities. My planned key sessions were:
* Thursday Swim: 2000m Long Course TT.
* Thursday Bike: 45 mins Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 155-160 bpm) ~25-26 mph
* Sunday Run: 2 X 4 miles Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 165-170 bpm) ~5:25-5:35 pace
My overall goals for last week were:
* Early recovery focus then very specific shorter workouts.
* One strength session.
* Swim 15K, Bike 175 mi, Run 30 mi
RECAP:
I started off the week feeling very tired and had a planned 3 day recovery block set. I took Monday completely off and trained really easy on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday I started off the morning with a 2K long course TT in the pool in 28:17 and in the evening I did 45 mins continuous at 155-165 bpm on the bike to simulate 70.3 intensities. I didn't feel particularly good in the 2k TT or the bike workout but got the job done anyway. Friday was a recovery focus and Saturday I tried to test my legs a bit on the bike but they didn't feel recovered from Thursday's workout so I didn't push the issue. I did a decent amount of big gear work on the hills during my Saturday long ride and felt very tired later in the day and didn't feel like running but somehow managed to get out the door for a solid 6 miler. On Sunday I woke up with a very tight right calf and was concerned about how the 2 X 4 miles at 70.3 intensities was going to go and rightfully so. I tried to massage it out before the run and during my warmup I felt great and ran 5:54 and 5:40 for the first two miles and after the next mile in 5:13 my right calf seized up and I was forced to walk back to the car and cut my workout short. Over the course of the rest of the day I massaged, stretched, iced, warm bath, massage, stretched, iced, etc. but it still hurt to walk on it. I'm concerned that this strain might take me out of the run for a little while. I'm going to stay away from running until I don't feel any discomfort and will mainly swim and bike until it's cleared up. I'm in a really good spot with my run right now so I can afford to take a few days away just as long as it doesn't turn into a week.
GOALS FOR NEXT WEEK:
Next week is kind of up in the air right now because I don't know how quickly my calf will recover from the strain. I have a massage scheduled for Tuesday so I won't run for sure until Wednesday and will probably just ride easy until Thursday and see how it feels while riding on Tuesday and Wednesday. I've got a solid base so the lower mileage won't kill me for a couple of weeks but I hope to get in my keys sessions by the end of the week if possible. We'll see....
* Do whatever is necessary to get my calf back in action....massage, stretch, ice, heat, etc.
* Continue to focus on nutrition. Need to drop 2-4 more lbs by Clearwater in November. Continue with no desserts.
* One strength session.
* Swim 20K, Bike 230 mi, Run ?? mi
NEXT WEEK'S KEY SESSIONS:
* Thursday Bike: 2 X 30 mins Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 155-160 bpm) ~25-26 mph
* Sunday Run: 2 X 4 miles Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 165-170 bpm) ~5:25-5:35 pace (THIS IS QUESTIONABLE)
THOUGHTS:
I'm very fit right now. Unfortunately, I didn't listen to my body when it was telling me not to push it on Sunday and I'm now going to have to take some time away from running. Hopefully it's a minor issue that can be resolved within a few days. Either way it was a good reminder to not get greedy when things are going well. I should have just run the 12 miler without the 1/2 Ironman work and I would probably be fine right now. This is a good reminder to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If this clears up quickly I still think I'm on track for sub 3:55 at Clearwater in five weeks.
This is part two of my Goal Setting Structure entries. Here are the links to the previous posts:
Five Year Goals
Within my goal setting structure I break down my goal setting process into four segments: Five Year Goals, One Year Goals, Top Ten List, and Daily Actions List. In this entry we’ll talk about the One Year Goal setting process. In the Five Year session we thought about what our perfect life would be like five years from now and gave a lot of thought to what our values are as well as what we enjoy doing most. We then came up with 3-5 goals for each aspect of our lives. For the one year session we'll take a look back at our five year goals and try to set goals that are in line with the five year goals and are specific, achievable, and have target dates set. The one year goals should also be a stepping stone to achieving the five year goal. I’ll also break my one year goals out into the same five different sections as the five year goals: Relationships, Profession, Athletics, Finances & Real Estate, and Self Improvements & Hobbies. Below are a couple of my goals from the Athletics category that I don’t mind sharing.
Athletics:
- Finish top 3 at Eagleman 70.3 in June 2010 by going sub 3:56.
- Finish top 3 at Augusta 70.3 in September 2010 by going sub 3:50 (fast course).
- Finish top 10 at Ironman 70.3 World Championships by going sub 3:48.
Where Am I Right Now
The next step is to take a look at each of these goals and figure out where I am right now compared to where I will be when I reach that goal. This gives me an idea of how much work and time will need to be put into each goal. It’s also gets the thought process going on how I can get from where I am now to where I want to be. Below is one example from my 1 year goals:
Goal: Finish top 3 at Eagleman 70.3 in June 2010 by going sub 3:56
Where am I now: This year I placed 6th at Eagleman by going 4:02 on a day that I suffered on the run with cramps. I was 5:15 away from 3rd place (1:02 back on the swim, 4:03 on the bike, and 3 seconds on the run).
The next step is to turn the goal into a question and come up with as many answers to that question as possible. This brainstorming session helps to think of all of the possible things you can do to achieve that goal. Here is an example:
How can I finish top 3 at Eagleman 70.3 in June 2010 by going sub 3:56?
- Improve my 70.3 swim time by 2 mins
- How?
- Swim with Tim’s group every morning during the winter.
- Minimum of 20k/wk from November through March.
- Video tape stroke once a month over the winter and correct flaws.
- Swim on Peter’s feet during hard sets to get used to turbulent waters and drafting at pace.
- Increase shoulder/lat flexibility and work on core strength.
- Swim a minimum of 5 days per week over the winter.
- Practice going out hard for 400m and then settling into pace.
- Improve ankle flexibility because my feet currently cause drag.
- Improve my 70.3 bike time by 2 mins
- How?
- I need a 6 week block of 280+ miles per week 12 weeks out from race day.
- Follow that up with a 4 week ½ Ironman specific cycling block.
- 3 weekends in the mountains doing the loop of truth in the build.
- Increase bike frequency within the last 8 weeks before the race to 4-5 times per week.
- Eliminate psoas discomfort when pushing hard in aero.
- Need to become more aero on the bike which comes back to flexibility.
- Computrainer workouts in the winter.
- Riding with a Powertap would be beneficial.
- Improve my 70.3 run time by 2 mins
- How?
- Be more diligent with timing of fluids, nutrition, and electrolytes on the bike to avoid cramping.
- Average 50 miles per week in the winter from January through March.
- Do strideouts a minimum of 3 days per week to maintain speed.
- Get race weight under 160 lbs.
- Run with the runners.
- Run frequency of 6 times per week.
- Limit the amount of time doing VO2 intervals since they take a major recovery toll on me.
- Spend more time doing hill repeats, steady state runs, and lactate threshold runs.
- Wake up early each morning to ensure that I get all of my training sessions in for the day.
- Start off the season a little closer to my preferred race weight.
- Do my maintenance routine at least 3 times per week.
- Stay dialed in with nutrition before, during, and after workouts to shorten recovery times.
- Get a massage at least once a month.
- Stay injury free through frequent maintenance and strength work. Injuries kill consistency and without consistency it is tough to improve.
- Higher swim and run volume during the winter months since it is too cold and dark to get in a bunch of cycling miles. Pick up cycling volume in March when the weather is more favorable. Maintain cycling strength during the winter through Computrainer workouts and mountain biking.
- Get up to walk around and stretch at least once per hour while programming at work.
- Gain more race experience by racing more often.
I could continue on but I think you get the idea. If you want to take this further you could take each one of the items listed as an answer and turn it into a question. Next up is to come up with the Top Ten List, and lastly we’ll come up with our Daily Actions List. Stay tuned for the Top Ten List post…
STATS:
Swimming: 20,200yds in 5 sessions
Cycling: 256 mi in 4 sessions
Running: 42 mi in 6 sessions
Total: 24.1 hrs
Ave Weight: 164 lbs
GOALS FOR LAST WEEK:
Last week was my last week with an endurance focus and this week I will switch my focus to race pace intensity for the next 4 weeks.
* Continue to be patient and keep everything under LT minus 10 bpm (155 bpm bike & 165 bpm run).
* Continue to focus on nutrition. Need to drop 2-4 more lbs by Clearwater in November.
* One strength session.
* Swim 20K, Bike 300 mi, Run 42 mi
RECAP:
I hit my swim and run goals this past week but I missed my Wednesday bike ride due to a hectic schedule. I had to make a choice between my run or bike and I chose the run. I also didn't get in any strength sessions this week so I absolutely need to do some strength work next week.......at least in my problem areas. I did a pretty good job with my maintenance routine but I just didn't log it so can't remember exactly how much time I spent in that area. I know I did it 4 days though. My workouts for the week were quite a success and it looks like the 6 weeks of bigger volume definitely have my aerobic system very fine tuned and topped off.
On Tuesday I did 30 mins at HIM effort on the bike (what I call Steady) which is about LT minus 10-15 bpm (155-160 bpm). I did my steady work on the IOS ride and pullled the small group for 30 mins from the base of the last hill on West Blvd to the stop sign before turning left on Steele Creek. My average HR was 160 bpm and average pace was 25.5 mph which I thought was pretty good for that course since it's got some pretty decent hills.
On Thursday I did a run workout of 6 X 60s hills and did 1/2 mile of steady before and after the hills @ 5:31 pace. My legs were a little tight but that's expected at the end of the 6 week block.
On Saturday I took a bunch of pulls during my 100 miler at steady efforts for about 5-10 mins. This wasn't a planned workout but got in some work anyway. Then on Sunday I had my 2 X 3 miles Steady (HIM) running workout where I wanted to see what paces would correlate to 165-170 bpm. I was actually very surprised since my paces at these HRs have never been this fast (maybe aside from college). I ran this workout at McAlpine which is gravel and as flat as it gets. Here were my splits on my Garmin:
1 mi wu @ 6:28 pace (134 bpm ave)
3 mi Steady (SPLITS):
Mile 1: 5:35 (153 ave)
Mile 2: 5:32 (157 ave)
Mile 3: 5:32 (160 ave)
1/2 mile easy (downed a 20 oz Mtn Dew)
3 mi Steady (SPLITS):
Mile 1: 5:27 (152 ave)
Mile 2: 5:15 (166 ave)
Mile 3: 5:07 (168 ave)
1/2 mile cd
GOALS FOR NEXT WEEK:
Next week I plan on taking a 3 day recovery block to start off the week since I am feeling some residual fatigue and can tell that my mood is starting to change for the worse. After that I will keep my volume a bit lower and continue to focus on 1/2 Ironman intensities in my workouts.
* Early recovery focus then very specific shorter workouts.
* Continue to focus on nutrition. Need to drop 2-4 more lbs by Clearwater in November. Need to stop eating desserts since I'm 6 weeks out.
* One strength session.
* Swim 15K, Bike 175 mi, Run 30 mi
NEXT WEEK'S KEY SESSIONS:
* Thursday Swim: 2000m Long Course TT.
* Thursday Bike: 45 mins Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 155-160 bpm) ~25-26 mph
* Sunday Run: 2 X 4 miles Steady (LT minus 10-15 bpm :: 165-170 bpm) ~5:25-5:35 pace
THOUGHTS:
I'm very pleased with my initial HIM intensity workouts. My paces are either right where they need to be on race day or even faster than they need to be and I've got 6 more weeks of specific prep work to increase them further. I started taking the whole First Endurance Nutrition System a few weeks ago and I think it's helping me to recover from my workouts faster. The added electrolytes in the EFS Drink and Liquid Shot seems to force me to drink more water which is very important for me since I have a very high sweat rate. I've also been taking the Multi-V and OptygenHP every day and have been taking the Ultragen recovery drink after each tough session. So far I've been overly pleased with all of the products and so far my favorite flavors are the Lemon Lime EFS Drink and the Ultragen Orange Creamsicle recovery drink.
Aside from training I've been pretty busy with work and a new idea for a website that I hope to have completed by December. I've been laying the foundation for it over the past couple of weeks and have the database structure finished. It is related to triathlon but that's all I'm going to say for now. I'm having a lot of fun mining data and thinking through the concept. Stay tuned.
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