MightyMojoMentorGroup -- (Full House!) (Page 159)

Thanks Jeff.  It doesn't sound like the weather should be too much to worry about.  As Steve mentions in another post our weather has been cooler than normal so we may not be all that warm anyway.

I will do a degreasing and lube for sure.  I've done it a couple times now but I'll keep on top of it from now on.

The GranFondo is July 8th and it is 160km.  Last year the fellow who came in 1st did it in 4 hrs.  I'll be a bit slower...and maybe last.  I hope not THE last, I atleast want to keep up with some people like I was able to do at the Vernon ride.

I've been using Nuun tablets for my longer rides and for this ride I'll carry some extra tablets with me to make up more on the road during the ride.  I don't mind the taste - not too sweet.  They'll be providing us with water, Heed (for those who want it), bananas, pretzels and gels at each AID station.

I intend to swim with the fellows as much as possible.  I'm thinking I'll go shopping for a wetsuit this Saturday.  We have a great swim laid out at Okanagan Lake beach with buoys marking a swimming lane.  Its about 900m from "The Peach" (where they start the IM swim) to the SS Sicamous so a return swim is about 1800m.  At this time of year there should be lots of swimmers by now but so far I've only seen two.

Yes, IM is coming up fast.  We've had a flurry of emails this week about volunteering.  So far I've been confirmed for the bike lot all day Saturday and until 5pm on race day.  I'm just waiting for confirmation that my wife and I will be catchers from 7:30 to midnight as well.  I'm really hoping to get that.

Most of the time late August is typically really nice 30deg C daytime and about 17-ish at 7:00am.  Last year it was considerably hotter and a lot of people suffered with the heat.  For 2010 it was the opposite and people were dropping out for hypothermia.  On the bike ride people were hit with hail, strong cross winds, rain and cold temps (10deg C about 50-ish) but that is quite unusual.

Hey George.   We'll be racing the same day.     I'm sure you won't be anywhere near the last.   I found when I did the Centurion ride in Collingwood last year that I was always able to latch on to some group for drafting purposes.    If I fell off of one, I made sure not to ride alone too much, and as soon as another group came by, hooked up with them.    That worked well until maybe the final 30km when the groups were pretty much gone and only us solo riders left.  

I use Nunns too and find they work really well.   I like being able to carry the little tablets and not a bunch of powder.  

I did my whopping TWO hill climbs yesterday with a very steady grade up to 11%.   I think STEVE mentioned 'spinning'.   Maybe in my dreams.      It was just PUMP, PUMP, PUMP but I did manage them both sitting the entire distance without any straining and was faster on the 2nd climb to the tune of a BIG 10.2km/hr average. 

That was my last HARD training session before July 8th.    Moderate or tempo stuff till next Wed. and then 3 days of recovery before the event.   We have found that 3 days works really well for us.   You lose nothing aerobically in that time and having fresh muscles if far more important.   

JOHANNE,

Nice race report.   Congratulations on a great race.   You took alot of time off of your swim and that was a really nice run pace for 10km off the bike.    Too bad about the change in the bike course.   I don't like it when that happens.   Especially when I am fond of a particular course.  

Have fun doing some hill work on the bike.   It actually is kind of fun if you pick a doable distance to start.   1km climbs seem pretty good.  

Our race in Edmonton is July 8th, so as I mentioned to George, no more hard stuff till after that.    Just some moderate and tempo work.    We are leaving on Thursday evening to drive there and the plan is to do our training in the late afternoon after we reach the destination for that day.    I don't want to do running and biking in the morning and then have to sit in the car all day.  

I'm not going to say much, other than the knowledge has spurred me on to give it my best effort ever.   I have a feeling they also want to go to London. 

I think being a catcher would be a great volunteer job. This finish line is so much fun.

There is a video out that shows chaos corner at your IM. I think if I raced there I would just add a few yards and go WAY around it

Thanks! I have to remind myself of how much my run pace has improved. I still haven't run a 10K under an hour but to be so close after the swim and bike is encouraging for me. I think I'll leave that goal alone for this year (unless I find a 10K that would work specifically into my training schedule) and work on some speed next year. 

I think on the bike, I'm going to first work on not getting into my lowest gear to climb some of my regular hills. Then I can work on speed

I'm looking forward to hearing about your race. There isn't a lot of talk locally about competing for Worlds. It was really off my radar!

Yes, I got my carbon bike last year around August and trying to justify spending more on a bike is difficult.  I think what I plan to do is go through the rest of this season and then if I can keep my commitment to working through the off-season and push myself (losing those last 20lbs) then I will get the bike...

It's tough to justify but oh so fun to have! We have about the same plan.....

I am thinking of trying this event...

http://skyhighsupertri.com/SKYHIGH_XTERRA.php

Liked the report -- and the France pics!

ALEX -

If you have faith in your PT, follow what she says.  In my recent (say, from '06 to present) history, I have had good success with following Dr./PT/chiro advice, pretty much to the letter.  I didnn't do that quite so much in the earlier years, and paid for it by way of just taking longer to get back to good, functional form.  Another way to say that is that I kept trying to nudge back into action sooner than was advisable, and while I got in the odd workout or two before problems resurfaced, i ended up spending kore time on the shelf than had I just waited the appropriate length of time.  it is tough to do, but overall worth it.

For you, getting completely (okay, 94% would be fine) repaired before Mossman is important, as the swim there is just as likley to be rough as it is somewhat smooth.  So, if you go in with the shoulder still being too compromised, the odds are decent that the mossy swim might aggravate it further.  That said, last year's conditions were pretty fine, weren't they?

As for Nations, you have a swim that'll be with against the current for the first half, and then with it at your back for the rest.  That shouldn't pose any real problems for you, even the first half.

Bike shopping yet?

JEFF -

I have to figure your aerobic fitness is still very solid, so I'd attribute it to the heat.  I'd be in full staggermode, for sure!

As for the buttock/upperleg pain --- it is along the back of the leg?  If so, I'd wonder about sciatica, especially if you have any "shooting" pain.  But you describe it as "tightness", which is probably better than pain -- shooting or otherwise.  Let me know, okay?

DAVE -

Thank you for the detailed explanation, and I can now see why you are bothered by where you should be, and when, in a given zone -- especially the lower ones.  I wasn't able to connect into your Garmin data, but will try again later.  That's a tough workout, though, even at Z3/4, let alone up to Z5.  Mercy!  I'll be interested in seeing the data, though!

There is a common tendency for people to go too hard on what should be easy (or recovery) days, and not push hard enough on their hard days.   Back when I was coached, I felt I had to follow Erik's guidelines, and so I my easy days were easy and my hard days were hard.  But nowadays.....I find it very easy to not ever really take easy days, but also not very often go into the hard zones. And I should know better!

An example of a hard day made easy (or easier) would be my example above with the 3x6' in Z3/4 as opposed to Z4/5.  That isn't necessarily a crime, especially given that most people would need to do many sets of 3x6' in lower zones before they were ready to sustain the effort in Z4/5.  So for those people, the long-term goal would be to get their fitness to the point where 3x6' became progressively easier to suffer through.

An example of an easy day made too hard might be to have a 10km at low Z2 on the slate, but to let the ego take over and make it into a high Z2 or low Z3 effort.  It's probably there at low Z2 as a recovery run, or just a medium-length slow distance effort, but it turns out to be neither race-pace nor the gentle pace it was designed for. 

Bricks are also a great example of often misguided effort.  Way too often people do bricks wherein they keep the bike pace restrained so as to manage the run better, or end up with a slow run because they pushed the bike too hard.  Neither of those really prepare the athlete for a strong run off a strong bike in a race, but rather just reinforce slow(er) efforts.

Referring back to Coach Erik, he was very big on having me do a hard ride (say, 40km), followed by a steady-clip 10-min run, or maybe a fastish mile.  Sometimes the run would extend to 15 minutes, but not often.  When I was comfortably between races, those bricks would be one every 7-10 days, maybe slightly less frequently.  The goal was simply to get better at running off the back right out of T2, with no pretense to simulating the 10km run of a oly tri.

As a race approached, however, there would be a brick that extended the hard run to maybe 30 minutes -- still well under what my time for a 10km in an oly would be, but just preparing me better for running longer off the bike.  There would be one of thsoe about 10 days out from the race, and maybe another a week or so before that one if the race was "A" priority.

I know why people like doing bricks, though, and not everyone is viewing racing as a test of maximum speed.  So for them, making their bricks easier than they probably should be is fine....but they shouldn't feel that those types of bricks will translate into fast race times.  They will help, to be sure, so I never try to dismiss them outright.

And, i do them that way, too -- especially earlier in the season.  Along about now I will start doing what I call "tempo bricks", simply meaning that if I have a sprint coming up, I will do the 20km ride at race-pace, and the same for the 5km run.  And if it's an oly on the horizon, that'd be the same, only doubled.  Those are tough efforts, and I wil do one in each of the lead-up two weeks for an oly, and maybe three altogether  in the two lead-up weeks to a sprint.

But I digress!

As for you treadmill pace improvements, that is significant; it sure is "something'!

DAVE again -

There.  I got into the data (Annandale LT, yes?).....and will try to make sense of it all.  What are your Z3 and Z4 and Z5 ranges?

There's been good discussion about cycling and climbing and pushing so I took it all to heart and during my bike/run brick today, I pushed on the bike and kept a steady cadence the whole time and guess what? I was faster Then I went out for my 30 min brick run and I was faster again! Then I just read Steve's post to Dave about brick workouts and pushing on the bike and that's just what I did this morning....and I survived! I need to keep pushing

Johanne

JOHANNE -

Mighty fine report, and congrats on improving in four of the five splits.  (And, I dare say the bike would've shown an imprved time as well, had it been on the same course as '11.)

I love the improvements in your transitions -- isn't "free" time sweet?  I mean, people sapend many hundreds/thousands of dollars upgrading their gear so they can shave maybe 43 seconds off their bike time....and you gained about 90s in the the two transitions combined.  YES!

Great work on the swim, especially staying calm and swimming straight.  An improvement of 3:08 is massive!!

And, despite the bike course being more difficult, you still managed to show a :39 gain over last year -- not too shabby at all!  Just stand around and wait for someone to arrive 39s after you....and that's not a paltry amount at all. 

But that is not to dismiss your disappointment/frustration, which comes out when you mention have discussions with yourself.  That is a good thing to get used to now, just because you will have LOTS of them at IMAZ, so knowing how to argue/cajole/rationalize with yourself now will make it easier and more natural at AZ.

Another way to view AZ is that speed will NOT be an issue there, so even thoigh you are searching for it now, in the context of IMAZ being your AAA-priority race it doesn't matter at all.  Ironman is all about managing the resources you have at any given moment, and nowhere is that more critical than on the run.  That's partly why all those LSD (long slow distance) runs you have done, and will continue to do, are so important -- ironman IS an exercise in LSD running.  It is also an exercise in controlling your mind and body, both of which will sound like a Greek chorus as they try to get you to just curl up by the side of the road and sleep for the next decade.  So, good to have opened up the channels of conversation at Sil Val!

Hmmmm.  There was something else I was fixing to say......but it eludes me right now.  I shall return?

Just got back from my 2nd OWS session with Barrie Shepley and Sean Bechtel.    100 people there tonight.   Took about 40 seconds off last week - partly better sighting.   Almost drowned,   when doing one swim drill with a partner and drafting - some guy thought I was his partner and started grabbing my legs and pulling me under!   We were only supposed to be tapping the other person's legs.  

Then with the race start, a guy immediatley clocked me in the back of the head and sent my goggles askew.   Thought I could continue on but they were filling with water so had to stop and fix them.   The back of my head actually hurt for half the swim.   Then another girl hit me in the head and sent the straps off the back of my head.  

All good experience for race day.      I also found out that Paula Findlay and Simon Whitfield were there a couple of weeks ago and train with this group!  How cool is that.    I hope they show up the next time I am there. 

I did a 6.6km run earlier today which I thought might be a tempo run but my hip flexors and adductors were pretty weak still from yesteray so just did a strength/endurance run which got better each km.    I was OK with that because initially, after my walk w/u I wasn't sure if I'd even get 1km in. 

Busy day packing up tomorrow to head to Sarnia for the night.    Hope to get a bike done in the morning and then having one last massage before race day. 

GEORGE -

A few things:

1. As for NUUN, they are very good for electrolytes (they even have a bit of magnesium!), but have virtually no carbohydrates.  So, try to find a source of carbs for GF, as you will ebenfit from them over the coyurse of 160km.  If you have ever tried HEED, use that at every aid station.  If not, you might want to have a go-to over-the-counter concoction -- Gatorade or Powerade have decent levels of carbohydrates.  The other good source for carbs is gels -- know any you like?
2. It would be great to get a catcher gig, especially in the late hours when finishers are wearing their lives on their sleeves.  You'd see a huge range of emotions, and of a very different quality than from those speedsters who would be finished before your catcher gid begins.  I hope you get it!
3. The bike gig would be a nice one, too.  if it's like most IM races, at the evry least you'll get their bikes when they finsih and take them back to their racking spots.  For some IM races, the bike people also get the bikes from the racks and meet the athlete at the mount line.  Lots of running back and forth.....but separated by many hours between when all the bikes are out and when they start to trickle back in again, 4-? hours later.  And you'll get to put your paws on many unbelievable machines!
4. Back to GF --- eat anything they offer at the aid stations.  Pretzels and bananas are great options, with the former having good carb levels, and the latter loaded with potassium.  Perfect!

Thanks STEVE -

That makes sense. I do find that if I am not mindful, I settle in to whatever pace / effort will get me to 159 bpm. No harder, no easier. So I know what you mean.

Training plan called for my first real Brick of the season today. 45 min bike and 30 min run. I'm not really sure how to gauge my progress on the bike without a power meter since I rarely do the same course twice and the elevations around here vary so much. To be honest, it's a little disheartening to be seeing average speed of 14.9 MPH. But I was on roads, and there were a fair amount of stops, traffic, and turns so I guess I can't be too hard on it. Either something was wonky with my HR monitor on the ride or my new max HR is 254!

Regardless, I'm super happy with the run off the bike. I had a hard time getting my breath but pushed through it and settled my mind to the effort. A 3.5-mile run where the first three miles totaled 23.5' on a hilly course?

I'll take it!

Johanne -

I had to go and see the video you mentioned.  It was actually easy to find.  It does look pretty hectic doesn't it.  I believe they do recommend just to keep to the left.  It wouldn't add more than a few minutes to keep clear of it.

I haven't tried HEED before and their mixing proportions at the AID stations may not be the most consistent.  I will carry some Oreos or Fig Newtons plus some fruit leathers, Clif Bars and maybe some Eatmores (I likes the eatmores).  I don't mind gatorade either but gels haven't peaked my interest yet.  I'm looking forward to some pretzels too. 

I had a lot of fun volunteering last year and I really like the late evening finishers.

DAVE,

I think your bike/run brick set a good baseline for you to guage progress.    Running a 5:16 km off a 24km/hr avg bike is great.    You will be able to tell at what point a hard bike affects your run pace if you just keep upping the speed on the bike. 

On the hard/easy stuff I agree with Steve that most people tend to always just go hard.   You see their average speed on the bike at 29-30 km/hr average or more, for example, on every ride, and then on race day they end up racing the same speed or less.   It drives me a bit crazy seeing 24km/hr on the bike too, but I have found that 3-4 weeks out from a race when there is more threshold work involved - whatever my speed is on those sessions, I can count on at least 3km/hr more on race day. 

WOW!  NICE session yesterday.   That was a great run pace off a really strong bike.    We will have to continue to push each other to keep pushing. 

Thanks Steve, I appreciate the comments!

I was happy with transitions. I tend to take too much time in there and really wanted to waste less time. My niece raced the HIM the day before and she had the fastest T1 and T2 times of all the women. She TRAINS for fast T times

I'm sure I will be having a lot of conversations with myself leading up to and racing at Arizona. Something else to work on