SBR Utopia - OPEN (Page 160)

Coach gives me these V02 Max interval workouts as X:XX x ">340".  380 sounds like a challenge and is within that parameter

It is interesting, like anything else what is tolerable has a huge variance.  That 345 to 365 set, the 345 was tough, but not impossible.  I did wonder how I would get to 365, but each time you just put out a little more....

Marc - a little confused, do it with a CT but impossible to do with a CT?  You mean impossible in erg mode or... ?

Nice!  That sounds like the kind of power that will come in handy for MT.

Ooops. I meant impossible to do without a CT. Erg mode is a must.

No CT, but I have a couple of Tacx trainers that are very similar in functionality.  For me, I only get 1 chance per week to ride outside.  Any other rides are in the basement - that's year round.  Time constraints don't allow me to get out on the bike more than that.

Is there a way to enter swim meets into race logs? Especially one with multiple events?

1650 done, 23:47. Kind of meh about it. On one hand it's more than 4 minutes faster than any Oly swim I've done before (that's remotely accurate), wetsuit or not. But on the other I'm sure I can do 22:30, my seed time, as I've held the 1:22 yd pacing throughout fairly tight longer sets before. Bunch of littler things going on. Slow reaction to the starter, but powerful off the blocks as I was back up with everyone when I surfaced. Didn't have the confidence in my shoulder yet to push that pace the entire time from the get-go. The ache I've had the past couple weeks never showed up today. Need to get a better handle on warm-up for a meet. Felt ok, but never great in the warm-up. Got the yards in easily, but don't think it quite accomplished what it should towards feel of the water. Missed on a number of turns, only barely touching. The T was a different distance and the goggle of my dominant eye leaked early, so I could only see in 2d. Couldn't read the clock well as a result either. Also need to get away from people as some teammates are chatty. I'm the opposite, wanting everyone to STFU and leave me alone.

Some good things were that lats were tired, but not really sore. I hardly needed any time to catch my breath at the end. I could have gone harder. Meaning i could probably push close to this for an Oly swim. My legs and much of my body did not have that weakness feeling I normally get after a swim. Could have easily gotten up and ran, zero disorientation or lightheadedness. Hopefully that means I'll be able to push the bike & run more. Still ended up placing where my seed had me, earning a couple points for the team.

Saw a number of 17's in the results. Some guy pulled a 16:42. I didn't get to see him.

Now to rest up for the short events tomorrow.

Did you have a pacing strategy for the swim Ben and did you get splits to see how you paced it?  Last year was the first time I swam the 1500 in a meet (never did it as a kid) and I thought I had started out well during the swim but when I saw splits later I saw that I had gone out way too fast.  Doesn't sound like you did that but having a good pacing strategy (and executing it) seems to help a lot.  My plan for the swim last weekend was to swim the first 200 at what felt like a stupid slow relaxed pace and then break it down into 500s from there, building the effort level but likely just holding pace.  

I find the comment on the T being a different distance affecting your turns interesting.  I know tons of people judge the turn that way but I personally have never done it like that.  I look at the wall.  That might just be a by-product of my coaches having us swim with the water line just above our goggles though.  Anyway, I just find it interesting - not wrong.  

Good to hear you would be able to easily bike and run off that pace.  I personally think that's one of the most important aspects of developing a good swim for triathlon.  I've done years where I swam very little and my swim times didn't suffer but how I felt at the start of the bike sure did.

16s and 17s is seriously fast!

What other events are you doing?

I planned to start off similar to how you mentioned, felt easier than it should for the first bit, maybe a touch longer. With it being a meet, that would likely mean up close to goal pace, and then try to go at that 1:22 goal much of the time. I had expected to be able to read the clock to help out, but could not. So the entire thing was by RPE.

And with the T, normally I only use it for a reminder of the wall, having the wall itself at the top of my vision. But with the one goggle filling, I couldn't judge the distance very well. Especially it being a different pool (looks different than ones I've swam in). Next best thing I could figure was to emphasize the T more for this. At more rec type pools, I've been able to adjust ok to the T differences, but they're only a few ft deep. In this one it was at 7ft and 11 ft on each end, so harder to tell.

Up for today are the 50 fly early, and then in the 200 free relay later. Fastest seed for the fly is 22.9! The guy also seeds at 1:51 for 200 fly, and he has done this before.

You guys make swim meets sound exciting! 

I had my first real ride on my new bike: I loved it. I felt so much better in the group and it climbs great! My lower back got slightly uncomfortable at 50 miles but  figure it's the new position. I probably shouldn't have gone out for that long today but it felt so good. Tomorrow I get to take her up a real mountain!

Dang!  One heckuva first ride.  

Glad you like it - good luck on the mountain tomorrow!

Matt

Awesome ride Sally, glad you are loving the bike.  

I had an awesome 2 hour run today - longest run since IMMT and it felt great.  I really feel like my run training is paying off and I'm looking forward to how it translates to race results.  IF the weather behaves, I'm hoping to get out for a 3 hour ride tomorrow.

as for the computrainer I use it year round, for my midweek rides. I just find the quality of the work I can do on it in :50-1:20 just cannot be equalled outside. Saturday and/or Sunday rides are outdoors tho.

Missed the 50 fly today due to some confusion over heat order. I was in one of the first few heats, and the main board was lagging way behind when going from the 100 free to the 50 fly. Swore I heard one of the starters say Heat 3, and I was in 4. I was standing right next to them as I had the outside line. Coach tried to get me in another heat, but nothing they could do as this was categorized as a contestant issue, or something like that. Seemed that a number of annoying little things kept coming up with other teammates as well. Signs for where to pool is would have been nice, so we wouldn't have to explore the entire campus to find it.

200 Free Relay went alright. Anchor had to leave but we switched in another guy, another triathlete. Interestingly enough, he sputters a lot on the bigger sets, but every once in awhile can really pull out something on a 25 or 50. And did so here. I just kind of did it and came up with a 31.6 or so. Didn't feel like I hit that, so a bit surprised. Some of the others think I can pick up some time on that with a bit more practice. I just kind of did it and stayed in control.

Overall it was interesting to see the meet. Huge variety in ability. The way things are organized help to be able to sort what you want to see. Awards are done by age groups, but heats are done by ability. So an age-group could be scattered all over the place. The persistence of the first 200 fly heat was something. It took some of them more than 4:30 to finish and they did it, without stopping at that. Then a bit later the fastest guy went 1:49!! Blew the field away and yanked himself right out of the pool like he'd just done a warm-up. Earlier that same guy was in a battle in the 50 fly. He pulled out a 22.76 to beat the next guy over who had a 22.78. Then there was the giant marshmallow man. Maybe average height but has to be 350 lbs. Can't hardly get anywhere. Seemingly had to modify his backstroke because with his size, his center of mass is so far down that his head would have stayed under. This might sound like wondering what this guy is doing, but it's actually meant as respect because he's getting himself out there and doing it.

I have a cycling question that I will double post, so some of you may see it twice.

Re: Hills

Descending: I think I understand that I should lean my center of gravity forward a bit, crouching over the aerobars. I am not sure, however, where my legs should be -- one straight and the other up? Both in the mid position? Should I attempt to pedal on fast/steep downhills?

Climbing: I'm not sure where my center of gravity should be, over the front wheel or more over the center of the bike/over the pedals, for more power.  Is it better when climbing to be on the horns? or still on the aerobars?

I also assume, perhaps incorrectly, that I should try to climb as far as I can while seated, and just stand, if I need to, to power over the top.

I generally try to keep pedalling on a descent as long as I can keep applying power to the pedals without spinning out to a really high cadence.  I put my feet level and squeeze my knees in against the top tube.

For climbing, I've never thought about my center of gravity...  I just pedal.    I generally stay seated unless it's really steep or if I just feel like stretching my legs out a bit for a few seconds.  

I got in a great 3 hour/100k ride today.  It was a pretty straightforward route with little in the way of hills, just some rollers.  Wind wasn't too bad, basically just a crosswind both ways (out and back).

I did have a mildly concerning encounter (if you can call it that) with some wildlife.  Shortly after I turned around to head home I was approaching a nesting platform that had been setup on a tall pole on the side of the road (my right).  On the left hand side of the road on top of a telephone pole was an Osprey and as I got closer I could tell he was watching me and started squawking at me.  Then just as I was getting between it and the platform it opened up it's wings (looked like 5-6 feet) looking like it was going to take a dive at me!  I've been chased by lots of dogs before but this thing had me more nervous than any of those dogs ever did!  LOL 

Oh there was, it was up on the platform and I was riding right between it and the bird.

I am trying to think about what I do climbing hills on the road bike and can't really think it through, it's a bit too automatic.  You really learn about body position on a climb when you mountain bike a lot, it's more or less forced upon you, but the road bike is way more forgiven.  It also depends on the hill, the more step it is the more you have to adjust but I do have a slight lean forward for sure (on a road bike, on a tri bike I have no idea).  I do stay seated for the majority of the climb though and only stand if it is short and I just want to power through it or as Arend mentioned, to stretch my legs. 

For a decent I pedal for as long as it makes sense.  At some point in time you are going to probably go faster then your gearing will allow you to pedal at so that is when I just sit back and enjoy the ride.  I tend to keep my pedals level, although not always.

That is really, really scary. We have kites here who have been known to dive bomb people. They are much smaller than an ospry, so still unsettling, but not terribly frightening.

Sally -- I'm so glad you had a great ride.

And thanks for the hill climbing comments so far. They really help me. I don't have proper hills to practice on here, so I'm trying to simulate the feeling, as much as I can, on the trainer. I was talking about the hill problem at lunch last week at work, and the whole table started brainstorming hills that might be suitable. We came up with one, but we all agreed that the top is completely blind, so it could pose a safety hazard.