RFP GROUP - CLOSED (Page 26)

I tried the Galloway 4:1 on my 6 mile run this past weekend and liked it.  I averaged a 10:20/mile and felt really good plus I was able to keep my HR under control. 12:1 seems like a really long time and I would think you would lose the benefit during an IM race that it is supposed to provide.  

Crappy day today as a major storm blew over as I was walking into the pool and they lost power so closed it as I walked onto the deck .  I think I am just gonna take another rest day to let my heel heal (haha).  I can make up the swim tomorrow so not to worried but this week was gonna be a good one for me since I have nothing going on all week and this was not I wanted to start it off.

Hi Team.

Did my last long ride today - 7 hrs 15 minutes of hilly hell in Michigan . I made it through, tough hills, I was slow and man was I sore when it ended. My A$$ was sore and my neck was tight (which is what normally happens to me on long rides). Anyway, after that I came back home to Ontario and did a nice relaxing 1500 meters in the pool followed by 15 minutes in the hot tub

Semi Taper has begun with full taper starting next week. My plan still has me doing a little bit of everything but just in smaller quantities. I have decided I am going to do one more long swim this Friday. It is not in the plan but I figure it won't hurt and I will just take it easy.

I am also going to experiment with that 4:1 ratio thing Tim - I love how it sounds.

OK team - be safe - I am going to bed.

KC

Hello Team!

I'm baaccck!  Vacation was awesome and well deserved, needed.  I was joking at Racine 70.3 that the race was the start of my vacation.  It was!  Saw Crowie in transition, wished him good luck, and he also wished me good luck and joked with one of my teammates in an earlier wave not to beat him out of the water. 

This race went amazingly well for me.  I was calm, and ready to go.  I started each sport slower than I thought I needed to and built my pace from there. 

Swim: 40:15, 8 minutes faster than last year.  I was shocked when I looked at my Garmin coming out of the water.  It really didn't seem like I was moving that much faster, but I felt great the entire swim!

T1: 6:06.  SLOW.  But, I wasn't able to run on the sand due to the hip injury, so I did the best I could.  In my rush to head out on the bike, I forgot my race number belt.  Opps.  Too late once I realized it to get it.

Bike: 3:12:28, 28 minutes faster than last year.  LOVE the Queen.  And the Zipp 404's.  Amazing ride, only thing- need to get a better fit on the bike, my back was killing me by mile 35.  Saw an official give someone a yellow card for drafting...at first I was afraid they were coming for me for not having my bib on, but was relieved when they pulled up to the guy ahead of me. Phew.

T2: 2:58.  Had to pee so bad at this point.  So that accounts for the slower time here.  At least I was hydrated!

Run: 2:35:55, 16 minutes faster than last year.  Used the 4 minutes run 1 min walk.  Tim, it works GREAT.  I am doing this because the hip is still nagging me a bit, but it worked perfectly for Racine with the heat, and I am using this in training and for IMWI.  It also gives you something to focus on besides the "how many miles are left" thing.  Plus, I ended up maintaining a more consistent pace than last year when I tore off and then fell apart by mile 7.

Overall time: 6:37:42.  VERY happy with this time.  Last years time: 7:27:59.  I love IM training!

After the race, literally was greeted by husband and friends, ate, stretched, drank water, gathered my stuff, and headed to Chicago, did a hotel ice bath, ate, and slept until our flight left for Jamaica the next morning.  Spent the past week in Jamaica on vacation.  I was supposed to have a build week last week, but used it as a recovery week from Racine.  It was a much needed break, and I am happy with the decision.  I was getting mentally worn out (as well as physically) and I think a week away was perfect.  It gave me some time for me and my husband, before the final stretch of training.  I am back at it already, and I feel stronger and better prepared for what's ahead.  I did do some swimming in the ocean down there, and even ran into another triathlete at our resort training for IM.  I felt slightly guilty when he was telling me about his 14 mile beach run, but my hip and the rest of my body is better for taking that time to recooperate. 

Tim-What did you think about the IMWI course???  There is a course ride for the TriWisconsin team on August 4th of the entire course, I plan on attending...if you are interested I can forward you the details.  Saskat- same for you!

Lastly, make sure to watch the Olympics for the triathlon- and cheer on Gwen Jorgensen!  She is from Waukesha, WI and swims with my masters team- I have met her numerous times, she is an amazing person!  GO GWEN!

Happy Training,

Jenny

Hi Team.

Did my last long ride today - 7 hrs 15 minutes of hilly hell in Michigan . I made it through, tough hills, I was slow and man was I sore when it ended. My A$$ was sore and my neck was tight (which is what normally happens to me on long rides). Anyway, after that I came back home to Ontario and did a nice relaxing 1500 meters in the pool followed by 15 minutes in the hot tub

Semi Taper has begun with full taper starting next week. My plan still has me doing a little bit of everything but just in smaller quantities. I have decided I am going to do one more long swim this Friday. It is not in the plan but I figure it won't hurt and I will just take it easy.

I am also going to experiment with that 4:1 ratio thing Tim - I love how it sounds.

OK team - be safe - I am going to bed.

KC

Nicely done KC!

I finished my last big swim workout this morning and will be in taper next week too. I like how my last big swim was 2400 meters and you just did a "nice relaxing 1500 meters". 1500 is pretty good in my book! Good luck at your race...you've definitely put in the work!

How are you feeling overall?  Hope the IT band is healing.  Nice job on the swim.  i saw on your Facebook about them having the bouys placed wrong-haha but it is a good feeling when you do something then realize you did even more than what you were planning and you are fine!  

I told my wife last week that I really needed her support to get  my a** going when I get lazy over the next few weeks so when the alarm went off today at 5:00am and I started whining she told me to my butt outta bed and get to the pool.  Three days in a row of the pool is enough to make me crazy but I got there and got a great swim in.  I am gonna try running at lunch so hopefully the heal feels good.  

This is the part of my training that I ALWAYS fall apart - about 2-3 weeks before taper - so I am making sure that I really stick with my plan.  After this lunch run then I just have a 2:15 hour run tomorrow mornign and then the IMWI bike course on Sunday and I will have turned the bad start of the week to a great training week!

I cannot believe we are approaching everyones races already!  In someways I want it over SO bad but other times I kinda wish it wasn't going so fast and I try to take it in.  Where in the hell did 26 weeks go this year?

Good Afternoon Team.

Tim - that is awesome that she is hanging with you and keeping you moving. I also managed to drag my a$$ out of the wrapper this morning for a decent swim.

I was thinking in the pool this morning on about my 70th lap I think, what the hell am I going to do when this is over? Another one maybe (providing I am successful on this one of course) .  I also think everyday about how much I want it over but don't - I guess it is normal to think this crap .

I have about an hour run to get in this evening based on my plan and I am supposed to do a short bike but my rear end is still a bit sore from my 7+hr ride Wednesday  so I am going to wait to get back on the bike until Sunday. I have my last semi long ride Sunday (67miles) and then it is all shorter stuff until NYC. God I hope I hold up. Every little ache and pain now sends my mind swirling and thinking about disaster. I think I should spend the next 12 days at my physio therapist’s office LOL.

Anyway, I hope everyone is has a great weekend – anyone racing?

Stay safe everyone.

KC

KC -did you ever get the Adamo seat or did you keep the seat that came with the bike?

I got my run in at lunch and heal felt ok.  No blood after so that s good.  Just gonna have to bandage it before every run.

Jenny, great job at Racine!  I am jealous, as I love Jamaica and can't wait to go back.  

Tim, glad to hear the blister is doing better.

KC, you are ready!

For some reason when that alarm goes off, I am up and ready to go.  Not sure how that is since I am not a morning person but these last few weeks I have had no problem.  I am so ready to taper so I can do some things that I have been putting off.  

Normally I have my next event figured out and right now I am not worrying about that.  I did for a short period of time was planning on go to IMWI to volunteer and cheer on Tim and Jennifer on and perhaps sign up for next year.  But decided against it since I really don't know what kind of shape I will be in 2 weeks after my event.

Argh.  I did it. I finally biked 100+ miles yesterday.  It was a long, rough day.  I had been in Green Bay the night before, so I drove back to Milwaukee in the AM, took a 30 min. power nap, then headed to the Y to meet my friend.  As we headed out, I noticed my road bike front derailer was not working right.  We discovered the cable was almost ripped.  Spent an hour fixing it, then finally set out.  We rode from Hales Corners (a suburb of Milwaukee) to Lake Geneva and back.  I focused on heart rate, so my speed was VERY slow.  Finished and felt like CRAP.  Not exactly an encouraging training day.  Finished the ride in 7:27.  Ate dinner, ice bath, then bed.  I was so tired, I slept through my alarm this morning for the 10 mile race I was signed up for.  I am still feeling exhausted, so I think I may move the run to tomorrow.  I hope this isn't an indication that I am behind on training or too slow to finish IMWI.  Next week Saturday I am riding the full IMWI course.  We will see how that goes I guess...

Is it normal to feel this crappy after a long ride?  This was my first 100+ mile ride...

Argh.  I did it. I finally biked 100+ miles yesterday.  It was a long, rough day.  I had been in Green Bay the night before, so I drove back to Milwaukee in the AM, took a 30 min. power nap, then headed to the Y to meet my friend.  As we headed out, I noticed my road bike front derailer was not working right.  We discovered the cable was almost ripped.  Spent an hour fixing it, then finally set out.  We rode from Hales Corners (a suburb of Milwaukee) to Lake Geneva and back.  I focused on heart rate, so my speed was VERY slow.  Finished and felt like CRAP.  Not exactly an encouraging training day.  Finished the ride in 7:27.  Ate dinner, ice bath, then bed.  I was so tired, I slept through my alarm this morning for the 10 mile race I was signed up for.  I am still feeling exhausted, so I think I may move the run to tomorrow.  I hope this isn't an indication that I am behind on training or too slow to finish IMWI.  Next week Saturday I am riding the full IMWI course.  We will see how that goes I guess...

Is it normal to feel this crappy after a long ride?  This was my first 100+ mile ride...

So I finally got out to the Ironman Madison course yesterday.  I did two 40 mile loops.  it was crazy busy on the course - so much that it almost felt like race day haha.  at one point there was like a line of 30 bikers around going up a road.  it was nice because I didn't have to pull my course cue card or map once.

The course was just as hard or even harder than what I was expecting.  I did the first loop in 2:17 and the second loop a little slower at 2:33 averaging about 16.3 mph overall.  The hills are relentless and I have never shifted so much on ride before.  It took me a little while to get used to it but by the middle of the first loop I had my shifting down.

I have to say that I have changed my race plan from a goal time to just finishing.  I was 3:23 at mile 56 and I was hoping for a 6:40 bike ride.  Here are a couple mental notes from the ride:

• GO EASY THE FIRST 40 miles - Endurance Nation preaches this but I wasn't really sure what it meant until yesterday.  I went out too hard on the first loop.  I am glad there were a lot of people out there yesterday since I realized that I was"eating the glue" on the first loop.  Need to just ride my race and ignore the other riders.
• NUTRITION - I found my nutrition plan just fell apart.  Not sure if it was just the exitement and getting caught up with being on the course or maybe all the hills but I was just thrown off.  I found that I wasn't taking my gels and only ended up taking 2 servings on first loop when I planned 5.  I also conserved my water a bit and didn't drink as much so that I wouldn't have to go to bathroom much.  On race day I will not have to worry about conserving water and will have plenty of aid stations to pee at
• HILL WORK - I have to get out the Campton Hills area for some good hill workouts.  That last hill on Midtown road during the second loop was the first time I ever considered stopping in the middle of a hill - Ugh.  Need to use the RFP mantra!  I have a few more weeks to get those legs used to climbing.
• EXTRA NUTRITION IN SPECIAL NEEDS OR BENTO - During the second loop I somehow launched my Perpetuem bottle without realizing it.  I this had happened in the race I would have pretty much been screwed.  First time that has ever happened.
• TUNE UP BIKE AT LBS - With all the gear changes and fast downhills I need to get my bike in to the LBS one week prior to race for a complete check and smooth out the shifting.  I dropped my chain on Messerscmidt Rd. on first loop but I think that was due to me getting used to ALL the shifting.  I have never had such drastic shifting where you go from flying down a hill maxed out in you big ring to 10 seconds later down shifting all the way to and climbing maxed out in my small ring. Crazy.  Plus I reached 45 MPH on a couple down hills and with my jalopy, homemade bike I was not too confident that my bike wasn't going to just disintegrate and I go rolling off into the woods or cornfield never to be seen again. With the LBS looking it over I should have that confidence.
• HAVE FUN AND ENJOY IT - I have to say that I really did enjoy the course and I am assuming that on race day with all the crowds it will be awesome.

I did get a good 40 minute run in after the bike. I used the 4:1 ratio again and felt pretty good...but that was only for 3 miles  We will see how it is at mile 18.

The worst part of the day was the 4 HOUR DRIVE HOME (Normally 2:15) due to traffic!

Nice work everyone! I love reading everybody's updates! I'm in taper right now and it's hard, I feel like I haven't done enough but I've heard that's a normal feeling. I am excited for the 70.3 this weekend but wish it was tomorrow. I don't like the waiting around for it.

KC - I agree...what the hell are we gonna do when this is all over. I don't wanna take time off but I know it's needed. Will I sign up for another 70.3? Guess I'll have to see how I feel.

Tim - you're definitely putting in the work and it will pay off!

Jenny - Over 100 miles on the bike. All I can say is WOW! You rock!

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend! I guess everyone's BIG races are all coming up within the next 4-5 weeks.

Good Luck Jen!  You will do just fine!  Remember this is your race and you are not racing anyone but yourself.