SBR Utopia ---- Permanently OPEN!! (Page 38)

A lot of it looks pretty flat, but in one spot, yes. Can't tell the grade from the map, but a couple hundred meters qualifies as "up".

http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/asiapac/ironman/new-zealand/athletes/course.aspx#axzz2ufccvsJ9 

I hope nothing went wrong for him on the ride and this is how he planned to pace the bike. I know he's gone quicker at other IM's on the bike.

Regardless - Go Mark!

Hadn't he done a lot less biking for this one or something?

Awesome Mark, congratulations!!

I hope that snow-pocolypse isn't headed my way next!

I got in a 1:35 ride this morning with 2 x 15' @ 280w (100% for Nicole ) and then 20' @ 265w (94%).  I often struggle on longer threshold type stuff but this one went well.

2 hour .94 IF ride sounds....  really hard!

Very nice finish, but super impressive given the amount of biking prior and a tweaked back!  Well done and many deserved congratulations upon the event!

The polar vortex needs to stay home - this has been one of the most relentless winters I can recall.  Woke today to -2F plus wind - lovely.

Swam 4k this morning and am going to run - OUTSIDE, DANG IT - for a couple hours today.  No mileage target, just 2-2.5 hours (hopefully) with some good hills thrown in.  Might spin tonight for an hour just to get some more bike time in (I have a 3-4 hr "ride" on the skedj for tomorrow, but don't think I'm even going to try that long on the trainer - I'd rather chew glass than spend that much time with the dogs staring at me like, "What are you DOING?" whilst wondering the same myself).  Yep, more snow tomorrow, buuuuut….

...The season approaches.  (clearly sooner for those who are already racing!).

I change bike shoes every few decades, it seems.  If they ain't broke...

Matt

Recovery run was surprisingly good - legs felt super. Base effort was right at an 8 minute pace average over rolling hills. This time last year that effort would have been 8:55 pace on the same terrain.  VERY happy with that improvement.

Arend, I had one of those during a kick set a couple of weeks ago: I can get a lot more flex in my ankles if I rotate my toes slightly toward each other and can pick up a few seconds per 100 as well if I really focus on it. Like you said, "Duh!" right??? This winter I have definitely taken on kick sets as something not just to suffer through, but to actually attack head-on and get better at it. I am still getting destroyed on the kick sets by my lane mates at masters, but not by nearly as much.

I remember a number of years ago I read a psych description of athletes and it basically divided us into two groups: internalizers and externalizers, and that it was important to just come to grips with what works best for you. Now who knows if this is right, but it said that the majority of folks are externalizers and actually perform better if they move their focus "externally" by listening to music, watching TV, working out with others and having a conversation, etc. I on the other hand fit the description of an "internalizer" and do much better if I maintain focus on exactly what is going on in my head and body. I typically have a running dialogue going on and am constantly doing systems checks. So on the trainer I am actually MUCH happier to simply stare at my computer and stay inside my head. Music, TV, etc is too much of a distraction: I can't follow it AND it causes me to loose focus. I am extremely comfortable inside my head and am pretty sure that is at least part of the reason why throughout my life I have gravitated toward solo sports vs. team sports.

That said, JT and I have used the companion version of trainer road  coupled with sufferfest (via apple TV) and it is very cool to do the same workout together, but with our own power parameters set by TR. But again, even when I am using TR+SF+Kickr I mostly just stare at the TR graph and listen for the start gun and brakes.

Well, FTP is estimated (but still pretty sure it is fairly accurate). Ride had a very short warmup and was 37 miles with 2500' of elevation total. The return route home did include hard stop-light-to-stop-light sprints with Garmin auto pausing, so I suppose I actually DID get a little technological assist. ;^D

Was really surprised by this ride myself, actually - very,very close to PRs on both a known 10 mile and a 5 mile segment (had I done eiterh by itself I would have killed it), and this was on my road bike in cold weather - PRs are on TT bike in the warm.

Coach's instructions were pretty straight forward: "Ride like how you used to ride before I told you to go slow all the time." heh.