JohnnyKay and Fred Doucette's HIM/IM focused Mentor group-CLOSED (Page 47)

I'm ready to come back!  Its now 9 days after the IM and I'm ready to continue on.  I'm excited that there is a half IM in my city Ada, MI next weekend and I plan on spending lots of my day supporting the athletes.  I hope to do this race next year.  For a change, on my week off I took a 4 day motorcycle class and am now driving my Harley Street Bob motorcycle.  What a blast!  I need to buy a rack for my tri bike to put on the back of the motorcycle.  How cool would that be!

It was very nice to take this time off from training as I feel very refreshed, my mind is clear, and I was able to focus on other things.  I can't wait to get back into the pool, go for a run, and pick up my bike now that it has arrived back in the shop!  Happy Memorial Day to everyone!  Off for a day of pontooning with family....

It's ok - It's a happy I'm still moving laugh. Not mocking myself or anything. It's motivating for me to think of what you all do in your training. Helps keep me dig a little deeper!

Great to hear things are going so well after your race.  Our cycling club is putting on a 4 man team time trial the week after my HIM, and I'm really looking forward to helping out and volunteering.  I think it's a great way to finish off the recovery from a big race by supporting others the way you were supported during your race.

Glad you're feeling good post-IMTX Jimmy.

I took a week off to focus on work and life, really needed it. Yesterday was my first workout since the IM - I joined our local master's swim club to try it out. I haven't had a structured swim workout like that since college and I could tell right away that it would do great things for my swimming. I'm pretty sure I'm going to join, and try to make it 3x per week vs. the 2x per week I did for IM training. I think I'll notice immediate gains swimming one extra day, and getting much higher quality workouts.

Today I'm off for a run with the lady and her family - actually they are walking, I'm running solo. Should be interesting to see how the legs feel.

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

So now that I'm done with IMTX, my focus is shifting heavily towards running. During today's run I decided to get a lot of QUALITY out of my hour run. Ended up flying through 8 miles - 7:31 average pace (that's pretty fast for me). Felt really great about that run after taking a week off.

I'm wondering if I can improve my half mary PR by 5 minutes to a 1:35 - that would be 7:15 pace.

And this is the part that I don't fully understand.  I rode 2 hours on Saturday, avg power around 200 watts, HR in the 150's and could not manage 30kmph as an average.  Now I fully accept that PM's are going to be different - let's say mine is high by 10% over yours, so I was doing 180 watts instead of 200.  But my weight is about 10 lbs less than you (I think) so all in all our avg power for the ride was somewhat even.

And this is why I'm confused, you're an FFOP biker and I'm pure MOP.  I'm busting my butt, and you're cruising at 10% faster - but we're doing about the same power (for this ride).  Why are you so much faster?  Is it as simple as position on the bike (I know I'm not the most aero) or is there more to it?

I know this has really come across as whiny, and perhaps it is.  But I'm stuck not undertsanding why the hell I'm not getting any faster.  My power increases, I work during the winter, but it doesn't translate into real world speed.  Someone explain this please!!

Position is one piece.  Calibration of PM is another.

Biggest variable is course--wind, elevations, road conditions, etc.  I rode for 2 hrs last weekend at 250w and didn't quite crack 20mph.  There's just no good way to compare 2 completely different courses.  Even elevation only tells a small part of the story and two rides the the same amount of climbing can still be very different.  I've learned not to concern myself with speed during training rides.  My avg. speed in races is almost always higher than my training speeds.

Agree that course conditions play a huge factor in speed. 

yeah, seems like our group has dwindled down from the 17 or so that started.

In any case...more of the same for me.  Just a 40 minute run coming up and a lot of nervous energy.

First run since the IM.  Amazing how my legs began to feel so heavy over the last few days and finally getting this run done was HUGE for me both mentally and physcially.  5.2 miles, easy to mod pace.  Still waiting to get bike from shop to start riding again.  Wonder how long it takes to recover from an IM?  I know there are lots of variables but I feel that I really needed the last 9 days off.  Don't feel like I really have lost any fitness but I sure have been exhausted come the end of each day. 

I appreciate all the varying levels of fitness/talent on this site.  I for one will never be a FOP athlete but do believe I have a shot at being near the front of the MOP category.  I look forward to this day

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend, I personally had been looking forward to this weekend for months but I wasn't able to get all my planned training in, but still had a good weekend.

Rode 2 loops of the IMOO course here in Wisconsin, this was my first time riding a route that I rode last year as I moved in the off-season. First loop I hit about 5 minutes faster that I rode all last year and just under a 2:10 time which comes out to a 19.6 avg. Second loop I took easier and actually ran out of gels and again am reminded how important calories are as I could feel the energy melt right out of me. Still got in na solid 80 miles with 4k in climbing. For those doing IMOO this year or anytime in the future you are in for a treat! I always forget just how great that course and scenary are.

Planned for a good effort brick on Sunday. Spent the morning volunteering at the Madison marthon as the 3rd place female bike escort. Had a great time, met some great people, and learned some about running as well. I ended up sleeping the rest of the day away as I was up til 2ish Saturday night and had to get up at 430 for the marathon Sunday, add in my ride on Saturday and I was beat!

Yesterday I had a planned 11-13 mile run with each mile increasing my pace. First 5 miles were great, but the heat and hilly terrain got to me on the next 4 miles so I cut my run short. I was really dying outside, but got in 10 miles so it wasn't soo bad.

Now I am bacl home and start my season over the next two weeks with a sprint on Sunday and a Olympic next weekend. I did the sprint last year so it will be a good measuring stick as to my progress.

For those with Olympic racing pasts, what do you do for pacing? I have never done an olympic and am curious as to how to dispense my energy through all 3. I was thinking about this plan

Swim: Attack of the front for the first 400-500 meters then settle into a pace that I can hold the rest of the swim.

Bike: All of the rollers and one big climb are all in the first 8-10 miles so I figured this is my strength on the course so I should put in some good effort here and then once we reach the flatter terrain settle in a bit and get my legs ready for the run. I am aiming for a split with my HR around 150-155ish? Hoping to break 1:08 on the bike.

Run: Start easy first 5k, then hit it hard on the second loop and leave as much as I can on the course.

I've only done 2 Olympics...well 3 if you count a race that's 750m/40k/10k

I have quite a different approach...keep in mind the bike is by far my strength, and my swim and run are "okay".

Swim...I do whatever I can to get into a good draft.  If that means hammering the first 100 to get in the proper pack, so be it...but I won't go hard for much longer than that.  400-500 meters is almost 1/3 of the course and unless you're hammering for that long to stay in the draft of faster swimmers, you're likely working too hard.  Let others do the work so I can smash them on the bike is my motto. 

Bike...I ride evenly no matter where the hills are.  The only time I ever hammered up a hill is to lose a pack of about 20 riders who didn't know how to ride single file and were basically riding like a peloton.  I couldn't drop them on the flats, and kept getting swallowed up by them...so to avoid a penalty, I purposely dropped them on the next hill by increasing effort.

Run...assuming I didn't overcook the bike...I try to run the first mile moderate, just to get my running legs under me...then I try to figure out what pace I think I can hold for the next 4 miles and go that pace.  The goal is to be near empty with 1.2 to go...and just suck it up on guts, adrenaline, and mind power.  At least that's the way my mind works.  Otherwise I'll go way to easy in the beginning, and fisnish "too strong".

Glad you are feeling good enough to start training again! Amazing that you can stay motivated after all of that hard work.

Wow - you have a plan impressive . I've only completed 2 Oly's. My first I paced myself just to be able to finish and I had a great time. I loved every minute of that race and won my age group (I was the only one in my age group ha ha). Last year I wanted to race hard. I was smacked around in the swim, right from the start, had my goggles ripped off my face, then tried to swim too fast and make up for lost time. Race went downhill from there. Ride was into a 20 mph wind for the first half, legs were mush for the run.  I was 4 min faster than the previous year, 4th in age group but totally broken by the end.

The moral of the story - don't listen to me! I did learn a lot from that race though. I thought I could swim as hard as I want at any distance since swimming is my strength but that really put me in a bad place for the whole race.

Sounds like you had a great weekend!

Whew, I made it. Last 2 hour run of the plan in the books and it was my best long run yet. I felt good the whole time and even picked up the pace a little at the end. Still didn't manage 13 miles - just 12 but I really had to get home so my husband could get to work. I also didn't get the full impact of the heat since we ran so early in the morning.

I wonder if I am fueling enough? I felt fine and feel good now. I had one swig of my gel flask and about 12 ounces of gatorade plus about 12 ounces of water during the 2 hour run. My stomach just can't hold a lot at one time. As soon as I took the gel I felt really full, not bad just full. It is likely to be a lot hotter during the race since I'll be running several hours later than I was today. I guess I'm wondering what is the most important in the heat - more gatorade, another gel, just plain old water or maybe some saltstick tablets? You're probably thinking I should have practiced this already but it's just now starting to stay consistently in the 80's and get close to 90 here.