I'm giving myself until the end of the month to continue to unwind and just work out when and how I want. I can't say this season ever really got too far off the ground - I didn't have any real structured training blocks - but nevertheless, I feel like I need a little bit of nothing before getting into a structured program. I have thought a LOT about what the program will look like though. I'm going to blend some different things rather than focus specifically on one program... It will basically have 4 phases.
Nov. and Dec. are going to be based around strength work in the gym, time in the pool, long easy runs, and riding the MTB as much as I can.
Jan. and Feb. are going to pick up some cycling intensity with trainer sessions, all else will stay similar.
Mar. and April will be lengthening my rides, tapering off some of the strength, incorporating some speed into my running, and increasing frequency in the pool.
May, June, and July will be getting more race specific in all disciplines and and then tapering.
But now I think I'll talk about what I started this post thinking... In 2010 I finished the season with a 4:59 HIM in September and a 3:00 marathon in November. Then I took off a little time and got going again in late January/early February. I remember thinking in early 2011 that I needed to work on my bike speed, so I did a lot of long slow rides through the winter on the trainer and I tried to swim more than I had in the past. Both were pretty tough to follow through on. I also didn't think I needed any strength work...
This year I finished with a 4:58 HIM and a 3:05 marathon. My bike is surprisingly stronger (although maybe it isn't that much of a surprise considering I had only had a bike for 4 months before that HIM in 2010). My run isn't where it should be, but this year my marathon was in October not November. I think if I had to I could run a 3:00 marathon in a month... But I could be wrong.
I'm going to go with a "reverse periodization" this winter by starting with more high intensity work. I read a great article by Joe Friel that told me EXACTLY what I wanted to hear about this - HERE. I always thought that reverse periodization was a risk because you aren't building the aerobic bike strength before building top end speed. However, periodization really refers to starting with a specific skill and then becoming more and more race specific as you get closer to the race. For me, I need top end speed. And and Ironman is a long, relatively easy effort race. So, by going hard on the trainer this winter and then going long later, I'm really not reverse periodizing because I'm getting more race specific. So, we'll see how it works.
I know what my goals are and it's going to take great amounts of work to get there regardless of the path I choose. November 1 is when things get going!
Monday, October 28, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
AC Marathon recap
Another long race in the books. Overall I'm pretty content with my results and extremely proud of my wife for her race. I'll give an overview and then go into more detail below with some pictures and data.
.JPG)
Me: 3:05.xx (5 min off my current marathon PR - through 13.1 in 1:29)
Maddy: 4:17.xx (a 35 minute PR over 2011!)
.JPG)
Some background: Maddy and I both went with a somewhat minimal training plan for this race. We can pretend it was on purpose, but we started out with an idea of doing some longer runs, and they just never happened. Neither one of us ran more than 2.5 hours in prep for this. We did some back to back days - 2 hours one day and 1.5 the next - which I think really helps you learn to run on tired legs. And, frankly, I think the long marathon run is overrated! We might have gone a little too minimal because we both felt it toward the end of the race, but (on top of the 20+mph headwind the last 10k) I really don't think we needed more long miles, just more frequent miles if that makes sense. We each did three runs of over 2 hours. I think that number needs to be closer to 5-6 long runs spaced out over 8 weeks.
Anyway, I went out based on HR. Looking at my last marathon I figured I could hold low 170's for the marathon distance if I didn't have too many spikes, and that's what I did.
Miles - split (HR)
1 - 6:35 (175) 14 - 6:39 (173)
2 - 6:52 (176) 15 - 6:55 (174)
3 - 6:52 (176) 16 - 6:55 (177)
4 - 6:44 (174) 17 - 6:48 (181) *too much!
5 - 7:01 (174) 18 - 6:57 (181) *too much!
6 - 6:44 (172) 19 - 6:58 (182) *too much!
7 - 6:45 (173) 20 - 7:04 (183) *too much!
8 - 6:46 (173) 21 - 7:01 (183) *too much!
9 - 6:56 (172) 22 - 7:32 (187) *too much!
10 - 6:45 (171) 23 - 7:58 (185) *too much!
11 - 6:44 (171) 24 - 8:15 (180) *too much!
12 - 6:39 (170) 25 - 8:15 (174)
13 - 6:36 (173) 26 - 8:11 (173)
Finish - 3:05 (176)
Miles 10-14 were straight downwind. It was nice and easy. Miles 17-26 were straight into the wind. They HURT! I made a conscious decision to ignore my high HR and just let it go for the rest of the race. I picked off 3 people in those last 10 miles and even encouraged some of them to group up with me and run together to protect ourselves from the wind. No one would hang though. Disappointing was that I got passed (AGAIN!!) in the last mile of the race. I also had a guy within probably 100m that I just couldn't reel in over the last 3 miles. We were both going slow, but he held his distance.
I guess based on my pre-race thoughts that I earned an A-/B+ for the day. I'm capable of more, but I am happy how I ended up given everything that went in. The bottom line is that I'm fitter than I was on Saturday and ready to recover and get a nice strong off season plan underway, so I'm ready to go for IM training in a few months.
Thanks for reading!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Kona Picks!
Oh baby I am excited! It's unfortunate that I won't be able to watch most of the coverage because I'll be driving down to Atlantic City as the race starts, and I'll probably be busy most of the afternoon getting prepped. I'll be keeping up as much as I can though. I even started a twitter account so I can get the tweet updates haha.
I'll keep this short and sweet - race predictions and top 3.
Ladies first:
3rd place: Mirinda Carfree
2nd place: Meredith Kessler
1st place: Caroline Steffan
The woman's race will be a good one. I think Steffan will show that she is the best woman in the sport right now and win it coming off the bike in the lead. Kessler has been quiet for a while, which should mean she's well rested. She usually races like 10 IM's a year (and wins 8 of them), so we'll see what happens when she actually settles in and does one right. Rinny is such a fast runner that she'll come off the bike 15+min back, but she'll run out of real estate before she can catch up to the woman twice her size.
Men:
3rd place: Andy Potts
2nd place: Sebastian Kienle
1st place: Pete Jacobs
The men's race will be epic. There are SO many great athletes in the field. I think Potts will surprise people this year and get on the podium. He, like Kessler, usually panics and sneaks in an extra race overcooking himself. He hasn't raced since Vegas, so I think he's as ready as he'll ever be. Kienle is a monster on the bike and runs well too. The only thing I think will surprise people is that I don't think he'll come off the bike first! I think Andy Starykowicz will just act like a gorilla and crush the existing bike course record. I also think he'll either drop out or run like a 3:30 marathon because he overdoes it on his first trip to the island. PJ is just too good. He's not only in peak form (he did a 70.3 in 3:39 a few weeks back! 3:39! His bike split was like 2:01 and his run was like 1:13... who does that?!?!) he's also got his head on straight. He knows he's the best, and he'll prove it again.
It pains me to keep Crowie, Andy Raelert, and Eneko Llanos off the list, but I think Crowie is too old, Andy can't get his head around winning in Kona, and Eneke is overdone by his outstanding performances at Melbourne and Frankfurt this year.
Once I get past this weekend I'll start to build my 2014 plan toward IMLP. It's not a secret - I'm shooting for a Kona slot. I will keep that at the forefront of my mind to keep me motivated. I want to get to the Big Island. I want to race on the Queen K. I want to be among the best in the sport. And I think I know what it will take to get there.
Fun weekend ahead!
Thanks for reading!
PW
I'll keep this short and sweet - race predictions and top 3.
Ladies first:
3rd place: Mirinda Carfree
2nd place: Meredith Kessler
1st place: Caroline Steffan
The woman's race will be a good one. I think Steffan will show that she is the best woman in the sport right now and win it coming off the bike in the lead. Kessler has been quiet for a while, which should mean she's well rested. She usually races like 10 IM's a year (and wins 8 of them), so we'll see what happens when she actually settles in and does one right. Rinny is such a fast runner that she'll come off the bike 15+min back, but she'll run out of real estate before she can catch up to the woman twice her size.
Men:
3rd place: Andy Potts
2nd place: Sebastian Kienle
1st place: Pete Jacobs
The men's race will be epic. There are SO many great athletes in the field. I think Potts will surprise people this year and get on the podium. He, like Kessler, usually panics and sneaks in an extra race overcooking himself. He hasn't raced since Vegas, so I think he's as ready as he'll ever be. Kienle is a monster on the bike and runs well too. The only thing I think will surprise people is that I don't think he'll come off the bike first! I think Andy Starykowicz will just act like a gorilla and crush the existing bike course record. I also think he'll either drop out or run like a 3:30 marathon because he overdoes it on his first trip to the island. PJ is just too good. He's not only in peak form (he did a 70.3 in 3:39 a few weeks back! 3:39! His bike split was like 2:01 and his run was like 1:13... who does that?!?!) he's also got his head on straight. He knows he's the best, and he'll prove it again.
It pains me to keep Crowie, Andy Raelert, and Eneko Llanos off the list, but I think Crowie is too old, Andy can't get his head around winning in Kona, and Eneke is overdone by his outstanding performances at Melbourne and Frankfurt this year.
Once I get past this weekend I'll start to build my 2014 plan toward IMLP. It's not a secret - I'm shooting for a Kona slot. I will keep that at the forefront of my mind to keep me motivated. I want to get to the Big Island. I want to race on the Queen K. I want to be among the best in the sport. And I think I know what it will take to get there.
Fun weekend ahead!
Thanks for reading!
PW
Thursday, October 10, 2013
AC Marathon (less than) 1 week out
**I started this post on Sunday, but wrapped it up Thursday, so you'll see my throughts through the whole week.
The last real workout is in the books. I did a nice warm up of ~15 minutes easy, then some stretching and strides on the track. Then I hit the track for 2 miles at goal heart rate (170-173). The first one was easy, fast, and relaxed. The second was when I settled in. The first two miles were done in 13:44 averaging 171 for my heart rate. Nice. Then I went up and around town for 17 minutes holding the same HR range (with a little spike up to 180 on a hill leading up to town). Not sure how far it is unfortunately, but I estimate around 2 1/4 miles. Then I wrapped it up with 2 more on the track - same HR zone, but dropped to 13:55 the second time around. I cooled down and called it a day. All things considered, I felt very strong. The legs turned over well. I was breathing well at the effort. Again, the question is going to be how it pans out over the distance.
This week is all about resting the legs (and body) and just making sure I'm still sharp come next Sunday. Again, lots of questions as to how the race will go. My workouts tell me I can still run OK, but the big question mark is my durability over the longer distance. So here's the plan for the week:
- Eat well and hydrate!
- Easy run tomorrow, Monday (I was asked to help out with XC practice, so I'll spin the legs with them for 30ish minutes)
- Rest Tuesday
- Wednesday easy 50 minutes with a few pick ups
- Thursday rest or maybe a swim
- Friday a 3-4 miler with a few pick ups
- Saturday rest and try to watch as much of the Kona race as possible
- Sunday - game time!
Well now it's Thursday, and I've stuck to some of the plan. Eating well? Eh... I've had a few more sweets than I probably should have. Just topping off the glycogen stores though, right? The runs have been good. I'm getting the typical (for me) race week pains in my legs. Whenever I taper I get some unusual twinges of pain in my hips and/or calves.
Goals for the race:
- Finish. It's going to be a tough day. On top of the fact that it's a marathon, it's also calling for rain from now through Monday.
- Hold to a HR and stay patient! I'm going to have to put my ego on the shelf and just run by HR. I know I'll feel fine on the front half, but the back half could bury me if I'm not careful.
- Lay it out there in the last 10k with whatever is left.
- Time? I'll say this, 3:05-3:10 would be a B/B+. Not what I'm shooting for, but not bad. 3:00-3:05 would be an A. And anything sub 3:00 would be an A+.
It's tough because I know I can run a sub 3 marathon. Frankly, I think I could go sub 2:50. Sunday is not going to be that race though. I haven't trained properly to do that. Going sub 2:50 would require about a 3 month build and a perfect taper. I hope I'll do it some day, but again, Sunday won't be that day.
What I love about racing is also what I hate about racing.... You only get out what you put in. There's no hiding what you've done to prepare. You are who you've made yourself on that day. So, Sunday I'll find out who I am, I guess.
The last real workout is in the books. I did a nice warm up of ~15 minutes easy, then some stretching and strides on the track. Then I hit the track for 2 miles at goal heart rate (170-173). The first one was easy, fast, and relaxed. The second was when I settled in. The first two miles were done in 13:44 averaging 171 for my heart rate. Nice. Then I went up and around town for 17 minutes holding the same HR range (with a little spike up to 180 on a hill leading up to town). Not sure how far it is unfortunately, but I estimate around 2 1/4 miles. Then I wrapped it up with 2 more on the track - same HR zone, but dropped to 13:55 the second time around. I cooled down and called it a day. All things considered, I felt very strong. The legs turned over well. I was breathing well at the effort. Again, the question is going to be how it pans out over the distance.
This week is all about resting the legs (and body) and just making sure I'm still sharp come next Sunday. Again, lots of questions as to how the race will go. My workouts tell me I can still run OK, but the big question mark is my durability over the longer distance. So here's the plan for the week:
- Eat well and hydrate!
- Easy run tomorrow, Monday (I was asked to help out with XC practice, so I'll spin the legs with them for 30ish minutes)
- Rest Tuesday
- Wednesday easy 50 minutes with a few pick ups
- Thursday rest or maybe a swim
- Friday a 3-4 miler with a few pick ups
- Saturday rest and try to watch as much of the Kona race as possible
- Sunday - game time!
Well now it's Thursday, and I've stuck to some of the plan. Eating well? Eh... I've had a few more sweets than I probably should have. Just topping off the glycogen stores though, right? The runs have been good. I'm getting the typical (for me) race week pains in my legs. Whenever I taper I get some unusual twinges of pain in my hips and/or calves.
Goals for the race:
- Finish. It's going to be a tough day. On top of the fact that it's a marathon, it's also calling for rain from now through Monday.
- Hold to a HR and stay patient! I'm going to have to put my ego on the shelf and just run by HR. I know I'll feel fine on the front half, but the back half could bury me if I'm not careful.
- Lay it out there in the last 10k with whatever is left.
- Time? I'll say this, 3:05-3:10 would be a B/B+. Not what I'm shooting for, but not bad. 3:00-3:05 would be an A. And anything sub 3:00 would be an A+.
It's tough because I know I can run a sub 3 marathon. Frankly, I think I could go sub 2:50. Sunday is not going to be that race though. I haven't trained properly to do that. Going sub 2:50 would require about a 3 month build and a perfect taper. I hope I'll do it some day, but again, Sunday won't be that day.
What I love about racing is also what I hate about racing.... You only get out what you put in. There's no hiding what you've done to prepare. You are who you've made yourself on that day. So, Sunday I'll find out who I am, I guess.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
O.M.G. It's beautiful.
I won't be able to pick it up and ride it for about a month, but I'm already drooling on myself. LOOK AT THAT BABY!
It's going to be a fun winter : )
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Training while traveling (and a sneak peak at the MTB!!!)
My new job has allowed me some great opportunities to travel, which is AWESOME, but makes getting in a routine a little more difficult. Even day trips that get me home a bit later in the evening end up messing with my eating, sleeping, and evening workouts. That being said, I should take more responsibility because I have my travel schedule well in advance so I can plan accordingly. It's a transition, and I'm sure I'll get better, but I can't say I've checked all the boxes for workouts that were supposed to prepare me for this upcoming marathon. The fact is that I've only done two runs of over 2 hours (and I mean barely over 2 hours...). I've felt strong, and my weekly mileage is still pretty good, but not doing anything over 17 miles before a marathon makes me worry. Have I built enough muscular strength? Will I hit the proverbial wall even sooner in this marathon? Or, fingers crossed, will my legs just be fresh enough to carry me through? We shall see on October 13.
I did my last long run today (yes, a Tuesday morning). I banged out 1:45 at a nice, easy pace, then 2 miles on the track at my threshold heart rate. Add in a cool down, and I ended with 2:05 run all done before work. (Side note - that is a HUGE benefit of my new job. I would never have been able to do anything over 1:20 in the morning with my old position). The legs felt pretty good, especially considering that I ran a pretty hard 1:30 on Sunday and then 1:00+ last night with Maddy. The cumulative fatigue is there, but I just haven't put in the single long run... I'll write about a race plan, goals, and all that in another post.
The last thing I'll write about today is the very first ROYAL H CYCLES MTB that will be hitting the trails of PA by the end of October! I picked the paint scheme, and Bryan picked just about everything else with some help from other frame builders he knows. We went with a 27.5 wheelsize - not quite as large as the popular 29'er, but something more than the traditional 26" wheel. It will be a BLAST to get out on this winter! I'm hoping this keeps me riding often all winter long. More to come on the MTB as well as it is finished being built up.
I did my last long run today (yes, a Tuesday morning). I banged out 1:45 at a nice, easy pace, then 2 miles on the track at my threshold heart rate. Add in a cool down, and I ended with 2:05 run all done before work. (Side note - that is a HUGE benefit of my new job. I would never have been able to do anything over 1:20 in the morning with my old position). The legs felt pretty good, especially considering that I ran a pretty hard 1:30 on Sunday and then 1:00+ last night with Maddy. The cumulative fatigue is there, but I just haven't put in the single long run... I'll write about a race plan, goals, and all that in another post.
The last thing I'll write about today is the very first ROYAL H CYCLES MTB that will be hitting the trails of PA by the end of October! I picked the paint scheme, and Bryan picked just about everything else with some help from other frame builders he knows. We went with a 27.5 wheelsize - not quite as large as the popular 29'er, but something more than the traditional 26" wheel. It will be a BLAST to get out on this winter! I'm hoping this keeps me riding often all winter long. More to come on the MTB as well as it is finished being built up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)