26 Days to IM Texas..."if it was easy, everyone would do it"

Almost two weeks ago I posted about IM Texas:  everything surrounding that choice, and the build I was about to go through....it ended yesterday.  To sum it up---I made it, but with plenty of adversity.  After a "recovery week" (read: 14.5 hours of training), Build 1 (4/9-15) was 19 hours, and Build 2 (4/16-22) was 19h 20m...we saw temps go from "knee/arm warmers" cold to "no socks and tri jerseys" hot yesterday (105!!!  record for Phoenix).  I've learned a lot about training in the heat over the past 2 years---but what I have mostly learned is that it takes a lot longer to recover from "all day" training in the heat.  I'm sure my AZ friends will agree;  "surviving" a 100+ mile ride on saturday, then riding 90 minutes and running for 2h30m (which gets pushed into the heat because of the ride) pushes you to places most people would call insane.  Ice baths would be nice, but I have family time that this training already cuts in to, so the recovery is sacrificed to keep some sort of family life in place.   So here's the 2 week block again, and I'll add some stuff underneath....

Build 1:

Monday April 9:   1:45:00 bike....includes hill repeats: 6 x 4' at 40 cadence

Tuesday April 10:  3900 swim   +   1:20:00 run with 14 x 400 included at 6:00 pace or faster

Wednesday April 11:  3800 swim

Thursday April 12:  2:00:00 bike...includes 2 x 15' in Z3, 95 cadence and 2 x 20-30' climbing, 1st half high Z3, 2nd half Z4

Friday April 13:  1:15:00 hilly trail run....hills in Z4

Saturday April 14: 3800 swim  +  5:00:00 bike, with 2 x 30' high Z2, 3 x 15' Z3 (all 95+ cadence), then, starting in Z3, increasing cadence into Z4, then hold for 2-4', then let it come down to low Z3, then repeat 4 times.

Sunday April 15:  2:00:00 ride with 1 hour in Z3 + 1:50:00 progression run:  3 x 25' increasing HR ~5 beats per rep, starting at IM pace

Build 2:

Monday April 16:  rest...

Tuesday April 17:  1:25:00 run with 6 x 1 mile repeats (sub 6 pace) + 3900 swim

Wednesday April 18:   1:45:00 bike....includes hill repeats: 6 x 2.5' minutes at 40 cadence

Thursday April 19:  3500 swim + 2:00:00 Bike   4x 12' of Z3 at 90-100 cadence. Then, uphill - 2x 25 at Z3 climbing alternating cadences

Friday April 20:  4000 swim + 1:15:00 run with middle 45' at HIM pace

Saturday April 21:  5:30:00 bike..... includes 2 x 20' high Z2, 3 x 15' Z3 (all 95+ cadence), 8 x 4' in high Z3/Low Z4

Sunday April 22:  1:30:00 EZ spin + 2:30:00... run 20' warm up then 3x4mile progression with 1 mile easy jog in between. 4 miles increase speed by 20 sec per mile - so start at marathon pace from IM and build.

long warm down at Z2 HR

Build 1 went perfect...nothing about it was crushing, not even the 20 mph winds while riding the Beeline for 5 hours on the 14th(up and back, up and back, ALL day long...).   The 15th: awesome...ended up on the Marquee course while buddies were racing (sorry to cherry pick, but not really).  Running with Matt Russell was a treat...amazing athlete, the nicest guy, and he kept me on my paces for the progressions and then some---I kept looking at my watch for pace, only to see 6:1X for most of the 2nd half hour we ran together---thanks for the push Matt!!!  The "aid" stations were a treat as wel for this 1:50 run---its amazing your run quality is when you actually have the correct nutrition/hydration in place versus the suffer fests I end up in on longer (mean: lack of water/aid) runs.   I've noticed that keeping the body cool, hydrated plays a HUGE role in training quality...I'm sure you all agree to this "duh" comment.  Orange slices, coke, cold water...I was in heaven regardless of the 16 miles I had to get in.

So it was into Build 2 last week...and it ended up being a mental battle all the way through.  I finished Build 1 week feeling like I had conquered the world, then took the rest day to stretch, roll, and hang with the family.  On tuesday I came out of the pool feeling decent, but once the run started, I quickly felt the training volume/intensity from Build 1.  My legs didn't want to run, and it took a 10 minute self talk to get into the speed work.  There was a 20+ degree change in temps from sunday to tuesday, and the swim probably dehydrated me a bit---running 6:30's was all I could muster for the mile repeats.  For reference, I can usually get those under 6:10 with a decent effort---on this day it was an "all out" effort and the legs just wouldn't turn over any faster.  And so it began---a week of suffering.  The wednesday muscular endurance workout was a step back from the progression in this aspect of training I have been heading down; I welcomed that (and I never like to step down...).  Thursday had me on Nine Mile Hill for the repeats, then into the pool---I remember the thought of jumping in while on the pool deck was disheartening.  While I hit all of my targets on the bike and in the pool, just starting the workouts became a chore.  Jenny has always said the right things when I need to hear it, and there's one thing I found myself saying all week:  "you committed to this, you have to carry it out."  I also tell myself that if I am going to take time away from my family, that I have to make that time count----no cutting it short, no taking it easy.   So with those thoughts, I plowed through the weekday workouts.  Saturday came and I started to come out of the IM training fog a bit, but then came the heat...97 when I got off the bike after 5h30m of riding....my core temp was about as high as it has ever been, which happens when my body hasn't acclimatized to the heat.  I rode the final hour in the garage on the trainer, trying to get the 8 reps in Z4 in...I died at number 5 and just spun it out to the end---failure is a good thing!!!  Yesterday morning I knew I was in trouble again--still cooked from the day before, and the energy level was low---and I was eating a ton of good stuff in prep---IM fog in full effect, no matter what I did.  The 90 minute spin was no big deal, but just put the start of the run into the middle of the morning...crap is was going to be hot!   I could have run in circles and set up an aid station at home, but after circling the Bee Line on saturdays ride, I needed to venture out---big mistake  I did get the 2h30m's in, it wasn't without a couple "overheating" bouts when the pace picked up on the progressions.  I even had a few mini meltdowns out there, but my mantras kicked in---I guess that is the one benefit of beating yourself silly for 2+ years.   This may have crushed a part of me, but I came out feeling like I had beaten the heat...it was supposed to be tough, and it had me grunting, closing my eyes, digging into my core to get it done.  It's pretty hard to think IM Texas race day will be harder than this past weekend.  With a fresh engine...well, we can just hope for a good day come May 19th ;-)  I feel ready--but there is still some work to do...

Salt loss?  I would have been hyponatremic without supplementing all the water I took in on Sundays run...

SaltStick Tabs were in over on both weekend days, and I think, no matter what people say (about "boiling water" and the likes...), they have their place for me.  I was all over the First Endurance products as well---Pre Race Capsules are a not so secret weapon, and the MuliV, Optygen HP, and Ultragen kept my body moving when my mind wasn't.  I know that sounds like a plug, but when I stop taking them, I notice a steady decline in my ability to hit the targets and keep riding the fine line...Chris has had me on that line all pre-season it seems ;-)

Ironman 4.0...how it developed, and how its going...

First off, I wanted to just let you all know I appreciated your comments since the last post...I had no idea half of you are reading my stuff!!!  Simply, without our spousal support  ;-), we would all be on the couch, eating chips, drinking beer.  At least for me though, the grief would be to big to bear if I was not supported by my family, and that is where I'd be, with the kids and Jenny by my side, but still happy as can be to have them in my life ;-)  On last nights run (JC, told you about this already), i was thinking of a "spouse appreciation blowout" of some sort...stay tuned!!!


Here's my McGyver trick for those times when you run over a Budweiser bottle, slashing your tire out in the middle of no where at mile 80 of your saturday ride:  take an EMPTY Gu packet and line the inside of the affected area...you can even use the last remnants of the gel to keep it in place.  It is that absolute perfect width to cover the entire tread from bead to bead.  I rode 10 miles on this and did not feel the gash once.  So all you need is one Gu packet, 1 tube, and 1 CO2!!!

Danger Will Robinson!!

McGyver to the rescue!!

So on with the season already!

I'm a little late getting to the party this year---it's mid April and still not a race to put on the Results tab.  By design, my plan this year is simple:  to race less, and to not race year round.  I needed and will need more recovery!  But just because I haven't raced doesn't mean I've been sitting back drinking Mochas and Coronas ;-)  It's been a great late winter, early spring, and the training has gone almost perfect.  But it has been a completely different approach than my 3 other Ironmans.  Both IMAZ 2010 and Kona 2011 were built on Z2 training---tons of it!  6 hours on the bike was the norm, 2+ hour Z2 runs were as well; swimming, well, is swimming.

Down at Tucson Camp February, Chris and I discussed a plan to go for another Kona  .  First was the coercing by him for me to consider St George---I had my reservations about it for sure.   First thought was that I didn't think I'd be ready for it psychologically.  With IM's in October and November of 2011, I was still feeling the effects---and I wondered if I'd snap out of it in time for a May 5th IM.   Chris has  a may of making his points, and I walked out of the room recharged and with a plan...IM St George is was going to be.  Then came the calendar review, and I then had to change plans again---taking some time the week before St George wasn't going to work.  So I scrambled a bit...and ended up with IM Texas on the schedule instead, which falls 2 weeks after St George.  It fit the calendar, I think the course fits better for my "skills," and I won't have to compete against 4 or 5 40-44 studs that I know will already be at St George---with only 50 slots, we would be slugging it out against each other for a coveted 6 or 7 spots.  Add in that I don't consider myself a strong biker (climbing is not my idea of fun in an IM anyways), and I psychologically feel great about this choice.  Texas will be a no wetsuit swim, rolling bike with wind as a variable, a 3 loop flat run course, and of course the heat and humidity.  The swim will be a decent advantage for me, the bike---just stay aero, and the run, well that will be a long conversation with myself to endure the heat and the pain.  So, Bryan, Brian, Russ, etc....have "fun" in St George...I'm pulling for all 3 of you to put down your best performances!!!

Regardless of the switch in race venues, Chris and I had discussed a plan in Tucson for IM training this year, like I said above, that is completely different than before.  I think it may have to do with the enormous base I bring into 2012 for the late season IMs, but it also may have to do with my maturation in the sport?!  I'm no longer a rookie, and lining up for my 4th Ironman in 18 months, I must have some endurance "built in" to this body!  My long 6 hour rides have been replaced with 4-4 1/2 hour rides with high Z2, Z3 and Z4 intervals...simply quality over quantity.  Long runs have gone the same way:  last sunday was a 2h20m run with two 5 mile progressions with a recovery mile in between.  Sounds easy enough?  Well, the progressions are as follows:  7:30, 7:10, 6:50, 6:30, 6:10.  The first time through, not too bad...the second time through: failure once I hit the 6:10 at mile 14...it's good to know your human in those moments, and for us IM people, reaching failure like this takes a lot!!!  The workout was tough in itself, but the day prior was the bike session above, and I had a 90 minute spin before the run as well----funny to think it is all by design, and I literally failed on the run in the final 1/4 mile....and then I had 5 miles to go to finish off the workout ;-)    We've "cut out" the LSD stuff, which has also lead to a decrease in hours/week...I haven't gone over 20 yet, which was the norm last season.  It truly has been all quality, then recovery week, then back into it while adding length and reps to the intervals.  I feel I've been hitting the mark...I'm not just struggling to survive (the beauty of training for IM's through the summer in the past...this is the first one I didn't have to go through that mess for).   With the LSD routine of before, it was hard to gauge how my fitness was improving.  I was always tired, just on the brink of overtraining, breaking down.  Now, I feel strong during, and even after my workouts---legs feel like pistons cranking out some power numbers they haven't hit before;  speed on the run is limited by my ability to physically run faster.  A progression of endurance training puts you into a place where even at aerobic pace (meaning:  heart rate Z2), you struggle.   My heart rate is abnormally low---a 7:00 pace nowadays is at 130 HR.  The speed hurts just the same, but breathing and the number on the HRM is totally under control.  I have built a decent aerobic machine!!!  IM is an aerobic sport, so I am having good vibes and positive psychology at this point----I actually feel more prepped for this one than IMAZ 2010 and IM Kona 2011 (IMAZ 2011...that was on a broken body!).  IF this training strategy works, there may be hope for Ironmans in the future---we are hoping for a good day in Texas, leading to IM 5.0 in Kona.

I'm 5 weeks out from raceway, so you would think a 70.3 this coming weekend to test the engine would be perfect, right? Well, I think I know how to race, know the feel of it, comfortable with the swim start...so we are skipping it in lieu of a last build period.  Instead of wasting a weekend prepping for a race, the log is as follows:

(please know this is just a snapshot...there is more to it than these descriptions...Chris is okay with me sharing a snapshot, but this is the only one you will see me post...)

Monday April 9:   1:45:00 bike....includes hill repeats: 6 x 4' at 40 cadence
Tuesday April 10:  3900 swim   +   1:20:00 run with 14 x 400 included at 6:00 pace or faster
Wednesday April 11:  3800 swim
Thursday April 12:  2:00:00 bike...includes 2 x 15' in Z3, 95 cadence and 2 x 20-30' climbing, 1st half high Z3, 2nd half Z4
Friday April 13:  1:15:00 hilly trail run....hills in Z4
Saturday April 14: 3800 swim  +  5:00:00 bike, with 2 x 30' high Z2, 3 x 15' Z3 (all 95+ cadence), then, starting in Z3, increasing cadence into Z4, then hold for 2-4', then let it come down to low Z3, then repeat 4 times.
Sunday April 15:  2:00:00 ride with 1 hour in Z3 + 1:50:00 progression run:  3 x 25' increasing HR ~5 beats per rep, starting at IM pace
Monday April 16:  rest...
Tuesday April 17:  1:25:00 run with 6 x 1 mile repeats (sub 6 pace) + 3900 swim
Wednesday April 18:   1:45:00 bike....includes hill repeats: 6 x 2.5' minutes at 40 cadence
Thursday April 19:  3500 swim + 2:00:00 Bike   4x 12' of Z3 at 90-100 cadence. Then, uphill - 2x 25 at Z3 climbing alternating cadences
Friday April 20:  4000 swim + 1:15:00 run with middle 45' at HIM pace
Saturday April 21:  5:30:00 bike..... includes 2 x 20' high Z2, 3 x 15' Z3 (all 95+ cadence), 8 x 4' in high Z3/Low Z4
Sunday April 22:  1:30:00 EZ spin + 2:30:00... run 20' warm up then 3x4mile progression with 1 mile easy jog in between. 4 miles increase speed by 20 sec per mile - so start at marathon pace from IM and build.
long warm down at Z2 HR

Both weeks are less than 20 hours, but packed with hard work at very important intensities on varied terrain...

So, how happy do think I will be at mile 20 of the run on Sunday April 22?   Or, how many calories will I need to ingest to keep my weight from dipping!!!  This build would have been hugely affected by racing Marquee, and the fitness I will gain by sticking to this plan????  Let's hope for a good day on May 19th ;-)  I think it was a no brainer to skip Marquee---racing is fun and all, but nothing compares to competing in an Ironman at your absolute best ;-)  The race is always a celebration of the training you have gone through to get to the line ;-)

If this isn't enough for one damn long blog post, here's the last piece...for this week...


Jenny and I have agreed that after this year, Ironman will take a back seat to family life.  I need a break, my family needs a fully functioning papa and husband to be home more, and I need to be home more---it is just that simple.  The days are numbered before riding away from the house for a 4+ hour ride will leave me with heart ache.  As I have said before, Jenny is amazing, but I know this all adds up...and when your little girl is saying "Papa don't go!!!"  you just have to put your head down and get it done, but that will only work for so long, and it is not just because they need me, it is because I need them...
Competing in Ironmans and trying to be an elite competitor in the Age Group ranks can and is overwhelming for the entire family, and I am actually really excited for life post-Ironman.  Jenny may want to kick me out of the house if I am around more...only time will tell!   Reading between the lines, IM Texas is giving it "one last go"....