cannedham1 wrote:
I really appreciate you bringing this back. I read this a while back and used it over this off season to get ready for a marathon at the end of this month. I was nervous about my bike and run coming back but feel reassured by your post. Ive been averaging about 40 miles a week for the past 4 months and I have never felt so good about my running legs. We will see how it worked on the 24 in Miami then IMLP.
I'm always open to trying new things and after a complete shit year in 2015 from run problems, I don't remember how but I saw a post by DD and remembered this thread. No way I would have done this a few years ago as evidenced by my posts. I've lived in the 30 mpw world for about 5 years. I'm now in 45-49 AG.
I started in October and pretty much followed a 4/60/80 format. Swim 4 miles a week (2 swims), run 60 miles a week (7 runs over 6 days), and ride 80 miles per week (3 rides). My run plan was prepared by our local run guru that I trust and don't get me wrong it is very structured. The runs ALWAYS gets priority. If a day was a double, the run was always first. Some really fast. Some at tempo. Lots really easy with some short strides. I added on my swims and runs. My bike was two one hour rides hard (90-100% FTP) and one two hour ride at 70.3 pace. Swim was my normal masters stuff. I'm running a marathon in Phoenix in a month to complete the journey. I have no doubt I am faster now than my peak running shape in 2010 but will keep the marathon paced moderate as I have a big year planned for tris.
My FTP is up slightly from what was a record bike power year for me, but those weekly 60 minute hammerfests have really help my engine. I do one 60 minute per week at FTP. I could only do that every 2-3 weeks last year. Those rides would shell me last year and part of me was wondering if the smallish run base may have been to blame (meaning I was really taxing my legs on my runs with a smallish base and that was impacting my bike engine).
Regardless, I'm almost done with this and it worked big time for me. More important than my run pace, my run base, how my bike and swim are still good/great, I'm 100% healthy and have never felt stronger. That was why I did this "test".