Hey guys and gals, it has been a long time since I posted on slowtwitch. As an early lurker back in the days when the forum started, I though I should share my recent experiences. I learned a lot from the forum back then and still lurk from time to time...I welcome any comments for discussion!
PS: My first IM was 11:00ish hours, last year I went 9:41 at IM Canada. IM AZ contributed to the learning process...
Ironman Arizona Race Report - Scott McMillan - April 9, 2006
In summary:
Swim: 57:48 (mod-hard first half, steady second half)
T1: 4:09
Bike: 5:02:25 (steady to mod-hard first half, easy to steady second half)
T2: 4:33
8mile Run: 9:03 pace (just steady)
Pre-Race
Time flew by all week. Fairly relaxed, got things done that we needed to and had a little time to relax. Friday was a little too hectic, got really tired and some sore legs from walking/standing around. Saturday went well and even got 6hrs of good sleep before the race. We had a great home stay with a friend of the family. Thanks Moe, you are great!
The RACE
Swim
Started in the middle of the pack, in the 2nd to 3rd row. Start was really fast. I had a great position though and was able to get in the 54-55min pack of 6-8 athletes. I hung onto the pack to the first turnaround. It was hard to keep up though. I was breathing fairly hard for an IM swim. However, I was not burning up or cramping up. For the most part my new wetsuit paid off. It was a little tight in the shoulders but I hope I can get used to it with a few more swims in it. I have to really roll up the sleeves and legs to have it fit right. So, I had to jam my watch up near the middle of my forearm.. It started to hurt (dig into my arm) but I had not choice since a piece of my strap broke-off (not the buckle, but the strap holder) during the week so I couldn’t swim with it dangling and that is why I tucked it under my wetsuit sleeve.
Anyways, I struggled the first half of the first lap trying to stay on feet. It was harder than usual (aside from the fast pace) since the water was murky (sandy/mud?) so you could not see your hands in front of you let alone the next swimmers feet. You only knew you were close if you actually hit the feet. I kept hoping for the pack to slow down but it never did.
I dropped back after the first turn (it was a rectangular course so almost half way). I then swam solo for about 500m. I re-joined a small pack of swimmers (2 guys, 1 girl) and swam at a steady pace with them to the finish. I started feeling better and gained control again for the remainder of the swim. I was no longer on the edge and struggling. It was a relief. I was really pleased with my swim fitness. Being able to swim that hard without cramping up or getting really tired is clearly an improvement this year.
I got out of the water, climbed up the stairs, glanced at my watch, it was 56 something. I was a little disappointed since I wanted to go 55 or lower but I quickly dismissed the swim and focused on transition and getting on my bike.
On the clock, my swim was 57:48.
T1 – I definitely pushed the swim harder than I have in a long time. I felt it in T1. I was really happy with my effort and how I survived going that hard without obliterating myself. Anyways, T1 was not great. I had problems getting my new helmet straps untwisted. I paid attention to this detail when I put the helmet in my bag but somehow it got twisted again running to T1. I also had to wait for a towel (which turned out to be a volunteer t-shirt – usually they have towels in T1 and T2, but not today). I needed the towel because I had a boat load of dry grass on my feet – must be the way they cut the grass in the park. Feet cleaned and helmet on, I headed to the bike.
Right Decisions:
-swim position at start.
-solid effort
-right decision to back off pace in water when needed to.
What I could have been better:
- Better decision would have been to back off earlier on the swim and swim with the group I ended with.
- Helmet straps taped in place.
- Put a towel in my transition bag.
- Bike mount
Bike
A slow transition and a fast swim field left me in no man’s land. I had really hoped to swim strong enough to be in a pack of riders out of the water. Unfortunately my swim is not quite there (although improved compared to IM Canada last year).
I took the bike out with an easy effort. My legs were a little tight from the hard swim. My heart rate was a touch high as well which is normal at the start of the bike due to the swim and transitions and just the overall excitement of racing (in the 150s). I kept the pace at a comfortable level where I was not pushing the pedals. I soon began to pass some of the pro women ahead of me. I started to push harder as it was a head wind, uphill and fairly cool outside. My heart rate held steady but I was pushing harder on the pedals. The course starts within Tempe city limits. We do about 4 miles in town on city streets with about 5 wide turns (and one bumpy ass street), then we do an out and back on beeline hwy. Wind in town was not bad and since we were always changing directions it was never a consistent headwind. However, on lap1 we had a headwind up beeline (which is a gradual uphill – false flat). I knew I would have a big tail wind so I pushed it into the head wind to hopefully “catch up”. I have also done well in some previous races where I have surged and then eased up. I was soon doing over 30mph with that tailwind back into town and my HR dropped 10-15beats. I used a 55 tooth big ring (by FSA) which I was soon spinning over 90 rpms (to fast to be comfortable for me) so I let me HR drop to maintain a comfortable cadence.
As I got back into town I started to push harder again. On lap 2, I had the same idea of pushing Beeline and then easing up. I felt much better at the end of lap 1 then I did before the downhill section so I thought it would be a good idea. I also had a smoking first lap and got excited at how “relatively easy” it felt. I really thought a 4:45 split was in the cards. I figured if it was even a little hard that I could still back off on the run and do really well.
Well, lap 2 started well and I was making my way up the field. However, somewhere on Beeline I started to get really tight legs. I noticed this when I stood, and my hamstrings or quads felt like they would start to cramp up. I stand only a couple of times each lap for a brief change in position or to pee. Immediately I backed off the pace. I dropped back to a pace that was easy on my legs. Even though I was not really breathing hard at the faster pace, my legs were definitely pushing the pace. My feet were getting sore, my left knee was a little sore and my right hamstring was tightening up. This is not that abnormal, usually something happens. But my legs or mind never got really fatigued.
So, I had dropped the effort and soon cruised back down to town. We still came back faster but the wind was starting to die or change directions so my speed definitely dropped. However I am somewhat sure I was still well over 23mph pace.
On the 3rd lap, the wind was a little at our back going up hill so going out was faster than usual. I started being conservative and made sure I was getting 2 bottle of water at every aid station. Since it was a 3 lap course this meant slowing down at aid stations since there were a lot of unpredictable bikers grabbing water and food. I needed to make sure I got enough water so I definitely lost a minute or two slowing right down to grab bottles.
It got fairly hot and I was starting to feel depleted. I got into a routine of about 40oz of water per hour (2 aid station bottles). My legs were still OK, but starting to feel tired. At the turnaround on Beeline, we now had a headwind downhill. My speed dropped considerably and the wind seemed to pick up into town (or my legs started to really fatigue, probably a bit of both). I picked up the effort the last 10 miles but not too much. My legs never felt as tight as they did on lap 2 but they were sore from the effort.
I was surprised to see I did not break 5hrs on the bike.
Right Decisions:
- Right strategy, to take it out a little hard while cool.
What I could have been better:
- Should have not surged so hard for so long
- I think all I needed to do was back off 5 beats or so when I picked up the pace
- I should have done more riding in the 145-150 range. I was 150+ for too long.
- In training 130-140 was my aerobic threshold. This day it seemed to be at 140 after 90minutes. 145-50 for the first 90. I felt good and felt like I was recovering at 135-140. Generally when I am in good form, I believe racing at 5-10 beats above my aerobic threshold is the place to be. I think if I had done that, I would have done a 4:50ish bike time. I lost a lot of time easing off the pedals after my legs tightened up. I also never got the same levels of power back at the same heart rates.
T2
I got off my bike. I felt ok at the end of the bike. Not really fatigued. Lots of energy, even the ability to push the pace at the end again. This was all a good sign. However, when I stepped off the bike I really found out the damage I did earlier on. I was super stiff, much stiffer than usual. In fact, I had trouble jogging and had to walk since my left knee was really sore. I eased into the tent after a good pee and took my time. I needed some down time, a drink, and to make sure I had every thing. I still had a positive attitude. I felt I could ease into the fist few miles and then pick up the pace as I started to get my running legs.
I had a plan to stay really hydrated since it was hot, very dry and I am a pretty heavy sweater. My strategy was to carry a water bottle in my hand like I do in training. This did not work out to well. The extra weight seemed to really pull on my abs and I gradually got more side stitches as the miles ticked by. This may have been a blessing in disguise as I think the water bottle exacerbated a problem that would lead to my ultimate demise.
I drank well on the bike and peed a good 4 times and then once in transition. Usually this is a good sign. However, peeing was not coming as easily as it had in the past (perhaps it was less and more concentrated but that is impossible to determine while racing).
What I do know is that my stomach was getting really tight and I was having trouble getting water down as well as calories.
I eased into the run. Started at 8:30 pace, my breathing was elevated for this pace but I just assumed I was easing into the run. I did start feeling more comfortable by mile 2 but not much. By mile 4, I was running 9:00 min pace and the pro women started to catch me at mile 5 (aside from Jones, who beat me out of the water and bike about the same). I knew my only hope was to drink more water and stay on my nutrition so that I could pick up the pace again.
Now I started making some calculations in my head. Worst case was a 4hr marathon, best case was a 3:45. That put me in 9:45+ territory. Not what I came to AZ to do. I came to PR and learn and do a race off base training alone. My PR is a 9:31 on a similarly fast course. On a hilly (slower) course my PR is (9:41). So I had to ask myself whether it was worth finishing or not.
I kept rolling. At mile 7 nothing improved, my stomach was not happy and my legs were getting hurting more with every step. My mind was made up when Lovato and Smith lapped me. Just like a criterium bike race, I decided that was my cue to be pulled from the course. I jogged back into town.
For the most part, my running was at my aerobic threshold or just 5beats above. This is all day pace and should not be a problem to maintain on any day. I had obviously gone out to hard on the bike or got too dehydrated.
Right Decisions:
- DNF was the right choice, now I can quickly recover within a few weeks instead of 5.
- I can now bounce back and use this great base fitness to train hard for some half IM’s and some Oly’s. If all goes well I well look to PR at Ironman Canada.
- It also really taught me where my red-line is for Ironman racing and cemented in my perceptions. For me, it appears that power to the pedals best determines the effort I should put in. Breathing and heart rate are good indicators but when fit and rested they are not nearly as elevated as they are in training (race simulations). I really need to key in on how my legs are feeling.
What I could have been better:
- Get on hydration right away – priority, sore legs are definitely a symptom of low water.
- See bike comments. Need to have fresher legs to run well.
- Don’t carry anything in my hands (especially a water bottle)
Future Training
Future IM’s. In the past 12 months I have done 2 IM’s and have had similar problems on the bike. In Canada, I was still able to run well (3:30 something). In AZ, I could not run well at all. The difference? Less training hours, less hard running, less water?
The similarities are, Aerobic threshold should be 140, I should not race above 150bpm and should focus on a pace that is 145-150 after the first hour. My heart rate well be elevated from the swim so I need to make sure it is not above 155 for too long and wait for it to come down to at least 150. Depending on the level of training I do and how fit I am will have to dictate how hard I push the upper limits of this.
I was well rested and my bike legs were strong for this race. Best I have probably ever felt before an IM. This was primarily due to getting good deep tissue massage before the race and backing off training when I needed to. Big thanks to Dr. John Foland (DC) and Joanna Deehan for their treatments! This is definetly something I will do before every IM and when my legs get sore (which often happens after my hard weeks).
A key mistake I made in training was doing too much on a work trip to China after a 50hr training week in Santa Barbara. Even though I did no do much, I did too much running on tired legs. The sore legs from the camp and a 14hr flight destroyed my legs. I totally underestimated the effects that had. Usually I would just go home and take 2 weeks really easy after a big camp and be ready to roll. But, all it took was one brisk 40min run and my legs locked up in China. If I had kept the first few days in China off, to let the swelling go down (before the fateful run) then I would have been much better off. The second mistake was the amount of recovery time I would need from the camp and that run in china. One week after China and two weeks after the camp, I did a hard race pace bike set (5hrs total). I went too hard in this set, and blew up. Now I was in a hole. I had a great camp in Santa Barbara where I got stronger every hard day. However, I now did very little training (in the big picture) across the following two weeks but did have two big workouts which dug me into a bigger hole, instead of helping me climb out of it.
Next time…After a huge camp, I need to take 3 days OFF, perhaps 20min swim at the most. Then I need to do active recovery till day 14. Day 15 should be the first week of my next build, with a key (but conservative) workout on days 22 and 23. I need to really be conservative in my race pace workouts. I know my race heart rates now from AZ, previous training and IM Canada last year. I need to stick to that plan. Only a few race pace workouts are needed before IM Canada. I need to focus on easy to steady sets in my long rides/runs (aerobic threshold to 20 beats below, so 120-140). The more training I can do here and still feel good the next day will dictate my training loads and progression. After a recovery period, and then a 2 week aerobic build, I will start to build VO2 max and anaerobic threshold swim/bike/run sessions into my weeks. These will become more of a priority and I will make sure my long rides/runs are easy enough to have successful hard workouts. I have been itching to pick up the pace in my training so I am excited and motivated! I may even spice the training with some anaerobic capacity training (especially in the taper).
Side Note: This type of format really worked well for my wife who raced extremely well at Arizona. She PR’d by 37 minutes and was the 14 female overall (2nd in her 30-34 age group). It is a high risk plan and takes a lot of monitoring to appropriately plan the each subsequent workout but it really does work.
Fist I need to follow the same recovery plan that I recommend for a big camp. I will even throw in a 3rd week as a break in the season so I am really ready to train consistently till IM Canada.
My priority will still be the bike. This means a lot of volume and regular weekly interval work. I will still do a lot of endurance work on the bike with some big weeks. However, I don’t want to extend myself much over 5-7 days. I want to get quicker recover so I get plenty of weeks with interval work and a weekly pattern that is consistent and easy to monitor. My swim improved and I can handle much more volume without getting sore or tired, so I can keep doing what I am doing. I still have a good 15-30minutes to a respectable pro bike time. I could say I was in 4:50 shape in AZ if I had paced it correctly, but it doesn’t count until you do it. It is like hitting the goal post in hockey, close does not count on the scoreboard. If I do this and then run a sub 3:30, I have a good shot at my next milestone, a sub 9:15 IM.
Running will be the second priority, I will emphasize volume and frequency. I will add interval work but later in the season. I need to review last years IM Canada program, it seemed to provide all the run training I need to run a 3:15.
Right now: I am really happy that I am recovering quickly and looking forward to racing really well this summer. I have never been in this good of shape in April.
I am looking forward to a few weeks of housework, relaxing and coaching more triathletes.
Two athletes I coached for this race did really well. I already mentioned Sarah who qualified for Kona in my side note. But Kelly Hovland did amazing in her first IM race. She placed 8th in her age group with an 11:10 IM time on base training alone. Watch out for her in the future!
Next big race is Pacific Crest Half Ironman in Sunriver, Oregon (late June).
Cheers,
Scott
http://www.bluemoosecoach.com
------
Scott McMillan, M.Sc
Twitter@Factor9Coaching | Factor9Coaching.com | Facebook
PS: My first IM was 11:00ish hours, last year I went 9:41 at IM Canada. IM AZ contributed to the learning process...
Ironman Arizona Race Report - Scott McMillan - April 9, 2006
In summary:
Swim: 57:48 (mod-hard first half, steady second half)
T1: 4:09
Bike: 5:02:25 (steady to mod-hard first half, easy to steady second half)
T2: 4:33
8mile Run: 9:03 pace (just steady)
Pre-Race
Time flew by all week. Fairly relaxed, got things done that we needed to and had a little time to relax. Friday was a little too hectic, got really tired and some sore legs from walking/standing around. Saturday went well and even got 6hrs of good sleep before the race. We had a great home stay with a friend of the family. Thanks Moe, you are great!
The RACE
Swim
Started in the middle of the pack, in the 2nd to 3rd row. Start was really fast. I had a great position though and was able to get in the 54-55min pack of 6-8 athletes. I hung onto the pack to the first turnaround. It was hard to keep up though. I was breathing fairly hard for an IM swim. However, I was not burning up or cramping up. For the most part my new wetsuit paid off. It was a little tight in the shoulders but I hope I can get used to it with a few more swims in it. I have to really roll up the sleeves and legs to have it fit right. So, I had to jam my watch up near the middle of my forearm.. It started to hurt (dig into my arm) but I had not choice since a piece of my strap broke-off (not the buckle, but the strap holder) during the week so I couldn’t swim with it dangling and that is why I tucked it under my wetsuit sleeve.
Anyways, I struggled the first half of the first lap trying to stay on feet. It was harder than usual (aside from the fast pace) since the water was murky (sandy/mud?) so you could not see your hands in front of you let alone the next swimmers feet. You only knew you were close if you actually hit the feet. I kept hoping for the pack to slow down but it never did.
I dropped back after the first turn (it was a rectangular course so almost half way). I then swam solo for about 500m. I re-joined a small pack of swimmers (2 guys, 1 girl) and swam at a steady pace with them to the finish. I started feeling better and gained control again for the remainder of the swim. I was no longer on the edge and struggling. It was a relief. I was really pleased with my swim fitness. Being able to swim that hard without cramping up or getting really tired is clearly an improvement this year.
I got out of the water, climbed up the stairs, glanced at my watch, it was 56 something. I was a little disappointed since I wanted to go 55 or lower but I quickly dismissed the swim and focused on transition and getting on my bike.
On the clock, my swim was 57:48.
T1 – I definitely pushed the swim harder than I have in a long time. I felt it in T1. I was really happy with my effort and how I survived going that hard without obliterating myself. Anyways, T1 was not great. I had problems getting my new helmet straps untwisted. I paid attention to this detail when I put the helmet in my bag but somehow it got twisted again running to T1. I also had to wait for a towel (which turned out to be a volunteer t-shirt – usually they have towels in T1 and T2, but not today). I needed the towel because I had a boat load of dry grass on my feet – must be the way they cut the grass in the park. Feet cleaned and helmet on, I headed to the bike.
Right Decisions:
-swim position at start.
-solid effort
-right decision to back off pace in water when needed to.
What I could have been better:
- Better decision would have been to back off earlier on the swim and swim with the group I ended with.
- Helmet straps taped in place.
- Put a towel in my transition bag.
- Bike mount
Bike
A slow transition and a fast swim field left me in no man’s land. I had really hoped to swim strong enough to be in a pack of riders out of the water. Unfortunately my swim is not quite there (although improved compared to IM Canada last year).
I took the bike out with an easy effort. My legs were a little tight from the hard swim. My heart rate was a touch high as well which is normal at the start of the bike due to the swim and transitions and just the overall excitement of racing (in the 150s). I kept the pace at a comfortable level where I was not pushing the pedals. I soon began to pass some of the pro women ahead of me. I started to push harder as it was a head wind, uphill and fairly cool outside. My heart rate held steady but I was pushing harder on the pedals. The course starts within Tempe city limits. We do about 4 miles in town on city streets with about 5 wide turns (and one bumpy ass street), then we do an out and back on beeline hwy. Wind in town was not bad and since we were always changing directions it was never a consistent headwind. However, on lap1 we had a headwind up beeline (which is a gradual uphill – false flat). I knew I would have a big tail wind so I pushed it into the head wind to hopefully “catch up”. I have also done well in some previous races where I have surged and then eased up. I was soon doing over 30mph with that tailwind back into town and my HR dropped 10-15beats. I used a 55 tooth big ring (by FSA) which I was soon spinning over 90 rpms (to fast to be comfortable for me) so I let me HR drop to maintain a comfortable cadence.
As I got back into town I started to push harder again. On lap 2, I had the same idea of pushing Beeline and then easing up. I felt much better at the end of lap 1 then I did before the downhill section so I thought it would be a good idea. I also had a smoking first lap and got excited at how “relatively easy” it felt. I really thought a 4:45 split was in the cards. I figured if it was even a little hard that I could still back off on the run and do really well.
Well, lap 2 started well and I was making my way up the field. However, somewhere on Beeline I started to get really tight legs. I noticed this when I stood, and my hamstrings or quads felt like they would start to cramp up. I stand only a couple of times each lap for a brief change in position or to pee. Immediately I backed off the pace. I dropped back to a pace that was easy on my legs. Even though I was not really breathing hard at the faster pace, my legs were definitely pushing the pace. My feet were getting sore, my left knee was a little sore and my right hamstring was tightening up. This is not that abnormal, usually something happens. But my legs or mind never got really fatigued.
So, I had dropped the effort and soon cruised back down to town. We still came back faster but the wind was starting to die or change directions so my speed definitely dropped. However I am somewhat sure I was still well over 23mph pace.
On the 3rd lap, the wind was a little at our back going up hill so going out was faster than usual. I started being conservative and made sure I was getting 2 bottle of water at every aid station. Since it was a 3 lap course this meant slowing down at aid stations since there were a lot of unpredictable bikers grabbing water and food. I needed to make sure I got enough water so I definitely lost a minute or two slowing right down to grab bottles.
It got fairly hot and I was starting to feel depleted. I got into a routine of about 40oz of water per hour (2 aid station bottles). My legs were still OK, but starting to feel tired. At the turnaround on Beeline, we now had a headwind downhill. My speed dropped considerably and the wind seemed to pick up into town (or my legs started to really fatigue, probably a bit of both). I picked up the effort the last 10 miles but not too much. My legs never felt as tight as they did on lap 2 but they were sore from the effort.
I was surprised to see I did not break 5hrs on the bike.
Right Decisions:
- Right strategy, to take it out a little hard while cool.
What I could have been better:
- Should have not surged so hard for so long
- I think all I needed to do was back off 5 beats or so when I picked up the pace
- I should have done more riding in the 145-150 range. I was 150+ for too long.
- In training 130-140 was my aerobic threshold. This day it seemed to be at 140 after 90minutes. 145-50 for the first 90. I felt good and felt like I was recovering at 135-140. Generally when I am in good form, I believe racing at 5-10 beats above my aerobic threshold is the place to be. I think if I had done that, I would have done a 4:50ish bike time. I lost a lot of time easing off the pedals after my legs tightened up. I also never got the same levels of power back at the same heart rates.
T2
I got off my bike. I felt ok at the end of the bike. Not really fatigued. Lots of energy, even the ability to push the pace at the end again. This was all a good sign. However, when I stepped off the bike I really found out the damage I did earlier on. I was super stiff, much stiffer than usual. In fact, I had trouble jogging and had to walk since my left knee was really sore. I eased into the tent after a good pee and took my time. I needed some down time, a drink, and to make sure I had every thing. I still had a positive attitude. I felt I could ease into the fist few miles and then pick up the pace as I started to get my running legs.
I had a plan to stay really hydrated since it was hot, very dry and I am a pretty heavy sweater. My strategy was to carry a water bottle in my hand like I do in training. This did not work out to well. The extra weight seemed to really pull on my abs and I gradually got more side stitches as the miles ticked by. This may have been a blessing in disguise as I think the water bottle exacerbated a problem that would lead to my ultimate demise.
I drank well on the bike and peed a good 4 times and then once in transition. Usually this is a good sign. However, peeing was not coming as easily as it had in the past (perhaps it was less and more concentrated but that is impossible to determine while racing).
What I do know is that my stomach was getting really tight and I was having trouble getting water down as well as calories.
I eased into the run. Started at 8:30 pace, my breathing was elevated for this pace but I just assumed I was easing into the run. I did start feeling more comfortable by mile 2 but not much. By mile 4, I was running 9:00 min pace and the pro women started to catch me at mile 5 (aside from Jones, who beat me out of the water and bike about the same). I knew my only hope was to drink more water and stay on my nutrition so that I could pick up the pace again.
Now I started making some calculations in my head. Worst case was a 4hr marathon, best case was a 3:45. That put me in 9:45+ territory. Not what I came to AZ to do. I came to PR and learn and do a race off base training alone. My PR is a 9:31 on a similarly fast course. On a hilly (slower) course my PR is (9:41). So I had to ask myself whether it was worth finishing or not.
I kept rolling. At mile 7 nothing improved, my stomach was not happy and my legs were getting hurting more with every step. My mind was made up when Lovato and Smith lapped me. Just like a criterium bike race, I decided that was my cue to be pulled from the course. I jogged back into town.
For the most part, my running was at my aerobic threshold or just 5beats above. This is all day pace and should not be a problem to maintain on any day. I had obviously gone out to hard on the bike or got too dehydrated.
Right Decisions:
- DNF was the right choice, now I can quickly recover within a few weeks instead of 5.
- I can now bounce back and use this great base fitness to train hard for some half IM’s and some Oly’s. If all goes well I well look to PR at Ironman Canada.
- It also really taught me where my red-line is for Ironman racing and cemented in my perceptions. For me, it appears that power to the pedals best determines the effort I should put in. Breathing and heart rate are good indicators but when fit and rested they are not nearly as elevated as they are in training (race simulations). I really need to key in on how my legs are feeling.
What I could have been better:
- Get on hydration right away – priority, sore legs are definitely a symptom of low water.
- See bike comments. Need to have fresher legs to run well.
- Don’t carry anything in my hands (especially a water bottle)
Future Training
Future IM’s. In the past 12 months I have done 2 IM’s and have had similar problems on the bike. In Canada, I was still able to run well (3:30 something). In AZ, I could not run well at all. The difference? Less training hours, less hard running, less water?
The similarities are, Aerobic threshold should be 140, I should not race above 150bpm and should focus on a pace that is 145-150 after the first hour. My heart rate well be elevated from the swim so I need to make sure it is not above 155 for too long and wait for it to come down to at least 150. Depending on the level of training I do and how fit I am will have to dictate how hard I push the upper limits of this.
I was well rested and my bike legs were strong for this race. Best I have probably ever felt before an IM. This was primarily due to getting good deep tissue massage before the race and backing off training when I needed to. Big thanks to Dr. John Foland (DC) and Joanna Deehan for their treatments! This is definetly something I will do before every IM and when my legs get sore (which often happens after my hard weeks).
A key mistake I made in training was doing too much on a work trip to China after a 50hr training week in Santa Barbara. Even though I did no do much, I did too much running on tired legs. The sore legs from the camp and a 14hr flight destroyed my legs. I totally underestimated the effects that had. Usually I would just go home and take 2 weeks really easy after a big camp and be ready to roll. But, all it took was one brisk 40min run and my legs locked up in China. If I had kept the first few days in China off, to let the swelling go down (before the fateful run) then I would have been much better off. The second mistake was the amount of recovery time I would need from the camp and that run in china. One week after China and two weeks after the camp, I did a hard race pace bike set (5hrs total). I went too hard in this set, and blew up. Now I was in a hole. I had a great camp in Santa Barbara where I got stronger every hard day. However, I now did very little training (in the big picture) across the following two weeks but did have two big workouts which dug me into a bigger hole, instead of helping me climb out of it.
Next time…After a huge camp, I need to take 3 days OFF, perhaps 20min swim at the most. Then I need to do active recovery till day 14. Day 15 should be the first week of my next build, with a key (but conservative) workout on days 22 and 23. I need to really be conservative in my race pace workouts. I know my race heart rates now from AZ, previous training and IM Canada last year. I need to stick to that plan. Only a few race pace workouts are needed before IM Canada. I need to focus on easy to steady sets in my long rides/runs (aerobic threshold to 20 beats below, so 120-140). The more training I can do here and still feel good the next day will dictate my training loads and progression. After a recovery period, and then a 2 week aerobic build, I will start to build VO2 max and anaerobic threshold swim/bike/run sessions into my weeks. These will become more of a priority and I will make sure my long rides/runs are easy enough to have successful hard workouts. I have been itching to pick up the pace in my training so I am excited and motivated! I may even spice the training with some anaerobic capacity training (especially in the taper).
Side Note: This type of format really worked well for my wife who raced extremely well at Arizona. She PR’d by 37 minutes and was the 14 female overall (2nd in her 30-34 age group). It is a high risk plan and takes a lot of monitoring to appropriately plan the each subsequent workout but it really does work.
Fist I need to follow the same recovery plan that I recommend for a big camp. I will even throw in a 3rd week as a break in the season so I am really ready to train consistently till IM Canada.
My priority will still be the bike. This means a lot of volume and regular weekly interval work. I will still do a lot of endurance work on the bike with some big weeks. However, I don’t want to extend myself much over 5-7 days. I want to get quicker recover so I get plenty of weeks with interval work and a weekly pattern that is consistent and easy to monitor. My swim improved and I can handle much more volume without getting sore or tired, so I can keep doing what I am doing. I still have a good 15-30minutes to a respectable pro bike time. I could say I was in 4:50 shape in AZ if I had paced it correctly, but it doesn’t count until you do it. It is like hitting the goal post in hockey, close does not count on the scoreboard. If I do this and then run a sub 3:30, I have a good shot at my next milestone, a sub 9:15 IM.
Running will be the second priority, I will emphasize volume and frequency. I will add interval work but later in the season. I need to review last years IM Canada program, it seemed to provide all the run training I need to run a 3:15.
Right now: I am really happy that I am recovering quickly and looking forward to racing really well this summer. I have never been in this good of shape in April.
I am looking forward to a few weeks of housework, relaxing and coaching more triathletes.
Two athletes I coached for this race did really well. I already mentioned Sarah who qualified for Kona in my side note. But Kelly Hovland did amazing in her first IM race. She placed 8th in her age group with an 11:10 IM time on base training alone. Watch out for her in the future!
Next big race is Pacific Crest Half Ironman in Sunriver, Oregon (late June).
Cheers,
Scott
http://www.bluemoosecoach.com
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Scott McMillan, M.Sc
Twitter@Factor9Coaching | Factor9Coaching.com | Facebook