BBLOEHR wrote:
UKINNY wrote:
Isn't one of your races Kona
Is it Kona then another one or are we taking next year ?
I could have done another one after placid last year ( or at least I felt I could ) after 3 weeks
But Kona wiped me out completely and could just about walk to the corner deli four weeks later without feeling tired
Yea Kona then Los Cabos.....so hot race into another hot race, its going to be a bit painful. Cabo could be a total disaster i realize or could be ok.
OK, Kona + Cabos provides context. So in Kona you are not racing for anything other than time (not position), in Cabos racing for position not time. This actually helps a ton since you do not have to go into the tank in Kona. As I mentioned, throttle back on the last 6 miles of the run (even 15 seconds per mile will make a huge diff for race number 2). Also, in terms of the strategy, both in training and racing all distances shortly after an IM, I have found swim comes back first and bike very shortly after. I actually did my olympic tri PB (1:59 back in the day) 2 weeks after IM Penticton and most of that came from being on fire on the swim and bike. So my personal experience has been that I can bank on a fast swim and bike (which kind of makes sense) and the run is going to be hit and miss and likely I will be missing the pointy end of my run stride under cardio distress late in the game, so like managing stocks, I just put more in the bread and butter sure payback stocks and put a bit less on where the gamble is bigger. I have chosen to go with the target swim and bike power and chosen for the run to be a bit slower starting midway or later.
Also since race 2 is Cabos meaning no wetsuit swim and a hilly bike, AND you are racing for position, I would think that targeting the same swim and bike power gives you better gaps for the run in terms of placements. It is also a hilly course meaning targeting full power gains you more on the uphill vs it vaporizing in the marginal gain mode on a windy day on the flats. I'd "full power" the swim and bike and then "under pace" the first half of the run to allow for max refueling and fat utilization to get to run second half with a hope of full pacing it.
I do think intensity training on the swim and bike in between race once recovered will allow this strategy to feel easy. Basically by the time you get to race 2, you've only done Kona and a bunch of intensity workouts in the last 6 weeks. The intensity will ensure your FTP does not drop in swim + bike, but keeping it short will allow for better recovery. You can't lose endurance in 6 weeks....that's a 5 year thing, but you can lose threshold. Lower threshold for race 2, means lower fat utilization at the same target power as race 1....you want the FTP as high as possible for race 2 since a high tide lifts all boats.
I might add 2 more things....after race 1, target 60 hours of sleep per week. After race 1 to race 2, maybe take out all refine sugars from your diet and switch that caloric intake to good oils and get your body in fat utilization mode for energy. Finally the trip back from Kona likely on a red eye carrying the fatigue of an IM further delays recovery in week 1, so you have to factor that in.