Don't waste the mental energy thinking about it. As far as you need to be concerned, it was a good workout that set you up for a nice restful race week. Chill out this week and get your mind and body ready to feel great on the starting line!

You obviously didn't ride all out enough because you went for a 4 mile run afterwards :)
You're fine, just resist the urge to "test your fitness" this week. Trust that you did all you could have done and know that at this time you can only screw it up by blowing your taper or getting injured.

an "all out" 40 mile ride takes a bit of time to recover from, but as long as your training prior to that has been solid, you should be ok. I would suggest (I know you didn't ask, can't help myself) that you restrict your hard efforts this week to 30 second HIIT intervals, coupled with a few reps of 5 minutes at your race pace HR, with nothing over 75 minutes total.

I did 90 minutes hard bike on Saturday, 5 miles moderate hard run with 60 sec intervals Sunday. That was a bit less than I could've done based on my training for ths race, but I was exhausted and sleep deprived from being at military drill for the weekend. Short, sharp workouts and plenty of sleep are good advice for all of us this week. Then watch "300" the afternoon before the race, you'll be ready to go!

There is no way you will carry fatigue from a 2h bike session over 7 days.

However you might wanna do more controlled efforts during a taper. For example I did 6x30 minutes@RP+5w 10 days out, 4x15@RP+5w 7 days out. I was rested before the first workout, and ready to cut it short if I would start to feel uncomfortable (relative ofc) and was carrying some of the fatigue into the second workout, but the day after I felt OK. 4 days out I did my last hard session: 3x5 minutes at 105% and an hour at race pace (not 5w over this time). It should feel easy and it sure did. Was ready to cut this one short also but seriously, you should have a pretty conservative approach on the bike race plan making an hour at race pace a pretty easy thing to do. Doing my efforts 5w above also made it way easier when I went "down" to race pace.
I think that such a structured approach is better in terms of preparing you for the race rather than just going all out for X miles.

YMMV ofc

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Endurance coach | Physiotherapist (primary care) | Bikefitter | Swede

Thanks to all who responded. I think the hard 40 gave me a much needed confidence boost, which I needed after six weeks or unimpressive long rides. As for watching "300", I will substitute Gladiator.

Saturday at sunrise, we unleash hell. Strength and honor.


Five days from now, I will be riding like the wind. Imagine where you will be, and it will be so. Hold the line! Stay with me! If you find yourself alone, riding in the green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium, and you're already dead!

I get down there Thursday... First time at IMFL, is there a good spot to get a swim near race site?

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"It's nice to be great, but far greater to be nice"

 
There will be plenty of people swimming in the ocean getting ready. Just hop in...

Ben Hoffman (Second overall and First American in Kona this year!) will be on the Athlete Panel at IM Florida. Thursday at 12:00 Noon! Z

Can you provide a link to a list of the pros racing?

That'd be cool to hear what Ben has to say.

Isn't this the last year that IMFL has pros participating?

Yep, last year for pros.
Good luck, Lanceman! The arnge page will be watching!

http://www.ironman.com/...%20for%20website.pdf

Thanks. Last year with pros. Shame.

Time to rock and roll you SOBs!

There will not be a Pro Prize purse at the 2015 IM Florida, but that DOES NOT mean that the race will never have a prize purse in the future. Same with the other IM events in the USA that will not have prize money next year. The 2016 schedule of events that will have prize money has not been decided at this point. Z

Tom, question.... Just because a race doesn't have a prize does it mean that a pro couldn't enter to fulfill his/her validation for Kona?

Sorry, do not know the answer to that question. Z

Anybody have an update on the jellyfish status? Are they still everywhere?

Where I've been swimming, there are tonnes of little ones. They've just been bouncing off my torso. Was freaked out the first time (They don't have jelly fish in Ontario lakes), but after a couple of swims they're just normal OWS issues (like long weeds that I'd get tangled in back home). Same with the little stingrays. They just stay on the bottom and I just swim over them.

Are you swimming through them, where they hit your bare hands and face? If so, no sting?

nope, no stings. Today was the only day I've worn a wetsuit, and had minimal hand contact. Yesterday I was just testing the water in surf shorts and had a few bounce off my torso. I guess I'm hitting the top of them/their tops are hitting me, and the tentacles aren't getting me. I don't really know how jellyfish work. Guess I've been lucky so far (although the one time my wife doesn't hold her pee while I'm swimming will be when it happens)

Thanks, Marty!.

Swam late this afternoon. Water was a bit choppy but crystal clear. Several stingrays and a few jellyfish.

 
I'm more concerned about the 41F temperature at the start (according to accuweather). What's your plan if it ends up being this cold?

Go harder so I warm up? :-)