I really like Kanute but I can't watch TT videos. He is too annoying.

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http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com

In his reflections of the race, does he feel as though the profile of the course sapped his legs. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when mapping out this race were the numbers for the run below what was expected? I thought for sure Ben would have held on for a 1:12ish run.

Does Ben see himself going long after Tokyo, it seems like his consistency would play well over 140.6.

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Team Zoot 2023

Thanks for posting this. Already someone is complaining. I don't see what people's problem is with taren. The guy is incredibly genuine and I really appreciate his videos even if they are a bit hokey.

Anyway, this is really cool data. Can't fathom spending that amount of time at 300+ watts.

What type of short interval bike stuff is Ben doing? 40/20s? How often? I'm wondering what he is doing to increase his max power and how often he's doing it? Or is this just a product of long workouts and lots of miles?

What were his key sessions in each discipline in the weeks leading up to the race.

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Let food be thy medicine...

How did "Ben" think he did in this race? According to plan, or off the rails somewhere, and if so, where?

Many thanks for the opportunity Jim and for sharing the data. What does Ben's schedule look like for the rest of 2019?

Still doing run-walk sessions?

1. Where do you get this screenshot on TP? I am even struggling to locate my NP, it provides average everywhere and only in the analysis tab it gives IF (which I can use to manually calculate NP). And I have been using TP for a year!

2. 97 cadence? No way. I averaged 79, I am sure he had higher RPM as he obviously went faster, but not 97

Thanks

Do you see TrainingPeaks logo anywhere on that picture? There's other graphs and charts than those in TP, you know? This one is apparently from Today's Plan (https://www.todaysplan.com.au).

TP = Today's plan...it's the same platform I use. It drives me crazy trying to identify the same basic metrics that trainingpeaks provide, one of which being normalized power or VI. Almost nowhere to be seen, some of this stuff is proprietary. I was just wondering how Jim created the custom screenshot

Oh I see, shame on me then, looks like I am the one thinking of TrainingPeaks only!:)
Unfortunatelly I dont think said graph is a screenshot from Today's plan interface, it is a picture you get when you share an activity (there's a share icon in activity detail)

Same tactic as 2017 70.3 Worlds with a less favorable outcome...

1. How do his numbers (particularly HR and power on the bike) compare to Chattanooga?

2. Ben has incredibly high cadence on the bike, likely higher than his run. Do you consider it to be optimal for the 70.3 distance bearing in mind the similarity in his bike and run cadence? (effectively 3.5 hours at a similar cadence range).

What purpose would he have giving out false data? Odd thing to say the data is false.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I am saying the data is likely wrong, not false. Seems like a crazy high cadence so I wonder whether the cadence meter was defective etc. Just curious - or maybe was he pedaling all out on the descent etc?

Gotcha looks like ~ 8 mins of no pedaling if I’m reading that correctly.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Yes, I think every athlete would likely say the bike course sapped their legs. It was a very challenging bike course. The run was a bit of a disappointment, I thought we were prepared enough, apparently not. He did have a slight nutrition issue on the bike, and with them gaping him on the descent, he ran a bit aggressively early, paid for it. I believe Ben could have run 1:10, based on what I've seen in his training, but even if he had, that puts him about 4th again. It's just how the race and the descent played out. Hats off to GI, AB and RVB.

I can't speak to a specific decision or timeline for Ben, but in our discussions there is no rush to 140.6, post-Tokyo. He has hardly scratched the surface of 70.3, as this was just his 8th 70.3 race ever. Jumping to 140.6 at such a young age, (he's only 26), would prematurely end it, and limit his potential.

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Jim Vance
http://TodaysPlan.com.au (Disclosure: I am contracted with Today's Plan)
http://www.CoachVance.com/
Twitter @jimvance

It was a tough race, but like I said, it went about how we predicted it would output wise. In the video, the workout he did was....

3x10 mins with 3 mins recovery, first two needed to be aggressive, third one back off (395, 381, 350). Then he climbed Honey Springs Road, which was 371 watts for nearly 30 mins, then a descent down Lyons Valley technical road. Then another 10 mins strong at 360, 3 mins rest, finish with 45 mins steady at 300-310. Transition run off the bike was 4x10 mins at 70.3 goal pace, with 2 mins rest.

The shorter stuff with surges was definitely a part of what he has been doing, although not since Tokyo Test Event, as that is also how we balance it out for Mixed Relay, Super Sprints and 70.3. He was doing about 2 of those workouts per 3 week cycle. I didn't feel the need to do more, as he was showing great response from those and especially the volume work we were doing. For example, his Edmonton WTS race came right after a big volume block.

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Jim Vance
http://TodaysPlan.com.au (Disclosure: I am contracted with Today's Plan)
http://www.CoachVance.com/
Twitter @jimvance

See above for one of the key sessions I outlined. For his 70.3 specific phases and sessions, he was doing a lot of tempo run efforts, (up to an hour), and 15-30 min intervals on the bike at 70.3 watts, generally totaling anywhere from 1:40 to 2 hrs. For the swim, it's usually just maintenance for Ben, as he is such a solid swimmer. He swims 2-4 days in a week. Volume phases he swims more, intensity phases he swims less.

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Jim Vance
http://TodaysPlan.com.au (Disclosure: I am contracted with Today's Plan)
http://www.CoachVance.com/
Twitter @jimvance

Are you at all concerned that the stated goals last year of getting on the podium at 70.3 worlds and making the tokyo olympics mixed team relay could leave him missing both since they are such different events?

Also, what were the deciding factors in Kanute switching from his old to coach to you shortly before 70.3 worlds 2 years ago? I may be mistaken but I think he was with the other coach for pretty much his whole life.

He was disappointed, for sure. We had a long chat about how it went, what the data showed, where the race was decided, and more. The bike and the race up to the run went about how we thought it would. We knew Josh Amberger would really push the swim, so Ben wouldn't have to. He got on the bike quickly took the lead, and we just wanted to make sure we were there for the Col de Vence, knowing that was were AB would go and want to establish himself. We figured the two Norwegians, AB, Rudy, Ben and maybe Heemeryck would be in the mix thru the top, with Kienle coming late. But in the end, before the descent, there were only 4 guys who really had a shot to win, and Ben was one of them. The descent was a huge factor in the outcome. Here's a comparison of Ben vs Gustav on the climb, and you can really see the descent effected Ben.



Ben tried to be prepared for the descent, but once he was alone, he was at a big disadvantage. And with the center line rule coming into play, he of course wasn't able to descend as fast as maybe some could or did. (Center line rule is a whole different conversation, and given that Ben's run wasn't up to snuff, it didn't really matter much to him).

In the end, this was the fittest Ben has ever been, and we expected it to go better. But as I stated previously, if Ben has the race he was capable of, he probably only finishes 4th, due to the descent gap. The bar has raised once again in 70.3 racing at the highest level, so we will get back to work, and continue to progress. I remember when he ran 1:16 at Chattanooga and that was his PR. Now his run PR is 1:12, and we're disappointed with 1:16 and finishing 10th in the world. We are still scratching the surface.

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Jim Vance
http://TodaysPlan.com.au (Disclosure: I am contracted with Today's Plan)
http://www.CoachVance.com/
Twitter @jimvance

97rpm isn't unreasonable. Just because you are a grinder doesn't mean everyone else is. And considering how much descending there was it would have been pretty easy to be 100+ rpm for a significant amount of time. You think the pros just coast down the hills? I didn't race this course but I consistently average in the 97-102rpm range when I race.

Just Super League, and maybe another 70.3 race, to qualify for 2020 Worlds. There's a chance at a World Cup, but I'm doubtful about that.

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Jim Vance
http://TodaysPlan.com.au (Disclosure: I am contracted with Today's Plan)
http://www.CoachVance.com/
Twitter @jimvance

Absolutely. When you take risk in training that can potentially overload the athlete with fatigue, you have to find ways to reduce the training risk in other ways. Run-walk has allowed us to do that. All of his easy and maintenance runs are run-walk.

When I made the decision to have my athletes start doing run-walk, 90+% of the injuries went away.

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Jim Vance
http://TodaysPlan.com.au (Disclosure: I am contracted with Today's Plan)
http://www.CoachVance.com/
Twitter @jimvance

My thought/question as well. I really like Ben, and appreciate him and his coach coming on here. I'd love to here as much about their planning/ strategy as they are willing to share.