OK, there is a discussion on the go on the “Gordo Thread” on a bunch of things including taper, length of taper, type of taper etc etc etc.
As we all know by know, Jordan Rapp, jumped into IMC 48 hours before the race and got 5th overall despite a bike crash out of T1. He was (from what I know), originally training for the 101 Series Finale, as well as a half Ironman in Connecticut in Sep so I would imagine that his volume even rececntly would be quite high.
He also did an Olympic tri last weekend in Kelowna, swam 2 minutes behind the lead ITU group, chased the pack for 40K solo, not losing any time and then backs it up with a 35 min 10K.
So Jordan, if you are reading, it would be interesting to know a few things:
What did your peak week volumes recently look like How long ago was it What did your training look like 14-7 days out from IMC What did you training look like on race week.
The title of this thread is a bit overboard (2 day Ironman Taper), but if you are willing to shed some light on the lead up to your last moment race it would be really interesting
I’ll answer the questions, but I think it’s important to note a few things since I think what I did immediately prior to the race is actually of very little importance. I think I had a good race for four reasons. I think they were equally important, so the order is random:
Pacing. I train and race with an SRM, so I know my watts. I rode basically the same average power for pretty much any given 15 minute block anywhere in the race (minus some of the big downhills). On the run, I picked a pace I was confident I could hold, I did my best to stick to it. I was cautious, and that paid of, though it’s not the best way to win a race (or PR) if that is ultimately your goal. The risk for me was doing the race itself. I took very little risks at all during the race.
Nutrition. I had a good plan from doing the OneOOne race, but I thought I could get more calories in at the lower intensity on the bike. So I did. I drank about 40oz of fluid an hour at roughly 400calories (I dumped some bottles that were 3/4 empty at aid stations, I didn’t completely empty my gel flask, etc.). On the run, I made sure that my pace didn’t interfere with my nutrition.
I train a lot and with a lot of consistency. This is my job. It’s not the 30 hour week I put in three weeks ago that made the difference. It’s the 600 hours that I put in so far this year. I have the luxury of being able to have the primary focus of my life be my training, my racing, my recovery, my nutrition, etc. THAT is what got me ready for this race.
I wasn’t able to overthink things, because I didn’t have the time. I got some very good, very basic advice about how to pace and how to fuel, and I followed it.
It’s those four things above that I’m taking away from the race, and it’s that which I’ll try to carry in to the next race. There are some other, small things (like vaseline on my toes before the run, sunglasses so I don’t look like death in my finisher photo!, etc.), but those are just the nuances of Ironman, just like learning to put your shoes on while they are attached to your pedals is a nuance of short-course.
But, to answer your questions,
1 & 2. My weeks don’t vary too much. I train pretty consistently at 24-26 hours per week. My longest weeks are 28-30 hours. My longest week recently was 30 hours three weeks prior to the race (8/6-8/12) with a bike emphasis. The week prior to that was very much a “standard” week for me at 25 hours.
14 days out, I was doing my standard taper for an Olympic distance race - low volume with some key high-intensity for short-duration speed sessions. 7 days out, I was getting doing my recovery from that race, which was basically all easy stuff, except for one hard bike workout on Wednesday.
Monday - 3k swim, Tuesday - 2hour spin, Wednesday - speedwork swim (with fins because my legs were tired) / 20’ threshold+ bike as part of a 90’ ride / 30’ jog, Thursday - 3k easy swim / 10k easy run, Friday - 1km swim (warm-up to a longer workout which I skipped because I decided to race about 500m into the warmup), Saturday - 20min swim, 10min run, short bike to check shifting and braking.
But, as I said, I don’t think your questions are particularly relevant. I don’t think racing an ITU race a week before an Ironman is a good idea. I don’t think training 30 hours three weeks out is a good idea. But, I do think there is something to be said for racing when you are fit, rather than trying to get fit to race. Of course, this is another luxury I have. If I wasn’t a pro, and if Steve Fleck wasn’t so convincing, I could never have signed up for the race on Friday. So that’s a unique situation. I felt good, so I decided to race. If you sign up a year in advance (as most people have to), you don’t have that luxury. Anyway, I hope that helps. But as I said, I think it’s the first four things I listed, rather than the questions that you asked, which are actually relevant to how I raced.
Dev,
After he rode by me like a motorcycle this year at the Desert Duathlon (and went 8 min faster in 21 miles) I asked Jordan what kind of bike volume was required for that kind of speed compared to my measley 6-8 hours a week. His reponse was something like double to triple with more recovery (he acknowleged that he is single, training full time and does not have other obligations). Soooo, while most people would say, “He wasn’t doing Ironman training,” I would submit that his volume was two or three times greater than the average age-grouper that attempts Ironman and thus, he was far better prepared. And IM is all about the bike anyway.
Doug M. used to race O-distance and then IM a week later without problem, but again he was probably doing at least 30 hours a week.
I will be interested to hear his response.
Chad
3) I train a lot and with a lot of consistency. This is my job. It’s not the 30 hour week I put in three weeks ago that made the difference. It’s the 600 hours that I put in so far this year. I have the luxury of being able to have the primary focus of my life be my training, my racing, my recovery, my nutrition, etc. THAT is what got me ready for this race.
Jordan,
After I asked you that question (about bike volume) in February, I was able because of several contributing factors, to put in about 220 hours on the bike in the Mar-June timeframe. Run volume matched previous high totals for the first six months of '07 and “magically” my ride has now caught up with my run quality.
People like to hear about workouts, but the best one is to train every day, day after day and not take long breaks. My main goal each year is to increase overall volume from the previous year.
Nice race.
I especially liked your comment about pacing and being conservative to get to the finish line. I suspect a lot of people race on hope instead of realism and are thusly disappointed on race day.
Chad
Jordan, I just wanted to confirm that your volumes training for 101 were similar to those that a person training for Ironman would do. Also, your points that you made are clearly very important. In light of some of the discussion that the guys were having on the other thread on length of taper, I was just interested on what yours was like…as it turns out with the Olympic tri a week out, your taper was effectively a “14 day taper” with some hard stuff (Olympic Sunday) thrown in.
As for doing an Olympic a week out from Ironman, well in 1995 if I recall, Karen Smyers raced the ITU World Championships on one weekend (or it may have been a world cup) and then went to Kona the next week and won. In her day, Julieanne White did similar stuff, except in 1991, she won the Orillia Half Ironman near Toronto on a Sunday and flew out to Penticton and was up there with Erin Baker the next weekend!
Jordan, you are a classy guy and thanks for taking the time for the detailed response. Not very often us shlubs get to see and hear what a pro is going through and thinking about prior to a race like this.
Great race and I really enjoyed watching you race it.
Mark
Markus, I have to totally agree with you. Indeed, it is rare that we get this level of insight into the preparation and execution of top level pros. Each of us learns something from all of this…this is why ST is such an awesome “place to meet”.
Jordan, you are a classy guy and thanks for taking the time for the detailed response. Not very often us shlubs get to see and hear what a pro is going through and thinking about prior to a race like this.
Great race and I really enjoyed watching you race it.
Mark
Jordan, you are a classy guy and thanks for taking the time for the detailed response. Not very often us shlubs get to see and hear what a pro is going through and thinking about prior to a race like this.
Great race and I really enjoyed watching you race it.
Mark
Yes Jordan thanks for putting that up there. And Dev thanks for originating the thread.
Well done on your race and I wish you plenty of success ahead in your career !
Jordan, you are a classy guy and thanks for taking the time for the detailed response. Not very often us shlubs get to see and hear what a pro is going through and thinking about prior to a race like this.
Great race and I really enjoyed watching you race it.
Mark
What he said. very cool…from a shlub… Thanks Jordan
As for doing an Olympic a week out from Ironman, well in 1995 if I recall, Karen Smyers raced the ITU World Championships on one weekend (or it may have been a world cup) and then went to Kona the next week and won. In her day, Julieanne White did similar stuff, except in 1991, she won the Orillia Half Ironman near Toronto on a Sunday and flew out to Penticton and was up there with Erin Baker the next weekend!
Dev,
As you mention Karen won both Ironman Hawaii and ITU World Championship Cancun in 1995, but Kona was October 7th and Cancun november 12th…
I am glad to see your analysis. I agree. The “taper” probably has little influence on anyone’s performance. Steve Larsen set a new course record at IM LP in his very first Ironman when he was racing mountain bikes pretty much every weekend on a borrowed bike plus he wasn’t even entered into the race until just before it.
Most good results have to do primarily with base and pacing. Pacing has mostly to do with experience. That is what mostly sets the elite apart from the very good from the good from the average, etc. Then, attention to detail can be what sets one elite apart from another (plus having one of those “good” days physiologically or, at least, not having a bad one). Races are won in the months and years before the race, not in the week preceding it.
