Next 4 Weeks

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the way the last 4 week training block went. Though my volume was less than anticipated, I was consistent with my training, working out every day.

Over the course of the next four week training block, I will remain in HR zone 1 for most of the rides and keep to a cap of 151bpm. The one exception will be where I simulate racing pace as part of each Saturday ride, progressing from 45min, 60min, 70min, and back down to 60min. I will also include recovery rides, which occur at HR 111-120bpm, on Monday and Friday. For the bike, I will continue building toward 300-350 miles biking per week. For the run, I will continue building my miles up to the 40-50 mile range capping my HR to 156.

If you've been following my training, you'll notice that I haven't done any swimming or weights yet. I will pick that up as well, though the relative volume for swimming will not be anywhere close to the biking and running volumes.

Foundation Week 4

This was a recovery week of sorts, though while still gradually increasing the training volume. I took two very easy days on Monday and Tuesday with 30 min recovery rides. Friday included a long recover ride. My run suffered a little as I developed a blister (from old shoes) which I wasn't able to run through.

December 24 (Monday)

Bike: 30min: 160w; 115bpm; 80rpm

December 25 (Tuesday)

Bike: 30min: 156w; 117bpm; 79rpm

December 26 (Wednesday)

Bike: FL: 2:43:22; 201w; 137bpm; 81rpm; 20.6mph

December 27 (Thursday)

Bike: 90min: 196w; 143bpm; 81rpm

Run: 80min: 8.91mi; 8:58min/mi

December 28 (Friday)

Bike: FL: 2:57:30; 163w; 120bpm; 79rpm; 18.9mph

Run: 90min: 10.76mi; 8:27min/mi; 153bpm

December 29 (Saturday)

Bike: FL: 2:43:01; 203w; 140bpm; 80rpm; 20.6mph

Brick Run: 15min: 1.66mi; 9:02min/mi; 152bpm (bad blister)

December 30 (Sunday)

Bike: FL: 2:37:29; 221w; 144bpm; 80rpm; 21.3mph (30min @ Race Simulation ~250w)

Run: 40min: 4.91mi; 8:11min/mi; 152bpm (blister)

TOTALS: 17.3 hours
Bike: 13.5 hours (~274 miles)
Run: 3.8 hours ( 26 miles)

Foundation Week 3

12/17 (Mon)

Run: 4.37mi; 9:09min/mi; 144bpm

12/18 (Tues)

Bike: FL: 2:47:27; 189w; 134bpm; 80rpm; 20.1mph

Run: 4.32mi; 9:15min/mi; 138bpm

12/19 (Wed)

Run: AM: 40: 4.32mi; 9:15min/mi; 138

Run: PM: 1:02:18: 7.42mi; 8:23min/mi; 155bpm

12/20 (Thur)

Run: 4.59mi; 8:59min/mi; 143bpm

12/21 (Fri)

Bike: FL: 2:42:31; 203w; 134bpm; 79rpm; 20.7mph

12/22 (Sat)

Run: 40: 4.62mi; 8:50min/mi; 143bpm

Bike: FL: 2:42:51; 203w; 133bpm; 80rpm; 20.6mph

12/23 (Sun)

Bike: FL: 2:43:23; 200w; 135bpm; 80rpm; 20.6mph

Brick Run: 5min: 0.55mi

TOTALS: 15.3 hours
Bike: 10.9 hours (224 miles)
Run: 4.4 hours (30 miles)

Foundation Week 2

12/10 (Monday)

Run 20min: 2.19mi; 9:07min/mi; 144bpm

12/11 (Tuesday)

Bike: 60 min: 182w; 125bpm; 79rpm
Run: 60min: 7.05mi; 8:44min/mi; 156bpm

12/12 (Wednesday)

Bike: FL70.3: 2:31:43; 241w; 151bpm; 79rpm; 22.1mph

12/13(Thursday)

Run: 120min: 13.43mi; 8:56min/mi; 144bpm

12/14 (Friday)

Bike: FL70.3: 2:41:49; 206w; 138bpm; 80rpm; 20.8mph
Run: 40min: 4.36mi; 9:10min/mi; 142bpm

12/15 (Saturday)

Run: 1:01:08; 7.29mi; 8:22min/mi; 153bpm
Bike: FL70.3: 2:43:46; 200w; 135bpm; 79rpm; 20.5mph

12/16 (Sunday)

Bike: FL70.3: 2:43:00; 203w; 137bpm; 80rpm; 20.6mph
Run: skipped scheduled run (120min) because foot was hurting--not worth the risk at this stage of training

TOTALS:

Bike: 11.7 hours (~244miles)
Run: 5.0 hours (34 miles)
TOTAL: 16.7 hours

(still no swimming or gym--weather has sucked getting to the gym--need to suck it up)

Foundation Week 1 -- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

This was supposed to be my fist week back at it. It didn't work out that way. I can still take a way some positives though there were far more negatives.

The good:

(1) I worked out every day

(2) The run: I got back into run training and ran six days for the week for a total of 46 miles without doing a long run. That is more than I had planned at this stage in my training. I felt surprisingly good considering I have done minimal run training since the Ironman and my heart rate has started to come back down (on the run) to pre-Ironman levels.

The bad:

I missed several key biking workouts. I had planned to do 4-5 rides of 56 miles (all on the Computrainer of course); I only managed 1. I more than halved those workouts so at least I did some biking (five days for the weeks). I wish I could say that it was because I was tired from the running, but I flat out missed some of the workouts because I was mentally lazy or messed around (too much partying) when I should have been doing other things so I didn't have the time to do the workouts when I needed to get them done. For the rides that I did do, with the exception of one, I remained in HR 1 for the duration of the workouts to remain fresh for the remaining workouts. It kind of defeats the purpose if you fail to do the the remaining workouts!

The ugly:

I bageled on all swim workouts and all weight workouts. That's right. I did absolutely no swimming and no weight work for the entire week. It snowed all week and I didn't feel like walking to the gym. That is not going to get me 1:05 in the water nor a sub-10 Ironman. So this week in toto just sucked.

Summary:

12/3 (Monday)

Bike: 60 min: 173w; 130bpm; 80rpm
Run: 60 min: 6.70mi; 8:57min/mi

12/4 (Tuesday)

Bike: 60min: 174w; 124bpm; 79rpm
Run: 30 min: 3.37mi; 8:54min/mi; 138bpm

12/5 (Wednesday)

AM Run: 60min: 6.73mi, 8:54min/mi
PM Run: 60min: 6.73mi, 8:54min/mi, 149bpm
Total Run: 13.46mi

12/6 (Thursday)

Bike: 60min: 184w;129bpm; 82rpm

12/7 (Friday)

Bike: FL: 2:42:30; 203w; 146bpm; 80rpm; 20.7mph (HR high from staying out late?)
BRICK run: 2.32mi; 8:37min/mi; 152bpm

12/8 (Saturday)

AM Run: 40min: 4.46mi; 8:58min/mi; 135bpm
Bike: 60min: 179w; 125bpm; 80rpm
PM Run: 60min; 6.68mi; 8:58min/mi; 144bpm

12/9 (Sunday)
Run: 80min: 8.91mi; 8:58min/mi; 143bpm

TOTALS: 13.6 hours (that sucks!)

Bike: 6.7 hours
Run: 6.8 hours: 46 miles

Nov 5-Dec 3

Recovery Week 4

Nov 26 (Monday) - Swim: 45min: 2550 yds

Nov 27 (Tuesday) - Bike: FL: 2:42:27; 204w; 142bpm; 81rpm; 20.7mph

Nov 28 (Wednesday) - Rest Day: Played 1 hour of tennis

Nov 29 (Thursday) - Bike: FL: 2:40:20; 210w; 153bpm; 81rpm; 21.0mph;
Run: 4.44mi; 9:01min/mi

Nov 30 (Friday) - Run: 20min: 2.24mi; 8:56min/mi

Dec 1 (Saturday) - Run: 40min: 4.52mi; 8:50min/mi;
Bike: FL: 2:43:02; 202w; 134bpm; 82rpm; 20.6mph
Brick Run: 20min: 2.24; 8:55min/mi, 140bpm

Dec 2 (Sunday) - Bike: FL: 2:41:51; 205w; 140bpm; 81rpm; 20.8mph

TOTALS: 13.7 hours

Swim - 45min
Bike - 10.9 hours
Run - 2 hours

My Focus for the Next 8 weeks

Starting next Monday, I will begin my training in earnest. My entire year will be based on getting my IM run time down--by an hour. I think I can get it down to 3:15-3:30, though some have told me that is overly ambitious considering where I am. I'm up for challenge. That doesn't mean I won't be biking. I will be biking a lot, up to 3 times as much as running. For the next 8 weeks, however, I will be biking very easy for most of my rides, mindful of watts, but staying in hr zone 1-low 2 regardless (mostly zone 1). And I doubt I will ever get out of zone 2 until maybe 6 weeks before the IM, if even then. That's the entire year. My focus will be simply to build bike fitness by spending lots of time in the saddle and to lose weight (I'm now at 162 but would like to be at 148 for IMFL--11 months away). I hope by staying in zone 1 for 8 weeks on the bike, I will start laying a good base, lose weight, and remain fresh enough to run and run and run day in and day out.

Recovery Week 3

Nov 19: Bike 60min: 138bpm
Nov 20: Bike 30min: 206w; 127bpm
Nov 21: Rest Day
Nov 22: Bike: FL: 2:34:37; 231w; 150bpm; 81rpm; 21.7mph
Nov 23: Bike 30min: 190w; 130bpm
Nov 24: Bike: FL: 2:36:41; 223w; 147bpm; 81rpm; 21.4mph; Brick run: 10min
Nov 25: Rest Day

Totals: Bike: 7.2 hours

Recovery Wk 2 Summary

11/12 - 60min bike
11/13 - 60min bike; 30min weights
11/14 - 70min bike; 30min brick run
11/15 - 60min bike
11/16 - Rest day
11/17 - 120min bike; 60min brick run w/Gigs
11/18 - 10K race (42:49)

Totals Hours: 8.8:
6.2 bike
2.2 run
0.5 weights

HR returning to normal

Bike 60min: 190w; 128bpm; 83rpm

First Run

Did first run since IM today as part of brick. Legs sore, but mostly from lifting yesterday.

Bike: 70min: 182w; 134bpm
Brick Run: 30min: 146bpm

Back in the Saddle

After a very easy week last week, I will take another three weeks pretty easy before ramping up. Yesterday I biked for 60min; 206w; 145bpm; and today I biked for 60min; 187w; 141bpm; and lifted legs for 30min. My heart rates are completely out of whack relative to where they were for the same power right before the Ironman, which suggests to me that I am still tired. I don't expect my HR to come down for a while, but for the next 12 weeks, if not more, I will be biking very easy -- mostly HR zone 1. After 10 days since the Ironman, I have my first run scheduled for tomorrow. My plan is to gradually build up the run over the next 8 weeks or so until I'm hitting 40-50miles/wk.

Quest for Sub 10

I completed my 4th Ironman last week. I trained hard; not hard enough. I need to finish the race in under 10 hours, and I plan to do that at Ironman Florida '08. My goal is to train so that I can complete the swim in 1:05, push 260-270 watts on the bike, and run a 3:30 marathon. These goals are within reach (I am currently at 10:50 Ironman fitness), but it will take a full year of dedicated, consistent training. This is my journey to a sub 10 Ironman....