Ironman Training Recap - Week Ending Feb. 18

This was a decent week for me other than for running. Once again, I had problems with my right hamstring on the first run of the week. I've decided to extend my recovery to 2 weeks and cut out all running during that time. I'll also have to re-evaluate this season based on this set-back. Basically, I think I'm going to bag the Platte River Half Marathon and the Colfax Marathon, although I may consider doing the full Colfax Marathon if I think I can be ready after the 2 week hiatus from running. Alternatively, I may switch to the Half Marathon at the Colfax.

Anyway... training information is set forth below:

Monday February 12

Scheduled: AM Swim - 2950 meters

Workout 1: Swim - 3000 meters

Workout Description:

WU: 5 x 100 easy (100 sw, 100 kick, 100 sw, 100 kick, 100 sw)
MS: 6 x 75 (25"), odds 1st 25 stroke, evens middle 25 stroke
4 x 150 moderate (25")
200 kick
10 x 75 (20") done as 1. drill, kick, swim, 2. hypoxic, 3. cruise RI 20"
6 x 50 easy, fast (20")
CD: 200 easy pull

Comments: none

Tuesday February 13

Scheduled: 45' Afternoon Run / 1 Hr Evening CompuTrainer session

Workout 1: Treadmill Run - 25' Aerobic Threshold Workout

Workout Description

WU: 10' easy
MS: 5 x 2.5’ (30”) done as RPE=6, RPE=6, RPE=6.5, RPE=6, RPE=7
CD: 5' easy

Comments: Hamstring issue again. I've decided to stop running for 2 weeks. Looks like the marathon is a no go.

Workout 2: 1:08 Hr CompuTrainer Session

Workout Description

WU: 10' (calibrate CT);
10' @ 200 watts
MS: 3-4 x [2’30” (30”); 2’ (30”); 1’30” (30”); 1’ (30”); 30” (1’30")]
Wattage should increase by 5-10 watts each time the interval gets shorter, and
which will make for similar RPE from one interval to the next.
CD: None

Comments: My back tire deflated somewhere around 40 minutes or so. All of a sudden, 250 watts felt REALLY easy on the CT, and I couldn't figure out why my CT and Ergomo were out of whack. After the ride, it became obvious. This turned out to be a 1:08 hr Z1-Z2 workout.

Wednesday February 14

Scheduled: OFF

Thursday February 15

Scheduled: 1:10 CompuTrainer Session

Workout 1: 1:15 Computrainer Session - Aerobic Endurance

WU: 10' Calibrate CT;
30' EA WarmUp (gradual step up in wattage + several short, high wattage reps)
MS: 10 x 2' (20" RI for reps 1-5, 30" RI reps 6-10) done as:
Rep 1: 240 watts 90 rpms
Rep 2: 250 watts 90 rpms
Rep 3: 255 watts 85 rpms
Rep 4: 240 watts 90 rpms
Rep 5: 250 watts 80 rpms
2' @ 150 watts
4 x 30" @ 350 watts (2' @ 150 watts)
CD: 5' @ 150 watts

Comments: None

Friday February 16

Scheduled: 1 hour Swim

Workout 1 - Canceled

Comments: I decided to sleep in today because it's Laura's birthday.

Saturday February 17

Scheduled: 1:10 CompuTrainer Session

Workout 1: 1:10 Aerobic Endurance CT Workout

Workout Description:

WU: Calibrate CT (10')
30' EA WarmUp (gradual step up in wattage + several short, high wattage reps)
MS: 10-15 x 1’30” (30”) HR rising to 8-12 beats below LT over the course of the workout. Low wattage (50-100) easy spin recovery. Cadence pattern is as follows:
Repeats 1-2 90 rpm
Repeat 3 85 rpm
Repeat 4 90 rpm
Repeat 5 80 rpm

Comments: None

Sunday February 18

Scheduled: 1:30 CompuTrainer session

Workout 1 - 1:30 Steady CT Ride on the IM Moo CT Course

Workout Description:

WU: Calibrate CT (10')
MS: Ride the specified duration at a power level that keeps HR less than 20 bpm below Lactate Threshold HR. Smooth out the pedal stroke, even on uphills and downhills to avoid power spikes.

Comments: None

Ironman Training Recap - Week Ending Feb. 11

This is my training recap for the week of February 5-11, 2007. All-in-all, a decent week, although I ran very little again due to the sore hamstring. I felt it a little on Tuesday, but decided to go ahead and run Wed. Big mistake. It twinged again, and I was off of running the rest of the week. We'll try again starting next Tues.

Monday, February 5

Planned: Swim - 3000 meters

Workout 1 - Swim 3000 meters

WU: 1 x 500 pull; 100 stroke, 100 kick, 100 EZ
MS: 2 x 250 (30")
50 EZ
5 x 100 (choose challenging interval time, e.g., on 2:00)
50 EZ
10 x 50 (EZ, Mod, Hard)
20 x 25 drill
CD: 1 x 100 pull EZ

Comments: Felt pretty good. I still lose good form after only a few hundred meters straight. Need to make the 100's more challenging. I consistently finished in 1:45.

Tuesday, February 6

Planned: easy 30' run

Workout 1 - 30' Easy Run

WU: 10' easy (~RPE=6)
MS: 15' mod hard (~RPE=7.5)
CD: 5' easy

Comments: Took this one a little too hard to be an "easy" run. Should have backed off. Felt the hamstring twinge a little, but it was only discomfort, not pain. Stretched after.

Wednesday, February 7

Planned: AM Computrainer ride / PM 50' Stamina Run

Workout 1 - 1 hour Computrainer Ride

WU: 10' to calibrate CT, 10' easy (~150-175 watts)
MS: 2 x 4’, 4 x 3’, 4 x 2’, RI 1’30”, Target HR 20 bpm below LTHR for initial 4’ interval and sustain this wattage for all subsequent intervals.

Workout 2 - 50' Treadmill Run (Stamina)

WU: 15-20’ easing into a base pace where RPE = 6,
MS: Run 2.5’ @ base pace and then 30” cpi (Base pace RPE will increase as you continue this pattern for the remainder of the run. cpi = cruise pace intervals are fast but good form running for 30” intervals.
CD: 5-10' easy

Comments: Tweaked the hammy again today. 30 minutes in, and I was hurting. I'm finished running for the week.

Thursday, February 8

Planned: Off - I need to take a day to let my hamstring heal a bit.

Friday, February 9

Planned: AM Swim, 3000 meters

Workout 1, Swim 2200 meters

WU: 1 x 500 ez pull
MS: 12 x 50 revolving descending interval in groups of 3 RI 20", 15", 10"
4 x 50 kick free
2 x 25 breast pull (10")
2 x 25 breast kick (10")
2 x 50 breaststroke (15")
2 x 25 back pull (10”)
2 x 25 back kick (10”)
2 x 50 backstroke (15”)
2 x 100 kick; dolphin, back, breast, free
4 x 100 (25")

Comments: I wasn't feeling great today, so I cut the workout short.

Saturday, February 10

Planned: 1:30 Computrainer ride

Workout 1 - 1:30 Computrainer Interval Ride

WU: 10' - calibrate CT
6' starting @ 130 watts , increasing 10 watts every
1.5min through 170 watts.
15' done as:
1’ @ 200 watts 1’ @ 150 watts
1’ @ 210 watts 1’ @ 150 watts
1’ @ 220 watts 1’ @ 150 watts
1’ @ 230 watts 1’ @ 150 watts
1’ @ 240 watts 1’ @ 150 watts
2-3 x 30” @ 250 watts 1’ @ 100 watts
30-45” @ 260 watts 1’ @ 100 watts
30-45” @ 270 watts 1’ @ 100 watts 30-45” @ 280 watts
MS: 20'-30' done as:
15 x 1:30 (30”) HR rising to L1.
Odd repeats: steady wattage X
Even repeats: 45” @ X – 5-10 watts, 45” @ X + 5-10 watts
Cadence pattern is as follows:
Repeats 1-2 90 rpm
Repeat 3 85 rpm
Repeat 4 90 rpm
Repeat 5 80 rpm
CD: 3-4 x 45” @ 90 > 95 cadence

Comments: none

Sunday, February 11

Planned: 1:30 Steady Computrainer ride

Workout 1 - 1:30 Steady Computrainer Ride

WU: 10' - calibrate the CT
10' - easy
MS: 1:00 steady (~ 200 watts)
CD: 10' easy

Comments: Rode the IMWis CT course. Hard to keep steady on that course. Need to work on changing gears to maintain steady wattage.

Ironman Training Recap - Week Ending Feb. 4

I've decided to move to a week-ending report on Ironman training as opposed to the daily reporting, because it's too much of a pain in the ---! This week saw a good return to form, except that I'm having an issue with my right hamstring on the run. It seized up on me on Tuesday, and is impacting my run training. So far, it doesn;t seem to be affecting biking or swimming.

Monday January 29

Scheduled: AM Swim - 2900 meters

Workout 1: Swim - 2900 meters

Workout Description:

WU: 2 x 250
MS: 1 x 300 ez 50 ez non-free 2 x 100 RI 20" cruise, fast 50 ez non-free 6 x 150 as follows with 50 ez recovery 50 @ 60% 50 @ 80% 50 @ 95% 6 x 25 kick
CD: 2 x 200 pull ez-moderate

Comments: none

Tuesday January 30

Scheduled: AM Computrainer Ride; PM Run (~ 1 hour)

Workout 1: One hour Computrainer ride

WU: 10' to warm the CT load generator and calibrate the CT; 10' moderately easy (~175 watts)
MS: 2 x 4’, 3-4 x 3’, 4-6 x 2’, RI 1’30”, Target 20 bpm below LTHR for initial 4’ interval and sustain this wattage for all subsequent intervals. As intervals get shorter, you might also be able to slightly increase the wattage.

Comments: none

Workout 2: 45' Treadmill Run

WU: 15-20' easy
MS: 12 x 1’30” (30”) done as L1 L1 L2 L3 and repeat (L1=RPE 7, L2=7.5=8, L3=RPE8-8.5);
CD: 5-10' easy

Comments: Felt good through the 20' warmup and into the first set of intervals. Felt my right hamstring seize up around 25' into the run. Immediately stopped and stretched.

Wednesday January 31

Scheduled: PM Run

Comments: Skipped due to hamstring injury. Leg was stiff, but not sore. Stretched a little, but no running.

Thursday February 1

Scheduled: AM 1 hr Computrainer ride / PM Run (~50 ')

Workout 1: One Hour CT Ride

WU: 20’ (10' to warm up the CT load generator; 10' moderately easy)
MS: 4’ @ 20>10 below LT, RI 1’; reference previous session’s wattage. HR might rise higher in this workout due to shorter RI but concentrate on maintaining good form and Spin Scan (SS).

Comments: No issues with the hamstring while on the bike, so I decided not to treat the bike workouts any differently.

Workout 2: 50' Treadmill Run

Comments: I pushed this workout to Friday to give my hamstring more time to rest. Hamstring was not stiff anymore, but I could feel it if I stretched.

Friday February 2

Scheduled: AM Swim (~3000 meters)

Workout 1: Swim - Body Toning

WU: 1 x 500 EZ
MS: 12 x 50 revolving descending interval in groups of 3 RI 20", 15", 10" 4 x 50 kick free 2 x 25 breast pull RI 10" 2 x 25 breast kick RI 10" 2 x 50 breaststroke RI 15" 2 x 25 back pull RI 10” 2 x 25 back kick RI 10” 2 x 50 backstroke RI 15” 2 x 100 kick; dolphin, back, breast, free 4 x 100 by 25, reverse IM RI 25" 3 x 150 pull free RI 30"
CD: 200 EZ

Comments: Felt pretty good in the pool considering I haven't swum much. My form still feels bad after only about 100 - 150 meters, but I'm getting there.

Workout 2: 50' Treadmill Run - Extended Progressive Hill Repeats

WU: 15-20' easy with primer intervals
MS: 3 x 1’ (1’) - Extra 1’ easy between sets. 3 x 1’30” (1’) - Extra 1’ easy between sets. 3 x 2’ (1’). Get progressively harder with each interval in each set, either by increasing pace or hill grade.
CD: 5-10' easy

Comments: Hamstring seized again about 3 "miles" into the workout. I'm canceling the remaining runs this week.

Saturday February 3

Scheduled: 1 Hour Run

Workout 1: 1 Hour Run - Stamina

Comments: Skipped to rest hamstring. Stretched only.

Sunday February 4

Scheduled: 2 hr Computrainer Ride / 45' Run - Stamina

Workout 1: 1:45 Computrainer Ride

WU: 20' Total (10' to warm the CT load generator and calibrate the CT; 10' moderately easy-~175 watts)
MS: Ride IM Wisconsin course for the specified duration at a power level that keeps HR less than 20 bpm below Lactate Threshold HR. Smooth out the pedal stroke, even on uphills and downhills to avoid power spikes.

Comments: Felt good for the first hour. HR was below 20 bpm under LTHR. As the "hills" continued, HR gradually began to rise, as it was difficult to maintain smooth wattage. I quit 15' early so as not to over work myself.

Workout 2: 45' Run - Stamina

Comments: Skipped to rest hamstring. Stretched only.