No worries

Last week I started to have a lot aniexty building about Ironman Wisconsin.  With only a few weeks to go until the race – I felt my fitness was not where I had hoped to be, and that I had not done enough long rides, runs, etc. to even be able to finish the race in a "respectable" time – i.e. run the whole marathon.

I managed to lay those concerns and the aniexity to rest by reminding myself that I need to go into the race not worried about the time I want to achieve, or a place I want to get, or even getting a Kona slot.  All I need to worry about is getting to race day healthy and rested, while getting as fit as I can.  Then show up on race day and execute the race.

If I do that the time and everything else will be rewarding.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my approach to training.  This year I made a few changes in my general approach by including a lot more intensity on a regular basis.  I think that the inclusion of this intensity has really helped my fitness and improved my top end – however I think that I also attempted to keep to much steady state work.  Why do I suspect that?

The biggest indicator that I have been trying to keep to much intensity in the program, along with to much steady state work is that on many workouts I am unable to "successfully" complete the workout.  Meaning I’m just not able to hold the power I should in theory be able to or even had planned for the workout.  This could be an indicator that I have overestimated my FTP, or Tempo pace, which is entirely possible.  But based on some of the good race performances I have, I think I have both of those reasonably accurate.

Another indicator is that both my FTP and Tempo pace have been relatively stagnant since I first started tracking it earlier this year.  To me I take these as indicators that I am trying to do to much work, and not allowing my body enough time to recover properly and get optimally stronger.  Meaning that I have improved and raised my fitness, just not to the point I could have.

I’ve been thinking about all the books I’ve read, and things I know and have come up with another revision for next year – a pretty common sense one actually.  Instead of trying to do my typical "volume", and just add in some intensity, which was my approach this year.  Next year I am going to make myself earn the volume – much like Jack Daniels suggests for how fast to train.

After my post-season break, I will likely do a period of light training for several weeks.  Then I’ll start a weekly program that has my key intensity sessions, but will be an overall very low program.  After 4-6 weeks of successfully completing the workouts, I will step up the intensity and/or the volume a slight increment.  I’ll do that for a few cycles and see how it progresses and then reevaluate.

This week is a pretty important week of training – I’ve got 3 key workouts to nail.  A long run, which I did last night – 2:30 / 20.5 miles.  I did it indoors to avoid the heat and humidty that caused me to break on my last long run after an hour.  Today is a pretty easy day, with a 3 hourish ride + a short run tomorrow that will include some HIM efforts.

Friday and Saturday will be pretty easy days, followed by a long brick on Sunday.  The plan is to do this as a race sim type ride @ IM pacing and see how it shakes out, both in terms of time to accomplisht he distance, and my ability to hold the Power/pace.

Next week will be a restish week capped off by the Pleasant Prairie Olympic Tri.