Can you complete/compete at the 140.6 distance w/ only 10 hrs of training per week?

Friday, July 31, 2009

Anne vs. Whole Foods

Day 69 - July 31, 2009 - Week 9
Friends, Coach L here to report that Whole Foods can't come close to my wife's cooking. Yep, the cake I had driven over an hour for was terrible. I almost feed it to the birds. Could not believe it. Maybe my standards are too high, but Annie's cakes (cooking) is seriously outstanding. I wish I could share it with you all. No joke, she makes the MOST INSANE sticky buns. She makes the stuff Cinnabon pumps out look like dog chow. Oh well, lesson learned. I just couldn't have her cook her own B-Day cake and there was a story behind this that extends beyond the immediate scope of this blog.

The fun posi that came from this journey that I did not share previously was that I drove the first hour (to Winston) w/ windows closed and with the heat on low. I did this just to make a comfortable setting uncomfortable. If you all could have seen the faces of those at Whole Foods as I worked through the aisles. My stinking Birkenstocks were squeaking w/ each step :) Thought for sure that someone was going to offer me a towel to dry off. Shout out to my man Chrome Dome and Mark O for being in on this insanity.

From a training perspective this AM was a good one. Opted to switch gears slightly and push out a 10K on the treadmill instead of the 10 miles. Wanted to save a bit for the key workout on Saturday. It is amazing how 78 degrees can feel like 95 when the garage door is shut and when there is no fan. I have also found that at about 40 min the treadmill (the actual belt) becomes like ice per the heavy volume of sweat that falls on it. Quality run was had w/ some foam rolling post.

I hope you all have a great day and enjoy some GOOD cake along the way...Coach L out

Thursday, July 30, 2009

1 hr of Quality

Day 67 - July 29, 2009 - Week 9
Happy Birthday Annie!
Can't stop thinking about that Whole Foods chocolate cake. Will make sure to report in on this tomorrow.


This is a rest week, which I hope to end w/ a 3-4 hr session on Saturday. The plan is to execute Disc 2 (62-112 miles) of the IML course and then run strong for 1 hr post.

Prior to Saturday I hope to hit a 10 miler at a pace faster then IM pace (on Friday). Closer to 70.3 pacing.

For today I opted to squeeze strength, tethered swimming, and tempo running all into 1 hour. I love these workouts for there is no fluff involved or lolly gagging (sp).

Flow sheet:
(1) 5 x 100 stroke count tether swims w/ finis freestyle snorkel and 30 sec recovery
(for kicks I had G.T. [Lifeguard at Nomad] film me this AM so I could asses my stroke...thanks G.T. for your time!)




(2) 7 min of strength; 10 lb db deep squat w/ shoulder press, push up w/ db row, knee to elbow crossovers, db walking lunges w/ elbow to knee, crunch chest press, 3 foot step up w/ shoulder press, db sky jumps (all done on the awesome spongy pool deck at Nomad w/ bare feet) - no rest between exercises

(3) 1 x 100; as above

(4) 7 min of strength; as above

(5) 4.27 m run at tempo pace through Skybrook

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

R/B Intensive #2

Day 66 - July 29, 2009 - Week 9
In the closing weeks leading up to IML I will be incorporating some lower RPM work to further strengthen the legs. My tendencies are to hoover around 100 RPM at all stages of a race/event. To promote a better balance I incorporated another Hill Intensive session coupled w/ 400 m efforts at a sub 6 min pace. The AM training on the bike is summarized below:


The reasoning behind the 4 min climbs (for those new to this blog) is per the fact that the longest hill at IML is ~1 mile in length and has taken me about 4 min to ascend. This is the section from 17 to 25 miles on the course. I am a data guy and the table below is the kind of stuff that gets me fired up. Progress is good and I am glad to see the positive trends in this 2 week period:



Post this session it was off to the road w/ the Nike Lunar kicks. Was hoping to hit the brand new track in Highland Creek, but opted for a 400 m 'track' from home. Per the image below you can see that this was not the flattest section of road, but it worked:



400 - 1:27 (5:47 ave pace)
400 - 1:24 (5:35)
400 - 1:24 (5:31)
400 - 1:23 (5:29)
400 - 1:22 (5:31)
400 - 1:22 (5:26)
400 - 1:18 (5:14)




A great morning was had from the 'Performance Center', 'Dungeon', 'Furnace' (aka garage).

My dear wife busted it out as well in the garage for 1 hr on the Tacx w/ 15 min on the PowerCranks this AM. She continues to show great progress. A very solid 17 miler was had by Anne on Tuesday per the 1.35 mile loop approach (rolling loop). You go babe...I am ultra proud of you. Excited to celebrate her birthday this Thursday w/ a 'made to order' Whole Foods cake (vegan dark chocolate cake). This thing weighs about 15 lbs and screams dense/quality. I went to Winston-Salem to pick up this baby and wait w/ great anticipation/expectation to dig into this thing.

Side Note: Sad to report that the CRAFT Kona Kit (worn by Sinballe at Kona) was a complete disappointment to this cat. Per putting it on in front of Anne her chin almost hit the floor. Not much needs to be said here other then the material is white and is compression based. She said, "....and Lance...it is not even wet...". That being said, its going back to the sender.

Off to plan B I go...

Have an incredible day everyone and embrace the heat...Coach L (where is the heat by the way?)

Monday, July 27, 2009

Proof in the numbers

Day 63 - July 25, 2009 - Week 8 (PART 2)
Friends, I am sold. 100% sold on my Rocket Science Sports Rocket Skin. Just got out of the pool w/ hot data to share.

10 x 100 w/ 30 seconds recovery per
100 warm up
1-5 w/ 2XU Elite Suit
100 - 1:06.1
100 - 1:06.8
100 - 1:07.9
100 - 1:09.4
100 - 1:10.0 (1:07.6 ave)
...1st 25 stroke count ~13 to last 25 stroke count ~17...

5:00 min to get into the Rocket Skin (over top the 2XU Elite Suit)

6-10 w/ Rocket Skin
100 - 1:05.1
100 - 1:04.3
100 - 1:04.0
100 - 1:04.3
100 - 1:04.0 (1:04.2 ave)
...1st 25 stroke count ~11 to last 25 stroke count ~16...

Not sure how many other swims I will be doing w/ this suit, but I am certainly convinced that these things give a SIGNIFICANT edge to those who use them.

If anyone has questions about this suit feel free to throw em' my way...lance@studio7multisport.com



"EPIC" Bike continued

Day 65 - July 27, 2009 - Week 9
Per my most recent post you can see that my little guy wanted to become part of the action. He was quick to opt for breakfast in the garage w/ "Dada" as I worked through Disc 1 of IML (miles 0-61) and then part of Disc 2 (miles 61-112). Not sure what he thought of the whole scenario as I spit at the base of his highchair and grimaced unnecessarily (more on that later).

This particular training session brought several things to light for me. Below is a summation of these points:

(1) Anne and I love desert. We do desert and love every bite of it.
The night before I made the error, however, of taking on too many empty calories (should have known better); ice cream and cookies. I normally take on more nutrient dense calories, but this night I did not. So, I think this came back to bite me in the tail post coming of the 4 hr bike in the garage (despite my intake of Infinit (280 cal/hr), Anti-Fatigue Caps (1 per/30 min), Endurolytes (1 per/30 min), and 1/2 a Kids Clif Bar).

(2) I became obsessed w/ numbers. In the past (and in this case) I have allowed NUMBERS to dictate pacing and intensity in such a way that performance suffers. This was the case in the closing miles of Disc 1 of the IML ride. For some reason I got bent on going sub 3 hrs for this section and did would not let go of this goal. As a result of this effort I completely blew my legs for the rest of the day (miles 59.06 to 61.07 w/ a watt range of 286-361). Luke sat there in his highchair and witnessed this absurd behavior and was left speechless. His face said..."...what gives Dada?...".


The combo of these two points completely left me in a deficit for the the planned 1 hour run post the bike. 3 miles into this run I could not run and opted to pull the trigger on it w/ hopes of another day. This was a major disappointment, but I learned from the experience.

I plan on giving it one more go in two weeks where I intend do the same ride, but stick the 1 hour run. This will be the last build phase before the IML taper.

Fun tid bits to share:

(1) Thanks to my man Cody Angell w/ Try Sports (http://www.trysports.com/) he helped me land a Rocket Science Sports Rocket Skin (http://www.rocketsciencesports.com/SwimSkin_Page.php
For kicks I took it to NOMAD Sunday to give it a go and here are my very initial results:
100 yd warm up w/ Rocket Skin
THEN
100 yd race pace w/ Rocket Skin = 1:02:5 w/ average stroke count of ~16 (11 low and 17 high)
THEN
(2 min to get it off)
100 yd race pace in 2XU Elite Suit = 1:04.9 w/ average stroke count of ~17 (15 low and 18 high)
...plan on testing this further, but for 300 yds of swimming I was very happy w/ how it felt...
...very, very happy to see how swimming w/ a tether ONLY for the last 2+ months has resulted in the times noted above...very encouraging!

(2) Including gum chewing into my regimen. I have found this to be a great way to refocus the mind a bit by working something in your mouth. The side benefit is that you can clean your mouth of the taste of the energy drink you have been using for the last 3 to 6 hrs.

(3) Ordered the CRAFT Kona Kit ( http://trisports.com/craft-konakit.html ). Have yet to receive it in the mail, but intend to use it in the closing weeks before IML.



Sunday, July 26, 2009

EPIC Bike

Day 63 - July 25, 2009 - Week 8
For now...this pic summarizes things well. More detail to follow on the day, what I learned, and new 'additions' to the "10 Hr Project". Please take note of Luke's face to the right.


Friday, July 24, 2009

1 mile x 17

Day 62 - July 24, 2009 - Week 8
This week has progressed well. On Thursday (July 23) I created a scenario as race specific as I could. Per the image below you'll see that I executed 17 laps of a 1 mile course.


This can be very mentally taxing per the repetitive nature of this approach. I have found this to work well for me for several reasons:

(1) Allows me to carry nothing on me while running, but my Saltstick w/ Anti-Fatigue Caps.
(2) Allows me to train as I will race on game day; hit each Aid Station at each mile to refuel/cool off/refocus.
(3) Allows me a faster overall pace (case in point: July 23 ave pace of 7:24 including the 20-40+ sec walk breaks) for the run.
(4) Allows you train on a course that is very similar to the course you will be racing on (case in point: the course above is very consistent to the elevation gains seen at IML).


Within this run I had to make the tough decision to pull out early. The downpour that hit at 12 miles was outstanding; felt like a kid playing in the rain. Some of the fastest miles were had there. At miles 16-17 the legs did not seem to be as responsive so I opted to pull the trigger on this planned 20 miler. The mindset was 'quality over quantity'. In the back of my mind I also knew I had a 4 hr CompuTrainer (CT) and 1+ hr run to digest on Saturday. This workout has to be one my best.

Speaking of incredible workouts. I am elated to report that my dear wife threw down 3 hrs on the CT (disc 2) and then 1 hr on the HCP. She then posted a super fast 5 mile run on a rolling course; 7:20-7:30 ave pace (including walking through aid stations). Anne is in very good form for IML and I am super proud of her drive; being on the trainer at pre-4 AM is incredible! Go Annie!

Looking FWD to reporting in post Saturdays planned workout noted above. Hoping to have a break through effort.

Have an outstanding day everyone! Coach L







Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Hills and IML

Day 60 - July 22, 2009 - Week 8
I would estimate that I have ridden the IML course four times at this point per the Interactive Real Course video route. In this time I have paid close attention to the time it takes me to ascend the longest hills on the course. I believe the longest climb for me is within the 17 to 25 mile segment of the course (the out and back section). Most recently (last week) I approached these hills as I plan to approach them on race day = conservatively. It took me approximately 4 min to ascend these 3.5 to 10% incline hills.

So...today I exposed my legs to low RPM / high wattage hills (opposite of game day tactics) and enjoyed them immensely. This was a very high quality effort much like Tuesday (FTP 20 min efforts) and took just under 1 hr to complete (57:36). No run post...had to get the day started. Below is a summation of this workout graphically:


From a training theory/methodology perspective I am pre-fatiguing the legs slightly leading into the long run for this week of 20 miles.

Tomorrow will likely be spent in the water w/ the tether. It is relevant to note that I am doing 95% of my IML swim training via a tether set up. Not sure how many have noticed that my WEEKLY totals for swimming have been 100 to 300 yds. These few yards reflect my cool down post. Very few go this route, but I am willing to be the 'test rat' to see its effectiveness in regard to long course racing. I will also be spicing up this workout by jumping out of the pool and executing ME like strength work (at a much lower intensity) as 'active recovery'.

Have an outstanding day folks and embrace it! Coach L

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

B/R Intensive

Day 58 - July 20, 2009 - Week 8
The goal of today was to hit the Functional Threshold Power (FTP) on the CT and then run strong with fatigued/tired legs on the Tmill. Anne executed her 16 miler on the 1.35 mile loop w/ the 'Aid Station' set up at the end of our driveway. She had an outstanding run...averaging sub 8 pace on a rolling course. She is looking outstanding for IML.

From a graphical perspective this is how the bike went down:

After two bouts of 20 min at FTP the legs began to fade, thus the 2 min attempts at 90-110% FTP w/ 1 min recovery. The mindset here was to bite of some high intensity work, which would then build the legs for a future third, fourth, etc 20 min block.

The initial plan was to tackle 3-4 20 min FTP efforts pre-IML, but I am not so sure the legs will have time to adapt to this load/intensity.

Will make due w/ 2 x 20 min efforts if that is all I can put together pre-Aug 30.

Off the the above effort I hit the TMill for 6 x 400 m w/ 1 min recovery. The goal was to hold 6 to sub 6 min pace. With the Nike Lunar Trainers I felt like I was running on marshmallows; felt outstanding!

Can't wait to use a similar workout in the last Load Weeks ahead; 1 or 2 left before the taper.

Post this workout I focused on 1 leg and glute strength via mini-bands and an instability pad.

Feeling great today and excited about the 4 hr CT ride and 1:30 run that is on the docket for this Saturday! Giddy am I....

Train smart and w/ purpose today folks! Coach L

Monday, July 20, 2009

Too much of a good thing...

Day 57 - July 20, 2009 - Week 8
As most of you know I am a huge fan of the Metabolic Effect (ME) strength regimen/approach. Huge fan. Last week (July 13) Sonni and I took on a very sound lower body focused sequence that was outstanding. I wanted more in fact. I have a tendency to really push myself so hard that it can take days for me to recover. Well...that is what I did last week. Post this session it took me about 5 days to find my legs again.

Moral of the story; acute training sessions can make future training unproductive.

The plans I had laid out for last week had to be modified quite a bit. Below is a very quick summary of some of the key workouts executed:

July 15 (tethered swimming)
- the goal is to work towards a continuous 500 stroke count; ~10 min continuous w/ Finis Freestyle Snorkel
- on this day I did 4 x 200 stroke count w/ 1 min recovery per

July 17 (Interactive Real Course Video - Disc 2)
- as you can see below this was not a good day
- the HR trend was slowly increasing w/ DECREASING watts
- opted to pull out and get mind focused on a solid session for Saturday

July 18 (Interactive Real Course Video - Disc 1)
- rocked the boat a bit and opened the garage door, had NO heaters on, and had the floor fan on (I needed a good workout per the sub par week)
- hit the 61 miles on Disc 1 (3 hrs and 12 min) and took a much more conservative approach; 200-230 watts
- averaged 233 watts and had an average HR of 138 bpm
- finished w/ a 1 hr run at my IM goal pace of 7:30/mile (average 7:28 pace and 154 HR)

All in all a good week. Just realizing that I can't lay it down like I have in the ME world. There will be plenty of time to do that from Nov to Feb.

Week 7 Totals:


Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Saturation #2 and plans

Day 52 - July 15, 2009 - Week 7
I am still absorbing the solid work done w/ Jade, Gary, and SonniD from Monday (if you haven't checked out the videos take a look at the last posting). I love the 'shock' factor that comes with the ME workouts. No muscle can hide and the mind is forced to 'tap out' or stay in the game.

With that being said I am 'adjusting my sights' on the second saturation phase of training.
The plan is to execute 112 miles in 48 hrs all on the CT (CompuTrainer) and the Interactive Real Course Videos of IML. This will be the second time I have attempted this. Being armed w/ my most recent LBP data I will venture out onto Disc 1 Thursday (July 16) AM (miles 0-61) and see how the HR and wattage numbers mesh. In other words, w/ an LBP of 230 watts and 165 bpm where can I hang and still have legs to run with? I am planning on sticking to a 220 watts and a 145 to 155 bpm intensity, but I am wide open to modify this per my findings.

For Friday (July 17) I intend to hit Disc 2 (miles 61-112) and see how the legs respond per the effort on Thursday. On this day I hope to hit the run for approximately 20 min.

For Saturday (July 18) I am considering doing another Functional Threshold Power (July 12 posting) workout (1 x 20 min) before embarking on an 18 miler. The purpose here is to further test/fatigue the legs and then see what my legs can do for 2 hrs on the road. I am strongly considering making the 1.5 mile loop a true 1 mile loop to make the training more race specific and mentally challenging.

This is a quick preview of my plans, but trust and lean on...
Proverbs 16:9
...In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Have an outstanding day everyone!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Metabolic Effect and Studio7 #2 (Lower Body Focus)

As noted yesterday, this is simply the best strength training an endurance athlete can do. I encourage you to watch the three clips below for a taste of it.

This video is 3:30 min long so I had to cut it into 3 separate videos.

Our next shooting will likely take place at a track where we will employ stadium stairs, weighted vest, and the '400 m oval'. We hope to hit this in about 4 weeks. Stay tuned.

We will be eventually be making these available for MP3/4 players and have them on DVD as well. Please take a look at www.studio7multisport.com and www.metaboliceffect.com for updates.

Enjoy, Coach L

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Sunday, July 12, 2009

LBP Progress and ME #2

Day 50 - July 13, 2009 - Week 7
I could not be any happier w/ how things developed Saturday morning. I opted to re-test my Lactate Balance Point (LBP) on the bike as my wife gutted it out on the CT for 3:30 hrs and then crushed a one hour run. She is in good form for IML.

This approach (LBP) to testing is relatively new, but I believe it trumps the older methods; 2 and 4 mmols of lactate as bio markers. This method tests your bodies ability to process/assimilate lactate post a progressive build to near maximum. As you can see below I have seen a dramatic shift in my LBP on the bike from January to July:

What I love about this new data is that I can now test my legs at these intensities and see how the legs respond off the bike. At this point I plan to zero in on 220 watts for the first 30 miles and a high end limit of 150 bpm. Post this block of time I will asses the legs and make the next logical move on Aug 30th.

It is important to note that I took this testing to the next level by validating these findings within 5 min of seeing the upward trend of lactate accumulation (talking testing protocol here). For 16 min I held 230 watts and 165 bpm and found the following from a lactate response perspective:

0-4 min: 1.8 mmol, 4-8 min: 2.0 mmol, 8-12 min: 1.8 mmol, and from 12-16 min:1.9 mmol

As you can see the body was very capable of processing the lactate that was being produced. There was no major spiking seen in this 16 min window. With this trend I was left to believe that this new LBP was validated.

I will execute this test again and do further analysis to fine tune these findings in about 4 weeks. At this time I will execute a 15 min window at a set wattage and HR below the tested LBP (collecting blood 3 times at 5 min intervals), 15 min at the LBP (collecting blood 3 times at 5 min intervals) , and then 15 min above the LBP(collecting blood 3 times at 5 min intervals) to validate the numbers. Probably way too much info, but I thought some would want to know.

===

Lots to share since the last post. So, I will summarize below of some relevant workouts and the lessons learned (we all must learn after all or this is all a waste of time):

10 miler on HCP 1.5 mile loop (July 11)
- 2 PM at the 'hottest' time of the day
- averaged 7:03 miles
- went out way too fast; 6:30s for miles 1 and 2
- Lesson Learned: please slow down in the opening miles at IML (I/we will likely have no other choice)

2 x 20 min at FTP (316 watts) w/ 5 min recovery per (July 13)
- one of my favorite workouts for it hurts the most and promotes race specific adaptations
- graph summarizes the workout
- Lesson Learned: still need to expose legs to low RPM efforts (80-90) to be more well rounded


Metabolic Effect #2 - Lower Body Focus
- absolutely insane workout
- the video clip below sums things up well (taking forever to upload...will try later)
- Lesson Learned: to improve your game you must be able to deal w/ pain


Week 6 Totals, etc (drop in volume per medial plica syndrome flare up mid-week)



Friday, July 10, 2009

Options A, B, and C

Day 47 - July 10, 2009 - Week 6
In training and racing it is so important to have more then one 'plan' established. This morning reminded me of this. Per the posting on July 8 I eluded to how important it is to listen to what the body is telling you.

Today the game plan was to hit the treadmill for 10 miles and to follow a similar protocol as seen on June 4. The difference between that day and this one was a more thorough warm up on the Tacx; 200 to 400 watt progression w/ a 20 watt increase every 2 min. All things were in place; the heater at eye level, dehumidifier running, and fan on the floor.

The motivation and desire was there, but the legs were not. So, I quickly shifted to plan B, which was to abort from the protocol noted above. For the next 3 miles I held 8 MPH at 1.5% and assessed things along the way.

I quickly realized that this would not be a good day and begin considering option C. Run tomorrow at mid-day when Luke is sleeping and post Anne's EPIC training day; 3-4 hrs on the CT (Interactive Real Course Video) w/ a 1 hour run post.


My point is simple friends. I am a firm believer in listening to the body and maintaining a fine balance between stress and recovery. Per my background and experience in the sport I saw the need to shift gears and be content w/ option C.

Last point regarding this post. Bringing it closer to home I have options set for IML:
Option A - swim 1:00, bike 5:00-5:10, run 3:20-3:25
Option B - swim 1:05, bike 5:20, run 3:30
Option C - gut it out and be grateful for being ABLE to do this thing when others simply can't!


The reality of IM racing is that you would be a fool to go into it thinking that it will be a day of 'smooth sailing'. In the course of 140+ miles there are too many 'ups and downs' for one to count. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a day where everything clicks, but they are rare at this distance. By going into 'battle' w/ this kind of mindset you will find you are mentally prepared for most anything that will come your way; the good AND bad.

I encourage you all, regardless of the race distance to have an A, B, and C plan thought out well before 'toeing the line'.

Train smart...Coach L



Thursday, July 9, 2009

FTP Fun

Day 46 - July 8, 2009 - Week 6
Amazing what one day of rest can do. Some Advil, some ice, and good old R&R and I feel like a new man. Can't neglect the fact that Anne was praying for me too. Thanks honey.

Not sure if you all do this, but the moment my eyes open from horizontal position (waking up) I begin to do a 'systems check'. What? Per yesterdays post (re: medial plica sybdrome) I dialed in on how the knee was tracking/feeling. To my surprise my knee felt great. So, the mind shifted from a recovery mindset to a 'game on' focus.

I am happy to report that this AM was chuck full of 'FTP fun'. Per my most recent 20 min Threshold Test (340 norm power, 333 average watts, 316 FTP) I took on the following for today:
20 min at 80-90% of Functional Threshold Power (FTP)
5 min recovery
20 min at FTP
...this is one of my absolute favorite workouts for promoting muscular endurance/fatigue resistance and for targeting my Lactate Balance Point (LBP). The graph below depicts this morning in the garage:

Very encouraged by the rate of recovery from this peculiar and elusive 'syndrome'. Will continue to play it smart and strongly consider testing the knee on the treadmill Friday AM.

Have a great day folks and enjoy your fitness!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Are you listening?

Day 45 - July 8, 2009 - Week 6
I don't like to go 'off schedule'. In other words, I don't like it when the training schedule says 'go left and I have to go right'. I love the sense of accomplishment when you execute your training as prescribed. In the same breath I have been blessed w/ years of training and racing that has allowed me to learn 'the wise way'. What I am referring to is the ability to know when to say 'no' to training.

This morning I had it all laid out. The heater (set on "HIGH") at eye level about 20 inches from my face. The dehumidifier at feet level. The fan set to hit me at just above waist level and all my fueling needs within reach.

After doing 10 min on the PowerCranks (warm up) on the rollers I transitioned to the treadmill and took to it. Within minutes I knew this day was not going to flow as I intended (the medial 'bone bruise' is simply not working for me and seems to be still absorbing the 18 miler from Saturday still).

Update
: per my meeting w/
Steven Ashenfarb DC, MPT (http://www.profitrehab.com/index.htm) this AM he believes I have a medial plica syndrome of the femoral condyle. So, I think we are getting to the bottom of this stinker.

My point is this. I could have hobbled through the 10 miler I had intended to do, but I knew that I had 2 weeks of heavy training coming up (critical weeks of training). So, I opted to call it a day and 'see long term vs. short term'.

I have ALWAYS found that when I listen to my body and the amazing pain receptors that God has blessed me with I come back stronger then if I had gritted it out.

My sincere hope is that you all listen to your body and make the right decision today. As my beautiful wife says, "...it is an accomplishment to toe the line at an IM...". There is GREAT truth to that. With all the training one must put into an IM it is truly a gift to be able to show up on race day feeling sharp and strong. Train smart my friends and remember to listen. Your body is talking to you.

Side note: some of you may not know this but my dear wife (Anne, a.k.a., Annie) is also planning on hitting IML in August. She too is executing her training much like myself. The biggest difference is that I am exposing her to more road time off the CompuTrainer to make sure she gets a good mix of both. In addition, she is also devoting more time to the water. Lastly, she is doing a whole lot more 'heavy lifting' as a full time Mom to our wonderful son Luke (the toughest and most rewarding job/privilege/blessing out there).

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

The Mental Game

Day 44 - July 7, 2009 - Week 6
One aspect of the "10 HR Project" I have not addressed is the all important mental component. The 'memo has been read', the NBC TV footage has been absorbed, and I have personally dealt w/ the 'reality' of 140.6 miles of movement. It takes some mental fortitude to work through this event called Ironman.

With that being said, I think it is so important to envision greatness/accomplishing the goal that you are targeting/eyeing. In my case, I have worked through my mind too many times already breaking tape at IML 2009. Down to the smallest details in fact. The time clock above the finish line exhibiting my goal time. Gatorade stained white CRAFT jersey. My 'patent pending' air fist at shoulder height.

The key is this folks, all of these images are at the finish line. That is the key. You must embrace that end point and while you are in the process of suffering you can pull these images up and gain momentum when the body simply wants to stop. I used this to my advantage when rocking out the 18 miler this past Saturday. It works. Funny, just typing this out makes my HR to climb to about 90 bpm and my palms to start sweating.


Embrace the finish line friends and this will play a part in achieving the goals set before you.

See you at the line...

Monday, July 6, 2009

Metabolic Effect and Studio7Multisport

Day 43 - July 6, 2009 - Week 6
I love the emotions that well up inside prior the 'gun going off'. The adrenaline courses through the veins, your heart climbs well above resting norms, and you adopt tunnel vision; peripheral stimuli is gone. It is hard to break that focus that can develop in those closing moments.

Well, I am here to report that those emotions and physiological responses were had this AM w/ my good man SonniD, Jade Teta, and Gary Leake. As Sonni and I warmed up for our first video cut/taping of a "Metabolic Effect (ME) Multisport Intensive" we both did not have to say a word. We knew that the next 30 minutes were going to take us to the 'tap out' level of exertion and I could hardly stand it. Today we dialed in on the upper body with the bike and swim to provide the 'active recovery' from the strength sessions. Below is a small 2:30 minute clip of 1 of 3 sessions we did today...



We plan on joining forces w/ ME and executing many more sessions like this in the near future. Eventually, we will be putting these sessions on DVD or make them available for download. Next week we will likely hit the lower body and couple it with stair running, etc. I feel like a little kid awaiting Christmas morning...I can't wait!

Would love to get feedback from my loyal followers on this method/approach. Feel free to email me at lance@studio7multisport.com. Oh, shout out to my good man Darren B...thanks for following this project bro.

Coach L is reluctant to repor that I exceeded the 10 hr limit last week. This is how the week unfolded:
It is relevant to note since the beginning of June (official start of "Ironmanin10" training) the average hourly training volume has been 8 hours and 23 min.

I certainly hope you all have a wonderful week! Coach Lance

Saturday, July 4, 2009

1.5 mile loop x 12 = 18 miler

Day 41 - July 2, 2009 - Week 5
Happy July 4th to you all! I certainly hope you were able to have some solid hang time w/ good friends and family.

This day was outstanding. My dear wife put in 5 hrs of training starting at 4 AM (CompuTrainer and road time and a strong 6 mile run post) and I executed my 18 miler at the hottest part of the day (~2 PM). Happy to report that I am finding 90 degree temps to be very tolerable and enjoyable. Hoping for 100 degree days very soon. My lawn on the other hand is hating the heat.

One of my key strategies for IML is to execute my runs as I will on race day. This is being done by not carrying any calories (I will be carrying Anti-Fatigue caps via the SaltStick), but using aid stations at each mile. This scenario has worked well for me and I intend to stick w/ it. For today I dialed in on a 1.5 mile loop on the relatively flat Highland Creek Pkwy (HCP). Per the video clip below you can see some additional details. (IMPORTANT NOTE: the socks did NOT cause any bleeding, the shoes are so new that the red dye ran into the new socks...thus the 'red' big toe).




My primary goal for these long runs is to create the fatigue (mental and physical) that I know sets in on the IM run leg. This is being made possible by holding a slightly faster pace then my marathon pace and by increasing the pace in the closing miles. The discomfort and fatigue is high, but that is the norm at IM. You can't hide from the heat nor can you hide from the pain.

Data is good...here are the hard numbers:
18.01 miles, 6:52 ave pace, 163 ave HR, and close to 6:45 ave pace in last 6 miles
  • Pre and post this run I executed a HCP spin to prep the legs.
  • As noted in the video the Injngi socks (http://www.injinji.com/) seemed to work well in terms of preventing blisters. Felt like I was wearing flip flops for the first mile or so.
  • The Anti-Fatgiue caps were ingested at a rate of 2 per hour.
  • Wearing everything that I intend to wear at IML; Under Armor Heat Wear long sleeve (strongly considering the CRAFT Heat Apperal worn by the "Viking"), Nike Lunar Trainer, 2XU Elite Suit, visor, Injingi socks, etc.
  • Stopped each mile at the "Aid Station" for water or Gatorade Endurance; 20 to 30 sec.
Despite the bone bruise flairing up again (per my falling onto my bike the day before FL 70.3 in May) this run was very successful. Was concerned that this run would have to be saved for a later date. Praised God throughout for the opportunity and privilege to move.

Shout out to Karen W. Great seeing you today and thanks for following me during this "10 Hr Project"!

Have an outstanding Sunday everyone...

Thursday, July 2, 2009

'Threshold Booster' Training

Day 39 - July 2, 2009 - Week 5
For those with limited time its hard to beat this workout. I have addressed this workout in a previous post, but feel it deserves more exposure. I also mentioned in the very beginning of this blog that my goal was to dial in on intensity more so then shear volume. This is the corner stone of this "10 hour Project".

I am certainly finding that I am able to hold and sustain higher wattage n
umbers at this stage of the game. Just a few weeks ago I found myself falling apart within this workout. I am certain a part of this is also that I am learning to hold back more, which is essential in IM racing. Below is a fun clip explaining what I think is a strong indicator of a 'good workout'...



For those who like data and graphs here is how this short, but sweet workout panned out:


















Last points:
(1) I will likely exceed the 10 hr limit (but hope to be sub 11 hrs total) this week per my planned 18 miler on Saturday; mid-day. Plan on using a similar approach to the 15 miler last week by creating an Aid Station for each mile so as to practice fueling strategies.

(2) My wife is a stud and did the same workout w/ me this AM while Luke slept (she too is following a "10 HR Project" approach going into IML)

(3) Luke asks for "Coveritee" when he sees me return from the garage (aka Recoverite). He loves the stuff! Is it legit for a 2 1/2 yr old to supplement w/ this stuff? I hope so! He has not executed workouts that would deem such ingestion, but its cool none the less.

(4) Jade Teta (http://www.metaboliceffect.com/) will be doing the first video taping of the ME multisport strength workout w/ Sonni and I on July 6 at Nomad. Stay tuned!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

CT effectiveness from "E"

Day 38 - July 1, 2009 - Week 5
After posting my 'CT adventures' yesterday I neglected to insert a 'real life example' that provides encouragement when sweating it out in the garage. Elmar F (aka "E") is a good friend of mine who I have had the pleasure of assisting in his triathlon pursuits since Jan 2008. When he took on IM Austria in 2008 he did some significant time on his CT in prep.

Below is a quick snip it from our dialogue this AM, I was riding the IMA course (3D SW) several times before going to Austria and was never able to break the 6hr. mark on the CT. I rode a 5:35 in Austria and felt pretty good off the bike. First Lap I did in 2:40… the best I ever did a lap on the CT was a 2.56…


Ladies and gentleman...this is some good stuff. This is exactly what I am hoping to see go down at IML. Thanks for sharing E...

Today I will be focusing on the pool and allow the legs to absorb M and T. The goal is to alternate between tethered swimming and Critical Swim Speed 100s. Short and simple.

Side note: the bone bruise that I sustained at FL 70.3 is seeming to resurface...not so happy about this and hoping its a fluke thing. Icing it w/ hopes that I can still go long on the run tomorrow as intended.

God is in control...