Breakthrough Ironman Performance

For an experienced athlete that wanted to take 30-45 minutes out of his IM time -- the path from decent AGer to top Pro. First, I'd have him do at least one year of the protocol that I outlined in my elite base // probably more like three.

In the second (or third or fourth) year that we were working together, I'd build overall endurance to the point where he (or she) could handle six weekends (out of, say, ten -- with three being easier and one being a Half IM). Six weekends like what I'll outline below. The runs wouldn't all be this tough but it gives an idea.

The specific prep would look like this -- NOT recommended for athletes that aren't already at the top of their AG and have deep base. This is the sort of training that ends a season when you don't have the base to support and absorb it. In fact, this is why so many people underperform at races, get injured, fry themselves... they are doing this type of training without having spent the long apprenticeship required to absorb it.

Day One -- Freshen up a bit, nothing hard.

Day Two -- Eat today to train tomorrow
Swim 5K
1K w/u
1K fast
500 mixer
5x400 on 20/10/5/10/20s RI (fast, mod-hard, steady, mod-hard, very fast)
500 c/d

Bike 5:30 ride time
Be smart, stop for fluids
One Hour, Just Ride
One Hour Easy cadence >=90 rpm
@ 2:15 ride time -- 45 mins IM watts
@ 3:15 ride time -- 45 mins as (3x) 12/3 -- 12 mins IM watts; 3 mins HIM watts
@ 4:15 ride time -- 45 mins as 15 mins @ IM watts and 30 mins @ HIM watts

Get home recovery drink immediately

Run 30 mins easy
= 7:15 training day

Day Three -- Just the run and an easy swim
Long Run, 20 Miles
BIG DRINK to start
4 miles easy
DRINK
Pattern is 3x5 miles with the last mile always easy
DRINK after each 5 miles
#1 -- 2 miles Steady; 1 mile Mod-Hard; 1 mile Steady
#2 -- alt 1 Mile Mod-Hard with 1 Mile Steady
#3 -- 1 Mile Steady; 3 Miles Mod-Hard
RECOVERY DRINK then
1 Mile easy

Steady = goal IM pace -- average
Mod-Hard = actual HIM pace -- average
GOAL -- be strong for #3

Be smart, adjust for hills -- don't go deeply anaerobic
Good form, stay smooth

LATER -- easy swim

Day Four -- Needs to be an easy day to absorb training

++++

To give readers something to shoot for... I averaged 300w for all my main sets one Saturday, then went 2:02 for the 20 miler on Sunday (stopping my watch every 5 miles for a big drink). Kept my HR 10bpm under FT for all the last sets, 15-20 under for everything before the last sets. Many could match the watts/pace -- few could do it at a similar %age of FT and the only way you get that kind of fitness is volume over time.

Combine that with 2.5 years of high volume, endurance focused training and you get superior race fitness.

BUT! We still need the humility on race day to get that fitness to the finish line. Even some of the fittest athletes will beat themselves within the first five hours of their day. Smart elite race strategy counts on an element of that.

++++

Most people are unwilling to build the base to properly absorb that training and most people don't have the patience to wait and allow the workout to become difficult.

That's how superior preparation can compete very well. On my best weekend using this protocol I did the equivalent of a sub-9 Ironman. I then backed that up with a further 3-4 weeks of challenging training. It's all in my log from last July/August.

Most people aren't willing to invest three years of their lives to underpin ten weeks of training. My multi-year investment was a lot of fun and I didn't realize the big picture until I was looking back and figuring out how I got so darn speedy (about 30 mins faster than I ever thought possible). That's the benefit of receiving guidance from one who's walked the path before (Molina in my case).

Putting this another way

>>>in order to have the durability, economy, efficiency and constitution to do the IM power/pace training that we think we need to do... the safest way is to do a lot of training at lower power/pace.

>>>to survive a "proper" 18-22 hour focused week for an AGer -- or a "proper" 28-32 hour focused week for an Elite. Then you need to be able to survive (if you wanted to) that base level of volume plus 8-10 hours. Without that ability in your constitution, you'll always be simply struggling to absorb the volume of your basic week, let alone the training.

There's also something about those easy hours that seems to work for Ironman. The easy training appears useful -- and I wish I could explain more clearly other than constantly saying "it just works, keep it simple, JFT".

So there's nothing special in the sessions themselves. They are just workouts -- maps that can help guide us to where we need to get to. Some like to keep training sessions secret, that might work for them -- but the real self-knowledge comes from knowing that you've done the work over a long time. It's having the ability to stack week-after-week-after-week... swimmers are a fine example of this commitment to long periods of work.

Half Ironman Swim

A good one from the chainsaw lane...

400 easy, 4x100 build, 4x50

Main Set
500, 5x100
400, 4x100
300, 3x100
200, 2x100
100, 100
Solid Swim is on Base, 100s are on Base-10s

c/d

++++

Strong Swimmers
Solid Swim is hard effort, 100s are very hard
At least 5s differential in pace per 100 between the solid swim and the 100s

AG Swimmers
Solid Swim is mod-hard effort, 100s are hard
Aim for 8-10s differential in pace per 100 between the solid swim and the 100s
Skip the 500, 5x100 if that would make the entire swim too long

ALL Swimmers
While the 100s are hard to very hard -- there should be zero pace erosion

Half Ironman Brick

A good HIM workout that I like to help you learn good pacing...

Run 45 minutes -- 20 mins build to steady then steady
Ride 2:30 -- 15 min just ride then 40/20/40/20 -- 40 min segments are IM effort (steady) -- 20 min segments are HIM effort (mod-hard)
Run 45 mins -- 15 mins steady then 6x5 min alt mod-hard with steady

If you are racing once a month then this could be the other tough workout for each four week block.

The goal is not to drill yourself -- simply to learn how "easy" steady feels early in a workout and how to pace yourself and dial in your HIM pacing.

Nearly every athlete runs too fast on the first run and rides too hard for the first hour of the main set. Learning to adjust and address this fact will greatly enhance your late race performance.

g

Long Run -- Late Base, Specific Prep

Long run -- drop to the 1:40 to 2:00 range -- main set...
20 min steady/5 min mod-hard/5 min easy, repeat

Do the above 2-3x, then have an easy week without main sets.

Then repeat the main set 3x in a workout -- that's 90 mins
Do that 2-3x then have an easy week without main sets

Then keep the 90 min total main set but change the last main set to 6x5 min alt mod-hard with steady.

End this protocol 3-4 weeks out from your A race. Do at least half of these runs in rolling terrain.

steady is on effort -- don't push your HR early, it could be low
build into the steady
build into the mod-hard
don't force HR, let it build
after each mod-hard, easy down gradually

Your run description indicates that you need to ride _even_ slower. Remember that a marathon is a very solid event all on it's own.

With AeT of 145 then I'd expect you to have a 10K HR in the high 170s/low 180s -- is that the case?

Steady, just sit on AeT
Mod-Hard, build to 155

Don't hang out at 150 -- not as effective a spot

Keep eating right -- focus on nutritional quality, not weight loss.

A large man shouldn't do monster bricks -- if you do... then it's been nice knowing you and we'll stand by for the over-use injury posts.

Get your run frequency to 5x per week (2 out of 3 weeks) -- if you can. Aside from the quality long run, one aerobic run -- all the rest should be easy.

Don't let that long run wipe you out. More than 24 hours of fatigue and you need to dial down the intensity. Bike training should dominate your weekly fatigue.

g

Ultraman Training

Ultraman...

> I have been alternating weekends with one weekend being long run 3-3:30 on
> saturday and 2:30-3hrs on Sunday. I'm trying to run as much as possible of
> hilly trails to build leg strength without too much pounding. I do one
> session a week focusing on high cadence type drills, some thing like
> 10x1min
> downhill running focusing on form. I'm trying to get in an additional 1-2
> run of 90 minutes+. So about 4-5 runs a week.

Once you are in the second half of Nov be VERY careful about any training
that beats you up. Keep things flat.

I think that you want some pavement runs to prepare for the run down from
Hawi.

Hills are good over the next 14 days.

If you've done that weekend double long run cycle already then I'd focus on
riding more.

> On the other weekend I am trying to get in a 300km (~10hr ride)on Saturday
> followed by a 5-6hr century on Sunday. Some of these have been pretty
> snowy
> in Calgary. During the week I am doing technique focused sessions and
> Intervals pushing a big gear at a low cadence to build leg strength.

This sounds like a good structure.

> I have been following the bike weekend with a monday session of the high
> cadence run stride type drills to keep my run fluid and I am following the
> run weekends with a monday bike session of 30x 1min pushing a massive gear
> at 40rpm on 1-2minutes rest.
>
> I am trying to swim as much as possible with 3-4 days being 5-7km and then
> 1-
> 2 more intense group type sessions. I will be upping some of the long
> swims
> into the 8-10km ultra range.

Sounds good -- I'd make sure that you get two 10K swims done before the
race. Nov 7th and 17th would be good timing. After the swim on the 17th
ride three hours EASY.

Have fun!
g

####


I think that IMCDA is good training for Ultraman -- the mental aspects of the marathon come in handy.

With your training -- it's very simple...

1 -- take the swim VERY seriously
2 -- do as much easy bike volume as you can
3 -- run often but be very cautious with mega-runs as these will really break you down.

Don't be a hero on race day(s).

Ultraman is a great event -- you'd have to commit to a lot of training to get ready for it.

Best of luck,

g

####

Trail Ultras

Sounds like you are doing everything right with that
training program. You must be seeing some great results with that sustained
high frequency approach.

Tips for the program -- this assumes that winning is the key goal.

For something like that, you'll need outstanding durability. In your base
period, I think that you'll want to get yourself to the point where you can
handle six weeks of 140-160K per week. Totally frequency/volume focused --
long run in the hills. However, with work, the singles are a great way to
get the volume up.

Personally, I'd build towards a cycle like... 160/180/80 then 180/200/80.

Had a look at the results -- you don't need to be fast to win it -- but you
do need to be smart. You'll need to train on the course to become efficient
on it and know all the turns, climbs, etc... given the number of loops
there's upside from local knowledge.

For something this long, there will be a STACK of pacing errors made by
other people. Again, local knowledge of how to optimize your fitness across
the distance. The real race is how fast you can run the middle 20K on Day
Two. That will be where folks lose a stack of time.

Specifically, from 20-30K. Looking at those times, I bet a top athlete
could easily take 20 minutes out of the competition in that segment of the
race.

Day One, 60 min per lap = victory this year. Running faster is pointless.
Day Two, 1:10 per lap = victory this year.
Question for you to consider -- how fit do I have to be to make that
possible within your steady zone. To win, you need to be able to perform at
those levels in your steady zone -- personally, I'd shoot for that at and
average effort level of AeT. You don't want eight hours of tempo required
for success.

4 & 12 weeks out -- at the end of a recovery week -- Run/Hike 4 hours on Day
One then back it up with 3 hours on Day Two. 8 weeks out would be a good
time to either race a Trail 50K or do something like.... Friday 30K;
Saturday; 40K miles; Sunday 20K.

As well as distance, you want to ensure that you are getting plenty of
up/down in your training week. To need to become very smooth moving
downhill on the trail sections of the course -- that's free speed.

Hope this helps,
g

####

On Leadville for a Triathlete

>>>Altitude -- you can train for the terrain at sea level -- so the main benefit of a 14 day altitude camp would be in the last 14 days leading into the race -- 7 days at Boulder, 7 days at 9-11K.

>>>May -- run frequency building up to 100M like... 80/90/100/60 -- doubles/triples and two long runs per week -- one long run is like an Ironman long run, the other is more of a very long all day hike in the mountains -- by week 3/4/5/3 hours -- up and down all the time. In the evening of the Ironman long run, do an easy 30-45 min supplemental run. The day after this session should be your day off running, still good to have one day per week as a lower body rest day.

>>>June -- big volume phase -- assuming phase one went well... 80/100/120/75 -- the 75 includes the training weekend on the course

>>>We talk about July/Aug based on how the first two months went. I think that it would be a mistake to do everything long and slow. I think that you will need some fast work to lift your economy and enhance your climbing efficiency.

>>>Strength training -- lots of legs, lots of eccentric loading -- deep squats, dead lift, hack squats -- power cleans as well. 2x per week, every week.

>>>Cycling -- two rides per week, in the hills, long as you can manage -- run after or before

>>>Swimming -- just active recovery, 30-45 mins -- if you want to maintain your triathlon options for later in the year then one long course 5,000m quality workout each week. If work permits then I'll do Saturday swimming at Scott Carpenter -- look for something similar around you.

Now that's a lot of volume for a guy running a company. If you need to cut back then drop one ride and trim swims. I think that the weights are very useful -- I wouldn't chop those. Track your run miles. In that June volume phase, you will slow down -- for the 100/120 mile weeks, that's OK just get the volume in.

Hills are essential -- I think that some triathlon races would be great sessions for you. The pounding that the legs take when fatigued off the bike is useful training.

g

Run Markers

AeT Pace (120, fresh) – 9:10 -- 4:30 marathon, call this easy pace

AeT Pace (130, fresh) -- 8:30 -- 3:42 marathon, call this steady pace

AeT Pace (140, fresh) -- 7:50 -- 3:25 marathon, call this mod-hard pace

Threshold Pace -- 7:00-7:10 @ 160, racing

Long Run Protocol:

Three weeks of running 2:00 to 2:15 for the long run. Terrain should be gently rolling if possible.

Use this pattern three weeks in a row... (120 min.)
20 min build from easy to steady
30 min as 9 min steady, 1 min easy -- continuous
20 min steady, 5 min mod-hard, 5 min easy -- no extra rest between this set and the one previous
5 min mod-hard, 10 min steady -- repeat
10 mins easy

Week Four -- recovery week, just run an easy 90 mins.

Long Run Protocol -- Phase Two (100 min.)

Use this pattern three weeks in a row....
30 mins build from easy to steady
25 mins as 20 min steady, 5 min easy
25 mins as 10 min steady, 5 min mod-hard, 5 min steady, 5 min easy
25 mins alt 5 min mod-hard with 5 min steady
10 min c/d

With the transitions between intensity zones, build up gradually, build down gradually -- learn to recover at steady pace (note that steady effort will be faster than goal IM pace).

Resist the temptation to sit at the top half of your steady zone -- there should be a clear 10bpm difference between your steady and mod-hard efforts.

Steady -- 128-133
Mod-Hard -- 141-144

All 3 Run Tests were done as 90 minute workouts, as follows:
1 test per week done mid week with another long run or Half Mar on weekend.
4000 on the track with HR < AeT. (I kept HR < 120/122)
4x800 @ AeT (130 HR)
4x800 @ AeT+10 (140 HR)
4000+ @ Track/road with HR< AeT


Run Marker Sets

Run Marker Sets

Aerobic Function Tests

Warm-up with some easy cycling or running. Ensure that you get at least 1K easy running with HR < AeT - 10 bpm



Run 3,200m (8 laps)
Build to AeT HR on the first 800 (no rush)
Take splits at each 800
From 800 to 3200m you want to sit right on AeT heart rate (no higher -- important!)
Then straight into...3200m
Build to AeT + 10 on the first 800 (no rush)
Take splits at each 800

A well paced test will see very little variation between 800-meter splits. Most folks start out too fast so dial down the effort when you start.

This is a low level aerobic test – to get accurate data you need to resist the urge to run harder than indicated.

Measuring the gap between your paces at various intensity levels is a good indicator of your aerobic stamina and fitness. Most athletes that are new to long course racing and training – particularly those from short course backgrounds – will see a rapid pace tail off as intensity is lowered. This is an indication of a steady-state aerobic stamina and economy limiter.

Prior to running 2:46 at Ironman Canada 2004, I tested my two paces at 3:55 and 3:45 per K, respectively. That’s 2:45-2:38 marathon pace, about 6:15 to 6:00 per mile pace.

In my experience, the slower pace number, the pace at AeT, is an excellent predictor of best case average Ironman run performance, for a well-trained athlete using a “sane” race pacing strategy. It’s far more accurate than open run splits – 10K, Half Marathon or Marathon.

Athletes will be amazed at how “slow” they initially run at the lower aerobic intensities. I’ve seen some very quick short course athletes with quite pedestrian performance with these tests. It can be discouraging at first. However, athletes should be encouraged to see this as a huge opportunity to increase their overall aerobic efficiency. Athletes that have a large “gap” can materially increase threshold and sub-threshold performance through a training program that’s focused on broadening and deepening their fitness base.

+++

The first test above can be used weekly – it’s a nice aerobic run when you add 15 minutes of running on each end of the test. For a more sustained test of aerobic stamina and economy – do a similar warm up then run 50 minutes for distance with a HR cap of your AeT heart rate.

Note 800-meter splits and ensure that you resist the temptation to run faster than your heart rate cap.

Experiment with relaxation in your breathing, body position and cadence to get the most “speed” within the constraints of your heart rate cap. With practice you’ll learn to squeak a little extra efficiency out of your test.

+++

Heat, hydration, weather, wind, fatigue – a wide range of external and internal factors can impact your test results. So don’t read too much into the results of a single test. What you are looking for is your trend over time.

These aerobic tests can be done frequently enough for you to get a good idea about your progression over time and that’s the key point.

IM run pacing... everyone repeat after me...
Run 5K very easy
Run 10K comfortably
Hold average pace as RPE increases

I've found that the ability to hold AeT+10 effort across the marathon is what's required to average AeT pace.

Don't force HR, effort or pace early in your run.

The danger for you is that it will be quite easy for you to hold, say, 7:15s for the first 10 miles of the marathon. In relative pace terms this is exactly what most folks do (high fiving themselves at how easy it feels)... the tough part comes at about Mile 13. You need to hold back to that you'll have the ability to greatly lift RPE in the final 10M of your day.

The magical protocol... volume through workout frequency.

Most people spend a huge amount of the bike above AeT effort -- you don't get the benefit of that if you fall apart on the run.

My pacing tips enable you to optimize your effort across the entire day. Like any workout, early in the day, you will be able to go much faster than I recommend.

The patience required is something that most people refuse to accept even in the face of painful race evidence. I think that's related to the long gaps between IM races and a wide-spread tendency to take-it-out hard in training.

Much of my training methodology is designed to show athletes the performance benefits of appropriate pacing.

Bike Marker Sets

A bit of background on this topic. As a coach, one of my key goals in building IM training programs is to have the athlete continually dial-in their AeT pace/power/effort -- using all data but mainly using the "breath test" that I talk about on my tips page (see gTips, www.gordoworld.com).

We'll fine-tune their "steady" zone based on race and training performance. Novices and short-course athletes nearly always over-estimate their steady zone -- training more intensely than they need to achieve the desired endurance adaptations.

Regardless of what physiological testing indicates, a key determinant of an appropriate endurance training zone is the athlete’s ability to back-it-up across their plan and recover from the sessions. In many cases, Heart Rate "Zn 2" work (as defined by Friel) is too intense for athletes to absorb (the bottom of Zn 2 is a good starting point for AeT, though) – so the breath test combined with monitoring recovery and training performance is a good check.

How often should zones be formally checked? Every workout is a chance to test and dial in zones -- comparing RPE to power/pace is a great way to monitor fatigue, a big challenge for IMers.

+++

On the bike, I think that the most important data is main set performance, particularly long aerobic efforts that are done in a fairly tight HR range, generally 5 bpm range.

For example, say we think 130bpm is AeT for the bike. This is a workout that I use with my own training as well as my experienced athletes. It’s a mixture of tips that I’ve learned from Scott and Dave.

5 Hour Set: Main Sets I, II, III
60 mins just ride
I. 40 mins hold AeT effort/ middle 20 mins standing/cap of 130 bpm
50 mins just ride
II. 50 mins hold AeT effort/alt 5 mins big gear with 5 mins TT cadence/cap of 135 bpm
10 mins just ride
III. 50 mins hold AeT effort with TT cadence -- no cap just use effort
40 mins cooldown

The average HR for the first main set would likely be <130 -- normally about 127.
The second main set would probably have an average in the low 130s
The final main set would have a mid 130s average -- if 134 or higher than the athlete is probably riding "too hard" for this set.

Benchmarking would come from looking at average power/HR across these main sets. Benchmarking average steady-steady power/RPE/HR in both the flats and climbing is a useful way to track aerobic development. I think that main sets that are done late in a ride are particularly useful as they build in an element of aerobic stamina. Many short course athletes are able to produce excellent numbers in workouts that are less than three hours duration. However, their power declines materially in a 5 hour session.

Another thing that I do is to lift the goal intensity of the final set to somewhere between IM and HIM effort -- if the athlete has over-ridden the early part of the workout then this will show clearly in HR and power data (inability to lift). In the workout above the instruction for the final main set would change to... build to the low 140s over the first 20 minutes and hold there.

With my own training (and the training of the athletes) my powermeter has been great for me to learn how slow HR is to respond early in a session or with low cadence -- for me to elevate my HR to Zn 3 in a big gear set requires close to a Functional Threshold effort when measured in watts -- also -- if I've only had a short warm-up then I can push Half IM wattage for at least a half an hour at an apparent Zn 1 effort. Useful stuff to remind myself about early in a race.

+++

How to find the bottom of your cycling steady zone?

A good starting point for cycling AeT is 20bpm under the average heart rate for a Half IM bike leg where the athlete ran well. My AeT is 130 and I'll average 150 on the bike at most HIMs -- aiming for 147-ish in the first hour of the bike then 152-ish.

Most athletes will tend to over-think their zones. The main thing is to focus on breathing and effort – and resist the temptation to chase watts or HR. Simply "check in" on your data using effort as your main guide. By using subjective perception, I think it's easier to relax and perform smoothly.

Bike Progressions/Markers

A bit of background on this topic. As a coach, one of my key goals in building IM training programs is to have the athlete continually dial-in their AeT pace/power/effort – using all data but mainly using the “breath test” that I talk about on my tips page (see Aerobic Threshold Summary under Endurance Essentials).

We’ll fine-tune their “steady” zone based on race and training performance. Novices and short-course athletes nearly always over-estimate their steady zone – training more intensely than they need to achieve the desired endurance adaptations.

Regardless of what physiological testing indicates, a key determinant of an appropriate endurance training zone is the athlete’s ability to back-it-up across their plan and recover from the sessions. In many cases, Heart Rate “Zn 2” work (as defined by Friel) is too intense for athletes to absorb (the bottom of Zn 2 is a good starting point for AeT, though) – so the breath test combined with monitoring recovery and training performance is a good check.

How often should zones be formally checked? Every workout is a chance to test and dial in zones – comparing RPE to power/pace is a great way to monitor fatigue, a big challenge for IMers.

On the bike, I think that the most important data is main set performance, particularly long aerobic efforts that are done in a fairly tight HR range, generally 5 bpm range.

For example, say we think 130bpm is AeT for the bike. This is a workout that I use with my own training as well as my experienced athletes. It’s a mixture of tips that I’ve learned from Scott and Dave.

5 Hour Set: Main Sets I, II, III

60 mins just ride
I. 40 mins hold AeT effort/ middle 20 mins standing/cap of 130 bpm
50 mins just ride
II. 50 mins hold AeT effort/alt 5 mins big gear with 5 mins TT cadence/cap of 135 bpm
10 mins just ride
III. 50 mins hold AeT effort with TT cadence -- no cap just use effort
40 mins C/D

The average HR for the first main set would likely be <130 -- normally about 127.
The second main set would probably have an average in the low 130s
The final main set would have a mid 130s average -- if 134 or higher than the athlete is probably riding “too hard” for this set.

Benchmarking would come from looking at average power/HR across these main sets. Benchmarking average steady-steady power/RPE/HR in both the flats and climbing is a useful way to track aerobic development. I think that main sets that are done late in a ride are particularly useful as they build in an element of aerobic stamina. Many short course athletes are able to produce excellent numbers in workouts that are less than three hours duration. However, their power declines materially in a 5 hour session.

Another thing that I do is to lift the goal intensity of the final set to somewhere between IM and HIM effort – if the athlete has over-ridden the early part of the workout then this will show clearly in HR and power data (inability to lift). In the workout above the instruction for the final main set would change to... build to the low 140s over the first 20 minutes and hold there.

With my own training (and the training of the athletes) my powermeter has been great for me to learn how slow HR is to respond early in a session or with low cadence -- for me to elevate my HR to Zn 3 in a big gear set requires close to a Functional Threshold effort when measured in watts – also – if I’ve only had a short warm-up then I can push Half IM wattage for at least a half an hour at an apparent Zn 1 effort. Useful stuff to remind myself about early in a race.

How to find the bottom of your cycling steady zone?

A good starting point for cycling AeT is 20bpm under the average heart rate for a Half IM bike leg where the athlete ran well. My AeT is 130 and I'll average 150 on the bike at most HIMs -- aiming for 147-ish in the first hour of the bike then 152-ish.

Most athletes will tend to over-think their zones. The main thing is to focus on breathing and effort – and resist the temptation to chase watts or HR. Simply “check in” on your data using effort as your main guide. By using subjective perception, I think it's easier to relax and perform smoothly.

Altitude Thoughts

I might build this out but this is an extract of a post I put up on altitude.

At sub-threshold sea level efforts the performance improvement comes in terms of reduced fatigue, rather than increased power/pace. In other words, I run faster off the bike due to reduced fatigue -- rather than -- I run faster when fresh in training. I am guessing that more O2 is being delivered to my muscle cells (via increased red blood cells and other factors).

At FT and at vVO2/CP VO2 -- my numbers improve in line with being able to achieve and sustain a higher HR. I haven't seen an increase in power/pace for a given HR. In fact, due to more dense air, my pace at a given HR could decrease -- I see this on the bike for example. 300w is a lot quicker at 6,000 ft than sea level.

Having experimented widely with natural and artificial altitude, the protocol that works best (for me) is consistent endurance training the 7500-9500 ft range and sleep at 5-6000 ft. I feel that desaturation, while training, is a key driver of beneficial changes due to altitude. Not all of these benefits appear as increased red blood cells.

Once acclimatized, I find the following works for maintenance... 2x80 min easy runs at avg height of 8500ft; 1x3 hour ride with 60-75 min steady/mod-hard main set climbing from 6000-9500ft // that ride is my key 'desaturation' workout for the week. When acclimatizing, I'll do up to 50% of total volume above 6,000 feet (but I don't think that much is required). I find that 5,000 feet is enough for me to desaturate when swimming.

What I haven't found is a Southern Hemisphere base where I can train as well as, say, Boulder. So my use of altitude is typically 2-4 mths prior to my A race, most years that has been IMC. I have always had my best runs, relative to fitness, following altitude training.

Based on my tri and mountaineering experience, I am a high responder to altitude. Some folks just get tired, rather than faster. A speedy Swede that I work/train with could be an example of an (8:21 IM) athlete that doesn't appear to get a lot of benefit from altitude training. So you need to see what works for you.

g

Wildflower Talk on Mental Skills

A buddy wrote these up for me as well.

Be positive as much as you can in what you say and what you write – we have 100% control over it

Hard to control what you think

Reinforce positive thoughts
- write them down
- use training log or positive thoughts journal


Racing:

Write down a race plan – it makes it concrete
- fears: write them down, identify them and find a solution

If you write negative things down it burns into the mind – very damaging, be very careful with your written words.

100% responsible for how I look, how I feel and how I react to things

Take responsibility for your emotions -- it’s up to me to create good stuff


If you’re not happy you can do (3) things:

1. Wait – hope it will change
2. Change your attitude
3. Change the situation

When you’re unhappy ---- consider the source of dissatisfaction

“Past fixations” attached to injustices or “slights” that have happened – release them in the present -- we tend to let them bother us.

Might be that you have to forgive someone, or most commonly yourself

“Future fixations” never in the present -- always trying to become something else, faster, thinner, richer, happier.

Must be happy in the present.

How do you just be happy?
Recognize the patterns of happiness
Use affirmations
Write and talk -- consistent with goals

“I haven’t trained” --- don’t say things that prepare you for failure.

Present Orientation:
Accept the way things are vs. resistance (trying to change the world to be the way you want to be (source of tension and unhappiness)

Wildflower Talk on Nutrition

A friend wrote up notes I gave on practicalities for nutrition. These tips work if you can stick with them.

AM: Eat protein w/ fruit
PM: Last meal – higher protein
No hi GI carbs after 4:00 pm

Nighttime eating can cause weight gain

High GI post training
Eat Before training
Last meal heavier in protein w/fat

More bang for your buck with fruits & veggies, than breads and cereals

Input vs. output
more than = gain weight
less than = lose weight

Exercise control when you are not training (this will put weight on)

When you’re training focus on getting the balance right

Output: 20 minutes before dinner to elevate, dinner metabolism

Natural diet is easier for body to copy == avoid bread and cereal – better choice whole grains, oats, barley, flax

Alcohol will slow metabolism

Reducing intake while training will lower metabolism – be careful about this

Zn 1 training – go easy on calories
Zn 2/Zn3 – time to load up

Easy short sessions, easy on calories

Careful with sports bars/drinks for moderate rides – use bananas & water (chose real food)

Swim Progressions/Markers

Some ideas to track your swimming

Swim Marker Sets

5x400, on 20 RI – descend for effort and speed – easy/steady/mod-hard/fast/very fast

Continuous (1,500)
50 fast, 50 steady — 100 fast, 50 steady — 150 fast, 50 steady — 200 fast, 50 steady — 250 fast, 50 steady — 300 fast, 50 steady — 200 fast

Continuous (3,000)
200 fast, 100 steady — 300 fast, 100 steady — 400 fast, 100 steady — 500 fast, 100 steady — 400 fast, 100 steady — 300 fast, 100 steady — 200 fast, 100 steady

The change of pace work in the long TTs are useful to help the time go by and also to make it more stimulating.

Another good TT is a straight 2,000 or 3,000 for time. Athletes that are new to these sorts of workouts could start with 1,000 or 1,500 and add 300 every 1-2 weeks to build up to 3,000. With elite training, a continuous, easy 4,000 swim each week is a nice session. With your longer continuous swims, you need not be aiming for a personal best each time.

For a faster benchmark set, try 15-20 x 100 where you aim to hold best 1,000 pace on 5s RI. Swim perfectly even splits. For example, if your best 1,000 pace is 1:45 per 100 then you could swim 15x100 on 1:50 and aim to arrive on 1:45 for the entire set.

Finally, in my Coaching Ironman Athletes article there is a test set of 8x400. This is a good set for sub-60 minute IMers or athletes that enjoy longer main sets. The protocol is explained in the article and I'll chat through in our discussion. Athletes that are 75+ min IMers should consider starting with 8x300 or, even, 8x250. Use the same protocol to set the send off intervals.

Remember that Ironman is a 2.4 mile continuous swim. So the most effective benchmark sets will help you track (and build) your aerobic endurance and economy.

Swim
Triathletes rarely need encouragement to swim 50s and 100s quickly on long rest. Where they need encouragement is on the challenging, longer main sets. Here are a few of my favorites. Note: When I schedule fast intervals, I avoid the use of the words ‘hard’, ‘very hard’ or ‘max’. I find that these words carry a connotation that often results in an athlete going one gear up from target.

4K Aerobic Swim

• Swim the entire set using three-stroke breathing
• Depending on skill level, swim the distance continuous or broken
• Note total time to complete the set
• Builds race specific endurance and confidence about ability to complete the swim 4x 750-1000 on 20-30s RI
• Choose the interval distance based on duration desired and athlete ability
• Pattern is:
  
  • Build by quarters to half-ironman distance race (HIM) effort;
  • Negative split with the first half at ironman-distance race (IM) effort and the second half at HIM effort;
  • Build by quarters to Olympic Distance (Oly) effort; and
  • Build by quarters to best effort
• Athlete should descend the workout with the fastest interval being the final one
• Teaches pace control, pace judgment and builds race specific endurance
  

5x 400 on 10s RI

• Start at easy pace and make each swim faster
• Final swim should be best average pace for the distance (very fast effort)
• Teaches pace judgment and assists coach with determining appropriate steady-state swim pacing

8x 300 or 400

• Pattern is:
  
  • 1 to 4 – Base; Base -10s; Base -20s; Base -30s;
  • No extra rest before #5;
  • 5 to 8 – Base +10s; Base -10s; Base -30s; Base -50s
• Splits should be set so that #4 is a “barely make it” split
• When the athlete makes interval #8, reduce all send offs by 5s the next time

All of the above swims are freestyle workouts.

I encourage all my athletes to work towards learning all four strokes as well as flip turns. I also discourage the use of swim gear for important and benchmark main sets.

Finally, I believe that nearly all endurance swimming should be done using three stroke breathing. It is the fastest way I know to improve a triathlete’s balance, relaxation and swimming economy.

There can be a lot of resistance on these points (no doubt some of you are shaking your heads right now!) but, over time, your athletes will see the benefits of using this approach to swimming.

Ideas for BIG swim improvement

Video: Underwater and above – review with a trusted coach. That should help with your efficiency.

Volume: January to April – aim for an average of 10,000 per week and insert a ten day period at 20,000 in each month.

Frequency: January to April – aim for at least 22 swims per month

Duration: Longest swim 90 mins, then 3 swims at 75 minutes

Workouts: February to May – use my Swim Marker Sets (see above) to track progress. These are real benchmarks, and not tracked in many Masters programs.

Recovery: Don't start hitting it hard in October/November – you've had a big year. Keep swimming but keep it light and let yourself shake all your season fatigue.