Fast Ironman Running

> When you ran in the 2:44-49 range you mentioned you
> ran very easy for the first 5k before finding your
> pace. Did you consciously decide to run a certain way
> from there on out (like try for neg/close-to-neg
> splits); or just run on feel and go for it? I realize

***You better have a good reason to cross 150 bpm and a VERY good reason to
cross 155bpm // last 10K are as hard as you can go. A high volume guy like
you won't blow at the end -- you need to trust that.

***Everyone runs the first two miles too fast -- the key is the third 10K --
that's BY FAR the easiest place to pass people. It's a nightmare trying to
get past a guy in the last 10K and near impossible with 5K to go.

> its different when you are actually running for first,
> but still interested in what you have to say.

***Same across all positions in the field. Use your watts on the bike and know that you
can catch anyone within 15 minutes of you!

Swim Starts

If you aren't 54-minutes or faster for an IM swim then remember...

...There is NO clean water to get to!

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QUESTION TO ME:

> I consider myself
> to be in the 53-55 range assuming typical conditions.
> How did you approach swim starts when you were in
> this range?

ANSWER:

This year was a REAL eye opener for me. My fitness was nowhere near 2004
and early 2005 but I came out with guys that used to beat me out of the
water. Why?

Well, I used to start way too fast -- and that was when I was telling people
that I was going easy! Everyone goes BANANAS at the beginning.

Key thing -- get dragged out to 400m swimming easy -- then it should feel
steady. You HAVE to swim easy enough that you can "crank" a fast 200 at
anytime. You'll need to do that around 1,000m and 2,000m -- this will
either be due to a pace change or to bridge around someone that cracks.
People generally crack at 1K and 2K.

Also remember that swim time doesn't matter -- it's all about glycogen
conservation. As a high volume guy that rarely gets tummy issues -- you'll
be fine regardless.

My swims this year were "easy" due to learning how the start works. I also
lucked out that Matt Lieto swam on top of Monica for 1200M (!) so she ended
up pulling my group in Canada.

Pace change swimming on long intervals is the single best open water
training technique -- I do a lot of that in my training.

HR Caps

Remember that it is a HR Cap, not a Target.

I had some questions on whether the HR caps should be hard or soft -- basically do you adjust for: (a) heat; (b) dehydration; (c) altitude; (d) fatigue; (e) lactate; (f) low blood volume; (g) lack of fitness; (h) gender or other factors that we can dream up.

I asked this question to Mark in Austin. His reply was that our HR is the best indicator for actual stress on our bodies. So when we are at our cap, we are under enough stress. Adding more stress tolerance due to a/b/c/d/e... isn't consistent with his advice for best practice. The time to add more stress is when the "endurance" protocol shows a plateau in terms of run test performance. If we keep improving then stick with the protocol.

On reflection and with eight weeks of his model under my belt. I have to say that it makes a lot of sense. So if you tempted to give yourself an excuse to go harder... my recommendation is "not yet".

Run:Walk Protocol

I did my first two-hour run of the season today.

Here's the protocol that I used...

1 -- walk five minutes
2 -- run ten minutes; walk one minute
3 -- repeat #2 until done

Things that I noticed...

a -- the hardest part (by far) is the walking. I had to walk through a couple of towns, beside pregnant ladies and grandmothers... I really had to let the ego go

b -- as this was my first long run, I went really easy at the start (about 125-132 bpm) within the first half an hour. Gradually, my heart rate came up without any effort on my part. My pace also picked up. For intensity reference, my HR cap is 148bpm; 80% of that cap would be 118 bpm; my AeT is 140 bpm.

c -- once warmed up, I'm probably rolling around 6:30-50 per mile pace // the transition down to walking from that requires very different muscular recruitment. I think that this is the "reset" that Bobby talks about. With the walking, I find that my hamstrings stretch -- so there is no shortening of my stride as the run progresses. Pace is maintained by staying fluid, I could have run very fast at the two hour mark (but didn't!).

d -- I'm not sure if 60 seconds of walking is the right amount. I may be able to get the "reset" on a shorter walking interval. I'll stick with 60s for the next three weeks and see how things progress.

e -- I figure that the run to walk transitions as well as my walking pace will improve with practice.

+++++++++++++++

Q1 -- Thanks for the input. On your long runs with walk, after warming up, it sounds as though you running the 10min portions near your HR cap; walking; and then gradually letting your HR rise again. Is this correct?

gA1 -- I haven't changed my training, just inserted a cap. So I try to sit in the bottom half of my steady zone when running that is 138-145 bpm (AeT-2bpm to AeT+5 bpm). A common temptation is to view "caps" as "targets". We all need to watch this in ourselves.

Q2 -- I noticed the desire to let myself run a bit quicker after walking to 'make up time'. If I understand it correctly, the time shavings is mostly from the 'lack of slowing down' over a marathon, not necessarily something an athlete will see a lot of on a two hour run. Is that how you see it?

gA2 --Here's what I expect that we'll see

>>>Race Benefits -- lack of slowing; better processing of calories; faster gastric emptying; less cramping -- in other words less of the four things that derail most Ironman performances

>>>Training Benefits -- faster recovery and higher quality of overall training -- I did weights this afternoon and felt fine; my 12-14 hour athletes that stuck with the run:walk were faster overall on all their long runs -- most will see benefits on a two-hour run. It's not for racing only.

Most people overestimate their running paces and underestimate their fade -- if we had powermeters for the run then we'd see that more clearly for folks. I suppose we could use GPS but I prefer to focus people on learning the correct effort within their zones/caps.

Season Pacing

>>>I was wondering if you would mind sharing your thoughts on using your
>>>philosophy for mountain bike races around 2 to 2h20?

I'd train very much the same as what I think is appropriate for IM. The
major change that I would make is that I'd leave out the Big Day Training as
that isn't key for their event.

There would be a temptation to do a lot of hard stuff earlier in the
season -- there always is! I'd skip that. Especially because the racing
season is so long.

I'd also have the guys race less than they normally do. Two hours all-out 3
out of 4 weekends will have the guys flat in no time. So you really need to
think about when the athlete needs to be fast as well as what's required
when it is time to be fast.

With an event that is so hard in the first 30 minutes -- a deep, deep
fitness platform is required. So that points to quite a bit of work on the
road bike -- even steady load.

My general approach to the year working backwards:

Key End of Season Event
2.5 Months of Specific Prep, last month holding back (always)
Transition
2.5 Months which includes 3 week race cycle; 3 week base cycle; 3 week race
cycle
Transition
4 month Base Period
Month off

So there's not alot of racing in there. However, when the athlete is racing
it will be lifting their fitness and they will be fast.

This is an ideal model -- for athletes that have to qualify for their end of
season race, that complicates it. Not so much with a two-hour event.

Your athletes that peak in April -- they are doing more intensity than you
think over the winter. I see it with my guys all the time. Some people
have an inability to hold back. This stunts their ultimate achievement.

Within that year above -- probably 8-10 events with 3 being important and 1
being very important.

If I was training for a mountain bike race, I'd hire Lynda Wallenfels as my
coach. I have a lot of trust in her.