Week 3 of Ironman Prep Training Phase / Big Tri Training Week – 07/05/2010

I've had the week of July 5th highlighted on my calendar for quite a while. This was the week I was going to throw a ton of triathlon training time and miles at the body to give my all-around triathlon fitness a big spike. The week was going to conclude with the Endurance Nation Madison Tri Rally, a loosely organized gathering of fellow EN members and non-members, as well as Q&A with one of the coaches. We all did a lot of on-course training and socializing.

Due to work and personal life commitments that came up early in the week I wasn't able to really crank up the training volume as much as I had intended, especially on the bike and swim. But in the end I was happy with the overall effectiveness of the week in terms of the training stress I put my body through. So here's a day-by-day view of the training I did for the week followed by a summary of the week's data:

Monday: 7 mile, 45 minute run in Michigan before heading back home from the 4^th of July weekend. The workout consisted of 2 x 1.5 mile intervals at threshold pace (6:07/6:05). I was happy with the effort given the tired legs and humid conditions.

Tuesday: 30 mile, 90 minute ride with 50 minutes of FTP work. Total ride IF=.86. Then did a 5 mile, 35 minute brick run with 2.5 miles at half marathon pace. Lots of work in a short amount of time = money in tha bank!

Wednesday: VERY tough long run: 17 miles, 125 minutes with 5 miles at half marathon pace and 3 miles at marathon pace. Hit some very dark places due to the humid conditions but made it through. Definitely a run to remember when the going gets tough in Ironman!

Thursday: Woke up very tired this morning but got by butt in the pool for a 2,600m rainy swim anyway. Then did a very easy 20 mile, 60 minute spin. Due to the fatigue I was feeling I adjusted the plan to be ready for the EN Madison training camp starting tomorrow.

Friday: 112 mile race simulation ride on the IMWI bike course: 5:40 ride time. Felt like the easiest ride of the year – nice and steady effort on a beautiful day. Transitioned to a 6 mile, 45 minute brick run along Lake Monona and into downtown Madison with 3 miles at race pace plus 30 seconds (8:15/mile) and 3 miles at goal race pace (7:45/mile). Felt great the whole 6+ hours.

Saturday: Rode 3 loops of the IMWI bike course with friend and EN teammate, Matt Ancona. 123 miles in just under 7 hours (most miles I’ve ever done at once). Then did a 4 mile brick run at long run pace. I hit a few difficult spots but I always found a way out of them and kept the pedals turning. Great, epic training day!

Sunday: 13.3 mile run in 115 minutes with EN teammates and new friends, Trevor Garson and Dan Gilliatt, on the IMWI run course. My legs were definitely feeling the fatigue in the first couple miles but things got loosened up to the point where I was feeling pretty smooth and strong. Nice to experience that feeling as it will help me prepare for the impending fatigue that will come late in the marathon on race day. Great company made for a great run no matter how the legs are feeling!

Totals for the week:
Training duration: 22 hours 40 minutes
Mileage: 337 miles (Swim: 2.6K, Bike: 282 miles, Run: 53 miles)
TSS: 1,312
CTL: 129.2
TSB: -52.4 (big hole=FATIGUE!)
Total calories burned: 10,566

Performance Management Chart through week 3 of Ironman Prep Training:


So, was the week a success?? Oh, yeah! I would have liked to have gotten more miles on the bike, as well as some more time in the pool, but given the time I had available to train I was able to maximize the training effect I was looking for.

The numbers (miles/training time) from the weekend seem daunting and many people have asked me, "How does your body not shut down being out there that long?" I found that the keys to being able to continually hit the body with big miles in consecutive days was a great amount of sleep and a focus on excellent nutrition. As long as I carved out the time and discipline for these two things I was ready for more the next day.