IRONMAN CANADA TRAINING - 2022
Week beginning Sunday, April 10, 2022
20 weeks out from race day.
WEEKLY GOAL
Repeat last week because that felt good.
SUMMARY
Total Time: 13.5 Hours
I feel like I was PUSHING THROUGH
Despite running myself into the ground with a lack of everything (sleep, rest, food) to start the week, I bounced back to slightly better the previous week hourly total. This was my biggest swim and riding (distance) week so far this year.
The TT Bike is on the road but the free hub on my MTB needs service. The week ended with a spirited brick session on Friday and a group ride with some punchy moments on Saturday.
SUNDAY APR 10 🌧
Sleep 6 | Fatigue 5 | Stress 3 | Soreness 4
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
Run 1:45. Similar route to last week...or at least similar footing. Easy effort. Stay well fueled. Really try to keep this day easy. As Tuesday and Friday both have a bit of pep. This is just about getting in time on your feet.
Mobility 30 minutes
NOTES
Total Time: 0 Minutes
Work had me scheduled for an hour last night starting at 8pm. Finished at 4am. FML.
The Bear Mountain subdivision has snow today. It is almost the middle of April. WTF?
Headache all day likely from how last night shook out. Advil barely put a dent into it.
I slept midday.
MONDAY APR 11 🌤
Sleep 4 | Fatigue 3 | Stress 3 | Soreness 3
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
Optional: Easy spin to/from pool.
Swim 2500: 300 easy swim, 2x 150 swim w/ buoy. Rest as needed. 6x 50 steady kick r :15. 4 rounds (50 Shark-fin r :20, 100 aerobic/steady r :20) 6 rounds (50 as 25 fist drill/25 strong finish to stroke r :20, 100 aerobic/steady r :20) 100 super easy to cool down.
NOTES
Total Time: 97 Mins Swim: 2500m Run: 5.4 km
Yesterday's snow on the Malahat stuck around. Officially it was 4°C (-1°C with the windchill) so I kitted up and rode the mountain bike to the pool this morning. Where is springtime?
I had an okay session in the pool.
Headache is gone and my lumbar feels good today too.
TUESDAY APR 12 🌦
Sleep 2 | Fatigue 2 | Stress 4 | Soreness 3
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
Rollers or outside. 30 minutes EASY spinning.
Run 70 minutes w/ your crew. Easy effort for the fist 55 minutes.....pick up the tempo/rhythm a bit on the final 10-15 minutes.
NOTES
Total Time: 90 Minutes Run: 10.3 km
Fantastic sleep last but I woke up to snow falling (it turned to rain by 0830).
Yauki, Vince and I ran north through the Marigold neighbourhood to the Quadra Overpass befor heading south on Douglas. I had a crack at the Switch Bridge South segment on Strava before finishing the balance of the run to 10km.
Wrapped up with 30 minutes with the TT Bike on the rollers before dinner.
WEDNESDAY APR 13
Sleep 4 | Fatigue 4 | Stress 4 | Soreness 3
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
Swim 2900: 300 easy as 75 free/25 backstroke to warm up. 4 rounds (50 Paddle-fist drill r :15, 50 fist drill r :15, 50 gradual build to strong r :30) 10x 50 Strong turnover/high focus....750 effort/focus. R :15 after each. 100 super easy. 5x 250 aerobic/steady and consistent turnover. R :40 after each. 3x 50 super easy to cool down.
Ride 60 minutes home. Easy effort. Road bike.
NOTES
Total Time: 120 Minutes Swim: 2900m
I had a feeling work was going to need me in the morning so I planned on an afternoon swim. I ended up with a 25m lane all to myself @1445; it has been awhile since I have been a short pool.
I substituted the paddle-fist for the fist drill b/c I forgot my paddles; regardless, this was a productive time in the water.
CRYSTAL POOL - 25M LANE
I went to Frontrunners looking for a pair of shoes then rode for ~50 minutes after that.
THURSDAY APR 14 ⛅️
Sleep 3 | Fatigue 3 | Stress 3 | Soreness 4
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
Ride 90 minutes on TT bike. Victoria flat route....Waterfront, or Lochside would be nice. Keep the effort easy. Have fun. Try to spend at least 20 minutes in the bars (so more than last time, but still not so much that it should be a hassle)
Mobility 20 minutes
NOTES
Total Time: 90 Minutes Ride: 38.9 km
Spin up to Cy Hampton Park on the typical Lochside/Martindale route. Lots of time in and out of the bars (per traffic) and generally, I felt really good this late afternoon.
At the ~90 minute mark, I stopped the activity as I was at Mike's house. After a short visit, I pedalled an additional 17 minutes home.
FRIDAY APR 15 🌤
Sleep - | Fatigue - | Stress - | Soreness -
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUT
MTB ~ 90 minutes. Have fun. If you want to ride trails....ride trails. If you feel like an easy cruiser on the Goose...that works too. Either way, it's 90 minutes. Generally easy. Having fun.
Run 45 minutes. Easy effort.
In an ideal world, the run is after the bike, but if a rain shower stops that, don't worry about it.
NOTES
Total Time: 135 Minutes Run: 8km OTB @5:38/km
The mountain bike ride that never made it off the asphalt. I had another go at trying to eliminate the creaking of my mountain bike. I found two stuck lower pivot bearings and thought that might have been the culprit. Once those bearings were cleaned, repacked and spinning again, I noticed some play in the rear cassette that needed to be addressed.
Here is where I believe I messed things up.
After putting the freehub and cassette back together, I think I added too much pre-load as I wasn't too far into my ride when I dropped the chain.
Thinking it was a fluke, I carried on but it happened again near the hospital, and again on Highland Road. This bike has never dropped a chain in the 6 months I've owned it. I decided to stop and have a closer look and found the freehub was no longer "free". I carefully pedalled the bike home and jumped on the rollers for the next 45 minutes.
The run started hot (for me) and stayed pretty much at that rhythm for the balance of the next 45 minutes. First real "brick session" in forever and was not as terrible as I remember.
Flat to false-flat route south on The Goose to the halfway point of Harbour Road. Weather was sunny with a cool breeze.
SATURDAY APR 16 ☁️
Sleep 3 | Fatigue 3 | Stress 2 | Soreness 3
Rate on an scale 1-7 1=best 7=worst +5 is a warning
PLANNED WORKOUTS
SESSION ONE
Swim 2800:
200 easy swimming, 200 swim w/ buoy, 4x 50 steady kick. R :10 after each. 500 as 25 higher turnover/25 relaxed-smooth. Rest as needed. 15x 100 Descending 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-15 1: easy, 2: Moderate, 3: Strong. R :20 after each. 4x 50 EASY to cool down.
SESSION TWO
Road ride ~ 3:00.
Weather looks good, so great time to get in some base miles on the road. **Fueling will be pretty important as Friday is a bit bigger than usual AND you'll swim earlier in the day. Minimum of 600 calories on this ride. I'd like to see 750-900 if possible. Stay hydrated as well. Effort ~ Easy to steady. Nothing too hilly. It's your third ride in three days. No need to search out hills. If anything, try to avoid them.
NOTES
Time: 180 Minutes Swim: 2800m Ride: 56 km
For all the time in the pool at Esquimalt Rec Centre during COVID, I knew the water temperature was on the warm side but this morning, it was bathtub warm.
Only one skinny lane to share with three people, so I moved into the empty "slow lane" and got 80% of my workout done there.
A short ride home for a big pancake breakfast before the main ride.
The Russ Hays Group Ride was split into two groups and I started off in back. Someone mentioned that I'd be better off with the stronger group but they had already gone up the road and out of sight.
I told the group leader that I'd catch up with the first group and then set out to bridge that gap.
After bridging up to the front group, we rode at a pace that was closer to my fitness for the balance of the ride.
The first group was a bit stronger up the hills, I was able to hold pace on the flats; on the way back, I lead the group for the majority of Happy Valley Road. The group ride ended at The Nest Café and I rolled in for a coffee with the people I just rode with.
Leaving the café, I could feel the stimulus of the last 3 days in my quads, the weather had turned threatening, I needed a bio-break and home was right there...
I packed 2 bottles with 100g of carb mix (50% Maltodextrin, 40% Lemonade, 10% table sugar, pinch or two of salt). One bottle consumed and a mouthful of the other. The concentration sat well this morning.
I spent time trying to square ~3 hours of riding from 23 minutes commuting to and from the pool, plus 13 minutes from the café to 106 minutes of moving time during the group ride. Maybe some of the punchy efforts are the difference. Maybe I should just listen to my quads as they tell me that I got a workout today.