An endorphin-craving, wild-eyed smurf
-like triathlete sits on my shoulder and consistently asks this question after every race, and most training sessions.
While visible only to me, you will simply have to trust that she exists. In fact, she looks exactly like me, but just in miniature smurf size.
With three weeks elapsed since IMLP, she has grown persistent and insistent in asking this question. She must be answered.
I can no longer hide inside the post-race glow. It’s time to reflect reflect upon what worked–those strategies that helped me achieve a personal best by 41 minutes–and what didn’t work–those strategies that prevented me from achieving my “dream” goal time of 12 hours.
The answer to this question, as it relates to my performance at IMLP, will guide my training for the 2012 season, and will hopefully bring me closer to my 12-hour Ironman goal at Ironman Mont Tremblant on August 19, 2012.
Overall, IMLP 2011 was quantitatively and qualitatively a better race than my first attempt in 2010. Without a doubt, the key strengths of the 2011 training season were better bike training and nutrition. The key limiters were under-pacing and injury.
Riding more, and riding with more purpose
After the 2010 season, my little smurf was in a complete state of agitation: “You SUCK on the bike! You didn’t ride enough!! You need to ride more!! Get on your bike and ride, sister!!”
Hmmm, should I be riding more, little smurf?
Both she and I knew that I had to switchup my bike training in order to improve my strength, as well as the anxiety that mentally crippled me through much of my 2010 training, thanks to a crash in early April. I couldn’t go through another season the way I went through last year. So, in October of last year, I instituted some changes.
I went from cycling 3 days a week to cycling 4 to 5 days a week. And, the types of workouts I did changed as well. Rather than just spinning out the miles, I used focused workouts, each with clear purpose with respect to endurance, force, power, muscular endurance, and so on. It wasn’t just about volume, but about variation and purpose with respect to volume, duration and intensity.
In January of this year, my cycling training further improved after winning CompuTrainer’s Desperate Athlete contest. Given the cold temps, I was already doing most of my rides on the trainer. I had a basic magnetic trainer, and yes, it does the job. However, if you are a data geek, then you know the value of detailed training data for tracking effort and gauging progress.
For me, that’s the most important difference between my CompuTrainer and my basic trainer: the range of data. I can see if my power is in the appropriate range, how my heart rate reacts to different power outputs and pedaling efficiency, and so on.
The second most important difference with the CT is the opportunity to train “hills.” The only hills–errr bumps–that we have here in the Atlantic City, NJ area are bridges, which are not really effective for cycling because: 1) they are busy with traffic, making it difficult to do repeats which entails crossing said lanes of traffic (and sometimes a median), and 2) they take all of 2 minutes to climb. When most of our races include climbs of anywhere from 1 to 8 miles, a 2 minute hill repeat in traffic is hardly worth the risk.
While John and I will travel to ride on real hills, it’s not possible to do that for day to day rides or even every weekend. (The closest hills worth riding are about 2 hours away.) So, with the CompuTrainer, I was able to incorporate climbing on any ride I chose. More importantly, I was able to ride computer-simulations of the actual courses, including IMLP and Quassy. And, for specialized workouts, I could create courses that matched my purpose and duration exactly.
Okay, I’m sure you get my point. Suffice to say, this was a major advantage for me that undoubtedly helped me with my climbing and overall bike strength.
Proper Pacing
While improved over my 2010 effort, my performance at IMLP was just shy of the overall speed I wanted. I think there are two reasons for this: 1) under-pacing, and 2) a stiff wind. But, under-pacing is the major issue, and I must address it for 2012 if I want to see the kind of improvement my smurfy self craves.
I think the under pacing is related to my cycling anxiety more than it is my strength. I push HARD on the CompuTrainer. I froth at the mouth. I’m not afraid to hurt.
But I can’t seem to translate that power or effort to the road. I hit a certain speed on the road, and I get nervous, hitting the brakes or I stop peddling. I hear a car coming, and I come out of the drops. I never ride on my aero bars on the road.
For 2012, I have to translate the effort I’m able to generate on the CT to the road. Part of the solution to this issue will be riding with others to boost my confidence and to force me to ride hard on the road. My friend Patti, who is a great cyclist, has already agreed to be the lead punisher in this regard. I trust her completely. She is an aggressive, but safe, rider.
Second, I MUST return to the aero bars. I’ve already begun taking baby steps toward this goal. Two weeks ago, I got down in my aero bars for the first time in 15 months. Since then, I’ve been making sure to get into my aero bars on every ride. I’m still not staying in them for a long time, nor am I going terribly fast. But, thankfully, I’m back in them. By August, 2012, I’ll be cruising.
Bike to run
While the bike split wasn’t the number I wanted, it was faster than 2010, and I firmly believe that my improved bike strength led to a faster and stronger run. If you’ve been following this blog for a while, then you may recall that I have a chronic issue with my right IT band. Due to said issue (as usual, my smurf and I refuse to call it an injury), my run training going into IMLP was spotty at best.
Yet, I got off the bike and ran a 3:56 marathon, in negative splits, shaving 24 minutes off my time from last year. I felt incredibly stronger during the marathon in 2011 than I did in 2010. In addition to more strength in running off the bike, I also think better nutrition played a role.
Proper Fueling
In our day to day eating, John and I privilege fresh vegetables, fruit and lean protein. While we do eat grain products, we limit their consumption to the time period directly before or after working out. And, even then, we don’t eat much. We do not eat refined sugars, with the exception of fueling during our workouts, in the form of power bars, drinks, and gels.
Do we “cheat” occasionally? Yes. Pizza happens. But, my smurf is not very happy when it does.
We also made important changes to our approach to carb loading, which recently started a discussion following John’s guest post. (Want to see/join the discussion? Click here.) We start increasing our carbohydrate intake about 3 days out from the race. Two nights before the race, we eat a large dinner. We eat a large breakfast the day before the race. Then, lunch is normal, and dinner is small, for e.g., just a small chicken breast and a cup of plain pasta.
Tapering food intake the day before the race does a few things: 1) it ensures our body has time to completely digest and store the calories from the two big meals and 2) it ensures our guts are not stuffed with, well, crap the day of the race, and 3) it makes it easier to sleep the night before because I’m not overly full.
Breakfast the day of the race includes getting up about 3 hours before race start to eat apple sauce, protein drink and a banana. Then, an hour before the race, we eat some power bar (how much depends on your size), and then some gel right before the swim start.
Absolutely the best fueling going into a race I’ve ever had.
During the race, I had a better nutrition plan, eating about 150-180 calories per hour on the bike, and 100 calories/hour on the run. Last year, I did not quite meet these marks, and ran out of fuel in the second half of the marathon. I’ve provided more detail about my race fueling in the race report, which starts here.
In pursuit of 12 hours
So, yes, my little smurf, I believe I can do better next year.
Just as with 2011, the answer to how to do better lies mostly with the bike. I know I have a fast bike in me. Next year, I will unleash that bike on the world. (Cue the triumphant music…)
Additionally, I need to improve my swim. To say I am mediocre would be a compliment. I don’t have much to say other than there will be a swim coach involved in this process. One hour and 15 minutes would be really nice for 2012.
In my final reflection upon IMLP 2011, I would be remiss if I did not mention what is perhaps the most important strength of all: the support and encouragement of my community, which includes family, friends and fellow athletes. Your kind words and gestures never fail to encourage, motivate and inspire me.
In tough moments, you help me push through.
In moments of triumph, we share the joy together.
In moments of reflection, your support does not go unforgotten.
Even my little smurf recognizes that.
