Hey! My tendonitis is on the top of my foot. Mine also came doing low intensity work. Thinking its probably just overuse and will go away with a bit of rest (fingers crossed).
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Checking in briefly.
Three weeks ago I did a sprint just to get back into race feeling and logistics. It was a successful race and I felt that I was particularly on the bike and the run much fitter than last year. I’m now in the second taper week for my HIM, coming up this Sunday. Last week I felt beginning of the week that I carried a lot of fatigue, by the weekend a lot of it was gone. First I thought the work of the first taper week is a bit excessive (I’ve been progressing training since October), but now I feel it was just right. There is some extra fitness found under the layer of fatigue that was there. I’ve also been sleeping like a boss.
Now the work is done and I am super happy with the TR plan & progression overall. Race nutrition is planned & prepared. I am getting itchy about the race. Fingers crossed for everybody racing this weekend!
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A little peeved this morning and needing to vent. I’ve been on a borrowed tri bike from my uncle the past few months and aimed to use it for Traverse City 70.3. Originally he said he was done with tri and had only planned to use it for one sprint this summer and it was mine to use as much as needed. Well he just let me know he signed up for an aqua bike the same weekend as my A race. My budget won’t allow for a bike purchase so my roadie will have to do. I have a felt VR5 and the bars are an abnormal diameter, 35mm. Deda is apparently the only company who makes an aero bar to fit that size and they were difficult to find in the US. Not cheap either. I’ll start playing with my seat to see if I can get into a decent position. Oh well. My run and swim progress are ahead of schedule at least.
That sucks but what can you do. You still gave a bike. Put some clip ons on it and have fun.
@JulianM, that’s a killer TT!! Bummer about the AT. I’ve had AT for a few years now. It’s my friend that I say hello to every morning. Usually after the first mile, it doesn’t bother me much.
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Hmm for an aquabike too. Without stirring things up is he aware it’s a 70.3 and A race for you? Obviously, it was nice for him to loan in the first place, but perhaps he hasn’t realised the impact for what would appear to be a “fun run” for him?
Maybe I’m assuming too much but I don’t think anyone gets too worked up about an aquabike.
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He’s aware. His solution was for me to grab the bike after he’s done Saturday morning so I can then drive 4 hrs to barely make the check in window at my race. That’s too much stress, definitely not doing that. He’s an interesting guy. He actually introduced me to tri last summer, but I quickly realized he never trains for them or seems to have any real interest in the sport at all. He’ll just do one or two events a year at random. It’s actually my fault because I told him about aquabikes like 6 months ago. He can’t really run anymore so he though he would just sign up for a tri and just not finish. Not a big deal. I’ll get my road bike set up nice and it’ll be better in the long run. His tri bike is an old trek equinox that didn’t really fit too well anyways.
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Thank you. It seems to be settling down slightly - if it doesn’t I’ll definitely look at treatment options. What it is though is a warning shot. I’ve spent the first part of the year more focussed on running than either riding or swimming (after that HM PB!) with a view to moving more towards cycling and swimming from after the HIM until October. This is a good reminder I think that my running is going OK and I can look at a reduced volume from now - I was trying to hit 60-70km per week, maybe cut that back by 10-15k for the sake of injury prevention.
Kona in October is where it’s at. A HIM in a couple of weeks (hopefully 
)as a summer stepping stone.
And if you do that you’ll beat a lot of athletes who don’t., you can’t beat the weather conditions. There’s a reason that the big marathons are all spring/autumn races. You can’t be as fast in the mid afternoon in the mid summer when we have to run whether you are Eulid Kipchoge or a normal human being!
I’ve raced in a lot of hot places, from Kona to Las Vegas when the 70.3 WC was there - I also raced the first edition of Challenge Vichy (when it was a Challenge race) and it hit 46C. The run course resembled the field hospital from MASH! If you don’t adjust your expectations and paces you’ll suffer badly and it can be harder to keep on top on your nutrition strategy as well, the thought of another boiling hot gel never seems to appeal so give that some thought and be disciplined about taking in what you need.
Thank you. Times here are generally inflated as we race on some fairly busy roads and get a good amount of help from passing traffic but it was a TT I was pleased with given I’ve not ridden many TT’s yet this year.
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Switched to SSB LV as I can’t find any love for the bike at the moment. Messed up in many ways; went to the gym after work, had put in a solid effort lunch run, a big sign saying “the air con is broken” did VO2 max/threshold interval swim to the point of cramping…then though, yeah I’ll do some bike. No fan is one thing, not even the poor air con is another.
I’ve never done SSB. So started up the first workout, paired the wattbike. ‘Hmm’ I thought ‘3x14 minute 30s VO2 max intervals seems a bit of a reach for the first workout of a base plan but what do I know?’. Yeah so I took a water break after nine. Felt sick and dizzy at 14. Went home and wolfed down dinner! 
I messed up when I rushed the plan set up, deleted, reset it up and some how ended up with a week row session at the beginning. 
Ah well, will try again at home with a fan tomorrow 
Haha. Love it.
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I’m enjoying reading about everybody’s training and racing as well, although reading about races is a bit frustrating in some ways as I don’t have a race until my A-race ironman in September. Still, it does help the motivation.
I’ve just started the second half of sustained power build mid-volume. I’m happy with the progress so far, although I don’t expect I’ll be seeing any massive power gains - I think I’ll be looking at 3 to 5Ws absolute maximum. The VO2Max workouts are always a challenge for me, and I’ve accepted that I have to reduce the intensity to 90% to 95% to get through them. I’m actually finding myself looking forward to the nice steady 3 and 4 hour trainer efforts of the specialty phase!
It’s getting close to that time of Ironman prep where I start to think about making sure my running is in good order. I banged out a 25k on Monday which included 12k at 4min km pace, and given that I haven’t felt any ill-effects so far, it all seems to be ok. I’m planning on using my regular open marathon long training run approach, where I do alternate weeks of long run including race pace efforts, and slightly longer runs at an easy pace the following week.
The rainy season just started here today in Southwestern Japan, which adds an extra challenge to the run training. I just have to remind myself that I don’t melt and just to get out there and get it done, starting with my lunchtime run today!
As echoed by @JulianM, the most important thing is to keep building and progressing, but stay injury-free at the same time. As IM athletes, I feel like we’re always walking that very fine line between progression and injury.
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Hi @JoeX.
It was the toughest IM I have done. Crazy day.
Finished Top Irish amateur, 2nd in my AG 35-39 and secured my slot to the big dance in Kona
for the 3rd time.
Thanks for the support.
This Trainer Road stuff might just work 
Emmet
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Even if it’s not a triathlon, I’ve found signing up for a local 5k or 10k once in a while does wonders for my motivation. Anything to get myself feeling “racey” is a good thing. Plus I have have some racing flats that are a pain to get on so never get any love outside of an open road race 
that’s amazing news. congratulations and respect for the hard work! 
out of interest, what did your prep look like? FD BBS?
I agree 100%, but unfortunately all the races around here during the summer tend to be longer trail runs up in the mountains, and I don’t fancy anything too tough.
I might just give myself a 5k track time trial someday!
Never in doubt right? 
The FB coverage was useless to start with, but eventually picked up and I could see how harsh it was - the water flowing down Windmill Hill for example, the Pros quitting, etc. But there’s something about surviving the elements I think that adds to the whole story of a race.
Well done sir.
Hi everyone, (I’m a newbie on this forum)
I’m getting into the last 2 weeks of my training for IM Austria. I have been working through the Low Volume Speciality programme. Today I did the Sonora work out. I’ve never done this work out before and it had an intensity factor of 0.93. I think have been worrying about this session all week - just looking at the preview screen had me coming out in cold sweats!! However, this morning I managed to do it, and complete it! I did have to have a couple of 15 second back spins on 2 of the segments, but I still did it, and I am pretty chuffed. (I really thought I wasn’t capable of this one!!) Hopefully this will mean I’m in half decent shape for Austria. Hope all your training is going well.
cheers
Tom
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Hi,
So i’ve hit a point of frustration with my 70.3 training. I’m 5’11" 76 kg and when i tested my FTP at the start of base i tested at 264.
Now after base phase i go to re-test and i’m at 233.
The only thing i can think of that happened if i was doing a blend of powerlifting, crossfit and running prior to the base phase and when i started base i basically didn’t have time to weight train.
I’m not really sure where to go from here. To me it almost seems like crossfit, powerlifting and running better equipped me to do a half ironman than a structured program.
My plan of attack is to add 2 heavy weight days back into my program but like i went to test and was like wtfff. Super pissed and down on myself right now. As far as overtraining concerns go, i feel super rested, have been sleeping a ton, HR range and base level seems good. I’m going to re-test again next week and go from there.
I thought it might have just been a one off test but i did Shotoff +1 as the build phase perscribed this morning and the numbers i was barely able to sustain were inline with my new falling ftp.
Looking for some advice.
I had a similar result. First season training for tri, let alone a 70.3, and at the end of base I tested at 255. After build I tested at 239. I narrowed it down to the fact that my running volume had gradually been increasing and I was always carrying fatigue in my legs. Did you have a proper recovery week before you retested?
8 weeks later I’m now back at 255ftp, but I’ve noticed how much easier it is for me to hold power in tempo and sweetspot range compared to before and I’ve shaved a minute off my Z2 running pace. So I still see it as progress.
Thanks Joe,
You never know they might let me on the podcast this year
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For me it was doing the base phase that caused a drop. I wasn’t running as much as prescribed (due to a change in technique) but now my volume is coming back. I did take my recovery week (and a full week off for a vacation).
I’m going to see how adding some heavy lifting back and see how my body responds.
Thanks Ryan, i appreciate that i’m not the only one that something like this happened to.
[quote=“brightontommy, post:1382, topic:4534”]
I’m getting into the last 2 weeks of my training for IM Austria. I have been working through the Low Volume Speciality programme. Today I did the Sonora workout[/quote]
Hi there and welcome! I remember loading up Sonora and thinking WTF? This is taper?! Well done getting through it and the rest of plan. Good luck in Austria, I was there for skiing and I hear it’s a little bit warmer now… 