Consistency, and thoughts on suffering

Workout Summary: morning swim 2K (43') and run 4.5 (30') / evening bike 20 (1:07)

Thoughts on my “starving myself” during my workout the other day and at times during the workday. I do this now and then in controlled situation on shorter bricks, in part to simulate hunger, but a big reason is weight loss. Performance is not sacrificed too much when doing 4 hours or so of combined bike/swim/run. Simulating the race day scenario is my mantra however. I, and some I train with simulate race day nutrition on virtually all of our rides >3 hours and all long runs/bricks. I am a firm believer in this, and practice it religiously.
30 g maltodextrin/20 min in 6 oz water on the bike and 25 g per 20 min on the run is my routine. (about 360 cal per hour bike and 300 per hour on the run)
In fact, we typically dont start the nutrition on the bike until 80 minutes, simulating the time it takes to swim + T1 and 10-15 minutes into the bike.
How crazy am I? I will only take water from my right hand on runs, bike rides, and even on the treadmill or spinning. I have done this since my first season. When I go through bike and run aid stations…I can grab water without leaving the aero position and almost without even looking. Yes, it's sick, but I can urinate without leaving the aero position.
My fanatical weight loss to get into race weight I hope doesnt leave the wrong impression.

Suffering on a workout is insidious but tolerable. Dietary suffering has a whole different meaning, really brings back the focus. The hot water and vinegar combination? Just another way of introducing some suffering at the beginning of my day. I learned this from Maher (3 time olympic marathon) and Jones (fmr world record marathon) back in 1992. By the way, Jan 1, 2007....176 lbs. This morning, 158...4 lbs less than my lowest training weight last season.

One last thought...yeah, I intend to have my splurges. Beer is one of them...another lesson from one of my my life mentors, Peter Maher...it's an Irish thing.

6 am: Swim 2000 m
500 pull wu + 100 kick
10 X 100/30 slowest 1:30, fastest 1:27, most in 1:28
400 cd pull w/paddles

This was good swim for me. My 100's in the meter pool have been around 1:35 all season, with my fastest at 1:32. I am making strides.

After Swim, treadmill run
Progressed a bit from last 2 weeks. Consistency is key. I have been doing these wed am post swim runs now for 8 weeks. Starting to feel stronger and stronger. Quad stable.
First mile 7:15, second 6:45, then picked up to 6:15 pace and held for 2 miles. 1/2 mile cd 7 min pace to total 30 min for 4.5 miles.
HR for first 2 miles (14:00) ave 119 (zone 1) max 138 (zone 3)
HR for final 2 miles (12:30) ave 145 (zone 4) max 151 (final 90 seconds, slipped 2 beats into zone 5)

6 pm: Decided to spin tonight since I am planning to race saturday. That gives 2 days in case my quad tightens up. Total 20 miles in 66 minutes. I upped the ante on the intervals tonight. Longer spinerval at more power and kept my typical 1 min rest. Alot of lactate still there at start of each. 15 minute wu/ 8 min cd: 2 main sets
Set 1
8 X 3 min/1 min rest
1-4 = 200 watts/ cadence 90/HR ave 116 (top zone 1) max 126 (zone 2)
5 = 300 W/cad 90/HR ave 128, max 141 (Z5)
6 = 300 W/cad 90/HR ave 132 (Z3) max 143 (Z5)
7-8 = 200 W/cad 120-125/HR ave 131, max 140
1 min rest and into next set:
8 X 1 min single leg (4 each leg) with 30 sec rest on each. Held 100 W on these and 70 cadence. HR zone 1 on all.
*Quad a bit tight on first 2 spins, then loosened up. I raised my seat another 5 mm on single leg. Total is 1.5 cm higher than I raced at Kona. I had lowered my seat then to protect hamstring. Now I am very close to my 2005 season seat height.

Diet:
Breakfast: cider-vin. tea, two 6 oz yogurts, 1 grapefruit.
mid morning: 3 shot americano
Lunch: Rice noodles in broth with chicken breast (60 g carbs, 8 g fat), diet soda
Afternoon: Thai tea non fat and cliff protein bar, cup caffeine free mint tea later
Dinner: 8 oz chicken cordon blue, pasta with low fat alfredo, diet sierra mist mixed with carrot juice. 2 cups of corn pops (cereal) before bed.