To Infinity and Beyond - Becoming a Better DopeyBadger (Comments Welcome)

[Keels]

Probably not dissimilar to starting to run. It takes time to get used to the duration and intensity. My quads were definitely what I noticed when I started cycling. Now it's more a general fatigue when I'm getting up there. More than anything is a soreness from sitting on the bike that long. My body just isn't used to it yet.

For your longer rides on the trainer, how do you fuel - do you stick with the synthetic stuff that you use for runs, or do you work some real food in there?

For any of my rides over two hours (trainer or outdoors), I work some real food in there - it's obviously a lot easier to do on a trainer than out on the road, but it definitely makes a difference. On the trainer, I'll put a couple options on the little table I set up next to my bike for my water bottle, cool towel, TV remote and then decide what I'm in the mood for when I'm at the point where I can snack - some of my favorites are Uncrustables, peanut butter crackers, Zapps potato chips, pretzels, Sour Brite Crawlers and peanut M&Ms.

As far as sitting on the bike for so long, you'll get used to it after time - just make sure that you're letting the bike do the work for you on downhill portions (ie. give you legs a break from the pushing of the pedals and let them spin out on their own - that will help your quads), and since you're on a trainer make sure you switch up your position often - again, for a downhill-type segment, try sitting up straight to take pressure off your lower back and quads, for climbing segments try raising out of the saddle to power the climbs - it will help mix up muscle usage quite a bit and help some of that general fatigue and overall discomfort.

What TR workout do you have scheduled for your 3.75 ride? Allegheny? I just finished the TdF plan today - glad THAT is over with.

 

[DopeyBadger]

For your longer rides on the trainer, how do you fuel - do you stick with the synthetic stuff that you use for runs, or do you work some real food in there?

For any of my rides over two hours (trainer or outdoors), I work some real food in there - it's obviously a lot easier to do on a trainer than out on the road, but it definitely makes a difference. On the trainer, I'll put a couple options on the little table I set up next to my bike for my water bottle, cool towel, TV remote and then decide what I'm in the mood for when I'm at the point where I can snack - some of my favorites are Uncrustables, peanut butter crackers, Zapps potato chips, pretzels, Sour Brite Crawlers and peanut M&Ms.

I've been doing about 300-400 calories of Tailwind per hour for rides over 90 min. Once I pass 150 min is when I've been introducing a peanut butter sandwich on oatbread (about 500-600 calories). I haven't ventured into any other real foods, but these are all great suggestions. Additionally, I'm taking in about 41-48oz of liquid per hour. Which is quite a bit more than I take in when running but that's probably because on the trainer it's just more accessible.

As far as sitting on the bike for so long, you'll get used to it after time - just make sure that you're letting the bike do the work for you on downhill portions (ie. give you legs a break from the pushing of the pedals and let them spin out on their own - that will help your quads), and since you're on a trainer make sure you switch up your position often - again, for a downhill-type segment, try sitting up straight to take pressure off your lower back and quads, for climbing segments try raising out of the saddle to power the climbs - it will help mix up muscle usage quite a bit and help some of that general fatigue and overall discomfort.

Maybe that's where I'm having a disconnect because on TR I don't ever really encounter downhills or uphills. So I'm probably in only two positions in reality. Either leaning down or sitting upwards. Never really stop pedaling or coasting, and never really go up to standing. So that makes sense that that would help. I also bought a fan to help with the moisture. Because my Pearl Izumi bib is like wring it out wet and it just can't absorb anything else.

What TR workout do you have scheduled for your 3.75 ride? Allegheny?

Makalu



Allegheny was a little over a week ago at 3.25 hours. I just turn on Amazon Prime and then cover the iPad. I just keep riding until I know it's close to being over. Only works because the variation in intensity is so low. Those huge spikes in other workouts sometimes catch me by surprise if I'm not paying attention while in ERG mode.

I just finished the TdF plan today - glad THAT is over with.

Congrats! Which one is the TdF plan?

 

[Keels]

I've been doing about 300-400 calories of Tailwind per hour for rides over 90 min. Once I pass 150 min is when I've been introducing a peanut butter sandwich on oatbread (about 500-600 calories). I haven't ventured into any other real foods, but these are all great suggestions. Additionally, I'm taking in about 41-48oz of liquid per hour. Which is quite a bit more than I take in when running but that's probably because on the trainer it's just more accessible.

Are you consuming the Tailwind concentrated or at the dilution as directed? I do my Tailwind diluted per instructions (so, two scoops per Camelback bottle, max two bottles) and that's generally all the hydration I need. I always pull out a frozen 12-oz bottle of water to start thawing when I start to ride because I love having cold water when I finish a workout.

Maybe that's where I'm having a disconnect because on TR I don't ever really encounter downhills or uphills. So I'm probably in only two positions in reality. Either leaning down or sitting upwards. Never really stop pedaling or coasting, and never really go up to standing. So that makes sense that that would help. I also bought a fan to help with the moisture. Because my Pearl Izumi bib is like wring it out wet and it just can't absorb anything else.

So, my SmartTrainer is in New Orleans because I need the help replicating hills and such, but here in Texas I'm either riding outside or I'm on a dumb trainer with a power meter. Obviously, riding outside is optimal because of the variance of terrain, but even when I'm on the trainer I still allow for conditions that I'd encounter during a normal ride - stopping for a train or to wait for a light to change, standing up to coast/stretch my legs out, spinning out, etc. Because if you're riding well, it should be easy to get back to where you need to be.

Anyway - even if you're riding flat terrain, you can always switch up your riding position (stand up, spin out, etc.) to give one set of muscles a break and to stretch out your form - it will only mix up your cadence for a short amount of time, but once you get back in position (or even aero, if you do that), you'll be able to get back to where you need to be with the benefit of the slight break.

As far as the sweat goes - are you noticing this every cycle workout or just the long rides? If long rides, I wonder if low blood sugar is contributing?

Allegheny was a little over a week ago at 3.25 hours. I just turn on Amazon Prime and then cover the iPad. I just keep riding until I know it's close to being over. Only works because the variation in intensity is so low. Those huge spikes in other workouts sometimes catch me by surprise if I'm not paying attention while in ERG mode.

Can I ask why you cover the iPad? Do you do that for all workouts or just the long, steady rides?

Congrats! Which one is the TdF plan?

It was a "challenge" my cycling group did that was put together by CyclOps and TR - basically, each workout was a recreation of a leg of the TdF!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Are you consuming the Tailwind concentrated or at the dilution as directed? I do my Tailwind diluted per instructions (so, two scoops per Camelback bottle, max two bottles) and that's generally all the hydration I need. I always pull out a frozen 12-oz bottle of water to start thawing when I start to ride because I love having cold water when I finish a workout.

Diluted as directed. It says 2-3 scoops per 24oz (or 1 scoop per 8-12 oz). I usually do 1.5-2 scoops in my 17oz bottles (so 1 scoop in 8.5oz or 1 scoop in 11.3oz) and 2-3 scoops in my 24oz bottles.

How big is your Camelback bottle? And you're only having to use 2 of those camelback bottles with Tailwind + 1 frozen 12oz bottle for how long of a ride?

So, my SmartTrainer is in New Orleans because I need the help replicating hills and such, but here in Texas I'm either riding outside or I'm on a dumb trainer with a power meter. Obviously, riding outside is optimal because of the variance of terrain, but even when I'm on the trainer I still allow for conditions that I'd encounter during a normal ride - stopping for a train or to wait for a light to change, standing up to coast/stretch my legs out, spinning out, etc. Because if you're riding well, it should be easy to get back to where you need to be.

Anyway - even if you're riding flat terrain, you can always switch up your riding position (stand up, spin out, etc.) to give one set of muscles a break and to stretch out your form - it will only mix up your cadence for a short amount of time, but once you get back in position (or even aero, if you do that), you'll be able to get back to where you need to be with the benefit of the slight break.

I guess that would be kind of like when G comes and gets me and needs my help with something. Sometimes it's less than a minute break. And sometimes it's 4-5 minutes. I've usually felt refreshed when I get back on the bike and don't have much of an issue getting back in the groove. But it sounds like I should do little mini-breaks more often or also try and switch up my position more often as well to see if that helps with the general soreness.

As far as the sweat goes - are you noticing this every cycle workout or just the long rides? If long rides, I wonder if low blood sugar is contributing?

It certainly varies. Like a 60 min endurance ride generates some sweat but not a ton. A 120 min intense ride generates more sweat (I think the 75 min Cumberland ride on Saturday was a sopping mess when I took the bibs off). The issues have been more exaggerated on these really long rides. But I'd say most every ride over 90 min generates a literal puddle of sweat underneath/around my bike. Sometimes we have to break out the swifter mob to clean the area around the bike. I think I've definitely had lots of sweat whether it was a ride with or without Tailwind.

Although, I will say I made mention to Steph just on Sunday after the 60 min LR that it seems like even when I'm running now I'm sweating significantly more than I ever remember. I came in from the run and was just dripping like crazy all over the floor. By the time my stretching was done, I had to break out the mop again to clean up.

Didn't know about the connection between low blood sugar and sweating. I'm not having any of the other symptoms:

"Signs of low blood sugar include hunger, trembling, heart racing, nausea, and sweating."

But it seems plausible. My fasting blood glucose levels tend to oscillate between 84-101 over the last seven years of physicals. But that doesn't mean that I couldn't be having some sort of drop into low blood sugar during exercise. Never done a glucose testing regimen during my exercise. Would be nice if my work let me borrow our glucometer. I'll have to dig some more digging on that.

Can I ask why you cover the iPad? Do you do that for all workouts or just the long, steady rides?

Just the super long rides and the ramp test. For the long rides, I don't want to stare at the fact that I have 1, 2, 3+ hours remaining. Since the ride intensity is relatively flat, I just set the ERG on and don't really notice any changes in exertion. I just focus on the tv show and I'm done when I'm done. So kind of disengaged from the task.
For the ramp test, I just do it because I don't want to watch the feedback of where I am in the test. I just increasing my effort level throughout the test until I just can't exert anything anymore. I've looked at it sometimes and not other times and don't really notice much of a difference I guess.

It was a "challenge" my cycling group did that was put together by CyclOps and TR - basically, each workout was a recreation of a leg of the TdF!

That's intense! So TdF is "Tour de France". How many days long was the challenge? I can certainly see why you'd be thankful for being done with it. That's epic.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Saw the PT again today. We're both happy with the progress on the SI joint problems. The issues for me have pretty much been isolated to just running now and they're far less of an issue than they were prior to seeing her. So definitely improving. She also felt like she could tell a difference in her assessments. Since I'm still having some issues running, albeit less than before, she's scheduled me for a running examination on the treadmill. So that's scheduled for 8/21 for an hour just to break down things even further to see if they can isolate something. Still given the thumbs up to continue on my path as long as things stay as they do. She gave me one new exercise to work on to help with strengthening the outer hip and has asked I reduce the number of times per week I do the pelvic rotation correction exercise.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Probably not dissimilar to starting to run. It takes time to get used to the duration and intensity. My quads were definitely what I noticed when I started cycling. Now it's more a general fatigue when I'm getting up there. More than anything is a soreness from sitting on the bike that long. My body just isn't used to it yet.

There's probably an adaptation component to it, but years before I started running, I found that my quads were sore for days after the elliptical. That contributed to a cycle where I didn't exercise because exercise made me excessively sore and that was a bad cycle to be in. I suppose I've mostly adapted to running now, but whenever I try the bike or the elliptical, the quad soreness returns with a vengeance to the point where it impacts my running. So far the only cross training I've found that does not cause running problems is walking.

I'll look into trying to adapt to the elliptical for wear and tear purposes down the road, but right now I'll stick to walking for my cross training because if the elliptical is causing soreness problems that impact my running, I should stop doing it.

The bike presents an additional set of challenges on top of sore quads that I just do not want to deal with.

 

[Keels]

How big is your Camelback bottle? And you're only having to use 2 of those camelback bottles with Tailwind + 1 frozen 12oz bottle for how long of a ride?

They're the 25oz Podium bottles. I only have two cages on my bike, so I'm kind of limited by that. That said, I haven't hit a point where I've truly needed more hydration except for maybe two or three times on really hot days, but there are always places along the trail or levees where I could stop for a quick drink at a water fountain and then keep going. All of my long rides (3 hours ~ 55 miles) are done outside - frankly, 90 minutes and under is on the trainer, anything over that is outside unless its raining. That said, I don't rely solely on Tailwind for fueling purposes for my rides - I usually have a couple of Uncrustables (one peanut butter and strawberry or peanut butter and honey, one Nutella), and then depending on who I'm riding with or where I'm riding, there might be a beer involved at some point.

I guess that would be kind of like when G comes and gets me and needs my help with something. Sometimes it's less than a minute break. And sometimes it's 4-5 minutes. I've usually felt refreshed when I get back on the bike and don't have much of an issue getting back in the groove. But it sounds like I should do little mini-breaks more often or also try and switch up my position more often as well to see if that helps with the general soreness.

Just try different positions - you might be surprised how even just 15-30 seconds of "standing up" to pedal stretches your quads out, takes pressure off your lower back from being hunched over (that's my biggest issue with the trainer) and helps give your hips a break.

That's intense! So TdF is "Tour de France". How many days long was the challenge? I can certainly see why you'd be thankful for being done with it. That's epic.

There were 21 workouts, but our cycle club did it over 35 days - we had a bunch of guys go out to Colorado for the Triple Bypass ride, so tried to kind of pair the stages around what they were doing!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Just try different positions - you might be surprised how even just 15-30 seconds of "standing up" to pedal stretches your quads out, takes pressure off your lower back from being hunched over (that's my biggest issue with the trainer) and helps give your hips a break.

Thanks for the tip. I'll try and incorporate it more often.

There were 21 workouts, but our cycle club did it over 35 days - we had a bunch of guys go out to Colorado for the Triple Bypass ride, so tried to kind of pair the stages around what they were doing!

That's nuts. Well done!

 

[Professor_Cookie]

My last long run I burned through 5 frozen 21 oz bottles and two 22 oz bottles and felt like I could have drank more. I started slamming the bottles all at once since I am so slow and it felt so lusciously cold.

 

[DopeyBadger]

My last long run I burned through 5 frozen 21 oz bottles and two 22 oz bottles and felt like I could have drank more. I started slamming the bottles all at once since I am so slow and it felt so lusciously cold.

Gotta love those ice cold waters on a hot day!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Gotta love those ice cold waters on a hot day!

See also the tropical orange smoothie I downed from the Morocco pavilion shortly after mile 25 of the marathon this year. It possessed the virtue of being icy cold and tasting nothing like powerade or water, both of which I had enough of a few miles before that point but continued to take because I knew the alternative was worse.

 

[DopeyBadger]

@canglim52 Looks like the SIS Beta Fuel does not contain sucralose like the gels do (it just arrived and I was looking at the ingredient list):

Maltodextrin (from Maize), Fructose, Sodium Chloride, Natural Flavoring, Calcium Lactate, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Magnesium Citrate, Natural Sweetener (Steviol Glycosides)

They used "Steviol Glycosides" as the sweetner instead. Not sure if that ingredient has the same concern.

 

[canglim52]

I’m not sure, I’m assuming it’s some form of stevia? I’ve never looked too hard into stevia.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I’m assuming it’s some form of stevia?

Yes, I believe the "Steviol Glycosides" come from Stevia.

 

[DopeyBadger]

23 Weeks to Go! (The Number 23) + TrainerRoad High Volume Full Triathlon Plan Week 5/28 + 80 Day Obsession - Phase 2/Week 1



7/29/19 - M - OFF
7/30/19 - T - 80DO-AAA + Glassy (80 min; 82 TSS)
7/31/19 - W - 45 min Easy (+Strides) Run
8/1/19 - R - Phoenix (90 min; 96 TSS) + 20 min Brick Run at M Tempo effort
8/2/19 - F - 80DO-Total Body Core + Mills (60 min; 77 TSS)
8/3/19 - Sa - Makalu (225 min; 171 TSS) + 35 min Easy Run
8/4/19 - Su - 110 min Long Run + 80DO-Cardio Flow

Total Run Miles - 25.1 miles
Total Run Time - 3:30 hours
Total Run TSS - 247 TSS

Total Biking Time - 7:35 hours
Total Biking TSS - 426 TSS

Total 80DO Time - 2:35 hours
Total 80DO TSS - 39 TSS

Total Training Time - 13:42 hours
Total TSS - 712 TSS

Monday

Off day.

Tuesday

80DO-AAA in 2 sets of 15 through each series and then back to top

Series 1 - Bilateral Press, Alt Unilateral Press, Lateral Raise, Y, Lat Side Bend, Standing Weight Knee Drive, Loop Standing Donkey, Forearm Plank Jumping Jacks
Series 2 - Chest Press, Fly, Kickback in Plank, Tricep Pushup, Corkscrew, Teaser, 1st Pos. Bridge, Single Leg Bridge w/ Loop
Series 3 - Pullovers, Renegade Row, Curls, Turned Out Curls, Loop Scissor Twist, V Leg Raise, Narrow Bridge Clam, Straight Leg Curls

This is the workout that I hurt my back on so I'm being a little more conservative with the weights this time around.

Saw the PT and we were in agreement that I'm heading in the right direction.

Cycling: Glassy is 4x15-minute intervals between 75-90% FTP with 2-minute recoveries between them. RPM at 94. Don't remember anything of significance from this ride. Very much like the sustained Ironman bike leg paced ones except this one had recovery breaks.


Wednesday

Morning: Off

Evening Run:
Conditions - Partly Cloudy, Wind 0mph to 0mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 78°F + 54°F; FL - 78°F
End: Temp+Dew = 78°F + 55°F; FL - 78°F - by Klimat.app

5.25 miles in 46 min (8:54 pace) with HR of 141.

G came out to rabbit my 30 sec sprints. Different feeling giving chase. She would start at halfway and we would see who could finish first. Got them done in an estimated 5:22, 5:26, 5:02, 4:58, 5:22, and 4:44 pace. These were definitely at about my limit at the current moment.



Thursday

One of the last brick workouts to occur on a weekday night. My limit is 2 hours on a weeknight and this was 1:50 + transition. Any of the times I go over 2 hours will be a day I take off from work. And it'll work out nicely because G is about to start school so I can go right after she leaves for that.

Cycling: Phoenix is 90 minutes of continuous riding where you'll spend 75 minutes between 80-85% FTP. RPM at 91.

Brick Run (occurred immediately after cycling):
Conditions - ☀ Clear, Wind 6mph to 6mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 76°F + 53°F; FL - 76°F
End: Temp+Dew = 75°F + 53°F; FL - 76°F - by Klimat.app

Transition = 5 min

I did this run at about M Tempo effort. Ended up with 2.6 miles in 20 min (7:42 pace) with HR of 150. The last two splits were getting in a good area per GAP (7:28 and 7:26 min/mile). The HR definitely drifted upwards toward the end, so this may have felt like M Tempo effort but was probably closer to HM Tempo in reality.


Friday

80DO-Total Body Core in 2 sets of 15 through each series and then back to top

Series 1 (Shoulder) - Squat/Row/Twist/Row, Kneeling Lunge Clean & Press, Quad Ped Opposite Arm Knee Crunch
Series 2 (Chest) - Chest Press to Half Turkish Get-up, Spider Man Push-ups, Frog Sliders
Series 3 (Back) - "T" to Single-Leg Hip Hinge, Lat Pull Over w/ Leg Raise, Weighted Plank Hip Drop
Series 4 (Biceps) - Low Twisting Lunge Hammer Curl, Press Out to Curl, Weighted Standing Torso Rotation
Series 5 (Triceps) - Crab Position Tricep Dip to Sit Through, Alternating Skull Crusher with Bicycle Legs, French Twist

Cycling: Mills consists of 3 sets of 3x2-minute VO2max repeats each starting at 120% FTP and finishing at 110% FTP. 3-minute recoveries fall between intervals and 6-minute recoveries separate the sets. RPM at 98. I was pretty tired coming in to this one. The first couple of sets were difficult even though I've done harder workouts in the last training cycle. But I was able to hold on and managed to finish on point.


Saturday

Cycling: Makalu is 3 hours 45 minutes of aerobic Endurance riding spent between 65-75% FTP. RPM at 85. After how exhausting Friday night's workout was, I was even less sure about this one. There wasn't much time separating when one ended and the next began. But I lined up several bottles of Tailwind, a PB sandwich, and a nature valley bar ready to roll. This was my first long ride with the fan, and it made a huge difference. I wasn't completely soaked like before and there was little to no puddles underneath me. So the airflow was a big help. I stopped every 45-90 min and got off the bike to walk around for 1-2 min. I consumed an estimated 1450 total calories (386 per hr) during the ride and drank about 137 oz of liquid (Tailwind and water; 36.5 oz per hr). Finished the ride and was happy to be done with it. Now goes down as my longest indoor cycling ride.

Evening Run:
Conditions - 🌧 Drizzle, Wind 4mph to 4mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 85°F + 66°F; FL - 87°F
End: Temp+Dew = 84°F + 66°F; FL - 87°F

There were some storms in the area, but I did my best to squeeze myself in between them. If we lived about 1-2 miles further east than I think this run might never have happened. There were thunder rumbles, but visually it all seemed to be cloud based and no strikes to the ground were occurring. So a little bit of a risk, but I just kept the loops tight in case issues arose.

4 miles in 35 min (8:35 pace) at 139 HR. About 10 min into the run the skies really opened up and became an absolute flood of rain. I actually wasn't too bothered by it because then it meant the sun was gone and I was getting some free hydration off my face. So versus the alternative I was willing to "soak it all in". The best part was even after the 3.75 hours of cycling in the morning I really felt no residual effects and felt fine throughout the run.

In total, I consumed just a little over 4000 calories during the day.

This day went down as the highest TSS training day ever at 208. There are certainly more to come, but another milestone goes down.

Sunday

Morning Run:
Conditions - Mostly Cloudy, Wind 3mph to 3mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 65°F + 63°F; FL - 65°F
End: Temp+Dew = 68°F + 63°F; FL - 65°F

The weekend wasn't done quite yet. Even after yesterday's 4+ hrs of training came another nearly 2 hour run on the schedule. I decided to get up early and enjoy some somewhat sunless running and some cooler temps.

13.2 miles in 110 min (8:21) with HR of 141. The run mostly felt right for a LR effort. Up until about 70 min, the run was comfortable. But around 70 min is when my right knee became sore. This was also the case after the last two long bike + long run weekends. The first time the knee lingered for a few days. The second time didn't last beyond the first day. And this time around the knee felt better after about 20 more min of running (around the 90 min mark). So hopefully a sign that my body is adjusting to the workload. Although as I write this I haven't done Cardio Flow yet and we're about to head out for swimming.

All in all the run was good. I ended up going with a fast finish and was around marathon tempo effort (7:44 on this day) for the last little bit. I tried out my racing nutrition strategy with SIS Beta 15 min before start and then super concentrated Tailwind every 45 min. Unless you like SUPER sweetarts, I'm not sure I'd recommend a 1:1 ratio. It's pretty intense.

80DO-Cardio Flow sort of like stretching. Nice end to the week!

Goes down as the fourth most combined running and cycling duration in a single week (11:07 hours).

Another 1.5 pounds down from last week. The rate is a bit aggressive, but I'm guessing it'll even out soon enough. So at 170 pounds. I raced Dopey 2018 at 157. Trying to get around 162-165 range.

Excited because I've placed the Next% on the calendar for next Saturday's brick workout. So as long as the weather is good, then I'm giving them a try.

 

[canglim52]

I’m excited to hear about those next %

 

[DopeyBadger]

I’m excited to hear about those next %

 

[avondale]

23 Weeks to Go! (The Number 23) + TrainerRoad High Volume Full Triathlon Plan Week 5/28 + 80 Day Obsession - Phase 2/Week 1

View attachment 422792

7/29/19 - M - OFF
7/30/19 - T - 80DO-AAA + Glassy (80 min; 82 TSS)
7/31/19 - W - 45 min Easy (+Strides) Run
8/1/19 - R - Phoenix (90 min; 96 TSS) + 20 min Brick Run at M Tempo effort
8/2/19 - F - 80DO-Total Body Core + Mills (60 min; 77 TSS)
8/3/19 - Sa - Makalu (225 min; 171 TSS) + 35 min Easy Run
8/4/19 - Su - 110 min Long Run + 80DO-Cardio Flow

Total Run Miles - 25.1 miles
Total Run Time - 3:30 hours
Total Run TSS - 247 TSS

Total Biking Time - 7:35 hours
Total Biking TSS - 426 TSS

Total 80DO Time - 2:35 hours
Total 80DO TSS - 39 TSS

Total Training Time - 13:42 hours
Total TSS - 712 TSS

Monday

Off day.

Tuesday

80DO-AAA in 2 sets of 15 through each series and then back to top

Series 1 - Bilateral Press, Alt Unilateral Press, Lateral Raise, Y, Lat Side Bend, Standing Weight Knee Drive, Loop Standing Donkey, Forearm Plank Jumping Jacks
Series 2 - Chest Press, Fly, Kickback in Plank, Tricep Pushup, Corkscrew, Teaser, 1st Pos. Bridge, Single Leg Bridge w/ Loop
Series 3 - Pullovers, Renegade Row, Curls, Turned Out Curls, Loop Scissor Twist, V Leg Raise, Narrow Bridge Clam, Straight Leg Curls

This is the workout that I hurt my back on so I'm being a little more conservative with the weights this time around.

Saw the PT and we were in agreement that I'm heading in the right direction.

Cycling: Glassy is 4x15-minute intervals between 75-90% FTP with 2-minute recoveries between them. RPM at 94. Don't remember anything of significance from this ride. Very much like the sustained Ironman bike leg paced ones except this one had recovery breaks.


Wednesday

Morning: Off

Evening Run:
Conditions - Partly Cloudy, Wind 0mph to 0mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 78°F + 54°F; FL - 78°F
End: Temp+Dew = 78°F + 55°F; FL - 78°F - by Klimat.app

5.25 miles in 46 min (8:54 pace) with HR of 141.

G came out to rabbit my 30 sec sprints. Different feeling giving chase. She would start at halfway and we would see who could finish first. Got them done in an estimated 5:22, 5:26, 5:02, 4:58, 5:22, and 4:44 pace. These were definitely at about my limit at the current moment.

View attachment 422908

Thursday

One of the last brick workouts to occur on a weekday night. My limit is 2 hours on a weeknight and this was 1:50 + transition. Any of the times I go over 2 hours will be a day I take off from work. And it'll work out nicely because G is about to start school so I can go right after she leaves for that.

Cycling: Phoenix is 90 minutes of continuous riding where you'll spend 75 minutes between 80-85% FTP. RPM at 91.

Brick Run (occurred immediately after cycling):
Conditions - ☀ Clear, Wind 6mph to 6mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 76°F + 53°F; FL - 76°F
End: Temp+Dew = 75°F + 53°F; FL - 76°F - by Klimat.app

Transition = 5 min

I did this run at about M Tempo effort. Ended up with 2.6 miles in 20 min (7:42 pace) with HR of 150. The last two splits were getting in a good area per GAP (7:28 and 7:26 min/mile). The HR definitely drifted upwards toward the end, so this may have felt like M Tempo effort but was probably closer to HM Tempo in reality.


Friday

80DO-Total Body Core in 2 sets of 15 through each series and then back to top

Series 1 (Shoulder) - Squat/Row/Twist/Row, Kneeling Lunge Clean & Press, Quad Ped Opposite Arm Knee Crunch
Series 2 (Chest) - Chest Press to Half Turkish Get-up, Spider Man Push-ups, Frog Sliders
Series 3 (Back) - "T" to Single-Leg Hip Hinge, Lat Pull Over w/ Leg Raise, Weighted Plank Hip Drop
Series 4 (Biceps) - Low Twisting Lunge Hammer Curl, Press Out to Curl, Weighted Standing Torso Rotation
Series 5 (Triceps) - Crab Position Tricep Dip to Sit Through, Alternating Skull Crusher with Bicycle Legs, French Twist

Cycling: Mills consists of 3 sets of 3x2-minute VO2max repeats each starting at 120% FTP and finishing at 110% FTP. 3-minute recoveries fall between intervals and 6-minute recoveries separate the sets. RPM at 98. I was pretty tired coming in to this one. The first couple of sets were difficult even though I've done harder workouts in the last training cycle. But I was able to hold on and managed to finish on point.


Saturday

Cycling: Makalu is 3 hours 45 minutes of aerobic Endurance riding spent between 65-75% FTP. RPM at 85. After how exhausting Friday night's workout was, I was even less sure about this one. There wasn't much time separating when one ended and the next began. But I lined up several bottles of Tailwind, a PB sandwich, and a nature valley bar ready to roll. This was my first long ride with the fan, and it made a huge difference. I wasn't completely soaked like before and there was little to no puddles underneath me. So the airflow was a big help. I stopped every 45-90 min and got off the bike to walk around for 1-2 min. I consumed an estimated 1450 total calories (386 per hr) during the ride and drank about 137 oz of liquid (Tailwind and water; 36.5 oz per hr). Finished the ride and was happy to be done with it. Now goes down as my longest indoor cycling ride.

Evening Run:
Conditions - 🌧 Drizzle, Wind 4mph to 4mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 85°F + 66°F; FL - 87°F
End: Temp+Dew = 84°F + 66°F; FL - 87°F

There were some storms in the area, but I did my best to squeeze myself in between them. If we lived about 1-2 miles further east than I think this run might never have happened. There were thunder rumbles, but visually it all seemed to be cloud based and no strikes to the ground were occurring. So a little bit of a risk, but I just kept the loops tight in case issues arose.

4 miles in 35 min (8:35 pace) at 139 HR. About 10 min into the run the skies really opened up and became an absolute flood of rain. I actually wasn't too bothered by it because then it meant the sun was gone and I was getting some free hydration off my face. So versus the alternative I was willing to "soak it all in". The best part was even after the 3.75 hours of cycling in the morning I really felt no residual effects and felt fine throughout the run.

In total, I consumed just a little over 4000 calories during the day.

This day went down as the highest TSS training day ever at 208. There are certainly more to come, but another milestone goes down.

Sunday

Morning Run:
Conditions - Mostly Cloudy, Wind 3mph to 3mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 65°F + 63°F; FL - 65°F
End: Temp+Dew = 68°F + 63°F; FL - 65°F

The weekend wasn't done quite yet. Even after yesterday's 4+ hrs of training came another nearly 2 hour run on the schedule. I decided to get up early and enjoy some somewhat sunless running and some cooler temps.

13.2 miles in 110 min (8:21) with HR of 141. The run mostly felt right for a LR effort. Up until about 70 min, the run was comfortable. But around 70 min is when my right knee became sore. This was also the case after the last two long bike + long run weekends. The first time the knee lingered for a few days. The second time didn't last beyond the first day. And this time around the knee felt better after about 20 more min of running (around the 90 min mark). So hopefully a sign that my body is adjusting to the workload. Although as I write this I haven't done Cardio Flow yet and we're about to head out for swimming.

All in all the run was good. I ended up going with a fast finish and was around marathon tempo effort (7:44 on this day) for the last little bit. I tried out my racing nutrition strategy with SIS Beta 15 min before start and then super concentrated Tailwind every 45 min. Unless you like SUPER sweetarts, I'm not sure I'd recommend a 1:1 ratio. It's pretty intense.

80DO-Cardio Flow sort of like stretching. Nice end to the week!

Goes down as the fourth most combined running and cycling duration in a single week (11:07 hours).

Another 1.5 pounds down from last week. The rate is a bit aggressive, but I'm guessing it'll even out soon enough. So at 170 pounds. I raced Dopey 2018 at 157. Trying to get around 162-165 range.

Excited because I've placed the Next% on the calendar for next Saturday's brick workout. So as long as the weather is good, then I'm giving them a try.

I love that G comes out to "help" you sprint! So cute!

Glad to hear that the fan is helping with the biking sweat. My husband has in the past year gotten a bike trainer set up. After a few months, he got this fan that you connect to the trainer - it's supposed to blow harder when you are going faster, more lightly when you're going slower, to mimic the airflow you would feel in real biking. I don't know how accurate that is, but he definitely appreciates the fan aspect of it.

You've said before that you're eating at a baseline level and then adding calories according to exercise. I'm curious about which particular method/equation you used to calculate your baseline calorie level. There are so many different estimations out there. (I ate WAY too much in Italy and need to work on taking some of that off...)

 

[DopeyBadger]

I love that G comes out to "help" you sprint! So cute!

It was a big boost. I think we both had a blast and both hope we can do it more often through the remainder of the training season. She's working on being ready for the one mile race in January as well. I think the biggest success for her was she didn't fall once when running fast (which she's done on several occasions).

Glad to hear that the fan is helping with the biking sweat. My husband has in the past year gotten a bike trainer set up. After a few months, he got this fan that you connect to the trainer - it's supposed to blow harder when you are going faster, more lightly when you're going slower, to mimic the airflow you would feel in real biking. I don't know how accurate that is, but he definitely appreciates the fan aspect of it.

This one?

https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/bike-trainers/kickr-headwind-bluetooth-fan-us
Seems like a cool idea.

You've said before that you're eating at a baseline level and then adding calories according to exercise. I'm curious about which particular method/equation you used to calculate your baseline calorie level. There are so many different estimations out there. (I ate WAY too much in Italy and need to work on taking some of that off...)

My go to starting point is the My Fitness Pal app. After that it is trial and error mostly. I've found the Garmin value for BMR is way off for me (like 200-400 excess calories). Once you have a starting point, then aim for:

(BMR + exercise calories) - 50 calories = Magic Number

Then note on a weekly basis a change in weight. I try to compare to a similar day and time on a weekly basis. Then over the course of several weeks, see how much movement there is. If there is less than 0.5 pounds per week, try dropping another 50-100 calories per day. The fine balance is making sure that your running/weight lifting/cycling etc gains are still continuing even though you're trying to slowly lose weight. In my experience, if I lose weight too quickly, then my body will rebound.

For example, right now that magic number is 1700 for me. It was 1800 during the last training season and I dropped from 181 to 171 from January to May. So in 19 weeks I dropped 10 pounds, or about 0.5 pounds per week. These past two weeks I've done 1700 calories as my goal net and I've dropped 1.5 pounds each week. So I'm thinking my number should be around 1700 to drop 1.5 per week, 1750 to drop 1 per week, and 1800 to drop 0.5 per week. I'm generally not feeling hungry or having things withheld from me, so I'm doing alright at 1700. But I'll probably change to 1750 soon since the goal is only another 5-8 pounds. I'll keep adjusting until I can get myself down to where I want to be without sacrificing gains.

 

[avondale]

This one?

https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/bike-trainers/kickr-headwind-bluetooth-fan-us
Seems like a cool idea.

Yes, he confirms that that is the fan.

My go to starting point is the My Fitness Pal app. After that it is trial and error mostly. I've found the Garmin value for BMR is way off for me (like 200-400 excess calories). Once you have a starting point, then aim for:

(BMR + exercise calories) - 50 calories = Magic Number

Then note on a weekly basis a change in weight. I try to compare to a similar day and time on a weekly basis. Then over the course of several weeks, see how much movement there is. If there is less than 0.5 pounds per week, try dropping another 50-100 calories per day. The fine balance is making sure that your running/weight lifting/cycling etc gains are still continuing even though you're trying to slowly lose weight. In my experience, if I lose weight too quickly, then my body will rebound.

For example, right now that magic number is 1700 for me. It was 1800 during the last training season and I dropped from 181 to 171 from January to May. So in 19 weeks I dropped 10 pounds, or about 0.5 pounds per week. These past two weeks I've done 1700 calories as my goal net and I've dropped 1.5 pounds each week. So I'm thinking my number should be around 1700 to drop 1.5 per week, 1750 to drop 1 per week, and 1800 to drop 0.5 per week. I'm generally not feeling hungry or having things withheld from me, so I'm doing alright at 1700. But I'll probably change to 1750 soon since the goal is only another 5-8 pounds. I'll keep adjusting until I can get myself down to where I want to be without sacrificing gains.

Thanks. The starting point is the hard part. And then the patience to see if it's right!