Noftsger's Blog: 2013...Week # 3 of the OS

Week 3 of the OutSeason had to be crammed in for me d/t the fact I am working at the Fire Station and would not be able to get Saturday's wko in. Therefore, I did a few things that I would certainly do differently next time.

Monday-Swim 2000 yards

Tuesday-Did Bike #1 at 0500-this concentrated on FTP's. This was followed by the brick run. 1545 this same day I did bike workout #2 and this concentrated on VOmax which are to be done at 120% of your current FTP. I nailed this workout at 1.065 intensity and a new all time high normalized power of 253. Therefore, I adjusted my FTP to 250.

Note my last outside tested FTP was 270. This was clear back in May of 2012. Now after doing 3 Ironmans and a majority of my training at .80-.85% intensity I knew I was going to have a lower FTP but I tested 2x respectively at 232 and 236. So I was a little frustrated but wanted to go with this cause I didn't want to be swagging a guesstimated FTP and pay for it.

Well several of my workouts looked as if I was over achieving but in all due respect my FTP was set at 236 and the workouts were very easy so I was going with more of a perceived perception cause I wanted to be sure I was pushing my body cause in all reality that is what the OS is all about.
Thursday-I did the scheduled Saturday workout at 0500 with another training partner and WOW was it hard. I thought it was going to be tough but doable cause of the past few days of training.
Well went into today with a negative 38.66 TSB, so again new I was going to have a hard time with the workout.

During the first 12 minutes of my plan it is a warm up. We slowly build into it as we increase our power. I then do 3x1 min bursts at 100% and then the last minute I push as hard as I can. While doing this I pay special attention to my heart rate and see how it responds to the bursts and then to the recover. Usually during my warm ups we are around 130-140. Well today within 5 minutes I was at 160!!!! I truly should have just bagged the workout and picked it up again tomorrow but I wanted to just see mentally and physically where my body, heart, and soul would allow me to go.
The FTPs today were 2x12 min (FTP 253-so goal was 240-253). What we are taught in the house is if we can't do the prescribed workout then keep the intensity and cut the time up. So after the first 6 minutes I had to take a one minute break and then was able to knock out the next 6 minutes but it was a complete fight. I was playing games with my mind like pedal at 70 for one minute then 80 then 90. Well that only worked for a bit. The second 12 minute block I had to break up into 4x3 min FTPs.
We then had 2x15 minutes at .80-.85 intensity(202-215). This wasn't much easier but we knocked it out. Took a one min break after the first 5 minutes then was able to take on the last 10 min at the prescribed dose. Second 15 minute I had to break it into 3x5 min sections.
Then the 5 minute cool down I was able to hold around .88 intensity.

Next up was the 50 min brick run. Note I took about an hour break after the bike to stretch and roll. Then it was game on. It was to be ran at my MP(marathon pace-7:09) for 25 min then HMP(Half Marathon Pace-6:52) for the last 25 min. I thought mentally for sure this was not going to be possible. I always warm up for a mile at a very easy pace then start the workout. During my warm up my legs felt really heavy and tired. Well off I went-set the Tmill at 2% incline and 8.4 and 25 minutes was up then set to 8.8 and did the last 20 minutes. The last 6 minutes I struggled but we pulled through. Heart rate was soaring around 185. Anything over that is dry heaving and retching mode for me. Not a pretty site at all. I new I was overly tired though cause twice the treadmill caught my foot and I was almost through off of the mill.

Number out of Garmin Connect for the week:

Swim: 3.42 miles and 2 hours. Longest swim = 2.4 miles
Bike-106.7 miles. Time 5 hours and 41 minutes, ave power 209, cadence 81, cals 4,285
Run- 30.15 miles. Time 4 hours and 1 min. Ave pace 8 mi

What I wont do again:

I will never be doing 2 bike workouts in one day. Specifically an FTP followed by VO Max
I will not be overachieving above my now FTP of 253. I believe that is where I should have been from the beginning so my goal now is to be able to reach .95% of that.

What I need to be sure and do: