"Don't Stop Believing" Journey to Ironman

A Love Letter to 85%

 Here's a letter I composed in my head as I was riding on Sunday. For those of you who ride with a power meter, 85% of functional threshold is is the "work" effort we use over at Endurance Nation. We spend a lot of time on our long rides in that zone. For heart rate athletes, it's likely the effort you see at Z3. If you can learn to hold that level of HR up and DOWN the hills, you can have the same kind of fun I am. Read on.

Dear 85%,

I love you. Even though you can be a nasty, nasty effort at which to ride, I still love you. Why? Because I figured this out about you. 85%, you are the the magic number that lets me show those guy roadies what's what on the hills.

Granted there are a whole caliber of men riders to whom this does not apply--their sheer speed leaves me in the dust. And not one of my Endurance Nation guy teammates would be caught by your wiles. But I'm not talking about the clubbing-baby-seals level of rider either. I'm talking about the general fit roadie rider. The guys who hammer the hills--and do it stoopid.

Week after week now, I'm catching groups or pairs of men riders as I use you--85%--on the flats. Then off they go hammering up the hill, often looking back to be sure they are leaving me in the wake. As I continue to ride with my new love, I take you up the hills--then all the way down the hills. Who's looking back now????? And who is not catching up again either, as I continue to pedal my dearest % down the road?

85%, you are the magic number. It's you, always you. And I love you. :)

Triathlon Race Secrets--Let's Talk Heat

Following up on the race secret thread from yesterday, here are a few hints for hot-weather racing. I can't believe how many triathletes say, "I hate the heat"..."running in the heat is death for me". And I know one such racer very well. Moi. :) New England often doesn't get warm consistently until June, and I run at dawn when it's cool. I'm always looking for ways to mitigate the effects of the high sun on my triathlon run. Here are what a few Endurance Nation friends had to share:

Ice Cuffs
EN Coach Patrick McCrann is shown here running in Kona. Those funky sweatbands on his arms are simply the tube part of tube socks. He just folded some ice in there, and it was hands-free running while staying cool.

Ice Sleeves
Another teammate uses uses Desoto arm coolers as "ice sleeves." He says,  "AMAZING. I just grabbed two Gatorade cups per ice at each station, shoved the ice in the top of each of the arm coolers, and this would keep me very cool for 2+ aid stations." The funny guy that he is continues, "These won my 2008 Best Race Innovation award. This season, I'm trying the Craft stuff that Tjorbjorn uses as a further attempt in my 'better racing through clothing innovation' series."

Ice Hat and Shorts
Fill  your hat with ice at aid stations, and throw a handful down your shorts. Top and bottom cooling. I've done this, and while I don't like the rivulets that melt down my face and legs, it does help keep you going.

Ice Bra
Sorry guys, can't help you here. But ladies, wearing that annoying article of clothing can help cool you down. Shove a handful of ice down the jog bra. Ahhhhhhhh! Trick is, moving it closer to the armpits makes it instant air conditioning! I've seen pro triathlete Barb Lindquist do this in race coverage on TV.

Sunglasses
Sure, it's obvious, but shading your eyes and not staring at hot, reflected sunlight off the pavement can trick your brain into thinking it's actually cooler than it is.

Let's see what new tips come my way over the next few days!

Triathlon Race Secrets--Shoes to Take You to T1 in a Hurry!

Over in my team forum at Endurance Nation, we have a thread going about race secrets. Over the next few days, I'll post my personal winning suggestions. Here's one of my own I think isvery helpful!

This is an idea that I came up with in the mid-90s to save my feet at my favorite little sprint triathlon at the RI shore. The run from the swim to the bikes is over a rocky beach full of sharp stones and lots of shells. I would be in pain for days after since my feet would get cut up and bruised. Plus, my  bad feet make it difficult for me to run barefoot. So I came up with the following sneaker modification. I've never seen this in any magazine, nor have I seen anyone else do it. I think it's original material. :) Here's what you do:

Cut the backs off of a pair of old running shoes. Cut out the tongue. Use elastic laces to hold the uppers together really loosely. Place on the beach at the swim exit. Slip on when you come out of the water, shuffle two steps to get your feet planted, then fly by the people tiptoeing over hazards, or limping up hill in T1.



I use them in just about every race I do (where it makes sense). These shoes must be 10+ years old. No one has ever messed with them or taken them. Work like a charm. You're welcome. :)

Working Hard With VO2max Intervals, Getting A Big Payoff

I just finished my second year of incredible out-season training with Endurance Nation (EN). Seventeen weeks of sheer challenge focusing on the bike and the run. I have some interesting and inspiring results to share.

This season I was able to be part of a lab-rat group that experimented with VO2max protocols on the bike, and how to use the "Power Profile" protocol to tweak training schedules and calculate functional threshold. Through EN, 16 of us (with my husband a rogue member on the side). participated in a 4-week VO2max "Power Hack" experiment for a group of 16 triathletes.

When the experiment began, it was clear I had a very small "attic." In other words, I needed to raise my VO2max, which would "raise the roof" of my physiologic "house." In turn, this creates more room to raise my "ceiling," which is power at functional threshold. If "attic" is too small, then you can't raise the "ceiling" very easily. You have to create more physiologic "space" by creating a bigger "attic" in order for your threshold power to progress. It all sounds easy--until you start doing the work to make these adaptations happen! Hard, hard, hard work.

The plan had us experimenting with a particular way of executing VO2max workouts. We did this for four solid weeks. The fifth week was testing to see what progress we had made. My results were excellent, as were all 16 athletes in the experiment.

A good indicator of power at VO2max is an all-out 5' test. Here are the results. And this is in only four weeks!

Linda--5' Power                                               Keith--5' power
3/1/09 --211                                                    3/1/09 --267                                    
3/29/09--221                                                    3/29/09--289

Also in that month, my power at functional threshold also went up from 176 to 181! Tell me that isn't a kick-butt way to start the season!

Here's another recap. Since I started with EN and training with power, my functional threshold has increased from a start of a very humble 148 to now at 181. That's a TON. Lots and lots of hard work went into that increase, but it's so worth putting in the time and effort and getting results that are measurable--and make a difference on race day!

If it ever warms up here in New England, I can't wait to take this new speed and power on the road!

Endurance Nation Podcast Interview with Moi!

Here's a fun interview I did the other day with Coach Rich from Endurance Nation. It's a look at my personal life, and a rundown of some of the highlights I have had with EN over the past 18 months, including that terrific Ironman Florida PR of 1:30+!

EN is doing a "Meet the Team" series of podcasts with a number of athletes. They're fun to listen to and reveal the gamut of athletes we have in "da haus"--all very cool people. Head over to the blog, have a listen, and see if you might want to be part of a really great crew!

Meet the Team Podcast Series: Linda Patch

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Still Learning What It Means to "Work Hard"

I've been with Endurance Nation (EN) for 18 months now. So far I have:

Completed two build-your-fast out-season programs. Tough stuff.

One power hack/VO2max protocol study. "Puke effort" describes those.

One half Ironman training cycle

One full Ironman training cycle

Included in all that have been many bike functional threshold power (FTP) and running tests. Seemingly countless 2 x 20' workouts at FTP--very tough. Four-plus hour rides that include 2 x 45' at 85% of FT (shoot me now), with a shorter version of the same the next day. I have faced 30 x 50 in the pool, and run 10K tests for Vdot. And on and on....

Thing is, I feel I am still just a student learning what it really means to work hard. There’s hard training, then there’s EN training--and lord knows EN has challenged me in ways I never dreamed I could manage. Yet, within the EN training there has been a coaching message that kept bouncing off my tin ear.

I rode an indoor 10K time trial (TT) with members of the EN team last Saturday. That experience crystallized what Coaches Rich and Patrick have long been saying about doing group rides with people who challenge you, doing epic weekends, or challenging training camps. Being pushed in an event like the TT showed me the level I can—and need to—push to from time to time. Yes, the workouts we do are plenty hard, but the group dynamic of reaching to a different level of effort was something I hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was like another piece of the EN puzzle got filled in for me.

Sure, I rationally understood what Rich and Patrick have been saying, but it’s been a while since I extended myself to that degree on a training day. The TT also showed me that, even with my advancing years, I still have limits to extend. Better performances can be eked out. I can keep improving. So finally, light dawns upon the dim, and I now get it. There will always be really difficult work to do in EN training, but sometimes I need to find ways to let myself push harder—and then do a little more.

Endurance Nation Closing Doors to Membership for 2009 on May 1! Get in While You Can With 30-Day Free Trial!

OK folks, for 2009 it's now or never to join Endurance Nation! Y'all know how I feel about EN and what it's done for me. Quick recap, which is not even the tip of the ice berg:

• 26% increase in bike power at threshold in 2008
• 3' 10K run improvement in the 16-week off season training program last year
• 1 hour 35 minute PR at Ironman Florida
• Countless hours of coaching/team support and learning--from how to train and race with power to mad-race-day execution skills

I simply cannot overstate how incredibly effective EN has been for me--and literally hundreds of other athletes in "the Haus."  BUT THE 2009 TEAM IS CLOSING AS OF MAY 1!!! Seriously--JOIN NOW and get ready to kick some major triathlon butt this year!!! Tell them I sent you! Here are the details as written by Coach Rich Strauss:

Team Coaching + Membership Deadline

As of May 1, 2009, we will close the door to new membership.

That's right -- closed, we will not accept new members after May 1. We enter the dojo, close the doors, put on our Race Prep Training and Execution Sensei robes and create a team of racing ninjas. We draw the line in the sand and you are either on our team or racing against our team.

Almost everything we create from May-October will be for Team EN eyes only. We will no longer be marketing the team, trying to get people to join. We are seriously invested in getting you ready to have your best possible race.

Endurance Nation Membership Recruiting Drive
You likely have friends who may be a good fit for our Team. Please tell them that now through May 1 is their last chance to join the team before we close it down for the 2009 racing season. And since we want them to join sooner, rather than later, so we have more time to work with them, we've made membership very attractive with a 30-Day FREE trial and a new scaled pricing structure that allows new members to lock in a great price for the rest of the year: February pricing is $79/mo; March pricing is $89/mo; April is $99/mo; and May is...CLOSED!

Just tell your friends to take the Tour then visit the Join page to learn more about "Team Coaching" and how we work. By creating a 30-Day FREE trial membership they can lock in their low price for the rest of the year. We will immediately begin coaching them -- FREE -- for 30-days, so they can take us, the coaching, our support, and the Team for a free test drive.

Thanks again for your help. We very much look forward to closing the doors to new members for the season and helping you to bring the Pain to everyone outside the Haus on race day!

Dance of the Eleven Minute Ironman Superstars!

I just found out I'm an 11-minute superstar! That's what my coach Rich Strauss dubs Endurance Nation athletes like me. We're the athletes who set massive Ironman PRs this year (mine was 1 hour 35 minutes) by ticking off the miles between 18-25 of the marathon by RUNNING, and not walking like 90% of everyone else around us. Granted my quad pain derailed my experience a bit, but that was the only thing that got in my way. From my experience at Endurance Nation, I KNEW there was another way to work the Ironman from start to finish. I had the fitness, execution strategy, and confidence to not slow down and walk in those miles. I had the goods to keep it going all the way to the finish.

Rich puts it perfectly:

The net is that the Endurance Nation athlete begins the race with the confident knowledge that there IS another way!...I’ve been to every US Ironman this year and have become intimately familiar with miles 18-25, for the people on track to finish between 11:30 and 16:30. I say intimately because I’ve been out on the bike course as well, either as a competitor, draft marshal, or specatator. I’ve seen Tom, Dick, and Harry mixing it up at mile 45 of bike and then I’ve seen our three friends at mile 18 of the run. And, race after race, the Endurance Nation athlete is the Eleven Minute Superstar who is ticking away at 10-11′ pace, not slowing down, while these guys are walking. If you are standing on the course between miles 18 and 25 between 6-9pm on race day, what is most remarkable is how many people are walking and how few people are running. The few who are, who continue to tick away at 10-11′ pace, are superstars by comparison.

The result? Ernie EN’er sets a massive 1:30-2hr PR simply by not slowing down! Sure, he rode and ran faster because he was faster on race day…but the majority of that PR is the result of just doing it differently this time, showing up extremely prepare, out-executing the competition, and not slowing down.

For my next Ironman, I'm going sub-13. No doubt EN can get me there, and I'll do it by being an 11-minute Superstar one more time! You can too! Here's Rich's complete post on Dance of the 11-Minute Superstars.

 

FREE Triathlon Ebooks--Heart Rate Training Redefined and Out-Season Training Guide

  Here are a few more FREE e-goodies from Endurance Nation. For heart rate athletes interested in the EN approach to training and racing, here is Heart Rate Training Redefined.
    Reading the Out-Season Training Guide is a first step to using their incredibly effective winter training regimen that puts "fast before far." By spring, you will be primed and ready to race like you will not believe. All I can say about the EN Out-Season training is--if you're not doing it you should be! :)

A Speedo, A Singlet, and A Fur Hat! Team 26.2...Below Runs the Marathon Challenge!

Lest you think it's only serious, nose-to-the-grindstone training over at Endurance Nation, here's what we did this past weekend!

A virtual marathon challenge was fired up in honor of our compatriots racing Ironman Arizona. Teams of four athletes each ran 6.55 miles. The rules determining the winner were "loose" to say the least. Sure we had best time, but we also had most vertical, best pix, best running gear--you name it. If you could think up a category, you could probably win it. But the best was from team "26.2...below" from Minnesota.

From the Run Report--TEAM 26.2...Below
The gang (_noodle_, Blazer86, jlbwalleye, and Jesse Spates) assembled at 8:00 a.m. for the big race. The weather gods sent us a mixed blessing this morning. The temp was 23, so a good 10 degrees above where it was Friday morning. The downside was that there was ½ an inch of snow on the ground. As our times will indicate, the snow played a significant role in preventing us from achieving our goal of cracking 3 hours. Given the conditions, the team was dressed for the worst:

_noodle_ was wearing his kilt along with goggle to keep the swirling snow out of his eyes.

Jesse was wearing a full-blown, blaze-orange hunting getup just in case any deer hunters wandered out of the woods and mistook his loping stride for that of a whitetail.

Jlbwalleye was sporting his IM finisher t-shirt in case anyone wanted to question his bona fides.

Blazer86 was worried about drag from the wind whipping off the lake, so he came in his speed suit and fur hat...he got a fair number of funny looks, but claimed to be plenty warm once whe got going.

Huge thanks for our man _noodle_ (Josh) for another rib-cracking, hilarious video, and the rest of the guys for being good sports. There is nothing one can even say about Blazer's running attire!