Sorry about the extended Radio silence! There was period of time there post hurricane that we felt the odds were against this race even happening but as you probably know, if you're reading this, that it is in fact on...a day later (11/4) and a few hundred miles away in Haines City, Fla (south of Orlando).
Despite the uncertainty I continued to remain very diligent in my final IM build (and now the first half of my 2+ week taper). I had a good race in AC in challenging conditions. Notably I rode a comfortable 2:34 and ran a 2:40 coming in around 6:05, which with all things given, I was pleased with. I managed to get in 7 100-mile rides and even ran a 10 and 13.1 mile run averaging around 11:15-11:20/mile, which for me is good enough!
For comparison sake, here is how my 2018 build (final three months) compares to the prior five IM builds (these are not exact as I just took the three whole months prior to the month of each IM and since the exact date of each IM differed, in some cases I caught some of the taper):
Year Race Swim Bike Run Time
(k yds) (miles) (miles) (hours)
2018 FLA 79 3,129 264 284
2017 ARZ 65 2,895 267 276
2014 Kona 122 2,718 298 239
2013 Tahoe 120 3,069 337 268
2012 Kona 118 3,384 388 291
2011 ARZ 111 3,127 433 285
Commentary: I feel quite good with my build this year. My swim volume, while not on a par with 2014 and earlier, is up quite a bit vs. last year and was more consistent and of a much higher quality/intensity. I think my swim right now is as strong as any of these prior years.
My bike is in very good shape in my view. I had the second most miles of these race builds and very comparable in volume and in terms of long rides with 2011 and Arizona--which was my best race of this group (by far).
The long-term decline of my run is evident although the last 6 weeks or so was encouraging with the 70.3 and the two 10+ mile runs.
Note the total time is almost identical to 2011, but my volume in the swim and run is less. This is due to more supplemental training in 2018 (weights, stretching, PT) and the fact that I'm a lot slower--especially on the run. all in all, I'm pleased with where I am.
The above is through September for 2018 (since October is still not done). Here is how October has unfolded so far (note the taper impact in the last two weeks):
Week Swim Bike Run Time
1 9,730 224 31 22
2 7,125 266 21 23
3 5,500 177 21 18
4 6,600 86 7 11
All in all, I feel good and like I'm reasonably well prepared...I'll provide a bunch of updates as we close in on race day--just 6 days to go!
onward and upward!
Despite the uncertainty I continued to remain very diligent in my final IM build (and now the first half of my 2+ week taper). I had a good race in AC in challenging conditions. Notably I rode a comfortable 2:34 and ran a 2:40 coming in around 6:05, which with all things given, I was pleased with. I managed to get in 7 100-mile rides and even ran a 10 and 13.1 mile run averaging around 11:15-11:20/mile, which for me is good enough!
For comparison sake, here is how my 2018 build (final three months) compares to the prior five IM builds (these are not exact as I just took the three whole months prior to the month of each IM and since the exact date of each IM differed, in some cases I caught some of the taper):
Year Race Swim Bike Run Time
(k yds) (miles) (miles) (hours)
2018 FLA 79 3,129 264 284
2017 ARZ 65 2,895 267 276
2014 Kona 122 2,718 298 239
2013 Tahoe 120 3,069 337 268
2012 Kona 118 3,384 388 291
2011 ARZ 111 3,127 433 285
Commentary: I feel quite good with my build this year. My swim volume, while not on a par with 2014 and earlier, is up quite a bit vs. last year and was more consistent and of a much higher quality/intensity. I think my swim right now is as strong as any of these prior years.
My bike is in very good shape in my view. I had the second most miles of these race builds and very comparable in volume and in terms of long rides with 2011 and Arizona--which was my best race of this group (by far).
The long-term decline of my run is evident although the last 6 weeks or so was encouraging with the 70.3 and the two 10+ mile runs.
Note the total time is almost identical to 2011, but my volume in the swim and run is less. This is due to more supplemental training in 2018 (weights, stretching, PT) and the fact that I'm a lot slower--especially on the run. all in all, I'm pleased with where I am.
The above is through September for 2018 (since October is still not done). Here is how October has unfolded so far (note the taper impact in the last two weeks):
Week Swim Bike Run Time
1 9,730 224 31 22
2 7,125 266 21 23
3 5,500 177 21 18
4 6,600 86 7 11
All in all, I feel good and like I'm reasonably well prepared...I'll provide a bunch of updates as we close in on race day--just 6 days to go!
onward and upward!
