2nd 112 Mile RR (race rehearsal) ride - hilly

REDUX of 112 mile RR (Race Rehearsal) but instead of a flat ride … this time had over 4000 feet of climbing & 1 hour run on July 28^st  report by the numbers – as an engineer in a former life – I always say è you can’t have too much data …

I had two 112 Mile RR (Race Rehearsal) rides recommended by my training plan from Rich Strauss of Crucible Fitness, but I added this add'l RR for two reasons. 

1) To get a warm/fuzzy about riding the Louisville course and implementing good pacing on the hills.

2) Since Coach Rich said, that the long downtime between the 2 56 mile laps last week & the downtime for the flat repair of another rider would tend to invalidate the results of the Race Rehearsal, since hips & shoulders would got extra time to recover from the sustained aero position riding and that was a lot of recovery/rest time.

This second RR (like the one from a week ago) was paced as recommended by Rich based on the monthly TT testing using my Ergomo Power Meter and other testing.  The training plan has been fantastic è I think the plan may need some tweaks since I am a 54 year old masters triathlete ...

Felt great throughout the ride but (probably due to the 100+ Heat Index) not quite as good as last week.  And even though all runs are hard for me, this run was definitely tougher than last week ... I definitely needed the power of wearing the Crucible Fitness Kit ...

I rode 5:35 for 112 miles hilly and some wind on the second 56 mile lap.  I ran 10:01 pace for almost 6 miles and finished within 2-1/2 pounds of the weight that I woke up with.  (The run pace was probably still at least 30 seconds per mile faster than I can run IM)

Prep è  Nite before prepared the bike, all of my water bottles & my feed (bottle see below for contents)

Sleep è 6 hours – Twice as much as the last 112 RR

Breakfast è@ 4:45 WGT=159 èQT Gatorade, Powerbar, è WGT=161.5  

112 mi RR - 1st 56 mi:

  Duration:    2:43:16

  TSS:         143.9 (intensity factor 0.727)

  Norm Power:  200

  VI:          1.07

  Distance:    55.708 mi

  Elevation Gain:   2113 ft

  Elevation Loss:   2119 ft

               Max  Avg

  Power:       494  186  watts

  Heart rate:  139  125  bpm

  Cadence:     115  87   rpm

  Speed:       46.5 20.5 mph

NOTE: about 4 minutes between 56 mile loops to get five full water bottles from ice chest & run to the restroom

112 mi RR - 2nd 56 mi:

  Duration:    2:52:20 (2:52:33)

  TSS:         124 (intensity factor 0.657)

  Norm Power:  181

  VI:          1.08

  Distance:    55.657 mi

  Elevation Gain:   2136 ft

  Elevation Loss:   2129 ft

               Max  Avg

  Power:       486  168  watts

  Heart rate:  143  131  bpm

  Cadence:     116  85   rpm

  Speed:       47.9 19.4 mph

Entire workout (177 watts):

  Duration:    5:35:36 (5:41:47)

  Work:        3558 kJ

  TSS:         269.1 (intensity factor 0.694)

  Norm Power:  191

  VI:          1.08

  Distance:    111.365 mi

  Elevation Gain:   4252 ft

  Elevation Loss:   4249 ft

               Max  Avg

  Power:       494  177  watts

  Heart rate:  143  128  bpm

  Cadence:     116  86   rpm

  Speed:       47.9 19.9 mph

NOTE: about 4 minutes transition to get running shoes, hat, & fuel belt (w/55 oz of Gatorade) and put bike back into van

Bike 111.4 miles = 5:35:36 19.9 mph on a course with over 4000 feet of climbing  

• Feed Bottle è Total 350 cal / hour & 300 mg sodium (+ other electrolytes) / hour è Hammer Sustained Energy 15 scoops è 1700 calories & 560mg of sodium + 3 x 100 calorie servings of raspberry Hammergel + 11 x 100mg sodium Endurolyte caps
• Water è 260 oz total water on bike è 130 oz (5 x 26oz bottles per / 56 mile lap)
• HR 128 bottom of Zone2

Run 5.4 miles = 0:54:42 minutes - 10:01 pace è

·         Gatorade è 55oz was about 10oz / mile

·         HR 136 upper Zone1 w/ some Zone 2

Weight

• 159    Before breakfast
• 161.7 Before 1^st 56 mile bike
• 161.6 After    1^st 56 mile bike
• 158.6 After    2^nd 56 mile bike @ Start of run
• 156.6 After run

Temperature

• 76 @ beginning of bike and brisk wind that picked up as the bike went on and H.I. (heat index) was over 100 for last 1/3 of bike)
• 95 @ beginning of run è typical Arkansas Late July – H.I. over 100

Post workout è Endurox R4 26oz (3 scoops), 26 oz Gatorade, 26 oz water

My 112 mile RR Storyè

The appointed starting point was COOK(s) Landing … Just north of the BDB – www.bigdambridge.com

A few minutes before 6am, just like last week,  area was hopping as over 40 riders pulled up and started getting ready for a great ride … (All rides are good) … the riders included Marianne & Heather (doing IMKY), Chris I. & Emily H doing a ½ IM, and others doing HHH (Hotter ‘n Hell Hundred, MS150, or BDB100 (Big Dam Bridge100 è www.bigdambridge.org ) ...

There were some photos taken and can be found @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/dewonn43/sets

After Coach Rich, said you can’t do a race rehearsal ride waiting on other people … I started this ride on a mission.  I rolled out in race mode and stayed there for the 112 miles except for a few minutes between 56 mile loops to grab 5 water bottles from the cooler in my van and run to the restroom. 

The first 56 mile lap was right on NP (Normalized Power) 200 watts & TSS / IF (Training Stress Score & Intensity Factor) of 143.9 (0.727).  This was about right on my plan … but I was actually faster even with the over 2000 feet of climbing than I was the previous flat and a little windy 112 mile RR.  Perhaps due to the increased heat I did not feel quite as good as the previous weekend.  So using the OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) principle from dear ole Coach Rich (Strauss of www.cruciblefitness.com ) … I decided to dial it back a little for the second 56 mile lap since the HI (heat index) was supposed to be 100+ early in the second lap.      

The second 56 mile lap was NP (Normalized Power) 181 watts & TSS / IF (Training Stress Score & Intensity Factor) of 124 (0.657).  By staying even more aero than on the first lap and being very conscious about rolling over the top of the hills and grabbing all of the free speed available … I was only 9 minutes slower on the second lap.  As Rich would say, Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast. 

Last week under cooler conditions … my HR for my two 56 mile laps was 108 & 110 BPM … for this 112 mile RR my HR was 125 & 131 BPM with the HI (heat index) reaching well into the 100’s.    

My Sustained Energy from Hammer Nutrition (with 340 cal per hour) with added electrolytes all mixed up in one bottle for the entire 6 hours has worked well on both  112 mile RR rides.

For bike hydration I had a bottle in my pocket … because I was a little short on water as I finished up the bike on the previous 112 RR … I also had a 30oz aero bottle, 26oz seat tube bottle, & 2 x 26oz bottles behind the seat … plus a feed bottle on the down tube … this allowed me to do each 56 mile loop non-stop. 

After few minutes to put my bike in my van, grab my fuel belt with 55oz of Gatorade, and hitting the bathroom, I started my run.  The run was harder than last week, probably due to the 105+ heat index … each mile I drank about 10oz of ½ strength Gatorade and ran what felt hard (all runs are hard) … ran 10:01 pace with a 136 BPM HR (top of Z1) ... it was 95 degrees & 105+ heat index, sunny, & humid … just about perfect for an end of July Arkansas day …

I ran down the North Little Rock River Trail (paved trail for riding, running & walking) … this area is now kinda surreal … Due to the fact that the Arkansas river has had this area under water for weeks and the vegetation has been killed up to the high water line …

And presto as quick as this whole RR day had started it was over … it was then time to grab that recovery drink, and go home and shower off the road film from all of that riding (Actually I went to rescue a rider that was still on the road with bike problems) … Until the next one … as I always say “All Rides are Good” …