Fast Forward Sports
Endurance Corner has teamed up with Scott Fliegelman and his Fast Forward Ironman training group to assist with their preparations for Ironman Wisconsin. Scott is coaching them and EC is being used as a tool for looking at each athlete's individual physiology. On Wednesday, March 19th we will be giving a presentation to the F4 group answering athletes questions based from their test results, pointing out strengths and limiters, explaining how to use this knowledge to their advantage for training and come race day.
Tucson Spring Camps
We've hired Wheels On Wheels to help assist in a support role for our Endurance Corner Spring Camps in Tucson, AZ. This company, started by Dan Plummer ran support for Robbie Ventura's VQ Solvang Camp and it was a nice addition to the experience. After each day, all you do is drop your bike off in the transition area and Wheels On Wheels cleans and tunes your bike and has it ready to go for the next days training ride. Dan and his crew also run the sag support. It is very comforting to know you have a mechanic right behind you if something goes wrong. If you flat, you won't lose or hold up the group up. You will get a new wheel and your old wheel will be fixed and back on your bike the next day. You get treated just like a professional cyclist.
Altitude
This week was another good learning experience for me. Following my 30+ hour training week in Solvang which was full of threshold work I was feeling great. The camp ended on Saturday and JD and I were to take off Sunday morning. Even though I was feeling a bit banged up from my wreck, we headed out for a run before taking off on our venture back to Boulder. I felt fine on this run and was pretty sure I was becoming used the the fatigue.
We arrived back in Boulder on Monday night and I took the next few days pretty easy. I could definitely feel the altitude, but figured I'd feel back to normal in a few days.
On Saturday I headed out for a longish ride with some roadies. The ride was very tame heading out and I still didn't feel especially well. Small little rollers were making me winded. We got to the first climb and I was ready to show my buddies my new form. The climb started and I could tell right from the start that I was struggling as they slowly pulled away. I made no attempt to try and catch back up with them to preventing any further damage to my body.
I ended up having a hack the rest of the day, mostly when I would take a deep breath. This got me thinking about the altitude. Ever since I came back to Boulder, I feel like I am struggling. This was the first time that I had left altitude once acclimated (depending on who you talk to) and then returned within a training cycle. I'm no expert when it comes to altitude training, but all I know is that I felt great down in Solvang, but feel very sluggish back in Boulder. It reminds me of a few periods this summer where I felt very flat.
During my ride today with JD (Flagstaff--pictured above and Sunshine Canyon), I had asked him if he has ever experienced this sort of thing. He went on to say that he thinks that there are always periods where things just don't feel right when training at altitude. Everyone is different, but you can't always train the same way up here as you do down low.
After the ride we went on easy 30 minute brick run. I looked over at him and said, "we aren't running very fast, are we?" I felt like I was about to have an asthma attack at 8:30 min/mile pace. I've been feeling better after about 40 minutes of running, but this has been the theme over the past week.
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this. I was only gone for about 10 days and a few of those days where at altitude. I'm going to have faith that things will soon come around and try not to psych myself out about it.
I will learn more about how I respond to altitude training over the next few years as I continue to go back and forth from sea level back to Boulder. I'm sure I'll come around over the next few days. I'll report back next week to let everyone know how it goes.
Mat
