22-06-2009 / 28-06-2009 (Week 2 of 2)

Week 2 of 2 (22-06-2009 / 28-06-2009)

Swim 1:20 - Bike 1:20 - Run 1:20 -- Total: 4:00 (+ race)

This week takes you right into your big race! There's still a little hard work to do to keep your body sharp and ready for the big effort, but you'll also be resting more.

Try not to overanalyze how you're feeling. Equally great perfomances have been done when feeling great or terrible in the days leading up to an event. Just keep telling yourself that you've prepared well and that you're ready to go for it!

Try to minimize your exposure to all the hype. When you're at the expo and at check-in for your bike and equipment, take care of business, socialize for a couple minutes and then high-tail it outta there.

Save your energy for Race Day. All the work is done; it's time to rest and concentrate on the task ahead.

While this is designed for a Sunday race, you can easily adjust things (by eliminating Saturday) if your race day is Saturday instead of Sunday.

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Monday

One short workout today to keep the legs sharp. Check over all your equipment so that everything is in working order. Eliminate any possibilities of race-day surprises that will ruin your race.

RUN 0:30

WARM UP

10:00 easy jog, gradually raising your HR to 70%

MAIN SET

Complete 2 sets of the following:

2:00 @ 80-85%

1:00 recovery jog @ 65%

:30 gradually increase speed to 90%

1:30 recovery jog @ 65%

During each repeat, you should just start to feel exertion as it comes to an end. You should never feel strained or maxed out. Your speed should feel relaxed and easy, and you should be light on your feet.

COOL DOWN

Jog easy @ 60% or below to the end, and walk it in the final couple minutes.

DAILY TOTAL: 0:30

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Tuesday

SWIM 0:45

WARM UP

400 Swim (every 4th 25 Build up Kick)

200 Kick

200 IM

MAIN SET

8 x 150 with :30 rest after each

Increase your speed within each repeat each 50. The first 50 is at 75%, the middle 50 is at around 80% and the final 50 is at 80+%. Fast, aerobic but controlled.

COOL DOWN

400 Swim (alternate 50 free with 50 Choice) total recovery

BIKE 0:50

15:00 getting your HR up to 70%

MAIN SET

No messing around today. Get on the bike, do the hard work, warmdown and get off.

Complete two sets of the following:

8:00 @ 75-84%

4:00 easy spin @ 65%

Stay in your aero tuck as much as possible. No hills today. Build up each repeat so that the last half is above 80%. Finish the set knowing you had a lot of energy left -- no lactate build-up in the muscles and don't even approach an anaerobic effort.

COOL DOWN

Gradually slow down to 60% with 10:00 left, and finally below 50% by the end. Spin at 95+rpm in your small chain ring.

DAILY TOTAL: 1:35

WEEK-TO-DATE: 2:05

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Wednesday

RUN 0:50

10:00 warm up jog, allowing your body to slowly get up to 65-70% by the end.

After warming up, hold your HR at 75% for the next 15 minutes. Then jog easy @ 65% for 5 minutes.

After jogging easy, go right into 4-5 x (:20 strides with 1:10 easy jogging)

Cooldown to 50 minutes by bringing your HR below 60%.

BIKE 0:30

WARM UP

10:00 spinning @90-95rpm

- get your HR up to 60% in the first 6:00 and closer to 70% by 10:00

MAIN SET

Get your HR up to 70-75% for the middle 10 minutes.

COOL DOWN

Spin easy in your small chain ring @95+rpm the final 10:00 below 60% allowing your HR to return to 50% for the final few minutes.

DAILY TOTAL: 1:20

WEEK-TO-DATE: 3:25

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Thursday
Just a couple of "fast" repeats to keep you sharp, but nothing that will cause lactate to build up or tear you down.

SWIM 0:35

WARM UP

200 Swim - 200 Kick - 200 Pull - 200 Swim;

2nd 200 Swim faster than the first

MAIN SET

1 set of the following:

8 x 50 @ 80% followed by 2 x 50 easy recovery;

take :10 rest between 50s

You should be swimming fast but in control. At the end of the fast 50s, you should be a little tired, but not fatigued. The goal is to do these at your race pace, not faster, and to hold consistent times.

COOL DOWN

4 x 100 total recovery below 60%

DAILY TOTAL: 0:35

WEEK-TO-DATE: 4:00

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Friday

Day off. Make sure you hydrate well today.

If you need to do something today, then go out for a brisk walk.

DAILY TOTAL: 0:00

WEEK-TO-DATE: 4:00

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Weekend Note:

You've put in the work and tapered well, so now just enjoy the experience.

Give yourself enough time to get to the transition area, signed in and ready to race without having to rush through the process. The more relaxed the morning can be, the better you will race.

Everything should be a smooth, relaxed process on Race Day.

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Saturday
Swim in the morning for 20-30 minutes, beginning at the same time that the race will begin. Relax afterward and mentally walk through tomorrow's race. You're in great shape, so have fun with it!

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Sunday

RACE DAY!

You already have your pre-race ritual down, so don't change anything. It's different for everyone, so the only advice we can give you is to:

1) make sure you arrive at the transition area in plenty of time so you aren't rushed; and

2) make sure you warm up properly.

This is what it's all about. Have a lot of fun out there today, but also kick some butt!! Please let us know how you do!!

POST RACE

Congratulations! You did it!! Soak it all in, the adulations is as much for you as anyone else there!