Threshold Performance Club| The fitness newsletter

Threshold #1 | My first race through the data

Ironman Weymouth 70.3 through the numbers.

After I train I try to live or die through the data, whilst also marrying up my feelings of how a workout has gone. It’s the cyclists trap everyone knows - “what’s your FTP?”. You can forget to actually go out and train for the enjoyment of it, experiencing natural increases in watts needed to get up a climb. But the data is so important to get a grasp of your true fitness.

The data becomes useful as an analysis tool. Utilising power output, calories burnt, glucose score, lactate threshold et al to optimise future training sessions.

Most interestingly, and powerful, is race data. You never quite know how you perform, until you perform. Training doesn’t include adrenaline, the crowds and 2000+ competitors around you.

So what did the numbers show from my first race?

A triathlon is split into three parts - swim, bike & run. Each have different energy requirements and physiological impacts. For example my HR whilst swimming is consistently lower vs running and cycling.

Here’s the data.

And these are my raw race notes - no fancy grammar for this week’s newsletter.

The swim

Fuelled with a Maurten caffeine gel c.20m before the start.

Felt like a strong start. Entered the water string, initial 300m head down, focused on nothing but stroke, breathe and rhythm. Shallow water helped. Could see bottom for at least 200m. Once dark, panic set in a little but focussed on my breathing. HR data backs this up, higher HR in the early stages of the race.

Only until about half way, 700m, did I feel arms getting tired. The first buoy was challenging with people backing up. Clashing into each other. Hard to find spare space.

Controlled myself aerobically very well, never really felt like a didn’t have much in the tank. HR zone reflects this. As does Supersapiens with a perfect 100 GPZ score.

Final buoy felt extra positive as the final stretch was in sight.

Final 100m pushed with leg kick, and exited the water with active legs.

HR data backs this up with steady HR before the T1 run.

The bike leg

Wow. I had to stop to go to the bathroom - taking 3min approximately according to Garmin. Remove this stop and a sub 2:50:00 bike with no other improvements is in sight for later races. For my first race, coach and I were planning c.3hours - a huge progression. 

I felt very strong on the climbs. Maybe not on the first one, legs colder and needed activating, but on the rolling hills accelerating I felt comfortable and always able to turn the power on. Plenty of times I’d fly by people who had maybe overtaken me on the flat. Hill sprint sessions at Box Hill really did work - top tip for everyone reading, hill sprint training really does work.

My back started to be painful approx when my stomach was full and needed bathroom. So at 1hr20mins into the ride I started experiences discomfort having to leave the aero position.  Constantly standing up stretching out. Obviously losing aero gains. The data from Garmin backs this up - pace drops dramatically.

I took the opportunity to fuel at every fuelling station. Often not the full bottle of water, but always taking on board some extra fluid.

As we entered the final big climb at 30km out, legs were burning in the climb, told myself I absolutely would not be getting out the pedals to walk. I’ve trained for this.My HR data interestingly shows that even though my lactate through legs was feeling intense, my HR was not spiking. I guess this means I could push it even harder in future races - great to know.

Final 30km I couldn’t stay in the aero tuck due to back spasms, frustrating but the result of bike fit not being right (lack of a bike fit & using road bike in a new aero bar position) and then bladder putting pressure on rest of abdomen.

I did push for the final 6 km as I knew I could go sub 3hrs on the bike with 15km to go. Surprised to hit 2:53:00 with a stop for the entire 90km. 7 minutes better than target time.

My Supersapiens glucose score not bad at 57. I fuelled fairly well. I think I need more water and become more fat adaptive. Taking on sugary gels isn’t the most lovely meal.

Bike fit is needed, and I guess it shall result in a shorter stem needed (same as other bike). Also having non horizontal bars may be beneficial, c.20-45 degree angle and on more spacers than originally used. Reducing the amount I’m bending forward from the hip. This should increase my ability to push out more watts on the bike.

Most surprising is my HR data. 55% of time spent in Z1. 25% in Z2. The training paid off. I’m very fit, and now need to learn how to turn on the power for long periods of time.

My HR data shows I can push harder. I know I need to increase nutrition intake. Combining the two should be powerful for time gains.

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The run leg - half marathon *delight*

A small understatement: the run was tough. 

Instantly off the bike I experienced back & stomach muscle spasms. I believe it was spasms and not cramps due to my understanding of muscles not being able to release and relax even with stretching and resting during the race.

Spasms makes more sense as even with stretching on the bike the same muscles would instantly go back to pain, almost like elastic wanting to return to the original state

Due to the abdominal spasms I couldn’t ingest any more food and so on the run I stuck to water and coke only at aid stations. Even the intake of water didn’t settle in my stomach. This combination of no fuel and spasms reduced my feeling of having energy to zero.Supersapiens backs this up as my glucose dropped off a cliff to sub 70mg/ml.

Proud I pushed through all 21km with pain, shows mentally how strong I can persist even with adversity.

As Garmin data shows I was stopping to stretch out every 500m-1km or so. My heart rate would lower to sub 150bpm, well within my Z2/3 zones - almost annoyingly so as it shows I really could push and get my HR into Z4+ had I been fit.

Although the experience was tough, the data shows my fitness was right up there. If my HR had been skyrocketing at low paces and glucose score healthy, maybe I just couldn’t hack it - but ultimately the data backs up my general feeling of the event.

I toughed it out.

So that’s the data.

Pyramid running session: 5x 1km @ variable

Warm up:

• 2km @ Z1/Z2 heart rate zone

Main set:

• 1km @ 4:50 min/km pace

• 1:30s rest

• 1km @ 4:30min/km pace

• 1:30s rest

• 1km @ 4min/km pace

• 1:30s rest

• 1km @ 4:30min/km pace

• 1:30s rest

• 1km @ 4:50min/km pace

Recovery

• 2km @ Z1/Z2 heart rate zone

That’s a wrap for Threshold #5.

You can follow my training over at Strava.

As always - multiple coffees in - I hope the content is valuable enough to forgive a number of typos.

Have a great week,

Robert