IMC 2001 Taper

Gordo IMC Taper 2001

Here are my taper plans for IMC. I'm sharing these for information purposes only. They are not a recommendation. One more disclaimer -- I have unlimited recovery time and a very deep base from years of training.

Cheers, g

How did I build this up?

Step One - Decide on critical success factors for the race.

Step Two - Decide on area of each sport that requires strengthening

Step Three - Working backwards from the race date decide on BT workout location. Ensure plenty of recovery for all taper period BTs. I am taking slightly more rest than in my build period.

Step Four - Decide on nature of BT workouts. Then use other sessions as filler. AG athletes shouldn't use much filler as rest/recovery is very important. With your pre-race nerves as well as work commitments, I think it is best to err on the side of too little volume.

To give you context, I will include the last three weeks of my build period.

Build 2 - Week Two - 19hrs

Monday: Masters Swim
Tuesday: 4.25-hr muscular endurance (ME) brick; ME work in flats and on slight grades
Wednesday: Masters swim; Weights (very light)
Thursday: Easy ride 1:45; Massage
Friday: Masters; Hard hill ride (4:20, 7600ft of climbing)
Saturday: Total rest day
Sunday: Masters; Easy ride to track, ME run session - main set (6x2K on 7:05, with 2 min walking recovery), easy ride home

Build 2 - Week Three - 15hrs

Monday: Masters swim
Tuesday: 4.25-hr ME brick; ME work in flats and on slight grades
Wednesday: Masters swim; Easy spin; Weights; Massage
Thursday: Travel to LP
Friday: Swim IM course (one lap easy, one lap mod-hard)
Saturday: Bike the IM course with 6x20 min harder efforts inserted in various kinds of terrain; Massage
Sunday: OFF, watch race

Build 2 - Week Four (Recovery) - 16hrs

Monday: Two-hour Zn 1/2 run
Tuesday: 45-min easy spin
Wednesday: Masters
Thursday: Masters; 90-min ME brick; Massage
Friday: Masters; Weights
Saturday: 4/5-hr flat ride, target IM effort with 20 min harder efforts on each 40 min mark; short transition run if legs OK; KEY bike BT
Sunday: Masters

Why so much in a recovery week? Note that I had two complete rest days the week earlier, as well the early part of the week is pretty easy for me. I'll chuck the Friday swim if I am trashed. I also run my schedule based on BT workouts and recovery. I don't pay much attention to days of the week (I can rest/train on any day).

Peak - Week One - 15 hrs

Monday: Masters; Bike to track, KEY run BT with main set (6-8 x 2K repeats on 7 min with 2 min walking rest), bike home
Tuesday: Rest day; Light spin late in day; Stretching and massage
Wednesday: Masters; Weights
Thursday: Key BT brick; Race simulation with IMC bike terrain (1x20 min climb, 1x25 min climb); 90 min run building to 60 min Zn 3 finish
Friday: Masters (get out early); Possible massage
Saturday: Rest day or 45 min pre-race brick
Sunday: Escape From Alcatraz Tri -- 1.5mi/2mi/18mi/8mi -- S/R/B/R -- Key BT threshold session -- lots of hills

Peak - Week Two - 12 hrs

Monday: Off or easy spin; Massage
Tuesday: Masters; Easy spin
Wednesday: Masters; Final weights
Thursday: Key BT brick -- 2.5 hrs (120/30), Insert 10mi (Zn 2 to Zn 5a build) in the ride, run Zn 3; Massage
Friday: Masters
Saturday: Easy spin
Sunday: Key BT brick -- 2 hrs (90/30) include Yellow Lk climb and descent (build to Zn 4 on climb -- concentrate on descent)

Race Week - 7 hrs (excluding IMC)

Monday: Pool swim -- main set 6x150m (descend 1-3 & 4-6) on 60s rest
Tuesday: Run insert 6x600m on 200m jogging recovery -- 600s at 1:54; Easy spin before dinner
Wednesday: Ez Open water swim; Bike insert 4x90s hard efforts (on bars) on long rest
Thursday: Ez shorter open water swim; Bike the run course from (Skaha Lk and back) with possible short transition run. Some slightly harder efforts in the ride (not many and not particularly hard). Note mile markers.; Massage
Friday: Total rest day; Arrange gear and drive bike course. Note mile markers. Stop in out and back and visualise moving through strongly.
Saturday: Pre race swim/bike/run session -- one hour
Sunday: Game Day, bay-bee!

Sport Specific Targets and Actions

Target: Strength for final 2K of swim as well as speed for first 500m of swim.
Action: Quality masters. Quality sessions are more important than volume. If speed starts to tail off then more recovery. I am coming off a very easy week of swimming. I tend to smack the swimming when I back of the bike/run.
Key Swim BTs: Masters -- I won't smack more than two swims per week.

Target: Increase ability to push a big gear on the flats, improve hip flexor endurance and ensure I am able to stay on aerobars for the second half of the IMC course.
Action: One more long ride - a 100% aerobar ride. I will probably go to Napa and ride two loops of the Silverado Trail. My climbing is excellent, so I am taking nearly two weeks off major climbs in order to focus on my greatest cycling weakness.
Key Bike BTs: 1 - Flat IM distance ride with sub-threshold ME intervals (note I can ride the IM distance because I am fast enough. I recommend time for my athletes).; 2 - Insert long ME efforts into race simulation bricks.

Target: My running is my strength.
Action: Maintain threshold speed and prepare body to run strong off the bike.
Key Run BTs: 1 - One ME sustained speed session.; 2 - One tempo run off an ME ride. Tempo run will be done on HR and I expect materially faster than goal IM pace.

OVERALL
Two weeks out, 2.5 hour race pace effort. I'll see how it goes for pacing. Most likely Zn 3-4 with some 5a on the bike climbs. This is something new for me and represents a risk. However, the course is a power course and I think it will benefit IMC.

Most of you will be surprised at how low my volume is. I have decided that going fast is more important than going long. Lots of quality, lots of recovery.

This plan will change as I see how my sessions and recovery progress. However, that is the game plan right now.

Hope this helps,
gordo

PS -- Monster Peak, bay bee! :-)

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