ironman training

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Wake up the Animal: Cycling VO2 Max Test

Winter is coming and all Canadian Bears submerge in their caves. Me too. Me and Blake decided to shuffle around several things in our lives and cut out unnecessary things. To spend the winter I found a dark, cozy cave for us – a pain cave. Unlike bears, I won’t have time to sleep this winter – I’ll be busy engineering an athlete. Spring 2020 will see the new Sasha Ironman – Version 2.0.

After the recent follow up appointment with my doctor, I received a clearance to resume training. Two months of no training will definitely reduce your fitness level. The question is: by how much? There is a way to test your fitness level at any given moment and it’s called VO₂ Max Test. This is a lab-based test and is considered the ‘gold standard’ for identifying an athletes oxygen carrying capability.

VO₂ Max is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption measured during incremental exercise; that is, exercise of increasing intensity. The name is derived from three abbreviations: “V” for volume, “O₂” for oxygen, and “Max” for maximum.

– Wikipedia

To give the answer by how much two months off training will lower your fitness level you need to have done at least two tests: before & after. I haven’t had a chance to test myself before, therefore there is nothing to compare against. However by doing the Test now, I set a baseline point which I will use as reference.

Come Prepared

  • Refrain from exercise and consuming coffee, nicotine and other stimulants in the four hours before your appointment.
  • Have only a light breakfast on the morning of your appointment (<300 calories). If your appointment is in the afternoon, have a light breakfast and a light lunch.
  • Ensure you are hydrated for your tests. Consume 250-500 ml of water or non-caffeinated beverages on the morning of your test.
  • Stop consuming fluids an hour before your visit.

Know what to Expect

It’s a graded step test, where the resistance of the rainer will gradually lift the power until you can no longer pedal.

We started the test at 100 watts, with the power output increasing by 20 watts every minute.

The idea is to keep going to failure to obtain your max heart rate and maximum oxygen intake.

Ideally the test will last 12 minutes, which is long enough for you to get warmed up but not overly long, so external factors come into play that could fatigue the body and skew the results.

To get the most accurate data I brought my TT bike for this. Right away it was placed on a smart Wahoo Kickr cycling trainer. Martin – an instructor – will set the power output and will also have visibility into all my live data as I’m riding.

Chest Heart Rate Strap + hooked into a mask and a flow metre which directly analyses oxygen consumption and sends comprehensive physiological data to the separate machine.

Usually the test performed only one, however I felt like I didn’t give it all the first time, so I asked Martin to redo the test. I was wondering if I could push more. That’s why there will be two reports following the test.

Let’s see what I’ve got…

VO₂ Max Cycling Report Interpretation

Test #1

VO₂ Max: 51.3
Heart Rate Max: 165
Calories per hour: 1121

Aerobic Zone (Fat Burning): <100 bpm
Anaerobic Zone (Cardio Training): >150 bpm
“Grey” Zone: 110 – 140 bpm

Test #2

VO₂ Max: 49.7
Heart Rate Max: 168
Calories per hour: 1097

Aerobic Zone (Fat Burning): <110 bpm
Anaerobic Zone (Cardio Training): >140 bpm
“Grey” Zone: 120 – 130 bpm

What did I learn?

 It was interesting looking at the repeated testing.
 VO₂ Max score for the second test is lower, while heart rate is higher.
We can see a higher heart rate across the power curve in the second test, suggesting that I was not in a rested state at the start of this test (10 minutes rest in between).

Also, the cross-over heart rate (when you reach 50/50 carbs/fat utilization) was 13 BPM higher during the second test.  This suggests I stayed burning fat longer in the second test. Martin suggests that the first test depleted glucose levels, so I was forced to draw more on stored fat during the second test. 

Now that I’ve set the baseline, I need to have a plan on where to go and what to do next. I feel like the way I’ve been training before did not allow me to perform at my best and fully open up my potential. I have more, I can do better. With that in mind, I was to change several things and see where it leads.
Goals:

  • Improve VO2 Max score as a result of increased cycling fitness
  • Improve FTP from 267W (April 2019) to at least 300W (April 2020)

How will I achieve the goals?

  1. Training Plan. I am hiring a new cycling coach – Mr. Igor.
  2. Change the approach to training. Mental change…
  3. Better utilize experience and knowledge of nutrition, hydration and recovery, specifically around athletic performance.
  4. Work smarter – not harder. Whenever feel stuck, instead of beating yourself up to death, seek for help. Ask questions.

Amen…

Special thanks to Martin, and his offer to perform the test at his lab Body Insight | Toronto. It was a blast and I can not wait to come back again for the follow up test few months later.

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TIME TRIAL Bike. How Much? Shopping, testing and buying.

The past two years I’ve been training and racing on my 2003 Specialized Allez. I bought it for $300 from Craigslist, while in Phoenix. It got me through a lot. 
People laugh at me and keep on saying that I should throw it away and get a normal bike. I believe that the only thing that will make you faster in the layer in between the seat and handlebars (yourself). The thought of investing in TT bike been circulating in my head for the past 3-4 months, but I’ve been resisting. I am cheap AF. I count every penny and I am fascinated my the cost of triathlon bikes. 
A long story short I have finally decided to purchase my first TT bike.

I have zero knowledge about bikes and seeking for advice. I am lost in variety of options and need assistance picking Reliable, USED TT bike. I figured that instead of guessing and talking to salespeople I would ask other triathletes for suggestions.

Success Criteria:
1. I would like to keep the price tag under $2,000 (most likely used), however I will also consider more expensive bikes if they worth it. 
2. I don’t care if it’s an older model, what the brand is etc. 
I choose the bike with the only goal in mind – to get faster and kick some ass on the bike course =)
3. It has to be reliable.
4. Ideally it will already have power meter built in.

Utilize social media.
I suggest that you use your local triathlon club Facebook groups, Strava or any social media to get advice from other triathletes. Just mention that you are in a market for a new TT bike, give your search criteria and wait. Even if nobody from your friends sell the bike, there are good chances that they know someone who does.

Option 1

2019 | AQUILA CRONO
Test Ride & Review

PRICE: $3,199

Option 2

2015 | Specialized Shiv Elite

PRICE: $2,800 (used)

It’s obviously hard to judge TT bike without riding it for a few hours, but just sitting on it stationary felt good. 54 cm size frame is definitely what I need.

Size Medium: 54 cm
Included:
Training Wheels: AXIS 2.0
Race Wheels: Zipp 808 10 spd adapted for 11 spd setup (no cassette)
$2200 for bike without Zipps

Option 3

ARGON 18 E-117 TRI – ULTEGRA Di2

PRICE: guess

By the weirdest circumstances I got connected with Dennis – the owner on Racer Sportif. I rented demo bike from him and returned it back scratched (more details here).

…I brought the bike back in and I didn’t wait until the owner discovered the damage on his own. I went ahead and showed all the scratches… I explained how it happened and said that I appreciate the opportunity to test ride the bike and will cover all the repair costs in full. It was a lot of money for me. Repair costs: $450.
I lost the money, BUT I saved my face and acted as a gentleman. More importantly I saved relationship with Dennis – the owner…

We had a great time chatting with him and he mentioned that he might have a used Argon 18 coming in later that week that might be a good fit for me… and it was.

Size Medium: 54 cm
Included Extra:
Brand new Shimano Ultegra with electronic shifters Di2
Carbon Wheels: RS Real Speed
Custom Racing Seat
*3-year warranty on both: bike and equipment

Did I like the bike? HELL YEAH
To be honest I fell in love with the way it not only looked, but mainly the way it felt sitting or I would say half-laying on it.

Now the main question: HOW MUCH?

Any guesses?

Just to give you and idea of what the price is on brand new Argon 18 E117 Tri:

Enduro Sport: CAD $6,215 ($5,500 + 13% Ontario Tax)
The Cyclery: CAD $6,780 ($6,000 + 13% Ontario Tax)
PRIMEAU: CAD $10,008.71 = USD $7,507 ($7,000 + 7.25% California Tax) *Not including shipping

Just to remind you that I am buying a used ~1-2 years old bike with brand new Di2 system installed and tuned at the shop, professional bike fitting ($200-300) AND 3-year warranty on both – bike and all the equipment.

Drumbeat….

$3,750
(tax included)

That’s the winner. I am a happy owner of Argon 18 TT bike and I pick it up early next week. The price is almost twice higher than $2,000 I set the original criteria on, but I believe it well worth it. Reviews I read online and people I talked to, all confirmed the reliability of Argon bikes, so plus here. It does not come with power meter, but it is still a great price even without it.

I will make another post, sharing my experience with new TT bike and give my honest feedback.
Let me know what you think!
Cheers

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IRONMAN 70.3 | Muskoka

PRE-RACE

Instead of staying at hotel or Airbnb, me and my brother Stepan, who is visiting me from Ukraine, decided we will more enjoy camping. The tent was set up at the Arrowhead Campground, which is about 15 minutes driving from the race venue. This is a huge campground and the campsites are not cheap. One night stay will cost you at minimum of CAD$48.31. Rather than price, we really liked the park. It’s clean, quiet and has toilets with showers. Not to mention a beautiful lake right in the middle of it.

A day before began from a nice and easy OWS in Arrowhead Lake. The water in lake is dark, but really warm. Had a small snack and went to the race venue to register for the race, before it got too crowded. The race expo was really small fit perfectly into the ice skating rink, leaving a plenty of unused space. It was really quiet and felt as I’m at a small town race.
Right after registering went to execute my “mini brick“:

10′ easy spin
15 ride holding RPE 3-4
5′ easy spin

15′ run directly off the bike at CP
5′ FW

Checked in my bike and went back to the campground to prepare for the race and go to bed early.
Stepan is putting up the tent while I stress myself out going through the packing list over and over again.

3:30 am wake up. Quick shower and breakfast at McDonalds parking lot on a way to the race venue.

Now, an hour before the start, T1 looks way busier than a day before. All checked in.
Smile! Final photo before the start.

SWIM
38:13

Literally 3 minutes before my wave start I realized I put the wetsuit on the wrong way. I couldn’t believe… Take it off and put it back on.

Unlike all previous races, this one was not a “rolling start”. We proceeded to the lake and were guided towards the red buoy in the middle of the lake…I got confused. We swam up to it and had to float in water for like 3-5 minutes until we were given a command to start.

There was a lot of wrestling in water. I got kicked in head few times pretty hard and about 100-200 meters before the finish someone’s arm hit me in a head and kicked my goggles off. Nice! Swam the remaining distance with my eyes closed. I’m glad it didn’t happen in the middle of the swim, or worse – at the start.

BEWARE OF CURRENT!

Below are few tips for you to keep in mind when swimming through the Fairy Lake. I got the following suggestions from the guy who lived over 20 years right by the lake, where the course goes through. He also raced this race a few times himself and is well aware of direction of the current.

After the second left turn, unlike most of the people, stick to the right hand side and continue swimming close to the shore all the way to the finish (current is stronger on the middle & the opposite side). Right by the finish, don’t cross the lake until it’s about 9 -10 hours on a left from you. Turn left to cross the lake and in a few strokes you will be exiting the water.

Below is the swim course map with directions I marked with red arrows.

Had a pretty fast transition, only 3 minutes. No help from volunteers.

Lessons Learned:

  • Make sure you put the wetsuit the right way.
  • If swimming in lake, beware of current.
  • Practice swimming without goggles, simulating them being kicked off.

BIKE
2:54:16

Did not feel strong at all.
Right on the beginning, about 10 km, a deer:cyclist accident happened. The guy was laying on the side of the road with his bike beside him. Another similar accident happened around 12 km mark.

BEWARE OF ROAD CROSSING ANIMALS! 

30 minutes into the ride I dropped my chain and had to stop to put it back. Grateful it didn’t get stuck in the wheel and didn’t cause more damage. Had to make another stop to use the restroom. I think I lost about 2-3 minutes of precious time. 

A lot of rolling hills. A bit windy on the way there, but not much on the way back. Overall it is a fast course. Having a better (tri) bike would definitely help me shave off few minutes. 

Overall I am happy with my performance on the bike. Also had a pretty fast transition, under 2 minutes.

Lessons Learned

  • Beware of animals crossing the road
  • Make sure the bike is perfectly tuned prior to the race
  • Probably worth looking into investing in a proper bicycle

RUN
1:42:03
~Epic Finish~

First 30 minutes felt like crap 💩. Well that’s the way it always been for me, both in training and racing.
“Embrace the suck and give it some time Sasha!”
Spasms, tension and muscle pain traveled starting from my pancreas then to the liver and down to the legs. 

“Breath deeply. You need to release the spasms before the body completely shuts down the absorption of any foods you are planning to consume. “

3-5 minutes of deep belly breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth did the trick. Pancreas and liver spasms released, allowing me to continue consuming sugars for fuel ⛽️. 

The course was great! We started and finished in Huntsville downtown. A lot of people were supporting athletes along the run course.
A little boy ran a garden hose from his house down to where we were running and sprayed the athletes with a cold water. 

Approximately 35 minutes into the run, I began feeling better. FINALLY! 

I increased the pace and tried to clear my mind from any thoughts that were taking up my mental energy. I put all my focus on technique. 

“Imagine your knee cups as a headlights of the car.
Chin tucked in.
Don’t run like you have a cactus up in your bum, stand tall and strong.
Release the tension off your shoulders, move them down.
Don’t swing your hands too much, keep them close to your torso.
Find a rhythm in your breath.
Breathe deeply: a long exhale and fast big inhale.”

Racing in Hawaii, Kona 70.3, specifically the running part though me a good painful lesson. I learned how painful it could be to run with the injury and how much it can actually slow me down. I learned the difference between the muscle pain and the injury pain. You can not manage the pain coming from the injured body part and it only getting worse as you go. 

I was really hoping that my knee pain will not come back during this race allowing me to run up to my potential. 

After the turnaround I continued feeling strong. No injuries, no pain that can slow me down. Everything hurts, but it’s a muscle pain, know the difference. 

I slowly caught up with the guy in a blue shirt that passed me like a rocket 🚀 when I was struggling on the beginning. I remembered him because he had a number 53 written down on his ankle. Triathletes know what that number means – the age. 

I caught up with him and expressed how impressed I was by his pace at the age of 53. We ran side by side, averaging the pace of 4:14 /km while keeping the conversation. His name is Shean and he’ve been running his entire life. 

“There is a lady running upfront… She’s 52 and she is about to win her age group. I need to catch up with her.”, Shean told me. 

5 km until the finish:

Aid station. Two water cups, one on myself, another in myself. Shean slowed down a bid, and felt behind. I increased my pace and continued running solo. 

The pain was real, but it was a muscle pain. I pushed really hard and gave it all.

Right by the finish line, as I stepped down on the red carpet, Shean showed up in my peripheral view. He really surprised me with his appearance and he was pushing really hard, trying pass me. Suddenly a finisher’s black stripe got pulled up at the finish line and the crowd went ballistic. I had no idea what was happening and the only thing I knew is that I needed to cross that finish line first.

I did it!

The feelings I experienced were so strong so I will remember them forever. I got so much joy and pure sense of happiness. I felt so much respect to Shean and all the athletes around. I experiences a sense of comradery and athletic fellowship.
Wow! What a finish, what a race!

After we both caught our breaths, Shean said that he’ve been chasing me all the way to the finish and thanked me for pushing him so hard. Thank you too Sean! This is what the competition should be like!

Lessons Learned

  • All the hard trainings, pains and tears were well worth that short burst of emotions while crossing the finish line FIRST
  • I learned what the healthy competition should be like and I experienced a pure sense of athletic fellowship
  • I discovered few new shades of pain and pushed my body harder than I did before

NUTRITION

Luckily I didn’t overeat so bad the night before, as I did the previous times. Still should’ve eaten less to get a good night rest.

The race had great on-course nutrition: Clif Bars, Gatorade and RedBull. Even with such support, still pack the nutrition products you’re used to and have tried already in training. This is what I did.

Race Morning
Planned to consume throughout the race
Consumed throughout the race

Lessons Learned

  • Planned and actually consumed numbers were pretty close. Good job here
  • Gatorade proved once again to work well for me. Don’t shy away from it during racing
  • Coke gives me liver spasms. That’s a no-no, unless I’m 5 km or less to the finish.
  • Deep belly breathing help relieve the liver and pancreas spasms
  • Don’t overeat before going to bed the night before

RESULTS

Set a new PR
by beating 70.3 Kona by 22 minutes

Repetition is mother of learning!

REPEAT AFTER ME:

You are doing triathlons because YOU CHOSE TO, not because you have to. 
Don’t forget that!

You do it FOR YOURSELF, no one gives a f*ck.
Don’t forget that!

NO ONE FORCES you to train every damn day. 
No one, besides your ego or whatever motivation you have.

You can quit anytime you want. 
No one gives a fuck! 

It’s your life, it’s your decisions. 
Don’t forget that!