Yep, my pool is usually v quiet for the 20:30 Fri session… its my favourite swim of the week!
Manchester Tri has a swim session Friday 9-10pm! Used to (like 6 or 7 years ago) go quite regularly until I saw the error of my ways 
Then straight onto Oxford Road afterwards?
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Nice 6 hour training day for @Matthew_Spooner
Looks like this weeks going to be huge!
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That’s the plan. Pretty good day today, didn’t push too hard. Riding the Lanza IM course tomorrow - will be interesting after today’s experience… the wind the hills, riding is so slow
Hairy moment goming down from Teseguite, hit a pot hole at 67kph and front tyre exploded. Luckily straight bit of road, got all my weight over rear and slowed bike down on rear brake… took ages to stop. Luckily no rim damage
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Joe Friel’s “Fast After 50” spends some time talking about getting enough recovery as we mature & he spends some time recommending a “9 day week”.
Sorry I can’t talk any more about it I’ve misplaced my copy.
FWIW I do my long bike on a Friday, rest on Saturday & do my long run - & a swim - on the Sunday.
He also talks about reducing volume and increasing intensity… sorry about that.
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I know Mungo has mentioned one anecdote, but I don’t see 2 days off in every 7 as the likely ideal way to go for most KQ, even if you had unlimited time on the other 5. Very little IM training requires perfect freshness for intensity, it requires being consistent day after day, week after week.
“when forced” is opposite end of spectrum though. If I had more time I’d probably plan for one super recovery day every 10-14. That might be off, or a ~30TSS workout.
Just realised you probably mean a planned 2 day rest at some point in cycle rather than every week/regular interval. Is definitely a great call when needed like what you’ve done last week. But again I wouldn’t plan in 2 days off unless forced, but would rather schedule good recovery weeks which might have a day off and a super light day. So probably very little difference overall, just a minor tweak.
That’s all if had more time on what I think I’d try. As it is I use work rota or weekends away to enforce recovery. Not worth the mental stress of trying to do squeeze in a light flush session when I’m already busy, I need the mental recovery to just have the day off rather than constantly fighting to find time.
Cheers all, some good thoughts. I was originally pondering a 2 day break every 3 weeks but think I’ll keep on with the 1 easy day per week, 1 consolidation week every 4-6 pattern (TrainerRoad plans).
The 2 day break is a handy thing to deploy when required.
Blimey. New bibs needed.
I think a 2 day week can have benefits, particularly in a big block, but it will benefit some more than others.
Failing that a couple of really easy days or even some walking.
Jeff
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Looks like Matt rode the entire IM Lanza bike course today. Way to prepare!
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I saw Phil Graves did too… 
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What a day! Rode the entire bike route, and hit all of my targets. Wind today was much stronger, around 20-25mph, so went with shallow front wheel, definitely the right choice. My 2 main goals was to ride the course under 6 hours and keep a sustainable 72% IF. I managed a very respectable 5h58m (including 10 mins getting lost due to Garmin sending me up a road which became a gravel track), my IF was 72%.
I am not sure what the fuss about Lanza is about, there are lots of climbs, but most are pretty easy… I actually enjoyed the climbs more than the flats. There are many flat sections, the long flats with head wind are grinding, and require a good aero position, leads to sore neck. The flats with tail wind are crazy fast, like 60kph with 0% incline. Some of the roads here are shockingly bad.
Anyway feeling massively more confident. Having ridden the course in a competitive time a day after cycling 110km with 2300m climbing. With a decent taper and no wrong turns I’ll take a good bit off this time
Also managed a nice 10km brick. Nothing fast, but felt really solid
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That’s awesome, must be a massive confidence boost!
What’s the plan for your camp? Are you S/B/R everyday?
I think the wind is the real foe in Lanza, rather than the course itself. If you train indoors a lot, then it’s going to be doubly hard on the grey cells.
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I had an 11 minute mechanical at Lanza, otherwise rode pretty well, 6:07 IIRC. Run demolished me; heat and not being acclimatised to it after UK winter and it’s very exposed with little shade. Couldn’t control the HR at target race pace.
Meanwhile Southern European racing whippets hopped off the bike and raced off into the distance.
Not sure if you did this anyway, but that’s where sauna therapy has really helped me, especially as a heavy, salty sweater. Doing Bahrain in the UK winter I pretty much lived in one at the gym after every session for about a month before the race, and felt good come race day.
Sauna, taking it easy on yourself? 
I prefer the steamroom after a swim session; normally feel a bit lightheaded when I stand-up and leave!
I was horribly unprepared; no saunas or any warm weather camps. It was only my 4th IM; and we only arrived late Thursday pm for a Saturday race. Hence most of Friday was charging about registering, recce-ing, bike unpacking/testing, racking etc while slowly and inexorably getting more stressed and dehydrated.
A lesson learned.