Two Halfs A Month A Part
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PJT posted 8 weeks ago.
High Cliff is a really nice race. I'll be up there doing the 1/2 this year.
Even if you decide against doing it and still want to hang out with your friend, High Cliff also has a long-ish Sprint course (400M, 20 or 21 mile bike, 5k) that you could do and then tack on a long slow run in the park afterwards. Zero recovery cost, and you still get a fun day at the races. The only downside would be that your friend would get a finisher's medal for doing the half and you would get nothing unless you placed in the Sprint.
I haven't done the 2 halfs in 4 weeks thing, so I won't give advice there other than to say that I would be tempted to try it.
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tsilcyc posted 8 weeks ago.
If you're going to do it no matter what, I would treat the "B" race as a training day. I'd use it to dial in everything for Vineman... your "A" race.
Personally, if I were you, I wouldn't do it though. I'd focus on Vineman and race the High Cliff Sprint.
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outexan posted 8 weeks ago.
My advice is this. It you were doing another race AFTER your "A" race that would be one thing. but doing another Half a month BEFORE your "A" race could be potentially harmful.
Do they have a relay? Maybe you and your buddy could team up and you could get a nice long interval ride or run in.
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JohnieTri posted 8 weeks ago.
I say go for it. Take it easy, practice/work on your nutrition/hydration. Use the swim to get accustomed to the flailing arms and legs of a mass swim start(if it is a mass start). Use the bike to work on nutrition, and the run as a nice cool down. I've never done it either, but I think if you pace yourself, you'll be fine. And you'll have another 2-3+ weeks to completely recover. I think you can/should do it!
-Johnie
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RV posted 8 weeks ago.
I'm also doing HighCliff this year. Nice race.
I would look at your training plan and see how the distances etc line up with that weekends training - they may actually be fairly close. If so, I would definitely treat it as a training day - meaning no taper just a continuation of your training - hold to the intensities as prescribed in your training plan - think of it just a catered and more fun training day - practice pacing - dial in nutrition - just don't get carried away and race it.
If your scheduled workouts don't line up well then stick to your training plan.
I would avoid the sprint - as that is too short of a distance to match up and the intensity would be too high.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
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cayman posted 8 weeks ago.
Catered training day with 400 or so like minded people--go for it. Like RV said, if it's already close to what's in your plan, and alot of plans have long bikes and runs scheduled at 4 weeks out, use it as a day to hone your transition, pacing and nutrition skills.
Depending on the technical difficulty of the trail run you may want to be a little cautious there to avoid potential injury. Try getting out to run the loop before hand, it could be an advantage on race day.
Good luck and have some fun, take it down a notch if you decide to do it.
john
I don't need to get faster, I just need to get older!
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PJT posted 8 weeks ago.
The trail run is not very technical at all. The first and last 3/4 of a mile are up and down a big hill (the High Cliff), which is paved. After you climb the hill, it is 2 flat loops of mostly wide soft dirt in the woods, some road and just a bit of running on broken rock or old road bed for maybe 1 mile where you need to be a little careful.
The sprint course takes you up the hill, has a short run in the woods, and then right back down the hill.
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kylie posted 8 weeks ago.
If you honestly don't know if you'll be able to training day the B race, I'd skip it. Go cheer for your buddies instead. But it does look like a blast, and if you can find a way to promise yourself (and keep that promise) about the effort level, it could be fun. It really depends on you and how you'd react out there!
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kona_expat posted 8 weeks ago.
Aw, race 'em both. 4 weeks between HIM's should not be that big of a deal. You just need to watch your recovery--I wouldn't run for 3 days after each race, but you can pretty much swim the next day and get on the bike 2 days later, maybe just not so intensely. By the weekend following, you should be back on plan, giving you 2 more weeks of normal training and intensity and 3 weeks later start a taper.
You should actually recover quite well from the first race since the run is on trails.
I did a 1/2 2 weeks ago (OK, not really a race just did the distance indoors), and am doing another one in a week and another 3 weeks later. Just really need to be mindful of the recovery the week after each one.
YMMV
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Jetskr posted 8 weeks ago.
Wow, bunch of great advise everyone. I'm doing Vineman with a few friends and we're working out if we're going to join a local team training for Racine or if we're going to get a training program and go on our own. Once we get that worked out, hopefully in the next couple days, I'll look and see how the training matches up with High Cliff.
Odds are I'll end up doing it. I mean, the training is alright but the racing is where it's at.
Thanks to all of you for the advise and hope to see you at a race some time.
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kylie posted 8 weeks ago.
Kona brings up some good info. Another thing to think about is how well you personally recover. How did you feel after your half last year?
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Nobody posted 7 weeks ago.
'Tis just a half IM.....
I did my second triathlon 24hrs after I did my first.....and PR'd my 1/2 distance two weeks after my first full Ironman. All in my first season. Pain and injuries were the result of such stupidity, but I'd rather run with a limp this year than regret what I maybe could have done if I was bolder last.
Greatness is only achieved by those who perpetually raise the expectations of themselves to the point where it ruins their life.
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RV posted 7 weeks ago.
Nobody wrote:
'Tis just a half IM.....I did my second triathlon 24hrs after I did my first.....and PR'd my 1/2 distance two weeks after my first full Ironman. All in my first season. Pain and injuries were the result of such stupidity, but I'd rather run with a limp this year than regret what I maybe could have done if I was bolder last.
Wow ... interesting perspective... There is bold and then there is ... ummm not.
I would much rather be going after PR's this year and having an even stronger season rather than limping through because I overdid it last year.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
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kylie posted 7 weeks ago.
RV wrote:
Nobody wrote:'Tis just a half IM.....I did my second triathlon 24hrs after I did my first.....and PR'd my 1/2 distance two weeks after my first full Ironman. All in my first season. Pain and injuries were the result of such stupidity, but I'd rather run with a limp this year than regret what I maybe could have done if I was bolder last.
Wow ... interesting perspective... There is bold and then there is ... ummm not.
I would much rather be going after PR's this year and having an even stronger season rather than limping through because I overdid it last year.
I agree with RV. I'm in this sport for the long term, and the benefits for my health. It's not about now, but about the whole lifestyle.
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kona_expat posted 7 weeks ago.
tri-ac wrote:
keep in mind Kona's got some significant base under her...consider where your own base is and how you recover
You sayin' I got base? :) Yes, I do, but still...
Here's a recommendation, which is NOT what I'd do myself--I'm not this conservative: I'd do a "crash taper" for the first race, meaning just cut way back on my scheduled training the 3 days before the race (nothing day before). You may have to move some stuff around, but oh well.
First race you swim race pace, you bike race pace, and you go out easy on the run for the first 3 miles, and then if you're feelin' it, pick up the pace and finish. If nothing else, have fun! Trail runs can be a blast, and you probably won't be able to go as fast as on the road anyway, so enjoy it for what it is, knowing how strong it will make you for Race #2. Just don't be a hot dog on the trail and do a header.
I'll assume Race #1 is on a Sunday.
Monday: nothing. Tuesday: swim as you feel. A Masters workout may or may not feel good. Wednesday: Easy-peasy ride, maybe 1:30. You can do :20-:40 at close to 1/2 IM pace, but I wouldn't push it further than that. Err on the easy side. Swim a little bit (:20-:30) after if you can to keep frequency. Thursday: Run. I wouldn't push harder than 1/2 mary pace, if you feel like doing it. Run maybe :45-:50, with :10 of that strides after warmup. If you can, do this on a trail. Friday: Swim, and another easy-ish run like on Thursday. Sat. Long run, but keep it to 1:30 max, Z1-Z2. If you have time, do a short (:20-:30) recovery swim. Sunday: Long Ride, maybe 2:45, no need to hang with roadies. Max effort only needs to be 1/2 IM pace. Run :30, but NOT AS A BRICK. Do later in the day. You can switch Sat./Sun. if it works out better for you or you don't feel like you have your run legs back on Saturday.
Following week: you are back on your training schedule
Following week: you are back on your training schedule
Following week: Do your planned taper (which I assume is 1 week) for Race #2.
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PrinceofClydes posted 7 weeks ago.
How are we supposed to offer meaningful advice in an information vacuum?
jestskr you have told us nothing about you except that this is your second season in triathlon. No profile completed, no race history, age, weight, training record for last six months, nothing, not even your gender.
We're guessing here.
The replies so far look to me as if the posters were saying, "If this were me, with my training record, ability, goals, etc. I'd do this..."
Not the kind of advice you should stake your season on, eh?
Unless you're planning on winning Vineman - in which case you know enough about triathlon not to need to ask this question - why not do the High Cliff race? I mean 4 weeks out from Vineman you should be doing a hard training day in any case. If you can't do High Cliff and recover in a month for Vineman, why are you worried about Vineman? You aren't fit enough to worry about Vineman.
Just get it done. You'll be fine.
PoC
"Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory is forever." - Shane Falco.
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Jetskr posted 7 weeks ago.
No problem. I'm male, 30, a Pisces, and enjoy long walks on the beach... Kidding. Seriously, I've been running for 4 or 5 years mostly at 1/2 marathon and less. This last year I completed 4 triathlons including 3 Olympic distance and one HIM. The last Olympic I set a PR at 2:58 but am in much better shape now. After the HIM last year it took me about 2 weeks to fully recover but I was going all out the whole time.
I'm registered for St. A's and am shooting for 2:30. I don't have any delusions about winning the race but am always looking to improve.
Hey everyone,
I'm registered and training for Vineman, my A race, and a friend is trying to talk me into doing another half, High Cliff, a month before the race. It's a fairly local race with a lot of hills and a trail run. This is my second season in this sport and did a half last year, Spirit of Racine, but am not sure about doing two back to back.
My friends claim is that I should treat the High Cliff as a training day and take it a little easy. I'm not sure I can take it easy during a race though.
Any one try anything like this before? How did it work out?