I figured this should be labelled 'a' thread instead of 'the' thread because i am pretty sure there's another one started but I can't find it with the search function!
It would be nice to trade stories on how we are progressing with our training programs, commiserate on the grief involved, ask others - including the experienced ones! - for advice, and so on.
For me, I'm lined up to do IMMT as my first, this August. I've done several sprints, an Oly, and a HIM in prior years, with numerous running events from 10ks thru marathon distance. I am lucky enough to have dodged injuries so far, and ungifted enough to have dodged the podiums (by a wide margin) as well. I'll be in the 50-54 AG @ Mont Tremblant.
Currently wrapping up my 7th week of following Matt Fitzgerald's Essential Week-By-Week Training Guide. I chose this 24-week plan because I had good success (for me) using his HIM plan to prep for the hilly Muskoka 70.3, so I figured [i]if it ain't broke...[/i]
For those familiar with it, I am using level 4 for the swim and level 9 for the bike & run. My reasoning is that given how much I dislike swim training (though my attitude is improving in lockstep with my endurance in the pool) I don't want to invest the amount of time that would be needed [i]at this stage[/i] to improve significantly. It's a bang for the buck consideration; I see my late-onset swimmer "style" as something of a finger print that I won't radically alter in the next few months, so while I will still keep up with my coached club swims and work on drills, I'm resigned to focus on increasing my distances to build up fitness & I'm pretty satisfied with that.
I will be looking to up my bike mileage whenever possible. I came to triathlon from a very modest biking background.
And since running has been on a steady rise through my three years in multi-sport - picking up speed & endurance without any injury (knock on wood) - the level 9 distances are not intimidating given what I've been used to in the past year+.
This IM training is difficult to schedule! I mean, I knew it would be, but being already at upwards of 15 hrs/wk, I find the impact on family time is remarkable compared to even half distance training; I'll clearly need to take more care scheduling things as Build & Peak stages arrive. Up before 5 this morning to squeeze in my first ever 4 hour ride - the 1st hr was in the garage on the trainer due to darkness. Something like 727m elevation change in the 3hrs outdoors. It was only about 4*C (39F) with a fair windchill, so I felt the full brunt of numb, frozen toes & hands... I could tell I was still pedalling because I wasn't falling over, and my shifting was a crapshoot! I know I may regret wishing for warm days come June and July, but "The Dude can't abide" with the way my feet thawed in the shower - not since childhood when we'd stay out 'til dusk on an icy pond curling with frozen dog turds have I felt such a burning sensation as I defrosted.
I splurged on a Castelli Free Aero Race bib - very nice... the Progetto X2 pad was absolutely "invisible." Thanks to folks like TriSooner & gfd for advocating bibs from their first-hand experience, this is now one less worry as I approach the longest of training weeks. After the ride I felt excellent - no screams in the shower when water hit the Joy Zone, and I never once had to do the R&R (Rise & Reposition) thing at any point in the four hours.
I'm not using a power meter - not that I am opposed to it, just can't justify the cost right now. I have had excellent results in the past three years solely based on RPE, with a touch of HR now and again as my version of a poor man's reality check. Fingers crossed I can carry this sense through the 140.6
Simple Pleasure this morning: I was reminded of that extreme feeling of thirst quenching I get from a glass of plain water ~ 20 mins after the initial recovery drink & shower. It's like the perfect moment of desire meeting with satisfaction. Anyone else find this sort of phenomenon following a long workout?
Enough about me... how are things going for you?
Snailmale, you certainly
Snailmale, you certainly have the gift of gab. Are you a social butterfly in your real life? I thought it was really considerate to ask how I am doing...LOL. So here it goes:
Me, I am winging it again. I am still trying to figure out the realities of how to adopt the "tri" lifestyle so that training fits my "real life" like a glove. Once I have that figured out I might take preparing for an actual race a bit more seriously. Right now I am planning on doing two 5Ks in the york region area and then Guelph Lake I sprint triathlon. I am stepping up to a full sprint for a race distance now. My coach wanted me to jump right up to the Olympic distance after last season, but I didn't think that was a good idea, because the Olympics are really competitive, I think the fastest time in my age group in the race I was in was 2:15 which seems pretty fast. I think the sprints are a better distance for me, based on my skill and experience.
As far as my training goes, I am just trying to get outside! The weather lately has just been too cold to bike, but running it is ok. Of course there is no hope for swimming outside, at least not until late June. So I will probably be jumping into Guelph Lake with no outside swimming experience this season. Not my favorite approach, however I have a better sense of how to prepare in the pool than I did last year. Although something tells me I won't be leading the pack in the sprint so I probably don't have to worry as much as I did last year.
Even though Mont Tremblant will probably be the IM I choose to do, I won't be doing that anytime soon. I need a lot more experience in endurance sports before I tackle something that big. But I do look forward to your race report. In a couple of years I will probably do Muskoka 70.3, but it probably won't until I am confident that I can train properly for it.
Snail-male, great post man!
Snail-male, great post man! I am not doing an IM distance but I will simulate the same training for IMAZ 2013, if things go well I will be doing a solo IM in 11.18.2012. I'll be checking the post often to see hou you guys are doing. Good luck everybody
Snail_Male, My wife and I
Snail_Male,
My wife and I are racing IMMT this year too. Would be great to meet some trifuelers up there. This will be my 4th IM, but my first IM with hills(so it's like doing my 1st all over again). This is somewhat of a challenge for us, as it's not as simple as going out for a 3-5 hour ride right now. Sure the temps are good, but we have no hills(we have running hills, but no biking hills). So far I have been eating hills for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the trainer. In the past, I needed to be able to stay in the aero-bars for 110 of 112 miles. IMMT seems to be all about hill repeats, just one roller after another. I'm hoping to make several trips out to the mountains(North Carolina) this summer for some long rides.
I'm on the fence about the power meter too. I was ready to pull the trigger but decided to sleep on it. I just can't justify the cost, especially since the bulk of my rides are indoors.
I have had minor injury over
I have had minor injury over the past two years, and haven't raced healthy since 2010.
I am building up slowly this year for IMFL. Yesterday I completed my first 3000M open water swim of the season.
In the last two weeks, I have had problems hitting my workouts consistently. I have been working out, but I have needed extra rest, and I have been suffering from pretty severe calf cramps during breakthrough endurance workouts. (2500+M swim, 10+ mi run, 50+ mile bike)
I have a HIM in May (FL70.3) and was thinking of doing IM70.3 Augusta as a prep race to see if i can nail my splits.
i am doing im western
i am doing im western australia in early december. i have the 70.3 at the same course in 12 days time and that has taken the focus off the 140.6. i am having a two week break after the half (it is the last race of our summer season) which will then give me 29 weeks over winter to train for the 140.6. i havent decided on a training program yet. i have built up my long rides to four hours so i have a pretty good bike base. swimming is no problem but i am worried about the running. this 70.3 will be my second half marathon (my first was same event last year). i have never run further and so my first full marathon will also be during a triathlon. my plan at the moment will be to run the half and then see what happens !!!!
Snail_male, great thread.
Snail_male, great thread.
I am also training for my first IM, in my case, IMWI in September. I am also doing Muncie 70.3 in July. I have done a handful of Olympics, and 1 HIM last year. As if training for an IM wasn't enough, I upped the difficulty level by adding a newborn into the mix for the last three months of training as my wife is due in late May. It should be easier to get out to train when I don't have to worry about that pesky thing called "sleep", right?
I am following the "Be Iron Fit" 30-week intermediate program by Don Fink. I just finished the 10-week base phase and am starting week 1 of the build. I like that it is structured by durations (ex. 60min run, 90min bike, etc) rather than mileage. It makes planning quite a bit easier when I know that I have to schedule a certain amount of time on any given day. The first phase had upwards of 11 hrs/wk with late in the program maxing at about 15 hrs/wk.
Swimming has been tough for me as I've spent the last 5 months swimming with a masters class once a week, and I've tweaked my stroke so much I don't even know what the hell I'm doing anymore. I actually found the class counterproductive as I abandon what they are trying to teach so I can keep up the pace with the rest of the folks in my lane. Somehow I was grouped with the fastest swimmers, and my pride wouldn't let me ask to move down. Swimming on my own the past couple weeks and revisiting what they were trying to teach has been much better for me.
Bike training is a little easier for me and is probably my strongest discipline. Had a 55-mile ride this weekend that with the exception of a flat, went well. I need to have my bike fit tweaked a little, and possibly replace my stock Felt saddle. Tough to tell when I've only been on the TT bike outside a handful of times this season. Probably will make that decision in the next month.
Running is going better for me than ever before after changing my form over the last 8 months or so (more upright, shorter strides, faster tempo, focusing on moving forward rather than upward), and I ran 11 miles yesterday. Took it a little easy since it was my longest run of the season so far, but was pretty happy with the pace. I have had a history of back problems (herniated discs, cracked vertebrae, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis), and triathlon has done wonders to make me correct/strengthen these areas to protect myself. Like jenez_world, my first marathon will be at the end of IMWI.
Thus far, training has been tough and I have asked myself a couple times why I didn't just sign up for a 70.3. But, it's rewarding all the same. Hopefully, I will remember that three months from now.
I entered my first triathlon
I entered my first triathlon three years ago, finished a sprint and an olympic that year. Last year I did my first HIM. Guess what I'm doing this year? Yep, Rev3 Cedar Point in September will be my first 140.6!
Currently I'm training for a 70.3 that will be in two weeks and afterwards I plan to slowly ramp up training for the ironman. I'm following the Beginner Triathlete plan - it's 20 weeks so I can start that right after the Kinetic race. I also like this plan because it is not based on heart rate zones! For some reason I'm just not a fan of HRZ workouts.
My biggest weakness is the bike - anyone have a suggestion on a bike specific plan? I can log the miles but hills - and perhaps more importantly the flat section right after the hill- kill me. I'd like finish the bike course right around six hours.
Happy training!
Great to hear from
Great to hear from everyone!
hamlet - I hope you like the Guelph Lake tri - it seemed well run the year I did the Oly there. Guelph's my home town! If you are one to treat yourself to complex carbohydrates after an event, be sure to drive into town to the [url=http://withthegrain.ca/menu/]With the Grain bakery[/url]! Any place that posts a Muffin & Scone Schedule is fine by me.
pancho - I'll be following your progress as well... it's inspiring to see you wanting to solo it. As a person who enjoys most of his training time alone I can relate to your enthusiasm to put together that sort of plan.
Jeff - absolutely we'll need to arrange a Trifuel meet up @ Mont Tremblant. Let's plan on that as the date draws near. How are you managing your hills on the trainer - do you prop up the front wheel and shift to a tougher gear & mash away? I've tried doing that sort of thing, in conjunction with watching some of the Sufferfest videos, especially Angels; it's hard to slack off when you're being taunted to stay on Contador's wheel as he launches yet another attack uphill. All I know is that it is sweet music to my ears to hear experienced IMers say the IM bike should be your easiest ride of the season! I am looking to get a 12-27 cassette to replace my current 11-23; open to other people's opinions based on whatever elevation estimates seem most trustworthy...
yakn - so sorry to hear about the chronic injury issue - best of luck with that. You're putting in some pretty big #s for a November event (2500+M swim, 10+ mi run, 50+ mile bike!!) Your talk about rest reminded me that I wanted to ask the following of any experienced folks passing thru this thread:
REST DAYS > my schedule calls for the typical one day off out of seven; rather than burn myself out yesterday with a 1:50 run after my morning 2400yd swim, and rest today, I made an exception to skip the run and do it today. So, instead of swim/run Sunday, rest Monday, it was swim Sunday, run Monday, then resume the schedule (recovery week) on the Tuesday. Right now, even after pumping out over an hour & a half on the dreadmill, I feel it was the right decision. I will try to not make this a habit because I totally respect the need to rest & recover, but does anyone have regrets with taking liberties with their schedule at any point??
jenez - best wishes for catching your running up to where you want it. At least it sounds like you have time (>30 weeks) on your side. I'm a sample of one, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but if you're like me, a [i]realllllly slowwww[/i] build up on the run mileage will maximize the chances of making the longer runs injury-free & joy-packed. Good luck on the 70.3! Let us know how it goes. I am envious of you getting experience on the same course as the 140.6; Tremblant has a 70.3 in June, which would be perfect for me except for the time, cost, and family politics it would entail!
GW - you are already guaranteed to have the best RR... with a newborn pending, who knows what stories you will be privileged with! Your jokes about the sleep might be spot on - in a perverse way you may just find it as easy to stay up @ 4:38am while mom nurses baby and you can get cracking on your long rides(!)
Your quote about swimming "I've tweaked my stroke so much I don't even know what the hell I'm doing anymore." sounds like I could have written it! Same boat as you. I am cautiously optimistic that the "fish" out there are right... there's no other sport quite like swimming for all of the weekly hours that need to be put in before improvement can be seen. I am only seconds/100m quicker than when I began three years ago, but as I start increasing my weekly totals for the IM schedule I [i]think[/i] it is getting easier to hold those #s and when I push it I can actually squeeze a few [i]more[/i] seconds/100m out of myself; at the best of times I feel I must be sending up a rooster tail behind me, only to see a blue-rinser leisurely shuffle past me pushing a walker on the pool deck.
And good job on the shorter strides for the run - I've hardly heard anyone say they wish they didn't try it as they venture into the longer distances. I have a lousy vertebral joint down low (sciatica) and can't believe how helpful triathlon training has been for me. It's almost counter-intuitive, although I suppose the core strengthening allows the body to protect itself better than it would with a more "normal" lifestyle...
rpcv_adriana: I haven't got first-hand experience with taking this route, but others have claimed it made the biggest difference for improving their biking: bike with [i]bikers[/i]. Are there any clubs or LBS rides near you? It could be worth trying, as I am certain a group at the right pace will improve your speed & fitness like almost nothing else!
Happy trails, everyone.
P.S. - stupid little laugh I had the other day: I was walking back from my pool (15 mins from home) carrying my gym big bag loaded with all of my "pool toys" and as I strolled by some kids playing in a yard with their parents watching from the porch, someone told them to "watch out" for the pedestrian so they wouldn't knock me over. One of the kids turned to her folks and said,[i]It's just a pizza guy![/i]
Two questions popped into mind: 1) Does my red jacket match my red bag so well that it looks like a uniform? and 2) since when are pizza delivery people second rate citizens?! Frankly, I salivate when I see one.
I am liberal with rest days
I am liberal with rest days at this point because i am worried about overdoing it. I plan for a tough workout every other day, with the peak of the week being my weekend EPIC. I am trying to strengthen my supporting joints and ligaments slowly over time so that injuries are less likely. also, trying to reduce my weight as another prevention method. 245 lbs makes it tough to run a long ways, and i have always injured myself running, and specifically trying to increase my speed.
snail_male wrote:Great to
[quote=snail_male]Great to hear from everyone!
hamlet - I hope you like the Guelph Lake tri - it seemed well run the year I did the Oly there. Guelph's my home town! If you are one to treat yourself to complex carbohydrates after an event, be sure to drive into town to the [url=http://withthegrain.ca/menu/]With the Grain bakery[/url]! Any place that posts a Muffin & Scone Schedule is fine by me.
[/quote]
Ok, I will check that place out, thanks for the link.
One thing I was wondering about IM training, is how exactly do you do it when you only have a couple months of training outdoors? What are you doing exactly? Does this mean long bike rides on the bike trainer, and "mind-numbing" long treadmill workouts? I can visualize training for a half ironman in our climate, because even if you can get outside by May, that still leaves you four months of training, and I think it is doable for Muskoka 70.3. But how do you get in the volume for double that distance by late August? I am just curious how you go about that.
And how come you don't like the swim training? I would find the swim the easiest to prepare for indoors, although I can't see a 4K endurance swim in a pool, that would be pretty boring. But you could build a good base in the pool and then build up your long swim by the end of August, without too much trouble. What are you finding difficult about the swim training? Just curious.
hamlet_cat wrote: One thing
[quote=hamlet_cat] One thing I was wondering about IM training, is how exactly do you do it when you only have a couple months of training outdoors? What are you doing exactly? Does this mean long bike rides on the bike trainer, and "mind-numbing" long treadmill workouts?[/quote] Good questions. For the bike I could not survive more than a half-hearted half hour or so on my own, so I have subscribed to the [url=http://www.trainerroad.com/]TrainerRoad[/url] site (I believe it is ~$10/month) When I combine it with some of the Sufferfest videos, I have hours of hard workouts available to me. I can also just put on a Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix DVD and play some favourite workout music while the TrainerRoad window scrolls along the bottom of the screen telling me to work harder. These types of diversions allow me to push myself more + the time [i]flies[/i] compared to just pedalling away to a boxed set of some tv shows.
For running: I think at least Anton will back me up on this one: as long as you are dressed appropriately for it almost any weather is manageable. If your municipality plows at least some sidewalks (or gets the streets cleared wide enough to give you safe clearance) you can get out in -15*C and still do the job. I've done this a few winters now in prepping for the Chilly Half as well as Around the Bay, both held in March. If it seems too snowy or icy: give YakTrax treads a try - they've helped me salvage more than one session. I carry my liquids on longer outings so that my hand heat keeps the fluids flowing, though they can also be tucked on a hydration belt [i]under[/i] your jacket. I've tried the dreadmill at my local fitness centre, and, all things being equal, prefer to always get out in the fresh air if possible.
[quote=hamlet_cat] And how come you don't like the swim training? I would find the swim the easiest to prepare for indoors, although I can't see a 4K endurance swim in a pool, that would be pretty boring. But you could build a good base in the pool and then build up your long swim by the end of August, without too much trouble. What are you finding difficult about the swim training? Just curious.[/quote]
I must say, having just bought the Sport Count finger mount lap counter, it has helped alleviate one of my major annoyances. I would enjoy swimming more if it weren't for needing to drive to/from a pool, adhere to the limited hours, pay each time for the privilege, duck and dodge around naked butts to reach a locker to protect my stuff from theft, strip naked myself amongst strangers (twice), scald or freeze myself in a push-button shower pre-set by disgruntled, under-paid public employees, share my lane space & interact/negotiate constantly with others, wonder if anyone has peed in the water recently, witness very little progress in spite of the honest effort of thousands of metres of drills and intervals, stare for hours at one of the most inane views a person should have to waste their precious sight on (nothing but lane line & tiles, tiles, tiles), then deal with raccoon eyes, nasal congestion, swimmers' hair and itchy skin afterwards. None of these things happens with riding or running. Otherwise, I guess it's not that bad.
snail_male, Sounds fun.
snail_male,
Sounds fun. Currently, my hills on the trainer are using the Mont-Tremblant erg Video course, and other courses on the computrainer. It's pretty good and the wattage/load just increase as you hit each hill. Seems to be pretty effective for me.
Also hoping to take a couple weekend trips to the mountains to do some long runs and hit the Blue Ridge Parkway for the rides. If nothing else, the scenary should be spectacular.
+1, the IM bike should be your easiest ride of the season....and if it's not, then it will be your hardest 26.2 ;)
I picked up an 11-28 as well(couldn't find a 12-27 for my bike), based on some recommendation from some triuelers:
http://trifuel.com/forum/27392/gearing-selection-for-hilly-ironman
Anyway, good luck with training and see you in August.
snail_male wrote: I must
[quote=snail_male]
I must say, having just bought the Sport Count finger mount lap counter, it has helped alleviate one of my major annoyances. I would enjoy swimming more if it weren't for needing to drive to/from a pool, adhere to the limited hours, pay each time for the privilege, duck and dodge around naked butts to reach a locker to protect my stuff from theft, strip naked myself amongst strangers (twice), scald or freeze myself in a push-button shower pre-set by disgruntled, under-paid public employees, share my lane space & interact/negotiate constantly with others, wonder if anyone has peed in the water recently, witness very little progress in spite of the honest effort of thousands of metres of drills and intervals, stare for hours at one of the most inane views a person should have to waste their precious sight on (nothing but lane line & tiles, tiles, tiles), then deal with raccoon eyes, nasal congestion, swimmers' hair and itchy skin afterwards. None of these things happens with riding or running. Otherwise, I guess it's not that bad.[/quote]
This sounds very familiar. I swim 2x a week with a masters group, and even though it isn't geared toward endurance freestyle, I like it better than "lane swim." And then I will lane swim once on my own just to work on freestyle specifically, and some other weaknesses I have. The trouble with our climate is that we really only have two months of swimming outdoors. So most of it unfortunately has to be done in the pool. Can you swim in Lake Ontario where you live? Is that an option in the summer? I have recently decided once the weather starts getting warmer (hopefully soon) I am going to bike to the pool that is farther away because they have better hours.
Do you think you will start doing more long distance tris now? (IMs and HIMs) Because if you were going to focus on the shorter events, you could probably drop the swim training over the winter. I have started swimming as late as July 1rst and still found I can participate in the later season tris.
i have found over the last
i have found over the last 18 months what my body likes and doesnt like and when it needs a rest day. i never run two days in a row. because i dont have a huge running base i have to take it easy and i have to take it slow. monday is my rest day but i have found the sooner i get back in the pool after the big weekend workouts the better my week goes. so i try and have a recovery swim monday. i dont know why (maybe family time) but most people here do there long 'group' ride on a saturday. i like sunday and i like riding alone. however sometimes i do a shorter group ride (with cyclists rather than triathletes) some saturday mornings as well as my long ride sunday. and i dont run long and ride long on the weekend. my long run is thursday. i have also started doing my shorter runs on the treadmill - hoping to make things are little easier on the body. i always (try to) swim, ride and run three times each per week. i do have a nap on the weekend - this is probably more important than most people realise. now if i could just figure out how to fit in some yoga and strength sessions ! sometimes i have to move workouts around but i always stick to the above guidelines. you have to do what works for you and there are no rules. i made the mistake a few times of listening to other people and trying to do what they did - thinking if i didnt i wouldnt be training 'right'. now i trust my own judgement a lot more.
I'm getting ready for NYC
I'm getting ready for NYC (almost 100 days away- yikes!!!) and my basic program in build for 2 weeks and then take a week off, most programs have 3 weeks build periods and I find by the third week I need the rest as I break down rather easily on the third week
I swim and do strength training twice a week, I run about 3 times a week, never on back to back days as I had hip and IT Band issues last year (so far so good this year- knock on wood) I try and bike 4 times a week (I figure this is the key element - set-up for a better/fresher body on the run). the weather has finally turned nice so I am finally able to go outside and get some good rides on Saturday but during the week I'll do the trainers downstairs either before the kids are up or after they go to bed so I can spend time with the family :)
hamlet_cat wrote: Can you
[quote=hamlet_cat] Can you swim in Lake Ontario where you live? Is that an option in the summer? [/quote]
There is a club nearby, funnily enough called LOST (Lake Ontario Swim Team) that presents an option to me. I may work up the nerve to join in with them before the bacteria counts get too high; in the meantime my tri club will be starting up a month of OWSs in a man-made lake nearby (that'll be a case of ignoring the opaque, creamy surface of the water before I wade into it.)
Did I say I hate swim training?
[quote=jenez_world]i have found over the last 18 months what my body likes and doesnt like and when it needs a rest day... and i dont run long and ride long on the weekend... i do have a nap on the weekend - this is probably more important than most people realise... you have to do what works for you and there are no rules. i made the mistake a few times of listening to other people and trying to do what they did - thinking if i didnt i wouldnt be training 'right'. now i trust my own judgement a lot more.[/quote]
Loads of smartness in your post. And I am jealous of your ability to nap! Any time I give into that siesta instinct I find my subsequent night's sleep is left in tatters.
- hey turtle: Welcome to Trifuel! I hope your hip & IT band behave for you... having a potentially chronic injury is like training on eggshells, isn't it? Kudos to you for juggling your time to focus on the kids. With a family it seems there's always a need to compromise; I know my wife, while supportive, is looking fwd to August 20th almost as much as I am looking forward to August 19th! I heard of one spouse holding up a sign at a race that read "I get my husband back in 70.3 miles."
Tried out my new 12-27 rr
Tried out my new 12-27 rr cassette on 4.25hr ride this weekend (running a 50/34 compact up front.) The hills still felt every bit as steep (just over 30% grades at times) but I expect that in a race situation it will be "bio-mechanically" easier on my drumsticks this way. Stayed aero for about 90% of the ride. Overall a very interesting day as I played around with differing gears/RPEs on the rolling route; found it a solid trade-off to lose the top speed of the 11 tooth gear when it meant I could spin the taller 21 tooth cog while still in my big ring, when before, with the 11-23, I only got to 19 teeth. That will translate into my staying in the big ring much more often, as those speeds are close to that cruising sweet spot of ~ 30-35 kph/20mph. If anyone's wondering about gearing comparisons and possibilities, check out http://www.gear-calculator.com for some helpful graphics & stats.
Had a "moment" on the way up one short but intense hill, when I wheelied [i]while standing[/i]. The front wheel kicked up & over a good half foot. Don't think that's ever happened to me even when MTBing the fire roads of Marin County. I see it as a good sign... I was experimenting with my weight balance for effectiveness and now I know how far back is too far!
Snail- Male having fun with
Snail- Male having fun with the new cassette, 4.25 hours ride went fast hu?
My IM training simulation to IMAZ2013 begins this week. I am going to do 24 weeks of tweaked Base 1-3 Build1-2, Peak and Taper. I have done a bunch of HIM and it has been hard for me to follow a plan so for the Full I will be very flexible with the hours and take days off when other things are more important than training. Basically I am committed for the long ride and run Saturday and Sunday. Swim will be Monday and Friday. Bike to work and back Tuesday and Thursday and run on Wednesday. I am not planning doing 2 workouts a day, with the exception of commuting to work on T and TH.
I have an official HalfIM scheduled for on August 18 at Folsom Long Course that I am looking forward to it. I have also scheduled a Half on my own in October 14. That will be in my town in the local High school swimming pool, and the ride and run around town. I am lucky to live in an area of long roads and trails that go around the mountains although it will be tricky to set up the IM distance course especially because the lack long daylight by November. I still need to figure that out. My swimming is not good, not surprise to anyone, my technique sucks but it is on my priority list of improvements. I am a decent bike rider. I only own a beginner tri-bike, Javelin-Varese, so most of my rides are down in the bars. I need to adjust the seat post because it seems that I am getting shorter this year. Running is my best suit so I will put more time/emphasis in the bike for a good run afterwards.
panchotri wrote:Snail- Male
[quote=panchotri]Snail- Male having fun with the new cassette, 4.25 hours ride went fast hu?[/quote]
Ha! Yes, my friend, the higher ratios let me feel weak at a slower speed now!
Your low-key scheduling (like taking the opportunity to bike-commute) is a good reminder that this pursuit of ours needs to fit around our lives. I'll be doing a HIM near the end of this month, about 8 weeks out from IMMT. Looking forward to it as an overall systems check and a confirmation that my hydration & nutrition are spot on. Speaking of which, I made my own gel on the weekend... and it worked! (I shouldn't sound surprised, right?)
Some details:
- I managed to stuff about 1500 cal. of mostly maltodextrin into a 20oz. bottle for a five hour ride.
- included a few tablespoons of Gatorade for flavour, a half teaspoon of sea salt, a teaspoon of calcium carbonate, and... not [i]quite[/i] enough water to make it easy to squeeze - more experimenting needed.
- it tasted nice (nowhere near as sickly sweet as packaged gels), was a fraction of the cost, gave me a consistent dose of energy and, most importantly, it earned my GI tract's seal of approval.
- in order to ensure the gel's isotonicity with my blood I calculated I'd need to quaff about 1 litre of water/hour, which is more than the 750mls I often get away with [i]in the garage[/i]. Will need to see what being outside, in warmer weather, under the stress of a race does to that volume.
Here's one for the books... the five hour ride was on the trainer. You heard me correctly. Trainer. Five. Hours.
[u]Pros to doing this[/u]:
- I'd never be more than a few steps from home in case the new malto brew didn't work out <[size=10][i]wink wink[/i][/size]>
- avoided some nasty winds and rains as well.
- got to see a few feature films and numerous episodes of Top Gear on Netflix.
- confirmed my Castelli bibs are divine. No chamois cream, yet no shower screams.
[u]Cons[/u]: other than the profound restlessness of being on a fixed bike?! Not too much; even then it was better than staring at a line on the bottom of a pool! Seriously, I confirmed my suspicions that riding a trainer is harder on the body - the core, especially - than being just out on the road and my theory is that it is the absence of what I'd call "micro-adjustments." When on a trainer, we have [b]no[/b] reason to move besides pedalling, whereas I think the fluid nature of cycling outdoors would engage/relax all of our body's other muscles just enough to break up their monotonous tension. Anyone else agree, or at least find the same phenomenon?
Looking forward to my first bike TT of the season this Weds. evening, a 20k route in a quiet area with a few good hills. It is nice to be able to sprinkle some events into the schedule to keep it exciting and intense.
Running's gone very well (knock on wood) and I must even say that the moments of good swimming "feel" are occurring more frequently and lasting longer. It doesn't mean I am getting faster, but if it means arriving @ T1 as less of a basket case than I was expecting to, I will be a happy camper.
How is everyone else managing with their training?
i completed my 70.3 4 weeks
i completed my 70.3 4 weeks ago and while dreaming of a massive PB the thunderstorms and weather put an end to that. the swim was horrendous - big swell and choppy. very difficult to sight the buoys and by the time you got close you had drifted off course and had to swim back out to them. people struggled with seasickness and even if they made it through the swim struggled on the bike. i dont get seasick. toughest swim i have ever encountered. so instead of being 5 mins up i was 8 minutes down on last year. i had an excellent bike and was 15 minutes up. the run was hard and i think by then the swim and everything that had happened along the way (training/life/injuries) caught up with me. a couple of minutes down but i did run the same pace from start to finish. i finished quicker overall than last year and i was disappointed but alot of lessons learnt and i guess in the long run i gotta be happy with that. so now i have a 6 week period to just enjoy swimming, riding my bike and going for a run before i start my 21 week ironman program. one of the biggest tips i would have for anyone would be to swim in open water as much as you can. it pays off when faced with conditions that are far from perfect. i think every swim i have ever done led me to the point where i was capable of getting through that 1.9k course (i think i swam 2.5k and heard that someone had a garmin record 3k!!).
jenez_world wrote: ... i
[quote=jenez_world] ... i think every swim i have ever done led me to the point where i was capable of getting through that 1.9k course... [/quote]
Talk about perseverance! Congrats on that 70.3. I bet the confidence this performance gave you will carry over in spades to your 140.6
Something I tried
Something I tried successfully yesterday:
[u]Head to the woods to get out of the woods[/u].
Since overdoing it on my hot HIM run in early June (stoopid competitiveness > 2/35 AG and injured because of it), I'd been haunted by a relatively minor - but sore - ball of foot issue that I was worried might devolve into metatarsalgia, especially in this final peak training block. I've tried to be sensible since then, putting in just the right types of runs/week to keep the fitness, and baby the foot wherever possible, give a few extra days off here & there, keep swapping out shoes types, and so on. It seemed to be trending positively, but there was still the question of how the final few long runs would be (let alone the IM run itself).
Had a 2:45 run on the schedule for yesterday, and I was determined to approach it as carefully as possible, so I wrapped the dog with old-school moleskin and this time drove myself to my favourite trails rather than run there as I usually do (would have entailed running on pavement 6 of the 32kms). I think it may have made all the difference to stay on dirt all the way: I sit here typing 12 hours later with two intact feet! The moleskin came loose in the 1st hour so I stopped & removed it... the lion's share of the run was just "me and my shoes." I really focussed on mid-foot landings (which was counter-intuitive, perhaps, but I reckoned that using my full arch/instep skeletal suspension would cushion the ball of the foot better than landing further back and rolling onto the balls.)
Fingers crossed this sticks; I feel [i]really[/i] lucky to be getting away with it - so far. For me this reinforces how we need to make our own reality checks and not rigidly adhere to routines when some common sense dictates otherwise. I hope everyone else's IM preps are staying on track.
With one week to go before
With one week to go before IMMT, I'd like to paraphrase Carl Sandburg's poem, [i]Fog[/i]:
"The fitness comes / on little cat feet."
Now in the thick of my taper, I realized this morning suiting up for a 3+ hour ride (after a 22km run yesterday) that no workouts are "fazing" me any more. The fitness has just sort of crept up on me over these past 24 weeks, and now I wake up each day ready to go for the next round of workouts. And as the distances and intensities have mounted, I've - for the most part - been able to cover them; things like cresting hills in the big ring now where ordinarily I'd have to gear down, rapid(-ish!) recovery off runs, five-figure swim weeks, stuff like that.
I guess this is what it feels like to have the proverbial hay in the barn. I'm not particularly anxious about race day, feeling probably just enough confidence so that I might be able to enjoy myself out there, just looking fwd to the adventure and having so many of the questions answered.
My home-brew maltodextrin drinks are working, and I know all the nooks and crannies that will need liberal swipes with Body Glide.
I think I am ready... will report back.
Oh yeah, Body Glide! Now
Oh yeah, Body Glide! Now where did I stash that after my last IM?
Gotta go look now. Thx Snail!
PoC