Training for just one race???
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mdd posted 1 year ago.
I usually have two "A" races then a bunch of other "B" and "C" level events which includes triathlons, half-marathons, 5/10ks, road & mountain bike racing, etc. I usually do around 15 events a year including my "A" races. Racing is a great way to test your fitness level and see what you need to work on.
I would strongly suggest adding other races to your schedule even if they are not triathlons.
Good luck!
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kkocan posted 1 year ago.
I guess to clarify, I plan to do other races during the year but to use them to gauge my fitness as you state. As of now I am not planning on however modifying my training or tapering for them. The races will fall where they fall in my training phases.
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2008 Main Races:
VA Beach Shamrock Marathon
Desoto TTT
WV Mountaineer HIM
IM Wisconsin
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mdd posted 1 year ago.
kkocan;58532 wrote:
I guess to clarify, I plan to do other races during the year but to use them to gauge my fitness as you state. As of now I am not planning on however modifying my training or tapering for them. The races will fall where they fall in my training phases.
That is exactly what I do and what most coaches will tell you to do. I only taper for my "A" races and I just train through everything else. You won't do as "well" at the other races but that doesn't matter since you only should focus on peak results for "A" races.
Sounds like you have a solid plan for the year and are looking at the big picture.
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Anton posted 1 year ago.
I too train for one maybe two A races a year and everything else is B,C...sometimes D,E,F!...I taper for A.. taper,but just a few days for B and train through C.
But you have to be willing to not trash yourself in your B and C races... Your A race will go poorly if you are garbage from a B race a month before. B and C races are great places to work on specific aspects of your training.
To not "race" every race takes mental toughness...if you can't do it...stick to one race.
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://anton.trifuel.net
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RV posted 1 year ago.
Last year I did IMWI and it was my only 'A' race - I did many other races but they were really a nice change up for training - felt like it kept me fresh - especially throwing in a sprint and just going fast! I did 2 HIM's along the way to be assess my fitness levels as well. I'm doing IMWI this year as well and will probably do a few less races than last year. Too many races tho actually interfered a bit with my training plan - sometimes I would do a race and the still have to do a long ride afterwards.
See ya IMWI 07! Get some hill work in on the bike.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
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deepbluex posted 1 year ago.
You can consider your shorter races, especially the sprints, as training sessions under race conditions. At least you'll get a feel for swimming in a washing machine and going in and out of transition with a crowd. It's helpful to get reacquainted with that feeling because it's such a difference from quiet solitary training sessions.
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kkocan posted 1 year ago.
Anton;58535 wrote:
But you have to be willing to not trash yourself in your B and C races... Your A race will go poorly if you are garbage from a B race a month before. B and C races are great places to work on specific aspects of your training.
To not "race" every race takes mental toughness...if you can't do it...stick to one race.
Most of my other races that I plan on doing next year are all short...2-3 sprints at about an hour each, a couple of short time trials and maybe 1-2 short (20mile) bike races. Nothing would be closer than 2 weeks before IMWI, but since they are all so short I'm not too worried about ruining my A race. I just don't plan on doing as well at the other events because I won't be tapering at all for them.
As for the question I had on the base, anyone have any comments on how long their base training lasts for a typical IM?
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2008 Main Races:
VA Beach Shamrock Marathon
Desoto TTT
WV Mountaineer HIM
IM Wisconsin
357
Member
749 days
kkocan posted 1 year ago.
RV;58538 wrote:
See ya IMWI 07! Get some hill work in on the bike.
Thanks...I fortunately (or unfortunately) live in a pretty hilly areaand in fact my house is located on a hill, so if I go more than a mile or two in any direction I am into hills. Nothing like doing a long ride then having a 2-3 mile climb at the end just to get home. Hopefully this will help at IMWI.
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2008 Main Races:
VA Beach Shamrock Marathon
Desoto TTT
WV Mountaineer HIM
IM Wisconsin
3283
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RV posted 1 year ago.
kkocan;58560 wrote:
Thanks...I fortunately (or unfortunately) live in a pretty hilly areaand in fact my house is located on a hill, so if I go more than a mile or two in any direction I am into hills. Nothing like doing a long ride then having a 2-3 mile climb at the end just to get home. Hopefully this will help at IMWI.
Actually for IMWI the loop is a series of hills none are really very steep or very long at all. Just hill after hill - It is a course that you don't want to hammer on the first loop - wait for the second to turn it up a notch.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
I have one year of tri's under my belt (4 sprints, one half IM) and am training for IMWI. I survived this first year on basic athletic ability including a pretty strong swim and a decent biking background. I didn't follow any sepcific plans too much and just got by on group rides, runs and old swim practice routines.
I have since been reading, alot, and have signed up for the virtual coach at trainingpeaks.com and have laid out my plan, based on my strengths and weaknesses, for IMWI.
My question is, since this is abviously my A race and I live in an area where there aren't too many other races to do I have scheduled my plan with this being the only main race but am wondering if I should throw in another spring race to break things up? My plan as laid out by the training peaks program has me doing several weeks of prep and then base training from now until mid June I believe. Is that too long to go on just base training? Should I throw in a something in the spring to make sure the taper works for me? Or do some people train and build their base for months on end for just one race??
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2008 Main Races:
VA Beach Shamrock Marathon
Desoto TTT
WV Mountaineer HIM
IM Wisconsin