Beginner 1/2 Ironman Plan Group (Page 3)

Lynne,
You sound better today   I think the bike fit is a great idea and you might want to try riding three times a week for the next couple of weeks.  Even if they are short 45 minute rides.  I'd focus on keeping your cadence high on the bike so you still have legs for the run.  Try not to worry too much about speed and keep cadence 80+ so you don't toast your legs out there.
The run is my biggest concern as well.  If you have a Garmin keep an eye on your pace right off the bike and go slow, maybe even slower than you want to go, try to be consistent and enjoy the journey.

Hey All,

Matt jumping in head first!  Two goal races, the Bold Eagle half distance in April '11 and Ironman 70.3 Miami October '11.  I did my first tri, a sprint distance a few weeks back, but most of my experience is in distance running.  This stuff is addicting.  Got the beginner HIM training plan and I'm on it starting today, so wish me luck.  From what I can see, the support here is amazing, so this one should be fun!

mG

Hey guys!

I'm starting the intermediate HIM plan in December for New Orleans 70.3, but since that one doesn't have a forum yet, you guys mind if I hang out here ....

Edited by LSU25 2010-08-30 2:58 PM

Welcome to BT! We are so happy to have you join our community! Congratulations on your first race, too! You are right - this stuff is addicting.
Keep us posted on how the first week of the plan goes, and make sure to log your training in your training log so we can keep tabs on you!
Jessica

I had my first long ride followed by a run this weekend, yikes!  I rode 2.5 hours and followed it with a 30 minute run.  It was ok, not horrible and I learned some things so that is good but ugh!  I hate that it is so hard for me to find a good pace and settle in off the bike.  The good news is I am working on my hydration and nutrition and it is going well so far.  May start doing more transition runs after long rides to build my confidence.

Happy to have you! I am pretty sure we can get that intermediate group going before December.
Jessica

Hi all, so amazing to see so many people training for such a tough race as the HIM! It's very encouraging.

I considered doing a HIM in MO on Oct. 31, but I've been sidelined for 3wks after suffering a minor heatstroke. The guy running the race seems to think I still have time to train (8wks? No way!!), but I'm aiming for a HIM (or 2) in 2011. Worried about my tolerance to heat after this, but cooler weather is on its way.

I plan to start the HIM training plan after I get my strength back, and start looking for races in next year's season. I've done several tris this season, but no Olympic length. Doing the Memphis half in December. I skipped last Sat's planned tri bc of the stroke, and may skip the one on Sept 11 if I don't feel recovered.

Anyway, I guess I'd like to keep in touch w/other ppl who are planning to do HIM this year AND next year. I look fwd to reading your training logs and posts.

There's no way out, now!!
Jessica

I admire you a lot for taking the time to recover from a very serious situation. Most people under-estimate the damage that heat stroke can do LONG TERM if you don't take the time to really recover. Because you are taking the time to recover now, you will be a much stronger athlete in the future. Good job!!
Jessica

Sigh. I hope so. I'm about to lose my mind.

Oh honey! Hang in there!

And yeah, x2 on taking the time to recover. I had a similar experience when I got a concussion training ... it didn't SEEM that bad, but the truth is, I needed to take SEVERAL weeks off to recover physically and mentally.

Sounds like your plans are really good.

Maybe I sound like a Pollyanna, but ... I've found mental training--visualization and meditation--to be extremely helpful tools for training and racing, and ones I can practice anytime, even if I'm sidelined. Ask or PM me if you're interested.

Great job! You will get the hang of it if you do more bricks! Lots of people run faster off the bike and have to learn to slow down, while other people need to get used to the feeling of running off the bike.
As you already know, each time you do it you learn something new that you can apply to the next time.
Jessica

Best of luck on your race next weekend!

Hi there,
I'm finishing my first year of tri's with an Oly next week. I've done 3 sprints so far this year and ran a couple 1/2's marathons and have a couple more before the end of the year. My goal for 2011 is to finish with a 1/2 Ironman. Is this the group for me? I'm not really sure where else I'd fit  

I haven't used the training logs here yet but I'd like to get into the habit of doing so.

I have a couple questions. How do we link 'all this' together? ie. do I have to check on this forum regularly to see postings from this group or can I link it to my training log page? There is so much on this site that sometimes I'm not sure where to start As far as training, I plan to keep up my running regularly through the winter but what is a standard 'off season' training schedule like? Or is there really one?

Thanks,
Johanne

Thanks. I'm really looking forward to this race. Next season will be a challenge with a HIM/70.3

I'm wondering about keeping the cadence high while on the bike.

How does this help you save your legs? Sorry if this is a ridiculous newbie question!

Hi Johanne! Welcome to BT and to the forums! I really recommend you get in the habit of using your training log as it can be very motivational to get encouragement from others, and it also helps us get a sense of what your training is like if you ever have questions.
As for the forums, the best way to stay engaged in a forum is to make sure you get emails every time a thread is replied to. To do that, go to the very top of the page and click on "Settings". Then click on "Forum Settings". On that screen, you can choose to "receive email notifications by default", and then you will get notified any time someone replies to a thread you are participating in.
Next, add some of the people from this group to your "Friends" list so you will have a link to their training log in your training log. To do that, click on "Settings", the click on "Training Blog Customization", and then "Friends". Just type in their screen name and their avatar will appear in your training log so you can visit them and give them an "Inspire".
BT is a very busy place, and we are hoping that people like you that love BT but are struggling to get started will find it easier to engage all the features of the site through this wonderful new forum! I think you should hang out in this forum to get a sense of how other people are preparing for thei first HIM using the free plan on BT.
Over the winter, you can use a sprint plan or an Oly plan or no plan at all as long as you keep swimming, biking, and running a little bit. You want to stay in shape as much as you can, but also give yourself time to enjoy life outside of strict training routines.
Anything else I can help you with?
Jessica

Not the expert here and I imagine Jessica will chime in with her experience.  As I understand and have experienced when you hammer on the bike with low cadence -80 it really trashes your legs, usually your quads and you don't have much left for the run.  For instance I was just reading a race report and the guy said while running his first IM in Louisville this past weekend he was chatting with a guy on his 4 IM race but he was suffering on the run because he pushed too hard on the bike.  He came in first A/G on the bike but was losing all he gained with a crappy run because his legs were trashed and he couldn't run his regular pace.

My coach has a quote "there is no such thing as a great bike and crappy run"  Meaning if your run is crappy you didn't have a great bike, you went out too hard.


Oh, and it is official - today I registered for Iron Star, my first HIM November 7 in Conroe, TX.

It is not a ridiculous question! Keeping cadence between 85 and 95 will help you develop that sweet spot where you are producing the most power with the most efficiency. Think of it like a car engine - too high RPM and too low RPM affect how the car runs. The same is true for force production when YOU are the engine. If you are mashing the gears at a low cadence, you are using more muscular force in the same amount of time as you would spinning faster but with less watts being generated. This lower demand on the force output of the muscle allows you to rely more on your aerobic energy systems.

Feel free to ask questions like this any time you want in the Traithlon Talk forum. I know it may seem a bit intimidating at first, but everyone there is helpful and LOVES to share opinions on anything triathlon related! You can visit the forum here. You can also search for any topic at the top of the page. Try typing in "high cadence" and see what you get! Just remember to adjust the date range in your search to expand at least a month.
Jessica

Thanks Jessica, that was a big help! 

I'm planning on sticking to my workout routine through the winter. It'll be a good time to focus on swimming since that is my most recent added sport. I love using a plan to give me some direction. I'm looking forward to meeting others that are on the same track
Thanks,
Johanne 

Woohoo!! Congrats! Keri, I have noticed over the last couple of weeks that you and I are frequently responding to this thread at the same time. I think it must be because we are on the same mommy schedule, lol.
Jessica

x2. Thanks!