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Is it a right plan for me?
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 2014-04-24 3:38 PM |
Veteran  239  |  Subject: Is it a right plan for me?I just signed up for my first IM in September. Got the BT 20 weeks plan for the beginners. As I reading the plan, there is a bike workout in May that says: "If on the road, concentrate on constant pedaling with minimal freewheeling." What?!?!?!!? It does not look right to me at all. I am currently doing 10-11 hrs of training with week 6-7 hrs of biking included. and the plan says "concentrate on constant pedaling" ?!?!? The plan suggests that i need to drop my bike hours to 3-5 hours, along with "easy" "very easy" runs and swim workouts with "each lap slower than previous" I think I can do more hours now and have better structured plan. Do I keep the plan, or switch to another one? If so, which one? |
| 2014-04-24 4:29 PM in reply to: trig |
New user 273 Manassas, Virginia | Subject: RE: Is it a right plan for me? What week of the plan is that? The first four weeks of the BT Half-Iron beginner plan was all base-building, then the real meat and potatoes. Maybe look at some of the other plans on here since you're a bronze member. |
| 2014-04-24 5:36 PM in reply to: 0 |
Veteran 501 Seattle, Washington | Subject: RE: Is it a right plan for me? So I've used this plan before and will chime in. The first four weeks are to start building a base and get used to training - which obviously you already have and are used to doing. Since you are above this, you have a couple options. You could skip the first 4 weeks - the "Prep" phase and keep doing what you are doing. Or, since you'll be upping your run/swim hours, you could stick to it and enjoy some of the last free time you'll have in the next 16 weeks. Or you could chose a different plan. I personally am following a plan from "Be Iron Fit" by Don Fink this time around. Not knowing your background, I would just not worry about it, stick to the plan you already picked out. You'll do well with it. It'll ramp up quickly enough. The way I interpret "concentrate on constant pedaling" is to not coast down hills, but perhaps that is just me. Edited by MechEChick 2014-04-24 5:38 PM |
| 2014-04-24 7:35 PM in reply to: trig |
| 26 | Subject: RE: Is it a right plan for me? I am on week 17 of that plan. I was doing 6-10 hours of workouts before the first 4 weeks. I had just completed a marathon about 11 weeks prior and kept my training up but spread out the hours among swim, bike, run. I finished week 16 last week which was the longest and hardest week. I truly feel a lot stronger physically and mentally as well as my endurance is significantly higher. I cannot speak for you specifically because it will depends on some of your own goals. I have my first IM event in 3.5 weeks. I want to finish and have a time goal in mind just to ensure I am not finishing at 16:59:59. I feel very prepared physically from this plan. I stuck to the workouts and volume almost exactly. I moved them around throughout the week to match my work and family schedule but made sure I put in the volume of time for each workout and week. I personally think that it was a big jump to go from 10ish hours in a week to 12, 14, 16 etc. Just that jump in a couple of hours during some of the harder weeks, especially back to back weeks for 3-4 weeks, really wore me out physically and mentally at times. It was not easy but over time I can see the improvement. To look and say that I rode 100 miles on a Saturday, rode 40 two days later with a 10 mile very strenuous hike with my kids, ran 20 the next day and rode 50 the next day is something I couldn't have imagined doing 16 weeks ago even with a fairly good base to start. I would tell myself mentally that it was awesome at the same time my mind was asking why in the world I would do something like this. Bottom line: I have followed the program very closely throughout and feel prepared. The hard work is behind me at this point and now it is time to finish out the next 3 weeks and it is go time. |
| 2014-04-24 8:20 PM in reply to: trig |
| Subject: RE: Is it a right plan for me? I'm guessing you may need a more intermediate plan. Most beginner plans are focused on athletes that have the simple goal of finishing a race. Your goals seem to be a little more than that. That said, I think that I went overboard with training for my first IM. I had a mental block that more is better, and even more that that is the best. I was wrong. IM training is extremely taxing and takes a toll on our body. Most of us AGers can't handle big week IM volume on a consistent basis and we need to have a mix of build weeks, big volume weeks, and lower volume weeks mixed in if we want maximum fitness adaptations and to peak on race day. So if the first 4 weeks of an IM plan looks easy...well...it's supposed to be easy. If you're feeling wiped out after the first 4 weeks of your IM plan...you're probably over doing it. I do still think that the BT beginner plan is too light for your given the information provided...but just cautioning you not to look for a plan where week 1 is challenging. |
| 2014-04-25 3:54 PM in reply to: trig |
Veteran 239 | Subject: RE: Is it a right plan for me? thanks for your replies ! I looked through the plan and it seems... too easy? This the link to the plan I have choosen http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/training/training-plan... Also, I could not find any strength workout like sit ups, pushups, etc. In a mean time i will follow it and look through other plans, to find something that fits me better. |
| 2014-04-26 2:31 PM in reply to: trig |
Member 242 Co Louth, Ireland | Subject: RE: Is it a right plan for me? I've used this plan for my first IM and it worked perfectly fine for me - see below for my thoughts on the plan after the race http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp... Originally posted by grahamclarke_6 Hey guys, Just posting this to show how good the free plan here on BT is and to hopefully aleviate fears for anyone thinking about using it - something I couldn't find when I started thinking about using it - maybe I just didn't look hard enough! I completed my 1st iron distance race last weekend using the free plan here on BT. A little info on me - I've no real endurance background but been doing tri's for about 4 years - a handful of sprints and olympics and 1 HIM distance before this year and 1 as part of my training. I use a older model road bike with clip on tri bars, train alone so no club or coach, have a 40hr/wk job, commute 10hrs /wk, married with a soon to be 2year old daughter. The race was late August and I started training properly in January - well before the 20week plan as I wasn't sure I'd be able to jump straight into in. I just repeated versions of the 1st 3 weeks over to build up a good base and get me ready to start the plan in early April i think (I was also sick most of March!). I stuck to the plan almost exactly (had to change the order of days to fit them in a bit), missed a handul (no more than 5-10) of sessions due to other factors & a couple just to get some more recovery. Nearly all the 2 a day sessions were done as back to backs, or swim in pool or lake, drive home and do the next session. I went by HR and tried to relate that directly to the RPE & it seemed to work for me. I swapped around 2 of the theme weeks (think it was wks 11&12) just to make better use of my schedule to get more swims in for that week. I did more OWS than it outlined but stuck roughly to the workout even if it was in the lake. I had constant doubts throughout as to if I was doing enough, especially on the bike as its my weakest leg in every tri I've done! Fast forward to race day and everything went really well for me. Swim was about bang on what I expected (1-10) without over doing it, bike went amazingly well (for me) - 6-03 (about an hour ahead of what i predicted based on training) - again never felt like I over did it and HR data confirmed this. Run went as well as expected 4-30 - probably slower than what I'd trained at but I guess thats normal after 180km on the bike! Finished in 11-52 - way ahead of my best target and felt great throughtout (reatively speaking!) All my logs are up to date, race report is also done, if anyone wants to look through to get an idea of how it looked in reality. I've only completed one but if anyone has any questions fell free to message me. |
| 2014-05-05 5:16 PM in reply to: grahamclarke_6 |
Extreme Veteran 475 Traverse City, MI | Subject: RE: Is it a right plan for me? I did my first 2 IMs using the same beginner plan and from a beginner stand point it worked great. I finished both with a smile and plenty of time to spare. It sounds like you may wish to look into one of the intermediate or even advanced plans here on the website. I'm going to be following the advanced IM plan from here for Chattanooga and am following the advanced 1/2 plan for a race in June. Both use HR and have some strength training workouts built in to the plan.
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