Gray Guys/Girls Masters Focus Triathlete Forum--OPEN! (Page 21)

I wish all my swims would go as well as this morning's went.  I can't say it was easy but I never felt like I was struggling.   I did a ladder workout that I like to do and usually by the time I get to the 75's (so only about 400 yds into the workout), my form starts to fall apart and I feel like I'm fighting the water.  Today it felt almost easy.  I think part of it was because I tried really hard to pay attention to my stroke.  Normally I can tell that I'm shortening my stroke by starting my recovery around my waist and not taking my hands all the way to my hips.  Today my focus was on lengthening my stroke all the way.  I felt like I was just gliding through the water, almost like I was swimming with a current.  Hopefully I can keep that same thing in mind during my race next weekend.
Janet

Steve,

As usual, here is a long answer to a short question.

There are two parts to the question you asked.

The first is how are you defining race pace?  When I talk about race pace I prefer to do it in terms of STP.  By doing that, we equalize between swimmers.  For example, my Sprint triathlon race pace is probably different from yours in terms of time, however in terms of STP they are likely identical.  For a sprint triathlon the race pace may be STP minus 2-3 seconds/100 (confirmed during training).  For any distance over a sprint the race pace should be equal to STP.  Remember what STP represents, it is the pace that you can theoretically hold for an extended period of time.  If the test is done properly, it will be a fairly accurate measure of your threshold pace.  I like to re-test STP every 4-6 weeks.  Seeing as how the test generally takes less than half an hour, that should not pose to much of a problem.  By re-testing periodically, you will always have an accurate STP and thus, an accurate way to determine race pace (I should mention that I am referring specifically to triathlons).

The next part of your questions is about rest periods.

Both USRPT and [Extensive, Intermediate, and Intensive] Endurance training use fixed rest periods.  USRPT uses 20 seconds regardless of the length of the repetition or the target race event.  I use 60 seconds during Extensive Endurance, 15-20 seconds during Intermediate Endurance, and 20 seconds during Intensive Endurance.

For a triathlete, whether you are using the USRPT method or the Intermediate Endurance philosophy, the rest is the same and is set at 20 seconds.  As you re-test STP your pace may change but rest will stay the same.  By increasing pace and leaving rest constant as your fitness and speed increase, you keep the training stress at a consistent level.

Hope that answers the question.

James, you are welcome.  Glad that some of my suggestions have helped.

We have had several discussions in this group over the past year about the importance of the mental side of athletics.  I absolutely believe that mental is 90% and physical is 10% of athletic success.  With that in mind, there was nothing stupid about you doing a 750 so you would have the confidence on race day.  The ONLY time I encourage people to do long swims is for a time trial, or for exactly the reason you did it.

Now if we can just get you working on proper sighting!  

Hi Nancy,

There is a saying I learned many years ago, "Before you can train, you first must train to train."  What that means is that you have to train and establish a fitness base before you start a build.  If you were training for a marathon, you wouldn't start with 50 miles per week.  Likewise, you shouldn't start with a 60-mile bike ride when the longest you have done is 10 or 12 miles.  That is asking for an injury, burn-out, or worse.  In short, it would be a recipe for disaster.  I am guessing when you did your 10-mile ride, it took 45 minutes to an hour.  Now your friend wants you to just go out and ride for 4 hours?  That is 4-5 times as long.  Lest we forget, you had physical issues after your 10-miler.  My suggestion is to ride three times a week for the next couple of weeks.  This week I would keep the mileage about the same as what you did the other day.  Then next week add a couple miles per ride.  3 x 10 miles this week = +/- 30 miles.  Next week, maybe 3 x 12 = 36 miles, then the following week 3 x 15 = 45 miles.  Normally you would take more than three weeks for a base build but that will at least get you to where you have a basic level of fitness.  After that, you can safely ramp up a bit more quickly.  As a comparison, someone that is doing 60 mile rides is likely putting in upwards of 125-150 or more miles per week.

I'm curious, what is your friend basing you being able to ride 60-miles or 4-hours on?

Just my humble two cents.

Hey Steve -

How are you feeling?  Starting to make some progress?

Any word on your bike yet?

When Cavendish went into the ground on Saturday, I thought, "That must have been what it looked like when Steve went down."

Hope your mending well.