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Question for IM veterans
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 2009-08-06 10:58 AM |
Veteran  142  |  Subject: Question for IM veteransI'm training for my first IM (IM Cozumel) and I am currently in my 5th week of the BT beginner IM program. So far I have noticed that I am a bit more tired than normal, slightly more hungry and I've already seen pretty encouraging improvement in all areas. I am curious to hear from the IM vets out there about the changes they experience as they move through their training programs. So, from base to build through taper, how do you expect to feel in the following areas? What have you learned to help you navigate this better? 1) Hunger 2) Sleepiness 3) Soreness 4) Morale 5) Improvement in performance |
| 2009-08-06 11:37 AM in reply to: #2331728 |
Champion 7558    Albuquerque, New Mexico | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans Hunger and sleepiness definitely increased dramatically as the training load increases. I can't say I noticed a big difference in soreness, but I did notice I might be a little more sore in the arms/shoulders after a particularly long swim, and my legs would be a little sore/fatigued after a particularly long run. Morale? That's up and down as the individual workouts unfold. Some weeks, I had a great attitude in spite of huge volume/fatigue/etc. Other weeks, even if it was light, I just couldn't be satisfied that I was on-track. Performance? I definitely noticed I was faster in the water late this spring. I had nice improvements on the bike the more I rode. Running went the other way, but this had as much to do with weather and the return of heat and humidity (which I don't like) offsetting my run fitness (plus, I ran a 50-mile ultra mid-way through my training). |
| 2009-08-06 11:51 AM in reply to: #2331728 |
Elite 5316 Alturas, California | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans Hehe I am a vet of 1 IM last weekend, but I will put in my 2 cents. 1. Hunger, ya I snack more between meals, but that is about it, just some extra calories here and there. 2. The only times I really had trouble sleeping was after a 6 hour + bike ride/workout. Well there is that getting up at 5am to get a workout in that got in the way of some ZZZ's, but falling asleep wasn't a biggie. 3. Soreness was just a matter of any workout, sometimes you have some sore muscles often not. 4. Morale, I was pretty dedicated throughout the plan. The only time morale got low was when I strained my calves on my last long run before the IM and was not sure I could compete. It all worked out though with some rest. 5. For IM you mostly are able to hold whatever speed you typically do, but for 5x as long. There were some speed improvements, but over 112 miles on the bike for example, I was just able to complete the distance without dropping off. Maybe this year I will see more speed improvements now that I can cover the distance. My IM bike speed was 1.9 mph slower than my HIM bike speed and my IM run speed was 1:08 min per mile slower than my HIM run speed. My IM swim was actually slightly faster simply due to better water conditions. But ya I can run and ride shorter distances faster. Enjoy the journey. |
| 2009-08-06 12:02 PM in reply to: #2331728 |
Veteran 121 | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans 98hogbay - 2009-08-06 10:58 AM I'm training for my first IM (IM Cozumel) and I am currently in my 5th week of the BT beginner IM program. So far I have noticed that I am a bit more tired than normal, slightly more hungry and I've already seen pretty encouraging improvement in all areas. I am curious to hear from the IM vets out there about the changes they experience as they move through their training programs. So, from base to build through taper, how do you expect to feel in the following areas? What have you learned to help you navigate this better? 1) Hunger 2) Sleepiness 3) Soreness 4) Morale 5) Improvement in performance Hunger: definitely increased. This went away when I increased protein intake after long efforts. Everyone knows about replenishing carbs after a long effort, but increasing the protein really helped w/ hunger and recovery. Sleepiness: also increased. One season I made the mistake of sticking to my normal sleep schedule (~7 hours). I was rewarded with all the symptoms of overtraining: tired, unmotivated, decreasing performance, etc. Now I plan on need more sleep and catch short naps as required. Soreness, morale, and performance: it is hard to hit the sweet spot of training enough to improve but not overtrain. |
| 2009-08-06 12:28 PM in reply to: #2331728 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans Oh yeah, I was hungry ALL THE TIME. Eat. Just keep eating.  The sleepiness? Get ready to live in a world of constant fatigue. I was ALWAYS tired. I looked like hell for a good 2 months. So much so my coworkers comment on how tired I looked. Just let the small stuff slide so you can get in naps on the weekend. Forget doing the dishes until it's absolutely necessary. Forget cleaning up the place. Toss and go. Wash clothes as needed. For the soreness I had a massage every other week the last 2 months. But in the beginning, I was sore all the time and it was just like that. That's how it goes. Welcome to IM training. |
| 2009-08-06 12:42 PM in reply to: #2331728 |
Champion 5782 Northridge, California | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans 1. Hunger - No real change. 2. Sleepiness - Generally never get enough sleep, so no real change. 3. Soreness - I had a couple sore patches, but they were usually more after very long runs (over 16 miles) or most intense speedwork. 4. Morale - Couple low stretches, mostly when I was up against the prospect of multiple 6-7 hour rides. Asterisk for the despair when I blew up my hamstring in a freak injury three weeks before my IM. 5. Improvement - Absolutely. Could see it clearly in both response to longest rides and the addition of a swim workout to my usual routine. |
| 2009-08-06 1:02 PM in reply to: #2332028 |
Champion 7558 Albuquerque, New Mexico | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans KSH - 2009-08-06 12:28 PM Oh yeah, I was hungry ALL THE TIME. Eat. Just keep eating. The sleepiness? Get ready to live in a world of constant fatigue. I was ALWAYS tired. I looked like hell for a good 2 months. So much so my coworkers comment on how tired I looked. Just let the small stuff slide so you can get in naps on the weekend. Forget doing the dishes until it's absolutely necessary. Forget cleaning up the place. Toss and go. Wash clothes as needed. For the soreness I had a massage every other week the last 2 months. But in the beginning, I was sore all the time and it was just like that. That's how it goes. Welcome to IM training. I'm thinking this is more accurate: HELL----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------HEAVEN |
| 2009-08-06 1:15 PM in reply to: #2332028 |
Veteran 142 | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans KSH - 2009-08-06 12:28 PM Oh yeah, I was hungry ALL THE TIME. Eat. Just keep eating. The sleepiness? Get ready to live in a world of constant fatigue. I was ALWAYS tired. I looked like hell for a good 2 months. So much so my coworkers comment on how tired I looked. Just let the small stuff slide so you can get in naps on the weekend. Forget doing the dishes until it's absolutely necessary. Forget cleaning up the place. Toss and go. Wash clothes as needed. For the soreness I had a massage every other week the last 2 months. But in the beginning, I was sore all the time and it was just like that. That's how it goes. Welcome to IM training. Eating all the time, no dishes, weekend naps, hire a housekeeper... Now I know why I signed up for this! |
| 2009-08-06 1:23 PM in reply to: #2332185 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans 98hogbay - 2009-08-06 1:15 PM KSH - 2009-08-06 12:28 PM Oh yeah, I was hungry ALL THE TIME. Eat. Just keep eating. The sleepiness? Get ready to live in a world of constant fatigue. I was ALWAYS tired. I looked like hell for a good 2 months. So much so my coworkers comment on how tired I looked. Just let the small stuff slide so you can get in naps on the weekend. Forget doing the dishes until it's absolutely necessary. Forget cleaning up the place. Toss and go. Wash clothes as needed. For the soreness I had a massage every other week the last 2 months. But in the beginning, I was sore all the time and it was just like that. That's how it goes. Welcome to IM training. Eating all the time, no dishes, weekend naps, hire a housekeeper... Now I know why I signed up for this! I needed a housekeeper... but opted for just living a mess. Here is how my living room looked 90% of the time:  Here is my stocked up fridge:  About two months after the IM was done, I finally realized that I actually felt AWAKE again and I wasn't so tired. When I look back, I was just a walking zombie who trained. It was really, really hard. |
| 2009-08-06 1:29 PM in reply to: #2331728 |
Regular 82 Northport, NY | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans I was hungry all the time. I wanted to nap often. Morale was a rollercoaster ride. After a good workout I felt invincible and positive about the race. A few workouts I just didn't have the energy/stamina and my morale would hit rock bottom. Negative thoughts begin to creep in - "jeez, Im struglling on this 60 mile ride" etc. The most important thing to remember is your going to have bad workouts, probably even come down with a cold or two. All the training WILL run you down - don't read into any individual workout too much. Shrug it off. After the taper you will be stronger than you can imagine. On a similar note - don't stress over missing a workout every once in a while - it happens, whether due to sickness, soreness or life. Lastly, enjoy the trip - from signing up to completion it is one of the greatest experiences imaginable. Good Luck. |
| 2009-08-06 2:23 PM in reply to: #2332209 |
Veteran 142 | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans KSH - 2009-08-06 1:23 PM 98hogbay - 2009-08-06 1:15 PM I needed a housekeeper... but opted for just living a mess. Here is how my living room looked 90% of the time: KSH - 2009-08-06 12:28 PM Oh yeah, I was hungry ALL THE TIME. Eat. Just keep eating. The sleepiness? Get ready to live in a world of constant fatigue. I was ALWAYS tired. I looked like hell for a good 2 months. So much so my coworkers comment on how tired I looked. Just let the small stuff slide so you can get in naps on the weekend. Forget doing the dishes until it's absolutely necessary. Forget cleaning up the place. Toss and go. Wash clothes as needed. For the soreness I had a massage every other week the last 2 months. But in the beginning, I was sore all the time and it was just like that. That's how it goes. Welcome to IM training. Eating all the time, no dishes, weekend naps, hire a housekeeper... Now I know why I signed up for this!  Here is my stocked up fridge:  About two months after the IM was done, I finally realized that I actually felt AWAKE again and I wasn't so tired. When I look back, I was just a walking zombie who trained. It was really, really hard. What a great visual...you must have a mean ironman scrapbook. I especially love the bottle of smirnoff, just peaking out from the back row. Just because you're training for ironman doesn't mean you can't relax every now and then, right? |
| 2009-08-06 6:05 PM in reply to: #2331728 |
Extreme Veteran 725 | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans Welcome to ironman training. This will be your life for the next several months. Enjoy!:-) |
| 2009-08-06 8:38 PM in reply to: #2331728 |
Master 1989 New Jersey | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans Having gone through and completed my first IM race, I noticed how I experienced pretty much every up and down. At times, it felt endless - relentless. Felt like how the heck could what I be doing actually helping me? Then I'd pop a great workout out of thin air. My morale would go down - I'd talk to others who would say it's normal, or suggest I back off a bit. I'd be more tired, but have more on my plate to do - not just the training itself. I had the mess in the house all the time too. I missed out on some things - totally forgot to pay a few bills. It's alot. Bottom line is...Whatever you feel...is normal. 1) Hunger - ehhh, I'm always hungry regardless. :-) 2) Sleepiness - this sucked...I became so bitter at my alarm clock after all those mornings of getting up early to go swim. I didn't get enough sleep. 3) Soreness - some workouts, I had to bag because I just didn't have it. Not really soreness, but general fatigue. But the next workout would be a great one. 4) Morale - up and down 5) Improvement - ha! of course!!!!! I could now just "jump into" a half ironman and do better than before. Might be more mental than anything. |
| 2009-08-06 9:07 PM in reply to: #2331728 |
The Original 7834 Raleigh/Durham | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans 98hogbay - 2009-08-06 11:58 AM I'm training for my first IM (IM Cozumel) and I am currently in my 5th week of the BT beginner IM program. So far I have noticed that I am a bit more tired than normal, slightly more hungry and I've already seen pretty encouraging improvement in all areas. I am curious to hear from the IM vets out there about the changes they experience as they move through their training programs. So, from base to build through taper, how do you expect to feel in the following areas? What have you learned to help you navigate this better? 1) Hunger I was hungry all the time once I hit the big build phase. I could never stay full, ate all the time, and lost weight. It was awesome. Looking back I actually ate like crap and probably didn't eat enough protein and "fuel" for my body. This time around I'm making sure to consume more protein which will help keep me fuller and also help with muscle recovery. And I'm making sure to eat foods that will fuel my workouts and am generally eating healthier. 2) Sleepiness I was tired all the time and had a hard time staying awake at work. Sometimes I would come home at lunch time (I only live 10 mins from work) to lay down and sneak in a 20-30 cap nap before going back to work. I was THAT tired. This time around I'm trying to get my workouts in earlier after work so I have plenty of time to unwind and relax before going to bed. Weekend naps were (and still are) a norm for me- especially after those looong training sessions on Sat/Sun. I'm actually doing better training for Cozumel with my sleep and have been able to fit in more workouts during lunch time which really helps. 3) Soreness I don't remember being "sore"- mostly my legs were just "tight" all the time. I do remember my shoulder blades always been knotted up. It you can afford it getting regular massages when the volume picks up is a really good thing. 4) Morale I mostly trained alone for my first IM and it was miserable. I dreaded my training and after my first IM I said I'd never do another one. For Cozumel both my husband and I are training and that has made things a lot easier- training isn't as bad as I remember it being last time. Having regular training partners really help with morale. I'm enjoying the journey a lot more the 2nd time around. 5) Improvement in performance Major improvements- I had the endurance of a horse and was in the best shape of my life with all 3 sports. Even though I was training for longer stuff, I was still able to PR a 10K in the middle of my IM training. My swim times got faster. My bike/run didn't get faster but my endurance improved. |
| 2009-08-06 10:41 PM in reply to: #2332068 |
| Veteran 294 Boston | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans Hunger - 'stomach' hunger, about the same - BUT if you (or at least me) don't have enough carbs to replace what you are burning, you might be in for some big cravings (low blood sugar maybe?) that could throw off nutrition. Sleepiness - much more tired at the beginning, until my body got used to it. Every time I significantly upped the hours sometimes I might be dragging for a week, or at least a few days. At least in my case sleep is SUPER important for recovery and preventing sickness / injury. Soreness - about the same as normal training. If I do a hard workout, I'm expecting to be sore the next two days. Otherwise, no problem. Morale - always up unless I get injured. I just keep envisioning the race and the fact that I am going to be doing an Ironman and every training session, whether awesome or sucky, contributes well to my preparation (the sucky ones prepare you for getting your body used to not always feeling good, because in a race you are not always going to feel good / perform well and its always good to know how to deal with that mentally) Improvement - definitely, although my first IM my longest run was under 10 miles...(aikes...I was having mental problems with the run training), so the run didn't show much improvement. But the bike and the swim - if nothing else my endurance shot up. |
| 2009-08-07 9:19 PM in reply to: #2331728 |
Member 20 | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans Ran IM UK last week, first ironman for me. Here are my comments/2 cents worth 1) Hunger I eat all the time now. I can't stop. Snack between meals and moved from 3 meals a day to 4 and eventually 5 meals in my last month of training. 2) Sleepiness No increase ni sleepiness but did find my sleeps were much deeper and I felt very refershed most mornings 3) Soreness After a long run 30K+ or a long ride 120K+ my legs were a little sore. After a 3K+ swim my left shoulder would be sore but that is due to a previous injury. 4) Morale Up and down. I decided to train do 7 months of training and in the 5th months I felt ready for the race. After that it became increasiningly difficult to run or swim my scheduled distances. I love biking so that was never hard to get motivated for. 5) Improvement in performance Perfomance for all events improved. |
| 2009-08-08 12:41 PM in reply to: #2331728 |
Expert 868 | Subject: RE: Question for IM veterans I've done five and am currently training for IM Louisville. I've had similar experiences as mentioned above. While training I constantly visualize my self on various portions of the course, wondering how I will do, sometimes with lots of worries and doubts. Come race day, it has always been a blast and when I reflect back I realize all those worries were just that. IM has changed my life dramatically, helped me escape destructive habits and has defintitely given me a positive "can do" attitude for many parts of my life, not just training. I would have to say the best way for me to navigate through all this was to realize that IM is a journey that begins with training day number one. It's not just the event but its everything you do up to it, getting up at 500 am, running in the dark, pushing your limits, realizing you can do great feats. It's pushing myself past what I ever thought I could do and more. Reflecting back on my IM training, I have great memories some good, some bad. Thinking of it as one long journey definitely keeps me on track. |
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