TEAM RFP (Relentless Forward Progress) CLOSED (Page 10)

Hi April,

Welcome to the group! Luckly you to be living in a wonderful place for triathlon training and racing. You have plenty of time to train for a HIM. Which one are you doing?

Kathy (KTC)

Simone, Happy Australia day, a day late.

So happy to hear that you decided to go back and volunteer for IMOZ. I am looking forward to my first time volunteering at a IM race in Sept and cheering everyone on.

Folks - Unless you have a race in two weeks there is no reason to be pushing race pace much unless you're doing a test. Rx for injury. Building a base is what we do this time a year. Strength exercising. We had in some top end stuff gradually. Short intervals with recovery periods as long as the effort. If you go into Zone 5, keep things really short. 30 seconds with 1:30 rest. Repeat a few times. Add a few more next week, etc. But mostly we should be doing Zone 2 stuff with zone 4 intervals of 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, and 15 minutes working up over the next weeks. I'm doing hill repeats X 3/week on the bike and a couple times on the run. On the bike, low cadence 50 to 60 rpm at zone 4 (with watts I'm pushing 90 to 100%) I worked up to 3 X 12 minutes and then shifted to 10 X 3 minutes @ 100% with 2 minutes rest this week. Harder effort, shorter period, shorter recovery. Just mixing it up.

I do one longer ride a week on the CT, 90 minutes at the moment.

Yes, you can do more than one A race. We usually train through the B races but A races require taper before and recovery after.

KC I wish you luck on Kona. After seeing the course in October, it is a bit*h. LONG climbs and lots of them.

Congrats to the newcomers. You have chosen a great sport. If you are planning a half IM during your first year, pan on some shorter sprint of/and oly distance B races, at least one, two is better, to get a taste of the experience of moving quickly from one sport to another and practicing transitions.
I have great admiration for your tenacity, but jumping straight into a half IM is a daunting challenge unless you've had A LOT of athletic experience in the past. Slow, steady progression in fitness is the way to go. Trying to get fit by tomorrow is an RX for injury.






Edited by IceManScott 2014-01-25 6:53 AM

Since saying or writing something makes it far more likely to happen here goes -- I will run only in zone 2 outside of races this entire season.

My ankle feels OK today. I'll give it another day of rest and try a slow flat run on Sunday. While I have 4 months until my first tri I need to stay healthy for the Seahawks 12k run in April.

Edited by pnwdan 2014-01-25 11:33 AM

Thanks for the advice Iceman. I tend to push pace a lot during my training but I'll have to remember to drop it down..

The key is to develop base endurance first, then vary speeds to train each energy system. If we only run one speed we will always run one speed. After the base endurance is in place to avoid injury, a perfect week should include base endurance, speed work, hills and recovery in running and biking and swimming. The amount of time devoted to each varies on the amount of training you do which is dependent on what distance you plan to race. If time is critical or if it feels too hard, do hills one week, speed work the next. Alternate hard workouts with easy ones. Injuries can be limited or avoided with good periodization and some thought. Good luck.

I like this. Thx! Ran a 10 mile race yesterday. 1:45 time. Good news it that my ITBS was not acting up. Yay for that!!! Half marathon on Super Bowl Sunday. Keep up the good training everyone.

Happy Sunday Afternoon Team.

Day off today

2 weeks in the books - body is a bit cranky but I will continue to monitor and forge ahead

PvtFroggy - April - welcome aboard - you are the last one. I have asked Tim to close the group. I was just in PCB for Christmas, my parents rent a condo for the Winter. The weather was chilly but I got a couple of nice runs in on the beach and enjoyed New Years in Pier Park even though it was cold. When is your 1/2 so I can put it on our A race list? Ask any questions you want - someone in here should be able to help

Dan - I put your raced in the list (see below) and dude, you have to be careful - listen to Coach Scott.

KTC - sorry I don't have any decent advice on the cadence run question.

Helen - I think you should look at your bike fit.

Elena - $250 seems fairly pricy to me - I completely agree with KTC though - great questions to ask yourself. How is the weather out there in CA?

Nate - love the early morning workouts - it is great to get a great start on the day.

Simone - glad you are going to vol again - you will have a great time.

Iceman - thanks for the great advice - everyone better listen

Elena - good luck in your Super Bowl 1/2 make sure you keep us updated on your race.

OK - everyone - see below for updated A race list.

Week 3 starts tomorrow with an early swim.

Stay safe and healthy everyone.

KC








Attachments
----------------
RFPScheduledEvents.jpg (104KB - 4 downloads)

Hi, I am John 63 years old, married with 4 daughters & 6 grandchildren and live about 30 miles south of London. I have done a bit of bike riding including a 100 mile sportif in Sept 2012 but since then very little apart from playing squash once a week with another old codger. I have decided to get fitter this year and I am planning to complete a 78 mile cycle sportif in April, 1 mile swim in open water in June and either a Sprint or an Olympic triathlon in July.

I am pretty sure I will train hard and I would value your encouragement & advice. I joined a health club this week and had my induction yesterday and swam 750 mtrs and ran a mile on treadmill today. (knackered but I can still walk O.K. this evening). I am now wondering whether to enter Olympic or sprint triathlon, I want to extend myself but equally want to complete the course in style (no walking). I would value your thoughts.
best wishes
John Summers

Welcome John. 62 years young here. It sounds as if you can do the distances in the water and the bike You have a long time to work up to the 10K run for an Oly. You also understand that putting all three disciplines back to back will add a dimension to the triathlon you haven't felt as of yet. Plenty of time to work up to that.

Part of the issue of choosing a sprint or an oly is how much time can you devote to training? Sprints generally range from 6 to 10 hours a week, olys 8 to 12.

If you have the time, you might consider signing up for sprint tri about 6 weeks before the July race for a few reasons. 1. You can check fitness. 2. You get used to the feeling of transition from the water to the bike and the bike to the run and 3. You get an idea about pacing. Then you can race the Oly with some experience under your belt. I did that my first year, sprint first, Oly 6 weeks later and it worked out fine.

If you can't do that, I'd suggest that as you get closer to the Oly, make your training more resemble the race with brick workouts, bike directly to run.

But your first year, focus on learning the skills, good form in the water, on the bike and the run; spending time working on an endurance base; learning transitions; and having fun. Especially, have fun.




Edited by IceManScott 2014-01-26 7:07 PM

Hey guys, I'm on the 20 Week Olympic 2x Balanced program (http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/training/training-plans-view.asp?planid=23&memberlevel=1).
I'm entering Week 4, which is the first "rest week." I was thinking of doing some intervals on my short run, which is only 17 min. Is that ok or should I avoid doing a high intensity run on my rest week?
I've been feeling pretty good on my runs. My swims are not pretty, but I'm making steady improvement.
Thanks!

Other folks may have other advice. Here is mine. If you have a plan, trust it, follow it. It's a plan for a reason. To add intensity is to ask for trouble, especially on recovery weeks. Could you? Sure. Should you? Likely not. We get stronger on our recovery weeks and our rest days. We overload our muscles by training, then we rest to let the body recovery and heal. As it heals from the strain we put on it, it heals stronger than before. Then you start ramping up again gradually for probably three weeks, then recover again, ramp up 3 weeks, recover. It is periodization. It works. Trust it. Ignore rest and recovery at our peril. Injury and burnout are the results over time.

The tendency is to think "I am not doing enough." But planned training calls for a mix of overload and recovery, rest and nutrition. Trust your plan. That's my 2 cents.



Edited by IceManScott 2014-01-26 7:14 PM

Murdock - listen to Iceman - he has the experience and he knows what he is talking about. I am glad we have him with us

If you want - add some intervals where they belong not during rest phases.

Kc

Hi John. Welcome - London England?

KC

Much appreciated, IceMan! You can be my wingman anytime!!!

Hello Team,

Hope everyone had a good weekend. The weather in the Midwest has been pretty brutal this year so most of my training has been indoors.

Yesterday I had a good swim with my local masters swim team but it wore me out for the rest of the day. Today I went to the indoor track at my local park district and was able to run for an hour. It was mentally challenging but I got it done anyway.

So far my base training has been going well. I've been building up slowly. I can't decide if I should go on a 20-week training plan or a 16-week training plan for my "A" in July. Any advice?

This will be my first HIM but I do have some years of riding long distances and many years of running. I did well last year with the swim and I feel like that will continue to come along as long as I stay with it. Although I have never done an HIM, I do not feel like a complete beginner but maybe I need to think like one for this for one.

Well as we get ready for some below zero weather here for the next couple of days, hope everyone can get some good training in and I hope that this weather won't slow me down.

Cheers!

Why not just add another 4 week base phase? Start four weeks earlier with endurance and skill work as the focus. More endurance never hurts in triathlon.

Thanks for the kind comment.

Medium run and short swim this morning. Building week. Felt heavy on the run. Good luck today everyone.

NP

Happy Monday team!
Had a solid week of training.I didn't miss any workouts despite struggling to get in my long swim yesterday (I realized I would feel better if I just did it, as opposed to thinking of reasons I didn't need to do it).Today is a much needed rest day! A couple questions I thought I'd throw out to you guys: 1) I feel like during longer swims (for example yesterday I had 350 warm up+1500 continuous+ 350 cool down) I get stuck in a slow, methodical pace, any thoughts on how to up my stroke turnover and push the pace a bit? I know I don't need to be thinking race pace in my third week of training, but I'm, just looking for ways to get out of the "metronome" style swimming. 2) Thoughts on strength training during IM training? As far as how often, what sort of exercises etc.?

Alright, here's to another great week of training! (and for all my Midwest friends, another week of trying to stay warm).

Helen

Great mental toughness to get yourself going. Begun is half done. .

On the first question, how 'bout vary the pace/100? You don't have to sprint but you can do things to make it more interesting by simply doing negative splits/100 or first 50 easy, next 50 fast. At least it stops the boredom from setting in. Or I like to count strokes to see how my form holds up over time. It helps me focus on head down, reach, catch, pull. Three-quarter catch-up drills are great for me to improve stroke timing.

Strength training is so overlooked. Most age groupers like me think we are doing great to get one session in a week, maybe two. I've had a chance to
talk to some pros. Their attitude is to do at least a little 4 to 5 times a week. They'll do 10 to 15 mins of planks or pushups if nothing else and insert a couple of longer periods like 30 minutes plus in the schedule. I LOVE kettlebells. Very dynamic, a great workout and fast. Even 15 minutes doing 100 one-arm swings works the entire core. Longer sessions I'll do 20 one-arm swings, 10 squats, 10 pushups, 10 rows and repeat that. I'm up to 5 sets twice a week. My basement has low ceilings so I have to go to the gym to do presses and snatches.

I'm 2 hours southwest of Chicago. Sucks here. Minus 3 for a high. Feels like 25 below now with gusting winds. Everything is closed. heading to the treadmill for a run soon plus kbells. Might throw in a short recovery bike to warm up. Not a lot else to do today. Feeling a cold trying to come on. So I'll workout, eat lunch and catch up on some tri reading and plan the rest of the week. I want to do some CEUs for USAT with webinars this week. I have a magazine article to do. Bike will be 4 X 10 mins SEs at 80% with 5 X 1 min pops at 100% plus. Hill repeats. Got to love them.

Masters is canceled due to cold so I'll work in a swim during the week and one next weekend, maybe a swim lesson with the coach next Sunday.

SWEEEET!

Well shoot, looking like Marquette might cancel classes tomorrow because of the dangerous levels of tundra we are experiencing (no joke this morning my boyfriend informed me it is warmer in the arctic than it is in Milwaukee at the moment). Anyway, cancelled classes are not necessarily bad but it means that the pool will be closed as well as the gym aka my treadmill connection. I haven't blown any workouts thus far and I am super bummed that I might have to tomorrow. What do you guys think I should do? Should I just move the swim to another day or is it unproductive to add in workouts that you've missed? Thanks for any and all advice!


Helen

BIKE QUESTION: When I started triathlon 3+ years ago I was leaning toward buying tri bike but it seemed like everyone I spoke with said get a road bike with the reason being that hopping onto a tri bike would be really hard to get used to. So I bought a roadie. Specialized Roubaix rl2. Since I know I will be sticking with triathlons Ive now been thinking about a "real" tri-bike. Happened to be in a LBS and they had a Specialized Transition they were trying to blow out for $1500. But not my size!! I was bummed.

What advice can you give me if any re tri-bikes? I've been checking out Craigslist off and on and see many bikes that are labeled "Time Trial" bikes. What does that mean exactly? I don't think id spend over $1800 and would sell the Roubaix.

I guess I'm the one with time today. I hope you all don't think I believe I know it al. I'm just trying to help. Take it or leave it, OK?

Never a good idea to try to double up workouts to make up for one. Stick to your plan. But if you can't do what you are supposed to do, then do what you can. You can always do strength workouts wherever you are. Core work is great. Upper body stuff too. Pushups, sit-ups, squats. If you have a weight you can do rows, presses. You can fill a good workout with resistance training. Also if your bike is at home on a trainer, don't add an intensity workout but nothing is wrong with spinning at zone 2 for a while for endurance, or even easier for recovery. You'lbe doing something positive and your mind won't think you are cheating by skipping a day.

Edited by IceManScott 2014-01-27 5:25 PM