Gray Guys/Girls Master's Focus Triathlon Mentor Group--Now Open (Page 10)

Winter made a comeback last yesterday here in the midwest.  Windy and cold all day yesterday and woke up to snow this morning.  I still went to the pool though.  Is anyone else ready for spring to get here?  Not necessarily because of the temps - I'm just ready to get my race season started!  The one trail race I usually do in February I'm skipping this year due to my recent injury issues (I'll be volunteering there instead).  

My Olympic training plan started yesterday (with on off day).  I was reviewing the first few weeks and the total volume is a lot less than what I've been doing for the past few weeks for the swim and bike - not so much for the run since I had already backed off on that.  It almost feels like a step backwards.  So of these 3 options, which would you choose:

1 - keep the plan as is, taking a couple of easier weeks and building back up (not my favorite idea but I also don't want to hurt myself)
2 - keep the volume as is on the plan, but up the intensity of the workouts (most of my swims and rides have been on the easier side)
3 - increase the volume on the plan to match what I was doing previously, but keep the workouts easy

I'm leaning towards #2 for the bike.  I already know I can do the distance for an Olympic race but I'd like to work on maybe making it easier and a little faster.   And maybe #3 for the swim - or maybe instead of increasing the individual workouts, just adding an extra day at the pool.  I feel like I'm making progress with my swim but I know my form still needs some work.  So maybe spend an extra day just working on drills/form issues?

Thoughts?
Janet

Deb, I'm late to the party here, but my take on the power meter is get one.  Is it essential - absolutely not, but it does help you with seeing incremental improvements in your cycling.  I currently have a Quarq, which is fine for me.  Probably the easiest to install is the Stages model, and you can always re-install the crank arm you removed to put the Stages arm on. They are plentiful on e-bay.

I've worked with the winter cycling plans on here(aka the "Jorge' plan) and with the plan you'll do incremental time trials (TT) tests.  These are spaced out every couple of weeks or so, but they're designed to have you determine your max power over 5 min, 8 min or 20 min intervals.  You base your current training on the max power number based on these TTs.  If you stick to the program you'll see your max power number slowly start to creep up and this is  very satisfying once you do see your power numbers increase.

It was very nice for me to see improvement this time last year, wherein I did not necessarily get faster, I did see my HR levels decrease for many of the rides I do local.  This translates into I could ride in my 'sweet spot' longer which ultimately translates into speed as I could ride at a higher level - longer.  Again, I could have possibly done this all without a power meter - but the power meter helped me train consistently, and closest to the edge.  I'm not sure I could have done this based on perceived effort or similar.

Janet, regardless of what you do - it sounds like you have a good grip on the options, the time you have and what works best for you.  For me personally, I do not heal as fast as I once did.  And so if training involves working thru injury for a particular sport - I will not completely stop, but I will not go to the point of aggravating something.  I'd rather increase focus on the others and go at an easier pace for the one wherein the injury is. 

Too, you might consider you're 'ahead' of the early weeks in the training plan and jump start ahead to weeks 3 or 4, given where your current strengths lie.  The risk with this is you're not building the base and endurance.  This (base level training for endurance) is so important late in the race when you have to pull from this to keep your speed up.

Hi Janet,

My vote would be for 2 1/2.  Let me explain.

First and most importantly, I would keep your run volume and pacing as you have been doing.  Remember no more than a 10% increase each week.  I actually would argue you increase 10%, run two weeks at that distance, then increase 10%.  Yes, that works out to a 10% increase every other week.  Given your recent injury history, I think conservative is the better course of action.  Keep all of your runs in low Z2 for the time being until you really get some strength back in your legs.  The speed will come as you build your aerobic base and when you're about 6-weeks out from the race you can add some speed work to further develop speed.  If you have some gentle hills around that will help build muscular endurance which will translate to sustainable speed on race day.

Now, on to the the bike and swimming.

You have undoubtedly heard me say that swimming with poor technique is a waste of time.  That really most applies to the beginning swimmer more than a triathlete that has a couple seasons under their belt.  Good technique, ultimately, relies on good fitness.  If you don't have a base level of fitness, then your technique will rapidly deteriorate because you fatigue.  So the two items - technique and fitness - are two sides of the same coin.  Early in a swimmer's career, it is important to focus on technique to develop proper mechanics.  However, as you move on, it becomes equally important to further develop fitness.  What all that means is that I would most certainly add a swim session each week if you can.  However, I would not make that additional swim session technique/drills only.  I am one of those that is not a fan of a lot of drills.  Yes, if there is a specific and identifiable technique flaw that a drill will help correct, then they are appropriate.  But to do drills just because "that is what they say you should do," is a flawed approach.  If you don't have a coach or an instructor prescribing the drill and that person can give you a VERY specific reason for doing the drill as well as explain how that drill is going to correct the problem, then additional volume will be more valuable.  I am in favor of having a "pull" day each week where you warm-up, put on paddles and an ankle band, and your workout is primarily a pulling workout.  Once you learn how to properly use paddles you will gain far more from a pulling workout than dozens of drills.  

As an alternative to a technique/drill day, I suggest a focused warm-up before each workout.  Here is the one I recommend for all the athletes I work with - http://triathlonswimcoach.com/index.php/en/resources/2014-11-30-20-43-15/ct-menu-item-3/73-getting-the-most-out-of-your-pre-workout-warm-up.   If you do this warm-up properly you have the opportunity to work on technique without taking away from a full workout.  

Then I would add some intensity to your swimming workouts.  A good starting place would be something like the Sprint Build 3x plan on my website - http://triathlonswimcoach.com/index.php/en/workouts/2015-01-16-01-59-32/sprint-build-3x (there is also a 4x plan if you can add a day.  If you want to change one day to a pull workout let me know and we can talk about how to go about that). The swim plans in most triathlon plans often have, in my opinion, un-necessary drills, have you doing relentless kick sets, and have you swimming other strokes.  At the end of the day, if you want to get fast swimming freestyle, you need to swim a LOT of freestyle.  Then swim a LOT more freestyle.  Once you have that done, then swim a LOT more freestyle.

Once you're done with the swimming, you get to think about the bike.  Most people think that to have a good run, you need to run lots and lots of miles and build an incredible run base, then do endless speed workouts to build your speed.  That actually isn't true at all.  Yes, you need to develop an aerobic base.  You already have that.  I am not saying that you don't need to run, because you do - the more you can develop your aerobic base and improve your bodies ability to utilize fat for energy, the faster you will run.  Rather I am saying that a good run begins on the bike.  In my opinion, the bike is where you really can make some substantial improvements by adding intensity.  Because cycling is no-impact (when you do it right and stay on the bike), there is little danger in adding intensity.  If you aren't a member of Trainer Road, that is a VERY good place to start (I won't go in to all the benefits as it has already been gone through by a couple people in earlier posts).  If Trainer Road isn't an option, then Sufferfest videos will certainly challenge you.  The main thing is to begin adding a couple of intense bike sessions each week - keep your Z2 long ride as an outdoor ride (when the weather improves and you can ride outdoors) to maintain your bike handling skills.  Intensity might look like some over/under intervals, some VO2 MAX intervals, or some sweet spot/tempo rides.  Here again, quite a lot of the triathlon plans out there have a good deal of endurance work but not a lot of intensity.  On the bike, intensity will pay huge dividends.

Hope that helps.  Just my humble two cents.

Scott ... thanks for putting this down and tying this back to the run.  Two things from this were revelations to me ...

1. as we get 'older' we somehow lower or drop the intensity (definitely my case)
2. add hi-intensity cycling workouts each week ... regardless of how early one in into their 'training plan'

Somehow I've gotten in the mindset that building the base comes first, as in don't do hi-intensity stuff until the much later weeks with training and them "ease into it".  Last year I put in a good amount of saddle time early in the season, and I noticed improvement with my HR levels dropping with local rides - but I never got faster. I could ride all day at 80% max HR ... just not any faster.   I'm betting that the lack of hi-intensity workouts contributed to the loss of speed.  I began training this week (to hell with the barn) and already did an easy 65%-75% MP ride, I'll definitely work in some drills at hi-intensity levels moving forward.

Thanks - Dorm

I have both the 920 XT and the Fenix 3 (they were both gifts that I did not ask for).  I actually prefer to use my 310 XT for day to day workouts.  I use a Garmin 810 on the bike only because I like the mapping function (it can give turn by turn directions much like a car GPS which is handy on long rides where you end up someplace you aren't familiar with).  The run HR strap is nice but nobody can tell me what to do with the additional data.  I don't need the swim metrics, and I prefer not to do swim workouts with a watch (bad enough that I have to wear the watch when I race) so I really don't need the added funtionality of the the 920 or the Fenix.  I will admit to wearing the Fenix as a day to day watch however.  That is nice because if I'm away from home and have time to do a run I just hit a button and am good to go.

If it were me, I wouldn't use my watch at all for the strength workouts and just record the time manually.  Time isn't really an important part of a strength workout, the things you want to track are exercise, repetitions, and weight.  I just jot down a loose approximation of total time.  If you develop your "standard" routine, you will find it takes you pretty much the same amount of time every time.

Not exactly sure what you are asking.  Are you asking about workout plans or are you talking about send-off intervals?  If you are talking about send-off intervals, those are somewhat individual if you want the biggest bang for the buck.   Let me know which one you are referring to and we can go from there.

I am a big fan of incorporating regular strength work.  I think it is important for all triathletes but especially for those of us that are beginning to get a couple gray hairs.  Here is the strength routine I use.  During the off-season I do this three times a week.  Once the season starts and my volume begins to ramp up I drop to two times a week.  Starting about 4-6 weeks out from an 'A' race and during the taper I don't do any strength work.  This routine generally takes 30-45 minutes depending upon how much rest you allow between sets.  As to weight - at the last interval of an exercise (so each bullet point if you will) you want to feel like you could do three or four more repetitions, therefore not so much weight that you are at exhaustion, but nearly so - hopefully that makes sense.  I am suggesting machines because I don't know your history and how familiar you might be with free weights.  If you are VERY familiar with free weights then substitute free weights for the machines as appropriate.  

As your bike and run volume ramps up I would drop the leg work out of the strength routine.

• 2 x (12-15) Ab Crunch Machine - strengthening the core, helps all three disciplines
• 2 x (12-15) Back Extension Machine - strengthens back and core, helps all three disciplines
• 2 x (12-15) Lat Pull-downs - Wide Grip - Overhand Grip - specifically helping the swim pull
• 2 x (12-15) Seated row - strengthening the core, helps all three disciplines
• 2 x (12-15) BICEPS - Machine Curls - will improve the swimming catch and beginning of pull
• 1 x (12-15) Incline Bench - Machine - strengthens shoulder/chest helping with swim
• 1 x (12-15) Seated Bench Press - Machine - strengthens shoulder/swim helping with swim
• 2 x (12-15) Machine Lateral Raise - strengthens shoulder helping with swim recovery
• 2 x (12-15) Machine Tricep Extensions - helps reaching full extension at end of swim stroke
• 2 x (10-12) Squats body - weight at first, add weight as you get stronger - strengthens quads
• 2 x (12-15) Standing Calf Raises - strengthens calf muscles
• 2 x (12-15) Leg Press - strengthens quads, glutes
• 2 x (12-15) Hamstring curls - strengthens hamstrings
• Prone Planks – 4 x 30" w/30" rest, build to 4 x 60" w/30" rest- strengthens core, helps all three disciplines
• Side Planks - 4 x 30" w/30" rest, build to 4 x 60" w/30" rest- strengthens core, helps all three disciplines
• Balance ball crunches - 2 x (12 - 25) - strengthens core, helps all three disciplines
• Balance ball Supermans - 2 x ( 12 - 15) - strengthens back, helps all three disciplines
• Good Mornings - 2 x (12 - 15) - strengthens back, helps all three disciplines

Hope that helps.

Scott and Steve – thanks for the recommendations on my training plan.  I think I’m going to up the intensity on the bike and add a 4^th day of swimming when I can. 

Scott – I printed out your sprint build 3x plan and will try to work with that.  I’ll need to do the STP test first.  Also, I’m still working on getting a video of me swimming (hoping maybe on Sunday I can get someone at the tri club swim to do one for me) so maybe you can help me figure out what I need to work on.

Janet

This is pretty similar to what I try to do twice a week.  I use mostly free weights and sometimes the cable machine (if it's not being used by the baseball players).  I also add in some ball bridges and hip thrusters since I've had trouble with my hips.  

Janet

So I'm signed up for my first race for season.  It's in just a few weeks ... March 12th, the Azalea Sprint Tri, in Wilmington NC.  I've done this race for several years now, and it's probably the easiest triathlon one can do ... basically the bike and run are flat, with the run route within the UNCW campus. 

I have a swim coaching session today at my gym to help with technique.  This has been a long time coming, but I found out yesterday that one of the instructors at my gym is a swim instructor so why not take advantage of it?  I don't mind working harder, as long as it's also working smarter.

My workouts this week have all been bricks ... and I'll do the same today to incorporate some dreadmill time along with the swim.

Hope all have a good weekend ... Ciao Dorm

So ... I've been lurking here a bit on your posts on the Maffetone method.  My very limited take on this is simply run slower -  for longer.  So after my swim coaching session today I climbed on the dreadmill and ran 2 miles, albeit at a slower pace.  By slower pace, I mean slower by 30-45 seconds/mile pace.  My max HR was lower by 10bpm and it seemed I could've gone another mile if I'd had the time.

I must say WOW ... when I got in the truck I noticed there was little to no stiffness.  I had a business meeting afterwards and again - little to no stiffness, and now at home with little stiffness.