Beginner 1/2 Ironman Plan Group (Page 118)

I'm doing the Great Illini Challenge in Mattoon, IL.

I can do a sprint tri with no socks and would like to be able on an Oly, but probably wouldn't try it at longer distances.  I try to find sweat wicking socks that have no extra padding, no compression, and that come up high enough that the back tab on my shoe isn't rubbing my foot.  I find that all those fancy socks with extra material in strategic places just hold moisture at those spots.  I found some champion socks at Target a couple months ago on clearance that are about perfect. 

You're hitting on a bunch of things that were on my mind in the past couple hours.

I'm on day 109, and didn't meet much of the "begin this plan if____" criteria.  It went fine, and will be even better for you as you're 10 days in and feeling good.  I was wasted at that point.   But I made it.

Re: the swimming.  I'm in a masters swim class, as you contemplate.   I KNOW it has made me better, with the side bonus of dramatically improving my running.  There is no question, my training history shows this plain as day.  

As a new swimmer, my STRUGGLE is that I did not properly learn technique prior to trying to play with the big boys at Masters swim.   To do it over, I'd very clearly learn how to swim first, before feeling like  a manatee at the swim class.  I am in over my head.   Everyone is great about it, but being the last guy every single drill is demoralizing and tough on your confidence level.  I can do the distances no problem, but by the time I get to the wall, the 20 second "rest" is gone and so I have to HTFU and hit it again.  This is hard !   DOn't be like me !   I spent all winter in the pool (self guided, zero 'direction') and thought I was making progress.  I wasnt.   Now, my swim class is just a huge amount of energy being spent with zero regard for technique.  It is survival swimming.   I'm gonna sprinkle in some private lessons or do the TI thing ASAP, to get back on track.  my $0.02.

I spent probably 8 months being last in every drill, you will improve!

I now lead the slow lane!  In fact last two or three sessions I've been bumped up to the next lane and have led that too.

As Coach Johnny says, you have made progress JoJo but so has everyone else at the same rate, that's why you remain at the back.

what I have noticed though is if I go to just the public baths for my own workout I have to go in the lane marked fast and I'm faster than all the public swimmers....go figure!

Jo, thanks for your kind words.   Yep, I'm the manatee in the slow lane but the good news is our small group is cool about it, and  I don't slow them down.  Coach is pretty encouraging.  I was concerned about WHY I'm slow.  Technique ?  Fitness ?   If it was fitness, then fine I"ll stay put and eventually will bust through.  If its technique, like i suspect, better to slow down and get refined first.     Turns out it's both.

Solution ?   ADD time, private lessons PLUS more masters and resultantly- i hope- better fitness and better skills too.  Holy crap, I am just gassed after all that pool time today.    Also, I need to eat more before going to the pool.  That's part of the problem  maybe.   

This is the hardest lesson in HTFU that I've personally dealt with in my life, which (I think) is saying a fair amount, as I'm a business owner and a national champion in my 'other sport.'    Obscene amounts of effort have gone into both.

This 70.3 stuff is not a joke ! 

What's your "other sport"?  I assume it's sailing since you've mentioned that.

Yessir, everything from Lasers to big offshore boats and many in between.   Easy to do, hard to get good at.   TRiathlon= hard to do, *very* hard to get good at :-)     

On the positive side, less time consuming and less expensive :-)

"Re: the swimming.  I'm in a masters swim class, as you contemplate.   I KNOW it has made me better, with the side bonus of dramatically improving my running.  There is no question, my training history shows this plain as day. 

As a new swimmer, my STRUGGLE is that I did not properly learn technique prior to trying to play with the big boys at Masters swim.   To do it over, I'd very clearly learn how to swim first, before feeling like  a manatee at the swim class.  I am in over my head.   Everyone is great about it, but being the last guy every single drill is demoralizing and tough on your confidence level.  I can do the distances no problem, but by the time I get to the wall, the 20 second "rest" is gone and so I have to HTFU and hit it again.  This is hard !   DOn't be like me !   I spent all winter in the pool (self guided, zero 'direction') and thought I was making progress.  I wasnt.   Now, my swim class is just a huge amount of energy being spent with zero regard for technique.  It is survival swimming.   I'm gonna sprinkle in some private lessons or do the TI thing ASAP, to get back on track.  my $0.02."

I'm not exactly sure if you're saying Masters has been a good thing or not, given at the end you said it was a lot of effort with zero regard for technique.  Having only gone once and now looking at the TI stuff, what I saw is that the Masters coaching here doesn't really line up with TI.  TI says thinks like one handed drills, kick and pull drills are pretty much useless, which are the first things they had me do.  It also says the idea is to move more effortlessly through the water so you're not gassed at the end.  I would think if all I accomplish is going at my current pace, but come out of the water not feeling fatigued, that would improve the rest of my race.  My plan at this point is to learn TI over the next month or two, and if it doesn't make me faster/use less energy, then I'll start Masters up in July since my local club's membership is semi-annual.  Now if my book would just arrive today I can get started on that plan.

5 weeks til HIM and I've done a 20km run this morning.  Jeff Galloway ratio of 2min run 1min walk - done in 2.29, not my fastest but it's training not racing so I am more than happy.  Fastest I've raced it is 2.15 so that is not too shabby at all!

And legs were tired after 1hour swim 1 hour trainer last night.

Starting to feel I've got lots of training in the bank ready to use with interest earned on race day!

mshawgo,  Here's my story.  It sounds alot like yours.  I hit a wall swimming.  I started a novice in October of last year, and worked up to a 2:15-2:05 pace/100.  I plateaued at that.  I heard of TI, and in January I started with TI drills.  I took a huge decline as I tried to learn the differing philosophy from everything else I had read and heard.  Fast forward to now, and I'm a little faster, but a whole lot more comfortable in the water.  The more I use the TI drills, the better I feel, the more I transfer them to my swim, the better my times get.  TI has worked for me personally, and I will continue to use it as I look forward to my times going down.  I do not have time or $ for coaches or masters groups, so I found something I can work at at 5:00 in the morning on my own in the pool.

Nice work Kevin!  Your strength on the run is going to be a huge asset! I had to rework my schedule and swapped the run and swim focus weeks - really enjoyed all the running this week.  I'll be doing the tri-workout on Sunday and swim-focus next week.

Really think about getting into the Radiant Lake, Hayden or Race the River sprint tri's before you tackle Troika.  There's no substitute for some real "game time" experience - this sport is a lot more than the sum of its parts... that's what makes it so cool!

OMG I did a 5 hour ride this AM. Told my bike buddy I'd try to keep her company for her long ride and I made it all 83 miles. We'll see if I'm sore tomorrow LOL!  I find the physical and mental aspect of long rides very odd- I've been running and swimming forever but am a very inexperienced rider; until January had never gone over 2 hours on a training ride. When I ride 60 or 70 km, I feel like I'm dying at 40; for 100 km, I hit a rough patch around 60-70 km. But today, I only started getting tired around 90 (maybe because I knew I had further to go?), but it went away, and I felt fine afterward, better than a 3 hour ride. We did the same pace we usually do for 90-100 km. Is it really just all in my head???? I remember a similar process when I trained for my first marathon. I always have what I think of as "valleys" of energy on long runs, at very predictable points: the start, 1:30, and 2:30. But I come out of them within 10-15 minutes. Always assumed it was something to do with energy pathways, sugar vs. fat or whatever.  Biking, it is always when I'm 2/3 to 3/4 done, regardless of distance. Shocked to find there is life beyond the 3:00 valley! I guess there must be with sufficient training, if people do Ironman!

Think I should take tomorrow off, or at least very easy!

Wow! What type of nutrition did you consume? You must feel SO ready for the bike! I'm hoping to do another long bike next week - probably just over 40 miles for me. I am up to 9 miles on the run, and I've taken a break from swimming since my shoulder got wonky a couple of weeks ago. I'm hoping to try it out tomorrow in a rec swim with my daughter. Today we're both not feeling well..my health can be such a B sometimes...I did 9 miles on Thursday, 1 hour bike on the trainer yesterday and a bit over 3 mile recovery run - I feel like poo today but I've left my bike on the trainer right smack in the middle of the living room (rather than the basement) to inspire me. Hubby is away for the weekend so trainer is my only option - that and rec swimming (need to watch my 6yo daughter).

I'm still worried about the bike.....There aren't any 3000 foot ascents in this part of the country! I figure if it comes to that I will just get off and push!

Let's see, "nutrition".....Bowl of granola, banana, juice, coffee before ride. One banana, one and a half fruit and nut type granola bars, one Cliff Turbo Chocolate Cherry (that and the Kona Coffee flavor are the only gu/gel stuff I like rather than tolerate--bike buddy calls those "crack" as it has lots of caffeine and tends to make me speed up) during.  Two bottles of water, one of Nuun, and two of Revive. (A Vietnamese sports drink that we can buy roadside--has some cane sugar in it and tastes like salty lemonade; I dilute it.) Not listing what I ate after. Nutella was involved, but it was part of a balanced breakfast LOL. Continued refueling with Turkish Brunch at favorite cafe downtown.

Yes, I looked at the dates for Radiant Lake and Hayden.  Both would be excelent choices for my first tri, but when mentioned to better half, finances and time commitment came up.  So I probably will still be at Troika as first official tri, but am going to pick a weekend, probably in July and do a solo event in the 9mile, long lake area.  I'm going to swim 3/4 mile, bike 25, and run 6-7.  I'll start and stop each portion at the same transition point and work on transitions and nutrition.

I think I'm good for running nutrition - Hammer gel and electrolyte drink - I seem to tolerate any...but for the bike I picked up NUUN and Cliff blocks to try...I'm running out of time and my weekends are starting to fill up with other commitments. I'm hoping to get at least one more long bike in on a Saturday with the bike club!  I have terrific news about my tri...Popsracer was right...the course is flat..SO flat in fact that it has an overall 1% grade and a climb in the 1,000's...I'm psyched that I've been climbing 13,000 feet avg on the bikes with 11% grade. I think I may just kick some butt Thank you so much for the nutrition rundown...I'm hoping the Nuun/cliff will work out...if not I'll try Hammer gel since that will be provided on the course (I think with bottles of HEED as well..?)

It sounds like you have become a climbing animal! What I wouldn't do for those hills!

Be aware--Nuun has no calories. I use it just for electrolyte replacement. Revive is similar to Gatorade; normally I don't drink it during a workout (occasionally after) but it's a pain to make your own electrolyte drink mid-ride and you can't really carry five water bottles, so we bought some roadside. Tried shot blocks but I gag on them. Cliff Shot Turbo has a thicker, almost fudge-like texture than other gels/gus and a bitter kick from the caffeine. In my case, that's a plus; I can see it being a minus for some people. For the run I will probably carry 2 Power Bar Mandarin Orange gels--don't like it but I have gotten it down in a HM and that will spare me from drinking the energy drink offered on the course if I don't like it. Maybe carry one small bottle of water in case I want it between aid stations.

I wish someone would invent a tank for a bicycle in hot climates that would carry 5-6 liters of water! I know there's Camelback but it's too hot to wear. The amount of liquids we go through is just insane. I think that was 96 ounces of fluid. And I was still a bit dehydrated at the end!

FWIW, I found the five hour ride much easier physically (speaking from the next day, now, after an hour easy run this AM) than my usual 90-100km (usually 3:20-3:45) plus 40-50 minute run long brick. It seems like the brick run really takes it out of me; some of this is probably heat-related. Also, I found it very helpful to break the ride up mentally; the route, while dull, helps with this. We went out about 18 km, did 4 X a 15 km loop on a road I call the Highway to Hell, came back the same way; then headed about 5 km down the road to the industrial park (not as bad as it sounds; nearly traffic-free, landscaped, best roads in town; all the local cyclists and triathletes do speedwork there) for four loops of approximately 7 km. I just focused on each stage of the ride at a time. Not quite the pressure of going out 40+ miles and then having no choice but to ride back LOL. I am never more than 25 km/an hour from home. Don't think I will do any more rides that long before the race, as bike buddy is leaving and when I ride solo it's all in the industrial park. If she weren't, might be tempted to go for a full IM in the next few years!  

Our biking scene really SUCKS. There's one expat woman who's the top master's cyclist in SE Asia. She's supercompetitive Type A, way too fast for me (as in 35+ kph on long rides up to IM distance) and not a triathlete. Then there are some recreational cyclists (women) who are too slow and only do 20-30 km rides. And some testosterone-driven "peletons" made up of guys (expats and locals) who either don't allow women or do their utmost to drop them. That's it. Grrrr..... My only option if I want a training buddy now appears to get to Chrissie's level in my worst event!

I ran 13 miles in 1:41 today.  That's a few minutes ahead of goal marathon pace.  I have 2 more weeks of speed work followed by a solid week of taper going into marathon.  My HIM plan has a run focussed week, followed by bike focus, followed by recovery week, so the recovery and taper weeks will be on the same week prior to marathon.  I love it when a plan comes together.  I still do not know how much biking I will do 2 weeks prior to my A race.  Anyone have experience in this?  How much cycling is too much 2 weeks before a marathon that you're trying to get a pr in?

Beginning of the thread says to introduce yourself...

A year ago my Son convinced me to do a sprint tri with him.  I'd been riding my recumbent back and forth to work, 10mi each way,  so the bike was easy, and I've always been a strong swimmer. So the hard part for me was running... I walked the whole 5K. I finished the race and was not last in my age group ;-) and it was fun.

I'm 49 and the longest I'd ever run was the 1mile fitness test in high school.

So I set out to learn to run, I  started the couch to 5K running plan the week after the triathalon and I've been working at it ever since. I've lost more than 50 pounds and my longest run so far was 15.5 miles at 10:34/mi pace.

About 6 weeks ago I sold my recumbent bike and bought a tri legal Felt  I'm up to a 40 mile ride on the bike. (I did 40.1 miles in 2:23 this morning)  prior to buying the Tri bike I'd been doing a lot of lap swimming up to 2.5 miles or so in in one session.(Twice a week)

Since I first heard about the Iron Man 25+ years ago I'd thought that it would be a cool goal to just finish an  1/2 IM.  So there have been a number of times in my life where I could do the bike and swim, but the run always looked impossible.  I'm finally to the point where I've actually run more than 1/2 marathon so the half IM goal does not look so daunting.

So my question for the group is:

I'd like to finish a half IM as a personal goal. I've been contemplating entering the Augusta 70.3

September 30th of this year. Several reasons to choose this race:

1)September 30th is my 50th birthday and It would be a meaningful day to achieve that sort of personal goal.

2)The Augusta looks like its one of the easier tris.

3)Its close to My sister in Law so I have a free place to stay and hang out for a few days before the race.

The alternative would be to wait and do the local 70.3 (Oceanside Ca) in March 2013.

In the last month I've had several runs and swims longer than the 1.25 and 13.1. I've only been working on the bike for about 6 weeks, but todays 40 mile morning ride did not wipe me out, I still felt as if I could go another hour or so when I got off the bike today.

As I've only been seriously doing endurance training for about 8 months is setting a goal for the end of September  too much too soon?   

IMHO, your goals are totally reasonable and reachable!

As a check-in, I rode my bike indoors on the trainer for the past three days for one hour each day, plus a recovery run on Friday along with this...I'm feeling really ready and for the first time - excited for the HIM on June 16. It's tough to read the stat.s of others, but if I focus on my own goals, things are looking really good. I'm reading Triathlon Revolution and Iron Wars and I'm pretty much all about triathlon right now.

I would like to fit in a long bike and a 10 mile run this week and also begin to try out the pool again (with my wonky shoulder). I have a mini-sprint tri that I'm doing with my family (my daughter is doing a kids tri on the 5th, and I'm doing the mini on the 6th). This was one of my very first triathlons and I honestly want to crush it. Should I hold off on the 10 mile run or will I be OK by Sunday if I do it on Tuesday? I'm thinking I should do a long bike as well but I'm willing to hold off on that until after the little race.