ATLrunr's IM/HIM group CLOSED and training!! (Page 12)

Hope everyone had a good weekend of training. I got in a good 51 mile bike ride then a 4 mile sprint on Saturday, then a 12 mile run on Sunday. After talking to Japewang, I was able to hone in on my nutrition and able to get a good output for the entire bike ride.  Hope this week of training goes as good as the weekend.

Less than 4 weeks til my first triathlon. Super stoked and ready to do this.

Hope everyone is having a good Monday.

I guess you could say that I'm in a bit of a recovery/unload week. 

Fink's IronFit plan calls for an Olympic distance race this week, so I'm going to take a day off work and run a simulated Oly on Friday morning.  That means not a lot of work during the week, which is fine with me since I've had to go to NYC again for work tues and thurs.  Plus, I used my own plan from Joe Friel's Triathlete Training Bible for my HIM last year, and the periodization cycles threw in a very light recovery week almost every 4th or 5th week.  Fink doesn't really do that, so having a really light week is going to be a blessing I think.  Very little work until friday...mostly pool work.  I'll do a longer high rpm ride on saturday and back to regular long run on Sunday.

bar92, Have a GREAT race.

I got in my 3rd ows yesterday. Glad I've been able to get a few in. Plan on a few more before race day on April 21st.  Plugging along training.  It does get a little tiring and I just want the race to get here. I can see where IM training that you could get in a funk due to how long the training is up to race day.  Going to do another nutrition test this weekend to make sure I'm good with what I did last weekend.

Hope everyone has a great weekend of training.

Not sure what the water temp is, but a me along with a few other peeps have been out once each of the last 3 weeks. It's a little chilly getting in, but you just have to think happy thoughts. Just makes you want to swim faster to get warm.

Well the end of each month we do a timed 500yd for time. Last month I was at 9:21, today I did it in 8:57.  Not too bad in my book for a guy who couldn't swim 25 yds in October.

Nutrition for last weekend was I had 2 24 oz bottles, put one scoop of Gatorade and one scoop of Accelerade in each (200 calories, and yes, lemon lime in both mixed together tastes pretty good). Did either a gel or 4 chomps at the 30 min mark to be at 300 cal. Having a scoop of each was perfect and I wasn't thirsty (from previous experience knowing 2 scoops of Accelerade made me thirsty, more diluted Accelerade (thanks Japewang) and adding in the Gatorade was great). It was wet and rainy, so it took about 1hr 10min to down 1 bottle, which I was planning on one bottle per hour, so close enough calorie wise.  The last part of the ride after both bottles were gone, I did just water and got my calories from gels and chomps.  Averaged 19.3mph on the 51 mile bike ride, jumped off and did a 4 mile sprint at 7:22 and felt GREAT!

This saturday I plan on doing a 40 min run, no fluid, jumping on the bike and going out for 50 miles or so, then jumping off and doing a 10k. Since my plan all along is to carry only 2 bottles race day, I'm gonna do the same mix of one and one, 1 24 oz bottle per hour and either one gel/4 chomps, then hour 3 move to water (which I will be able to get on the course) and gels/chomps for my calories. Hoping it works out like it did last week and that is what I'll be doing race day. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend of training too, and bar92, can't wait to hear how it went.

Had a decent race sim.  Did it alone but timed everything.  Came in at a bit under 3 hours.  Slower than what I wanted, but my bike course was pretty hilly (1200 ft climbing over 25.5 miles) and trafficky.  And THEN I got stuck in traffic where there was road construction....oh well. The coolest part to me is that it felt like nothing.  3 years removed from my first OLY its cool to see the long term progress in my training.

And then I ate White Castle last night.  No long term progress in my ability to control my diet....ARGH!

Japewang-that's why I train, so I can eat White Castle lol.

Well Saturday's adventures for me got a little messed up to due it raining like cats and dogs all morning. Finally weather broke, so figured I better get on the bike quickly, so the 10k prior was skipped. Went out on some flatter area than what I'm used to riding on. Knocked out my 50 miles in 2:29.  Nutrition held up of the mix of Accelerade/Gatorade with 1 gel/chomp per hour. Worked good. Got off the bike and did a 5 miler in 37:22 in some humid muck. HR was outta control, but oh well, just wanted to run.

Today I did a 14 miler at a snail pace. My legs were feeling yesterday's workout for sure. Kept my HR low and just puttered on and got it done. I think my legs are ready for the recovery day tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a good week of training. 20 days til race day, and I'm ready to get it on.

I had a good race yesterday despite having to wait 1:20 after the pros went off for my swim wave to go off.  About 10 minutes into my bike, I passed Lance (or should I say he passed me) on his way back into transition.  He was in the lead off the bike, but I guess he couldn't hold on during the run.

I managed to take about 6 minutes off my time from 2 years ago for a new PR at the HIM distance.  It was really hot on the run and I walked more than I would have liked, but that's how it goes.

Happy with the PR and where I am right now based on the training I've been able to get in.  I'll take the next two weeks fairly easy and then start Fink's 30 week plan for IMAZ.  The first part of that plan is really light as well.  So I'll just keep working and getting it done.

Most of the time, oddly enough, came off the swim.  Two years ago when I did the race, a bit storm had come in right before the race and the bay was really choppy so I did not have a good swim.  The swim this year was more in line with my normal swim times, but I was happy since I hadn't even practiced in my wetsuit before the race.

I was also able to take a couple of minutes off the bike.  Could have maybe taken a little bit more off, but did stop once to potty (something about me and bikes just makes me have to go) and didn't push too hard because I knew the run would be hot.

As of right now, I have a short sprint in June.  I'm sure I'll add a couple of more races and definitely some rides to the schedule.

Great job Bar!  

So, I've hit my first two real challenges in IM training.

1. Food.  I'm snacking all the time, and I can't seem to get healthy options into my body. My current vice is the costco sized box of goldfish crackers.  I'm a big crackers guy.  I know they're not great for you and I can't ever eat just a handful.  I find that I'm really disciplined throughout the day at breakfast lunch and at work.  Then when I get home I'm stuffing my face all throughout the evening.  ARGH. Healthy cracker alternatives?

2.  Biking during the week.  Now that its warm enough and the weather is gorgeous...I'm having trouble squeezing in my 1hr bikes during the week.  Its all mental too.  I set my alarm to get up early, but I'm a bit scared of the roads and now I've chickened out twice in the last two weeks.  I'm in a new place here in Philly and there are just so many people.  I miss the empty roads with wide shoulders back in Washington and Idaho.  I've done 2 or 3 rides outdoors (one being my simulated Oly last week) but I'm just shocked that the roads are all old, narrow, no shoulder and the sheer volume of cars.  All the drivers have been courteous and I haven't had a bad experience, but I don't feel like I'm training well because I'm afraid to get lost and I'm just spooked a bit by all the traffic.  Too hot to just keep my bike on the trainer on the 3rd floor. I know I know...HTFU.

My long rides on the weekend aren't an issue because I can drive to a great multipurpose trail that has some offshoots with great hills in rural or low traffic areas.

Maybe I'll do some evening group rides with some clubs out here to get familiar with some roads.

Thanks for any feedback.  I think I just ate six handfulls of goldfish writing this post... :/