Beginner 1/2 Ironman Plan Group (Page 121)

Woke up early this morning so tackled a 9km run in the drizzly grey weather.  Felt good actually for a change.  The recovery week is over today but I've enjoyed it.  Didn't stick witht he program at all, just did what I felt like:

3x swim squad
1x9km run
1x spin class

May do a 60min ride today on the trainer.

Wow, great race!  My understanding is that there is a killer hill in this race too--well done!

Congrats on the pace, Popsracer - and the bike, Jobaxes! That really is bike porn. Rawr! So, I'm feeling good after my mini-sprint this weekend. I am also SUPER proud of my 6 year old daughter who did her first triathlon! We slept over 2 hrs away as a family and she did hers on Saturday, mine was on Sunday. She swam 50 meters (with a life vest LOL), biked 1 mile (with training wheels) and ran .5 mile! Here's an overview of my times. (I had to pass two people in the pool so I am looking forward to open water swims)

	23m 14s 7.00 miles 18.08 Mi/hr

20m 2.30 miles 08m 42s/Mi

06m 59s 400.00 yards 01m 45s /100 yards

Nice races Kevin and Grace.  You guys justed rocked your events.  Grace, great times in all three legs.  Seriously strong in all three.  Way to go!!

Just got back from a 50 mile ride.  Very happy with 19mph average.  What a weekend!! 

Great job Kevin!  My time was 1:01 - 8:06 pace according to my Garmin.  It was my first Bloomsday and it was a lot of fun, even though the huge crowd really messed with your pace the first couple of miles.  I would have liked to break one hour, but I'm pretty happy considering I was up until midnight drinking margaritas and Dos-XX with relatives visiting from out-of-town.

Kevin and PrivateIdaho - admirable times and admirable that you were in the same race! Popsracer - you can't get results like that without a lot of hard work - great job!

Today is supposed to be my only sunny day here in Western Massachusetts so I best get out and enjoy it. Planning on a drive to Northampton to swim, a visit with the horses (an out-of-the way drive as well), cleaning the chicks' enclosure and a noon-time run. So very different than the recovery days of yesteryear! Also, I met a fellow BT-er at my race (Mighty Mom) who has similar times to mine and is doing the Patriot HIM as well - I am such a fan of BT. She recognized me from my photo, and now we can 'inspire' each other on our daily logs.

Congrats racers! I've been gone all weekend in Singapore (for sprint tri) and didn't want to deal with the computer plus the bike, so no Internet. Race report coming soon. Not real happy with it. Fourth overall and second in age group, just out of top 3 OA and AG win by 40 seconds. The woman who beat me in AG supposedly ran IM Kona last year, so I guess I just got outclassed. She normally does longer events; I'd never raced her before. Placed better on the swim than last year, but time was slow. I guess everyone else was too. We swam in reverse direction and seemed to go into the current most of the way. Bike was a disaster. I was hoping for 33-34 kph but it was 31.6. Just couldn't push a bigger gear to go faster and maxed out in the easier one. Really questioning my bike training--I can hold 27 kph. for 5 hours but fall apart at 32 for 20 minutes? Maybe should just go back to the Jorge workouts during the week. Run was fine--fastest for women by a lot but felt incredibly yuck the entire time. Felt wretched at end and immediately after--maybe heat-related or just poor bike fitness. But not sore today--like I never did the race. What is wrong with me??? It's like I can't go hard/fast enough to have any effect on myself. Just long and SLOW. Insights, anyone? Is it a problem for a HIM if you just have NO speed, or should I be mixing up the training a little? Pretty sure I have enough endurance to last the event, barring hypothermia, asthma, flats, or some unforseeable disaster. 

Just did one of the swim workouts from the plan today--3 X 700m; switched the warmup and warmdown so I did 100m easy after each 700. Felt fine but pretty tired now as got back late last night. Going to bed soon if new "child" (cat-sitting for a friend all month) will let me!

needing a short bit of advice from you experience peeps here.     I'm in "week 3"  (3 weeks left of the BT beginner half plan).

This week calls for all the usual stuff and I've followed the plan closely.    I have the River Bank Run coming up this saturday (25k).  I've hit the distance before once in a training run, I'm not scared, I will ge thru it.

BUT--  how do I act this week leading up ?   I have swim group tues / thurs as always (2300 per session avg).    How much should I be running this week ?

I guess this is where I"ll part ways with my plan for a few days and make up any missed stuff starting next week after my 25k.   Not sure how much 'taper' or how often I should run this week.

Thoughts ?  Skip the bike maybe do the swims, and run 2-4 times this week maybe shorter distances ?

Hello BTers.  I am starting an 18 week HIM training program next Monday, May 14th.   I chose an intermediate HIM training program from Trinewbies because I am already in descent shape for the run portion and I liked their mix of workouts.  I just ran the Go St. Louis Marathon 3 weeks ago.  My race is the Lake Geneva, WI HIM on September 15th.  I just started swimming at the YMCA last week and have been riding for about a month now.  Looking forward to see everyone else progress toward their goals. 

I think you'd be OK with your normal swimming, the 90 minute bike early in the week, and the 30 minute rides.  For me, I'd need to get a few short runs in early to mid week just because I don't like to go three days without a run.  You'd be shifting your long run from Thursday to Saturday.  The only problem is this is your last long ride this weekend and you won't be able to get that in unless you do it on Sunday.  How long do you think you will take to recover from the race?  I'd probably try to get that long ride in during the early part of the following week if you could.  At this point in the plan, the long run and the long ride are the key workouts.  In between stuff can be moved around.  You do need to start tapering in week two so if you can't get it in soon forget it.  Wouldn't help your HIM but could hurt it. 

Welcome aboard. 

Nice Race Coller.  Outstanding times and results.  Bet that felt good. 

I just changed my first 2 flats in 2 rides.  Hoping tomorrow goes off w/o flat.  Sure would like a bike trainer to ride on instead of road.  Anyone do most of there miles on a trainer, or do you do mostly outdoor riding?

Do most of mine on the trainer - gives me more opportunity to use big gears and work my quads hard simulating hills.  Where i live it's undulating hills, nothing major.

I'm also so terrified of traffic when I ride outside I tend to go to a bike track!  I'm going to venture out in the residential streets tonight but later, 8.30 when there is less traffic around!  Gotta bite the bullet on this one - such a wuss!

Good you guys do not live in Vietnam. I can only describe the traffic as "horrifying" and that's when we ride between about 5 and 9 AM on Sundays!  Massively overloaded motorbikes driving in the wrong direction, red lights just for decoration, people making all kinds of turns from any lane they want, drivers who think buzzing women cyclists is funny. Sometimes I am shaking so hard (from nerves) by the end I can barely ride straight.  Now that my bike buddy has left the country the rest of my riding's going to be in the industrial park. (6.6 km loop). Maybe will finally break down and get a trainer. I feel like I get a good workout on the gym stationary but my bike results suggest otherwise.

Really, really tired today. Not so much training but demands of job and life in general. I guess training too. Actually did a day from Week 7. It might even have been Tuesday. (I did Friday on Monday.) 30 minute run this AM, swim/bike brick tonight. 30 minute swim--exactly 1700m, well 1700m of weaving around slower swimmers and kids at gym pool Maybe 1750, or 1725, or something. 50 minutes on bike. I did one of the Jorge workouts. Feel like I'm just wasting my time with this "Zone 3" or "Zone 4" stuff--I haven't been biking long or hard enough to know what that means. I know my power numbers (pathetic--half of what most people post) for those bikes, so it's easier to do that kind of workout. Amazing amount of sweat, plus I got a head start by getting wet in the pool. Then realized....I had to go shopping and get a ton of stuff for a school event. So day ended with hauling tons of groceries plus workout stuff home (pushing on bike) and up 66 steps to apt. Tempted to log it as strength training. My daily life makes training look easy.

Cat continues to try to post by jumping on keyboard. I think he would like to log a set of sprint intervals.

Through the winter and early spring I'm 100% on the trainer.  As soon as the weather warms which for me needs to be in the upper 50's, I'm outside and will stay there until Fall.  I try to  watch the weather forecast out a week or so and will move rides to catch the best weather or avoid the rain.  Trainer and road each have their pros and cons though definately prefer the road for anything over 90 minutes.

Agree.  I borrowed a trainer from a friend in the fall and subsequently bought it from her as I didn't want to be out in the rain all the time.  But I will move a ride to a day with nice weather if it is >90-120min.  I have done 2 hours, but hated it...

That being said, the trainer is definitely better for avoiding flats!  I have only had one, but now I am totally paranoid.  I don't worry about traffic too much (not to say I am not aware or not safe), but flats freak me out.  If I was smart, I would do what I know Jo has done, which is practice changing flats at home until I am comfortable at it...

Sorry you are struggling.  I agree that sometimes life is way harder work than training!!  Hang in there.  My cat was helping me last night as well.  If only they were helpful with thinks like household tasks...

Can't say I'm strictly comfortable with changing flats, gonna work some more on it this week - Yanti says she does a front wheel in about 4 mins and a back in less than 10mins that's my aim.  i pray on race day that there would be some kind of mechanical support!

Swim squad tonight - love it, taking an unofficial day off tomorrow to do a long ride - not on the program but I feel I need it.  I will then do a 10km run off the bike and I will feel good!  May go and buy a new wetsuit.  I've got a sleeveless which I love - brand is Rocket Science.  My full wettie is a Speedo which is great, very comfortable goes on a dream but then it soooooo sticks to me and seriously I cannot get it off, I have tried all lubricants known to man but nothing!  So I think I want the full version of the Rocket Science......for Cairns HIM we need to wear a full wettie though the water is warm - jelly fish (killer variety) are in abundance there, they net the swim and they sweep it but as a precaution, full wettie required.  Believe me if I were to get touched by any creature it would be race over!

Jo-  That's crazy, swimming with the killer Jellyfish.  Hotrunner, Treachery on the roads.  that's insane.  I am so fortunate to have the calm of the pacific northwest.  Hope both of your training finishes up strong, despite the traffic and killer jellyfish!

Follow up question.  If I continue to get flats, I may be in the market for said bike trainer.  I'm on a single income teacher salary, so $'s are at a premium.  Any recomendations on what is good?  Any that you like over others?  I'm a total novice at all things tri, any info will help.

Complete novice as well, so take this with a grain of salt.  I borrowed, then subsequently bought, a rim drive trainer.  I like it because I don't have to change out the wheel/trainer every time I get on the trainer.  I suspect it wouldn't do for a serious rider, but as I am not, it works great for me. 

Ha re the killer jelly fish - actually the killer box jelly fish and some other Japanese sounding dangerous one are only really there December - March, but as a PRECAUTION - they say wear a full wettie.  I figure for once I won't be worrying about the mass start more about the creatures!

Bike Trainer - i got a cycleops fluid and i love it but they are pricey.

I got the cycleops fluid also, it's great... but I lucked out.  New, they are about $300 - but I found one on Craigslist for $135.  The guy got one for a birthday present, but he used it once and it caused "back problems" so he got rid of it - he weighed at least 350...