Beginner 1/2 Ironman Plan Group (Page 125)

Holy cr*p it's less than two weeks now and I'm very nervous, also excited - it's the first one for me and i've never followed a plan for triathlons before, just kind of flown by the seat of my pants which was never good!

I did follow a marathon training plan for last year and that worked sooooo well.

Swim, scared of the mass frenzied start, but my concentration will be on finding some space and finding some feet.  Also make sure i warm up so I'm not too hyper!  My stomach just did a huge flip thinking about it!

Transition, well in a HIM I'm not going to go for speed so it takes as long as it takes.

The bike - well I get very nervous because of the risk of mechanical failure.  Think I've covered flats but anything else would be a race stopper.

I'm most looking forward to finishing the bike and knowing i've only got the run to do.

oh of course nervous about cut offs......but it is what it is on the day.  Gonna try and have fun!

I've been keeping up with your swim workouts (OWS and in pool).  You have NOTHING to worry about there.  Myself, I've never swam in a lake, let alone salt water, I think I may drown. 

I'm in the same boat with this being my first HIM, only this will also be my first tri.  I get the nervous and excited feeling too, only I have 2 more months.

You're going to do great and crush even your own expectations because you've put in the work and you have a great mind and attitude.

You've done all the work.  You've completed the distances.  You'll be stoked on race day, and you'll put it all together. 

I, like you, had a couple of weeks to play with.  I'm puting in week 8 recovery this week, then going back and doing week 11 (bike week) 2x do to my lack of biking.

Congrats on your race Kevin.  That is an incredible time.  I was hoping to meet you at the start but it's hard to ID someone from avatar pictures.

I had a good race overall and was on my optimistic goal pace until mile 21 when my legs cramped badly.  I have never had that severe of a shutdown.  Both legs and I could not even walk.  First time I ever looked for medical help.  Fortunate or not there was none in the area and eventually I could start walking again and then like someone flipped a switch the legs were fine and I ran the rest as if nothing happened.

I believe my electrolytes got low because after the race I had a thick band of salt across my forehead and I don't think I was dehydrated because I kept up on my fluids throughout the race.  While it was cool, it was very sunny and I think I sweat more than I thought.  Lesson relearned.  Since Boise will likely be warm, I'll take some electrolytes to be on the safe side.

The rest of the weekend in Spokane was great.  Walked all over Riverfront Park after the race with the family.  That evening was the Lilac Festival parade though town and it was amazing.  Many tributes to the Armed Forces.  Great to see people stand up and cheer for the troops.

Kevin, Pops - great job on the Mary!  That's an amazing time Kevin, you may have missed your goal by a couple of minutes, but you had the bar set way up there.  Pops, way to battle through the adversity!

I'm doing a half Mary in Cd'A next weekend.  Don't really feel ready because I haven't been focusing any training on it.  My long runs in the training plan are at 90 minutes and I haven't gone over that since last September when I did a half Mary in 1:52.  Think I will slip in a two-hour run tomorrow just for confidence but I'm not expecting a PR this weekend.

I'm feeling like I'm getting a bit behind on the bike.  Most of my long rides have been shortened by time restraints.  I'm not matching the hours in the plan, but I think I'm exceeding the intensity - I've been doing a lot of hill-work.  Hopefully the hills will make up for the lost time in the saddle - they say Lake Stevens has a new killer bike course this year.  I'm thinking of dropping the third swim and instead adding a bike workout for the next couple of weeks.

I think you are wise to add some extra focus on the bike.  I really think it is the key to a successful HIM.  I am behind in my bike prep and fear I may have to really cut my expectations back on race day to take advantage of the extra run focus I have been doing.  I was doing fine until about three weeks ago when the weather just didn't allow me to get in a few long rides.  The marathon also got in the way of what I should have been doing on the bike.  Must resist cramming in too much coming down the homestretch.

Well done to both of you, I dream of running that fast!

Anyway I agree with the bike focus in this training plan - i've tried to stick with the hours indicated because it's my weakest link.  I've now got confidence in the swim, ah the run whatever's left is what I'll put in it's the bike that is the key.

I've done heaps of indoor training which I think has improved my strength and stamina incredibly.  Last time I went out on the road (ages ago) I was averaging about 23-25kph.  This weekend i took the bike out and the average over the 73km was 27kph and I can't tell you how many red lights I had to stop at.  Every time I looked at the speedo it was 30+.  So happy that the hours on the trainer do work!

I think for future training I'm going to do my long rides on the trainer (still counts as time in the saddle) and use the road for shorter intensity work then I'm out there less time and in less danger!

Trouble sticking to the plan...

I started training for a June half Marathon in Dec/Jan.  I overdid it peaked about 6 weeks too early, had a nagging strain and now the plan is all confused....

So as I start down the HIM plan targeting the end of September, the beginning of the plan is a lot fewer miles/yards than what I had been doing.  I don't want to over do it again and yet I'm finding it really hard to stop and keep to plan.

Its real hard to get over the  30min is good 45 must be better and 60 is twice as good mentality.

How do you combat that?

AGREED - especially for the running, I was consistently doing 10km and one hour runs when I started so had to pull it back to the 30mins etc.  BUT I did do that, because you have to incorporate the three disciplines.  It soon ramps up again to where you currently are.  se those 30min wisely with some really good technique and interval work.

The only thing I've deviated from is the swimming - I've just continued with squad 3 x a week and we do an average of 3km and 1hour 20mins.  It's all drills, interval or distance swimming so I figure i'm getting the right workout.

FWIO I would say do your 45mins instead of 30mins won't make a massive difference.

Two and a half weeks to go and I'm already getting butterflies.  Jo, you must be going nuts.

Recovery from saturday is going well.  I can't afford to slack now with taper starting next week.  I'm pretty much able to train normally now.  Did 60 minutes on the trainer followed by 30 minute run last night.  I'll get in one more medium length ride and a long ride on Monday than start resting up.  With all the run focus my biking strength seems to have faded a bit.  Running in and of itself does not make one a strong rider.  There is just no substitute for saddle time. 

Speaking of overdoing it . . .

I made it through the end of week 3 and promptly strained my upper back, something I seem to keep doing, hopefully this will be the last time.  I skipped all of week 4, except I did one 8-mile 80 minute run.  I got back to it in week 5, then on day one of week 6 I did the swim, but was just flat out tired so I skipped that day's bike figuring I could just do a bit longer ride the next day if I wanted.  So yesterday I still didn't feel that motivated, got home a bit late, decided I had 90 minutes of daylight left so I should go ride.  I did 27.5 miles in 1 hr 27 min, a 19.0mph pace and about 6 miles was slower riding getting out of town.  I really enjoyed the ride as it was the first time in over a month I haven't ridden north out of town 10+ miles at a 20mph+ pace, turned around and realized I had a 20mph tailwind.  Doing the second half of a ride back into that kind of wind sucks.  So I get home, put the bike away, changed shorts, etc. and then go for my 30 minute run heading out on my 5k loop.  When I got near home I figured I felt good, was going at a nice easy pace, why not go farther.  I proceeded to zigzag around town and ran 14 miles.  My legs really aren't too sore today and it's a mid week off day so that's good.  I do have a sfotball game tonight so hopefully running to first base won't bee too hard.  I think I should probably turn tomorrow's 75 min run into a 30 min.

Thanks so much POPSRACER for posting this - I teared up a bit coz I seriously thought I was going nuts!  I am emotionally all over the place and it's nerves that are doing it!  I think of nothing else - i'm even getting a little sleep deprived!  i try and work through the race in my head all positively but you know that seed of self doubt that slips in....well it's sneaky and slips in when I'm sleeping, roll on next week.  I just want it done now.

I don't mind being nervous the day before but two weeks out, this is insane.  I've done triathlons before, even an Oly this is just a wee bit longer.  Come on!  God knows what I'll be like in 303 days time when I do IM!  I think I'm gonna have to see a psychologist to get me through!

I keep apologising to people I work with, live with and anyone I interact with for my moodiness and my penchant for bursting into tears for no reason!  Who knew it would be the emotional side of the  event that would get to me rather than the physical.  The physical side has been a blast!

Isn't it great when you feel so strong!  I'm nursing a cold - nearly done I think - and I don't feel strong at all.  Weak as p*ss!

anyway it's been an enforced rest for two days but I figure with less than two weeks until HIM the training is in the bank, anything I do now is just keeping everything turning over.  I will endeavour to do swim squad tonight but will cut the set short at 2km.

It really is normal to feel this way.  If you go back into the pages and pages of posts you will hear people write about this time after time as they get close to their race.  I think you see it more with an HIM because if it is your first time it's a huge leap up in commitment to training than anything most people have ever done.

You probably have worked harder and put more into this one day than anything else you've done in your life.  The really cool thing though is that the day or two after the race most people write back how absolutely incredible their day went.  Even if things go wrong just about everyone will say that had a great time and it was a great experience.

When you get a few days from your race try to get some extra sleep so if you don't get a wink of sleep the night before you will have built up a little rest.  I find if I go to bed real early two nights before the race and am thus well rested I don't stress so much about sleeping the night before.  Taking some of that stress off knowing that you don't have to sleep that much actually helps with sleeping that night.

Lastly, enjoy the excitement of your emotions.  It's adds to the specialness of what you are doing.  When the gun goes off all that nervousness will go away and the hardwork that you did over the months will just take over and you will rock it!!

Thanks lovey!  I am trying to find joy in each moment but it's tough.  You'd never pick me as the emotional one in a crowd but here i am!  Whatever the race throws at me on the day is something i can't control  I can control how prepared I am (as good as I'll ever be! but of course wish I'd done more of everything!).  I cannot wait for the start line, standing on the shore (think it's a running start).

We head off at 6.45am doing one lap of the swim 820m out, 200m across, 880m back.  The IM starts 15mins after us and do the course twice.  If you're slow enough you may get swum over by Macca!

I am very lucky to be doing this with my best friend and her husband who have done 11 IM and who know how many HIM!  Her husband is a Phys Ed teacher and is so kind and patient and will guide me through very well.  He's slightly worried as I may beat him in the swim!

I am still jumping out of my skin with nervous anticipation....no wonder triathletes are a skinny bunch all this adrenaline makes it hard to gain weight!

Hey Popsracer - you are gonna smash your race!

Just a thought.  Increase intensity.  I can get really tired doing a 10 mile ride and a 2 mile run in 50 minutes if I'm going 80-90% intensity  (RPE 7-8).

Pretty pumped up.  Just got my new wetsuit in the mail.  about to open it and try it on.  Can't wait to start working out exclusively outdoors and leave the pool stuff for the winter.  I've never swam for excercise in a lake, and figure I have a lot of catching up to do.

It's exciting reading about your guys approach to your races.  Get's me all fired up.  I can only imagine the feeling when 2 weeks out of the biggest training event of my LIFE!

You'll do great!

Yep it's exciting alright - trying to channel all the emotions I'm going through into positive energy - currently reading Chrissie Wellingtons autobiography - inspirational, a truly natural athlete!  If I can smile as hard as she does then I'm doing something right!

You will kill it, Jo. I swear my heart rate starts being elevated two weeks out from a race. Maybe it's because I don't race that often.  Almost grateful I'm so busy now with end-of-year stuff (I'm a teacher) that I don't have time to think too much, just get through each day of work and training as it comes. Will really start getting hyper with two weeks to go--in my case the transition's a little scary as I'll be starting taper, doing a transpacific flight, picking up a different bike, and adapting to a new climate all at the same time. Just hoping I am over the inevitable cold before race day. What scares me most is still the swim (the cold water).  I'll feel a lot better after I pick up the wet suit and do an OWS or two in cold water. If I can manage then, I can probably manage in the race. Will also do a short swim at the race venue the day before.

Still debating if I should sign up for another HIM (in Indonesia, I've run the Oly course there) in early Sept. as backup. If I wait until after my race in Oregon, I'll be paying late fees and it will be that much tougher to arrange leave, hotel, transport, etc. Thinking if I do finish the one in Oregon, I might do the second one more for "fun", just to finish, without a lot of specific extra training, just trying to get in a long run and ride every week. Anyone else crazy enough to consider this? It just seems like I've sunk a lot of training in to be derailed by something stupid like hypothermia or a mechanical issue on the bike, and I don't want to just throw it away and start all over if things do go south. 

Ditto - I signed up for a HIM in November - really a back up plan in case this one turns to sh*t!!!  It's local just a couple of hours drive and is a lake swim so I'm looking forward to it.  Again going with my best friend and her husband and we're all doing IM Melbourne next March.  This will be a training race!  I'm also doing Noosa Olympic the week after!  And two weeks after IM Melbourne doing sydney Olympic - ah a glutton for punishment but I LOVE TRI SEASON!

Wow, cool, but eeeeeeek!  They are huge birds.  Sounds like a great workout though, good job!

Here in Australia we have a HUGE issue with our version of a magpie (more like a massive black and white crow) well in spring time they attack cyclists - many a crash and a couple of lost eyes from these monsters!  Many riders have drinking straws attached to the top of their helmets!  I run carrying a big stick in the spring nexting time so I can wave it above my head when in their territory though it's not so worrying when running but on the bike - yep instant falling off.

In the OWS our main worries are sharks!