TRI (Totally Radical Improvement) - Clydes/Athenas to competitors - Re-Opened (Page 13)

HI Ony, 

Personally, no, I wouldn't think that a BarryP program should be used for swimming or biking. because of the differences in the sports, we have to train for them in different ways. 

Swimming: As you know, swimming is a technique based sport. I try not to think of swimming as training, its practice. There's a subtle difference there. With running just putting in the miles will make you improve, with swimming you need to improve your technique/form to get better. Yes swimming more often is beneficial, very beneficial, but it's different to running in what you're trying to achieve. 

Biking: Biking is almost the opposite to running. To improve here, you need to go hard. Hard intervals, and training rides at, or above race effort. Putting in lots of easy miles, like the barryp plan wont give you big improvements. Also, because its a much lower impact sport than running, you can get away with a) harder workouts, and b) fewer, but longer workouts. The BarryP theory is to spread the load over a longer period of time, not to drastically increase the load. 

But, doing single sport focuses at some points can be a good idea. Usually they're done in the off season, use the non racing months to work hard and try to improve your weakest sport. Personally, I'm going to go on a run focus after my last race of the summer, and try to set a half marathon PB during the winter. During the season I'd try to spread the load across all 3 tho. 

Brad and Bulfrog, Thanks for all the information and insight.

Brad - Thanks for the perspective. Admittedly, I have a lot to learn but my avg speeds on my hybrid are in the single digits.  I do reach double, but that is with concerted effort and for spurts. 

Bulfrog - Thanks for bring big picture thinking into this. I still think in off season = off, and you're right the off season can be used to strengthen sport specific weaknesses.

Later all,

O!

Do you usually have the bike in a hard gear and try to push harder to go faster? If so, I'd recommend dropping it down to an easier gear and spinning your legs faster. Let your cardio do most of the work and build your muscles slowly. Keep it in the smaller ring on front for the entire ride (middle if you have 3 front sprockets) and just spin spin spin. You'll get faster and your legs wont hate you at the end. When I was starting out, real cyclists told me that if my quads were burning on the flat stretches, im in too hard of a gear. Drop the resistance and keep your cadence high and you'll start getting fast in no time!

No worries. 

Not only can it be used to work on your weaknesses, but it can also be a chance to mentally refresh yourself. Doing something a bit different, like Paul doing his marathon, or doing some mountain biking for a few months can be very good for making sure you're ready to go come summer.

I've realized something worrying for me, in less than 2 weeks, daylight savings ends for us. That added to the days getting shorter means that me after work rides are going to have to move indoors to the trainer in the next month or so... Not something I'm looking forward to! 

Hey guys - off days from training today and tomorrow and then the HM on Saturday.  As Ony can attest to the weather in NY has been wacky this week - made for a frigid run yesterday and I just hope it will be in the 40's and not windy like they are predicting now for Saturday.

On Tuesday I did some light weight work and did this swim workout:

Notes: WU-  100 Swim free
        150 Kick w/fins and board
        100 Swim free
        150 Kick w/fins and board
        100 Swim free

MS-    4 x 200 Free decending 1-2
         (thats means 1st is easy, 2nd is hard, 
          3rd is easy, then 4th is hard)

DS-   9 x 50  (First and fourth time use fins)
         1- 6 count catch-up free
         2- 3 count arm switch
         3- fingertip drag

WD-   200 choice

TY-     2,050 yards

Yesterday I swam again this one was just endurance building:

WO- 100 Free
         50 Kick
       100 Free
         50 Kick

DS-  6 x 50 (Drill down 25/ Swim back Free 25) w/fins
        1- Fingertipdrag
        2- Arm switch with 3/count
        3- 6 kicks/1 pull   (Catch up Freestyle)

MS-  50 Free
        100 Free
        150 Free
        200 free
        150 Free
        100 Free
        50 Free

WD- 250 Choice  (anything but Freestyle)

TY- 1,650 Yards

.  

Ran yesterday after my swim at it was not good ...

I ran a 5k at 8:20 pace and within 500 yards had a stitch on my right side that lasted the entire run.  So uncomfortable from start to finish in conjunction with the cold and wind - just kept thinking to myself if this comes on me during my HM it will be one miserable run.

Came to the decision that I will be running on my old sneakers (Saucony Progrid Guide 4's) despite having over 350 miles on them and saving these new 6's until I get some more training miles in them - nothing has changed in the past two weeks other than introducing new sneakers ...

Regarding bike training - I can't say I am a fan of spinning on an easy gear for hours at a time on my trainer - sure I will break a sweat and but unless I do intervals up and down gears I don't feel like I have worked hard enough.  My improvements regarding speed overall have come from building stamina and power I think the two go hand in hand. 

Will check in again tomorrow - weekend is coming what does everyone have planned?

I wasnt saying to spin an easy gear on the trainer. I meant on the road. And maybe my advice is only related to central KY, as there really arent many flats. There is plenty of variation going up and down hills, and plenty of opportunity to build power. As far as speed is concerned though, even while going up huge hills, I can stand on the pedals in the big ring and muscle up, or I can sit down and drop to the small ring and spin 110 rpms and actually go a little faster. Maybe I'm still a noob.... 

Yes Paul the weather here in NYC is cray, cray.  It is like winter and spring are battling it out, and we are getting tossed from side to side in the battle. 

I have always heard that training on the spinner is not ideal, however, to accommodate I take my Cycle Reebok video, that has the viewer change gear to simulate flats, hills, etc.  Also, my plan was to take my hybrid bike and do 3 loops in Central Park (18 miles) anyway to get that road feeling.  Central Park has hills that I don't like to do on foot, let alone on my hybrid bike.  I figured with my hybrid on the loop, although it is more difficult than a road bike, at least, my legs should be very strong in the end.  Hopefully my will power will prevent me from getting turned off from biking, which I am fearing using the hybrid to train will turn me off, turning my long bike day into really long bike day especially when I have to do 40+ miles.

Brad, I will try to the lower gear thing.  When I first self trained on the bike, that is what I used to do, until I read somewhere that the base really should be gear 2, 1, should be for power (hills) and 3 should be for speed on easy slopes.  I then in my mind, treated my shifting like I would in a stick shift.

Thanks for the encouragement Mitzi.  I truly appreciate it and I love learning from each and everyone of you guys.

When I started out, I read, and read and read.  There is so much material out there, most of it not structured and the information varies depending on whether you are a recreational athlete vs. the professional competitor, with more substantive info for the competitor.  So hearing from people with real experience, especially as the Clydesdale or Athena, former couch potato, non-professional athlete, above 40, balancing work/ family life, etc. is especially insightful.  The dynamic we have to deal with is only recently being addressed in a structured form as the popularity of the recreational sport grows.  There is something about this sport that just attracts a certain type of person that the individual sports just doesn't quite do.

As far as weight loss, Mitzi, your body may be responding differently, you may be gaining muscle, and/or actually losing inches.  When I started, I did not lose weight easily.  It was weird.  I would drop 1 to 2 dress sizes and still weigh the same.  This time why I dropped the pounds off so easily the first two weeks, is beyond me.  But I think my body was waiting for me to go back to the gym, after a year off and the 30+ lb weight gain, and dropped the weight as a reward . 

Each time I train, I try to incorporate more of what I think is the ideal training program, something that incorporates, correct nutrition, light weight lifting, actual tri training, and proper rest and stress management.  The first year, I just focused on getting used to the crazy training schedule and ate poorly.  It was overwhelming to try to change my activity, revamp my eating, and still read copiously.    Eventually from a time management perspective, I zoned in on training (w/o the weight lifting) and learning. This year, I have experience and a little knowledge behind me, so I can focus on combining nutrition, hydration, weight lifting, tri training, proper rest and stress management by keeping things simple (nutrition, i have a basic menu none of that 90 different meals and 30 different smoothies in a month craziness I tried to do following online meal plans) and focused training, 2 hours a day that is it.  I am not yet as well planned as Bulfrog (races planned out to 2014 and coordinated training in excel  ) but I am getting there.

I honestly think that I am dropping the weight because I am not stressing myself out about it, and stress does crazy a$$ things to the body, or at least my body, subconsciously undermining my eating and resting pattern.  I just try to do what I can do, striving for proper life/training balance, and get done what I can get done, making corrections as needed along the way as needed.

Your weight will come off.  Just keep in tune with your body, and it will let you know what it needs to accomplish your goal.  It will come to you and it will happen.

Wow, lot's of activity on here from everyone, pretty exciting.  I think I'm on different schedules than you all.  I have time to update on weekends and you all have time to update during the week.  

As far as bike riding, which is my weakest subject , I agree with Brad, you should be keeping your RPM's in the 90 range.  If your are struggling to keep it there then shift up and make it easier.  I tried this about 4 weeks ago and it really changed my speed and especially my ability to be able to run fast after I got off the bike.  Before that I would use the top gear and just grind things out until I got done and then I would be burnt out on the run.

This week has been a pretty good week of training, trying to figure out what I'm gonna do next.  Well I jumped off the deep end and signed up for the Harvest Moon HIM Sept. 8 in Colorado.  My wife loves Colorado and I knew she would support me if I promised her a trip to Colorado.  Hired an online coach here through Beginner Triahlete and set an impossible goal to beat 5 hours.  Everything will have to go perfectly for me to be able to achieve it.  But I'm excited and just pray I can stay healthy during the training.  

Hey guys ... will work on my race report tomorrow but I did set a PR for the HM distance - ran my second one today on the same course I did last year and shaved almost 7 minutes off ... it was cold and windy in NY and I am happy with my performance since I started pretty poorly.

Today's playlist during the half marathon - BPM increased with the Scooter track ...
Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus (Stargate Mix)
Laibach - Das Spiel Ist Aus
The Bravery - Hatef--k
Die Atwoord - $O$
Die Antwoord - Never Le Nkemise 2
Evil's Toy - Organics, I want to believe, A Girl Called , From Above Comes Sleep, Back on Earth, Transparent Frequencies
Aesthetic Perfection - A Nice Place to Visit, Celebrity Sun
Scooter - Move Your !
Aesthetic Perfection - The Devil's in the Detail
Combichrist - Electrohead, Get Your Body Beat
Suicide Commando - Bind Torture Kill, Torment Me, Bleed for us all, Conspiracy with the Devil, Menschenfresser
Eisenfunk - Quattro Gti
Funker Vogt - Arising Hero (Faderhead Remix)

If you are looking for fast aggressive tunes to run too - check out from Scooter on - the first bunch were just getting me to a comfortable pace. 

Regarding the bike stuff - Everyone I have spoken to states that you want to be at 85-90 RPM's always when on the trainer ... take yourself through gears until you are able to maintain this same speed at the harder gears for longer lengths of time.  So you interval - spin on easy chain for 10 minutes and then simulate a hill and try to grind out and keep that cadence.   The spin classes I have gone to (tri orientated) are the same way.

Where I live I can take a long bike ride and go 20-30 miles completely flat - I like to power through flats since that is how I race in a sprint - basically go all out and leave nothing for the run.  I should still have the capacity to run a 5k strongly even on fried legs at this point.  My tactic on the Olympic and HIM will be different as the run is longer and I have to leave something.

Right now I know I am lacking stamina - I need to be able to ride for 5-6 hours and come off in a good place nutritionally and physically.  I have three months left to get my self together and the test will be the HIM in May.  To those of you doing sprints as your long distance you can most likely forecast your time on the bike now for a flat course - your goal between now and race day is to build stamina so the distance feels like you could go further, build power so you can race on the big gear in high cadence.  Sorry to ramble still excited about today and the fact that my eldest son came to me after track practice today and asked if he could do some SBR races this summer - he calls tri's swim bike runs ... we will have some work to do but to say I am stoked to train my 8 year old while training myself is really exciting.

Congratulations Paul!  Glad you had a great race and that the weather held up to support you, or at least the cold and wind pushed you to finish ASAP even more .   I can't wait to read the report.

Hey guys ... just got back from a nice 2 1/2 mile nature hike with the boys - they kept running ahead and coming back but I could not run with them my legs were just not up to it.  Great to finally have a nice day here in NY - it seems like it has been a long time.

My race report is up - just a HM so no exciting swim bike or transition stories ... Queens NY 13.1

I am bringing my road bike in today to my LBS for a tune up ... I will be bringing my tri bike to the not so local tri shop to get race ready tomorrow.  The family has 5 days in the Pocono Mountains next week and I plan to ride the road bike on those hills every day we are up there.  Race season is coming now - time to get serious boys and girls ... in my house that also means all the desert foods are gone - the kids and wife will not be happy with me for the next three months but the temptation can't be here or I will eat it. 

I am hopefully back for good.  The last 6 weeks have been some of the worst of my life.  I was out of town a week and a half ago to be with my mom after her surgery.  I left on Wednesday to go to Arkansas and was due to come back on Sunday morning.  I got a call Saturday morning from my husband telling me that his youngest daughter was killed in a car accident around midnight that morning.  I drove home on Sunday and then we packed up the car to drive to Wisconsin for the funeral.  She was 21 and hit a patch of black ice.  She went across the median and two oncoming cars hit her.  Thankfully, she did not suffer, but it was devastating to our family.  I was prepared for her memorial service to be difficult, but I wasn't prepared to see my motorcycle riding, former lumberjack of a husband to sob uncontrollably.

I am considering not doing the triathlon because right now I am under so much stress with the recent events, I don't know if I can handle the added stress to get caught up on my training.  I want to be in this for the long haul, but also don't want to feel like a failure by not doing the race.

Your last 6 weeks sure put things into perspective. 

At the end of the day tris are just a hobby for all of us. None of us are pros, and depend on them to feed the family, its all just supposed to be a bit of fun. You have far more important things to be focusing on than stressing out about doing a race. 

In no way should you feel like a failure for not doing the race. I (and many, many others) have canceled races, changed our plans for reasons that are completely trivial compared to what you're going through. 

What I think you should do, is cancel the race, and focus on the big stuff for a while. If you want to do some exercise, then by all means go for a run or a bike, but use it as a form of stress relief. Get out there, alone with your thoughts and just, run, ride, swim, or what ever you feel like doing. But don't worry about a plan or anything, just go when you feel the need for a release, and you have the time.

There will always be another triathlon for you to do. 

Good luck , and I hope that things improve for you and your family!

Tricupcake,

My condolences to you and your family on your loss of your loved one. 

While everyone handles grief and mourning differently, I second Bulfrog in considering canceling the race for another time.  Training for a triathlon, no matter the distance, requires quite a bit of time away and support from family members.  While some people and families are able to use their grief and channel it into completing a race, in honor of the departed, some may need to that time and attention to regroup.

Myriads of people cancel their races for far more trivial reasons.  Please do not feel guilty at all, for taking the time to take care of family that I assume takes care of you.  If you were using the triathlon as an anchor for getting fit, you can consider yourself on a dialed back, longer conditioning phase until the time is right.  If you talk about your situation with the race director, you may be able to get a refund or guaranteed entry into the race for next year.

The first year I was scheduled to do the Olympic distance tri in 2010, so many little things kept going wrong, trivial, but substantial enough to cause me to cancel.  The final straw was getting a minor burn in a freak accidental run in with my iron.  I tried to practice, but, after four weeks of trying to swim, and not healing properly, I cancelled to allow my body to heal. I was given guaranteed entry for following year's race, no refund and had to pay the high entry fee again.  I did the race in 2011.

Proper focus ≠ failure.

I wish you and your family, strength and courage during this time of loss.

O!

Kim - so sorry to hear about everything going on right now.  I agree with the sentiments of everyone else here - there is no pressure to train or race - nothing is more important than family.

Good day at the pool this morning.  Easy spin bikeride to recover from yesterday's 10 mile time trial and leg workout.

10m 500.00 yards 02m /100 yards

Warm up, 300 free, 100 back, 100 breast

	30m 1720.00 yards 01m 44s /100 yards
5:30 AM

Swim 30 minutes, good workout

	30m 01s 8.92 miles 17.83 Mi/hr	Min HR: 96 Avg HR: 132 Max HR: 147
9:04 AM     [Lap data] [ HR data]

Easy spin, as planned. Strong winds 55 degrees