Mndymond and Disturbed275's Awesome SBR Group--- Phase 2--CLOSED! (Page 13)

Morning Kate - Glad to hear your training is going so well.  The fact that you are tired and slow to react at the end of your workouts should tell you that you are working hard.  Keep it up!

Good question about how far to bike... Most plans will have you bike more than you need to as a way of providing you more endurance on race day.  I would say that for a 18 mile bike ride - you should try to see if you can go 25 to 30 miles.  The reason for the range is that you don't want to push so hard to get the miles in that you hurt yourself along the way.  Try to stick with 10% increases (but feel free to push it to 15% if you are doing extra RICE (rest, ice, compression (wrapping), and elevation).  You might also want to take advil a couple of times a day to help with inflammation - but don't take it before working out so it doesn't mask pain from a real injury.

As far as the water goes - one of the reasons why you might be slow to react in addition to being tired is that you might be dehydrated.  Try to drink 8-12 ounces of water before heading out and then try to drink 2-3 ounces every 10 minutes (more if it's hot).  Also, take a look at your nutrition on those long workouts... Try to eat 200-300 calories every hour.

Good luck!

Tonight - I'm having friends over to sample several styles of English beer.  I'll be sure to file a "post-drink" report to let you know how it went...

With all those calories - I decided to workout for 30 minutes longer than usual (30 minutes of exercise = 2 beers).  So I did 30 minutes of biking and then a pretty intense swim workout.  I've been trying to change the way I approach my pool workouts, so I am moving more to interval training and skill work.  It kicked my ! At one point - I got passed by someone doing kicking drills while I was doing the crawl.  Turns out, she was the pool director.  We talked after I had regained my dignity and she agreed to couch me...  So, that's good.

Here is my workout - please give me feedback:

500 warmup
10x25 kicking drills
500 Free
10x25 reaching forward to extend my stroke (where you touch your hands in front before the next pull)
10x25 extending the pull to my hip (thumb touch)
500 free
250 cool down

Final question - does anyone have advice on how to reduce mileage to make the most out of a pre race taper.  Right now, I'm in the middle of training for a OLY but I need to start tapering for a sprint next week.  I'm doing about 4 hours of biking, 2 hours of swimming, and 75 minutes of running.  Thoughts?

SportzVision - 2012-04-26 3:01 PM Got in an ok 4.5 mile run and the knee seems to be holding up throughout the run.  Stamina is starting to build again as I adjust to my Still crazy slow but starting to build up to previous times.  The other day I fell out of my trainer...I am not sure how that happened but I must not have been locked in tight enough.  I shifted my weight after almost an hour of riding and down I went!  Some bruising but no serious injuries to me or the bike. 

Glad to hear your Knee is getting better and that you are getting stronger by the day! 

As far the trainer - I've been waiting for that to happen to me... I suppose it is only a matter of time. 

Have a great weekend!

Whoops! Glad no injuries!

I can't believe yesterday marks the 4 months of training left until Ironman!! Wooohoo I can't wait. Looking forward to the long rides on my bike and the first tri of the season in a month!

I always feel like I'm perpetually trying to catch up on this thread! That's great- it looks like everyone's training is going well   I just wanted to say that's I'm reading everything... Just sometimes don't have the chance to reply to everything!

I'm heading out of town again this weekend.... This time to visit some breweries in Michigan.  Mainly Founders on Saturday in Grand Rapids and Bells on Sunday in Kalamazoo.  May also stop by some other smaller breweries while I'm up there, and of course getting some (hungover?) bike riding in while I'm out of the city.  

I hear you.... Sometimes it's hard to fit training in with normal life!  20 weeks should be plenty of time to train for a half-iron, especially considering you recently already did a half marathon (even if it didn't go so well).  You have the run endurance, at least!

SportzVision - 2012-04-26 3:01 PM Got in an ok 4.5 mile run and the knee seems to be holding up throughout the run.  Stamina is starting to build again as I adjust to my Still crazy slow but starting to build up to previous times.  The other day I fell out of my trainer...I am not sure how that happened but I must not have been locked in tight enough.  I shifted my weight after almost an hour of riding and down I went!  Some bruising but no serious injuries to me or the bike. 

Glad you're ok!  I haven't ridden my trainer nearly enough to actually have anything interesting happen like that 

I guess my question about your swim workout is, why are your swim sets so long, but your drill sets so short?  Usually I see workouts where the swim sets are more comparable to the drill sets.  For example, a 2500m workout might look more like:

200 warm-up
10x100 50 kicking drills; 50 swim
10x50 drill (can alternate drills each 50)
6x100 swim (can do it on an interval, or focus on a different technique each 100 such as lowering stroke count or extending reach or body roll, etc while concentrating on the stuff you worked on for the drills in the previous set)
200 warm down 

The idea (so I've read) is that you're interspersing the drills with the swims so you can practice what you're drilling for each swim set.  And since the swim sets are shorter, you are more likely to practice good technique than if you're only doing 25s for your drills but then 500s for your swims.

Just at thought  I'm by no means any sort of swim coach and in fact rarely swim in pools since I prefer open water!  That's just one thing that struck me with the workout you posted.

Regarding your tapering, could you just shorten your usual workouts to 1/2 of your usual distances/ times?  Not counting the race, of course, which also counts as a brick workout/speedwork for your Oly training!

I'm a huge fan of training over distance on the bike for races up to a half ironman.  If you can go 20-25 miles a time or two before race day will be a huge benefit.  You'll know you can handle distance and knowing that will help you push harder during the race.

On the flip side it's not entirely necessary so don't fret if you don't do 18 in training.  If you can ride 15, you can ride 18.  If you can ride 50, you can ride 56.  If you can ride 100, you can ride 112.

The 10% rule is more applicable to running than the other two sports due to the high impact and risk of injury.  While it can be a safe way to build your bike base, you can exceed that increase with little risk of injury.  You may get more fatigued during the ride and will very likely be much more sore afterward, but the injury risk is still low.  I've stuck to mainly short one hour-ish rides lately but would have no qualms about riding 50 if needed. 

Tapers can be very different and can very widely on your fitness level and what your goals for the year is.  If your main focus is on the the Oly than I would suggest a shorter taper (1 week?) so you are not sacrificing the plan too much for the Oly. Drop down to 60-80% of the previous week's volume the week leading up to and make sure you schedule a rest day one day or two day's before the race.  Some people prefer to workout the day before just to move a little so if you workout the day before keep it very short.

I do a lot of races a year so I train through many of them.  For my one or two "A" races a year I've found that a two week taper with and 80% drop the first week and further 60% drop the second week works for me.  That second week is also pretty much devoid of high intensity.  This is what works for me and may not work for everyone.

SportzVision - 2012-04-26 3:01 PM Got in an ok 4.5 mile run and the knee seems to be holding up throughout the run.  Stamina is starting to build again as I adjust to my Still crazy slow but starting to build up to previous times.  The other day I fell out of my trainer...I am not sure how that happened but I must not have been locked in tight enough.  I shifted my weight after almost an hour of riding and down I went!  Some bruising but no serious injuries to me or the bike. 

Glad you're okay!  Just to make you feel better I have also fallen off the trainer while trying to dismount.  The bike sits up a couple of inches higher than if it were on the ground and I caught my leg on the bike seat while trying to swing it over earlier this winter.  Took a very loud nosedive into the floor and probably scared the crap out of my downstairs neighbor

Careful.  It will go faster than you think! Which IM are you doing again?

That sounds like a fun weekend plan!  Hope you enjoy it (and the bike riding too)

Are you riding it straight through or stopping halfway?  If you are riding straight through I would suggest a little sports drink in the second water bottle.  If you're stopping you could pack a little something to much on during the break.

While you may not need either of those, you might as well bring them just in case.  Better safe than sorry.

s/b/r today.  5.5 mile run.  I got a pr on this course today.  followed by 24 miles on the spin bike in 1 hr, another pr, followed by 30 min. swim.  I took it easy in the pool for 1250. 

Tomorrow is a rest day, followed by 13.6 mile TT on Sunday.  my goal is to hit 1:44 race pace, 8:00/mi pace.

Hope everyone's weekend plans and goals are met.  Happy trying.

I know that's what scares me is that the last 8 months have gone by so fast that the next 4 being the most important will fly by!!!! I'm doing IM Canada ( can you even call it that now that there is the Montreal race too?? lol So...I'm doing Ironman Penticton! ) I've got the swimming and running distances covered so now it's on to the bike! and keeping up the swimming and running!

Half Marathon #3 this weekend, Last time I battled the cold (-20 degree weather) this time I battle the hills around the reservior!!! Hoping to do a sub 2hr (last was a 2hr 02min) but we'll see i've done hill training but not sure it will be enough!!!

Another question so Ironman is definitly my A race....but I have a oly comming up and a HM as well....It's the nature of the beast that I want to go all out and do my best on them..... but my trainer has told me that they are just practice races....eg- practice transitions, nutrition before and during race, gear, etc to get me prepared for IM.....HOW do I wrap my head around this?? I'm having such a hard time in it!! After all it's called a race!!!

wow - That's so cool your ironman is getting so close!  Do you feel like your training is going well?  I can't remember have you done an ironman before?

Nice workout Kevin!

I just got back from a 22 mile ride- my longest ever.  It took 1:45 since there were crazy winds on the way back.  I feel pretty good (my butt's a little sore.)  My friend invited me to ride with her group so I guess I did okay.  I think I'm going to try and hit the pool today too.  We didn't stop- so the gatoraide was definitely good to have.  (I did have a cliff bar too just in case.)  It was only 40f when we left, which was actually a pretty nice temp.

Way to go Cynthia.  Great to hear it's coming back around.  Hope you do well in your tri next week!