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2018-02-26 8:06 PM
in reply to: lutzman

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Subject: RE: Happy Sunday!
Hey Steve, thanks for your reply.

In my 3 HIM’s, I’m coming out of the water in 33-37 minutes, but I am also probably getting caught up in the race. I might be blowing myself up - it’s easy to watch your HR on the bike and run- obviously not as easy in the swim. How do you pace yourself in open water??? Honestly, im not finishing my races strong but I’ve been attributing that more to weight. Your comments on Lactic Acid are definitely worth keeping in mind.

I wouldn’t neglect the swim- it’s just an internal fight in my head ??


2018-02-26 9:06 PM
in reply to: Turner100

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Subject: RE: Happy Sunday!
Originally posted by Turner100

Hey Steve, thanks for your reply.

In my 3 HIM’s, I’m coming out of the water in 33-37 minutes, but I am also probably getting caught up in the race. I might be blowing myself up - it’s easy to watch your HR on the bike and run- obviously not as easy in the swim. How do you pace yourself in open water??? Honestly, im not finishing my races strong but I’ve been attributing that more to weight. Your comments on Lactic Acid are definitely worth keeping in mind.

I wouldn’t neglect the swim- it’s just an internal fight in my head ??


Hey Rob:

At 33-37 minutes on an HIM swim, you're actually producing a pretty solid swim time. The average swim time for all HIM's (all age groups) was about 40 minutes. So you're around 10% above the overall average. That's good. If you look at a specific age group, like Men age 45-49 the average was 41 minutes...so you're somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-8 minutes above the true middle of the pack swim time. That's pretty good in my book.

If you are swimming above your fitness to hit these times then you could definitely be coming out of the water having pumped your body with lactic acid. Back it off just a little to 39 minutes or so, and you might exit the water feeling great and ready to hit the bike and run in solid form.

You can see the average HIM times here: http://www.runtri.com/2011/06/how-much-time-does-it-take-to-finish_...

OWS pacing is a question I sure Scott can help with. For me, I concentrate on making full strokes and fully finishing each pull. I find when I get stressed or start to push beyond my fitness my stroke breaks down and I stop getting the full extension and finish. The result is I work harder but with less efficiency. So for me, thinking about full, complete strokes vs. how I'm doing in the race seems to help keep me on track.

There is absolutely no question that extra weight make you pay a huge penalty in running. In swimming and biking, the water or wheels carry some of the extra weight burden...but there's no help on the run. Our legs and lungs have to carry all that weight 100%. With your swim times at the paces you listed, I don't see any reason why you can't put your near term focus on using running to drop weight. Nothing burns calories like running!

At a 3:01 PR in Boston you clearly have the aerobic engine to be a solid triathlete. My guess is with training you'll continue to see improvement in your HIM times for the next 2 or 3 years as your weight drops and your fitness returns.

Hope that helps.

Steve
2018-02-26 9:30 PM
in reply to: k9car363

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Subject: RE: Traveling to an Out-of-Town Race
Originally posted by k9car363

Originally posted by lutzman

I'm four weeks out from my Olympic distance race in Hawaii on March 25

Steve

Hey Steve,

Whenever I've had to travel out of town for a race I've always driven.  I have never felt comfortable with the idea of my bike on an airliner.  On more than a couple of occasions, that has turned what could have been, probably should have been, a long weekend, into a week or two of driving across the country to a race and then back home again.

Just wondering how you are getting your bike to Hawaii?  It occurs to me, that isn't a drive one could easily make.




Hi Scott:

I've traveled to a fair number of races over the years with my bike checked in the baggage hold of the airline. The distances are long from up here in Washington State. I've hauled my bike on airlines to Hawaii a couple of times, San Diego, Napa, Austin, Orlando, Tucson and Milwaukee among others.

I bought a case probably six years ago from try3sports. You can see the case here: https://www.triall3sports.com/cases-bike.php

The pros: A really solid case. Minimal bike disassembly required...I remove the seat, handle bars and peddles...that's it.. It also has room for your helmet, wetsuit, etc. The box has wheels so it easily rolls through the airport/hotel.

The cons: heavy and large You'll pay extra airline fees because of the weight and size. Plus, you'll need a pretty large rental car or the case won't fit. I usually get midsize or full size SUV so I don't have to worry if I'll be able to get my bike case into the rental.

There seem to be more options now, so you might find something you like better.. I also saw this case on Ebay which looks like mine. At $250, that's a pretty good deal. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bike-Travel-Case-2-Bike-Tri-All-3-Sports-/1...

The only time I had a problem was when I shipped my bike via UPS rather than taking it on the plane with me. There was a service linked to the USAT National Championships so I used them because I had business in other cities before going to the race in Vermont. The bike was sent directly to my hotel. When I got the bike at the hotel it was clear somebody had worked very hard to try to break into the box. They dinged it up, but fortunately, the padlock held. Unfortunately, the lock was so badly damaged I had to get a hack saw and cut it off to finally get the box open. Knock wood, the airlines have been fine...the new issue is whether TSA will close the box properly after their inspection...but that's an entirely different topic.

Steve
2018-02-27 6:28 AM
in reply to: k9car363

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Subject: RE: Weight-loss/Workout Challenge Weigh-In Day

Hey everyone!

Here's the updated Weight-Loss/Workout numbers.

We're beginning to amass an impressive total group weight loss!  Keep it up!

An 'FYI' Rob (Turner100) reported two-weeks this week.

 





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2018-02-27 8:39 AM
in reply to: BlueBoy26

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Subject: RE: weight loss challenge
Originally posted by BlueBoy26

Originally posted by lutzman Happy Monday! I had a good week after re-gaining weight the week prior. Steve

 

Steve,

 

Good luck at you OLY Race on the 25th.   

 

My preparation from my first 70.3 race was 4 months of running then four months with Cycling and Swimming added to the running.  I hadn't been in a pool or on a bike for years prior to that and had never trained or competed in either prior to race.  You can accomplish quite a bit in 4 months time.  No you will not be able to complete are you highest level with just 4 months training but you should discover in a few weeks that you have your speed back.




Thanks Curtis.

Well, I'm hoping I'll be able to recapture some of my speed from the past. What I have difficulty discerning is how to allocate the decline. What % is simply are result of lack of fitness (recoverable) and the percentage that is age-related. Certainly both come into play. We'll see.

Hope your training is going well. If you don't mind, it will be great if you will post some your workouts posted here. I see them sometimes on one of the other the BT forums....they are always impressive! Very inspirational.

Best,

Steeve
2018-02-27 9:19 AM
in reply to: Turner100

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Subject: RE: Happy Sunday!

Originally posted by Turner100

. . .

So Steve, I’ll open a can of worms ?? and I know that it will be a case by case situation but how much swimming do you really need do? Since there only so many hours per week, where do get the max return? I’m also still keeping 2 hours of weight training- mostly body weight and core exercises.

I’m on week 3 of my 30 week Ironman Plan and really focusing on my bike & run (only 1 hour of swimming).

My thought process is that:

1. The swim will be about 10% of the race
2. I’m not scared of swim - I grew up in a pool
3. I need to lose weight and I do that best by running
4. I’ll plan to pick this up in the summer when I practice OWS more Thoughts?

Hey Rob,

Sorry for the delay in responding to this.  Simply stated, the bolded is one of my "hot buttons."  It drives my absolutely crazy when I hear someone make those statements and I hear them quite regularly.   I thought it best to take a bit of time so I didn't fire off a response that could have easily been taken the wrong way (I sometimes lack a filter between my brain and my mouth ).

As you may or may not know, my first athletic language was swimming.  However, what I am about to say is not being said as a swimmer, rather it's being said from under my coach's hat.  Although admittedly, I see triathlon through the prism of a swimming background.

I saw that Steve responded.  He addressed the weight-loss and I have nothing specific to that to add.  I would however, like to expand on Steve's thoughts regarding the swim.  Steve mentioned "coming out of the water gassed," and "lactic acid build-up."  I want to get a bit more in-depth into what's going on there and what that means for your race.

For the typical age-group triathlete - defined as someone not seeking to stand on top of the overall podium or qualify for Kona - the goal of the swim is to remain aerobic in the water.  As we look at why that is so, I'd like to look at the importance of the swim without reference to the percentage of time the swim takes relative to the other disciplines. 

The swim, impacts the swim, bike and run.  The bike impacts the bike and run.  While the run only impacts the run. 

When you consider that statement it becomes clear the swim impacts the entire race.  While it's true you can't "win" a triathlon in the water, you can easily lose it there.  Your swim can sabotage your entire day.

You mentioned back in your original introduction that you are using a variation of Jeff Galloway's Run/Walk program and you are currently running with a HR target around 150 bpm. First - I encourage every athlete I work with to use a run/walk strategy during the run of their long course triathlon (70.3 or 140.6).  It carried Sebastian Kienle to his Ironman World Championship and it's a viable strategy for any age-group triathlete - so kudos for adopting that strategy!  I want to look at your HR target.  That target has you training within zone 2 - working to develop the aerobic energy pathway.  Zone 2 is also where your race day run effort is going to be.  Similarly, your bike race day effort will also be zone 2 with a slightly lower HR - maybe 135-140, possibly a bit lower.

Swimming is highly technical.  Swimming with improper technique will quickly lead to becoming anaerobic in the water.  As you become anaerobic, technique breaks down even further.  Becoming anaerobic creates metabolic by-products - specifically lactate and lactic acid.  However, a well-trained athlete, once their heart rate recovers below threshold, can quickly process and remove lactate and lactic acid accumulation - so lactic acid, in and of itself, isn't the concern.  The problem is the elevated heart rate.

You (metaphorically) get in the water on race day and become anaerobic forcing your heart rate into zone 5, maybe high zone 5.  When you come out of the water your heart rate has climbed to 160?  170?  Maybe higher if you are deeply anaerobic.  The only way to quickly get your HR back down is to rest.  But you aren't going to rest, you're going to get on the bike and ride - with a heart rate that is 30-40 bpm higher than your Z2 target HR.  AND IT WON'T FULLY RECOVER TO YOUR TARGET HR.  Meaning your body isn't going to efficiently clear lactate and lactic acid accumulation.  Of greater concern,  you are going to be using more energy than you would at a lower heart rate.  Reducing your glycogen stores can have serious consequences later in the day - consequences that can easily force a DNF.

Looking at you more specifically, you mention you're coming out of the water in 33-37 minutes for a HIM.  That's ~ 1:34-1:45/100y.  At that pace, it's safe to say your technique is a limiter.  You aren't going to overcome that limiter by training 1.0-1.2 hours per week in the water which is what 10% works out to.

You asked "how much swimming do you really need to do?"  I recommend a build to a level equal to 1.5-2.0 times the race distance a minimum of three times per week.  At your pace, for a HIM, that's roughly an hour long workout three times a week.  Carrying that thought just a bit further, I like to see overall training volume at a 25%:50%:25% swim:bike:run ratio.  At 12-hours per week that works out to 3:6:3.  Kinda cool how that's precisely the swim volume I suggest.

I advocate year round strength and core work.  During the season however, as your S/B/R time increases, I recommend 2-3 20-minute strength/core sessions per week in addition to your S/B/R schedule.  Strength/core work is another topic that we can talk about separately if you like.

Pacing yourself in open water is a direct result of proper swim training.  You should know your swim threshold pace - your pace at threshold.  Once you know that pace, your workouts are built around that pace.  You will also precisely know the pace you should swim your race.  Over time, you develop an internal speedometer that will accurately guide your race day efforts and keep you aerobic.  Absent that speedometer, it's highly likely you will be anaerobic in the water on race day.

Hope that answers the questions.



2018-02-27 10:04 AM
in reply to: lutzman

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Subject: RE: weight loss challenge

Originally posted by lutzman 

Well, I'm hoping I'll be able to recapture some of my speed from the past. What I have difficulty discerning is how to allocate the decline. What % is simply are result of lack of fitness (recoverable) and the percentage that is age-related. Certainly both come into play.

Best, Steve

Hey Steve,

As you know, we start losing muscle mass and strength at about age 30.  Slowly at first and becoming more rapid as we mature.  This study - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3940510/ - suggests ~ a 1.5% decline year over year beyond age 50.  Not great news to hear but at least it gives you some way to quantify and approximate what's attributable to aerobic engine decline and strength decline.

There's also a significant number of studies out there that suggest you can not only slow but actually reverse the decline with targeted strength work.

There's hope for us older folks!

2018-02-27 10:13 AM
in reply to: Turner100

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Subject: RE: Happy Sunday!

Originally posted by Turner100

Honestly, im not finishing my races strong but I’ve been attributing that more to weight.

Without seeing workout and race data, it's hard to say with certainty but my suspicion is you are over-cooking the bike - going to hard on the bike.  Weight would possibly play some role in you not finishing strong but I suspect that isn't the primary factor.  It starts by becoming anaerobic in the water.  That carries over to the bike and the natural tendency on the bike is to go too hard - that's problematic if your HR is already above target.

There's a saying - you can't have a good run without a good bike.

Or, stated another way, if your run is bad, your bike was bad.

It's very easy to look at triathlon as swim and bike and run.  However, that isn't triathlon.  Triathlon is swimbikerun.  It's one event.  I actually believe it goes deeper than that but I don't want to cloud the issue at this point.  To be successful at the finish line requires you (again metaphorically) to have a race strategy that recognizes triathlon is a single event rather than three separate events strung together.

2018-02-27 11:56 AM
in reply to: lutzman

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Subject: RE: Traveling to an Out-of-Town Race

Originally posted by lutzman 

Hi Scott: I've traveled to a fair number of races over the years with my bike checked in the baggage hold of the airline. The distances are long from up here in Washington State. I've hauled my bike on airlines to Hawaii a couple of times, San Diego, Napa, Austin, Orlando, Tucson and Milwaukee among others. I bought a case probably six years ago from try3sports. You can see the case here: https://www.triall3sports.com/cases-bike.phpThe pros: A really solid case. Minimal bike disassembly required...I remove the seat, handle bars and peddles...that's it.. It also has room for your helmet, wetsuit, etc. The box has wheels so it easily rolls through the airport/hotel. The cons: heavy and large You'll pay extra airline fees because of the weight and size. Plus, you'll need a pretty large rental car or the case won't fit. I usually get midsize or full size SUV so I don't have to worry if I'll be able to get my bike case into the rental. There seem to be more options now, so you might find something you like better.. I also saw this case on Ebay which looks like mine. At $250, that's a pretty good deal. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bike-Travel-Case-2-Bike-Tri-All-3-Sports-/1... The only time I had a problem was when I shipped my bike via UPS rather than taking it on the plane with me. There was a service linked to the USAT National Championships so I used them because I had business in other cities before going to the race in Vermont. The bike was sent directly to my hotel. When I got the bike at the hotel it was clear somebody had worked very hard to try to break into the box. They dinged it up, but fortunately, the padlock held. Unfortunately, the lock was so badly damaged I had to get a hack saw and cut it off to finally get the box open. Knock wood, the airlines have been fine...the new issue is whether TSA will close the box properly after their inspection...but that's an entirely different topic. Steve

I'm looking forward to having to make a trip to Hawaii at some point so beginning to think about the travel.

Have you ever used a service like this - http://www.tribiketransport.com

Tribike quotes $700 to transport a bike from Washington to Hawaii.  (They don't have the Hawaii 70.3 so used Kona for discussion sake).

I'm curious how that compares to your actual cost - More?  Less?  Significantly more?  Bear in mind I don't have a bike bag/case so that will be a necessary expense.

2018-02-27 1:41 PM
in reply to: k9car363

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Subject: RE: Traveling to an Out-of-Town Race
Originally posted by k9car363

Originally posted by lutzman 

Hi Scott: I've traveled to a fair number of races over the years with my bike checked in the baggage hold of the airline. Steve

I'm looking forward to having to make a trip to Hawaii at some point so beginning to think about the travel.

Have you ever used a service like this - http://www.tribiketransport.com

Tribike quotes $700 to transport a bike from Washington to Hawaii.  (They don't have the Hawaii 70.3 so used Kona for discussion sake).

I'm curious how that compares to your actual cost - More?  Less?  Significantly more?  Bear in mind I don't have a bike bag/case so that will be a necessary expense.




Scott:

I think it was Tribike that shipped my bike to the nationals....they just sub-contracted the pick up, transport and delivery via UPS. All I truly remember is I worked through the supplier recommended by USA Triathlon and it was much more expensive than taking my bike with me on the plane. It seems like it was over $250 one way. When I came home I was flying direct so I checked my bike on the plane and felt like it was a bargain.

You can find quite a few threads on Slowtwitch that deal with bike fees demanded by various airlines. Some airlines nail you, while others have a nominal charge like $25 or $50. A bit more detail here: https://www.bicycling.com/culture/alaska-air-sets-new-standard-cycli...

The benefit of the large, hard-sided bike box is it can take a beating...and my box shows signs of being thrashed. Yet my bike has never been damaged in shipment (knock wood). The downside of the hard case is its weight. I think my hard box comes in at about 30 lbs. By the time you put in your bike and any extra equipment it's nearly impossible to stay below the "heavy bag" surcharges that typically kick in on any bag over 50 lbs. I guess you can put your bike pump and all accessory equipment into your checked luggage, but that's probably going to push your luggage over 50 lbs.as well. So, I just load up my bike box figuring I'm going to pay a "heavy" fee one way or another.

I fly on Alaska most of the time. I can't recall ever paying more than $75 each way for my bike, sometimes $50, and every so often, no charge at all. Their current charge is supposedly $25. but the "overweight" fee will likely add another $50 bucks. It's been two years since I took my bike flying so its possible the rates have increased. I'll let you know what they charge me in a few weeks.

Of course, the other factor is the rental car. You'll almost certainly need a rental car to move a large bike box from the airport to the hotel/condo. So, you have to factor the cost of the car into your equation. If you don't need a rental car, then maybe Tribike looks like a decent value. You get off the plane, taxi to the hotel and voila, there's your bike. But if you're renting a car anyway, the bike box will just require you to upgrade to a larger vehicle. In that case, I still believe the total cost of the airline bike fee plus rental car upgrade would still be well below $700 round trip.

The thing you can't measure is the comfort of knowing (hoping) your bike is with you on the plane...versus floating somewhere in the UPS national delivery system. That made me extremely nervous. Yes, the airline could lose your bike....but so can UPS.

Steve
2018-02-27 3:25 PM
in reply to: BakerBryan

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Subject: Tuesday Run Interval
Here was my Tuesday run interval.

1:25 mile warm up following by 6 X 1/2 mile repeats. 1/4 mile walk/jog recovery after each interval. Half mile cool down. Goal pace of 7:50/mile.

Paces were approximate as this run was on a paved running trail with 1/4 markers that are "close" to being accurate. In any case, my 1/2 mile intervals came in at mile pace equating to 7:50, 7:47, 7:54, 7:47, 8:05 (hill), 7:47. Pretty close to where my target.

It's a good interval work out for Olympic distance or longer. The 1/2 mile interval allows you to get the feel of the pace while also being long enough to help you learn maintain effort as fatigue starts to make things tougher. You'll need to find your own threshold pace to make this work for you, It's a basic but solid workout.

Have fun.

Steve


2018-02-27 3:53 PM
in reply to: k9car363

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Wauwatosa, WI
Subject: RE: Happy Sunday!
Hi Scott- sorry to poke the Bear!

Your response was great- and I won't neglect the swim. The first few weeks of my Tri Plan have a 1/1/1 Ratio- probably to keep you fresh. I'm not quite sure I can commit to a 3/6/3 ratio but a 3/6/4.5 are doable or at least keep 3 swims/week. Swimming gets much easier for me after Memorial Day as our local community pool opens and I spend more time at the lake.

Quick Question- how do you respond with someone else's comments included?

Thanks,
2018-02-27 7:49 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN

My first year of Triathon my budget for the sport was $1000.  Paying $700 to transport your bike to one race seems crazy to me.  When I did Ironman 70.3 St. George two years ago we found air fare into Las Vegas under $500 for the whole family. Then we started looking at how I was going to get my bike to the race. We looked at shipping companies. Bike cases for the airlines, etc. and my stress leave started to go go through the roof. So... we canceled the airline tickets put the bike rack on the back of the car and drove across 5 states to get to the race. I told my family we would plan another trip where we could fly when I wasn’t taking a bike.  Last year we flew to my Ragnar cape cod race. It was stress free. 



Edited by BlueBoy26 2018-02-27 7:53 PM
2018-02-27 11:01 PM
in reply to: Turner100

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Subject: RE: Happy Sunday!

Originally posted by Turner100

Hi Scott- sorry to poke the Bear!

Your response was great- and I won't neglect the swim. The first few weeks of my Tri Plan have a 1/1/1 Ratio- probably to keep you fresh. I'm not quite sure I can commit to a 3/6/3 ratio but a 3/6/4.5 are doable or at least keep 3 swims/week. Swimming gets much easier for me after Memorial Day as our local community pool opens and I spend more time at the lake.

Quick Question- how do you respond with someone else's comments included?

Thanks,

No worries.  I've grown up and gotten to where "silly swim ideas" don't set me off, well not so much as they use to.  

If memory serves, you're on a 30-week plan.  Most plans that long start with a base phase so the volume would be lower and more balanced.  The 25:50:25 ratio become more pertinent when you get into the build phase.

"How do you respond with someone else's comments included."  I think you are asking how you include a quote from the post you are replying too.  Click "quote" at the bottom of their post and that will open the new post window with the post you are replying to quoted at the top of the window.   Then just type your new post as you normally would.

2018-02-27 11:05 PM
in reply to: BlueBoy26

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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN
Hello all,

I skimmed the last three pages and will go back for what I missed.
I have been knocked off my feet with the flu for the past two weeks. Couldn't even think of working out.

Monday I came back to life. I'm out of weight challenge just too much to deal with.

It took me 7 weeks to be able to do the first week of my HIM plan. I wanted to be able to do the run without stopping, Scott, I know you are more positive about that.
Well now I'm f*cked as I gave myself 20 weeks for a 20 week plan and now I'm two weeks behind.
I switched weeks so that I'm doing the recovery week and will return to week 3 next week.

I'm really scared and don't know how to recover the time. Add a workout per week? Add a few minutes each workout?

Any advice would be appreciated

Mitzi
2018-02-27 11:16 PM
in reply to: BlueBoy26

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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN

Originally posted by BlueBoy26

My first year of Triathon my budget for the sport was $1000.  Paying $700 to transport your bike to one race seems crazy to me.  When I did Ironman 70.3 St. George two years ago we found air fare into Las Vegas under $500 for the whole family. Then we started looking at how I was going to get my bike to the race. We looked at shipping companies. Bike cases for the airlines, etc. and my stress level started to go go through the roof. So... we canceled the airline tickets put the bike rack on the back of the car and drove across 5 states to get to the race. I told my family we would plan another trip where we could fly when I wasn’t taking a bike.  Last year we flew to my Ragnar cape cod race. It was stress free. 

The rising stress level has always been my motivation for driving.  The cost has never really been the primary concern, indeed the cost is probably significantly more driving when you factor in a hotel for 2-3 nights each way given my wife's idea of "roughing it" is staying at the Marriott because the Hilton is closed (my wife also has trouble with more than 8-10 hours a day driving which makes for at least three days across the country).  I'm just much more comfortable when I can see my bike, touch my bike, and have control over what's happening to my bike.

All of that said, it's pretty difficult to drive to Hawaii so I need to find an alternative.

 



2018-02-27 11:44 PM
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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN

Originally posted by MuscleMomma 

It took me 7 weeks to be able to do the first week of my HIM plan. I wanted to be able to do the run without stopping, Scott, I know you are more positive about that.

Well now I'm f*cked as I gave myself 20 weeks for a 20 week plan and now I'm two weeks behind. I switched weeks so that I'm doing the recovery week and will return to week 3 next week.

I'm really scared and don't know how to recover the time. Add a workout per week? Add a few minutes each workout? Any advice would be appreciated

Mitzi

Mitzi,

First of all, life happens.  It happens to ALL of us.  Trust the base work you have done to date.  The weeks you missed were early on so they aren't going to have near the impact as they would if they were 3 weeks before the race.

Next, NO, don't try to "make-up" the workouts.  Once you miss a workout - regardless of the reason - it is missed.  Forget about it and move on the the next workout on your schedule.  Whenever you have a coach or a pre-written plan, a good deal of time has gone into balancing the workouts.  What I mean is the application of training stress and recovery are balanced in such a way as to achieve what's called "super-compensation."  That's the fancy term for your body getting stronger and faster.  If you were to start adding an extra workout in or significantly change the workouts in the plan, you would be altering the stress/recovery balance and likely lessen or remove entirely the super-compensation adaptation you are working for.

My suggestion, given you've been down for two weeks, is to go back to the first week. Coming off of illness your fitness has declined a bit.  If you try to jump in "where you should be" you will likely struggle and become frustrated.  After you get through that first week, skip to the third week.  The fourth week is probably a recovery week.  I'd take the recovery week.  By then you should have your fitness back to where you can do some more intense workouts.  Coming out of the recovery week, re-evaluate where you're at, how your're feeling, and where you are in the plan vs. where you "should" be in the plan.  You have a LONG way's to go so don't panic.  Trust the training you are doing and stay the course.  (If your plan isn't how I outlined above, let me know and I can alter what you might do).

You mentioned, "I wanted to be able to do the run without stopping."  Are you talking about the race?  Are you talking about training?  In both cases, there is absolutely no shame using a run/walk strategy.  I'm going to play my broken record again.  Sebastian Kienle won the Ironman World Championship using a run/walk strategy.  There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with walking during the run, especially if it is planned.

Let me say one final thing to put your mind at ease about being sick and missing a few workouts.  I'm going to say something that is going to make you think I've "gone off the deep end."  Long course triathlon is NOT about your fitness level.  Long course triathlon is about forming a plan to take advantage of whatever level of fitness you bring on race day.  I absolutely guarantee you, as surely as the sun will come up in the morning, that on race day, you will see some VERY fit athletes walking or sitting at the side of the road because they couldn't execute a race plan.  DON'T obsess over a couple of missed workouts.



Edited by k9car363 2018-02-27 11:57 PM
2018-02-28 9:21 AM
in reply to: k9car363

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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN

Well yesterday did not go as planned.  I had a run test (HR threshold) on the schedule and was going to do it at the park after work.  It was beautiful all day - upper 60's, sunny, really nice - until about 4pm.  Then the clouds moved in, it got windy, and the temps dropped a bit.  Still mid-60's, just felt a little cooler because of the wind.  But no rain at least, so the run test was still on.  Got to the park, got changed and ready to start the test.  HRM wouldn't work .  Hard to do a HR threshold test if you can't record HR.  Okay, Plan B - move the test to Friday afternoon and just get some miles in today.  Figured I'd do my normal 3 miles that I run at this park all the time.  2 minutes into the warm-up my right calf decides it needs to cramp up.  WTH!!  Someone does not want me to run today .  I managed to work through that but could tell the run was not going to go well.  By the time I got to the end of mile 1, I was walking and the wind had picked up quite a bit.  Not enough to blow me off the path, but enough to be really annoying.  (Glad I decided to go without the hat - I would have been chasing it all over the place, lol).  Okay, plan C - just finish the run any way I can.  Which is what I did, although I did cut it a little short.  It just wasn't my day.  I'll put it behind me and move on.  

On a good note - I got my butt out of bed this morning and went to the pool.  Had a good workout and had the pool to myself for most of the time, so really glad I went.  

Janet

2018-02-28 11:01 AM
in reply to: soccermom15

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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN
Originally posted by soccermom15

Well yesterday did not go as planned.Okay, plan C - just finish the run any way I can.  Which is what I did, although I did cut it a little short.  It just wasn't my day.  I'll put it behind me and move on.  

On a good note - I got my butt out of bed this morning and went to the pool.  Had a good workout and had the pool to myself for most of the time, so really glad I went.  

Janet




Janet:

Sometimes (especially for those of us that have officially entered the Gray zone) that's the way the training goes. The easiest thing would have been to just pack it up your gear and quit for the day. Good on you for finding a way to salvage part of your run on a tough day rather than giving up. Mental toughness!

Even better, you were right back at it today in the pool without missing a beat.

Steve

2018-02-28 11:04 AM
in reply to: k9car363

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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN
Originally posted by k9car363

Originally posted by BlueBoy26

My first year of Triathon my budget for the sport was $1000.  Paying $700 to transport your bike to one race seems crazy to me. 

I'm just much more comfortable when I can see my bike, touch my bike, and have control over what's happening to my bike.

All of that said, it's pretty difficult to drive to Hawaii so I need to find an alternative.

 




I'm fairly confident you probably have the skills to swim to Hawaii. Pulling your bike along behind you might be the dealbreaker.
2018-02-28 11:05 PM
in reply to: soccermom15

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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN

Janet - Good job on toughing out your run and salvaging the day.  Your determination is inspiring.

Mitzi - Hope you're feeling better and easing back into your routine.  Don't "throw in the towel", just pause a moment and then get back at it.  You'll be fine come race day and if not you'll just do your best and have fun.  Plus, you should keep at the weight loss challenge and use it as a tool to motivate yourself even more than you already are.

 

All - I had a short swim today.  Forgot my Garmin at home so it really threw me off of my swim.  I felt lost without the watch.  Hard to believe I could become so reliant on a "watch".  I did swim but not as effectively as I should have.

Then, in the afternoon, I went for an 8km run into a strong south wind but it sure was fun when I turned north and the strong headwind became a tail wind and it felt neat feeling the push.  I did note however that my average and max heart rate were higher than is typical for me even though I was only running a normal Zone 2 pace and not pushing to run faster.  Normally I'd settle into about 134 bpm average HR but today I averaged 141 bpm.  Once I stopped running my HR calmed down quickly and I felt good about the run.



2018-02-28 11:14 PM
in reply to: soccermom15

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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN

Originally posted by soccermom15

Well yesterday did not go as planned.  I had a run test (HR threshold) on the schedule and was going to do it at the park after work.  It was beautiful all day - upper 60's, sunny, really nice - until about 4pm.  Then the clouds moved in, it got windy, and the temps dropped a bit.  Still mid-60's, just felt a little cooler because of the wind.  But no rain at least, so the run test was still on.  Got to the park, got changed and ready to start the test.  HRM wouldn't work .  Hard to do a HR threshold test if you can't record HR . . .

On a good note - I got my butt out of bed this morning and went to the pool.  Had a good workout and had the pool to myself for most of the time, so really glad I went.  

Janet

Janet,

Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.  It happens.

Good job getting the run in even with all the obstacles.  Then you got a swim in the next morning.  Way to go!

2018-02-28 11:16 PM
in reply to: lutzman

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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN

Originally posted by lutzman
Originally posted by k9car363

Originally posted by BlueBoy26

My first year of Triathon my budget for the sport was $1000.  Paying $700 to transport your bike to one race seems crazy to me. 

I'm just much more comfortable when I can see my bike, touch my bike, and have control over what's happening to my bike.

All of that said, it's pretty difficult to drive to Hawaii so I need to find an alternative.

 

I'm fairly confident you probably have the skills to swim to Hawaii. Pulling your bike along behind you might be the dealbreaker.

Nah.  The dealbreaker is the salt.  That'd pretty well mess up the drive-train.  

2018-02-28 11:30 PM
in reply to: wenceslasz

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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN

Originally posted by wenceslasz

Mitzi - Hope you're feeling better and easing back into your routine.  Don't "throw in the towel", just pause a moment and then get back at it.  You'll be fine come race day and if not you'll just do your best and have fun.  Plus, you should keep at the weight loss challenge and use it as a tool to motivate yourself even more than you already are.

Mitzi,

I agree with George.  Don't throw in the towel because you had a minor set-back.  Athletic excellence is 90% mental and 10% physical  The 90% mental begins with a positive mental focus and the weight loss challenge gives you something on which you can have a positive mental focus.

My vote is continue on with the weight-loss challenge.

2018-03-01 10:35 AM
in reply to: lutzman

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Subject: RE: Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN

Originally posted by lutzman
Originally posted by soccermom15

Well yesterday did not go as planned.Okay, plan C - just finish the run any way I can.  Which is what I did, although I did cut it a little short.  It just wasn't my day.  I'll put it behind me and move on.  

On a good note - I got my butt out of bed this morning and went to the pool.  Had a good workout and had the pool to myself for most of the time, so really glad I went.  

Janet

Janet: Sometimes (especially for those of us that have officially entered the Gray zone) that's the way the training goes. The easiest thing would have been to just pack it up your gear and quit for the day. Good on you for finding a way to salvage part of your run on a tough day rather than giving up. Mental toughness! Even better, you were right back at it today in the pool without missing a beat. Steve

Believe me, I gave serious consideration to this option.  And previously I probably would have done just that.  But over the winter I participated in a mental training program and one of the things I took away from it was working around a problem instead of just letting it stop me in my tracks.  When you come to a boulder in the road, you can turn around and go back, or you can find a different route to take - I chose to take a different route (several times ) to make it to the finish.  

Janet

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