SWBKRUN fast, furious, and closed (Page 155)

Great question.  Interested in everybody's thoughts on this.....

I have been playing with this all week.  I made sure I took on tons of fluids (after the Hydration test of my life for me!) and got lots of sleep (no usual 4:30 am work-outs all week ... I could get used to that!), and went really light when I did anything.  I have just been really listening to my body and being very careful.  After last nights run, the legs and body are good and ready to jump back in.  Suzy has told me in the past that being an athlete all my life helps dramatically with this "feel."  All I can do is take her word on that?

 Fortunately, I am not starting a IM program like some of the Studs of this MG!  My issue is I'm bike racing on Sat and Oly tri'ing next weekend, so I am really just in an extended taper for a couple of weeks!!! (If there is such a thing?!)  Hope I don't get LAZY!     

fattyfatfat - 2011-07-22 9:39 PM

x2  Great Beer!  Thanks Skinny!

Good Luck Racers ....  Be Fast, Be Safe, REPRESENT!!!

Easy 14M training run done.  Those long runs go much better and easier with a couple other people... more entertaining I guess.  Not so much quiet time to churn pace numbers, averages, projected times... etc... yes, I'm a data junkie!

CAUTION: Serious rookie training question ahead...
I've been trying to slow down the pace/HR working on building my base...  I cannot 'run' slow enough to keep my HR in Z1 or even 2.  I am quite comfortable running in low Z3 for the long haul... as with today - no problems and still felt good when I was done.

So the question:  Is this just my comfort zone?  Should I quit fighting it and just run?  I realize that training method may not work for everyone... maybe its just not for me?

Good luck to Bruce and the rest of the MG!
Be smart out there and travel safe!

Was not planning on it, but I did my longest OWS this AM: 2 miles. Took me 1:12:04. Weird thing was I has no axxiety as I was not planning on this. After volunteering they said go ahead and swim. Started near the back of the crowd and walked in up to my waist, which was farther in than most people who started swimming ASAP. It was fun, Only a little foot cramping durign the back stretch of the last lap.

Followed it with a 24 mile bike ride.

awesome!  and that's my favorite part.  sometimes you just gotta say F it. 

Awesome!  Can IM be far behind?

NO! They still want you to run 26.2 miles at the end!

Thanks Kim!  Yeah, maybe so... last one I did was in December - it was brutal!   Could it really change that much in 6 months?  Z2 would have to move up about 10 bpm... 

it should move down, not up.  you're becoming more efficient. 

an lt test will differ temporally and spatially. lets talk about he former first,  its a lot easier to run is west texas during the month of december than running in west texas during the month of july.  now the second... its easier to run in colorado springs in may than it is in annapolis in may.  but that's probably what makes air force so soft... HA! 

make sense?

edit.. if it doesn't make sense run another lt test in the next few day.  and get rid of that may 5th date in your logs.  update it to give us more ammo to better answer your question's.

edit II.  most important..... GOOD JOB!!!!! keep it up. 

Thanks, guys.  You all pretty much reinforced what I was thinking - I appreciate it.  Kim, I've been using the inhaler this week, and it's helping.  John, pretty much post-race aches, but also the results of some pretty intense joint pounding.  Backing off for a bit is tough, but a good thing, I think.

Good Luck, Bruce!

Off to the last swim meet for a long time.........!!!

Thanks all for the advice and tips!  Super helpful.  I tried out a walk/run strategy (run 1 mi/walk 30") and it definitely helped me keep my pace longer.

I took my new wheels out yesterday morning.  Holy smokes, what a difference!  Only problem is the saddle.  Everything was fine til around mi 28 but from there I couldnt' sit without readjusting every 60 seconds or so.  Super uncomfortable and even had some lower pelvic pain yesterday afternoon.  So, I need to find a new saddle.  How does one go about doing that?  Is it just trial and error?

Thanks John!  I do understand that logic, and the HR going the wrong direction is what initially stirred my questions.  
I'll get another LT done early this week - in the morning.  May 5th was when I started using my Garmin305 vs. just a HRM, I must have accidentally updated the date but I'll fix it up!
An Air Force Officer dig...  Nice!  That's why I'm an enlisted warrior!  

hey christina.  sorry about that,  I'll reply up here so others can chime in on their take of time management and long course racing...peeps have lots of experience here.  i'll make a general observation after talking to some of the folks since texas,  there's gonna be a lot more short course racing around here next year. ha!

ironman... haha.  up until a week or so after the race in texas i would say go for it to anyone that asked if i would recommend taking on the challenge of training for ironman on with the kids and all. 

so its now been a few months and i'm not so sure i would recommend it anymore to people in a similar stage of life as we were.. young kiddos and both parents working.  i just think it takes way to much time away from the family.  i'm really glad i did it, very lucky to have a wife that was incredibly supportive, of course it didn't turn out as i wished it would have, but its all good.   but it think its going to be a while before i go back to the 140.6 distance.  lol, perhaps i should have waited more than a few days after tx before signing up to volunteer at florida.  linda (havin' fun) is gonna kill me! but there's still triple t!!! 

one of the biggest mistakes people who are contemplating ironman make happens long before the training even starts.   they look at a training program and  think the time volume they see in the plan is all there is.  there's always comments here on BT about "your biggest week is only going to be 15 hours and there are only a few weeks like this".  well,  that's a load of crap.   you can't just look at a schedule and say ok i have a 5 hour bike on friday.  yeah sure, you have a five hour ride but there's time getting the nutrition together, the car packed if you're diving to the ride site and then the recovery afterwards.  you're probably going to be tired and hungry and maybe not in the best mood.  i think the rides out past 4.5 hours take up a significant part of an entire day.  the 6 hour rides, well you can pretty much bag the entire day.  that's hard on a spouse, significant other, kiddos, etc... 

what did it take time management wise... you'll most likely have two workouts a day that will increase in length as the race nears.  so its important to use as much of the day as possible.  meaning 0430 was pretty much the standard wake up most days of the week.  many rides in the

lots of midweek runs were done at lunch time.  i love running but i hated coming back to the office all sweaty and nasty.  luckily i have a really small office so it didn't bother anyone, but i still had to feel gross.  but if the run didn't get in then than most likely i would have to either miss dinner or miss putting the kids down.  i hate missing those so it rarely happened.  so, you have to take advantage of time when you can.  and really, there's lots of time in the early morning, just go looks at terps logs if you ever need motivation for that.

btw, she hurt her foot,  not sure if everyone was aware.

a half iron is a bit different but still difficult.  you're experiencing it now so i won't run my yap about it too much.  again its the long bike that eats up time.  but i do think its much more family friendly than ironman. and i love watching the peeps up here get after that distance.  its such a challenge.   and after having a few under your belt maybe you're more willing to blow off a workout so you can eat Popsicles in the garage with the youngest while watching the rain instead of going for a run. experience and an improved base will provide that.  (i never knew Popsicle was a brand name... i keep getting auto-corrected here to capitalize it).  but in the end its still a huge time commitment.  but you see that. 

as far as advice on your upcoming race, don't over think things.  you have to swim bike and run.  and you know how far you gotta go so take it easy and get there.  quit looking at other people logs and comparing what yourself to them... it does no good because its most likely not a good comparison. and for heavens sake... take it easy coming out of T2!!!!   GLACIAL PACE!!!!   i know you've heard that before around here but its worth repeating.  

what do i wish i did differently, honestly... nothing.  i said f it and had at it.  but oh! i got a wee bit nervous about a month out, just like you, you're going to learn a lot about racing that distance and more importantly about yourself.  so have fun and for heavens sake slow down outta T2.  and smile. 

ok, sorry for the endless rant... as usual, i could go on and on. 

definitely fire off any more questions you have.  

I will put my @.02.  My coach's execution plan has you walk the last 'station' at each Aid stop at any distance HIM and higher.  So, if there are 3 stations at a stop, you run to the last one and walk until you have drank your water, put ice in those private cooling areas, etc.  Gives you about a 30" walk at set locations on the course and gives you a couple of those .... I am gonna run until (blank) answers.  (you will understand that more at about mile 8!)  I changed my plan and walked the entire Aid Stations during the Racine 70.3 but it was 428 degrees with 300% humidity that day!  

Saddle issues, that's really personal choice.  I ride 2 different models of Adamo on my TT bike (Race Model) and my Road bike (Peloton Model) after much trial and error.  I will also suggest you reach out to Minnow, I know she had an entire stable of saddles that she tried before she found that worked for her, maybe she Paul would work a deal out with you to get them outta the house.  Or another option is to find a LBS that has a quick seat release post and set up an appointment to go ride on their trainer for a couple of hours on several different test saddles.  

John had some great advice earlier.  The only thing I will add is to concentrate what you can control.  Forget about the rest! Oh, and learn to love 4:30 am! 

John. This is a GREAT post.