Slornow and Wannabefaster's Winter Group version 3-CLOSED (Page 27)

I've been catching on all the posts and it looks like people have a lot going on these days!!

Kevin--best of luck to you on your marathon.  I think if the temps stay the way you outlined it would be great.  Temps are perfect and a little rain will keep you cool!  Do you have a plan if the knee flares a little?  I am keeping my fingers crossed it doesn't, but never hurts to have a contingency to make sure you finish strong!

Randee-WOW, you don't mess around when planning a season.  As someone who has done13 stand alone marathons I think the recovery is longer than we think.  Even when we feel fine legs don't always come around right away even if it wasn't a 100% effort.  Have fun with all that racing!

I found the conversation on running pace and "easy" runs interesting.  I used to ignore the word easy until I started working with my current coach.  Now every run of mine has some component of walking (yes straight walking) and incorporates easy running, strides and drills.  Pace looks like crap if you review the Garmin, but I'm actually faster now than when I was 45.  And the body is  much less broken.  

Hey folks-plugging along through another week. I decided to take the week off from running to see if I can get my right calf back to 100%. I ran on it Saturday and Sunday and it didn't bother me but was sore on Monday. Figured better to take a week off in January rather than letting the issue linger into Feb. My first race is a sprint in early April so plenty of time to get the run back where it needs to be. Its hard to hold off on the running when it feels good. 

So, since there is no running it is another big week of biking and swimming. If I make it through every swim workout this week, which is doubtful, I will end up with around 16,500 yards........UGH!   Three more big swims this week including 4000 yards tomorrow.  Not sure that I am getting any faster but I'm giving it my best effort.    

Originally posted by GoldenSprocket Thanks to all for the encouragement. I don't know if I'm more excited to get this thing going or the fact that I get a week away from the frozen tundra.Ok let's see if I can lay this out coherently. Training- Other than the issues with the knee the last couple of weeks I think my training went well. I followed a plan from McMillan's book "You, only faster". Good book by the way. Unfortunately, the plan was probably a little too advanced for me. I couldn't build the volume and hit all the speed work. So early on I decided that if I was too sore or fatigued I would forgo the speed work but keep up the volume. So basically I replaced some speed/tempo runs with easy runs. The knee- I've really been babying it the last couple of weeks and it feels much better. I tend to be a calf cramper when going at race pace especially in longer races. I've also had IT band issues which was very similar to this except on the other side of my knee. I guess the point is I've run through moderate pain and discomfort before so I'm hoping I'll be able to push through if it happens to flare up. I really don't have a plan B other than to just finish if things go to crap. The Weather- The big unknown. It's been a pretty chilly winter here in the Northeast. Most of my training outdoors has been well below the freezing mark. I'm definitely not acclimated to warm weather. As of right now the forecast is High of 70 low of 58 cloudy with a 30% chance of showers. At those temps. I'll be in shorts and a tank top. I'm probably going to be one of the few tourist hoping for cloudy skies and a nice little shower. I can't control the weather only can adjust if need be. Goal- 3:42:30. It just so happens it comes out to a nice round 8:30/mi. pace. Here is my reasoning. Early November I ran a 1:48 HM on little rest. The course had 700 ft. of elevation gain according to my Garmin. McMillan calculator puts that at a 3:48 Marathon time. My last 20 mile training run was done at a very manageable 9:00/mi. pace with an elevation gain of 1200 ft. The course I'm running on Sunday is "pancake flat" and looks like it has about 100 ft. of elevation gained over an entire 13 mile loop. The Plan- To try to keep a pretty consistent 8:30 pace. I'll need to keep a good eye on the Garmin early on because I always tend to get caught up in the moment and go out too fast. Ideally I'd like to hold that effort for 18 to 20 miles and then depending on how I feel either empty the tank gradually over the last 10k or just try to hang on until the end. Worst case scenario is to just finish on my feet. After all, as long as I finish it will be a PR. Any thoughts, tips, predictions are greatly appreciated. Logs are up to date.

Your plan sounds excellent.  +1 on "kill it".  +1 on go out slow.

I can't lift my arms just thinking about that much swim volume. 

You'll get faster, but remember it takes some time to absorb the training.  And you're probably not going to feel any faster with that level of volume until you add some recovery or a taper.

You think your bikes are small!?  Mine is so small that it had to be made custom!  Oh to be 5' tall!

I have a question for all those who call themselves a swimmer especially Stuart:  I am faster using a pull buoy than without it.  Why?  And before you answer body position,  our master's coach told me today that I have good body position and my legs don't sink! when swimming w/o the buoy.  I went from being last in our lane to first during class today doing that set.  This is my first real Masters class and I am totally digging it.  I would to take this finding and turn it into some sort of action.  What do you have to offer me? 

And as a side note, less than 48 hours before we leave for Turks and Caicos!  It's -20F here today so I'm a little excited!

Chris

Congrats on the swimming lesson!  I know how hard that first one can be where you know a coach is critiquing everything.

When you put that list out there it makes triathletes seem like they have a lot of stuff!!!

I won't reiterate anything Jason said, but I can tell you I really like my power meter. I didn't get it for a couple of years after I started triathlon, but I can't imagine training without it.   I started with a Power Tap (Saris is in my hometown) and really like it.  I still use it on my road bike.  I made the switch to quarq for my tri bike and am less enthusiastic with it.  I'm not a slave to it, but it sure helps me on adjust to differing terrains.

Chris-like Suzy, your list makes me realize how much stuff triathletes "need."  Makes some of those package deals run by the different online tri stores look like a good deal. Definitely get some jammers for the pool and a true tri suit for racing. Some folks like a 1-piece suit while others prefer a 2 piece...thats a whole new conversation. What is your height, weight, sizes? I've got some stuff I have bought over the years that has only been used once or twice...didn't fit or just wasn't what I was looking for. Maybe I can help you out.

Well, 4000 swim turned out to be 3800. Figured it was time to quit when my arms separated from my body and sunk to the bottom Really faded over the last set. For those of you into that perverted sort of swim torture here was today's workout:  

1000 warm up mix
12 X 100 on 1:40 (all 1:27-28)
300 easy pull
10 X 100 Hard on 2:00 (1:23-27....should have been better but I faded big time!)
300 easy pull
200 cool down-not happening

This evening is a 1.5 hour hard interval bike workout. Not sure why I ended up with the long/hard swim on the same day as this bike workout. So, in conclusion I am only half way through the suck of today's workouts

You should have switched to dolphin kick sets and finished.  Slacker.

Chris - your equipment list looks a lot like mine, and while I'm tinkering with putting together a tri bike with some parts I have and a cheap aluminum frame, I have no plans on any purchases anytime soon.  In your case, the bike fit is really important.  I got mine almost two years ago and it solved a bunch of problems for me physically.  I use Desoto tri shorts...can't beat them but they're a tad expensive.  I use the Carrera product as compression shorts and tri racing shorts, and then I have a pair of the Forza model that is my "no padding toughen up" bike shorts.

We triathletes do have a lot of crap, don't we?