Gray Guys/Girls Master's Focus Triathlon Mentor Group--Now Open (Page 28)

Well I did it  - finished my first (and probably only) HIM.  I'll try to get a race report up later but here's the basics: official time was 8:20:59 so 9 minutes under the cutoff which was my only real goal for this race.  Weather ended up being almost perfect - temps in the mid 60's in the morning up to upper 70's by the time I finished.  We had storms/cold front that came through on Saturday, complete with a very weak tornado that touched down in the park where T1 was.  It missed the 2500 bikes that were there by about 200 yards.  The storms churned up the lake pretty good too - it was a dirty swim, but relatively calm water at least.   I have a bit of a bruise on my left cheekbone where I got punched pretty good during the swim but other than that it was pretty uneventful.  I finished in 57', so a little under my estimated time of 1 hour.  Bike was good - my time there was 3:47:xx (also about what I expected).  Mostly flattish course with some hills in the last 10 miles or so, but nothing major.  Biggest problem here was the wind on the south and west portions of the course and the roads were pretty rough for about 1/2 the course.  Without those factors, I think I could have been closer to 3:30, but I'm still very happy with my results.  I knew the run would probably be an issue since my run training wasn't where it should have been.  My longest runs were in the 8 mile range.  So I ended up walking a lot of the run course.  I did run the last 1/3 of a mile or so down Henry St and into the stadium and around the track to the finish.  If I ever decide to do another HIM, I would definitely consider doing this one again.  It was a great course (for the most part), the town was very welcoming and the crowds and volunteers were amazing.  A great experience for a first HIM.

Janet

Well done Janet.  I'm looking forward to reading your race report.  

Race report is up. 

Dave - I know what you mean.  I told my husband I wouldn't do another one and I really had no plans to, but it's 3 days later and I'm feeling pretty good and actually considering doing another.  If I do though, it won't be until maybe 2018 - I still have a lot of improving to do especially on the swim and the bike.  We'll see what happens .

And congrats on your race!  Your transition times are incredible - I wish I could move that fast!

Janet

Hey Janet!  Congratulations on your first HIM!!!  Great race report.

Forever is a LONG time so don't say you you'll NEVER do another one.  You've been bitten by the triathlon bug.  No telling how far the infection might go.  Next thing you know you might be thinking Ironman!

So is it too early to start thinking about training for my next HIM if it probably won't be for another 22 months or so ?  I'm looking at maybe doing Muncie but not until July 2018.  If I want to be able to do other races next year (and I do - already have some that I'm looking at) then I really can't afford another expensive race.  Between the registration fees and the travel expenses, it's just a little too much for our budget to handle.  So maybe every 2 years or so I can do one (and my husband is on board with that).  That gives me plenty of time to become a better swimmer, a faster cyclist and get my run training back where it needs to be.  Obviously a lot can happen in almost 2 years' time, but this way I have something to work towards.  And I've heard good things about Muncie so it's on the short list.  

Janet

Hey Janet,

Nope!  Never too early to start training.  Actually that isn't completely accurate.  I think you should take a couple weeks off. NOTHING S/B/R related at all.  Recharge your batteries and take the time to stop and smell the roses.  If you want to go for a walk with the kids or the hubby, great,  If you want to go down to the local creek and swim, have fun.  Nothing directly S/B/R related.  Then, in a couple weeks, gradually begin to do some easy workouts to get back into the swing of training.  Come November 1st, I would do a VERY hard 6-week cycling block.  I'm talking about VO2 MAX intervals, threshold intervals and over/under intervals.  I mean REALLY hard.  Almost painfully hard.  The idea is to capitalize on the fitness you have.  Yes, there will be a slight decline from taking a couple weeks off, however, the easy workouts will begin to get it back and then a really hard block will get fitness above where you ended the season with and develop speed going into the new season.  During that block, you can figure out your race schedule for next year.  After the first of the year, you begin your base and move into a training plan for the season.  You could, if you have the time, also add a really intense swimming block along side the bike.  The goal would be the same, to build speed going into the new season.

Hope that helps.

Hey Chris,

Congrats on completing your first HIM!  So now the question, are you thinking about stepping up to an Ironman?

Looking forward to the race report.

Thanks Scott!  I have been taking some time off for the most part.  I've done 1 easy bike ride in the last 2 weeks and 2 swims (one was Swim Across America charity swim, 1 pool swim).  I have been running, but that's because I have 2 trail races coming up this fall so I'm getting ready for those.  Just easy runs right now though - nothing too hard.  I'm sort of following a run-focused maintenance plan for now but pretty much ignoring the bike and swim parts - just doing what I feel when I do those sports.  The plan was to switch to a bike-focused plan in late October/early November that would take me through the first part of the new year - kind of like what you suggested above.  Not sure about a VERY hard cycling block  but I'm willing to give it a try.  I know it's something I need to do if I want to make improvements in my bike times.  

Janet

Hey Chris,

You are going to be a little bit different than Janet because you are doing the 10k and Marathon.  Once those races are behind you, I'd take 3-weeks off.  NOTHING S/B/R related at all.  Casual walks, weights, hiking with the kids, whatever is fun but nothing triathlon related.  You need the time to refresh your mental state, to recharge the batteries so to speak.  Then, a week of easy workouts to begin to get back into the habit of working out, followed by the hard 6-week block.  Focus on your weakness, but don't ignore the other disciplines.  After that 6-week block, start your base training for next year.  The idea of the 6-week block is to build on what you have and increase speed early.  Then you begin to further increase your aerobic base, followed by more speed work later in the season as you approach your 'A' race.

Hope that helps.

Hey Deb,

Great race report as usual.  I almost feel like I'm there watching you!

A couple questions/observations.  You mention you now have a 920XT.  I believe that watch records average pace by lap.  Can you look at what your paces were during the swim relative to your STP?  It sounds like you may have overcooked part of the swim just a little bit, which likely carried over to the bike and ultimately the run.

I always tell athletes I work with that the swim impact the bike impacts the run.  So many triathletes discount the importance of the swim (not referring to you specifically, rather triathletes in general).  This might be a good opportunity for others to see the importance of staying aerobic in the water and how not doing so can impact the rest of the race.

On the bike, if your targets were - first half 80-83% and you actually did 85% then second half 85% and you did 85%, I have to agree it looks like you went to hard during the first half.  2-5% doesn't sound like that much of a difference but over the course of a 90-minute ride, that can become significant.  More importantly, it is diminishing critical glycogen stores that will be needed during the run.  Just wondering if you have any theory on what you could have done differently to better hit your target power?  

You run seems to support over-doing the swim just a little bit and then over-cooking the first part of the bike - " I couldn't get much above mid z3 until the last km."  That's a pretty good indication the tank didn't have as much in it as you might have liked.

Nonetheless, you had a great race.  A 10-minute PR reduction is fantastic by any definition!  That you took time off of each segment is incredible.  That you could have that large a new PR while having such a great learning opportunity is a tremendous day!

You mentioned "competing well at National's next year."  It occurs to me, if you keep improving at the rate you are, Nationals will merely be a step on the way to Worlds.

Well done!

Hey Chris,

If you wanted to follow a TR plan you might consider the low volume Short Power Build.  You can do the first 6-weeks, or if you're enjoying yourself, do the full 8-weeks.  After that, go into a base plan.

If you follow the short power build, you will find out very quickly what over/unders are.  If you are like most people, you will quickly learn to despise seeing the words over and under in the same sentence.

If you choose to do that following a couple weeks off, make sure you begin with a week of relatively easy workouts to get back into the swing of working out, then the FTP test to reset your target power.  You will find this to be VERY challenging, you will also realize incredible gains.

Hope that helps!

Hey Deb,

Great race report as usual.  I almost feel like I'm there watching you!

A couple questions/observations.  You mention you now have a 920XT.  I believe that watch records average pace by lap.  Can you look at what your paces were during the swim relative to your STP?  It sounds like you may have overcooked part of the swim just a little bit, which likely carried over to the bike and ultimately the run.

I always tell athletes I work with that the swim impact the bike impacts the run.  So many triathletes discount the importance of the swim (not referring to you specifically, rather triathletes in general).  This might be a good opportunity for others to see the importance of staying aerobic in the water and how not doing so can impact the rest of the race.

On the bike, if your targets were - first half 80-83% and you actually did 85% then second half 85% and you did 85%, I have to agree it looks like you went to hard during the first half.  2-5% doesn't sound like that much of a difference but over the course of a 90-minute ride, that can become significant.  More importantly, it is diminishing critical glycogen stores that will be needed during the run.  Just wondering if you have any theory on what you could have done differently to better hit your target power?  

You run seems to support over-doing the swim just a little bit and then over-cooking the first part of the bike - " I couldn't get much above mid z3 until the last km."  That's a pretty good indication the tank didn't have as much in it as you might have liked.

Nonetheless, you had a great race.  A 10-minute PR reduction is fantastic by any definition!  That you took time off of each segment is incredible.  That you could have that large a new PR while having such a great learning opportunity is a tremendous day!

You mentioned "competing well at National's next year."  It occurs to me, if you keep improving at the rate you are, Nationals will merely be a step on the way to Worlds.

Well done!

Hi Deb, I read your race report and really enjoyed it.  I posted in your race report as well.  I particularly liked your photo in your wetsuit.  It really captures the feeling of the pre-race time.

After my last race I found myself in a "funk" that I've never experienced before.  I've been struggling to get going again but so far I've only been able to do some swimming with any consistency.  I'm trying to get running again but haven't even touched my bike.  I'm not trying to work as hard as I was but I still need to do enough to control my blood glucose.

I am considering signing up for a local 20K run, "To the Tunnel".  At least it might get me running a bit more consistently.

Deb - congrats on your race!  And I loved your race report.

Like George I haven't done much since my race last month.  I purposely took some time off from swimming and biking but tried to keep up with the running for the trail races I'm doing this fall.  Unfortunately my back has had other ideas .  I don't know if I overdid it last week (doubtful) or just pulled something last weekend but my lower back has been tight all week, to the point that I have had trouble sitting/standing.  It's finally feeling almost normal today so I'm going to try an easy walk/run after work and see how it goes.  I'm actually starting to miss my bike and the pool - I'm anxious to get back to "normal" training again.  

Janet

In the "never say never" category, I opened an email from Triathlon BC a few minutes ago and it was a letter congratulating me on "automatically qualifying" for the 2017 Team Canada Age-Group World Championship Team next August.  I'm not sure they should be welcoming some one so slow onto the team.  But, I should get a really good shirt out of it.  This is a case of too few competitors in my age group as I was last in the group and they were qualifying the top 10 in each age-group.

Just for any swimmers who might be interested, Steve King and the RD from Ultraman Canada are planning to start an annual swim in Skaha Lake next year.  It will be an 11.8km/ 7.33mi swim from Penticton to Okanagan Falls.  Skaha can get pretty rough at times.  It took me 68 minutes to swim 3K, I can't imagine how long it would take me to swim this far.  I'm not considering swimming it but I could be available to crew for anyone who needs a kayaker.

Hello all.  It has been a looong time since I've checked in, but I am still around.  Since my bike race in early June, I've mostly been busy with ... stuff.  Simply the stuff with life that gets in the way of doing the fun things we enjoy and look forward to.

Janet and Deb both, congratulations on your races ... I read your race reports and simply say way to hang tough - great job!  When I finished my century ride back in June, I too said I'd never do that again.  But I was in the local REI store recently and once there, I realized ski season was just around the corner ... time get on with the training!.  As I began ski season training, I quickly thought why not, and decided that I would sign up for the 2017 MoM  and started to set goals for this as well.  

Hope all are well ...

Ciao Dorm

Hey Kathy,

As you can see, things have slowed down now that we are into the off-season.  Life happens, that's one of the challenges that amateur athletes face on a daily basis.  Balancing life and athletic aspirations may be the hardest part of a successful triathlon career.  You already have a race scheduled in January.  I know athletes that don't even plan to return to training until early spring so you are ahead of the game!  Don't partake in too many Christmas cookies and you'll do great!