Donto's Group FULL (Page 3)

Hey All,

It's Monday and we're all ready for another week of work!  Looks like winter is making yet another push on the eastern half of the country this week.  I was able to get a full week of training in last week, definitely feeling and getting stronger as the recovery time is now down to a day for me after the long/hard runs.  Had a surprising 7.4 mile run on Sat.  I left the HRM out of is since I knew I was going to be pushing a steady-state run into the wind and didn't want to bother with a blinking display warning me that I was out of zone.  It's weird running into a stiff wind, I swear that I was running at a much slower pace that what I did, yet when I mapped out my run I had to double check my splits that I made at some of the major road intersections along the way.  This run has given me a lot of confidence for going into the 1/2M in 3 weeks.

This weeks training is my biggest week yet then it's into the taper.  Wed or Friday (depending on the weather) I'm doing my 13.1 mile distance run and am thinking about running the race course to get familiar with it.  I'll have to plant some water along the way beforehand though.

So far so good for this week.  Got an hour on the bike yesterday and need to do some swim and run today.  

Is there a way to get a notice if someone inspires you?  Right now I tend to just view the training log and not the actual blog, so I missed all the nice things people said last week until the weekend.  If I could get an email when that happens, that would help.  If not, I could just watch the blog more.

Unfortunately there is no way of knowing other than looking at the blog mode.

Great job on the training!

Hey all,

I ran across this swimming 3D animation site today while checking out our local cycling club were there are a number of hardcore triathletes.  Haven't posted it on the general BT tri thread yet, only for you guys!

If a visual aid for swimming is something you'd like, take a look at this link.  It offers the 3D animation of the  swim stroke for a 1500m Olympian and you can speed it up or slow it down and change the viewing by clicking on the yellow dots on the blue side viewer.  Here up one level are all the various freestyle animations for different distances (and on the side you can checkout the other strokes.  If you put your mouse over any of the individual modules they'll start.   Pretty cool stuff.

That animation is fantastic, thanks for linking it!  I just took a quick look--you know, can't take too much time from work --but it definitely seems like something that can be analyzed for tips on better form. 

Two things that definitely stuck out in my quick viewing: 1) the high elbow catch.  It's something I've been reading about the past few weeks but it's clearly on display in that animation: elbow kept high in the water, with a downward-then backward pull of the forearm/wrist/hands.  2) the level of hip/leg rotation.  I had heard that good swimmers rotate their lower body up to 45 degree, following the rotation of their upper body and it's evident there.  I know I've gotten better with rotation on my right (beathing) side, but after watching that video I need to work on getting a similar rotation on the left.

Thanks again for the link!

I just got the Total Immersion - Freestyle Made Easy DVD last night...it looks to be a great program, progressing from an on-your-back kick, through 13 different steps, all the way to a full freestyle stroke. 

I'm interested to see how it works.  I think it's perfect for me because I'm all energy in the water: kicking like a mad man, arms flying all over the place, and getting myself winded pretty quick, and this program was designed to create a balanced, effortless swim stroke.  I think that while I've been able to progress to an almost-2-minute 100 I would benefit greatly from breaking down the swim to it's basics: get the kick and balance down; feel comfortable balancing/kicking on my side; produce a more fluid entry of my hands into the water; generate a better elbow catch/pull through the water. 

Has anyone tried out this program in the past?  I've read some great reviews of it but wanted to see if there were any suggestions.  If not I'll be sure to pass along a review in a few weeks when I've transformed myself into a world-class swimmer .

I'm going completely off of what I've read in reviews, but I've heard that the book can be difficult to understand without the DVD.  I'm sure it depends on the learning tendencies of the reader but some people have said that the techniques and drills are difficult to visualize without the book being accompanied by the DVD.  If you find yourself having some problems with the drills in the book I'd definitely recommend the DVD...45 minutes, step by step instructions and lots of different angles.  All you have to do is get by the cheesy production qualities and it's a great tool to go with the book. 

If you don't feel like spending the money on it I saw a few TI DVD's on Netflix (I figured I'd rather own it so I can always go back to it if I'm having trouble), and they might even be available at the local library.

I'm actually getting a bit tired now of all the running, my short runs are now an hour long!  Sure am looking forward to starting tri training next month.

Here's a cool pix that was in our paper today of a local pool yesterday when we had the hard freeze.

I would have to say that I really enjoy running in the winter.  I tend to ride my bike more in the summer and my running suffers because of it.

Don, that picture is AWESOME!  Though it does make me a bit jealous.  An outdoor pool up this way is only good for skating on, and even then we've had so much snow and bitterly cold days that it wouldn't even be worth it.

I truly cannot wait for the spring.  New bike, a new (somewhat) enjoyment of running and just an overall excitement for my first tri season has me dying for that first 60+ degree day. Hell, I'll be psyched when we crack 50!

Hey all,

I did my longest run ever today, 13.34 miles.  Took me 2h1m22s and I felt great for most of it.  I had one weird issue with my left foot at ~11 miles were it felt like my foot was swelling up and I had to retie my shoe a few times, but there was nothing wrong with it when I got home.  This run was suppose to be done on Sat or Sun but I had to work and had some family time so I pushed it out.  Now it's all about the recovery from it and taper to the race.  I started some race pace work lace week and pretty confident I can meet or exceed my goal.  Only thing now that has come up is that I will have to drive for 4.5-5 hours on race day or wake up at 3 am on Monday morning to attend a conference in Savannah GA.  It's going to be tough sitting in a car for that long hoping I don't suddenly cramp!

So what's on the table for this week?

Nice run Don...that's about double my max distance, I feel like if I was told I had to go 13 miles right now I'd be hailing a cab. 

My week is simple: continue what I'm doing with the running (one long run, increasing 10% every week; on tempo run; and one run doing whatever I feel like) as that seems to be working well;  get a couple of spin sessions in (not much else I can do there, we're getting another foot of snow on Wednesday); and continue to work on 2-3 main items every swim...I'm throwing out the splits, not worrying at all about time, but just working on 'gliding' through the water and refining my stroke to where I feel comfortable throughout. 

Tweaked my overall program this weekend. Finally registered my team for the Ragnar Relay so up'ed the number of runs. I now how 4 runs and 3 bike sessions planned per week. I am hoping that with just the 2 sports I can increase my consistency.

I also dropped the unrealistic swim workouts. Instead I am signing up for a few private swim lessons. My goal is that over the next few months I can just get to the point were I am comfortable in the water.

I want to pick up the Training Bible too and read through it.  I plan to get more involved with the upcoming 20 weeks of HIM training compared to any TP I've done previously.

Beside going after a 5:45 or less HIM goal, I have a 25th class reunion the following weekend and I plan on being very fit for both!

What is the TB recommended number of times for strength WOs per week? How does it periodize the strength WOs with the endurance training principles?  Right now I'm doing 2-3 core workouts but that includes pull-ups and pushups/bench presses.  I don't do anything for my legs, they take a beating as it is.

I have a one year long strength WO at home that I copied from Mens Health in 1993 or 94.  First month is one set for each body part doing 100 reps. Month 2 was set sets at 70-30 reps.  Month 3 was something like 50-30-20 and so on.  It eventuall morphed into a low rep couple of sets strength phase.  A friend and I did it for 2.5-3 months and it was pretty amazing change my body went through, then again I was only 28 years old!

Don,

The weight workouts are very, very specific to your training plan for the year and your perceived weaknesses...it's a bit difficult to explain, but the book basically splits the different factors of a triathlon into three main categories (speed, power and endurance), then has three more categories that blend those three (I can't remember the names, but there's one for speed/power, one for power/endurance, and the third is for speed/endurance).  Then from there the different categories are sort of rated: if you're training for Sprints, the focus would be on speed and power, while Ironman competitors would focus on the power and endurance categories. 

I've gotten two main things from the book thus far: 1) putting together a training calendar for the year: if you have 5 triathlons, and the last two are the one's most important to you, then everything is based upon prep for that last month or two when you want to have your 'peak'.  2) the book is designed with guys like you in mind, not so much the newbie.  Some of the early chapters, designed to determine your fitness levels, your strengths and weaknesses, and your goals, talk about past performances and strengths in relation to other competitors...I haven't done a race of any sort in my life, so I have no idea, but for you and others who have even just a few races under their belts I think it'd be immensely beneficial.

One thing I can say, though, is that it appears they definitely recommend lower body weight training regardless of the distance your competing in.  I think the idea is to get as much extra strength in during the base building phase of the year then tapering back as you lead in to race specific training.

Sorry if I didn't answer your question, it's hard because so much of it depends on individual needs for the season.  When I actually get through the weight training chapter I should have a better understanding of what different designs are and I'll let you know if there's a general thought on HIM training as it relates to weights. 

So this may provide some help to some of you, even without the book: http://trainingbible.com/resources.aspx

It was listed in the book as a link for the annual training plan, but that won't provide much benefit without proper setup, which is laid out in the TB.  However, some of the other resources like the 'Training with Power' article and some of the videos could be of some benefit. 

Regarding weight training, here's what I'd say now that I'm through more of the book.  It's recommended that you first do a transition phase--2 weeks of 2-3 workouts per week--with these exercises:

1) Squat, leg press, or step-ups;

2) Seated row

3)Ab twists*

4) Weakness (hamstring curls, knee extensions or heel raises--for hammys, quads and calves respectively)*

5) Bent arm lat pulldowns

* - reps for these are in the 20-30 range regardless of the phase you're in.

These exercises are done in the 10-15 rep range, with an emphasis on form.  Then, after those two weeks you work in what's called the 'maximum strength' phase for the next 4-6 weeks.  Two workouts per week, 3-6 sets per exercise, and 3-6 reps per set. Finally, there is the 'strength maintenance' phase: again, same exercises, this time just one workout per week, 2-3 sets per exercise, and 6-12 reps per set.  The maintenance phase can be used right up to a few weeks before your big races.

There's so much more information I could give but I'd be typing all day and would end up re-writing the book.  As far as the weight training goes, though, that's the basic setup.  All that said, I really would recommend getting the book.  I know I'm a novice, I haven't used this training for a single day and obviously can't vouch for it's success...but the way it's laid out, explained, and broken down it intuitively makes sense and gives a great structure to the entire year of training leading up to your big races.

Hey folks, whats happening in here?  I've been really busy as of late....trying to get the training in, only able to get to the logs 1 or 2 times a week, for mass updating.

 Am signing up for 2 tris this summer, maybe a 3d.  All olympics, in July/August.  Gotta start getting more consistent with the training---it;ll be here before you know it!

 Hope everyone else is doin fine......

Hey everyone!

Sorry I've been out-of-sight for a bit.  I had a business trip that I just returned from.  I think of central east coast of FL being paradise but I just spent 3 days in Miami Beach attending a conference and it's an awesome place.  Great food, great sights, and a great beach.  Went for a long run on the beach this morning and it was so nice but a hard workout running on the sand for 5.4 of the 7.4 miles.  Right now the bottoms of my feet are getting sore. It really works you running on the beach, I had to pay a lot of attention to my running form, running with my core and follow the principles of chi running, I hope I don't get too sore form this!

I'll be in touch more tomorrow...