Sprint: 16/20 Week 2X or 3X Balanced (Page 3)

Hi Everyone! My name is Keye (rhymes with tie if your were wondering).  I'm not doing the 16 week Balanced plan.  I am doing the 16 week 3xSwim Focus Spring Plan though.  I had never done any swimming prior to this training other than splashing about in the pool.  Swimming is definitely my weakest link.  I started with the 13-week spring plan in February but switched to the 16wk swim on march 1.  I'm doing a super sprint on June 18 (200m swim, 8mi bike, and 2.5mi run) as my first tri. 

I took a series of swim lessons in early March and now am just swimming laps to build up endurance.  My current swim work out is 8x75yd intervals this week and moving to 5x100 next week.  Hopefully by the end I should be doing 500m non-stop.

Biking is probably my strongest activity right now.  I can average around 20mph on a 10mile ride without pushing too hard.  I'm not too concerned about covering distance on the bike.

Running is still not my favorite activity but I know I'm improving.  Went on a 4.4miler last Sunday was able to maintain about a 10min/mile pace.  Still working on building my base but would like to incorporate speed work at some point.  I am battling a tender knee at this point and really tight glutes and hamstrings.  I need to stretch more. 

Here's my question. I'm going into month 3 of the plan but the time duration for each workout seems a bit "short" to me.  I know I can cover way more on my bike, for example.  Runs seem a bit short too, swims are about just right. I'm wondering if it would be safe to make the workouts longer or should I just stick with the plan?

Welcome! This is a common concern. You can go ahead and stretch the time to get in the distance. Since it's a static plan, they have to give a time based on a best-guess, but it is frequently too short for people. Adding time to get in the distance will not cause any problems in the pool. If your times are only slightly short on runs and bikes, it's fine to extend the time there as well.

I created a custom plan, but it closely resembles that of the Sprint 16 week 3X Balanced.  I just started on Sunday and so far am doing pretty good.  I am planning to complete my first tri on July 9th.  I am very excited.  Yesterday, however, I became discouraged in the pool.  It is difficult for me to get the freestyle down probably with the breathing, etc.  Will it come with more practice and help from friends who use to be on swim teams?  I don't like the sensation of water going in my ears.  Am I able to wear ear plugs?  I want to believe that I can do it, but I am very concerned about the swim aspect.  :/

Thanks for the welcome Coach Jessica!

I do have another question.  Perhaps I was too ambitious and getting ahead of myself in my last post.  I think I came close to injuring myself the other day and now have a question about rest/time off to recover and how it will impact my fitness and my plan.

In short, I think I almost pulled my butt the other day.  I've been putting in the time and the distance but probably not stretching like I should.  My right knee has been a little sore and my glutes have been tight but not sore.  That is until Tuesday.  It was supposed to be a rest day but I got cocky ambitious and decided I could do some core work to supplement my tri training.  Pulled out P90x core Synergistics and got halfway through the video before I felt some serious tightening up in my groin and glutes.  Now my right glute is seriously tight and my hamstrings too (which might explain my sore knee after runs). 

I took all of Wednesday off (was supposed to swim and run) so far haven't done anything yet today.  I'm itching to get back into it though as I don't want to lose the progress I've made. 

How long should I be resting? Until the soreness goes away?  How much, if any, activity can I do? Other than stretching (which I continue to do) should I be doing anything else to help?

Sorry to bombard with questions but I'm really trying to un-sabatoge myself here.

Hi spaceyg02.  Newbie here too so I can only offer what I've learned so far (just finishing up my second month).  I wear earplugs to keep water out of my ears and am pretty sure they are fine for triathlons.  Just try out a few til you find one that fits comfortable and, oh, keeps the water out.

As for the swimming, I started this two months ago unable to swim 25yards without holding onto the edge of the pool at the end gasping for air.  My style was more like waterboarding myself than it was like swimming.  Used a lot of resources (youtube!) online and ultimately took some swim lessons.  The breathing become a lot easier and now I am just focusing on practicing my form and building up my endurance.  I went from not being able to swim 25yards to 8x75yds per workout (not impressive but an improvement for me!) and being able to build my base.  I'm supposed to go to 5x100s next week.

Your problems with swimming are very common. You can wear ear plugs if you like...they are allowed. Learning to breath comfortably in the water does come with time and practice. Focus on slowing down and relaxing, which also requires a focus on not letting your legs sink. You WILL get better if you consistently get in the pool.

Get in the pool! Swimming is easy on the body and can help with soreness. Hopefully you just tweaked something and it will resolve itself in a couple of days. You might want to try a very easy jog as well. If you feel pain, just walk. You probably didn't do too much damage.

Well, went to the pool and it helped.  I was pretty timid at first but at the end I realized that I had really loosened up and was actually pushing a little on my later laps. 

Thanks!

Hi everyone, my name is Tom.  I'm in my second week of the 16 week 3X Balanced program and feeling pretty good so far about the training volume.  I have been running off and on for the last 4-ish years and decided at the end of last year that a tri would be my next challenge.  Running has been going well and it is a good way to get my dogs (both rescues; a Blue Heeler and an Australian Sheppard/Brittany mix) their exercise quota when it is warm enough (when it's not so cold that my lungs burn... I spent most of my life in GA and now experiencing "winter" for the first time in central MO).

I commute to school most days (5K each way) on my bike (an old 1980 10-speed Schwinn... thing is a tank) and I've always loved being in and around water and swimming.  However, I haven't really trained for volume in either of these aspects of triathlon disciplines.  I just took the plunge on a new bike (as a grad student most things are a "plunge" financially) and went with a cyclocross build (Jamis Nova Race 2010 was on sale because it was last year's model) so that I could commute on roads and ride the awesome trail networks we have in and around town.

Right now, I am trying to work on proper form for all three disciplines (even invested in a pair of Newton running shoes which encourage forefoot striking) to be more biomechanically efficient and minimize chances of injury.

My first tri will be in July in Georgia (yeah... great choice right?) as that is where I'll be for field research when the 16 weeks are up (Tri the parks in Augusta, GA).  After that, I might try to do either another sprint or even a full at the Last Try in Benton IL in October (about 4-ish hours away from cent MO).  Maybe a bit ambitious for now, but a full distance tri and then a HIM might be on the horizon for future years.  In the meantime, I got to build the base.

It has been a pleasure reading through everyone's posts so far.

Cheers. -tom

Hello everyone!
My first tri is in 14 weeks from today.  I was hoping someone might help clear up some confusion / or answer a question or two I have:

Will gaining endurance by biking or running translate automatically to increased endurance during swimming?

My swim will be a 325 yards in open water - in a fairly small lake.  My thought is to draft someone who has a moderate pace... just to get me through.  Any flaws in that theory?  Also with swimming in a small lake / open water... should I be shopping for a pair of goggles?  By the way - - I plan on doing laps in the pool soon - I've already done my first pool outing and I've got  a long way to go.  It's cold in the northeast, so I'm also looking forward to doing as much open water swimming I can get away with - possibly in the beginning of June.  Time is not on my side and I just can't see how I'll get 'good' with swimming.  Not this year - - next year will be different though  If worse comes to worse - - I may postpone my July tri and sign up for one that takes place in August.

I'm sure I'll have other questions - - these are the ones popping out of my head right now though :/

Thanks in advance! 

Hi Tom and welcome to BT! I have been to that Tri The Parks race and it's a nice venue, especially the trail run. Let me know if you have any questions as you go through the plan, and keep us updated on how you are feeling!

Welcome!

Yes, you will need a pair of goggles for both your swim training and for race day. You cannot swim properly without goggles. Unfortunately, run and bike endurance don't help as much as we would like in the pool. The only thing that helps your swimming in getting in the pool and swimming, so make sure you start getting in the pool as much as you can. It will help you a great deal to also swim in open water before your race, so try to find a triathlon club or group in your area that meets for open water swims once the weather gets warmer.

Best of luck to you!

Thank you for the tips Jessica!!  Much appreciated

Thanks Jessica.  I'm feeling great so far aside from the normal aches (lower right calf always aches after a run).  

My eating habits are going from good to great.  I think the hardest transition is going from great beer (e.g., Founder's Brewery) to beer-cebo (Michelob Ultra).  

My new cyclocross bike came in today and I got dropped off at the store so I could ride it back home.  WOW!  I can't believe how easy it is to ride on this bike.  In the 30 years after my previous bike was made (1980 schwinn 10-speed), there have been some substantial improvements in the biking world.  I got home, parked my new "girlfriend" (as Jen refers to it) in the garage... walked around the house for a bit... drank some water... and then went back out and jumped on the bike because I just couldn't wait to ride it again.  I ran it on some trails and roads around town and I think I am in love.

Can't wait to wake up and commute to school.  Third week into the program and I am even more excited than when I started.

Cheers. -t

Haha...you made me laugh out loud! Yes, I think there may have been some innovations in the last 30 years! So excited for you and your new bike!! Sorry about the beer, though.

It is totally normal to have good days and bad days, so don't let those daily fluctuations prevent you from seeing the progress you are making over the course of weeks. What kind of swim workouts are you doing? You might want to look at the Learn To Swim training plan and use some of those workouts if they offer more structure than what your current plan has.