Gordo Byrn's Group - FULL (Page 32)

I can't remember if I asked before... but I'm looking for a good bike fitter... and there seems to be many systems out there ranging from $150 - $300... the $300 fitting is Retul 3D fitting - is it worth the money to get this type of fitting? Or would a FIST fitting be good, even if the fitter isn't an expert at Tri fitting?

Thanks!

WELL HI THERE G-TEAM!

sitting here at the Y, finished up my group swim workout.

HERES THE RAW DATA.

18-1950 yd swim  (JOHN.  i almost hit that 2000 mark.  watch your back, im HOT ON YOUR HEELS!  smile)

1650 w the class, 200-300 on my own

on my own:

2x50 warm up, 3/4x50 side balance alt lft and rt, worked on sumersaults on the black line, sumersaults arms length from the wall, sumersaults w feet landing on the wall, then sumersaults, feet landing on the wall and pushing off.  [as per the flip turn video on the site]  DEFINATELY have the fear of smacking my head on the wall, need to work through that.

w the group:

did 300 warm up; 100 swim, 100 pull, 100 kick

5x50 'tennesee' drills (i think thats what coach called them) start in the middle of the pool swim 1/2 length do a flip turn, do a full length back, flip turn, swim to the middle of the pool and stop.  these were hard/tiring.  surprisingly so.

[IRONIC cuz i came in early w the intention of working on my flip turns which i had NEVER done before tonight.  good thing.  at first i said to the coach that while the group was doing the drill, i was gonna go to an empty lane to 'practice' on my own since i wasnt any good at flipturns, she said she saw me practice and that i was doing just fine, so she 'made' me do them w the group.  SUCK.  SUCK.  SUCK.  that said, im SO glad she 'made' me.  in the end i wasnt that bad and it helped me work through the 'fear' of looking totally SUCKISH in front of the group.  perfectionist to a great extent, i must admit]

6x100 alt fast/slow - 25yd intervals

2x50 underwater kicking

5x50 pull

150 cool down

solid workout.  tired.  but that would be the point of training, right Coach? 

hoping to get a better nights sleep tonight. HIGH WINDS all night last night made for a fitful nights sleep, worried i end up in OZ by morning.  happy to report i did NOT wake up with a pair of ruby slippers on my feet 

nighty-night all!

 More than the "system" it really depends on the person.  Are you buying a bike and fitting // or // just looking for a fit.  Most good bike stores will include a fit with the bike purchase, especially these days.

 I would be cautious with laying out big cash for a fit -- I have seen some pretty lousy fits by certified fitters.  There is a lot of variability out there.  If you choose to pay then go with a fitter that has experience fitting people like you.

 #1 is safety; #2 is comfort; #3 is power; #4 is aero -- that would be my priority list for you.

g

 Indeed!

 ...and remember that you never suck.

 Be your goals,

 g

First exercise this week due to a cold and back in the pool for a quick 1000m.

100m warm up then 2x400m at race pace in 7:18 and 7:24 (very happy with that) then did 100m cool down

Inspired by Stacie B I had a go at tumble turns during warm up and cool down. managed ok but made my sinuses hurt and it was slow. need practice to get breathing timed right so I am not gasping after the turn. No effects of the cold which is great so will be aiming for a gentle run and ride this weekend.

Have a good one Team G

well look at you, mr pashda!  back at it.  im so happy!

all that STEADY AS YOU GO seems to have paid off.  

YEAH!

and BOY, im with you on the breathing/timing too.  thats my 'homework'   [ANY TIPS FOR US COACH-G?]

soak it in and enjoy that gentle ride and run this weekend.   [they cant all be gentle...enjoy it when they are]

THANKS so much GORDO. 

i needed to hear that. 

words really matter.  and yours were a TRUE GIFT today.

thank you  [palmtopalm]

and happy to report G-TEAM...

i got a MUCH better sleep last night.  AMAZING how restorative a good nights rest can be. [SO important to our trng....]

ready to get back at it.  but taking a cue from DAVE and going for a GENTLE long run today.

conserve some energy, have to hit my training tomorrow - the 2 hr endurance SPINTACULAR!

coming to the end of a MOST SPECTACULAR week, and feeling SUPERB.

growing, stretching, evolving, learning....FLIPPING 

BE(ING) MY GOALS!

Gordo - I've used my illness downtime as a chance to re-evaluate what I'm doing. I do have a question. I running through the Basic 12 week sprint plan on this site. In the coming week I have the following workouts:

Bike Strength
Strength
60
60' ride on a hilly course. Push the uphills and recover on the downhills. HR on the uphills can hit low Z4. Keep HR in Zone 1-2 otherwise.

Bike Hill Repeats
Strength
60
WU: 15'
MS: Then 6x2' up a hill at 65-70 RPMS. Recover on the downhills. HR on the uphills can hit low Z4. Keep HR in Zone 1-2 otherwise.
CD: 15' 

In the following weeks I have similar efforts for running and swim (500 meter TT swim). My question is should I be going up to the Z4 effort or keeping everything around the steady state heart rate? So instead of doing the hill repeats just do 60 minutes (or a bit more) in the steady state zone?

On the plus side, no fever for 24 hours and feel back to normal.

HEY THERE G-TEAM!

ECONOMY run today.  felt still a little tired after last nights workout (though last nights rest did wonders)  not enough recovery time between last night and this morning, maybe should have considered running later this afternoon...mental note for next time.

just finished up my run and though i would head into the fitness center and do some abwork/ST, but i think im gonna head home and do some YOGA instead.  seems that what my body is asking for, always good to listen.

as for the run, SIMPLY SPLENDID.  kept it STEADY throughout.  nice run.  and longest to date since my injury back in September.  feels good to be HERE.  each long run from now on will be SUCH a MILESTONE for me.  took a lot to be back HERE, im gonna SAVOR the moment. 

HR DATA 39 MIN RUN 2/13

start:  89;  10 MIN;  112;  6 MIN:  132/120  5 LAPS;  13 MIN:  134/118  5 LAPS; 20 MINS:  130/113  5 LAPS; 27 LAPS:  134/118  5 LAPS; 34 MIN:  134/117  6 LAPS though i question it;  39 MIN:  133  4 LAPS;  4 MIN/END:  101

alrighty then, onwardandupward TEAM! 

That would be super.  I'll get that to you this evening.

G-Man:

Looking forward to the new article.  Should be relevant to the group (and me).  Enjoying your book.  Organized, easy to read, and 99% of the material does seem to apply to even us Sprint Distance Triathletes.  The other 1% is great to have on file....  

ahhhhhhh.  the beauty that is YOGA

20 mins.

JUST what the body needed.

namaste.

stacieb

 From what I've read, the plans here have been really successful.  I also know Mike Ricci and he's a solid coach (and great guy).  He did the programs, I believe.  So, if you were healthy, there would be no need to modify.

 Also remember that... "Ok to hit the bottom of Zn 4" means that you might slightly enter it at the end of a few intervals.  It's really a Zn 3 session.  Most people doing that session will tend to do it Zn 4, just hitting Zn 5.  That's not what Mike wrote... but it is human nature.  So be sure to understand what the coach laid out when he designed the plan.

 Given that you have been sick you should come back by adding back... your sessions first (just do them, HR down, OK to cut short); then add back duration (do all of them, easy/steady); finally add back all the intensity (starting with the steady work then adding back mod-hard).  It could take you up to 14 days to safely taper back into your training.  The toughest part when you come back is not testing yourself -- you are going to _really_ want to do high intensity work to test your fitness, prove you are back.  Don't.  Now isn't the time and a return to illness will prove costly in fitness terms.

 So to answer your Q... get back to doing your plan; then add back the volume; then add back the steady; then head back to the full plan.  Finally, watch your tendency to test yourself as well as the urge to go a little harder than scheduled.

 Hope this helps,

g

G.  QUESTION.

as per the BT 20 Week Sprint Tri Training Plan this coming week is the first of two brick weeks....

i was wondering, WHAT are 2 OR 3 ESSENTIALS/GUIDELINES to keep in mind WHEN DOING BRICKS?

BRICK WEEK NO. 1

TUES. BRICK A - 37 MIN BIKE, 18 MIN RUN

THURS.  BRICK B - 31 MIN SWIM, 62 MIN BIKE

BRICK WEEK NO. 2

TUES BRICK C - 14 MIN SWIM, 28 MIN BIKE

THURS BRICK D - 37 MIN BIKE, 19 MIN RUN

thanks in advance.

stacieb

G,

Well, here it goes.  First the goal: Siesta Key Olympic distance TRI.

Swim: 1500 meters open water (Gulf of Mexico)

Bike: 40K

Run: 10K

Starting with my strongest event to weakest - my current fitness level in each event:

Bike:  Really feel comfortable on the bike.  I routinely go 15-27 miles with my daily workouts.  In preparation for the sprint TRI I just completed I went 42 miles on one of my rides (I think I finished that in around 3 hours).  Until recently I simply focused on riding in my “biking HR” zone in the Florida flats.  I religiously stay at or very near my “biking HR” zone of 130.  Per your advice I have been incorporating faster cadence and standup hill climb work during the last 7 days.  Trying to work my way to 10 minutes of standup hill climb with a HR of 140 (certainly not there yet).

Run:  Have improved tremendously the last 2 months with the run. I routinely go 3-5 miles with my daily workouts.  Recently I have been bricking either a swim or bike (mostly swim) whenever I run.  In preparation for the sprint I just completed I did a 10K run.  All of my runs now are done with the run/walk protocol – with the run/walk ratio of 10:0.75.  My "run HR" zone is in the 140-142 area.  I feel very comfortable there.

Swim:  You (and the group) are tired of hearing me cry about my swimming.  In the sprint TRI I just completed I did 400 meters in just under 9 minutes (with a HR at 158!!).  Today I can probably go 600 meters consecutively with a combination of bilateral and 2 stroke breathing.  I have totally started from scratch with my swimming workouts – focused exclusively on technique.  Currently doing a combination of 50, 100,  and 200 meter intervals.  Earlier today I did 1000 meters (8x50, 4x100, and 1x200) – these workouts were focused entirely on technique.  The distance will be a big challenge for me - I need to have a breakthough in the water.  BTW: I have never done an open water swim

Estimated Split Times:  Swim 45 minutes (?), Bike 1 hour 40 minutes, Run 60 minutes (Total race duration: 3 hours 30 minutes).  Just a guess.  Finish time in this race is not an important issue for me.  Just want to finish strong.

Weekday Workout Availability:  I have 90 minutes available EVERY weekday AM for workouts.  I could do some workouts in the PM but it just makes things a little more difficult for the family and personally I prefer the AM.  I do some weight work in the PM at home but it is all upper body lifting.

Weekend Workout Availability:  I can make room for 3-4 hours of time on Saturday’s in the early AM.  The only exception to the 3-4 hours is when I go to the gym with my wife (then its 1 hour).  It’s a little more difficult on Sunday’s for me.  Often I play a little tennis with my son on Sunday afternoons.  But I could find an hour on Sundays if I needed to.

So if I was to put a basic week together today it might look something like this:

Monday:  Swim-30 minutes, Run-40 minutes

Tuesday:  Bike-1 hour 15 minute

Wednesday:  Swim-30 minutes, Bike-45 minutes

Thursday:  Bike-45 minutes, Run-30 minutes

Friday:  Swim-30 minutes, Run-40 minutes

Saturday:  Bike-2 hours

Sunday:  Tennis-1 hour

I have total flexibility with scheduling.  I run/bike indoor or outdoor on any day.  The only thing that could potentially mess with the schedule are thunderstorms while swimming (I can only do this outdoor).

OOO – the race date is May 9^th.  11 weeks of preparation may entirely not be enough.  But that’s OK – if I need 12, 16, 20 weeks to hit the distance I’ll find another race (perhaps work in a sprint in the mid April timeframe).

Hope this is what you were looking for?

Jeff

well HI THERE G-TEAM.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!  SENDING 'THE LOVE' OUT TO ALL MY TEAMIES. 

back from my 2hr saturday spintacular.  and omg you guys, WHAT a wonderful ride.

everything that i did yesturday 'prescriptive-wise' was totally on the mark - economy run, yoga, a GREAT nights rest last night - made for SUCH a great ride today, im 100% sure of it!

HR DATA 2 HR SPIN 1/14

START:  100

10 MIN:  132

20 MIN:  132

30 MIN:  136

40 MIN:  134

50 MIN:  missed it

60 MIN:  116 [mid ride recovery]

70 MIN:  132

80 MIN:  136

90 MIN:  135

1:40 MIN:  145 

1:50 MIN:  125

2 HR:  140

END:  106

AV:  126;  PK:  148

did LOTS AND LOTS of postride stretching.  a good 35-45 minutes worth.  just felt like my body needed it,  nice.  slow.  long.  didnt rush through.   respected the fact that i asked A LOT from it all week.

YOGA again tomorrow.  maybe a little abwork.  then its on to BRICK WEEK NO. 1.  YAHOOO!

hope you are all having a wonderful day today.

stacieb

 With the breathing, at first you are probably going to hold your breath because you are thinking through the flipturn -- that's OK.  As you learn to relax (seeing a trend here...) you will be able to push a little air out as you come over the top, which will prevent water heading up your nose.

 Alternatively, Nose Clip, then you are golden from the get go.  However, I like to be able to exhale from my nose a bit so don't use one.

 g

 I tossed up some Brick Tips a little earlier for a team member that was having really heavy legs -- those will be back a couple of pages -- check in case I fail to repeat something useful.

 #1 -- repeat // you are seeking to train the ability to change // the more often you change, the easier it becomes

 #2 -- relax // transitions (life, tris, everywhere) are stressful, so relax before, during and after the transition to enable your body to shift.

 #3 -- simple // speed comes from simplicity, streamline what you seek to achieve

 Overall, you need to become smooth at low intensity before you can try fast.  Become proficient in a relaxed state then gradually ramp up over time.

g

 Jeff,

 This is an excellent plan.  A few adjustments for you to consider:

 Monday -- longer run day // over time build that up, go a bit longer every other week // build up to an hour

 40/45/40/50/40/55/40/60.... something like that

 Wednesday -- endurance swim day // over time build that swim up // similar sort of pattern // 

 30/35/30/40/30/45/30/45/30/45... GOAL for this swim is to get your more comfortable swimming continuously - keep the intervals short like you have been doing -- it WILL click.  When it clicks and you can swim 500 comfortably then you can start build towards being able to do 1500 with minimal rest

 While you are learning, even if it feels like you are going easy, your HR is probably pretty high in the water -- check it if you don't believe me.  As you get the hang, you'll reduce the stress in the water.  This is a good goal.  Your technique swim are probably quite high HR right now -- for reference, I can do technique swimming with my pulse <100 bpm.  The reason I constantly reinforce the need to relax in the water is that it must be learned, it isn't natural.  Also, to learn technical skills, initially we need to be relaxed and we must slow down.  For this reason, many athletes need to remove themselves from a group environment to learn.

 Saturday -- the long rides have been excellent -- you are ahead in terms of Oly distance endurance.  What I suggest is you schedule some Endurance Days every 3rd weekend.  The pattern could be Long Ride, Endurance Day, Easier Weekend.

 Endurance Day -- the goal is just like the Big Day Training that I recommend for Ironman (but specific to your race duration).... swim, bike, then transition run.  Put a plan together where these sessions will build gradually towards your expected swim duration, bike duration, transition run -- NOTE, you don't race these workouts, and your distance WILL be less than the race -- goal is to train endurance for the duration.  Also, swim/bike workouts are progressive -- bike is always tougher than swim and 2nd half of each is always tougher than 1st half.  Be Strong at the End.

 Swim Heart Rate -- this is a key issue that athletes face early in their career.  My programs specifically address this limiter -- to reduce, then eliminate it.  There can be quite a lot of psychological resistance to my method of swimming --  I'm sure you feel it during some of the three-stroke sets.  I think the reason is the high level of stress athletes are under when learning how to swim efficiently.  It is not possible to "work" through to being relaxed -- the only way that I have found is to relax through to relaxation.  The three-stroke is the fastest ticket there.

 ++

 Keep Sunday as a family day.  NEVER get so tired on Saturday that you are unable to meet your family obligations the afternoon after your workout (that's too tired from a training point of view and counterproductive from a life point of view).

 ++

 Hope this helps,

g

1 hr on the trainer. 

G.  thanks for the BRICK TIPS. on to a 3x5 they go.

and i was able to scroll back and find your msg to DIANE/CARDHOLIC w BRICK TIPS...

heres what you posted [just for reference for all of us]:  "The difficulties you experienced are normal -- remember to use run:walk and (even more important) remember to walk the first TEN minutes of your run off the bike, even in the race.  This will make a HUGE difference for you.  Be sure to try next time and report back"

thanks for the FLIPTURN/BREATHING TIPS as well! 

and IM GETTING IT, the IMPORTANCE OF RELAXATION, its foundational on so many levels, in so many respects, in all three disciplines (and life) YES!