Beginner 1/2 Ironman Plan Group (Page 34)

4 months can be done.  It helped me tons to have a coach watch me swim and give me feedback on what drills to use in order to help correct the areas that I was getting wrong.  I would say do a couple of sessions with a coach.  I could not swim at all when I started, and while I am in no way a fish now, I have come a long way.  I also found that If I was not in the pool at least three times a week, then I did not see much improvement. 

I am new to this group as well, welcome.
Which HIM are you thinking about doing? 

This is definitely the place for it, come on in! 

I'm thinking of doing Pumpkinman in September. Its in Maine, and seems like a good course, and isn't too far away.  As for training, I've not yet started a formal HIM plan, but plan to follow the 20 (?) week plan from BT starting in March/April.  As for the diciplines, I can do the swim distance, I'm training for a 1/2 mary currently (race in March), and really need to work on my bike. I just got a new tri bike within the past week (Christmas present), got the trainer set up last night, now its time to start getting some time in the saddle.

Welcome to both of you :D We're all about zillions of questions around here!

The past 2 weeks have been brutal on my training schedule but I can't complain too much, I went on ski trips the past two weekends.  I definitely felt the lack of pool time during last night's swim.  And this pumpkinman in Maine sounds pretty neat...I might check it out myself.

Hey Dixie! Great to see you here. Just got back from the swim coach...Gotta learn to swim all over again!

How did the lesson go?  Did you like Juliet?

Beginning swimmers often kick way too hard. Try to relax your legs and you'll be amazed at the cardio you gain.

Welcome! Glad you are doing well on the program. Hopefully you can share your experiences so far with those that are not as far into the plan as you are.
Keep up the good work! 

Welcome! This forum is for people using the Beginner 1/2 Ironman plan that can be found on the first page of this thread, so if you are going to use that plan we would LOVE to have you join the conversation!  

Welcome, Dixie!  

Checking in.  Noticed I haven't been in this thread for a while.  Having a bit of an IT Band issue at the moment but treating with foam rolling, stretching and those girly hip exercises.  :P  Hope to be okay for my half mary the end of next month, but making darn sure I'm ready for tri season.

I've had ITBS before when I was playing lots of squash and remember how annoying it was.  You'll get better, and keep doing what you are doing.  Sounds like what I was doing and I healed nicely.  Good luck and keep us posted! 

Nice job.  That's actually great.  Everyone's got different sentiment about it (and I think the way that you and I think are quite different) but I definitely get it.  Excited to hear from you in the next week.  Watch some past IM videos or something...Want it! 

First question, and its about the run.

I'm currently training for a 1/2 marathon which will be run in mid March. So far so good, and I'm really enjoying my runs. I'll also be diving head long into the HIM plan here about that time for my race in September. My question is this -- how do I maintain run fitness during the training when the plan distances are less than what I'm doing now for my March race? I'll be at 1/2 mary fitness at the beginning of my training, so how do I keep that up? Alter the run workouts in the plan? Ignore them and find some run maintenance plan to integrate into the HIM plan? Any ideas or guidance would be great! thanks!!

Mike

Mike- There's actually quite a few of us that are training for IM and have half mary as an intermediate goal/step.  I'm doing one Feb 13 and my HIM April 17. I realize this is closer than yours but think some same things still appky.   I have a running coach that has given me a run program for both goals, and we integrate it into the plan.  So, usually, my work is 4 days a week running.  Tuesday, I do a 5-7 or so mile or so run with speedwork and restarts incorporated.   Thursday, I do the same but longer restarts for 4-5.  Saturday is a 30min recovery run and sunday is a long run--I'm at 14mi right now and climbing.  

Of course, this isn't necesary or even perhaps optimal, and is more for improvement than maintenance.  I have a big goal to become a better and faster runner in addition to my HIM, and to be in a good place when I want to do a full marathon a few months after my HIM.  I do, however, think that the mileage at the beginning of the program if you want to maintain your good half mary pace is inadequate.  Try working in some longer runs where runs in the plan are, and if you can keep tempo runs replacing tempo runs that is best.  Definitely just be patient and realize when you need rest.  Training is cumulative, for both of these, and if you are ramping up miles rest will be an important part.   

Thanks for the info! Maybe altering the plan would work well.

Does anyone have the 20 week plan as an Excel file they can share?

Mike

Mike, I'm in the same boat as you except my HM is in May (HIM is in Sept. like yours).  I'm working on base fitness for the bike right now so just spinning for an hour 3x/week.  I have swimming with my tri club twice a week so I go to that and don't worry about swimming.  And I'm following a HM training plan that's 4x/week to focus on that for now.  My left knee is giving me some trouble so I may end up bailing on my HM if necessary because my HIM is my 'A' race and I'd rather go slowly and build so I'm healthy & ready on that day.  I hope not though as running is my weakness and I think doing that HM would give me a lot of confidence.

My vote is to incorporate swimming and biking around your current run-focus.  You have loads of time later (spring/summer) to build up your speed & endurance for those two and back off a little on your running.  I think I'm going to follow the BT plan but maybe keep my long runs a bit longer since I will have built up so much and don't want to lose that fitness.

In totally unrelated news, I got moved up to a faster lane in the pool on Wednesday.  I gather this is pretty rare and I got a standing ovation.  My goal is to move up one more by the end of the indoor season (beginning of June).  That'll put me in with the big fish, so to speak.  I'm ridiculously proud.  LOL!

Edited by lamb_y2003 2011-01-21 9:42 AM

Great...  I just found out that my bike is too big for me.  The head tube is 54cm and I should have a size 50...  I thought my shoulders was suppose to be all tensed up when I'm riding.  I know I'm stretched when I'm riding but fitter says I'm suuuupppppeeerrr  stretched.  I guess I just got used to it.  I guess thats what happen when your a naive Craigslist buyer who knows nothing about bike geometry and buys a 50cm sized bike.  It's 50cm from the top tube which can be adjusted through the seat height and not 50cm head tube!!!

Anyone in the market for a great road bike?  It's the bike in my avatar.  50cm down tube, 54cm head tube, leader frame, full ultegra 6700SL with Dura Ace front deraileur, with carbon seat, and carbon fork.

Great progress everyone!!!  Just keep on churning thos training hours!

I wish.  I enter it manually into my calendar every week 

Throw it in classifieds on this site or on slowtwitch.  Even back on CL...just use every channel I guess and see what you can do best with.  Good luck! 

Question for you: why are you starting the HIM plan in March if your race isn't until September? Are you planning on doing the first few weeks a couple of times to add length to the plan?
It is ok to add a bit to the long runs on the weekends, but it's ok to follow the plan, too. You don't have to stay at 13 miles to maintain run fitness. The plan will allow you to maintain that fitness just fine while you do something MUCH more important for your HIM: build bike and swim endurance.

Why March?  Its because my math is a bit off. 

The HIM race is early September, and a 20 week plan leading up to it would start 5-ish months earlier, so early April would make more sense . The HM is late March, so there's just a 2 or 3 week gap.

Thank you for the advice about the run integration. This is useful stuff --- thanks!

Edited by Mike_D 2011-01-21 5:41 PM