Fred D and Jason's (Tri808) Half Ironman Mentor Group CLOSED! (Page 40)

Training question for the group.

As some may recall, I started this season thinking Oly's and maaaayyyybe a HIM in the Fall at the end of the season, iff I felt great, etc..  Now, I'm signed up for Timberman August 18th and psyched (basically did a bit more than the HIM distances over 24 hours this weekend, felt good and have ~10 weeks still to train, so I think I'll be ready).

However, I still have an Oly on July 21 that I want to rock.  Sooooooo, the inevitable compromise comes into play.  What I recently decided on was to do HIM distance and intensity specific workouts on the big days (weekends) and Oly distance/intensity during the week (I'm using Friel's "your best tri" program, mostly - with some modification, obviously).

So, here's the question:

Would you stick with a total HIM focus and expect to be able to go "fast" in the Oly (it IS an endurance event, even if it's a "short" course), or would you keep the weekday intensity for the next 6 weeks (and lower intensity but longer on weekends) and then go full HIM plan only for the month prior to the race?

I'm concerned that adding the intensity during the week, on top of the volume of the weekend, will predispose to injury.  Flip side is that I like interval work (a lot) and respond well to it - and I'm still slower than I'd like to be.    I'm inclined toward keeping the faster intervals (there are still intervals on the HIM plan, just a zone lower and twice as long or so), and then HIM specific build for 2 weeks after the Oly, a one week peak and one week taper prior to the HIM.

Sorry for posting up so much stuff about my plan and the question, but I'm not sure if I'm missing something basic here that y'all might have already dealt with…  Much appreciated!

Thanks

Matt

Originally posted by Mike_D So, i'm 5 days away from my first race (Patriot HIM) and have had an emotional bomb dropped. Friday night someone I've known my whole life died suddenly from a heart attack. He is only a year younger than me, and I've known him & his family nearly my whole life. He was married, 4 kids under age 13, and this was totally out of nowhere. No known health issues beforehand, and its all just stunning. He & his family have lived next door to my sister & her family for over 15 years as well, so there has always been a connection between our families. Last saw him last time I was at my sisters a few weeks ago. Funeral is tomorrow, and its just mind blowing to think what has happened. Its really something to ponder. The more I think about it, the more depressing it gets, and I'm not in a good place emotionally. Totally demotivating for this weekend as well. Maybe once I get beyond Tuesday I can think about the race on Saturday a bit more, but right now, its not really that important.

Mike, very sorry to hear about this and know how that kind of loss shakes you - sometimes for a while.

I will often sort of dedicate (it's not a formal thing - just a thought that goes out to them) a great day outside to some of those who are no longer here and able to do the same.  There are just some runs, swims, rides - even races - for which I'm so grateful that I use them to remember...

Kind of tough to describe (sounds hokey, even as I write it!), as I never really think about it ahead of time - just kind of happens.

I hope Patriot is like that for you.

Matt

As I might have said before, if I have a number on my belt, I'm racing all out - the only difference is the result...

Interesting, though.  My workouts are basically two key runs (one with intervals during the week, one long one with longer intervals on the weekend - like 9 and 13+ miles, respectively), two 3-4 milers easy, one 2 miler off the bike weekend bike.  A hill bike (brutal!) during the week and a long one on the weekend, with two 1-1.5hr easy ones during the week.  Three intense swims and one recovery swim.  Been averaging about 10-13hrs a week total during the build.

Sounds like you're approaching it a bit differently, but I probably have more work to do in all areas than you!  The training really is similar for both - just a question of maybe one zone lower but longer for the HIM.  I'm going to try the mix of more intense during the week and longer on the weekend and see what happens for the Oly at the end of this month.  Then experiment some more for the Oly in July and experiment some more for the HIM.   

Only sort of kidding.  The experiment part will be wrt the amount of time for peak and taper.  For the 4 weeks prior to the HIM, I was thinking 2 build weeks, one peak (slightly lower volume, higher race-like intensity - kind of a modified taper, as I read the plan) and one taper.  I hear the recommendation for more taper - I'm wondering, though, if the peak week is basically a first week of a taper.  Sounds kinda like it, no?

Thanks for the thoughts!

Matt

A "what would you do" question for the group.  I've got my first HIM coming up in a month and I'm already starting to look at the details.  The organizer is running a mini-clinic on the swim area (incl short swim) and beginning of bike the day before the race at 9:00 am.  I signed up for it.  The race is a two transition area race, and you have to set up your T2 the day before the race.  I got info from a previous participant that the bike racks are segmented by AG and your position is a first come first served proposition.  Furthermore, to get into the transition area you have to have picked up your race number.  To get your race number,  you have to have sat through one of the pre-race meetings.  The first meeting is at 9:30 am thus the first chance to get into transition will come at 10:00-10:30am.  Meetings are held every hour, so you do have chances to get into the transition area as the day progresses, but I'm not sure how quickly good spots will go.  So the question is, do I do the clinic and risk getting a less than optimal position in T2 or do I skip the clinic and grab a good spot?  I've ridden the course so the bike part of the clinic is not really that exciting, and I'm not sure what I'll get out of the swim part, but sometimes good nuggets do appear at these things.  Thoughts?  Opinions?

x2 FWIW

Hour and a half or so on the bike with a series of 3' hill repeats (almost all out) and an aerobic 30' to finish.  Optional ~4 mile run.  Crummy weather, but might be the best I get this week.

btw, HIM's on back to back weekends for your first time at the distance is a bad idea, right?  Just checking.  

5250 meters in the pool this morning and then an easy 45 min run at lunch.

I hope your ride goes well Fred!

So…. is 5,000m a day normal around here?  (thinking I might need to find a different sport!)

ETA: x2 on the ride.  Hope you get the back half of the season back Fred.

I'm not normal.    

For a non-swimmer, this is probably the opposite of what you should do but over the winter I was doing 4500-5500 twice a week with the local swim team kids.  I've backed off those bigger days a bit lately but it sure whipped me into good swim shape.  For most triathletes, somewhat shorter but more frequent swims will be more effective in my opinion.

Glad you are back to some good training! I have a pair of Hoka's that a local running store gave to me. I was having some trouble with lower drop shoes (newtons) in my shin area (those have disappeared with my old Brooks racer st's).  I also thought about doing a run or two with the hoka's, to try to rule out if it is  the lower drop shoe, if I am not mistaken, they are 3-4mm also.

I have 1-1.5hr on bike with small 30min brick.  Will try to sneak into pool later (been slacking) pending the thunder boomers they are predicting for later's Dericho.

I signed up for the Fort Ritchie Sprint here in MD which has a pretty good climb relative to what we are used to, so going to start hitting the bike hard again to gain some strength.

Happy training everyone.