Fast Twitch Tri-FULL (Page 41)

That's a good question and one I've had with training plans in the past.  At the time, I just altered mine so that if the goal was let's just say base building, I still felt I was putting in just a base building effort and not trying to over work the plan.

The point of a plan is to periodize you so the risk you run with altering it is to undermine that goal; but in your case, if you know you're not being challenged even to the basic level you should be in the early stages of plan then I can see why you want to add some volume.

I would just caution you to take this week by week and not just start adding extra mileage to every workout going forward.  The plan might continue to build and become more customized to your level.

Maybe you're more ready for the next step up than you think you are 

KATE -

I agree with everything AMY says -- especially her last line!!

my former coach used to say that creating training plans is more of an art than a science, and so to some degree you can invest in that premise and feel free to alter the plan to fit your needs.  And it's true that if you told 30 coaches your season goals and where your fitness is at right now........you'd get 30 very different training plans!

That said, at some point it might be best to pass on the constant tinkering and jimmying and just find a more suitable plan. While not everything in any given plan fits all, let alone just one, there is truth in the idea that the "professional" plan-setters have tried their best to use the central tenets of Periodization (as Amy said in less-but-more-effective words), and in practice it is pretty easy to mess things up too much when left to your own devices.  And i say that as one who was petrified to mess around too much with my own training plans -- especially those that did not have a bonafide and accountable-to coach behind them.

Finally, yes -- 0.7 miles sounds hardly worth it for anyone beyond either a true beginner or someone returning from a lengthy injury layoff.  Very, very odd, otherwise, in fact!

GEORGE -

No need to apologize for the "vent".  Your concerns are valid -- and by that I mean the fear that the end is nigh.  I have had far too many injury episodes that have reduced me to figuring i'd never train as a triathlete again, and each was uniquely debilitating and utterly devastating.

BUT!   I recovered from all of them, and truth told -- there are decent medial solutions for almost everything.  My quick thought for you and the swim-nausea is that maybe Gravol or Dramamine might be necessary at times when this problem plagues you --- if in fact it evers occurs again.  It could be a very short-term thing, possibly even gone within a day or two.

Thinking further:  Inner ear/balance issues can result in nausea, right?  Can these be affected by water in the ear?  In an effort to swim hard/fast, were you maybe swinging your head more than you normally do in turning to breathe?  And maybe most tellingly -- how are you feeling today?

Were it me, I would wait for a recurrence and if that happens --- maybe sure I had either Grav or Dram in my swim bag.  I wouldn't take one before every swim, though, in which case I would have to work out when I would medicate -- might be the next swim after an nauseous episode?

So, how are you feeling today??

Finally, I love your line about "chumming" the water.  Sickatating, I suppose, but still vividly humorous!

<Raising hand>

Yeah, that sounds like week 3 of my couch to 5K plan.  I would imaging the couch-to-sprint plans are similar, but I agree it hardly seems worth getting dressed for.

Yes.

Often from a temperature differential.  It is, in fact, one way to test vestibular function (squirting icewater from a syringe into the outer ear canal and looking for nystagmus - or vomit...).

Could be lots of different things, though - including just the disorienting effect of moving one's head around in the water (as suggested). Not to get to doctory, as I'm not the practicing variety these days (and so the above is most certainly not medical advice, but what a fellow triathlete thinks), but if it's a recurring thing, you should see a real doctor. 

I really hope it clears quickly for you!

And I agree on the chumming part.  Yuck and yucks, both!

Best,

Matt

I had an old coach who told us "That's why the pool has gutters."  Every once in a while I've gotten that way- what happens when you just push through it?  I usually close my eyes for a little to focus on keeping my fluids to myself- but I got flamed a few months for suggesting swimming with your eyes closed to someone.  However, I do it a lot.

BTW- I had an old dog that got "Old Dog Vestibular Disease."   It was actually a fascinating process to watch her re-learn how to walk etc.

KATE -

So George's "chumming" comment is an example of "gutter humor"?

What was the plan? Some things might look odd on occasion, but could make more sense with context. As in the other workouts around it.

KATE -

Me too wanna know -- what is the plan you're using?

I feel badly for you that it tapped into some tough areas for you.  That is not only highly annoying, but also unnecessary.  Any good coach would make accommodations for your needs, and while I know (or strongly suspect) that a true coach is not on the horizon for you, I am confident that there is more than one plan out there that will work for you.

Going out on a limb or two.............but were you using the plans here at BT?  I ask that because (a) i think they are all set by D3, (b) my former coach was with D3, so i am by nurture in effect a D3 athlete myself, and (c) I have huge faith in Mike Ricci, D3's guru.  So, first, have you been using BT plans (that are probaby generated by D3)?

That's one limb.  Another is that D3 is in Boulder, meaning that you might get some small help from them if you phoned. 

A third limb is that if you phoned or wrote to Mike, you could mention me and just say that I hoped he could give you a few minutes of advice; I think he would agree.  (And it wouldn't hurt to namedrop the Red Sox, as he is a true diehard fan, originally from CT!)

Let me know how this goes for you, please.  Balance is important, of course, and needn't be accompanied by guilt trips or anything else that causes you to question what you are doing and why you are doing.  (Our kids were pre- and post-school daycare kids, and turned out remarkably well.) (Probably better than I did, and I was not a day care child!)

So, I have not used the plan b/c I can't wrap my head around choosing a plan that will make me feel bad- funny when the plan suits my lifestyle the best.  It calls out that Ron wrote the advice.  It's under silver plans New Olympic Balanced Lifestyle.  Funny thing is it seems like a great plan for working moms.  I'm a strong believer in voting with your choices and I can't bring myself to support this plan even if I like it best from a plan perspective.  Here is the part that rubs me wrong from week 2.  I hope I don't get thrown off BT for posting it.

A - Will your family be better served if you downsized your house, drove a more inexpensive car, etc – if not to cut down on work hours? This will reduce your costs and possibly get you or your spouse going from full to part-time work or not work at all to have at least one of you there for your kids after school. This is especially important for infants to pre-school age kids who are not in school yet or only go for a half-day. If at all possible, find a way for one parent to be at home. Don’t ship them off to daycare if you can help it. These are some of the most formative parts of your child’s life and they need you, not strangers.

KATE -

I'm kind of floored by that.  It seems like a very large leap and assumption, and not at all encouraging.  And you're right -- the crux of the plan seems very good given its "balanced" perspective......and then it almost seems to be dissuading people from doing it.  I've read it a few times now, figuring I'll see it all from a differnet light or perspective -- but that ain't happenin' yet. 

I can only speak for me, but when the kids were going to a "sitter" after school, before either Lynn or I collecetd them on our way home from work, we just made sure that the rest of the afternoon/evening was quality time, which ultimately seems more important than quantity time.  For 19 years I taught kids who usually had some adult at home always.....but those adults seldom gave them much in the way of any time --- quantity or quality.  And, moreover, our day care persons were all quite wonderful, and most of all, our kids were very well-socialized before they even landed in full-time school.  As for the "sttrangers" aspect -- that lasts for about 2.5 days until the kids learn the roster of those present in the center.  I'm guessing you feel about the same way in all of this, yes?

And it's just so glumly black-and-white as to the pros and cons of being "balanced" -- hardly a balanced approach to trying to be balanced, it would appear.  Hmmm.

So, I don't know what to tell you.  You have the Silver membership...........but right now not a whole lot of inclination to use it; that's a tough situation for you.   I will see what I can scratch up along similar lines, keeping in my mind that the balanced oly plan calls for 2 workouts a week in each discipline.  (Did it address weight-training or cross-training at all?)

Just wait until week 6 when he tells you to go see a shrink. 

In all seriousness, I think the advice given in that plan (and a couple of the others) deals with taking a holistic approach to training ;training the entire athlete, mind as well as body.  I can see where they can start to sound a little preachy and maybe even a little judgmental, but their intent (my interpretation, anyway) is to stimulate thought about the choices we make in life.

You can always import the plan without the comments if you want to stick to the man. 

I agree those comments are a little overreaching for a training plan.

I hear you about voting with your actions, but in this case, noone will ever know the reason why if you don't chose the plan or even cancel your membership. You already paid for it and it works for you, so I'd use the plan then dash off a pithy little missive to Ron saying you don't appreciate the pedantic tone. I've found him incredibly responsive in the past.

KATE -

Not a whine at all, just valid frustrations expressed to a wider audience than your own inner eye.

I'm just glad that when i checked in here just now, I didn't receive a PM saying I had been evicted from BT.  If that ever happens ---- all my 10,000-plus posts here have no cred at all.   (And the same goes for any of you to whom those coveted Fast Twitch Bonus Points have been awarded!)   Eek!

So my grand plan for 2013 was to start with single-sport focused months (which happened to coincide with the USAT Club Challenge months): December = swim, January = bike, February = run. The idea was to swim like a swimmer, etc. Total immersion.

So December didn't work out so well because I developed tendonitis in my shoulder. Got in 5:30 in the pool for just shy of 20,000 yards.

January has gone well so far; this is my highest volume month ever on my bike: 11:23 for 171 miles. All of it was on the trainer using the TrainerRoad Intermediate Base program. I'm definitely getting stronger, but I know I have a ways to go before I become a really competitive AG triathlete due to my weakness on the bike. I'd love to keep at it and string a couple of more training programs together and just hammer away on the bike.

However . . . I have a marathon looming on May 5th. Most of the training plans out there call for 16 weeks or more. I'm already down to 14! So I'm likely ditching the rest of my bike program and concentrating on running for the next couple of months. I don't want my first full marathon to be a bust. I ran 5 miles last night and weighed myself, and I've got some work to do to get back to where I was last year.

It's really only realistic for me to do one workout a day, and I find that I need at least one rest day, so that leaves me with 6 workouts / week. Two workouts a week tends to be what I need to maintain what I have while with three I can make some improvements.

Anyone else feel like there are just not enough days in the week?!

I went to the pool today and managed to swim the full hour without any nausea.  I made a few changes to my normal pre-swim routine and I was able to keep swimming.  I don't think I've fixed the problem though.  It seems to be a combination of things so I'm making changes and I'm going to see my MD - PDQ.

I bought a pair of earplugs today and I'll try them out starting Monday.

McManus - I don't think I'd have a problem with having cold water squirted into my ears (so far).  However, I am quite keen to see my MD about this.  He's a pretty decent fellow and easy to talk to. 

Moonrocket - I haven't tried to push through it yet being too concerned about not making it to the gutter but if it happens again I will try to calm down and then continue.

Yesterday in my cycling class we did 10# 1 minute intervals in Zn 5 (at 70 - 80 rpm) separated by 1 minute of easy spinning.  It was a pretty intense session and I was either sweating a lot or crying, I'm not quite certain which.  I averaged 32+ kph (19.88 mph) and even managed to hit 35+ (21.75 mph) for awhile in the last interval.  I sure was done by the finish.

Kind of masochistic but I have to say I really enjoyed it.  Or, I'm just really glad I survived it. 

DAVE -

Yup, me too -- never near enough of them there hours!

As a natural-born fish, you can afford to just kick that discipline to the curb -- maybe even until a 2 or 3 weeks out from your first serious triathlon.  We both know how readily you assume one of the top overall swim times in any given race, so the swim will never be anything other than a colossal asset as you look to becoming increasingly more competitive in your age group.  So, my advice on this front is to train as a duathlete!

My advice for the bike/marathon balancing act is not so clear-cut.  You have 15 weeks or so until the marathon, and before long you will have to start optimizing those weeks with a run-heavy emphasis.  I think that could wait until mid-February, maybe, giving you a while longer to make more cycling gains.  And even beyond then, you are probably safest running no more than four times a week, leaving a couple of days for cycling.  As the marathon approaches, you don't want those riding sesssions to take anything at all out of your legs, but you can continue with "distance" rides, as well as ones geared towards technique -- one-legged drills, and aiming for perfect revolutions pedal cycle are easy and beneficial.

Anyhow, great work on highlighting the cycling, and you've done reall well to log so many hours on the trainer.  Righteous, baby, righteous!

GEORGE -

Enjoyment vs Survival in hard sessions --- tough call.  There's a lot to be said for both as take-aways from difficult workouts!

Nice on hitting 19.88 asd an average, and mega-nice to hit 21.75.  It's always good to know what speed feels like and what it took to attain it, and from now on you will find both of those much easier to attain/sustain.  Cool beans!

And a  big old WHEW! for doing a non-yechy swim......and maybe earplugs will erase those episodes completely.  When do you see your doc?

STEVE - Thanks for your advice. That seems so easy now that you said it, but I couldn't for the life of me figure that riddle out on my own. I feel like a great weight has been lifted! You are so right about swimming; with an all out effort, I could probably get down to somewhere near 1:10-1:15 / 100 yards for a Sprint distance race, but that would require training at least 4 days / week to the detriment of the other disciplines. And what would be the gain? I only swam 4 times last July and 6 times in June, and I averaged 1:32 / 100 yards for the 700 meter portion of a sprint I did last August. If I were to get that down to, say, 1:15, I would save a grand total of 2 minutes. Hardly seems worth it, and my other times would get worse. Decreasing rate of marginal return.

I think I could get that same 2 minute improvement with a 10% improvement in FTP on the bike with a lot less effort and still have plenty of time left in the week with which to improve my running endurance.

Also, I got me some free bike speed:

• new aero bars that I like much better than the ones I had, so I may actually use them: Zipp Vuka clips with s-bend extensions.
• xLabs torpedo mount for between the aerobars and carbon torpedo cage
• Beaker Concepts Hydrotail ($10!!) and xLabs gorilla cage for behind-the-seat bottle
• Got rid of both bottle cages on my frame
• Got rid of seat bag

I love speed, but especially FREE speed (which is, sadly, never really free... still, though - sweet!)

I tend to follow Steve's advice and pretty much ignore swimming til close to season- now I try to get in once a week and plan to ramp to twice in March/ April.  I may do more this year as I want to break 30 in my 70.3 relay (hit 32 last year.) 

I think I'm better off building cycling and running base now since it only takes me 2 or 3 months to ramp up swimming to a 1:30-1:40 race pace.  Which as a female puts me in the top 5 or so in my age group even in fairly competitive races.  Another minute or two on the swim just means too much training time.  I think the return on investment for me in biking and running is more.  That said I really like OWS so once the lakes are open I add a 2nd or 3rd swim. 

I did just shift my work shift and am going in early and leaving early on Tuesday.  This lets me bring my daughter to swim lessons and I hope get a 30 minute lap swim in while she's in class.  I also work from home one day a week- and find it is a lot easier to swim on that day as I can have post pool hair and sweats and no make up after which saves a 1/2 hour or so.