Fred D Mentor Group Part III (Page 50)

I've had it in the back of my mind for awhile to take a full year off and just live life, train, write, do things I keep putting off.  I bet I could put up some monster gains without the stress of work.

NB - somewhat self deprecating but true, but I am an adult onset athlete (played water polo in college but that was it), so it's pretty easy to get faster when you start out as slow as I did 

As for the scheduling of BarryP, here have been my last few weeks

Mon - ez run
Tues - med run am, swim pm
Wed - Trainer am, ez run pm
Thur - same as Tues
Fri - Trainer , ez run (OR on Sat)
Sat - Long ride, ez run if not Friday
Sun - long run

Granted, i have no kids and there is little room for work/family other issues that pop up and interfere with a planned workout, so sometimes one or two slips through the cracks.

Honestly, what has kept me hitting the majority of those workouts has been counting calories, as the exercise gives me a little more leeway to eat "normally"

I feel the last few years I have gotten faster with age, but that was because I was new to the sport and with experience comes knowledge and also equipment upgrades (aero helmet, wheels).  As I get older I do feel I have more little aches and pains.  As I have been building up my running the aches and pains seem to move around my body like a worm or something. Starts in one foot for a few weeks, moves to the shin for a week, then moves to the other foot for a week, then to a calf etc.  I am chasing the worm around with ice and stretching. 

This weather isn't helping much.  It is dark when I leave for work and dark when I drive home.  I am fortunate enough to use my lunch hour to work out.  That is my only workout in the day during the work week. 

That does sound brutal!  I barely had enough energy to read about your workout.    Nice job! 

I am off for my lunch run, I have been running on the treadmill the last week due to shin issues but I think I might attempt to run outside today.  I need some fresh air.

The whole minute at 180%?  Is that even possible?

Alot...although it depends on what your goals/focus is.  Are you planning to swim alot over the winter?  I found the Barry P to be relatively easy on me physically since it is mostly easy running at a higher frequency (adding intensity as you prepare for races).  So, I was able to bike 3-4x week with quite a bit of intensity.  Swimming was light at 1-2x week and nothing overly hard.  If you plan to swim hard and frequently then it will start to eat away at what you can do on the bike.

LOL.  Yeah I think you blew up for good reason.  130% seems like a max for a set like that.

Ok...that still sounds like death...but in the realm of possibility I suppose.

Just an easy run for me.  Tomorrow I dive back into some swim ad bike, but I remain focused on a December half marathon.

I spoke the truth today at work and now I'm deeply unpopular.  We were headed for a train wreck and somebody had to say something.  At least people are talking, now.  It's very stressful, though, which doesn't help training,

I think so.

My run is getting faster. My bike improved a bit and I know I am leaving swim time on the table. I am hoping for another 10-15min this year on the HIM.

Raw speed is improving and endurance for sure.

180% for a full minute : not for me. My 1min best is about 150% of CP.

Never mind doing it x8

I still am, but I'm not a good sample because I was basically at zero before this. But even from what I remember what I ran when I ran, I am still faster now. (Sorry about that horrible sentence).

It is a sleepy Wednesday for me.  Strength training and short run on tap but also hoping to take an extended lunch break and get some outdoor biking in. 

Hope things are improving for those out on the east coast.

These are my sentiments as well. My aversion to swimming, though a weakness, is no secret. Fortunately, it does allow for 3-4 bike sessions per week on top of a BarryP approach. My targets are to follow BarryP all year, minus race weeks, tapers, and recovery. I layer the bike sessions on top of those, followed by swim workouts. When life's other priorities arise, I begin dropping sessions in reverse order (first swims, then bikes, and I try not to miss a run, even if I have to shorten it to fit it in)....but then again, I prefer running of the three disciplines.

This made me laugh...glad to know I am not alone!!  I've got two "worms" right now: one in the achilles from an injury this summer and one in the hamstring.

I think I've got a colony or something in there.  I try to stay ahead of them, but yeah, it feels more like Whack-a-Mole.

Am I getting faster?  I think so.  Probably.  I'll report back on that one in December.  (But then again I started from zero 4 years ago, so I'm pretty 'young' as an endurance athlete.)

Happy Halloween to those who acknowledge it. I am sure that Sandy has put a damper on a lot of kid's plans My boys and I are going to save some of their candy and make a care package for some friends back East who will not make it out trick or treating tonight.

We have full blown Zombie Land going on at our house. I will have to take pictures, I now have the freaky house (complete with pop up zombies, strobe lights and smoke) that I used to be scared to go to as a kid! I'll have 12 boys over for pizza and trick or treating around the neighborhood. My oldest and his friends will hang out here and hand out candy. The weather is perfect here with a high of 90 degrees today, it will cool off into a nice evening. 

My 15 minutes of fame: http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/2012_Rev3Tri_Florida_Photo_Gallery_3204.html

I'm the first picture in the gallery! I also didn't get to swim in the relay because they cancelled the swim... glad I wasn't doing the full race and chasing my sub-6! I would have been really bummed.

I brought it back to the LBS yesterday and they took pics and said they would email Trek and should hear back in the next few days.  They also expected that Trek would offer a replacement.  The frame is 5 years old, so I think I will be faced with the costs of maybe a new headset and bottom bracket - maybe the crank as well, I'm not sure.  Dollars I didn't really want to spend, but will likely have to.

It was fluke that I caught the crack because it wasn't very noticeable.  The roads were dirty so I washed down the bike after the last ride and when i was drying it I found the crack.  Initially I thought it was just paint, but it obviously wasn't after looking a bit closer.

Thanks for the feedback on the run/ride combo everyone.  I'm trying to decide where my best investment of time would be between run and ride.  I had my strongest year for both this past season, but I do think that more time in the saddle may be my single biggest return for speed.  That said, I've followed Jorge's plan in the past and don't know that I saw the increases I was hoping for - expectations may have been a bit high if I'm honest.