Beginner 1/2 Ironman Plan Group (Page 56)

NEED SOME HELP GUYS!?!?!?!?!

Shooting for Buffalo springs 70.3 on June 26.  Between surgeries, vacations, sickness and everything else my training up to recent has been erratic, but my logs are up to date for all intents and purposes.  I have been trying to follow the HIM training schedule but due to the aforementioned that hasn't always been the case.  According to the calendar I should be starting week 13 on Monday 3/28.  In your expert opinion, do you think I can start there and just continue on the plan through to and hit buffalo springs?  Or am I just asking for an injury?

summarized my workouts to date below

about 4 hrs/wk in Janaury

all over the map in feb. 2 wks nothing 3 wks 1 - 5 hrs

march wk1 logs not updated

march wk2 5 hrs

March wk 3 spent all week hiking trails in the mountains (so logs not updated, I guess)

March wk4 should hit 8 hrs after tonight and tomorrow.

base: did sprint & Olympic last year and doing another Olympic on Apr 3.  Had surgery in early Oct and off through to January because stitches kept tearing apart. so no workouts then.

edit for bad speling

I'm not a coach so not an expert at all. Maybe we can get you pointed in the right direction to help you think it through though. First off what is your other option? Do you have a different plan? Can you pick a later race so that you complete the entire plan?  If so I would wait until I could complete the plan the way it was written but that is just me. I'm a stickler for the plan. If not you may have to make due.

Have you looked through the plan? Do you feel like you can safely absorb the training starting at that point based on your own previous experience?

Look at the first month of the plan. The entire first month of the plan is base building and maintaining a schedule. The workouts do not change much at all. Do you feel like you have built a base and can now commit to maintaining a schedule?

You said you have had trouble with surgery and sickness. Most important before jumping into the plan to me is are you healthy now?

Just things for you to ponder.

Good luck making your decision!

Question: Does the 'I'm completely exhausted' feeling ever go away? I'm taking naps when I can during the day, and still ready for bed by 9pm. I'm going into week 5, hoping my energy improves along with the weather.  After all the snow melted, we got 12 more inches on the first day of Spring! yuck

There are other races I could set back for, but I have already set it back once this season, so I will if I have to, but I'd REALLY rather not.The schedule is not hte problem now that I have gotten past the recovery and spring break.  We don't have a vacation planned for early summer so I should be clear there too.  I have looked at the plan, and the I will find out next weekend what my base really is with the Olympic that I have. So I guess I'll be able to make a better decision after that.

I am fully healed now and flu season is gone so no health issues should hold me back either.

Hi all, mind if I join you guys?

I'll be training for a half on July 17 and training has been pretty pitiful, lately.  This winter's just beaten the motivation straight out of me.  Just haven't been able to get into the groove, so I decided to suck it up this week and get a bronze membership and start following the beginner 1/2 ironman plan.  I'm about 4 weeks late, though, so I guess I'll start straight into the base phase, skipping the prep phase of the plan.

This will actually be my second half, but the first time I'm actually following a training plan.  Last year I did a marathon in April, and just coasted from my marathon fitness for the run and just worked on getting the distance down for the swim and bike.  Now I want to focus on being more of a balanced triathlete rather than being so run-focused and just doing whatever I feel like for the swim and bike.

It did for me but before week 5.  It seems like this is also seasonal-affective disorder related, no big, i get that too.  Luckily I live somewhere with no real winter...

I don't take naps and have found that they kidn of just make my problems worse, especially on training day.  Evaluate what kind of sleep you are getting and how you are eating.  A lot of your energy will come from making the right choices in terms of food.

Welcome.  Seems like you're actually in a fine place (and a great place in this forum!) The plan has worked great for a lot of people and is working great for a lot of people in this recent crop.  Stick to it but make adjustments as you need and you should be good to go!

I'm feeling your pain on the weather.  The tiredness factor in my mind is always there.  In fact, I felt WORSE during my recovery weeks than any other training weeks.  Think of it this way - you are training your body to do something it has never done before.  You definitely build up a debt doing all this work, which needs to get paid at some time.  If you feel you need the rest, take it.

I've been on a Sunday to Saturday schedule throughout the plan so my "Saturday" workouts fall on Fridays.  Today I did the reverse tri workout in week #12.  Started my workout at 4:30 am, ran 30 minutes, hopped on the trainer for 1 hour and then immediately drove to my gym and swam 30 minutes.  By the time I got to work, I was shot.  Consumed 32 oz of G2, drank 8 oz soy milk, ate a banana and finished off a 16 oz water bottle during my hour commute.  Got to work, drank 20 oz of coffee, spent 4 hours in meetings and returned most of the fluids I had consumed throughout the day.  By 4 pm, I could barely hold my head up and had to go home.  Got home at 5:30 and napped for an hour.

Exhaustation is part of the game, but listen to your body and take rest or switch up the sequencing as needed.

I wondered the same thing.  It does.  I still need more than my normal amount of sleep, but I don't feel like the lifeless zombie that I did a month or two ago.  Stick with it! 

You guys are crazy!  I could only break 6 hours if I put a motor on my bike!  haha.  I am hoping for 6:30 but realistic at 7hrs.  The hilly bike course is going to take its toll on me.  Found out my race wave and race number today.  I can't believe that my time is up!!!  One week from tomorrow I will be putting my body to the toughest test it has ever endured!  So scared, but can't wait!!

I feel you on the hilly course.  I've read that my first HIM would be rolling hills.  I specifically chose it to have a feel for rolling hills since I'm doing Full Vineman 3 months after my first HIM.  Crazy?  Check!

So today was my first "ride" on the tribike.  It sucked...  I rode for an hour and it was very uncomfortable.  Upper back/trapezius was hurting but it takes getting used to from what I heard.  Since I feel like you guys can give me advice on my position, here's my video.  And yes, I'm short...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQuuwQy4fKw

Congratulations on your new bike!

I bought a tri bike at the end of January. It feels completely different than riding a road bike. It reminds me of when I switched from my hybrid to my road bike. Just a totally different feel. I was really surprised since I had been riding my road bike with clip on aero bars for 2 years. 

I'm looking forward to swim week! Bring it on. It will be like a vacation for me from all of the running.

Nice bike..what kind of QR w/ Zipps? Post this link in the general tri talk forum and you'll get some good advice

Nice Bike! My advice would be to go to your local bike shop and get the bike fitted for you. I bought a used tri bike and fit it myself. After about a month went in for a fitting and it made a world of difference. So much more power and I can stay in the aero position for 30-40 minutes at a time! Well worth the money I spent!

Been awhile since I have been on this page.

Since then I have completed my first Half (Gator Half) which was a real learning experience. But as my quads were screaming I was already trying to figure out how to improve. In the swim with out panicking and the run without trying to overheat and legs starting to cramp. I am sure it doesn't help coming from Colorado with 15- 60 degree temp changes and going to Florida with high temps/humidity.

But I had so much fun that I signed up for another go around in the Harvest Moon Long Race Festival.

this time I am using a BT Plan that I tweaked a bit. I won't start that til the 25th of April. so currently using a maintenance plan

Congrats!!!  Any words of wisdom??? 

Just rode the HIM course I'm doing in three weeks.  I'm pretty happy that I got a good ride and a little brick in but am disappoitned that the surface was so crappy.  I mean terrible! Still- on 3 hrs of sleep in the heat got out there and did 51mi of the 56 and rode 2mi to get there, so pretty much the whole thing.  Did a quick T2 and started running but since it was so hot and we didnt bring water we only did like 3.5 miles.

The course was pretty dismal, but still, confidence built up more today!

Get ready for a battle with the voice inside your head. Other than that Have Fun