SBR Utopia Season II - OPEN (Page 56)

I forget the exact cut-off date, but believe it's in August. That might even move around some if they move the event. You can't defer to next year. It's that year or bust.

And the last few trainer rides have been kind of fun for me. Need to find a good array of carrots.

Is power your favorite flavored carrot?

the cut off date is good info--seems like it would be easier to plan for (tickets, accommodations, etc) and train for it with a year, but maybe once you're fit enough to qualify you just try to hold on for that for the next year? I could argue myself in circles on that one.

Power is part of it. It helps a lot to have a solid plan for the ride with goals and targets for the various parts. I'm more amazed with how some people stick with it seeing that they just kind of ride along and with their selection of TV shows to do so. Things go by much better when there is something to really go after and the mood of the things you bring in are conducive towards that.

And what people do for timing and qualification is very individual. With a big gap, some may take a good deal of time off while others will just keep on going as that is what they want to do. It's more in understanding yourself to figure out what works best for you.

It takes some HTFU for sure.  I've done 4 hours but anything after 2 starts to get really old....

As to the number of races, I think 3 HIM would be pretty tough for me too.  My original plan for this year was to do MT at the end of June and then another at the end of August/early Sept but I ended up going with Miami at the end of Oct instead.  I'm glad I did as I think I would have felt a bit rushed to be ready again.  Instead I had 2-3 weeks of getting back into a steady training groove, then did a bunch of short local races and now I'm ready for a good strong block to be ready for Miami.

How long did you take "off" from structured training after the race?  From training at all?

Matt

Makes sense that timing and race frequency is super personal. 

I'm kinda thinking 2 HIMS, 2olys.  I really prefer the HIM distance, but I don't want to write-off olys yet. if I never do another Sprint, that would be fine.  I'm not built to redline like that. 

I had 1 week where my coach said to just ride and run whenever I felt like it.  We were in Ottawa for a good chunk of that week and I ate a lot and tried many different kinds of beer....

I swam in an IM distance relay on the Sunday after the race then the 2nd week was back to structured but nothing intense and then back at it after that.

It was wetsuit legal last year but apparently that was only because of a freak weather event shortly before the race.  Everyone was apparently very surprised and most ppl probably didn't have wetsuits to wear.  I'm highly doubtful that I will even pack mine but I might...

and likely flew half way around the world in there somewhere.  

The Sufferfest vids will be kind of like some of the TrainerRoad workouts, TR actually works with them to sync up the rides. They'll just have the video, cues, and music going on the screen to make it feel a bit more like being in a group/race. It might sound ridiculous, but it's amazing how many dark thoughts they bring out of the most mild mannered people.

Do you have Netflix or similar service? Are you able to watch DVD's at all? I don't actually have TV in the traditional sense, but do have these. The main part of last Saturday's workout was to Avengers. It's 2:20 in in length, but was still a few minutes short, and never really felt bored. But then trying to do an easier 30-60 minute spin can drive me up the wall.

I tend to float around on what event size to do. Usually something bigger in the year, and then smaller ones as I feel leading up to them. I think Oly's can be a bit under appreciated by some on how tough they are. For many, they're a bit less than a sprint effort, but held for so much longer! Especially since it's going to be up near (or in) threshold range. Trying to get the pacing right is hard. Not sure I've really done that well with it yet. I like sprints though as it's fun to just let it go at times.

I guess my intensity is pretty similar for an oly and a sprint, but I guess I feel like I have time to get into a groove in an oly.  Maybe I should tri one more sprint.  It was my first race and it probably felt so hectic because I was just so clueless

That's about what I've done. The weekend after may not be fully back in, but working into it. I might take longer if it was end of season though.

Perfect - I have my wetsuit in the truck and was planning to splash about in the pond this evening, go for a chill bike tomorrow and a Hoka-wearing-low-HR-sooperchill run on Thursday (with lots of beer sampling, gin enjoying and some rum swizelling thrown in). 

I'm wondering about the weekend, too, as jumping right into the full marry training would have me going long, if slow.  Not sure how good an idea that is and might just do shorter loops past my house so I can pull the handles and punch out before the end of the run if needed...

The idea of going straight into marathon training (10.20.13 race) has me all kinds of ambivalent.  I really enjoyed my run focus over the late fall/winter/early spring last year, and it paid dividends on getting my run in line with my s/b (ironically, as I wasn't s'ing or b'ing but had been running for years before last spring).  However, I feel like I'm missing out on something if I'm not looking at a fall tri!  Exactly the feeling that kept me from sleeping until dawn most nights in college... 

Anyone ever done something similar?  A spring/summer of tri then a fall marry?  I'll likely still do a couple sprints and a HM in September, but they fit well enough into the distance stuff (don't care as much about max performance at these sprints).

Man, I have to figure out next season already, and I'm still processing how this one is going/went!!

Matt

I was gonna do a later one, but I'm running the marathon to *hopefully* BQ, and I'm worried all the spots will be taken if I wait for an October marathon.

Goodness!  Is all of that for work?

I've done it once.  Did a spring HIM and a fall marathon.  Living in the desert though, knowing what I know now, I'd flip that around.  It kind of sucked training for a marathon through the summer living in Tucson.  Even getting out there super early didn't help much, and the earlier I went out the more likely I was to get involved with some animal or other...

Switch - you could always go to Europe....  Was at worlds last year (not a backdoor brag    cheering a friend), met a woman who qualified at Brussels 70.3, where she came in last.  Not in her AG.   Overall

SHe did not finish vegas.

Oh jeez!  Why did she do that to herself?

I would consider doing some sort of destination tri, but I'd like to qualify for worlds feeling like I "earned" it somehow.  This may sound silly, but I wouldn't just want to go to worlds to go for the experience.  I'd want to put up a decent showing.  For our family it would be a chunk of change (really, for us, any of these big travel races are), and I'd really have to feel like I had earned it and it was worth it.  I also wouldn't want to do Kona on a lottery.  I'd want to feel good about the whole experience, and just not sure I could if I hadn't done well in a qualifier.

Not sure if I'm making sense... :)

You make sense.

Me, on the other hand, I'd go to Kona on a lottery, or a sponsor entry, or any method, frankly.   Vegas worlds, not so much (tremblant will be much better)