JohnnyKay and Fred Doucette's HIM/IM focused Mentor group-CLOSED (Page 59)

How many times have you seen that same question pop up on BT in the last 5 years! And some of the people who replied have really been answering these newbie question for a long time .

So everybody, how was your first race?

Here is my first BT post:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=205617&start=1

I was thinking this through my whole HIM training plan. My body manages more frequent shorter runs a lot easier than a long run but I forced myself to follow the long runs scheduled in the plan. There were several weeks when almost all of my running miles were that one long run. It just didn't feel right but I knew I needed to mentally prepare to run for that long since it is not my favorite thing. Traditionally my brain craps out at around 1 hr 15 min or so.

Glad to see everyone agrees with me. 

Just to clarify, I did use the word "some" in my post.  I agree that running hard/fast a lot is likely a recipe for problems, and I don't personally plan to test the theory.  But I still believe that running race pace on occasion, or even slightly harder makes sense.  Scout constantly espouses the "mostly easy" approach - but also adds in "sometimes hard".

I know this is an HIM/IM group but some/many of us will also race shorter events.  Training in Z1/2 for IM makes perfect sense - but unless I'm mistaken, you are essentially training near race pace.  It just happens to be much slower than what you would train at if you were racing Sprints/Olympics.  I'm guessing you'd follow a different protocol if doing those shorter events.

I also believe, that you need to practise what you plan to do during a race - you should know, and your body should know, what it feels like when pushed.  I just get the feeling that staying in a nice, easy zone is not going to completely prepare you for short and hard race experiences. 

Again, I'm taking this from the view of total run training in a year.  I also believe that the body needs to pushed and challenged in different ways on occasion to make further gains and adaptations.  It does not mean that I disagree with the approach of slow and steady, build the base, etc. - I agree with this approach, I just think there needs to be a little more added as well.  Again, I take this from an overall annual view on running - rather than preparing for a single event.

Feedback welcome...

Hey!  I posted in that thread. 

And, Dina, you sure know how to make an entrance with your first post. 

For the heck of it, while not so lively as Dina's thread, here's my first:  http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=7230&posts=6

Got lost on this point - can you expand on it?  Was it more directed at IM training/racing or training/racing in general.

Your's was a RR.  A slowpoke, even then. 

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=58829&posts=10&mid=585083&highlight=&highlightmode=1&action=search#M585083

Ok, I'm listening, but at this point, not clear.  My key goal is to have a solid run at Muskoka, everything else is secondary.  Most of my training lately has been at a Z2 type of intensity, although there are some days where I do ratchet it up a bit. (Today is supposed to be one of those days).

What are your suggestions?

Awesome discussion.

And again I'll say again...I believe there are many ways to structure a run program...some with less volume and more intenstity (like FIRST), some with lots of volume and low intensity (like what I'm doing), and something in between.  I think the key though is to pick a side...and try not to do high volume with high intensity.  So while Neil's suggestion of adding intensity to my running plan does hold value (I never said it was "wrong"), I would have to sacrifice some volume to accomodate it.  Something I chose against.  Not because I think it's "wrong"...more so because I picked a side already...which is high volume. 

I ran around 30-45 mpw in training for my first HIM.  I think that's pretty high...so you bet my runs were all pretty easy.  I'm still running about 20 mpw even though I'm on a bike focus summer...basically doubling my bike mileage from HIM training.  So again...for me to run 20 mpw while biking 200-270 mpw...I have to keep it easy.

And like Fred mentioned about goals.  My running goals are very long term...to improve my running over the next 5 years.  Which may be very different than other people's goals who have A races this year.  So it's not surprising that I may have a different approach.

Again...it comes down to picking a side that works for your and trusting it.  The worst thing I can do is commit to high volume...then notice how someone else who's faster than me (and may have different goals than me) is running a lot of intensity.  And therefore I convince myself that I need to add intensity to my current plan just because someone else who's faster is doing it.