cathyd's Peer Support Group - FULL (Page 6)

I have the behind the seat bottle holder on my new tri bike - because it also only has one cage.  I'm expecting to use it in the summer on longer rides.  I haven't used it yet though.  He gave me everything that went with the bike...

You can buy velcro with "tape" on the back and do it yourself.  Fabric stores often have it but Walmart or department stores should have it too. 

Ah! So that's why they gave me a hard and a flexible straw!  

 I've got the two big rubberbands, but I think I'll invest in some velcrow too.

It's beautiful and 43 here right now, and sadly I'm stuck at work, not riding. Looks like its either going to be a trainer workout for me tonight, or a longish run...

Good ski last night - I forgot how much warmer you are when you ski as opposed to when you run... So I've overdressed 2x now.  I'll get it right at some point this week!!

How's everyone doing today?

This was in TriRudy today:  (For those of you interested: trirudy.com is an Ottawa based website with a daily e-mail about all things triathlon... I kept my subscription even though I'm not in the Ottawa area.  Great stuff on there for everyone!) 

This article originally appeared in Inside Triathlon

There seems to be a lot of confusion among athletes about the base period of training. This is the time of year when you train to train, not train to race. That means in base you are preparing the body for the greater stresses that will follow in the build period. Build starts immediately after base ends about 12 weeks before your first A-priority race of the season. In the build period you will be training with workouts that are very much like the stresses you will experience in racing. There is a big difference between training to train and training to race and yet I see athletes in base doing the very same workouts they will be doing a few weeks before their first big event – anaerobic intervals, hill repeats, tempo and bricks. These are all workouts intended to prepare you for the stresses of racing.

So what should you do differently in base period workouts? The best way to answer this question is to divide the base period into three sub-periods of three to four weeks each – base 1, base 2 and base 3. The training stress in each of these periods gradually increases so that by the end of base 3 you are much more generally fit than when you started base 1 and you are ready to begin training for the specific stresses of racing. Let's take a look at the typical workouts for each of these three base periods.

Prep

But before we get into base training let’s discuss the prep period which proceeds it. Prior to base 1 you were in the prep period and basically just getting back into the routine of working out again. There was little or no structure to your training and you were doing, essentially, whatever you felt like in workouts. The sessions did not have to be limited to swimming, biking and running. You could do anything as long as it was fully aerobic, meaning low intensity.

The prep period is a time when I have the athletes I coach hiking, taking aerobics classes, using aerobic machines at the gym or anything else they enjoy. I also have them lifting weights and doing functional strength training with a focus on their unique physical needs. The weight loads are light and the repetitions high with an emphasis on good form. This prep period may last for two to six weeks.

Base 1

Count backwards 23 weeks from your first A-priority race of the season to find the starting point for base 1. When it starts the training shifts toward an emphasis on swimming, biking and running. Functional strength and weight training continue only now the loads become heavier as the reps are decreased. Your purpose here is to create excellent strength for the muscles associated with the movements of swimming, biking and running. See The Triathlete’s Training Bible for details on this.

Sport-specific training consists of only two types of workouts for now – aerobic endurance and speed skills. Aerobic endurance workouts are long sessions done mostly in your heart rate 2 zone or its equivalent power and pace. These long, aerobic sessions get longer by about 10 to 20 percent each week until you reach your long workout goal durations based on the event for which you are training.

Speed skill workouts are intended to improve your technique in each sport. This should include drills for aspects of your techniques that are in need of refinement, paying close attention to your movement patterns, video recording and review and feedback from authorities such as coaches and knowledgeable athletes.

Base 2

Base 2 starts 19 weeks before your A-priority race. There are two changes that occur now. The first is that you cut back on weight training, not only in terms of the number of days assigned to it each week but also the stress you apply with loads, sets and reps. Strength maintenance is now your goal. Functional strength training may continue as before.

The second change is that you introduce sport-specific muscular force training with hill work incorporated into steady, moderate effort bike and run workouts. For swimming paddles and drag devices will help to create more force. The intensity of these workouts stays below your lactate threshold and primarily in heart rate zone 3.

Aerobic endurance and speed skills workouts continue as before. The endurance sessions continue to get longer as the skills sessions continue as in base 1.

Base 3

The last base period begins about 15 weeks before your A-priority event. Two more adjustments are made to your training now. Weight training is cut back even more to just once a week. In fact, if you are pressed for time it's now ok to stop strength training altogether.

The second change is that muscular endurance training is introduced. This involves long intervals in the range of 6 to 12 minutes done at about the lactate threshold with very short recoveries that are about 25 percent of the work interval duration. Twenty to 40 minutes of cumulative lactate threshold training within one workout each week is generally quite effective. Build to a higher volume over the course of three weeks.

Aerobic endurance, speed skills and force training continue as in base 2.

Other Matters

It is usually best for athletes who recover slowly, such as older competitors and novices, to do four, three-week periods instead of three, four-week periods. So these athletes will follow a plan including base 1, base 2, base 3 and base 3 again. They will still end up with 12 weeks of base training but will have more frequent rest.

And as for rest, both groups, whether doing three-week or four-week periods, will recover with short and low-intensity workouts for four to six days in the last week of each base period. This will help to prevent overuse injury, illness, burnout and overtraining.

By following a base training program such as this you will arrive at the start of the build period some 11 weeks before the first A-priority race with good general fitness. In the build period the workouts will take on the characteristic stresses you expect to encounter in racing. This will be the time for anaerobic intervals, hill repeats, tempo and bricks.


Joe Friel is the author of The Triathlete's Training Bible, Your First Triathlon, Total Heart Rate Training and other books for endurance athletes. For free information on training topics related to the base period visit his website at TrainingBible.com.

You can refill an aero bottle with your other bottles, or bottles on the race course.  Camelback only has a limited supply and isn't easily refilled.  That's about the only reason I can think of... Camel backs are cool - one toy I don't have yet - but is on the list!

Stef,

That is an awesome article about base training, Thank you so much for posting it!

I have a camelbak flashflo (fits around the hips instead of on your back) that I use on long runs. On long rides I usually stop at a store or gas station and buy water or gatorade to fill my aerobottle. I have one bottle cage on the frame but no behind the seat cages.  If I was going to be riding long without access to stores I would have the full aerobottle, a bottle on my frame and could bring the camelbak - that would be enough to last me probably 5 - 6 hours. 

When I did my first HIM I didn't have aerobars on my road bike yet and I have a hard time reaching down for my waterbottle and taking a drink without slowing down so I did use my camelbak which worked out well for me.  Since I added aerobars and an aerobottle to my bike that's all I need in a race where water is available on course.  I did have a problem at the water bottle handoff though.. I grabbed the bottle with my right hand but had to stop to pour it in my aerobottle (I really need to practice filling the bottle while moving).  My bike handling skills are poor as you've probably guessed.

 I'm not really gone....just a crazy week- have 3 hefty PT workouts and some core work to record-- but off to Boston for the weekend in a few hours and will have to do it upon returning!  Got the rear flat changed so first order of business upon my return on Sunday will be a trainer ride- my first since September!!!

Thanks for the inspires- I promise to be a better BTer upon return! Have a nice weekend, everyone! Get out there and train (or stay inside and train-- it's COLD!)

Ok, my whole week is shot and I did next to nothing.  I had training planned every day but then when I didn't do it I felt guilty and the next day I thought I would do what I missed the day before but then I didn't do that and felt even worse and ended up doing nothing. I've been through periods like this before when I just can't seem to get myself to do the workouts despite wanting to do it.  It never lasts long.  I just need to get out of the funk and get back into the training routine. I think it has a lot to do with the cold weather and I almost suspect I have a bit of SAD.

New strategy for next week.  My goal is to get on my bike every day. That's it.  No other goal. If I run or swim that's great but the only thing I'm committing to is getting on the bike.

So please if you check my logs and I'm not biking every day leave me  a 'kick in the butt' inspire.  Don't be nice, I need some pushing from you all.   Thanks.

I'm either skiing or swimming tonight.  Depends on my best friend - I bought her a membership at my gym for a month (because she needs to be active) and if she wants to go then I'll swim.  Otherwise I'll take advantage of the snow and ski.   

Whoooohooooo!!! It's Monday!  What's up for today peeps?

*laughing*  I'm totally nuts...

Hi! Happy Monday! I had a great weekend of a long bike ride and a long run! Colorado Springs is being blessed with weather in the 60s until Thursday! Yeah! Sadly, it probably is going to be too windy today for another bike ride, and I've got work until after it gets dark here.  (Can't wait for daylight savings!)

On my plate for tonight will be an hour or so on the trainer for sure.  I meant to do a swim, but totally left home with out my gym bag! It's sitting on the floor next to the door! Grr! So I'll have to save that for tomorrow...  Probably a good thing to have an "easier" day.

My goal for this week is to really focus on nutrition.  Not that I can't have a "bad" thing for me here and there, but I want to make the goal to really think about it and decide if it is really worth the calories!

Oh, and my other goal this week is to get my water intake up... it's been horrible!

This weekend was so much fun!  Saturday my husband and I rode our bikes to the pool, swam and rode home.  Something totally new for us.  The weather was perfect (mid 60's and sunny) and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Yesterday I met with a new friend in the local tri community that I met when at the running shoe store a couple weeks back.  Her and her husband do RMR, body fat and Vo2max testing.  I did the body fat and RMR yesterday and then went for a bike ride with her.  She is totally awesome, she and I have so much in common.  This is her 3rd season doing tris and she has offer to help me with anything I need.  She's such a nice person and has the best positive energy, I feel so lucky to have met her and her enthusiasm is certainly contagious!

From the body fat and RMR tests I have found out a few things.  Despite being 94 pounds lighter than I was at my heaviest, and losing 49 pounds recently, I still have a good chunk of excess fat to lose.  Right around 40 pounds according to the test results.  Also, I am not eating enough, that's one contributing factor to why the scale hasn't moved lately.  I have an outstanding resting heart rate at 48 bpm.  And last but not least my metabolism is on the very slow side, which I assumed, but now have confirmed.  I'm making an appointment to see an endocrinologist (supposed the best here in Vegas) to hopefully get some insight on that.  Since I've always been active and had a realtively healthy diet and still always been very overweight I think it's time to finally get a speicalists opinion and get this taken care of.   I really looking forward seeing if there is something going on inside of my body that is wokring so hard against me.  I suspect we'll eventually find soemthing...

60's this weekend? It was -20 when I drove to the Y on Sat. morning for my swim (yeah, dried my hair real good before leaving -ha! but an ice-do might be a cool Winter trend to start?).

Glad to hear some good stuff for folks over the weekend. I too had a good one and am looking forward to another week of training progress. I seriously wish I had the trainer I want and would rather use the gym bike than settle for a less expensive model than what I've fixated myself on (I'm stoopid that way) so I'm jealous of you at home cyclists

Anyone here mess w/ crossfit? How did you start? Feedback so far? Thx!

Hi everyone... I got a good trainer ride in today.  My goal for the week is to get on the bike daily.

Jay - I got the cheapest trainer they had when I bought my bike. It's very basic and I have to manually increase the resistance (although I've never gotten past the second (of five) level), but the convenience of having a trainer at home is worth it.  I'd like to upgrade to a fancier trainer but at the level I am right now just getting on the bike consistently and being comfortable on my bike is most important.  After a winter of riding the trainer I'm able to get outside and do long aero rides as soon as the weather warms up.   Have you thought about buying a cheap used low end trainer to use until you are ready to purchase the fancy one?

My feelings on upgrading equipment:
I have an entry level road bike with clip-on aerobars, a low end trainer, a low end wetsuit.
I also carry around about 20 lbs of excess fat and am not consistent in my training, so I have a  LOT of work to do on the engine, which will give me much better gains in my performance than upgraded equipment.
When I feel I'm at the optimal body composition and training effectively to maximize my performance then I will think about upgrading equipment; until then I'll work on the engine.

Re: CROSSFIT - those workouts are HARD !! I'm not a fan of that kind of workout. There are a bunch of crossfit BTers that post in the strength training forum. 

Cathy

newbie question....  what's a bike trainer.  Is that a cyclops or the rollers?