kaburns1214 Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 6)

Good morning, all!

I am looking for some advice.  This summer will be my first tri race season.  My races are looking like this:

April - Cleveland 10-miler
May - Cleveland half marathon
June - Findlay sprint tri & Towpath 10k
July (late) - Huntington Beach sprint tri
August - Greater Cleveland sprint & Chicago oly

When should I start my olympic tri training plan?  I'm doing an advanced Hal Higdon half marathon plan starting in mid-Feb.  I'll be working on my bike base in Jan. & Feb. 

Chicago is my A-race this year.  The sprints are local & vary in distance covered.  I could do a sprint triathlon right now, so I'm not worried about those. 

Suggestions?  Thanks! 

Oh, yeah,  I have a babysitter this morning, so I'm going to the gym for run + strength session, and then I'm going to Second Sole to get new running shoes.  I am so excited, as my current shoes are awful. 

Jennifer

"The basic concepts of periodization have been around since the early 1900s when Russian sport scientists developed and later refined it. It wasn’t until the 1970s that western athletes began to understand and use periodization. Among the earliest adopters was the Finnish distance runner Lasse Viren who won gold medals in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics — the only endurance athlete to ever accomplish this track and field “double-double” in Olympic history.

Periodization isn’t just for elite athletes. If you have been training somewhat randomly or repetitively, using periodization in training has the potential to produce a higher peak of fitness for your most important races. There are four guiding principles that are key to your success using this method:

? The closer in time you get to the race, the more like the race training becomes. This is called “specificity.”

? The best determiner of success for experienced athletes is race-specific intensity — not volume. Heart rate monitors, powermeters, accelerometers and GPS pacing devices greatly improve your chances of getting training intensity right.

? Training is purposeful. There is a reason for every workout. If you don’t know why you are doing it then perhaps you shouldn’t.

? Training follows a planned pattern of alternating stress and recovery to avoid overtraining. This is done at all three periodization levels — weekly, monthly and annually.

Keeping these guiding principles in mind will point your training in the right direction, but there is still the possibility of failure. There are three common reasons for failing to succeed when using periodization. The first is a failure to be flexible with recovery. If you are feeling completely wasted it’s time to rest regardless of when the plan next calls for a break from hard training. The second is failing to set aside time each week to plan the details of the coming week. Once you get a training routine established this will take only a few minutes. The third, and most likely cause of periodization breakdown, is other athletes. You may have designed the perfect plan but then you hook up with another swimmer, cyclist or runner and the next thing you know you are trying to “win” the workout. Planning and purpose go out the window."

As 2010 winds down I’ve been thinking about goals for 2011.  A goal is, generally, the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it; “the ends justify the means.”  The problem with triathlon is that as athletes we have so little control over the ends because there are so many things on race day that we can’t control such as: the weather, who shows up at the race, whether or not we have an equipment issue, etc.  So, instead of setting broad stroke goals , I think its more productive to break goals down even further. 

Working with Coach Doug at QT2 (www.qt2systems.com), we use three “buckets” of goals:

Objectives -  These are best described as those items over which you have 100 percent control.  Examples in this bucket are: “I am going to be tough,” “I am not going to give up, no matter how hard things get,” “I am going to follow my pacing plan” and “I am going to follow my fueling plan.”

Targets - These are items you have a bit less control over, but are directly related to your training, and therefore can be predicted very closely prior to race day. Running pace and swim pace obviously have the course specifics factored in as well and are therefore a bit less tangible. Examples here are: “I am going to average 250 watts on the bike,” “I am going to produce a very even power profile,” and “I am going to run 7:45 pace on the run.”

Outcomes - These are items that you have the least control over, and are really just an outcome of the previous two buckets.  Examples here are: age group or overall placing, race time, Kona slot qualification, etc.

For me in 2001:

Objectives: Be consistent with both my training and (especially) my diet; maintain a positive attitude when racing (even if/when I get frustrated) and to follow my pacing plans in both training and racing no matter how much more “fun” would be to go faster.

Targets: By July 1, 2011 (just before IMLP) I would like to be able to swim a 10:25 800 yard time trial, Bike a 20 minute interval at 208 watts, run a 5K in 20:05 and have my Z1 (aerobic) running pace between 8:07 and 8:42.

Outcomes: I would like to place in the top 10 for my age group at IMLP (and go sub-12) and I would like to qualify for Kona at IMFL in November. 

Objectives: Learn more about correct fueling, drop ten pounds, not get "plan ADD" and actually finish a plan out, enroll in a masters swim class, learn more of the finer points of tris.

Targets: By Austin 70.3 I'd like to average a sub 1:40 min/100 m swim leg of a HIM, average 20 plus mph in a race environment, run a sub 20 min 5k.

Outcomes: Move out of MOP to top ten AG in at least one of my races, MOP in my first iron distance race.

Objectives: Be consistent with both my training and diet; eliminate more off the "i don't feel like training today and tomorrow for a week or two", sometimes I just fall in a rut 

Targets: 

SWIM
-  1 mile pool time under 30 minutes (30 laps)
-  Get pool work in at least 2x per week, no less than 4000 yards

BIKE
-  Bike time for half under 3 hours
-  Get better and more comfortable and aggressive with hills
-  Get more miles outside, and earlier in the season

RUN
-  Complete in 2-3 more half marathons
-  Complete half marathon under 2:30
-  Complete first marathon - Chicago

TRIATHLON
-  Complete half ironman under 7 hours (Racine/Muncie and/or Steelhead)

STRENGTH
-  Strength train 2x per week
-  Core work 2-3x per week 

Outcomes: I want a PR for my next 1/2 marathon and to finish a HIM and the Chicago marathon

This is tough for me.  2010 was my first year ever in any type of endurance sports, so I have no clue on what pace will be for me.  Also, my focus is still MTB racing, but want to do at least 1 Sprint, and 1-2 Xterra Tri's.

Objectives: Learn more on nutrition, what to eat, and when to eat it. Learn more on proper training techniques.  Learn the proper way to swim.

Targets: Enter and finish my first sprint Tri.  Enter and finish my first Xterra Tri. Compete in the Ten Penny Duathlon with a partner (me biking, friend running) Complete 7 out of 11 Route 66 Mountain Bike Races. With kids, there is no way I can commit to all 11 races.

Outcomes: Finish sub 1 hour 25 mins in Route 66 races. Podium in the Route 66 Season points challenge. Finish top 20 in age group for sprint tri's.  I really don't know the pace for sprint tri's yet, so it's really tough for me to predict an outcome with that.

Heart Rate Questions:

Again, being new to this, I am still learning.  Santa hooked me up with a Garmin 305, and I've been testing that indoors, specifically for heart rate.  Based on a basic calculation (220-age (33), = max HR).  So for me, 187. Last night, while doing Spinnervals, over 52 minutes, my average heart rate was 151.  Max HR was 176 during the short sprints. 

1. Is 176 way too high

2. 151 average is just about 80% Is that where I should focus?

3. is 80% max where I should be able to train for extended periods.  I am confused on this whole heart rate thing and how to train with it.

Your help is greatly appreciated.  I am also posting this in the main forum.

2011 Plan

Objectives: Be consistent with both my training and my diet; Push myself to the max at least once a week; use recovery time without guilt

Targets: By May 21, 2011 cut 2 minutes off last years time on course. In July at Scofield cut time by 10 minutes. Beat time from St George race at Koko (same course)

Outcomes: I would like to place in the top 5 for my age group (55-60)

The 55-60 AG is faster then the 50-54 group-them are some tough old broads and I will be glad to join them

This is tough for me too.  2010 was my first year in any type of endurance sport.

Objectives:Get back to eating a low carb/higher protein/no refined sugars diet. Learn more on proper training techniques. Get into a pool.

Targets: Enter and finish my first half marathon and sprint Tri. Get my 5K consistently under 29:00 (I know I am slow compared to all of you...).

Outcomes: Again, just to finish and have fun doing so!

I hope it is OK I am in this group. Everyone seems to have such good times for their running and so many hours to train. With 4 kids and work I can barely get in 5 hours a week. Am I insane for even trying to do a half or tri?