Fred D and Queen Zipp's SWIM, BIKE RUN consistency thread.... CLOSED (Page 6)

Been in a week since my last swim due to holiday pool closure while nursing a cold, but started my first day of a new program today with a 800m total swim. It was in the low 40s this morning which is cold for us and an outdoor pool but nice and toasty water temp...followed by 3 mile run on the treadmill.

Some initial newbie questions I would like to ask:  I tend to over research and over think things, even more when I hear both sides of the equation. I start cycling about 2 months and have my first century in about 5 weeks and my first sprint tris in about 8 and 9 weeks. I'm just trying to spend as much time on the saddle with short interval rides during the week and building up long base rides on the weekend (up to 60). At  this stage, how important is training in low gear versus maintaining a high cadence and what is more efficient in terms of different race distances ?

First sprint tri is a "beginner" one with the swim portion in the pool and reverse. Anything I should be aware of since it's reverse ? Do I train different besides practicing bricks when I swim last ? I can see where cramping might be an issue but thankfully, the swim portion is in a pool =)

That's it for now. TIA !

The sprint, most people say a cadence of 90....I am one to go by how I feel and how much I think I can push on that day.  I have asthma and if I am on the edge of a flair or in extreme weather conditions I know what my lungs will take.....also how my legw may or may not handle the stress of a given day.

I've never done a reverse tri, but from those I have known to do them there isn

t much difference in your training.  Be sure to practice a few bricks cause running right off the bike is hard, especially after a hard effort on the bike.  Legs feel like lead and the low back is generally discontent for about half a mile for me.  Save just enough leg to be able to kick for your swim!!

I'm home by myself right now (kids had a sleepover at their cousins, wife is away with work) and actually made myself a smoothie for breakfast!  Banana, yogurt, frozen strawberries and kale.  I'm usually real bad about taking care of myself when there is no one else around to cook for, it's something I'm trying to change this year.

Going to head out for a run soon.

QueenZipp - 2013-01-03 10:43 AM

Tri2Smile - 2013-01-03 10:45 AM

 

First sprint tri is a "beginner" one with the swim portion in the pool and reverse. Anything I should be aware of since it's reverse ? Do I train different besides practicing bricks when I swim last ? I can see where cramping might be an issue but thankfully, the swim portion is in a pool =)

That's it for now. TIA !

I would not worry too heavilly about gear/ cadence on the century.  I would ride it by percieved effort and comfort at this point.  I know you have a lot of race goals on the agenda, but it seems wiser to bite off the first century on a lower intensity.  You have an entire season to get used to being uncomfortable.    That said, most century rides have rest stops about every 12-15 miles.  Use these to stretch, relieve yourself and refuel.  Try to not linger too long at the aid stations cause getting back on the bike gets harder as you go along.

The sprint, most people say a cadence of 90....I am one to go by how I feel and how much I think I can push on that day.  I have asthma and if I am on the edge of a flair or in extreme weather conditions I know what my lungs will take.....also how my legw may or may not handle the stress of a given day.

I've never done a reverse tri, but from those I have known to do them there isn

t much difference in your training.  Be sure to practice a few bricks cause running right off the bike is hard, especially after a hard effort on the bike.  Legs feel like lead and the low back is generally discontent for about half a mile for me.  Save just enough leg to be able to kick for your swim!!

 

I've done Reverse Tri's a couple of times.   Transition from Run to Bike for me was actually easier than the traditional Bike to Run as you don't have the "rubber legs syndrome" that often accompany's transition.  That said, I did have a higher propensity to cramp in the calf muscles in a reverse order tri.

Transition to the swim is not bad at all.   The biggest difference is that you'll more tired at the start of the swim becuase you'll have already completed the Bike/Run, so be aware of that, since the adreneline will be someone burnt off, and so you will probably swim a bit more slowly.

Overall, I actually enjoy the Reverse Order Tri.   Don't have to worry about being chilled on the first part of the bike becuase you're all wet!  

Good luck on your season... You'll do great.  With this being your first season, go in planning to finish strong, and not necessarily set any world records, and you'll have a great time.   That's not to say that you shouldn't push to a strong, best pace, but use the first couple of races just to 'get your feet under you' so to speak.

NAME: Brett M

STORY: Joined BT in 2005 just before my first Triathlon, a Reverse Sprint, in November that year.  Have done numerous sprint distance tri's over the years, and a single Olympic.   Prior to my falling in love with Tri, I completed 5 marathons, and at least 7-8 half marathons.

After getting hooked on the sport, buddies and I decided we wanted to try our hand at Race Directing and formed our own company, with a calendar of 5 races per year... Trust me when I say I'll never complain about an entry fee again.  Race Directors work their tails off and the costs to put on a race add up REALLY quickly!   That said, I was transferred to Texas a year or so later, and sold my share of the company, but have wonderful memories of putting on a good race.  Get to know the Race Directors in your area, you'll find they're wonderful people.

Since moving to Texas, I've not done as many races, as I've struggled with 1) Lack of strong training buddies wanting to stay consistent; 2) A work schedule traveling all over the world (literally) for my Software as a Service company; 3) A MAJOR case of Plantar Faciitis which basically stopped all my training (I know I let it do that) for several months in 2011 and 2012, plus some other discouraging things made me a couch potato, recovering slowly and gaining WAY too many lbs!

Started getting serious about getting back into shape late in 2012, and am looking forward to a good season in 2013.

FAMILY STATUS:  Married, 4 kids (3 girls, 1 boy) 23,21,19,17

CURRENT TRAINING: Focusing on Weight Loss and getting back in shape.  Goal is a minimum of 5 workouts per week, distributed across all disciplines.  Really trying to improve my run which went from a 7:40 Pace over 5k to 10:30 Pace over 5k in just over a year.  NOT acceptable to me, so am working hard to get the weight off, and the speed back 

2012 RACES:  A total of 1 5k in October

2013 RACES: Work in progress, but planning a Sprint in Orlando in May, CapTexTri in Austin TX (either Oly or Sprint) on Memorial Day, Half Marathon with Exhibit A (oldest kid) sometime over the summer, plus a few more Sprints/Oly's.  Possible HIM in October at RedMan, but honestly think that's a 'stretch' goal.

WEIGHT LOSS GOALS: I am currently 5 ft 8 in and weigh 210 lbs.  I'm definately too heavy for my size!   Lack of Training plus other challenges let that happen.  Goal is to get to 180 by May, 160 by end of 2013.   I also need to fix my diet!

OTHER COMMENTS:  Judi is a godsend!   I consider her a significant reason why I'm getting back at it!  My BIGGEST goal this year is CONSISTENCY!  I know that if I'm consistent, the weight loss, speed, conditioning will come and I'll be good to go.

Looking forward to getting to know the group.  Trust me when I say INSPIRE ME's are a great way to hold one accountable.   There are many workouts I've gotten done becuase I knew that Judi (or some other BT friend) would be checking up on me! 

Does this say you started cycling two months ago and you are planning to ride 100m in 5 weeks?  How are you spacing out long rides to get to that first 60m?  That is a lot of distance if you are new to cycling no matter how easy you take it.  

I'm no expert, coach or doctor, but I have done many 100m+ rides and I remember my first century quite well.  My advice is to make sure you are spinning in an easy gear regardless of terrain (the ride should feel easy, especially at the beginning-like a pace you could sustain forever) and you really need to stay on top of CHO and H20 consumption. The more solids you eat, the more H20 you need to consume to digest it.   Riding 60m and riding 100m is very different and nutrition is really key to finishing on more than fumes.

Thanks for the great advice Suzy !

Yes, that is correct. I mountain bike for recreation but always wanted to try road biking. Friend of mine has a bike rental business so I got fitted and tried out one of his bikes and eventually purchased a used one back in early October. I started building up my long rides from the end of October riding a fairly flat loop of 10miles and would increase the distance every other weekend by adding a loop or going on another route.  My rides have hardly any hills and at a comfortable pace (15-18mph). I just wanted to get comfortable as the advice I usually received was to just ride as much as you can.

I hope to get in at least two 70+ rides this month before the century. This century is known as a flat one and weather should be cool.  I tend to just enjoy and feel the experience.

I will definitely heed your nutrition advice. For my longer rides, I am going through a GU or half pack of Clif bloks with a bottle of water every hour or so. I am looking into maybe adding something more substantial like bars, etc

Thanks again !  =)

Thanks UTTriman for sharing your experiences on reverse tri's !  Doing a reverse tri for my first race sounds even better now =)

Also, thanks for the encouragement ! I haven't felt this excited for something that will make me feel uncomfortable, lol.  You're exactly right about my first season. I just want to get my feet, learn as much as I can and have fun. Most important, to lose about 20-25 pounds so I can keep up with my kids =)

Thanks QueenZipp !

I def plan to follow your century advice and keep on practicing my bricks =)

Hey Rich,

Are you doing your century ride with friends or on your own?  Being that you are new to road cycling, I'm just wondering if you are experienced with the benefits of drafting and riding as a group.  It takes some time to get comfortable with drafting but there is a huge benefit...both physical and mental.  Riding with a group of 3-4 can be 15-25% easier than riding completely on your own...depending on how much of a draft the others are providing.

Obviously drafting is not legal in triathlons, but it is very acceptable in road cycling and centuries.  In fact, you'll likely see most people riding in small to large groups rather than on their own.

Just some food for thought as you prepare.  Best of luck.

Hi Jason,

I'll be doing the century with 2 friends. One's a weekend casual rider type while the other is a somewhat of an avid cyclist...riding clubs, crazy bike collection, ride to work kind of a guy. So we'll probably be ride together initially and finish at different times... planning on riding on my own pace and probably stopping at a few of the rest stops.

It has been recommended to join some clubs so I can learn how to ride with groups, lines, pelotons, etc ... heard its the fun part of cycling and that's how you improve. I'm just not there yet but maybe in the future. I have heard and can see why drafting would be a huge benefit in cycling.I do ride with a 1-2 tri guys during some of my long training rides but its more for me to improve on street riding, gear shifting and working on my endurance...basically casual for them and for me to keep up.

Def food for thought, esp if it will make my century easier =)

Thanks for the advice and well wishes !  I've learned so much today !

Here's a question for you folks:

I'm trying to develop consistency in doing all 3 disciplines multiple times a week, as I believe most of us are.  I don't have a current race calendar for 2013 therefore I don't have a set base, build, peak, taper, race, etc etc map set out for the year.

That being said, you can see from my logs that my 2012 was extremely front loaded for IMCDA and I haven't been on my bike since August.  The swimming has come back nicely for me.  I'm running at least a half hour a day to try and get 80ish runs in during the slowtwitch 100 in 100days challenge.

I got some new toys for my bike over the holidays and am set up with trainerroad.com.  I'm looking at their base plans and doing the FTP tests next week.  By adding this into my plan I realize that I won't be "well rested" when I do my FTP tests due to my running etc.  Is this unwise?  Would my bike training be "off" or less than what it should be by doing this?

I don't think so.  Your volume is low even with the consistent running.  If you're worried take a recovery the day before the FTP test or do an easy 100+RPM spin the day before to get the legs ready. While I do my testing on recovery weeks, usually both a swim and run or ride, I am coming off three build weeks so I by no means tapered for the effort.  If you haven't been on your bike since August be prepared for a lot of pain during that 20' effort.  No wussing out either.

I wouldn't worry about it.  FTP, especially for a newer athlete to power is a constantly moving target for the first few months.  Even if you underperform on your FTP test, your subsequent workouts will tell you if it needs to be adjusted.

For example...lets say your test yields a FTP of 200.  You then do your workouts such as 5x5' @ 110% of FTP (220).  If you can finish that workout without feeling wasted, or you find yourself holding 230 instead of 220...then you know your FTP probably needs to be bumped up a couple of watts.  Rinse...repeat.  You don't actually have to do a full blown FTP test to make fine tuning adjustments to your FTP.

I'm also going to assume that since you've taken such a long break off the bike, your power numbers should see a pretty sharp increase over the next 3-5 weeks as your fitness comes back...so it's likely that any FTP test you do in the near future will soon be outdated anyway.

Well, after a battle with the mattress (I won) I got a solid swim in this morning... Yes!

Great job beating the mattress Brett!!  That can be an epic battle on some days.

Day 2 of C25K for me...2.17 miles in 31 minutes.  14:17/mile pace...or slightly slower than my 65+ year old mother walks.  Oh well...I'll get faster!  Plus, I can still smoke her in the pool!

I lost that battle this morning.  However, since I work from home I got out for a lunch time run cause there is no one else here to be offended by my sweaty self.  The cats don't mind as long as they have food.