Beginner 1/2 Ironman Plan Group (Page 61)

JG_GreenCoast - 2011-04-02 8:58 AM

Did my university's free student Biathlon today and came in 8th overall.  3mi on the track (21:20) and 400m in the pool (7:00), and what I'm guessing was a 1:30 or so transition running from track to pool, losing shoes and watch, putting on swim goggles/cap, etc.  Overall time 29:49.  Not so bad but was a bit hung over and exhausted

Huge head rush jumping in the pool, wow!  Got kicked around by lots of people--good practice but i'm glad we swim first!

popsracer - 2011-03-31 1:51 PM This is a lesson for what not to do within this plan and I am now regretting it. I registered for a marathon Saturday as I mentioned before. I feel that my overall fitness will get me through as I'm am doing it as a special "life" event and just want to enjoy the experience not to race the clock. But, it has thrown this weeks training into a shambles as I mentally prepare for what will be a very difficult challenge. I will probably lose most of next week as well. This was bike focus week and I really needed the bike time. Didn't happen. I'm already committed so cannot back out. Because of what I went through last year with major illness people have really rallied around me for this race. Much more so than the HIM I'm planning on doing. Most people identify and appreciate the challenge of a marathon way more than an HIM (right or wrong, thats just the way it seems). This is not the first time I have pushed myself beyond my limits and have always persevered but in the context of following this plan and doing well at the HIM this is starting to freak me out and I would never advice anyone to do this. I pride myself on usually being pretty rational but I am feeling a bit foolish.

popsracer - 2011-04-03 11:40 PM Congrats Akrenik. Glad you had such an awesome day. Thats quite an accomplishment that you've earned.

JoePetto - 2011-04-04 7:04 AM

Bravo, Akrenik.  Great to see that after slugging through the race your takeaway is that you should and could have pushed it harder!

akrenik - 2011-04-03 10:11 PM

I'm alive and well!    All I can say is you guys are going to have so much fun!!!  Wow!  It was such an amazing experience!!!  I listened to trigal and decided not to kill myself, but rather enjoy the whole day.  With that in mind, I just cruised the swim.  That is one thing I would do differently.  I just didn't know what to expect out of the rest of the day and I didn't want to blow it in the first leg. haha.  I was shooting for 40-45 min and came up with 39.  I could have easily cut that time down.  My advice is go hard on the swim.  You don't need your arms on the bike anyway! 

The bike was a beast.  My advice to all of you is to put in the miles on the bike.  It was a crazy hilly course and we had a horrible headwind, but all that would have been a heck of a lot easier if I had put more time in on the bike.  I gave it all I had and my time of 3:30 was exactly what I predicted, but I lost about 20 positions in my age group here.  Next time...no skipping out on those bike workouts!

The run was fairly flat.  Small hills here or there.  Physically I was okay, but mentally it was a bit tough.  I walked through the aid stations.  My pace was slow here, but I was happy with my effort.  My advice to all of you...don't listen to the voice in your head that says you are tired.  Your body has more left in it.  Dig deep.

The whole day was by far the best experience I have ever had racing.  Keep up the training everyone!  It is soooo worth it!  When you cross that finishline it feels so amazing!!

akrenik - 2011-04-03 10:11 PM

I'm alive and well!    All I can say is you guys are going to have so much fun!!!  Wow!  It was such an amazing experience!!!  I listened to trigal and decided not to kill myself, but rather enjoy the whole day.  With that in mind, I just cruised the swim.  That is one thing I would do differently.  I just didn't know what to expect out of the rest of the day and I didn't want to blow it in the first leg. haha.  I was shooting for 40-45 min and came up with 39.  I could have easily cut that time down.  My advice is go hard on the swim.  You don't need your arms on the bike anyway! 

The bike was a beast.  My advice to all of you is to put in the miles on the bike.  It was a crazy hilly course and we had a horrible headwind, but all that would have been a heck of a lot easier if I had put more time in on the bike.  I gave it all I had and my time of 3:30 was exactly what I predicted, but I lost about 20 positions in my age group here.  Next time...no skipping out on those bike workouts!

The run was fairly flat.  Small hills here or there.  Physically I was okay, but mentally it was a bit tough.  I walked through the aid stations.  My pace was slow here, but I was happy with my effort.  My advice to all of you...don't listen to the voice in your head that says you are tired.  Your body has more left in it.  Dig deep.

The whole day was by far the best experience I have ever had racing.  Keep up the training everyone!  It is soooo worth it!  When you cross that finishline it feels so amazing!!

[/QUO

great job!  what an accomplishment.

Gmax101098 - 2011-04-02 6:32 PM

The plan called for a 1:15 bike and a :30 run (rpe2), but I ended up going for 1:50 on the bike (the wind really slowed me down).  Due to some time and exhaustion issues, I have ended up with a 1:30 run scheduled for tomorrow.  The plan originally had a rest day between these two sessions, but I needed that rest day sooner.

Do you modify your next day's session, or do you still try to hammer it out?  Supposed to be a rpe 3 run (week 11).

cbrookhart - 2011-04-02 5:27 AM

I posted a question here last week and just realized I didn't introduce myself. Sorry.  My name is Christy and I'm training for a half in June.  It will be my first one.  I have done some sprints and oly and thought it would be fun to try a longer one.  I'm really excited and nervous.  And I have tons of questions. 

My question of the day is, how does RPE translate to a HR percentage or HR zone?  I have a hard time judging RPE.  It's easier for me to have a HR zone.

Thanks.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Tri Take Me Away - 2011-04-04 9:12 AM

In general, try to get the training in. That rest day in between is very important, but not critical. You can modify either distance or intensity based on how you are feeling.

trigal38 - 2011-04-04 5:37 AM

How did the marathon go?

bill2059 - 2011-04-04 11:54 AM It has been very refreshing to focus on time rather than distance. Now that I am 15 weeks in, I notice that the effect has been that I am focusing on being able to go for a long time, rather than how far I go. Afterall, the long race is about endurance first, then speed. By training this way I have found a pace in my run that will be sustainable (I hope!) after the bike, rather than just going all out and running out of gas mid-way through. On the otherhand, I have found my bike distances going longer and longer in the same amount of time as I train more, and I know I would cut myelf short if I just focused on distance.

DV 1 - 2011-04-04 11:31 AM

For those using the BT plan, how do you find the training is different using minutes instead of distances? I've always gone out for a 3 or 5 or 7 mile run, but the BT plan speaks in terms of minutes. Just wondering what peeps thoughts are?

Happy Monday to all. I'm supposed to rest today, but if the rain stays away, a ride may be in order! Maybe I'll just ride in the rain regardless.

yogachic - 2011-04-04 1:30 PM

 

I was actually wondering about that myself!  I just started using the plan last week (though I was kind of bad at following it), so going by time instead of distance is still new to me. Today I went to the pool for the first time since following the plan, but forgot to write down and bring the workout.  I just remembered it was a 45 min swim, so I just made up stuff to fill 45 minutes.

Then when I went to log it, I saw that did a lot less than it indicated.  So, I was wondering whether 45 minutes is total swim time (so, not counting rest between sets) or total time in the pool?  Also, even if it was just swim time, I'm a slower triathlete, so there's no way I could do that kind of yardage in that amount of time anyways.  Do I just shorten the workout?  Or shorten the distances?  Do fewer sets?  What do you guys do?

popsracer - 2011-04-04 11:48 AM The marathon went as well as could be expected. Actually I am so thrilled that I finished, I did not hurt myself, and I can still walk today (maybe even swim and bike a little). The weather was great with lots of sunshine after an incorrect forecast of rain, cold, and wind. We decided to walk for one minute after each mile and that worked very well. We also made sure to walk the aid stations so as to drink what we needed to instead of have half the cup splash up the nose. It was a great nutrition and hydration test with the gels working very well. I had no fatigue at the end just very sore legs. I'm mostly feeling it in my quads all else feels pretty good. My time was slow but that really wasn't the point. We just wanted to get from point A to B while enjoying the experience. The course was very beautiful as it snaked through a canyon along the Yakima River. I never thought I'd be able to run a marathon again after all the injuries and illness I've gone through. In many ways this was bigger to me than the HIM especially because I had to prove I could run a marathon before ever dreaming of doing a full ironman which is the single greatest athletic challenge I want to complete. After all I've been through I feel in my heart I'm an ironman and some even call me that but until I actually do one I am not.

JG_GreenCoast - 2011-04-04 3:01 PM 

For the swimming I would focus on getting the distance in rather than the times.  Most people will not swim as fast as the plan is arranged, especially at first.  So, if it takes you 60 minutes to do the 45 minute one do it.  The distance here is more important.  For a run, use the RPE guideline to do the time.  So, if you usually go out for an easy 3 mile run at 10min pace, run 30 minutes at the same pace if RPE 3 or the like.  I do a separate run plan with much more speedwork and intervals, but the time is useful too.  Do your pacing, and you will get to know your capabilities and understand working out with these parameters much sooner than you think.

DV 1 - 2011-04-05 12:58 PM

Question for today: The plan I'm following has lots of 10-15 minute runs after long bike rides, but no real "Brick" workouts; which I assume are more in the order of a medium to long bike and medium to long run.....as opposed to a long bike and short run. Should I modify to include these longer brick sessions or is a 2 mile run after a 35-50 mile bike ride sufficient?

DV 1 - 2011-04-04 11:31 AM

For those using the BT plan, how do you find the training is different using minutes instead of distances? I've always gone out for a 3 or 5 or 7 mile run, but the BT plan speaks in terms of minutes. Just wondering what peeps thoughts are?

Happy Monday to all. I'm supposed to rest today, but if the rain stays away, a ride may be in order! Maybe I'll just ride in the rain regardless.

DV 1 - 2011-04-05 12:58 PM

Kind of quiet today :-)

Had a great swim this morning! MS was a 1000 sudo-time trial (went real easy) and finished in 17 flat (1:40). I negative splitted the swim doing the first 500 in 8:40 and the second in 8:20!

Want to run tonight but need to get back to the appropriate training days (running is for Wednesday for me), so I'll do a brisk hour walk tonight instead of running.

Getting back to eating right after pizza, snacks and more during Spring Break. Re-hydrated as well.....back to getting up in the middle of the night to pee. It was actually kind of nice to sleep through the night last week out in AZ. That dry air just sucks the fluids right out of you.

Question for today: The plan I'm following has lots of 10-15 minute runs after long bike rides, but no real "Brick" workouts; which I assume are more in the order of a medium to long bike and medium to long run.....as opposed to a long bike and short run. Should I modify to include these longer brick sessions or is a 2 mile run after a 35-50 mile bike ride sufficient?