SBR Utopia ~~~~ Permanently OPEN!! (Page 65)

Can't commit to a swim focus as I'm working on a run focus for now....but I did have a decent swim this morning.  After taking a few weeks off, I can definitely feel that the effort is harder, but the paces don't seem to have been significantly impacted.  I am also working on fixing my flip turns as they're sloppy and slow, so that's requiring a bit more mental effort, which somehow translates to physical effort!

FINALLY had a good run last night!  The weather's cooled down a bit (I think it was something like 86F, feels like 86F....instead of 94F, feels like 108F!!) and my legs are recovering.  It was nice to not struggle through a run finally.

And the bike....still sitting (disassembled) in my bike bag.  Maybe I'll get it out and go for a ride this weekend....heh.

Nice job......but you did't even do your own workout. ;(  

Are you posting another work out or should i just do the 1st one?

Aw, come on - if you all are going to really do this, then I say "KICK" it off with a bang:

400 Warm Up w/ fins and board
400 streamlined on back w/ fins
6x50 kick all-out, :30 sec rest
3x100 kick, :15 sec HARD
6x25 kick streamlined underwater w/fins (no breaths)
400 dolphin kick w/fins
200 dolphin kick, no fins
250 choice kick

12x100 free (build 3x 1-4) (1-4 free, 5-8 pull, 9-12 pull w/ paddles)

300 choice warm down

That is basically TJ's set front he kicking thread from a couple of months ago. I tried it out back then - it is actually not awful - passes quickly, and I did have a sort of kicking breakthrough a couple of weeks later. I added the 12x100 to get the workout to 1.5 hours as that is how long I swim each session.

Jason, since you're in the 20's for weekly mileage, I would actually encourage including faster running. Figure out how to do that. You know about building threshold and other level work from the bike workouts that you do, but running also has some skill involved and this will help your stride development. Since you haven't run much (or at all) in so long you will want to do this. I would look to figure out how to include this before you really ramp up your mileage more. This doesn't mean to bury yourself in the harder runs, just to find something that you can work in.

My running has been down significantly for an entire year and has picked up noticeably since August when I started putting more back in. It was a notable jump in mileage, but it's actually only up to about the same as you've been doing (mid 20's per week). Just putting in a pair of runs that include faster running. In total, I think each faster run will have 10-20 minutes of such running included, broken into various intervals depending on the goal of the session. Once in awhile a little more with a 4 x 6' in there every few weeks, but that's it. Things look like they could really be taking off with this. I do plan to keep increasing the mileage, but also need to make sure I can consistently do the faster running.

based on my own experience this past year I agree with Ben. This year I had the opportunity to work with a dedicated run coach in coordination with my triathlon coach. One of the significant changes we made from years past was prior to beginning true, traditional "speed work" on the track is that we first inserted a block of what he called "speed play" work into my weekly run schedule. These days usually consisted of 15 minutes of walking & dynamic warm up (I have a standard routine that I do religiously as the beginning of every run workout), then 20 minutes of very easy running, slowly working up into the middle of my base effort. Next I would do a series of ladder drills to get my feet moving quickly and more importantly ground contact shortened up. Starting out I would do the speed play work that would consist of something like:

10x:
45 second easy jog
45 second EZ fast
30 second walk

By the end I would be doing a more "advanced" version that would look something like:

30 seconds EZ jog
30 seconds EZ fast
30 second walk

In this one each round you change the EZ fast part from 30 to 45, then 60, then 45, and 30 again, so that progression is "one time through." Do it 3 times through, so basically 15 rounds.

In all of these I would finish by warming down with 5 more minutes of very easy running, then 5 minutes of walking.

For my money I also put a lot of stock in hard, short swim intervals for cardiovascular development (I can do a lot more hard 100s in the pool than I can hard 400s on the track), as well as doing most of my easy runs on soft surfaces/trails to build much-needed lateral strength.

My stride has felt out of whack, so in order to help rebuild it more I've been pushing more of the R-pace work. Following along with the short race prep in Daniels. It seems to split between R-pace and T-pace and once in awhile touches on some I-pace. Other distances will move around with this balance. I've found the R-pacing more helpful to this as there is more of it than strides. The strides seem more to help keep your stride going well and briefly open things up. The R-pace workouts have more specific pacing to it and there is more of it, so it has been helping development more so than just doing strides have. I still fit in a few strides throughout other runs during the week, on top of the faster workouts.

My fastest running has come with a good deal of volume, but it also had very regular faster running. Not lots necessarily, but very regular in the sense of getting it in once or twice a week every week for at least several consecutive months. If you have the Daniels book, I think it could do you well to read it again and see what comes to mind for your development. Not to focus on the marathon sections (not yet), but just think of being a runner again. See what sticks out more that maybe could use some development. Develop some well roundedness as a runner again and then see about more marathon specific and a BQ. You've shown some strong running in the past, so you might be able to go directly at the marathon, but I think taking a step back and looking at running in general first could help you even more when thinking longer term. May or may not end up going for the BQ, but will develop as a runner.

Anyone using Skratch or Osmo for hydration on the bike?

The frequency for running is another good thing to bring up. Volume through frequency. It doesn't stack up as well as bike volume tends to.

I use Skratch too.  I like the flavor (pineapple and raspberry) and have had no issues with it.  You looking to make a change?