James G Group - CLOSED (Page 7)

Aaron congrats on your promotion that is great news. Will take a while to get used to the new hours. Just want to remind everyone that we are not professional triathletes we all need to work to pay the bills etc. If your training is starting to impact on your work performance and family live I would urge you to step back and reassess your goals. Better to be able to feed your family, love your significant other and kids than do well in triathlons in my opinion...

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/index.asp?catid=112

Some interesting thoughts from Hillary Biscane, who won IM Wisconsin in 2006. Take not of her comments on 1/ swimming. Just be aware she is a pro so swimming 14000 yds a week she can manage. For us mere mortals some of the lack of recovery and frequency of training is just not possible. 2/ Biking she did a 7 hour IM bike that is very slow, note how she got better, not buying power meters, race wheels etc. She just rode lots and often.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=102002&posts=23#M1176068

Guy's Very good debate going on about Running base training in this forum. Some Very good points here.

Hey there - Sorry I have been missing in action, been sick 8-(

My training has been going pretty well. Trying to build up by the magical 10% each week to hit my IM starting distances in March without shocking my body. I am on a step down week this week really need it after 3 solid weeks of training. My body is already feeling better for taking a day off and yoga yesterday. Can't over empahise the recovery week enough.....Most/All BT plans I thinkk factor in three weeks on 1 week off type of training cycle.

I am starting to get worried about the swimming 4 weeks without swimming so far, off to see the Ortho guy on Friday then probably MRI next week....

Everyones training is looking consistent great job, you are setting your self up for a great season!!!

First of all my apologies I have been off the site for a week or two. Been getting over a bad cold and getting crushed at work added to a step up in training volume whilst still trying to be a husband and a dad.

Hope your training is going well and I will try and be a bit more active next week! 

Hey Guy's - really recommend you read this article on Plantar Fasciatis. I started to develop a bit of this in my right heel last year. I also keep a tennis ball under my desk at work and roll my arch around on top of the ball.

Easiest way to prevent is run on your forefoot. 

http://www.chirunning.com/shop/pages.php?tab=r&pageid=18&id=352

I know Tom has previously posted he is having issues with PF. 

Hi Mitch -- I think Aaron provided a very good answer to this question. But let me add in my 2 cents...

As Aaron says a blend of 3:1/4:1 Carbs to Protien is a good recovery fuel. Don't go to heavy on the Protein my IM diet recommends for a 4000 Calorie a day diet only 15% of total cals from Protien. That is on the basis that  the human body can only absorb a maximal amount each day. If anyone wants to read more about this it is in a book my Chris Carmichael who was Lance Armstrongs coach. Book is called eat right to train right. I recommend it great book!

Anyway back to your question, I would recommend on your volume a WHOLEMEAL bagel after working out with some turkey on or PBJ. That is 300 calories right there of fast burning carbs to replace your glycogen stores.

Hope this helps!

Aaron - First of all great job in getting in some coaching THAT is the single best way to  improve your technique and hence your swim times and efficency. BUT my friend it is time for so tough love 8-). I had a look at your logs and 3.19/100 yds is very slow....To give you and indication, I am usually out of the water in 14 - 15 minutes for a sprint. I had a quick look at the 2007 results for Mystic Sprint which you have down as one of  you races let's say with a wetsuit on you improve to 3min 100 yds flat a swim of 24 minutes is going to put you last in your age group and will more than likely tire you out for your strength the bike.

That would be a damn shame as I see your abilty with the bike to put you in the top 5 or so in your AG and in the run the top third but basically with your swim in the state it is you are giving your competition a 10 minute heads start 8-)

So in my opinion accept or reject if I was in your shoes I would do the following.

1/ Make a decion on what you want to do, is it Triathlons or run or bike? If it is triathlons you have to commit to swim more it will give you the largest rate of return in terms of time savings.  

2/ If teh answer to 1/ is triathlons Commit to swim three days a week even if you have to drop a bike or a run to fit it in.

3/ Carry on with the coaching and only do drills until your pace get's below 2.30/100 yds then you can think about longer sets and increasing pace.

Finally as always these are just my thoughts. It is not too late to get it sorted now but each week you leave it will mean another week closer to race season. Also if you can get down to Fairfield county I would be more than happy to help you out!!! I will be in Rhode Island probably in May to ride the 70.3 course so I will make sure I shoot you a note and see if you are interested in riding it with me and we can do and Open water swim togther...

Molly - First of all I think Aaron gave some really good advice in his post on this subject and I agree that it is the easiest to improve. I think in Adams post he mentioned it is  a blue colar sport i.e. you have to do the time on the bike 8-)

So my thoughts on how you can improve are as follows I am going to make some broad genralisations given the limited info I have from your initial posts. Please post back here if you have further details and want me to update advice. 

1/  Improve your power to weight ratio. I am going to split this into 2 parts. The first is by concentrating on your weight if you can maintain the same power but drop the weight then clearly you are going to climb faster. The second bit is improving your strength & Flexibility I have worked on this in the offseason, I have pushed some very heavy weights on my legs to increase my strength and Yoga. I have had to stop the weight training now as my legs are getting too tired and the sessions were impacting on my biking and running as volume increased. This should really be a focus in the off-season. I have now replaced these with 50+ mile rides on hills in the weekend. Want to increase strength then ride hills the bigger and longer the better this will give you a sport specific strenth workout. This is great I did this a lot last year in my first season and it makes small hills and flats feel easier and you ride faster as you are stronger.

2/ Ride with better riders, you are already I believe a good rider for your first season in the sport but I am going to guess you are riding with weak riders as per your post below you are leading the group at 16.5 mph and it is only your first season and I am assuming some of them are men. I ride with some cat 3 and 4 racers and I am always the weakest rider I am working my ar*e off to stay on the back wheel and this has a two fold effect, each ride I get stronger and I also benefit from observing there technique and they often make comments about my technique to help me improve. Put your self out of your comfort zone.

3/ Ride out-side, I hate the trainer and believe they are an evil torture device. No matter how much your ride on a trainer it can't simulate hills etc and bike handling. It is a neccessary evil here in the NE but I still detest it 8-)

4/ Ride Intensity, the shorter you ride the harder you ride the longer you ride the easier you ride. Time on the Saddle the long weekly bike ride is important 30 miles comfort zone becomes 50 miles comfort zone etc last year in April I would hit 30 miles into a ride and blow up, by July that 30  became 50 miles and now 50 miles has been my offseason long ride so I am hoping come April 70 miles will be my easy distance and by July 100 miles will be a regular occurence.

5/ Improve your bike handling skills, free speed.....

So I hope this is helpful I know you guys are sick of me saying it, but it takes time to hit your potential, you can't expect to be as fast strong as an athlete who has roughly the same genetics as you that has been in the sport longer they will have a bigger base and fitness from time on the saddle and competing.

Cheers - JG 

So how is every ones training going I think it is fair to say that offseason is probably done now and most people are on programs for May/June races?

My Training

One more week of pre-season build then a complete rest week of doing nothing but swimming then I am into IM training program 1st week of March.

I have been concentrating on getting my hours up to the first week of IM program which is 12 hours. Bike and Run are both there but for obvious reasons swim isn't but I am back swimming three times a week and adding 5 minutes each week to the three sessions so fairly happy with that. I am feeling injury free and strong so that is pretty good. Had my MRi scan on my shoulder last week and see the doctor this week where I am hoping he is going to give me the all clear.

I am feeling I am in a good place I am 100% stronger and fitter than thsi time last year which was my first season and hope to translate that into some decent results this year......

Gee whizz Mitch that is dreadful and I hope you are feeling better!!!

First priority for you has to be getting better so I guess we can give you a pass to skip workouts for a while. You may want to consider doing your first Tri a month later to make sure you are ready? That way you can just jump back into your plan where you left it off at without having to step up the volume too much. Rest up!!! 

Useful Traithlon Swimming/coaching session...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3McvmvTiQg&feature=related