Ernesto's group (4th season) - Closed (Page 7)

Kerrville is hilly though, make sure your rides are hilly too or you will find yourself in trouble on race day. Hills recruit very specific muscle fibers that you will not train on the flats. Finding hills in Austin is not hard though, right?

Newb here to the group.  I'm a self trained triathlete.  Everything I know (and it isn't a lot) comes from books, this site or chatting with other runners, cyclists and triathletes.  I find it all so confusing when it comes to training theories.  I once tried training using a HRM and if I went at my normal pace - which I used to do frequently for 3-5 miles - my monitor would beep and if I were to trust it - you'd think I would be about to keel over!  To maintain what they referred to as a good heart rate meant walking!  So I tossed it out the window.

Last November I ran a lot without paying attention to pace - purely volume building at whatever pace I felt like - and in hindsight my long runs were faster and felt easy.  Lately I've been trying to follow the FIRST plan where you run less but the three workouts you do do are a fast tempo, track and a long run at specific paces.  I've been struggling to hit the pace goals even though according to the plan - I should be able to.  While I feel faster, and there's a great rush at hitting the targets - I have found it's much harder on my body.  Takes longer to recover (vs. before when I ran 6 days a week) - not sure if that's good in that I'm pushing my body or not.  Anyway - a 9 mile run on the books today and after reading all your posts I tried very hard to keep it slow and easy.  Not an easy task to do!  I only have 11 weeks til my A HIM race and I'm nervous I don't have the base I should.  I don't know if I should switch running plans at this point... thoughts?

Happy Easter everyone!

For those taking part in the weight loss challenge, today is weigh in day.

Despite being the one who set the rules, I was really tempted to cheat this morning, as I'm nearly 1kg heavier than yesterday...  But the (dis)advantage of living with someone who is also in the challenge is that they keep you honest

Marcia:

I have experience with the FIRST plan. My takeaway is you need a very strong base to do that plan effectively.  In fall of 2009 I used that plan and had your experience - found the speed workouts very challenging, had trouble recovering and in my case couldn't do the cross training due to fatigue. Re: Maffetone, I've never fully adopted the MAF concept of a MAF target HR, etc.  I did like Ernesto's comment that the overriding theme of the book is to train smarter not harder.  Starting in the last half of last year I started slowing down my paces on my runs dramatically so that I could run more frequently and for longer distances.  I hardly did any speed workouts until just recently.  The key in my mind is finding your easy base and building a stronger base through frequent/longer runs.  

I recently started doing the FIRST plan again to see how I could handle it - I modified it slightly by slowing the pace of the speed workouts a little bit.  I've been able to do almost all of the Key runs, while adding shorter easy runs to my weekly schedules and also cycling and swimming.  It's still very challenging but my stronger base is allowing me to push myself harder.  I've also gotten better at listening to my body and backing off or taking a day off when necessary.  I think for now you are better running 6 days a week like you were before.

I did the FIRST plan last November for my 1st full marathon and felt well underprepared for the distance.  FWIW, I think the plan does not include enough mileage and too many fast miles.  I did the plan with a HIM base already there, but it is just not enough slow miles.  The plan made me much faster, but not at the distance I was racing.  Also, the higher pace of these runs left me much more tired and required a lot more recovery.  

If you are training for a HIM (not a HM), I would not recommend running 6 days per week as that is just too much running.  I'm 9 weeks away from my A race (HIM) and have been and will continue to consistently run 3 days per - 1 short run (5-7 miles), 1 medium run (8-10) miles and 1 long run (12-17 miles) per week.  All the runs will be targeted at MAF pace.  

Think about your running goal coming off the bike.  Endurance would seem to be your goal here and not necessarily speed.

Thanks for the feedback and insights.  I think I will ease off the FIRST plan.  For one - it's making me dread the runs and I actually get a lot of solace in those lone early morning runs.  It's my ME time and lately Ive missed them.  I also find the recovery is impacting my other workouts.  Today I didn't schedule properly for my long ride but even if I'd had the time... my legs were tired.  But as Joe says, I don't think I can fit in a run every day as I was and still keep up the biking swimming.  The logistics are too complicated at this time.  I think I'll keep doing tempo/track/hill work but at easier paces.  The long run will be long and slow.  And in the meantime Ill give the book a read.  Thanks everyone!  Hope you are enjoying your Easter!!

I think that's a good call.  Just for clarity - 3 of my 6 planned runs per week are 30 minutes or less and at easy pace. Sometime they don't happen because of time constraints (probably honestly run between 4 and 5 times per week).  If you can't fit in more than 3 runs because of logistics then I think you are right to focus on three runs you can complete while maintaining the ability to recover for your swims and bikes.  I have three key runs I always try to do and if I can, I run 30 minutes after each cycling workout.  My medium runs and my long runs are also not as long as Joe's.  More of 3-6-3-6-3-11 pattern with the 3 mile runs all being time permitting.  If you have the time I find the extra aerobic conditioning and time on your feet running easy to be beneficial.

Sorry, I meant to post my bio last week, then I ended up with trips to the ER with my kid and sidetracked.

Now all is calm and Easter dinner is in the oven, I finally have time to do it.

Cheeky / Deb.

I'm 36 and grew up in the UK but moved to the US 7 yrs ago. When I moved over here I took on my new husbands eating habits and ended up rather 'lardy'. We moved from NY to BOS  I participated in my first Tri about 5 years ago and was totally humiliated and vowed never to do it again.

Fast forward 18 months later I had a training partner and I had discovered the local Y and met some fabulous people. I finished another Tri and felt much better about things. I have since completed quite a few sprints, a HM, and a HIM.

I am signed up to volunteer at Lake Placid in July. The Monday after I will be doing the deed, and signing up for 2013.

 Family.

I am married to a wonderful guy who has no interest in doing a tri, but will gladly shlep my 'stuff' around, drive courses I 'might' want to do, travel with me, get up at 4am on race days, stand and cheer me on etc. etc.

I also have 2 kids - Marcus (18) and Sophie (17). Sophie lives with me, Marcus lives with his Dad in the UK.  Sophie, being 17, thinks I am the biggest tool on the planet, and cringes when she sees me in race / training gear, but will come to some of the bigger races with me.

I also have 2 cats. One came from the Uk with me - Skinny mini -She is as cute as they come and I love her to bits. The other is Lex, a 23lb monster, that is the love of hubby's life.

Current training.

At the moment I am training for my first marathon. I have a coached plan that I follow, though I have been slack on getting the 'optional' swims in. She has me training by HR zones and when I started it was AWFUL. I dropped to 14 - 15 min miles! I am starting to see results and am no longer finding it quite so torturous.

Last years races.

Numerous 5K's

Season opener

King Pine Tri

Patriot HIM

Buzzards bay tri

Mill city relay

2012 races

Lake placid marathon

Pumpkinman HIM

buzzards bay tri

Mill city relay

Weight loss

Urgh don't even ask. I am such a lard a$$ and I can NOT for the life of me shift any weight. I dropped down to around 1K cals a day and got down to 156. Then started training and required more cals..... UP,UP, UP to 174.  I am built more like a pit bull than a greyhound and my body just fights me the whole way.  I need help! I'd like to join the weight challenge.

And that's about it really. I'll probably read more than I post, But thank you for having me in the group :-)

I'm not sure if there is a safe place to ride in that area. My rides are almost always at the picnic loop in memorial park or on the weekends I'll drive out to Katy, Conroe, or The Woodlands to ride part of the IMTX course. The picnic loop is a 1mile loop that except for weekends and lunch times is closed to traffic. There is also a 3 mile gravel running path, and some trails for mountain bikes/trail running at this park.

It will be challenging for you to put all the work for a late July race because of the area where you live. Race training is going to be good (because it is only 20 weeks or 24, depending), but the winter base training will demand some indoors work that can be mentally burdensome.

Shoot whatever questions you may have, that's the purpose of this thread.

Hi guys, I'm Rachel's husband, Kevin. I will introduce myself below.

Name: Kev

Username: corybantes

Story: This is my second season of Triathlon. I did a couple of sprints, olympics and a half IM in first season and have decided to move on to the full IM for this year. 

I am a Corporate Manager for a bank which means that although I don't work weekends, I do work long hours during the week. Inevitably this has a knock on effect on my training. I have always been active, but didn't come to triathlon with a particular specialism.

Family status: Married to Rachel, no children! 

CURRENT TRAINING: Training somewhere around 10 hours per week at the moment at the start of my IM training plan

THIS YEAR'S RACES: Ironman Zurich in July and Ashington Sprint in May

WEIGHTLOSS: Lost about 10kg last year and want to repeat again. I have a fairly unhealthy relationship with sweet foods such as biscuits and cakes, but everyone has their crosses to bear

Thanks guys

Kev

It's a great place for intervals, I do my intervals and power tests there. You will see people out for a stroll, especially if you go on a weekend, but it's also a popular place for the local roadies to get in a workout. The good thing is the road is wide so there's plenty of room to pass people. Just be sure to stay aware of your surroundings, it's a one way road and I've seen people riding and driving the wrong way.

Chris, that's interesting about the running class you attended.  Jennie and I have been reading a book my mother gave us called "Chi Running" and it talks a lot about running form and the leaning slightly forward you mentioned.  I take that stuff for granted as I've naturally developed a pretty decent running form over the years without really thinking about it, but I think its good stuff as most people probably do run straight up and down which causes heel striking which causes all kinds of stuff to happen (not much good).  I'm so ingrained in my running style now that I'm probably a lost cause but the book is very interesting.

Did I see someone mention a tri training plan that has 6 runs per week?  Call me crazy, but I'd run scared from a plan like that.

Today's training for me was supposed to be a swim and a run, but I had to bag the swim since my shoulder is still smarting from getting hit by a pole vault crossbar on Saturday.  I did a 7.13 mile run in 1:02:37, mostly on trails.  Jennie had my heart rate chest strap while we wait on her replacement, so I don't have any HR data.  But I've been running at MAF for so many months now that my avg pace per mile was in the ballpark of my MAF runs anyways.