Beginner 1/2 Ironman Plan Group (Page 85)

I haven't checked in for a couple of months but I've been trying to keep up with what's going on here! It looks like the race season is in full swing

This weekend is my second Oly of the season and then nothing until my first HIM in July. Training is going well but I'm still wondering how I'm going to put it all together. I never seem to have quite enough left in the legs to have a strong run at the end of the race so I've been talking myself into being mentally tougher and just work through it. When I start running I did a walk/run program and I think I use it as a crutch so my last couple of runs I've worked on slowing down the run instead of walking when I start to want to walk. Now I just have to implement that in a race

Good luck to all racing this weekend!

Johanne

Welcome aboard Don!

Ask as many questions as you like and don't worry about if we've heard them before. You can also check out the search function on the site as you can usually find some pretty good threads where questions have already been discussed at length.

Hi all -- i'm new here as well.  Did a couple of sprint tris last year and now i'm hooked and am signing up for the Austin 70.3 in October.  Started the HIM training plan this week and loved it.  Starting week 2 on Monday and have a few questions.  On Monday's run workout it says "20 second strides*".  I'm not sure what that is and i don't see where the asterisk is defined anywhere.  Anyone know?

Also on the Friday swim work out it says "10 x 100 descend 1-5 and 5-10"  what does the 1-5 and 5-10 mean?

Really looking forward to this event.  If anyone has any advice on the Austin 70.3 let me know!

Dave

I've been kind of quiet this week. Lost a family member to cancer on Wednesday. Training is my quiet time, when I have time away from my children (age 3 & 5) to think and pray. Honestly, training is better than church for me. Spent a lot of hours on my bike and on the trails praying for my cousin. He was fighting this thing for 2 years. It has been hard to force myself out the door this week knowing all the emotions will choke me up. Hard to ride while your bawling - can't breath very well . It is hard to take as he was a young man (20 something) married just before he found out he had cancer.

Sorry, I'm probably bringing everyone down. My race is 8 days away. This is not how it played out in my head. In some weird way I had dedicated this race to him in my mind. I never really talked about it with anyone. It was just kind of this pact with myself. I would think  "if Eric can get out of bed and face the day with a growing tumor than you can train". It was my way of fighting for him I guess. Can anyone relate to this?

Now I feel like Forrest Gump. When he has been running and running and then he just stops. That is it, I'm done. The fight is over.

Thinking I probably shouldn't post this. I really don't want to bring everyone down but I also think real life happens, even in training. Most people can't understand where I am coming from because they don't train like we do.  I'm really not looking for sympathy. Just grieving and need someplace to talk about it so thanks for reading, listening.

Dina,

So sorry to hear about the loss of a loved one. It's an emotional roller coaster when something like this happens but the emotions are all part of remembering the life that was and beginning the healing.  My thoughts and prayers will be with you during this difficult time.

Regarding your race - At my first tri a few weeks ago something unexpected happened. My wife and I arrived very early so I could be sure to get checked in, set up, etc... without the added stress of being crunched for time. From the moment we arrived, we were met with more positive energy and appreciation for the day that was than we had experienced in a really long time. From the staff of the event to the hundreds of competitors and their families, everyone was kind, energetic, helpful and supportive. It was an amazing experience to be surrounded by such love for life. We left post race feeling like we had just spent a half day with our 500 closest friends!

You've already done the hard part of your training. Your base and endurance are there. Do what you can during the taper week and head to your race knowing that you'll be surrounded by the friends you need. Swim, bike and run knowing your cousin is there for you if you need him. He will always be there. He was an inspiration and will continue to give you strength for the rest of your life.

Lots of love!

trigal, I'm so sorry for your loss.  I totally understand about doing your thinking while you train.  If you're having trouble biking, maybe set up your trainer in the backyard?  Give yourself permission to cry as hard as you need to but it'll keep you safe and a workout always helps me keep my emotions a bit more settled.   DV1 is right though, your training is there, your fitness is there.  If you need some time off to grieve, you're not going to mess up your race at this point.  Cancer sucks.     (((hug)))

I'm mid training for today.  I did a 2 hour ride on my trainer because it's supposed to be thunderstorming and it was sunny the whole darned time!  The first hour I did Spinervals and then just on my own for the second.  Stuck a Clif bar to my top tube and that worked brilliantly.  I need a second bottle cage so I think I'll get that this afternoon.  Just finished lunch and am digesting (aka melting into the couch) for another 20 minutes then out for a run.  

Thanks you two! I appreciate your kind words and encouragement.

Had a 1 hr 20 min run this morning although I had to cut it short due to time. I started at 11:00 which will probably be around the same time of day I will be running the race. It was 83 degrees and 65% humidity. It was so hard to breath and my legs just felt totally dead. Time to get down to some serious tapering!!

I have really been watching what I've been eating this last week. I've cut way back on salt, sugar, dairy and carbs. Now I've been feeling hungry a lot. Maybe I'm watching things a little too close and not giving myself enough fuel for energy. I felt really bloated after last week and just felt like I needed to make a change. All of those sports drinks, recovery drinks, gels etc start to sit too heavy in my stomach after a while!

Sorry for your loss trigal.  It's great that training helps you somewhat with your loss.  It's during these "me" times during training when you think of things and look at them at a different perspective aside from from what they really are.

On a different note, I did my first OLY distance after my first HIM last April.  I know... weird right?  Well this was a race when I didn't have any trips, fall, or rash from training so I was doing pretty good.  I thought I trained well since April and wanted to make the most out of the race.  My goal was to finish under 3 hours knowing it was rolling hills and rolling run.  There was also the far fetched idea of being top 10 in my age group.  Good luck with that...

Well the good thing was I finished the race in 2:38!!!!!!!!  Pat on the back to me!  I also placed 9th in my age group!  Another pat!  I think I did great considering I finished my first international distance tri which I finished in 2:30.  It was mostly flatlands and downhill galore!

I used the beginner HIM plan from Nov-March and it somewhat served as my post-base training.  I'm currently concentrating on intervals on the bike and run while at the same time training less hours.  I would want to think that its paying dividends!  Well there's my longish post.

Trigal- So sorry for your loss. Good luck on your race, sounds like you are well prepared.

Did a 57 mile ride today. My knee felt great, so I'm really happy about that.

I'm doing a sprint tri next Saturday in St George, UT. I'm looking forward to it, but am a little bummed that I will be doing it solo. Originally, I was going to do it with one of my cycling friends, but she broke her wrist a few weeks ago and won't be able to race. Good news is that she is fine and should be back on a bike by July. Since I already registered, I'm going to still do the race since it is a short drive from Vegas.

Thanks DV!!!  Good job on the long ride jpbis!!!  To be honest, I don't remember riding more than 40 miles since my first and agonizing HIM.  It will all pay off big time!!!

Oh my god...  I just looked at the results and I was shocked by my run split at my OLY.  I did the 6 mile run in 43:43 which equates to 7:03/mile pace!!!!!!!!  HOly shiznit!!!!!  I have never timed myself on a 3 mile or a 6 mile run after my HIM!  I did the run after 24 miles of rolling hills and run was on rolling surface as well.  I had the third fastest run in our age group! I always knew running was my strength but who knew I would set a PR on a 6 mile run on an OLY race...  Man am I stoked!

Thanks for letting me toot my own horn...

I just started, so I'm no expert, but I do whatever works into my schedule that day. Sometimes I will do the workouts back to back and other times I will do one in the morning & the other in the evening. I don't think it matters. I'll be interested to see what others have to say. 

I have heard it don't matter if you do them back to back. I have heard if you split them up you can get more out of each workout where you will be fresh. I do alot of my workouts back to back because it gives me more family time in the evenings. So what ever works in your schedule shouldbe fine.

Do a forum search as I think this was discussed in the tri talk forum once. FWIW - My novice opinion is that back to back workouts serve a purpose - endurance. To build speed, you need to do the three disciplines as stand alone efforts to maximize recovery. It kind of depends on what your goals are .... I think?

Nice job on the race, I like hearing how all the training that is done pays off. Woohoo

Killed my Oly Today!!!  Gave me great confidence that I'm on the right track for my HIM :-)

Total Time - 2:21:00

Swim - 22:15 (1:29 pace)

T1 - 1:57

Bike - 1:03:36 (21.7 mph)

T2 - :59

Run - 52:15 (7:55)

My race had two transition areas about a mile apart and in T1 they made you put all your swim gear in a big plastic bag before leaving so they could take it to the finish area for you. That took a good 20 seconds, so my T1 time should have been closer to 1:37.

T2 tip I tried, and it worked beautifully, is to put all your run gear in a large ziplock bag (race number belt, visor or hat, nutrition, watch, whatever else you put on in T2). After you rack you bike, remove your helmet and change your shoes, you just grab the bag and head off for the run. On your way out of transition, put on all the stuff you have in the bag. It worked great. My T2 time was 18th fastest out of 203 competitors, and that's with cycling shoes I had to take off.

So I can't explain my swim pace??? 3rd out of 37 in my AG and 18th overall out of 203. It still felt very unbalanced and like I was just spinning my arms instead of reaching and getting a good pull like I do in the pool. Still, I'm very happy with the swim. Was able to dolphin dive a few times before the first buoy about 100 yards from the start. I was third to the buoy; as I had read it was important to get to it quick due to the course layout. I started a confident front and center after my successful and stress-free swim a few weeks ago at my previous Oly. I just need more practice swimming in OW with a group so I can find good long fluid strokes.

The bike and run courses were flat and it was 64* outside! That made for a great day.

I bought an aero helmet this week and who knows if it made a difference or not, but 21.7 mph is one of my better efforts to date. I was hoping for 21, and could feel in my legs that I was giving it a good effort. I knew not to overdue it though, and I think I paced it perfectly. I didn't try to pace guys who passed me. Some with the disc wheels that were going 25 mph didn't give me a chance (LOL), but there were one or two that I probably could have dug in a bit and kept up with. I kept reminding myself to race MY race as I feel my pacing a few weeks ago somewhat led to my poor run - remember ... 9:15 minute miles :-( Overall, bike was a nice solid emjoyable effort.

Out of T2 I got going and looked down to see 8:45 on my watch. "Okay," I thought, better than 9:15! I knew it would take a mile or two for my legs to come to me, and by the start of mile 2 they were feeling better. My watch was now reading 8:15 and I was feeling good. Plenty of aid stations with cold water to sip and pour over my head! I knew I could go faster at that point, but again reminded myself to pace the first half. I had to pee around mile 3 but recited a phrase I heard this week, "When you're running through hell, just keep on running."

It was a two loop course and when I made the turn out for the second lap, a girl exited T2 for her lap of her sprint race. I heard a spectator say, "Go get up Tami!" She passed me slowly within about 50 yards, so feeling good, I picked it up a bit and started pacing her - probably twenty feet behind her. I was still feeling good and when I checked my watch again, it said 7:45! Woohoooo. That made me feel so good since I knew I was killing the 9:15 pace of my last race .... and I was still feeling good. At mile 5.5 of the 6.6 mile run I picked it up again, passed Tami, and challenged my legs and lungs to the end. I ended up passing a guy in my AG about 1/4 mile from the finish and beat him by 12 seconds, which makes me feel good. At the end, I had labored breathing, but I wasn't spent. My legs were still good and I was in great spirits!

As I type, I'm fully showered, re-fueled and laying in bed watching the Tour de Suisse and the 2010 70.3 coverage that just came on NBC. Tomorrow, I'm ready to get back out on the road tomorrow to begin taper week.

I'm so pleased with myself for today's effort. I made lots of good decisions before and during the race, and they paid off. This is just what I needed as I get to the meat of the HIM plan.

Hope everyone else had successful SBR's today! 

DV, that race report is fantastic - congratulations!!!

So I did my long bike yesterday as previously mentioned and had lunch and then did a 30 minute run.  Well, a 22 minute run actually as I had to run home NOW to use the facilities.  I thought my nutrition was good but maybe not?  It was a shame as the run felt really good.  My running in general has felt much better for about a week and I've lost 5 pounds as well (I rarely weigh myself so that could've happened over a period of a few weeks).  Love it when things feel like they're coming together.  Well, except nutrition, I guess.  I rode for 2 hours - first hour was REALLY tough intervals, second was medium pace - and I had 1.5 bottles of gatorade, 1 bottle of water and a Clif bar.  Too much?  Not enough?  Or just the wrong stuff or maybe a bad tummy day?  I have no idea.

Today I did my hour on the trainer and realized I couldn't get a 30 minute run in with my kids due to dinner/bedtime timing so I stayed on my bike for an extra 25 minutes while they watched Superman on tv.  Felt a bit guilty with them zoning in front of the tv so I could get my workout in but they didn't seem to mind.