SWBKRUN -CLOSED DUE TO TRAINING (Page 9)

I would like to call for a quorum on this Avatar!!!!  Birdy, where are you taking this group?  

Hmmm, today?? Decorating Christmas Cookies, piano lessons, dinner with friends followed by game night, fun fun fun!! This weekend? Ho ho ho plus packing for The Trip. Leaving Christmas afternoon and flying to LA, leaving 12/26 for a week-long Disney cruise to Mexico with 14 members of the family on hub's side. All good. All awesome. Hoping for some Major Vitamin-D dosing, not to mention some tequila-dosing!! 

I hear ya there.  I turn 39 in 5 days.  New AG but just as fast if not faster.

For the record, I was hesitant to mix things up with any one who would go to that school across the pond, but i figured as long you keep to your side of the lake, I won't give you too much grief. 

Boilermaker is WAY better than Buckeye in my book

I won't hold any good natured ribbing against anyone.  It's part of what makes this fun right?  I think I can give back as good as I get.

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Well at least we took out a Wolverine on a bike in the process! 

And at least we're still playing on January 2nd!

Not racing this week, but planning to do the DART Tightwad 5K in Davidson, NC on January 1st.  That's got to count for something, right?

You get to be the primary target of fatty's love and affection for the next 4 months!

I don't know about that.  He already jumped on me pretty good because of my soon-to-be-former unhealthy habit.  But he's right.  

What do you guys think about doing an Olympic race 3 weeks before a HIM?  4 weeks would be ideal, but doesn't look like that's an option.  Am I compromising the HIM by doing it that close, or am I still good?

Just trying to figure out next year's secondary races.

It depends on how fast you recover, how hard you go during the olympic, AND how it might interfer with your taper for the HIM. Assuming the HIM is an A race I would prefer to do a sprint that close to the HIM, but I am 50 years old and will 51 before my next race. Recover takes longer now.

never met either of you.  but i gotta think she's hotter.  but after a few beers i won't turn down a reach around.  so its all good.

awesome job getting out on that run in the rain.   

great question!  i think this is your first him, right?  for the first i'd say not a good idea to race that oly at all... 2 3 or 4 weeks out.  your focus should be on the race a few weeks away.  especially the 4th and 3rd week before the race.  these are going to be your long last rides and runs heading into race day.  and don't read that as time on the bike or on your feet but rather what is going on between your ears and into your gut... the long course is just as much about the mental game and nutrition as much as it is about the physical workout.  these last few workouts are VERY important for just this.

once you get a couple under your belt and you have a better handle on nutrition, pace, etc... i think 2 weeks out is ideal.  3 weeks is probably the worst as its the last big push.  4 weeks is a second to 2 weeks.  now i wouldn't go race something like the oly up at savage but a faster course would be ideal.  and maybe try not to go all out but that's a whole lot easier to say than do. 

This is good advice.  I think my gut was already saying 3 weeks is too close.  I guess I just needed confirmation.

To answer the question, yes this is my first HIM.  It is my A race, no question.  Any other race I plan is with this one in mind.

Last year, I did 3 sprints (2 pool, one open water) and an Olympic.  That was my first year of triathlons.

How about 6 weeks out?  (There's also a possible race 7 weeks out, but I think the 6 week out one will work better, as it's more local.)  I know you said, don't race that Oly at all, but having done just one Oly race, I think it would be good for me from a confidence perspective...

LOL!  you're gonna fit in well around here. 

Loved Bobby Knight..what a legend.

Big 10 - ha.  Give me the Pac 12!

meh.   NHL!  Go SHARKS!!

I just log the lame miles.  My speed is 20-25% slower on the trainer than on the road but if you stick with it, it will pay off in the spring.

hmmm.  i don't know.  i'm gonna suzy you here and ask..what does your plan say?  6/7 weeks out you should be in the thick of the heavy hours.  if it takes you 5 days to recover than the next weekend's long days are going to be affected.  consistency among workouts should be a priority.  anything that can negatively affect this consistency should be avoided.  as your base grows, as you gain an understanding of what your body can do and as you accumulate a bit of training and racing knowledge you'll better be able to kinda figure all this crap out. i sure have a long way to go,  but i'm father along than i was a few years ago.  its what makes this so f'ing cool.

so, i don't want to dissuade you from busting out the oly but i think the focus of the training program leading up to the first 70.3 should be just that, training.  i get where some folks say race experience is good but, to me, this only holds true if the 70.3 is your first race. in your case its not.   you've got experience.  you know what transitions are like and what coming out of T2 is like.  are you an expert...no but you've gone through the motions under race conditions.  clearly you're not as good as me at transitions but few if any are! you get the pre-race jitters (which ain't sh+t to the standing on the line of you're first half... do not let anyone tell you otherwise). 

Hey, I'm signed up for that race too!  I'll be flying out there from St. Louis and renting or borrowing a bike.  My sister lives there and she signed me up.  How is the course?

Mike

i see you.  top right, against the glass. 

I will add to Fatty's good advice above here and answer with a firms "it depends."  I know, I know, don't go out a limb here but .......... 

• Are you doint the event to Complete or Compete? 
• is this A HIM early or late in the season?
• Is it possible for heat to be an issue at either race, which will have an adverse effect on either your ability to recover or your needed fitness to race? 
• How has your training been up to the A race, consistant with decent mileage and at your goal paces? 
• Did you get at least 2 full distance rides in with your nutrition dialed in, meaning few or no stomach issues at full caloric needs for the race during the ride? 
• Did your stomach feel like you would have been able to run at the pace you want to run off the bike during your rehearsal being fully fueled?  
• Did you get at least 2 ten to thirteen mile runs in at goal pace or faster? 
• Can you complete in an Oly without racing? 

I would say that if you cannot answer yes to most of these questions, you would be better served by having a race rehearsal day than scheduling an actual race in that time frame.  The biggest change for you going from an Oly to a HIM is going to be the nutritional side of racing and trying to fuel on the bike.  Fair warning that it is one area of racing can be greatly affected by heat, stress, etc. and will take some trial and error to dial in ......  Lots of the IMer's in this group can give you some really good nutrional advice.  It has derailed many a very fit athlete from finishing and needs lots of respect because only you can figure out what works for you!!!