Fred D Mentor Group Part III (Page 5)

Shane, I'm picking your brain straight away here, since it seems you're advocating hard day/easy day above.  With a goal to raise my FTP over the winter, what are your thoughts on a 6-8 week block that looks like this (taken from ST):

Day 1 = 2x20 with <5 min between @ ~95% of FTP
Day 2 = 1x20 @ 100-105% of FTP, essentially an all out TT effort
Day 3 = Rest or VERY EASY (ie 30-60 minutes at 50% of FTP)...all small ring.

Repeat, over, and over, and over. FTP is your current FTP, not your desired FTP. On day #2 insert VO2 work every other cycle with something like 5x5 @ 110-112% of FTP with 3-5 minutes rest.
Either don't run at all, or run only very easy, if you have to. I would not recommend running between workouts 1 & 2. You gotta rest.

This looks like it would make you hate the bike after a couple of weeks, but after following Jorge's plan a few times I'm looking to try something different.  Apart from the high level of hard work my other concern with following a plan like this is how do you maintain, or translate your one hour power gains into longer rides in the 3 hour range?

Third Masters workout since the crash.  Feels so good to be back in the water!  The first Tuesday of the month is always a 1,000m TT.  I was NOT looking forward to it since my shoulder has been a little sore post wreck.  Went to sleep last night dreading it, alarm goes off this morning, still not looking forward to it.  I tell myself on the way to the pool to just take it easy and work on form, don't worry about the time.  I felt OK after the warm up and drill sets, but moved back to third in my lane.  I kept focusing on being long and feeling the water.  I found a nice rhythm for 1 thru 6, picked it up a little on 7, and emptied the tank on 9 and 10.  16:14 LCM.  Super happy since I missed a month after my accident.  I still have lots of work to do to reach my goal of a sub 15 in 2013, but I know I can get there.

3 mile run this evening.

Keep at it everyone!  Send some rain to California, we need it.

Trainer ride this morning was over before it started.  The warmup felt a lot tougher than normal, and by the time the main set came, I knew I wasn't going to be even close to the 3x15' I wanted to do.  I just used it as a 30' recovery spin, never really pushing more than 70% of FTP.

So I was in the shower thinking about how I need to restructure my workouts to make sure this doesn't happen again (or too often).  But then I remembered my focus this winter was on weight loss and swimming...so I put things back in perspective.  I had a good swim last night, and have taken steps recently to eat better...so I really shouldn't be worried about having a bad bike day.

.................Ooooooo Tom. 

He is such a tech guy.

Fred, great attitude and much better than mine. When I do a run focus, more often than not I end up missing swim workouts entirely (and sometimes bike workouts too)...trying to improve here and need to accept that a less-than-stellar swim or bike during a run focus is still better than none (for me).

I haven't been doing this as long as you, but my experience is exactly the same.  Last year I did a huge run focus (got up to 100mpw for a few weeks and obviously lots of mileage prior to get up there).  I was still somewhat biking and swimming, but not in any way that could be called 'serious training', not even maintenance-level.  The running just didn't allow it.  About 8 weeks out from a long course race, I tried to get the others back by dropping the running down.  Now, I also got sick during this period, which I'm sure didn't help, but in the end, the long course race was a disaster, even though the swim was cancelled.  I totally fell apart on the bike and as a result, all of that run fitness was useless and I had probably the most painful and disappointing run of my life (I hope...).

I'm not saying that one should never focus like that.  I learned an awful lot about running, about myself, and lots of other stuff.  I also think that the high volume last year enabled me to come back from some issues this year much more quickly than I would have otherwise -- I do believe that there's a sense in which those miles 'stay in your legs'.  But I was totally unrealistic about what would happen to the other two disciplines, and what it would take to get them back.

[edited to fix a really unfortunate typo -- 'painful and disappointing runs' instead of 'painful and disappointing run'...]

Thanks for the list Tom!

Beautiful day here, I got in a nice 40 min run at lunch and then a solid 50k ride after work.  A bit windy but that led to an extension of my lead on a Strava segment.  

Fred, I agree with your comments on single sport focus.  I've done it to varying extremes with biking and running, but the reason I was doing it was not for triathlon...it was to do well in a single sport race.  I think it your ultimate goal is triathlon, then your single sport focus can't be as extreme.

Thanks Tom. well done......

For some reason I am still pretty tired.  Not sure if it's lingering from the HIM 9 days ago, that seems a little long.   Got a few hours over the weekend but nothing major.   Will get an easy 2 mile run before masters tonight, then 3K in the pool

Thanks for all the thoughts on the bike focus.  I don't see myself willing to go backwards with the other two sports, maintain yes, drop off no.

Just a quick followup on the ITBS from the last thread.

The other times that I have seen the massage therapist she's been able to fix the issue right away, so I could immediately run without concern with pacing or distance - seems like this time it may be a bit different.  I had been thinking of jumping on the BarryP bandwagon since people seem to get very good results, but as mentioned above am also thinking about the bike.

Either way, I don't want to stop running.  I'll likely lower the distances, slow the pace, roll the legs each day, and try to work on strengthening the hips.  Massage Therapist noted that some of the muscles on my right side are noticeably overdeveloped compared to the left.

nm...

Hi! Fred said I could join you. I've been lurking for a while now and figured I should come out of the shadows.

WHEN CAN YOU START: Immediately

NAME: KansasMom/ Felicia

STORY: I have never been an athlete. I participated in sports (basketball/ softball/ track / cross country) off and on in Jr High and early High School, but I was never good at anything. My strengths were musical, so that's where I spent my free time. However, I'm from Eugene, OR, and it was difficult not to run -- at least during the time I was a kid -- the days of Steve Prefontaine and Mary Decker. So running is what stuck. My dad and I would ride together -- we would routinely ride across town to Springfield to visit his mother -- maybe 12 miles one way. And in 1976, when I was 15, we did a bicentennial 76 mile ride through the Coburg Hills. I still remember the chafing.

I ran for recreation and stress relief in college. Then stopped for ten years. In graduate school, I picked it up again, allowing myself to run 30 minutes a day (time crunched). I did this until I became pregnant with my first (he's 16 now), and I basically did nothing until 18 months ago.

About two years ago, I had serious gall bladder issues, and in November 2010, I had my gall bladder removed. I know that's not serious, but it kind of snapped me out of my lethargy. I was 40 pounds overweight, eating horribly, stressed from my job, etc. At my post op visit, the surgeon said that I would begin to feel like a new person. That the sick gallbladder was influencing me more than I even realized.

He was right. After I fully recovered from the surgery, I started a C25K program and ran my first 5k race on the first Saturday of April 2011. In our race packet was a brochure for a sprint triathlon at the end of June. Even though I couldn't swim well, I thought I would do it. I knew I could do the 5k. I knew I could cycle, so I just needed to swim.

That race wasn't pretty, but I got it done, and I am hooked. Swimming is coming along; cycling is getting better; but running has become a serious passion for me. While I want to improve in the swim and bike, I still tend to see those disciplines as cross training to help me run more with less injury.

FAMILY STATUS: My husband and I have been married almost 8 years. We have a 5 (almost 6) year old boy together. I have two boys (11 -- almost 12 and 16) from a previous marriage, and my husband has five adult children from his previous marriage. I work in academia and am currently in the midst of an interview process for a position in California. (EEK!!!) We have two dogs and a kitty (my princess). We are also currently battling field mice -- 'tis the season. As a family, we love to camp, hike, and take very slow (and ridiculously short) family bike rides.

CURRENT TRAINING:  After my last triathlon this summer, I turned to running focused (although I've been battling some sickness, so not getting as much done as I wish). My plan has been to follow Barry P (more or less) for running, to swim at least twice a week for 30-35 minutes during lunch, and to get on the trainer at least once a week. In addition, I am treating myself to a Wednesday evening CardioABS class and a Thursday evening spin class. I do all of my training alone, so the classes are forcing me to be with people. I am enjoying them a lot.

2012 RACES: Three sprint triathlons -- I was hoping to move up to an Oly this summer, but it didn't work out. In September, I ran my first trail run (10k), and my second half marathon. In ten days, I have a 15k dirt road run with a 1/2 mile up and down at the half way point. In November, I'm running a 25k dirt road race -- all up and down, except for about 100 yards. I'm still looking for something to run in December.

2013 RACES:  Well, if I really get the job in California, I will attempt Kansas 70.3 -- I want to run on the yellow brick road. If I don't get the job in California, I will probably put the 70.3 off until 2014. I will also do at least one sprint and one Oly after Kansas 70.3. Fall 2013 will bring the half marathon again, as well as a marathon and a 50k dirt road race -- the hilly one (if I'm still in Kansas).

WEIGHT LOSS: After my gall bladder surgery, I lost 35 pounds. I have maintained my current weight for a year, but I would like to lose 10 more this winter. I could stand to lose 20, but I'm not sure I want to do all of that in the next few months. I am trying to eat clean. I don't drink alcohol or soda, but I love coffee and tea.

I'm still trying to find myself nutritionally. I have been a vegetarian in the past, and I would be again, but I cave into my family's eating desires. Still, I don't eat much meat -- I'm pretty sure my 5 year old eats more than I do because I give myself the same meat portion as I give him, and I don't finish mine. My weight loss goals have been complicated by menopause. But I'm not giving up.

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MEMBER OF THE GROUP: I love triathlon. While I'm not fast or very experienced, I am a good cheerleader and an excellent listener. Most importantly I want to improve and be the best I can be.

I can't recommend the hip strengthening enough for ITB issues - it really does help me. Now - after every run, I do a lot of Jane Fonda's (what my PT calls them) and it has made a significant difference. As to the more developed muscles on the right side - do you run on cambered roads? This happens to me when I'm running on asphalt a lot.

All of this discussion about recovery days vs. work days has been illuminating to me. Not coming from an athletic background - I started training just doing what I could handle. After a couple of years, I realized that I *could* work out 7 days a week...and that gave me 14 blocks to play with (thinking about 1 hour a session, two sports a day except on long bike and long run days)...which is what I followed for fall 2011 - now. I tend to fall in the "if one is good, two is better" camp.  I don't think I'm taking any recovery time. No wonder my speed hasn't improved.

So for this winter - I'm following the Winter Cycling plan from Jorge (Intervals MWF, long bike on Saturday) coupled with BarryP's plan for running (which would have the short/recovery runs on MWF, the speed/tempo work on T TH and the long run on Saturday) and swimming when the kids are at swim team on T Th (with another swim on Sunday)...does it make sense to couple the speed/tempo work for running with the bike days? Sunday would be a long swim...but maybe an entire day off would make more sense.

Good morning everyone!

3950 meters of various kinds of torture in the pool this morning at 5:30am.  The coach told me my freestyle was really good, just need to fix a minor timing problem with my (non-existant) kick and maybe some other minor tweaks once my fitness gets back up to snuff.