Winter Camp in IM RP plan

David Flint

Dear the Haus,

this may sound like an event thats ways off in the year (IMCoz at end Nov) but thinking of taking advantage of some winter sun to escape the UK weather - thing is, need to book asap to take advantage of some killer deals on flight/hotels (if I don't, then the deals off)

Facts:

- Training week in Lanzarote, avg Nov temps 20-25 C.

- Best flight deals leave on the Thursday of wk 9 (so, they'll be 2 weeks back in the cold b4 leaving for Coz).

- 4hr flight to Lanza.

- IMCoz racing week (IM RP wk 12) is w/c 22nd Nov.

- IM 12 wk plan showing RR #1 in wk 6, RR #2 wk 9.

- Biggest 'humps' of volume in wks 7 & 9.

 

My concerns:

- will arriving in Cozumel 5 days before race be long enough to acclimatise + get over jet lag (GMT - 6?)

- Would a training week somewhere warm be worthwhile - worth the inevitable disruption to basic week?

- Thinking that a training camp close to race week is good from an acclimatisation point of view but is it from a tapering/race prep perspective?

- When woudl be the best time? Lanza would be better terrain for RR bike, poss open sea swim practice. Sun tan!

 

Any thoughts welcome - straight talk / reality checks are cool!  I may be over-complicating all this but anything to escape doing 5hr bikes in crappy weather! 

Thanks,

Dave

ps. alternatively, anyone have a spare room in Florida for a week!  (flying into Miami).

 

Nemo Brauch

If you told 2-3 weeks before my Ironman that I had to pack my bike and fly 4 hours away to doa 5 hour ride and then fly home (or even do some other riding while I was there) I would probably shoot you. At that point in the schedule there are sooooo many moving parts that all I want to do is shut down and simplify. I'd suck it up and do that RR closer to home. Then spend that extra vacation/travel time on getting to IMCOZ as early as possible to do some acclimation.

David Flint

Hi Nemo - yeah considered all that, hence posting but also a week away in the sun & no work! That'd be serious relaxing down time! Only reason why I considered the trip so close to race is purely down to the weather & an opportunity acclimatise - if I could spend 2 weeks in Coz b4 race day I'd do that but not possible - its not as though the UK summer will give me anything close; our weather is way cooler than your US east coast.
Equally, may need a kick in the 'family jewels' for even considering it!

Coach Rich

Dave,

Notes:

• All opportunities for big week training are good up until about 4wks out from your A-race.
• You will likely need two weeks to acclimate to the heat before the race. Doesn't reallly make sense to go train in the heat, come back to GB, then go back. Good for training, clear your head, etc, but not for heat training.
• Many athletes have been successful with training in layers, etc to make themselves hot, simulating heat. In other words, you need to acclimate your body to exercising in the heat. Not enough to just go to a hot place, you need to exercise in that hot. Riding a trainer with a sweatshirt on, etc, are good enough strategies.