Season planning

Robert Sabo

I don't think I'm ready to submit a season plan yet as I'm getting over a hamstring issue he says optimistically. However, I have signed up for IMMT and Challenge USA as it is in my backyard even if the timing is awful and I might do aquavelo relay or pull out all together as I have no travel plans/expenses.  I also want to do IM Cairns June 8 as I have to go to Australia (kids going to college and grad school their).  I could drop down to 70.3.  IM doesn't seem to sell out the half does (reg opens Dec5th) .  I think I'll try to sign up for half and I can alwys sign up for the full later.  When I met Patrick 2 weeks ago he just shook his head.  The first real question is "Should I just heal and prep until January OS?" 

Coach Rich

Posted By Robert Sabo on 07 Nov 2013 10:34 AM


I don't think I'm ready to submit a season plan yet as I'm getting over a hamstring issue he says optimistically. However, I have signed up for IMMT and Challenge USA as it is in my backyard even if the timing is awful and I might do aquavelo relay or pull out all together as I have no travel plans/expenses.  I also want to do IM Cairns June 8 as I have to go to Australia (kids going to college and grad school their).  I could drop down to 70.3.  IM doesn't seem to sell out the half does (reg opens Dec5th) .  I think I'll try to sign up for half and I can alwys sign up for the full later.  When I met Patrick 2 weeks ago he just shook his head.  The first real question is "Should I just heal and prep until January OS?" 

Yeah, can't imagine why he'd shake his head at that 

Yeah, need to get heal up before you start the OS. The Bike Focus plan would be good for you now, assuming that the hamstring is an issue on the run but not the bike. 

Paul Hough

"have to go to Australia" !! Yeah, I like that. How do kids from the NE end up in school in Australia anyway? But what a destination!

Robert Sabo

They separately went for a semester abroad and fell in love with the country. One is going for her undergrad degree starting Feb and the other is going to Grad school in June. Both at the same Univ in Melbourne (RMIT). they will be there atleast till 2 1/2 years from now. So I may HAVE TO race in Australia a lot.

Robert Sabo

Rich - I sent you a season plan request but I still cannot run pain free. 1-9-14 I will get a PRP injection in my hamstring. then it will be three weeks with no running. So Feb 1 I am planning on starting back. I don't know what my other limits will be. The ortho ( a multiple IM finisher himself) has let me run now Z1 and biking I have gone up to 80% and swimming with no kicking. I assume that about a few days to a week out from the injection I can return to swimming, no kick and above biking. I guess I'll restart the Bike focus and skip the run, pull buouy for the swim, and FTP will ony be at 80%. Just want to see the spring summer schedule to be able to Know whether I am going to be unable to be ready for the races on the schedule. The challenge race is C race and I haven't regestered yet for Cairns 70.3(opens end of Jan). Thanks

Coach Rich

Posted By Robert Sabo on 31 Dec 2013 08:48 AM


Rich - I sent you a season plan request but I still cannot run pain free. 1-9-14 I will get a PRP injection in my hamstring. then it will be three weeks with no running. So Feb 1 I am planning on starting back. I don't know what my other limits will be. The ortho ( a multiple IM finisher himself) has let me run now Z1 and biking I have gone up to 80% and swimming with no kicking. I assume that about a few days to a week out from the injection I can return to swimming, no kick and above biking. I guess I'll restart the Bike focus and skip the run, pull buouy for the swim, and FTP will ony be at 80%. Just want to see the spring summer schedule to be able to Know whether I am going to be unable to be ready for the races on the schedule. The challenge race is C race and I haven't regestered yet for Cairns 70.3(opens end of Jan). Thanks

Ok, just seeing this now. Ignore the email I sent you this morning asking for clarification of where you are. Spring / summer schedule depends on how this stuff resolves itself. Your hamstring, that injection, and your doc are your coaches now. Your BF plan sounds good IF the hamstring can support it. And of course you know that you can always turn that down if you need to. 

I say work with the doc and the leg until you feel you're able to start running 3-4x/wk. Circle back to me at that time and we can talk about what plan is the best fit for you and what that means for your '14 race plans. 

Robert Sabo

Thanks Rich

Robert Sabo

My races are set and I have been cleared to run only at much slower then LRP (usually 7:48). Now running at 9:00 but can work up to 8:30s once I start running continuous distance. I'm water running 15 minutes and TM running every other day with a max so far of 21 min 2.25 miles split into 3 intervals with walk breaks between without any problems and I am slowinly increasing time and distance. Bike I was only permitted to rid 50-65% which I do 4x week with a long ride of 90 minutes. I will now increase to 75-80% for about 2 weeks or so and then go up from there. I'm doing my PT and swimming like I am almost ready for IM. My B race meaning I hope to be healthy enough to race will be IM Princeton 70.3 in September everything else is C Race. IM Cairns 70.3 June 8 Challenge AC June29 and IMMT
I am looking to participate and be healthy and everything is fun training. No PRs or Kona dreams. Slow and steady and finish the races. Should I send you an official season plan request and then send micro questions to Patrick? I was thinking I should load up the IM plan to end on Challenge AC and then we can scale down the intensity as needed. OS and GF are probably to intense right now. I think this season the hamstring issue is going only allow me to build far then fast(hopefully).

Coach Rich

Posted By Robert Sabo on 25 Feb 2014 01:40 PM


My races are set and I have been cleared to run only at much slower then LRP (usually 7:48). Now running at 9:00 but can work up to 8:30s once I start running continuous distance. I'm water running 15 minutes and TM running every other day with a max so far of 21 min 2.25 miles split into 3 intervals with walk breaks between without any problems and I am slowinly increasing time and distance. Bike I was only permitted to rid 50-65% which I do 4x week with a long ride of 90 minutes. I will now increase to 75-80% for about 2 weeks or so and then go up from there. I'm doing my PT and swimming like I am almost ready for IM. My B race meaning I hope to be healthy enough to race will be IM Princeton 70.3 in September everything else is C Race. IM Cairns 70.3 June 8 Challenge AC June29 and IMMT

I am looking to participate and be healthy and everything is fun training. No PRs or Kona dreams. Slow and steady and finish the races. Should I send you an official season plan request and then send micro questions to Patrick? I was thinking I should load up the IM plan to end on Challenge AC and then we can scale down the intensity as needed. OS and GF are probably to intense right now. I think this season the hamstring issue is going only allow me to build far then fast(hopefully).

Hey Rob,

Yeah, I think you should load up the IM plan to end on CAC but you'll obviously need to continue to do the smart guy thing, making significant adjustments to your workouts day by day. The keys, I think, are to get your running frequency back and to ramp the intensity of the bike workouts up in a manner that keeps you healthy. That is, if you're able to ride hard-ish 2-3x/wk, regardless of volume, and run 3-5x/wk, regardless of volume or intensity, that would be a "good enough" plan for you for a while. Then if you could get yourself to where you could do most of the IM workouts in the plan, as schedule, in the last 6-8wks you'd be even better. So the short answer is do what you gotta do so that you're as healthy as you can be for that last 6-8wk push.

Good luck!

Robert Sabo

Thanks Rich