HM Next Week

kimmydct

Hi there!  I'm doing a HM next Sat. which I'm not feeling super prepared for but I have been running a lot of hills and a heck of a lot longer Sunday runs than I would normally be this time of the year!

I'm on week 5 of the GF plan but I've also been looking at the Balanced HM plan as a reference as well.  My question for race week, is what should I be doing?  I don't want to totally abandon the bike (See question in the next paragraph) as written in the HM plan but I also want the best shot at a decent race on 3/22.  My legs are feeling pretty tired lately due to all the hill running.  (Great for Quassy, but tough right now!)  Also, I'm doing a double 5k this weekend. Sat. will be as a run test, Sun. will be whatever I can muster.  Do I need to do anything else in terms of run mileage this weekend? 

Next question: I'd like to do Quabbin Road Race (62 hily bike miles) 4/26 but super unprepared as of right now due to !@##%^*$ weather. Longest trainer ride has been 25.   I haven't registered so I don't HAVE to do it but I'd need to quickly ramp up the bike after the HM if there is any hope.  Any recos on that in terms of mileage or longest ride?  (ie if I can't get in at least X # of XX miles rides prior, forget it)  Or do I just "try it" and hope to survive it regardless?

SOrry for so many questions in 1 email!  Thanks!

Coach Patrick

No run mileage this weekend..2 x 5k is more than enough. Continue with the GF plan but shut it down after Wed. Thursday is off. Friday is a short 30' run. Sat is the race. Sunday is off or a short light spin of 30' to recover…I prefer off.

Quabbin is a must do…it's not about performance (really) -- it's a carrot / stick that's going to push you to get fitter than you are now (not necessarily as "fit as you thought you'd be when you first contemplated the race" and that is 100% okay)….besides it's a bucket list…just get it done and have fun with it. It will suck but you will be better for it..and truth be told, it would suck no matter what level of fitness you had.

This would be 4 x weekly rides…we can hack after the HM if you are in!

Have a great weekend,

P

kimmydct

Half Mary done with a 2:22 PR. (Total time 2:23:22) Not too shabby considering my training, or lackthereof. Longest run was 9miles and biggest month (Feb.) was only 38 miles. My previous Half was in Oct. and the month before the race I had 60 miles.

Garmin shows course elevation on today as 735 and Hartford Half Oct. was 1,400 but today's course sure felt harder! The hills were def. steeper today.

Anyway, looking for some "hacking" to get me ready for Quabbin now that I'm feeling confident in my run. (Way ahead of the curve vs previous years in terms of long runs) Hoping to be able to muddle through that as well as I did today in the half.

Thanks!

kimmydct

Ps. I'm currently swimming 2x week but if I need to cut to 1x week to fit in more cycling I'm ok with that. Also I have 1/2 days on fri at work so that is an opp to add more cycling. Thanks!

Coach Patrick

Nice work!!! I'd like to have you close out the Get Fast plan right now as it's working (I did reverse calendar math off of previous posts to figure that out, lemmeno if I am wrong)...and you are making up for lost time...then we transition to the HIM plan...since you are five weeks out from Quabbin, that's 2 of GF and 3 of HIM...into Quabbin...and another 5 to Quassy. So 8 weeks of HIM training...

So for the GF stuff...I want you to move the Saturday ride to Friday (your 1/2 day) and then the Sunday run to Saturday...then Sunday you are adding an ABP ride...so 30' to warm up, then another 60' to 90' at Zone3 or best effort. This will eventually get up to a 2.5 hour session...

For Quabbin week, you do your regular training through Wednesday, Swim Thursday, Friday off, Saturday Race, Sunday off to recovery, Monday into the HIM plan.

Deal?

kimmydct

Just had a thought... Weather is looking pretty good for the next few days so I think I'd like to do a Big Bike Week(end) Sat.-Tues. This Sat. is a group ride 40-50 miles, then Sun. I will do a shorter pretty easy ride (with the wife), then group ride Mon. night (20-25 miles) and another group ride Tues. night. (I don't love riding alone anymore, can you tell?) Ill have the tri bike (w power) for all except Tues. I would do Wed. off, then back to plan w/ long run Thurs.

Questions: Good idea? I have Quabbin in 2 weeks so I thought this might be good timing for some extra mileage. I'll try to get the prescribed intervals in for the Sat. ride, but obviously the group and terrain will dictate some of that. Is there an average IF I should aim for if I can't get in the "work" as written? Or is it really just whatever it takes to not get dropped? Or pass out?

Coach Patrick

Just ride. And work hard. I don't you kill yourself, but this many consistent block could really help you boost your fitness before Quabbin. At the very least, it will really really motivate you after all that time indoors this winter. :-(

kimmydct

So Quabbin is Sat. (If it doesn't rain!) I'm on the HIM plan now so based on our previous input, I would be missing the Thurs. long run

"For Quabbin week, you do your regular training through Wednesday, Swim Thursday, Friday off, Saturday Race, Sunday off to recovery, Monday into the HIM plan. "

Is that OK? Run is my weakest so I'm concerned. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

Coach Patrick

Kim - quabbin is that big!! So pumped for you!! The only change I might make is adding a 45 minute run on Thursday ideally in the morning. Otherwise it's all eyes on Quabbin. If you feel up to you could do an easy 45 minute jog, or up to 45 minutes, on Sunday.