First IM race training nerves

kbaker1966

Rich:

I'm still in the Get Faster training schedule - week #6. You have me in that training program until June 1st (that last week will be GF week 8), then I'm to start the IM training (I assume I should select intermediate since I'm doing the GF intermediate program) at IM week 9, which gives me 12 weeks to race day - IM Louisville, August 24, 2014. 

I'm trying not to listen to non-EN triathletes, but I keep hearing hesitation in their voice when they hear I'm only doing "IM training" for 12 weeks. I try to explain I'm in shape from doing a 70.3 in Florida in April (5 hours 21 minutes), that the GF plan is getting my interval training in line, and I'm certainly not losing anything by doing less mileage than I was doing before I joined EN.

I guess my question is more of a plea for confirmation/support that as long as I'm steady and consistent with my training and stay on course, that the 12 week plan is all I need to get across the finish line. I guess I also wonder, what makes does the EN training schedule work? I have a lot riding on this as it may be my only full distance IM. 

Thanks, Kay

Coach Rich

Posted By Kay Baker on 13 May 2014 03:18 PM

Rich:

I'm still in the Get Faster training schedule - week #6. You have me in that training program until June 1st (that last week will be GF week 8), then I'm to start the IM training (I assume I should select intermediate since I'm doing the GF intermediate program) at IM week 9, which gives me 12 weeks to race day - IM Louisville, August 24, 2014. 

I'm trying not to listen to non-EN triathletes, but I keep hearing hesitation in their voice when they hear I'm only doing "IM training" for 12 weeks. I try to explain I'm in shape from doing a 70.3 in Florida in April (5 hours 21 minutes), that the GF plan is getting my interval training in line, and I'm certainly not losing anything by doing less mileage than I was doing before I joined EN.

I guess my question is more of a plea for confirmation/support that as long as I'm steady and consistent with my training and stay on course, that the 12 week plan is all I need to get across the finish line. I guess I also wonder, what makes does the EN training schedule work? I have a lot riding on this as it may be my only full distance IM. 

Thanks, Kay

Hi Kay,

These are very common concerns. My notes for you:

• You already in very fit Half Ironman shape, having recently raced a HIM. To be frank, to put you in the first 8wks of our IM plan would be for you to take a step backwards, training / fitness-wise. IOW, after having completed an HIM, you are more fit than the first 8wks of our IM training plan assume you to be.
• Everyone outside of EN things in terms of training hours only. Inside EN we think in terms of the intensity within those training hours. I can promise you that while the GF plan is "only" #x hours per week, that training will be very, very challenging. If you wanted, you could add about 30-60' to the scheduled Saturday ride in the GF plan. 
• This HIM --> GF --> 12wks of IM plan path is one that has been used by hundreds and hundreds of successful EN athletes, of all flavors and abilities. It. Works. 

I'm going to move this thread into the General Discussion forum where more people will see it and relate to you there experiences with this training plan progression. 

Swanie

Kay- Trust the plan! The Get Faster is no Joke and you have more than enough time to your IM to get acclimated to the long stuff. Here in EN we work on fast then put far on top of that. Your Non EN friends will wonder what happened to the old Kay.  

Swanie

I started with JOS and then moved to a Get Faster/Run Block to Boston Marathon then moved into INT IM at week 11 with 10 weeks to go to IM CdA. Now I am doing week 14 and am doing my RR #1 Camp Week and am totally ready for the volume. Trust the Plan!

Al Truscott

Peer pressure is a powerful thing. When the topic of coaches and training plans comes up, you might turn the tables a bit and ask them about their "race strategy". Chances are, even if they have an $$$$$ training plan, it comes up short on helping them execute on race day. Probe about their plans for nutrition, bike pacing, efficient transitions, run pacing, etc. if nothing else, it will at least change the subject, and might alert them to the depth of knowledge you have access to about what really counts ... how to best use your fitness on race.

Of course, you want to arm yourself with a quick refresher on the race execution page found under Resources, tab above.

And with a 5:17 HIM already under your belt, I predict you'll be the one your friends start looking to for advice after you wow them with your peformance in Louisville.

kbaker1966

Thanks all. My brain knows this is the way to go....I think I just need a little reminder from "the EN veterans" every once in a while....all of which begs the question, are there any EN athletes are also in the Chattanooga area?

And no, I'm not doing IM Chattanooga b/c I missed the cut when it sold out in 3 minutes!!!  I will be volunteering though so hopefully I'll meet some of the EN athletes - I'm volunteering at athlete check in. And fingers crossed, I'll have my own IM under my belt.

Thanks again - K  

rlh2000

You can also think of it as just a name of a training plan. We could really consider everything you do to be part of IM training, but with a "get faster" period and all that, just like most stock training plans have different periods like "Base" etc. But the danger of that is you'll get really sick of feeling like you are IM training. How the coaches lie it out really helps your head- much easier to focus on that beast of IM training for 12 weeks and have other focuses with the other plans before that.

Bruce Thompson

Kay...as others have said, trust the plan.  It works.  I've done 3 IMs following the EN plan, and gone faster each race.  You will get plenty of volume during the 12 week plan, but right now you are making yourself faster without grinding yourself into the ground.  You're learning how to get more comfortable with going faster and this is important.  To race fast, you have to train fast....people don't suddenly, magically get faster on race day if they have been training with long slow distance.

One of the most important training events of the EN 12 week plan is the long run, recommended for Thursday.  This run builds up in time each week to 2 1/2 hours, and is no joke because you will be asked to do hard running (Z2 and Z3) intervals after you have already been running for at least an hour, and then again after 2 hours. The feeling that you get in that 2nd set of intervals is about as close as you'll get to what an Ironman run feels like.  It hurts, but you will gain so much confidence from it knowing you can handle a hard effort at the end of a long run.  But it is not too long to prevent you from recovering quickly for the next days workout..   As a former marathon runner, i was skeptical that "only doing a 2 1/2 long run" would get me ready.  Well, I was wrong; I was plenty ready following the EN plan.  I've run faster each IM race, and ran negative splits in my first to 2 IM runs ( just missed a negative split in my 3rd IM but was faster in total).

You're already pretty darn fast, and this plan will make you faster.   Good luck at IMLV!

J.T. Thompson

Kay - listen to those vets up above - all good advice.

If you makes you feel better - due to injuries,crashes and other fun, I've done 2 IM's where all I had was 12 weeks of the IM plan or less - no outseason or getting fast. And with the EN knowledge on how to execute, finished the IM's fine. If you can do the HIM in that time, you've got what it takes. Trust it...

Mark Maurer

Kay,

This is my first year with EN but I've done 4 IMs before using other plans. I've just dropped into the intermediate IM plan and I've looked ahead and I have every confidence that there's plenty volume in the plan for the final 12 weeks. By doing the NOS, a bike focus, and then get faster I've increased my FTP by 18% since the start of OS and it's higher than it's ever been since I've been measuring it (two years). 

Brad Marcus

Kay- This is my 2nd season with EN, but I am also training for my first full IM this year (IMLP). I completely understand how you feel and can relate to your questioning the workload of the plan. I live in a small town, filled with very active people, many of which race IMLP every year. I watch the volume that they are training with at this point, and question my workload. They also are questioning my volume as well. All I can say, is that after watching the EN bunch execute on race day, I have the confidence that if I follow the plan...I'll be in good shape come race day.

Also, my wife, who is also a triathlete, is training for IMLP as well. Due to her crazy work schedule and comfort zone, she works with a personal coach for her training. Im fulliy aware of what she does for training day in and day out. Although the volume isn't much different for her at this point, the intensity levels were never there for her when I was doing my OS and GF plans. In other words, she was building base fitness early on while we were building speed. I've not had a problem since, adding distance so far. And more importantly, as Al mentions, there has been no talk from her coach regrading race day strategy, pacing, nutrition, etc. there is a wealth of knowledge on all that here! I'm convinced that those factors make the difference on the big day.

Bruce Thompson

Kay...good work.  That's a really nice increase in FTP. Congrats.

Coach Rich

All,
Thanks for the detail.

Kay, hopefully you can see this thread as a display of what we discussed on the phone last week: the ethos of this community which is to pay it forward and share their experience with each other. You'll see more and more of this as the squad progresses through the race season and helps each other with all manner of issues and concerns.