IMWI training 2015 -- GAME ON
Well this week is #1 of 12 for me. It all begins now. The
issues with my 2015 training to-date are all in the rearview mirror, and from
now it is all about looking forward. I have loaded the plan and it looks HARD.
This week alone has every weekday other than long-run Thursday with a
double-workout: 3x swim/run Mon/Tues/Fri and today with a brick. In addition to
the plan, I have 3x20' sessions per week for core and an additional 5x10'
sessions for myrtle exercises. This is all looking very epic.
My thoughts on the coming 12 weeks: I will do what I can to
get the work done. Consistency has been one of my hallmarks. But…
…I won't sacrifice sleep (I never have sacrificed sleep for
training over any more than a few days)
…I won't let my job suffer
…and while I will impose on my family for these 12 weeks, I
will be present and engaged when I'm available.
The other thing I'm going to be deadly serious about is my
diet. For the past year I have been more lax about food. I would like to race
IMWI at 135lb – a weight I've only touched once or twice in the past 4 years and
which will require me to shed ~5-7lb to be sure that after tapering gains I
keep to the goal (and I have NEVER touched the 133lb I think I need to hit
before the taper). So, for the next 12 weeks:
…no alcohol
…no desserts other than occasional low-cal ice cream
…no random snacking
…no eating after 8pm other than apples
…all of the above violated only in service to my career (i.e.
client functions), and violations will be mitigated to the extent possible
…I will endure the mood issues associated with calorie
control
…HOWEVER, I will NOT
allow under-fueling to compromise my fitness and workouts. If I have a
systematic decline in power output on the bike I may make the call to change
the weight-goal and tactics
I kicked this all off with an Olympic-distance race on
Sunday – my only other race on the calendar for this year. It told me that my baseline
fitness is better than I should have expected given my winter and spring
training, but that there is work to be done.
AND SO IT BEGINS
Comments
... and so it begins!
Matt, welcome to Ironman training!
I almost never comment on nutrition or weight issues - e.g., I don't follow the nutrition forum here - but I do have some strong feelings about weight, Ironman training, and IM racing weight. Now, these are just my feelings - my own personal beliefs, so take it with that in mind. But you are, like me, someone who naturally is "athletically lean" (not skinny!)
IM training, as you pointed out, is HARD. It is fatiguing, and calorie intensive. I have done over 30 IM training cycles now, such that I know I don't have to worry about LOSING weight. My weight will naturally achieve a balance point with about 6 weeks to go before the race, and then my efforts are focused on finding ENOUGH calories to feel like I am not wasting away.
So my advice:
Probably, by 5-10 days before the race, you'll reach ideal IM racing weight, which is defined thus: You feel a little fat, while those closest to you are ready to arrange an intervention for what they see as your anorectic appearance.
What Al said and then I recommend keeping a diet and exercise log so you can make better calorie intake choices, balancing them against calories burned. IOW, logging what you're doing is the best way to keep tabs on what you're doing vs what you're supposed to do.
One thought...I am doing a hacked plan that P helped me with and based on his training leading up to IMtX. It was designed to help me get more out of my training now that I'm closer to the pointy end of the distribution. What I've found is that it's actually easier to manage with the family and work priorities. You are already there in terms of base fitness and speed. I'd be happy to share the plan with you if interested.
Make sure you clear this with Patrick first. Not sure what he did for you, what the terms were, or if you even paid for it for that matter. Thanks.
You're going to kick ass!